Plan on
travelling this festive season?
Don't leave
without knowing how to travel safely, especially if you're going somewhere new.
My aim isn't to
scare you but crimes do happen abroad. Wherever you're headed to for the coming
holidays, take safety precautions to ensure you, your loved ones, and your
properties are safe.
Here are 13
safety tips I recommend to anyone planning to travel to a foreign place.
13 tips for
staying safe on your trip abroad
Remember the
people there are not strange to you, you’re strange to them. Blend in and avoid
doing things that make it so obvious that you are a tourist.
Here are some
good examples:
●
Wearing a flag
around or any other ridiculous tourist merch.
●
Opening a map on
the street: Nothing screams ‘I'm a tourist’ louder.
●
Dressing
differently: the streets of Europe is not the best place to model your Igbo
regalia. Observe how the locals dress and follow suit-pun intended.
2.
Learn the local language
You don't need to
be fluent, you just need to know how to ask for help.
I love this
master list of phrases to learn by Ryan o' Rourke. Check it out.
Do research on
the country you’re travelling to. What’s the political climate? Any natural
disasters to be aware of? What are the safest places to reside? Google is
pretty helpful, but some of the best information I’ve gotten about a place came
from the locals. Hotel staffs and cab drivers are my go-tos. You can also ask
your friends and family in the area.
Vital questions
to ask are:
- Where should I stay away from at night?
- How can I get a safe transport back
(especially at night)?
- What are the emergency numbers?
- What are common tourist scams to lookout
for?
Phones go
missing. Batteries die. Life happens. Your safest bet is to write your
important info on a piece of paper and put it in your pocket. If you are a
woman, your purse could get snatched, hide the paper in a wallet, pocket, or in
your shoe.
Make sure to have
at least these three things written:
●
Your embassy
number and location
●
Emergency
numbers-police, fire, and medics
●
Your hotel (or
accommodation) address
Other helpful
contacts to have are your:
●
Credit/Debit card
company or bank
●
Travel agency
●
Health insurance
company
●
Travel insurance
company
●
Local cab company
●
Friends and
family in the area
Extra tip: write
them down in both your language and the local language.
5. Always tell
someone where you're going and when next they should expect to hear from you.
This should go
without saying, but we’ll say it nonetheless-keep an electronic copy of every
important document you take with you on your trip. You can send the e-copy to
an email, keep it on a pen drive, or store them on the cloud. You should also
have an e-copy of vital documents on your phone or laptop incase you need them
quickly.
What documents
should you scan?
●
Visa
●
Passport (the id
page)
●
Driver’s license
●
Airline ticket
●
Vaccination
certificates
●
Travel insurance
●
Hotel reservation
confirmation
If someone claims
to be an authority figure, confirm their identity before going anywhere or
handing anything over to them.
Preferably you
should leave your valuables in a safe where you lodge. But if you must go out
with valuable items always secure them well and keep an eye on them. An extra tip is to separate your cash and
cards. You don’t want to keep everything in one place, incase–god forbid–you
get robbed.
German beer is
really good, I get it. But remember you're not in a familiar environment, know
your limits so you don't get drunk. As an adjunct, keep an eye on your food and
drinks when you're out. Cover your drink and keep it within your eyesight. Be
careful of people going out of their way to handle your food or drink.
Not many people
take advantage of travel insurance, but it’s the best way to ensure you’re
covered should an emergency occur. Most travelers insurance covers medical
expenses, transportation, compensation missing luggage and delayed flights, and
trip cancellation expenses. If you’re in Nigeria, you can check out companies
such as AXA Mansard, AIICO, and Allianz.
As a single woman
who enjoys travelling, being safe when I'm out and about is a major concern. A
little trick I use is to walk behind a crowd or a couple. Often times, people
understand and respond nicely, even to the extent of allowing me to walk with
them. The point of this is to not stand out or make yourself an easy target by
walking alone.
Enjoy your trip!
That’s it. Use
these tips to ensure that you and your properties return home in one piece.
Have a blast.
Follow my blog
for insightful and entertaining articles about travelling. For tickets, visa
services, and tour packages, email us @ nobictravels@gmail.com or Whatsapp +234 803 841 2251
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