South Africans might think we know a thing or two about crime, but it’s always worth taking note of additional safety measures you can take when travelling. They might differ from those you take in your day-to-day life and help keep your property and yourself safe when you find yourself momentarily distracted, jetlagged or even lost in a foreign city.
- PROPERLY TAG YOUR LUGGAGE
You mustn’t solely rely on the airline to tag your luggage and keep track of it throughout your journey. Mistakes happen, luggage tags can get damaged or lost and sometimes you might be forced to check your hand luggage at the last minute.
Ensure that you personally tag all your pieces (yes, your hand luggage too!) with your name, airline, contact number/email address and travel destinations. Metal tags are slightly superior to paper, plastic and rubber tags as they are more robust. If you are particularly attached to your luggage, consider adding Apple Airtags or something similar. Passengers report being able to pinpoint the location of their bags has assisted them in recovering lost baggage with multiple airlines.
2. KEEP VALUABLES LOCKED AWAY
Unless you’re spending time at the Ritz, consider keeping all your valuables locked up at all times. This includes electronics, jewellery, designer wear and cash. When leaving your hotel or airbnb for the day, ensure that these pieces are safely stowed away either in a hotel safe or locked in your luggage. While no one is supposed to enter your airbnb, you simply never know for certain.
If you’re going to be carrying a backpack with some of your valuables, put a small combination lock on it and ensure that things like camras are stored in interior pockets rather than easily accessible from the outside. This is particularly important when taking public transport.
3. AVOID PICKPOCKETS
Pickpocketing is still the number one crime reported among tourists, so consider ditching the open tote in favour of something lockable or at least zippable for your valuables. Keep smaller valuable items close to your body (think interior coat pockets, beltbags and neck wallets) and carry extras like water bottles in unassuming bags and small backpacks.
Be extra vigilant when taking public transport as the chaos and forced proximity is the any pickpocket’s dream. Tourists also often give themselves away on public transport by looking uncertain and talking foreign languages. Don’t forget that your valuables are vulnerable even at the airport and on the airplane.
4. KEEP DEVICES CHARGED AND CONNECTED
Invest in a good quality, 100Wh, powerbank that you can keep with you throughout busy travel days to ensure your cell phone is fully charged when needed. No one wants to be stranded without the ability to call an Uber should you find the underground to be unexpectedly closed at night. But do keep new airline regulations in mind, as these devices cannot be in your checked luggage.
To ensure you can stay connected, also find out about your your phone’s roaming abilities or simply purchase a tourist sim with data at your travel destination. When connecting to public networks, activate a VPN to keep your sensitive data private.
5. DO YOUR DESTINATION RESEARCH
From the latest scam to dodgy destinations to avoid after dark, even first-world countries have issues that might leave ignorant tourists at risk. This is nothing that a quick Google or social media search can’t remedy. If you plan on partying hard, staying out late or doing anything out of the ordinary consider planning your transport ahead of time and researching crime hotspots.
6. KEEP IMPORTANT INFORMATION HANDY
We won’t hammer on the importance of travel insurance in this post, but just remind you to keep the international contact number of your insurance provider handy. This means saving it on your phone and perhaps keeping a physical copy in your luggage should your phone get stolen.
Similarly you’ll want to keep your travel agent’s details along with your flight booking details easily accessible on your phone and physically elsewhere.
By taking these additional safety measures, you can travel with peace of mind and enjoy your well earned holiday!