Jason West Traveller

Unfamiliar locations, when we are on vacation for instance, seem to be the most likely times when things will start to go wrong. These things can often ruin a vacation and leave a bad taste in the mouth for a particular location; they can even be expensive! Things can even get to the point where you can feel like a prisoner as you become reluctant to leave your room. It doesn’t matter if you are visiting a local market or out for an evening meal, traveling safely is about the application of common sense when you are in an unfamiliar location.

People often neglect to trust their instincts in a situation which can lead them into unnecessary trouble. Always be careful about traveling with all your documents and money if you are just going to town to see the sights or have a meal. You know that when you go out for the day or evening there are only certain things you need, so just take those and leave the rest behind in the safe or security deposit box. There is nothing worse than having to cancel credit cards on vacation so to protect your assets further when you are out and about, hide them and the cash in different areas about your person in small amounts; that way a possible thief would not get much.

A follow on to this tip is to carry two separate credit cards instead of two from a joint account as this adds an extra security measure should one be stolen; this travel safely tip means this way you are not without a credit card. Many resorts are renowned for bag and camera snatching which is not so easy to do if they are over your head and shoulder. Some of the easiest crimes involve snatch thieves that may actually work in teams; they locate unsuspecting victims who have a bag on their shoulder for instance that can be easily grabbed by a passing cycle or scooter. We have all read about the different scams that people have fallen for and the truth is people continue to fall for them because the scammers are professionals and they’re good at it.

This complacency can cause problems because these people make their living doing this sort of thing but just a little extra vigilance can make it much harder for them to take what does not belong to them. One way to help reduce the chances of things being stolen is by using a back pack with a padlock, this makes it more difficult to get into and therefore acts as a deterrent.