To make travel more enjoyable and less stressful (owing to how often things go wrong) it is often a good idea to re-iterate a few simple rules that can help prevent disaster. Problems that could leave you with bad memories and a dislike of the local people, and maybe having to replace lost items; it could cost you lots of money and end up ruining your holiday. In some instances it is not uncommon for fear to set in and venturing from the relative safety of the hotel room or resort is out of the question. 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.
Trust your instincts if something doesn’t feel right, do something about it. If you are heading out on the town to discover new bars or taking photos at the local fish market, do you really need to carry your passport, traveler’s checks, extra cash, credit cards and plane tickets? Consider just what you require for your trip out and take that, placing everything else that is of importance in your room or hotel safe. 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.
Unfortunately, the convenience of having two credit cards on the same account in your own country can be a problem in a foreign land so another travel safely tip is to use two completely separate accounts; this provides a back-up should one be lost or stolen. Some of the easiest possessions to steal are bags and cameras owing to the way people carry them without even recognizing that they are an easy target for thieves; ensure the straps are over the head and across the chest if you want to hold on to them. If you are the person carrying the camera or bag, then walk away fro the edge of the road where it is easy for motorcycle thieves to grab something and make a quick getaway. Everyone has heard the stories of different confidence tricks that have happened to vacationers because they are relaxed and let their guard down but the truth is these people do this sort of thing for a living.
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. For instance, when carrying small bags (rucksacks for example), it is not a difficult job to place a small combination lock on it to put thieves off; remember they are always looking for the easy victim!