Safe & Healthy Travel Makes for Fun Travel

Have fun and learn a lot while you travel.... that is the whole reason you're going, right?

I don't want to scare you into immobility or freak you out unnecessarily... that's not the purpose of this page. But.... I do want you to be informed and to have as much knowledge as possible to help you have a safe and productive journey... so I offer these insights from my travels and discussions with friends who've encountered scams on their trips.

If you have insights to add to this page, I'd love to hear from you... please contact me at

Travel safely... and have a great time!

Staying Healthy | Smart Packing | How to Dress | Behavior | Thefts and Scams

Most Importantly: Stay Healthy

Travel Health

You paid a lot of money to travel... don't blow it by getting sick.

What You Can Do to Improve Your Safety

Pack Smart &
Think Ahead

Here are some considerations for your gear and while packing your bags:

Stay in Touch

• Make sure you keep in touch with friends and family so that they know where you
  are in case of an emergency.
• If you will be in one country for a while, contact the embassy/consulate and tell them of your whereabouts and about any planned excursions or potentially risky activities (solo treks, summit attempts, whitewater rafting, etc.).
  

• 2nd floor (or higher) away from stairs and elevator.
• Make sure you can't be locked in by locks or bar across the door.
• Verify window and door locks are secure.
• Put valuables in safe and get receipt. Check their insurance liability limit.
• Be careful of exits and elevators on way to room. Get escort to room late at night if alone.
• Be suspicious of anyone loitering around the lobby.
• Close door tightly when entering or leaving.
• Look for small holes in walls, especially behind mirror/pictures.
• Don't leave windows open when you're not in the room.
• Count number of doors to fire exit. Know where extinguishers and alarms are.
• Police need a warrant to enter. Have them show ID.
• Call the front desk if an unexpected person knocks.
• Telescoping rod for sliding glass door.
• Cancel maid service.
• Do not put dive gear on balcony.
• List calls made and received and times, even unanswered. Verify against bill.
• Leave radio or TV, and lights on, with Do Not Disturb sign out.
• Wedge door while showering.
• Dinnertime is the most likely for burglars.

Watch Out for Thefts and Scams

BE REALISTIC: If something looks like it is too good be true, it usually is...

The most common and simple thefts & scams are those that seek to separate you from your luggage while you are distracted at ticket counters, baggage check points, security stations, etc. Be aware that these are prime areas for thieves to target travelers. Keep a close grip/eye on your bags. The proximity of security guards or police means very little, especially in countries where these people could actually be involved in the crime.

No area and no place, no matter how upscale, is completely safe. I learned this the hard way...

In 1994, I had to overnight in Fort Lauderdale while on my way to a summer job in the Bahamas. I stayed at a Radisson. Certainly not the top of the line, but not a fleabag motel, either. While checking out the following morning, I set my carry on bag on the floor in front of the counter. It was rather heavy (easily 60 lbs) and I never would've expected that someone would try to make a run for it with this bag (I'm no slouch... they surely would expect a very painful and thorough retort if caught). But I learned that thieves are both quick and adept at reading human behavior. The thief knew I wouldn't figure out the bag had been stolen until he'd had time to get away.... and that's exactly what happened.

I checked out of my room, then turned to the complimentary coffee dispenser that was maybe three feet from the clerk's desk. I filled my cup from the big stainless steel thermos, then turned back to see that my bag was not there. Hmmmm, I thought.... that's odd.

Confused, I thought for a moment that perhaps I'd left my carry on bag on top of my gear trunk (which was quite big & heavy, and was on a rolling cart still near the elevators, around the corner from the counter -- in retrospect, that was a mistake, too, but I got away with it that time). A quick look proved that this was incorrect.... and unfortunately that was probably the margin of time that would've allowed me to catch the thief if I'd immediately darted to the front doors instead of doing that double-check. As it was, when I ran outside I was just able to catch a glimpse of the thief, precariously balancing my heavy bag on the cross tube of his bike, as he turned the corner down the block and disappeared.

What did the thief get? Nothing he could use or sell, other than a cheap Walkman and a point-n-shoot camera that were in the bag. Other than that, the bag contained supplies I needed that summer but couldn't get in the Bahamas... a waterproof tape measure; field notebooks and pens; and several expensive biology, marine biology, and other science books. These probably wound up in the trash... but it cost me several hundred dollars to replace them. Worst of all, my passport was in the side pocket. That was a mistake I've never repeated again.

You're walking along, when suddenly a man eating a hot dog bumps you and spills mustard or ketchup on your clothes. Or perhaps you're sitting at a sidewalk cafe and an apparently clumsy woman spills her latte on you. Whomever it is, this is the set-up person, whose job is to distract you.

He or she will apologize profusely and starting trying to wipe you off, possibly "accidentally" spilling even more on you in an effort to confound the situation and make you very angry or flustered.

In your distraction, you may not notice the assistant who attempts to pick your pocket, or who snatches your purse/backpack/lap top case, etc. and slips into a waiting taxi or disappears into the sidewalk crowd. The whole process is meticulously planned.

Be on the look-out for variants on this theme. Jean and I encountered an odd one in Buenos Aires a few years ago.

While walking along the waterfront, we were pelted from behind by some odd liquid concoction vaguely resembling split-pea soup. Two women claimed we'd been nailed by birds, and were very eager to help us wipe off our day packs in the fountain that was conveniently close to where we'd been struck.

We didn't immediately catch what was going on, but fortunately neither of us handed over our packs, even though the women were very earnest in their insistence that we allow them to help us clean up the gunk all over the backs of our legs and gear. As I looked at my bag, however, and noticed that the spray pattern was definitely horizontal and not vertical (as it should've been if birds were the culprits), my alert meter lit up and I told Jean to keep a firm grip on her bag and travel wallet. Sure enough, as soon as I firmly made it clear that we'd clean the mess ourselves, the women took no more than two or three steps to the curb and slipped into a vehicle waiting there (that we hadn't even noticed a moment before) and sped away. If they'd gotten control of my day pack, they would've made a rapid get away with several thousand dollars worth of camera equipment.

• Photography permits. These are almost always bogus... it is usually just the park guard's attempt to shake you down for some extra cash.
• Tourist taxes: some are legit, others are not. The legitimate ones are usually charged upon entry to a country or upon exit... if you get stopped by a local cop in some little town, it is almost certainly illegitimate. Ask for a receipt if local authority asks for fines or tourist taxes, bargain hard, and ask to pay at the police station, not there on the street. If possible, call the local consulate or magistrate to verify the fee.
  

Fake
Flirtations

This is one I just encountered in Cuba in Feb. 2003.... yes, I fell for it. You see, Jean and I collect bills and coins from all the countries we travel to... it makes for a great souvenir and gives us an excuse not to stress over spending or exchanging the last $5 or $10 worth of local currency before we leave.

So, we were in Havana and there were lots of old guys on the street selling "special, collectible" Che Guevarra coins. They are cool looking coins and I wanted a couple to give to my brothers. The guy was selling them for $5 each, and I bargained to get 3 for $5. A good bargain, right? We'd been in Cuba for several days, and I hadn't seen any of these coins in the change I'd received for buying drinks, snacks, etc....

Well, it turned out that was due to Cuba's weird "shadow money" system specifically designed for American visitors, many of whom are not supposed to be there. Fortunately our trip was legal, but since we spent the first few days being shepherded about by our Cuban guides, we were still being given all our change in the Cuban government's special tourist currency that is pegged to the US dollar. Toward the end of our stay, we started striking out on our own more, eating and shopping were the locals go. These little corner shops give regular Cuban currency as change, and I wound up with a bunch of these Che coins. Their actual value is less than 25 cents. So, I gave the old guy $5 in exchange for 75 cents. In the grand scheme of things, I couldn't care less and he needs the money way more than I do.... but if I'd wanted to buy 40 of those coins, I'd have really gotten screwed.

It can be tempting to change money on the street, because the money changers may offer a better exchange rate. But be careful that the bills they are offering you are legitimate, and that you get the correct amount in exchange.

• Many changers offer out of circulation bills, counterfeits, or simply the wrong money. One scam I've heard about is in Czech, where back market money changers were changing money into Polish money. 1000 Polish Zlotys is worth less than a cent, but tourists not familiar with the local currency would not discover their error until they tried to spend it.
• Some countries are great travel bargains because of their economic woes (i.e. Argentina) but be careful about the rapidly fluctuating (and falling) value of the local currency. Read up about the going exchange rates and purchasing power of the local money before you arrive.
• There are several variants of folding off a portion of a large wad of bills while changing money. One trick is to count out the money in front of you, "discover" it is a few bills short, and then add the remaining bills while folding off and palming part of the wad. The hope is that you won't recount the large wad of bills. Often, the moneychanger will try to distract you by pretending to see police (if it is a black market changer), or be laboriously slow in counting out the money themselves to make a recount seem a waste of time.
  

Taxi drivers commonly try to scam tourists. They'll tell you to take a cab, because there are no more buses today. If you don't back down and keep insisting you know there are more buses, sometimes they'll tell you where you can catch the bus. Other times they stick to their story even after you've caught them in the lie.

• Raising fares or charging extra for your luggage (expect to pay for it if your bag is taking up a seat, however). Tough to avoid this one unless you pay close attention to what everyone else is doing. If they are overcharging, don't pay. I simply walked away from a cabdriver in Ecuador when he tried to charge Jean and I several times the regular fare for a relatively short trip to the airport. He claimed he was on overtime. I set the regular fair on the roof of the cab (where everyone else could see that I'd paid) and just walked away... He got pissed and made a lot of noise, jumped out and tried to throw the coins at me, but that was all he did. They will usually back down if you stick to your guns.
• Some cabbies may look legit, but they'll tell you a price that's 2 to 10 times the correct price. If you try to ask around to find the correct price, he'll stick with you. People you ask, even innocent bystanders, will often go along with the scam because they know the guy or are afraid of him coming after them later (in small towns, they all know each other). You may need to be firm, even aggressive, in telling the cab driver to leave you alone.
• If you go along with the ploy and pay the inflated price then the scam may continue long after you get out of the first cab. Sometimes word will reach your destination that you're a sucker. There will be other con men waiting to pick up where the last left off. You'll pay double for the next leg as well, and your hotel room, and your dinner.... etc. So be careful. This is where guide books, like Lonely Planet, help a lot.
  

Beware of unordered food on your bill (I've experienced this in the US... this is common).

When the waiter gives you something you didn't order, hand it back. Ask if it is free or do not accept it under any circumstances. When the waiter brings bread or rice, ask if there is a charge for it, as they also will charge for items which are normally free in restaurants in the US. This includes refills of things like soda and coffee that are refilled for free in the US. I've heard stories of people being presented with bills for $200 or more for a meal they thought was going to cost $30 or $40, but every little side dish and every drink refill is charged at astronomical prices. At one spot where we ate in Havana, the entrees were only $4 and $5, but the side dishes of rice (and they brought about 6 of these to our table, unrequested and at the time unnoticed) cost $8 each.

If the bartender asks if you'd like to try a special drink, ask in advance how much it costs.

• Yuppie in distress has lost wallet and needs your help. This is a distraction scam.
• pregnant woman (pillow) needs bus money
• kids polishing your shoes: It is fine to get your boots polished, just don't set your backpack down. The kid shining your boots will trip you when you try to jump up to chase his friend who snatches your bag.
• broken down car
• kids surrounding you using cardboard or magazines to block your view
• gypsies with babies (doll) begging for money
• purse-snatchers on scooters
• Someone bumps into you and drops a bottle of wine and says it was expensive (it is just water or juice in the bottle)
• Drop change or spill food on you so you will put your bags down at airport or train station
• sleeping gas in trains or buses, drugged cups and drinks (Asia and Italy)
• fake porters taking your bags
• Other passengers snaring your bags under seats with umbrella.
• Beware of people who tell you about a problem with their car, or cause the problem, and then offer to help you, or cause a car accident to stop you, or break a window at a light or in a traffic jam.