8 tips to stay safe and mindful while travelling

No matter, which part of the world you are travelling to, make sure that you do your research well about the place much before you begin your journey. While most people would research the best places to see, the famous restaurants, accommodation facilities, make sure that you look beyond the obvious. Yes, you may choose the safest location to stay, but that does not guarantee your safety while you are out on the streets.

You may think, you are too smart to be scammed, but when it happens, you will find yourself despairing. You can easily avoid this situation just being a little prepared to tackle the potential threats and faceoff with the con artists. Learn about the popular scams at the location you are visiting. You can look up threads on traveller forums online- ex TripAdvisor etc. Remember, forewarned is forearmed, and this research would help you defend yourself from being tricked of your valuables.

While you are travelling to a new city, it is best that you carry only the essential things you need with you and keep the sundry at home or keep it locked safely in the hotel room before stepping out on the streets. Carry only the essentials – some loose cash, credit card, and your identity documents like passport and license. Make sure that you always keep your valuable documents close to your body and more importantly keep the money and the documents separately. This would prevent you from losing everything should you misplace your wallet or if someone steals it. It’s also advisable to keep your cash in different pockets or divide it among your fellow travellers- so that in cases of theft– you don’t lose all of it together.

Speaking of theft, pickpocketing is common around the world, and the notorious criminals are known to target tourists. So, never keep anything in your back pocket. Doing this will make you an easy target. Also if you are travelling with a backpack, ensure it is zipped with a lock as these criminals are known to deftly open them.

Also thieves find tourists travelling with kids as soft targets, as they are normally pre-occupied with their children and taking care of them. So be extra cautious at all times when travelling with kids for more reasons than one. Also beware of gatherings of street performers- getting lost in the moment of entertainment, one becomes a sitting duck for these notorious thieves.

This is an incredibly important safety tip, yet easily one of the most overlooked one. The human body has the natural ability to sense danger, even before your brain is fully aware of it. Some call it the ‘spidey sense.’ Trust your instinct, if you feel uneasy while sitting at a certain bar or someone staring at you, don’t ignore the feeling. Or if looking at a deserted alley makes you feel wary, then avoid taking that route. If you feel something is wrong, it is probably wrong. Intuition and gut feelings have kept humans safe for many years.

What is the point of travelling if you do not let loose and enjoy yourself? But there is a fine line between enjoying and becoming vulnerable, do not tread that line. Getting too drunk is almost always risky. If you are wasted, you are not aware of things around you, and anything could happen to you. This is not to say, don’t drink at all, but be responsible. Be mindful of the number of drinks you are consuming; make sure you keep yourself hydrated and eat well. On a similar note, if you go out partying at late night, be mindful of the surrounding. Refrain from drug abuse, not only does it increase the risk of being victims of theft, but it may also land in you in legal trouble. The last thing you would want to do on your vacation is to get engaged in a battle with the police. Generally, the party places, especially that attract a lot of tourists are less secure at night, and if you stumble in an intoxicated state, you can become an easy target for all kinds of bad stuff.

No matter, how careful you are, while travelling injuries can happen at any time. That’s why it is advisable to keep a first aid kit handy always. The kit need not have needles and scalpels, but make sure that you have the basics tools and drugs to treat sprains, cuts, burns, stomach issues and aches.

No matter, which part of the word you are travelling to make sure that you prepare an itinerary of the places you wish to visit. More importantly, before you set your foot on the destination, make sure that you read reviews of all the places you want to visit - be it restaurants, pubs, monuments, museums, hotels etc. There could be a few places, which are notorious for housing thieves, or the area where the restaurant/pub is located could be infamous. Take note of the reviews so that you can take appropriate precautionary measures during your visit.

Do not underestimate the significance of reading reviews of the places of accommodation. If you are travelling solo, you can choose to stay at backpacker hostels or homestays rather than hotels. This way would feel more secure as there would be people around you at all times and also you would get to meet new people and make new friends. As a great way to help fellow travellers, you could also review the hotels you have stayed at and write a review on TripAdvisor and earn InterMiles for it!

As much as you prepare yourself to be safe while travelling, it is essential that you expect the unexpected and be ready to face the situation head-on. Having good travel insurance will significantly help you in this regard. Not many people realise the importance of getting travel insurance until they need it. Knowing that you have an insurance that guarantees the safety of you and your belongings, you can feel relaxed and be more at ease. Before you choose the best travel insurance, you might want to check the plans offered at insure.intermiles.com and get tailor-made plans to your exact needs.

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