1. Secret Pockets and Bras are the answer!
Whenever you are travelling make the most of secret pockets. If youdon’t have any, make them yourself or ask somebody for help. It is easierthan it sounds, believe me. I suggest using very thin material and sewyour pockets inside your pants, close to your crotch. There is a very smallprobability that robbers would search that area.[caption id="attachment_4291" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Best friends having fun into a vintage van[/caption]Secret pockets are amazing as they enable you to hide most of your cash& documents and leave only the necessary amount in your regularpockets. The idea behind it is that if somebody is trying to rob or simplypickpocket you, he is unlikely to get to the core of your cash.Whenever you find yourself in a position where you need more money,simply go to the toilet and take it out from your secret pockets. In thisway nobody will even suspect that you have them. If you are a womanyou can also hide the money inside your bra, in the padding.I’ve visited many places perceived to be quite dangerous, and trust me,when you are strolling along crowded streets full of pickpockets thisapproach gives you a priceless peace of mind. There is no better feelingthan the awareness that nobody will get to your documents and cash. Itmakes it easier to focus on enjoying your trip. If you are still hesitating Iwill show you what happens when things go wrong.READ MORE :WHAT IS SECRET POCKETS AND WHY WE NEED THEM? 2. Always have some change in your pockets
Even if you use secret pockets always keep some change in your normalpockets. The reason is that if somebody is trying to rob you and you haveabsolutely nothing, they may become aggressive. I know situations wherepeople got punched by a frustrated robber who couldn’t find any money.It is wise to have the equivalent of $10 or $15 in your regular pocket. If somebody is trying to rob you, you can take all that change and throw iton the ground. There is a big possibility that whoever is bothering you willstop and try to grab everything from the ground. This is your chance torun away (or punch them – I don’t officially endorse it though). If youdon’t have any change the robbers are more likely to run after you(convinced that you are hiding something) or as I mentioned before,assault you physically. You don’t want to get into that situation. 3. Protect your Camera on the Beach with this Great Trick
The below technique works well when you want to let your creative spiritflow, but unfortunately the beach you chose is not the safest place in theworld.READ MORE myExperience:PROTECT YOUR CAMERA ON THE BEACH WITH THIS GREAT TRICKOnce you are done with pictures & videos, put your camera in the bag orsimply wrap a towel around it and jog for a few minutes. While you arejogging look back from time to time to make sure that nobody is followingyou. In this way you will ensure that once you reach your new spotnobody will know that you have the camera on you. I used this techniquein Rio de Janeiro and it worked perfectly well.[caption id="attachment_4295" align="alignnone" width="682"] Protect your camera[/caption]You may think: “nobody will steal from me”. Well, this may be true.However, if your equipment is expensive and beaches you plan to visit areperceived to be a bit more dangerous (e.g. Rio or Barcelona), then Iencourage you to test my approach.Unfortunately, I still see many situations around the world where peopleflash photos and make videos on the beach only to put the camera in thebag and lie down. At that point every thief on the beach knows that thecamera is securely packed in that nice green bag resting next to thedeckchair. It becomes an easy target for an expert and there are many ofthem.I will never forget when I was in Copacabana and saw 2 guys flashingtheir iPhones and fancy cameras in front of everybody. On the top of thatthey had T-shirts with Norwegian flag. All of this was like a gigantic neonsign saying:“Rob me please. I came from a rich country and brought some fancythings with me. Don’t worry, I will not fight for them”.I really hope that these guys avoided the trouble. Nevertheless, showingyour wealth is the last thing you want to do in certain places. 4. Scan your documents & don’t carry originals
Scan your passport, insurance and other important documents and makesure that you always have the copies with you. When you travel you can’treally predict when you will need your documents. On the other hand, thelast thing you want to do is to carry the original copies wherever you go.The reason is that if you lose them you will have an insurmountableamount of stress to deal with. If it happened to you or you knowsomebody who experienced it you know what I mean. It is a predicamentthat can turn your trip into a disaster and you should do your best toavoid it. Learn from the mistakes of other people and scan yourdocuments. It is better to be prepared than to be sorry.Also, if for some reason you need your real documents you can alwayskeep them in your secret pockets. 5. Upload scans of your documents to CLOUD
Thanks to this approach you will be able to retrieve your documents fromthe internet no matter what happens. It’s an additional safety layer andyou should definitely use it! 6. Always walk with the sense of direction & confidence
Walk in a confident way with a sense of direction and people will not tryto stop you. They will simply assume that you know what you are doingand you are heading towards a specific destination. Therefore, you willnot appear to be an easy victim.I will share with you a great trick that will help you in potentiallydangerous situations. When you are walking through any rough area onyour own or when it is dark imagine that you need to go from point A topoint B and you are already late. This will propel you to walk faster and itwill appear that you know exactly where you want to go.In addition, when you are walking on the street and can sense somedanger imagine that your friend is waiting for you and you can alreadysee him. You should smile, wave to your imaginary friend and startwalking faster. If you are travelling with a basic mobile phone you mayeven pretend that you are calling him. In this case confidently say: “Hey,what’s up, I can see you guys!” (Of course, you don’t want to do it with afancy iPhone).If you take these steps whoever intended to rob/harass you will think atleast twice before doing so. Why would they approach you if somebody isalready waiting for you? After all, your friends could potentially join you orcall the police straight away. Whoever planned to harass you will probablyfigure out that the potential trouble is not worth the potential gain. I usedthis technique when I got lost in a dangerous part of Rio at night and itserved me well. 7. Avoid using Map on the Street
Unless you are in a safe area avoid using maps on the street. You have tobe aware that the moment you open the map on the street you are alsoputting a big neon sign above your head stating:“Hey, I’m a tourist and I have money. It will be easy to rob me as I amexcited and distracted. I don’t know the place and most importantly Idon’t even expect that anything can happen”.[caption id="attachment_4301" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Happy boy riding buffalo.[/caption]Well, unless you are in a safe place you don’t want to do it. Instead,whenever you are in a high risk area like for example Las Ramblas inBarcelona or the center of Mexico City and need to use a map or ask fordirections, enter a hotel/restaurant/bar. The point is that you don’t wantto do it on the street in front of hundreds of people. 8. Do your homework
This tip seems obvious, but interestingly many people forget about it. Doyou research before you visit a new place. Spend a few hours digging outthe info about your destination. Find out, which places are dangerous;which areas are safe, what is the most common crime etc. Even an hourof proper research will serve you well in your new destination and cansave your belongings, sometimes even health. Too many times I haveseen travellers lacking the basic knowledge about the place and gettingthemselves into all kinds of trouble. 9. Master “No thanks” to perfection
When you visit a place where your language is not spoken, make it yourduty to master a few simple sentences like “No, thank you” in the locallanguage. For example, if you go to Spain master saying, “No, Gracias!”,in Italy “No, Grazie!” etc. Put emphasis on proper pronunciation.The reason is that whilst walking along the street, simply minding yourown business, you may be intercepted by people seeking to improve theirfinancial resources, and by all means prepared to get what they want atall cost. They usually begin by trying to initiate small talk on anyconceivable topic. This in itself is not considered as dangerous, once thereare other people in the vicinity. However, the outcome of such small talkscan be painful if you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time.So, the moment you say “No Thanks” in English, whoever approached youwill figure out (and everybody around) that you are a tourist; you don’tknow your way around and will leave the country soon, meaning that youare a very easy victim. However, if you say “No, thank you” in the locallanguage and keep on walking with confidence, whoever approached youwill assume that you are either a local, or a foreigner who has beenresiding there for some time, is familiar with the language, and knows hisway around. Automatically, you become a less desirable target as there isa greater chance that you will know how to counteract such situations. 10. Ask Local People
Once you enter a city for the first time use the guidance of local people.My recommendation is to ask at least 4 or 5 locals about their safety tips.The truth is that you may be reading guides like this one, fathoming outcity specific guide books, but the most reliable information will beprovided by the local people. They live and breathe the place and havefull awareness of the danger that awaits foreigners. They can pinpointareas that are notorious for crime and violence.[caption id="attachment_4287" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Meet Local People[/caption]For instance, when I relocated to Malaga in Spain to immerse myself inSpanish I needed to find an apartment. Even though Malaga is a fairlysafe city, I asked a few local people for advice. They took my map,crossed off 40 % of it and said: “Don’t bother looking for a flat there”.They explained the intricacies of the city’s underground world in a fewminutes and I learnt something that no guide book could teach me. 11. Keep the card of your hostel/hotel in your pocket
At the back of the card put the emergency number of one of your travelbuddies or a member of the family. In case something happens e.g. youget lost, you can show it to somebody (taxi driver, police officer…). 12. Educate Your Travel Buddies About Safety
I’m sure that you’ve learnt a lot from the above tips. They will definitelygo a long way and make your trips safer. They will… as long as yourtravel companions don’t compromise your safety. Remember that itdoesn’t matter how well prepared you are and what precautionarymeasures you take, because if people you travel with don’t follow similarstandards, you may encounter problems.I’ve seen it happening several times. You can be the embodiment ofcommon sense, but if your new friend decides to wear a flashy Armanioutfit for a street party in Copacabana you may be in trouble. When youtravel you inevitably meet new people with whom you will most likely beinteracting for some period of time. Educate them and make sure theyadhere to the rules that will allow them to be safe and sound.
12 things to stay safe while traveling
Best friends having fun into a vintage van[/caption]Secret pockets are amazing as they enable you to hide most of your cash& documents and leave only the necessary amount in your regularpockets. The idea behind it is that if somebody is trying to rob or simplypickpocket you, he is unlikely to get to the core of your cash.Whenever you find yourself in a position where you need more money,simply go to the toilet and take it out from your secret pockets. In thisway nobody will even suspect that you have them. If you are a womanyou can also hide the money inside your bra, in the padding.I’ve visited many places perceived to be quite dangerous, and trust me,when you are strolling along crowded streets full of pickpockets thisapproach gives you a priceless peace of mind. There is no better feelingthan the awareness that nobody will get to your documents and cash. Itmakes it easier to focus on enjoying your trip. If you are still hesitating Iwill show you what happens when things go wrong.READ MORE :WHAT IS SECRET POCKETS AND WHY WE NEED THEM?
Protect your camera[/caption]You may think: “nobody will steal from me”. Well, this may be true.However, if your equipment is expensive and beaches you plan to visit areperceived to be a bit more dangerous (e.g. Rio or Barcelona), then Iencourage you to test my approach.Unfortunately, I still see many situations around the world where peopleflash photos and make videos on the beach only to put the camera in thebag and lie down. At that point every thief on the beach knows that thecamera is securely packed in that nice green bag resting next to thedeckchair. It becomes an easy target for an expert and there are many ofthem.I will never forget when I was in Copacabana and saw 2 guys flashingtheir iPhones and fancy cameras in front of everybody. On the top of thatthey had T-shirts with Norwegian flag. All of this was like a gigantic neonsign saying:“Rob me please. I came from a rich country and brought some fancythings with me. Don’t worry, I will not fight for them”.I really hope that these guys avoided the trouble. Nevertheless, showingyour wealth is the last thing you want to do in certain places.
Happy boy riding buffalo.[/caption]Well, unless you are in a safe place you don’t want to do it. Instead,whenever you are in a high risk area like for example Las Ramblas inBarcelona or the center of Mexico City and need to use a map or ask fordirections, enter a hotel/restaurant/bar. The point is that you don’t wantto do it on the street in front of hundreds of people.
Meet Local People[/caption]For instance, when I relocated to Malaga in Spain to immerse myself inSpanish I needed to find an apartment. Even though Malaga is a fairlysafe city, I asked a few local people for advice. They took my map,crossed off 40 % of it and said: “Don’t bother looking for a flat there”.They explained the intricacies of the city’s underground world in a fewminutes and I learnt something that no guide book could teach me.
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