Due to the popularity of the beforehand written put up ‘Discover ways to Protect Your Money Safe Whereas Touring?‘, I decided to share additional suggestions on staying safe all through your travels. Solo journey significantly makes you additional vulnerable for theft and harassment, as compared with touring with a great buddy or affiliate. Beneath are a couple of of my biggest safety concepts for solo backpackers!
Preparation is important!
Make sure to evaluation your trip spot completely: The place are the ‘dangerous’ areas located? What are the widespread journey scams? What is the authorities journey advice?
Moreover, it’s a matter of frequent preparation. Examples:
- Make sure to have a tricky considered city lay-out in an effort to stay away from a sneaky taxi detour.
- Examine a bit little bit of the native language.
- Carry a cellphone amount and deal with (throughout the native language) of your guesthouse with you.
- Ponder to pre-book your lodging in your first trip spot (e.g. for my RTW journey I pre-booked my Johannesburg hostel and arranged a swap)
Avoid taxi scams
As soon as I arrive at a busy taxi/riksja/tuktuk stand, I often select the driving power who’s least (or is even perhaps taking a nap). Chance is little that he or she can have malicious plans. One different tip is to ask your hostel/guesthouse for cellphone numbers of reliable taxi drivers in town. It’d require a barely longer wait as compared with taking a taxi off the street, nonetheless a minimal of you already know you’re with a reliable driver. Be careful for taxi’s which already have 1 or additional specific particular person(s) in it (although in some worldwide places that’s widespread observe).
Don’t flash fancy electronics and jewelry
I’m horrible on this. I always carry my DSLR spherical my neck. Nonetheless, I would advice you not to try this and protect valuables out of sight. This moreover comprises pricey (or expensive-looking) jewelry or laptops/tablets.
Don’t robe too enticing
A journey safety tip for the female solo backpacker. Make sure to check the robe code of a country. Nonetheless, even when the robe code ‘permits’ enticing garments, make sure you actually really feel cosy sporting it in your trip spot. I typically adapt to what completely different youthful native girls placed on.
Act assured
That is seemingly some of the important safety concepts for solo backpackers. Always have a plan or a minimal of act such as you’ve bought a plan. In my experience, one primarily essentially the most riskiest situations for theft is arrival at a busy bus or put together station of a model new trip spot. Instead of wanting misplaced, fake to know the place you’re going and uncover a relaxed spot to plan your subsequent switch.
Uncover agency
You’re a lot much less vulnerable if you find yourself with agency. When touring by bus or put together, I typically try to make contact with a fellow native passenger. There could also be 99% chance he or she will take wonderful care of you all through the journey. I moreover often let long-distance bus drivers know that I’m a foreigner. As an example, all through a bus expertise from China into Laos (this bus expertise is known for theft), the nice bus driver organized a 1-person mattress in entrance of the bus. All through this bus expertise three people purchased mugged (all sleeping in the back of the bus). I actually think about it’s the little points which will make an infinite distinction.
Take heed to locals
Don’t forget that locals always know biggest! Ask about specific risks/scams in your trip spot, safe/good places to exit, reliable tour operators and so forth. Be taught additional about ‘Going native’ proper right here!
Don’t get drunk
Drink fairly. When alone, there isn’t a such factor as a one to care for you and to soundly escort you home.
Avoid arriving at a model new trip spot after darkish.
Try to stay away from arriving after darkish as loads as attainable. In case you don’t have any completely different choice, ask a hostel or guesthouse to decide on you up on arrival. Notably in some cities/cities in Africa and South America that’s extraordinarily advisable.
Don’t get too assured
After a being on the road or staying within the an identical place for a while, there could also be hazard you could suppose: ‘I’ve been proper right here for due to this fact prolonged, these things don’t happen to me’. Don’t try this! Don’t get sloppy, don’t underestimate situations and don’t get too assured as a ‘seasoned traveler’.
Protect your guard up, nonetheless have an open ideas.
There is a constructive steadiness between trusting everyone and being paranoid about every little issue. Try to comply along with your gut instincts with regard to strangers. In case you will have the slightest doubts, ‘abort’ all contact or try to find a safe decision. E.g. If any individual invites you for dinner at his/her home and in addition you don’t actually really feel 100% safe, uncover a fellow traveler to return with you. Nonetheless, consider: practically all of people you’ll meet on the road have good intentions!
I wrote this put up with additional adventurous places in ideas (e.g. Africa/South America/Central Asia). The underside-line of all the above-mentioned concepts is widespread sense.
All through your travels, there is a large chance you will apply many of the following pointers naturally, with out (over)pondering it. That’s one of the best ways to do it! Don’t worry an extreme quantity of, don’t be scared and don’t be paranoid. Journey must be gratifying!!
Advisable further learning
The final phrase info to backpacker jargon
6 Ethical journey dilemma’s I encountered as a traveler
Discover ways to Protect Your Money Safe Whereas Touring?
Safety concepts for the adventurous solo backpacker
What do you think about the following advice? Do you have bought any additional journey safety concepts for solo backpackers?