7 tips and tricks to help you stay safe and travel smart the next time you go abroad
Going on holiday overseas can be an enriching and super fun experience, but you still need to put your safety first
Overseas travel can be one of the most fulfilling, enlightening and empowering experiences ever. It can also, if you're not careful, lead to outcomes that dent your confidence and put you off future trips. But if you're be fully prepared and use your common sense, you can stay safe and reap the benefits.
Check out our seven essential safety tips before your next holiday.
1 Photocopy important documents
Make and keep copies of things like your passport, visas, travel documents, medical insurance, and credit or debit cards. Keep one set at home (or in your accommodation), and one digital copy on your laptop or in your emails. If you lose your passport or travel documents, then these copies will come in handy when you go to your local embassy to get replacements.
2 Be aware of your surroundings
Try to be street smart when you are in a different country. Keep an eye on your belongings when you’re out and about so that you aren’t targeted by pickpockets, and try to avoid being in a strange place at night.
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Respect late-night curfew laws, if they are in force; it’s better to be safe than be sorry. Before heading out to a bar, make sure you know what the law says about drinking age, and when and where you can drink.
3 Keep your friends and family up-to-date
If you're faced with a sudden change in plans, tell someone. Keep friends and family up to date with where you are. Post something on Facebook or send a quick WhatsApp. It doesn't take a second and if people are concerned about you, or if, heaven forbid, something were to go wrong, you have cleverly left a trail for people to find you.
If you’re travelling with friends but going out alone, tell them where you are going and when to expect you back. They probably won't worry, but if you're long overdue, someone should at least be looking for you. Even if you are doing something a bit edgy, tell at least one person who is not involved.
4 Party wisely
No one’s saying you’re not allowed to have fun – if you can’t party at this age, when can you? – but be aware of what’s going on around you when you do. Drink water as often as you can if you’re out with your mates (aim for a glass of water for every unit of booze; other beverages don’t count when it comes to staying hydrated!), head home with a friend if it’s late at night or very early in the morning, and notify a member of your crew as soon as you’re safely home.
If you decide to go home with someone you meet, make sure a friend knows where you’re going to spend the night, and that your phone is on ring.
Never, ever, drive when you are drunk or doped. Never get in a car with a drunk, doped or emotional driver. Ever.
5 Ride hailing
Always ensure that you have enough money to get home from wherever you're going. If you're in a strange city, it's a good idea to have a copy of the address of the place you’re staying written in the local language so there are no mistakes.
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If you use a ride hailing app, give them your first name or a code word, and make the driver tell you the name or word before you get into the car.
6 Emergency tips
When you arrive in a new place, make a note of the nearest medical centres and police stations. Hopefully nothing bad will happen, but if the need arises, you know where they are. Also, find out where the nearest drop-in centre, or public hospital is. If you have any allergies or particular medical needs, keep a note of them with you at all times.
7 Be culture wise
Exploring foreign countries is always exciting, but understand that just because something is safe and legal in one country, doesn't make it so for all countries. Be aware of cultural requirements, especially if you're going to temples or deeply rural areas. Make sure you dress appropriately; some places don't allow bare heads, others don't like flip-flops, find out before you go barging into a temple in your swimwear.
This article was curated by Young Post.
