The Rio 2016 Olympics were an eye opener for avid travellers as to what can go wrong if they land at a wrong place with good intentions. There are some surefire ways to ensure the safety of yours and your loved one’s even in hostile situations during your dream vacation. Let’s begin our safety-first countdown for a pleasure trip:
- Be Pre-emptive
Try avoiding travel to those areas and parts which are deemed unsafe for locals and foreigners. A quick glimpse on today’s local newspaper (hard copy or electronic version) can make things pretty clear. Additionally, try to research about socio, political and cultural tensions in the area and what the administrative body is doing to control them.
- Deploy Decoys
It may sound a bit extreme and James Bond-ish, but believe me, it will safeguard your valuables. For someone on their first trip, they should have a stylish, inexpensive, outdated flip phone for going out while keeping an iPhone or latest Android in the hotel room’s safe or deep within your backpack. Use the old phone for making calls and messaging and take snaps with a digital camera instead of an expensive smartphone. In case you have to, make sure you are in a safe spot and not in a place crowded by locals.
Same is the case with your wallet; keep one with pennies and a few bucks in your jean’s pocket – never put anything in your back pockets.
- Selfies Can Wait
Don’t go out with your face glued to your mobile screen, pay attention to your surroundings. If you are an avid selfie taker, find a safe spot – the town’s center or a bust street way is not a safe place by any means.
- Stay Alert
When going out make sure you are aware of your surroundings. Do you know seasoned thieves usually act in groups? You don’t have to get into Sherlock Home’s mode, but if someone is rubbing shoulders with you, bumped into you for no apparent reason, shoved newspaper on your face then go berserk. That’s what they do; create a small chaos and take advantage of the momentary loss of focus.
- Get Vaccinated and Insured
You need to be aware of microscopic threats while traveling, so it’s a good idea to get yourself vaccinated and keep as much medication with you as you legally can. It’s also wise to get travel insurance and adopt safe transporting means. However, if we you happen to meet an accident or get physical disorder during your trip, you should get in touch with a qualified social security disability lawyer.
- Protect Your Documents
Besides protecting yourself, you must also protect your documents. So, be mindful of getting them photocopied and carry only the absolute critical and vital ones on your day out. Using ATM machine located in malls and banks is also a safe approach to withdraw cash. Try to take out least amount and don’t carry too much cash.
Finally, stop acting like tourists. A big sign of tourists is when they start snapping every bump, tree, pond and bird they see on their way around town. So, be street smart and travel in groups as much as you can. The final word of advice is to avoid strangers who are act too nice for no apparent reason.
