26. Januar 2024
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Traveling is an exciting adventure that opens up new horizons, but it comes with its set of challenges, especially concerning documentation. One crucial aspect that
How to find your way around and feel safe
Different countries, cultures, and habits: sometimes it can be quite a challenge to find your way around a new destination. Here are a few tips to help you get around and feel safe when first visiting a new country.
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1. Look into a guidebook before you leave
We love to browse through a guidebook already a few weeks before departure. This increases the anticipation, and you can also gather useful information about the country and its people. Our favorite brands are Marco Polo and Lonely Planet.
2. Check unsafe areas beforehand
If you are going to a rather unsafe country or the travel advice from your Foreign Office is almost overwhelming, make sure you find out which areas are safe before you leave. Also, book your hotel there rather than getting the cheapest offer. It is almost always worth the extra cost of a few euros in exchange for a feeling of security. Yet, it is best to get information not only from your country’s Foreign Office but rather from people who have already been there. I.e. with blogs (like ours), on YouTube or official websites of tourist boards.
3. Treat yourself with private transportation
Who doesn’t know the feeling of being pretty tired after a long flight? Especially Kevin often feels that way, because he can hardly sleep on planes (and buses). Without an upgrade or several free seats next to you, you usually arrive at your destination airport overtired. On top of that baggage claim may take forever and there’s a long line at immigration. After that, the question is always how to get to your hotel fast and cheap. Most of the time you can’t get both. Getting a public bus is normally the cheapest option. But we recommend treating yourself with a cab or Uber when you first arrive in a new country. Pickpockets target tired tourists, especially in a confusing crowd at the airport exit or on local buses.
4. Always behave reasonably
Speaking about safety: Be on your guard, but don’t be afraid. There are so many different tricks to distract tourists. This goes from a fake car breakdown or the full tipping with any (disgusting) liquids to the well-known bumping into someone. We got caught when the beach vendors at Copacabana kicked sand on our towels. So a very random situation. They stole our bag behind our backs while we were wiping the sand off our towels. Luckily we didn’t have any valuables with us that day. In general, you should listen to your common sense. At home, you wouldn’t stroll through the worst parts of some cities alone at night with your valuables. Opinions in western countries are often much worse than the true conditions. Some tips: take an Uber at night, don’t drive by yourself at night, don’t do drugs, and avoid the bad areas as we said before. Don’t wear expensive clothes or jewelry, and don’t show your newest iPhone in public. But don’t let the fear get in your head too much!
5. Avoid using public wifi
Public WiFi makes it easy for thieves to hack into the information stored on your mobile phone or laptop. A friend of Kathi’s got hacked into Facebook, Paypal, and eBay in Sri Lanka because of that. So better buy a local sim card and use a portable router for all your devices (we use this one). Most of the time you can buy a sim card at an electronic store or an airport kiosk. Meanwhile, there are also services like „holafly“ or „airalo“ where you can buy an E-sim. Meaning you have an online Simcard without putting a physical one into your phone. We haven’t used this yet, but if we will we gonna tell you how it went. Another option would be to always use a VPN (Virtual Personal Network).
6. Get to know the local currency
Check the exchange rate and build memory hooks. Sometimes you can convert currencies despite crooked exchange rates by reversing the rates. If you already know the local currency it’s also easier to stay within your budget. Besides, you should find out what the fees are, for using your bank cards abroad before you leave.
7. Learn a few basic expressions
Hello, goodbye, thank you, or a beer, please. Even if it seems dull at first glance, the locals are always happy if you speak a few words of their language. It’s also easier to strike up a conversation with them and you may be able to pick up some valuable tips. We have typed up the most important vocabulary for you on our country pages to save you some time. I.e. find out what cheers means in Thai here.
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