We all want to travel and see the world, and some of the places we want to go might not be the safest, especially if we are not careful and don’t know what we are doing. Many countries you go to are wonderful and have wonderful people that love that you are visiting their homeland, but even they will tell you there are places you should not go. Tourists can get kidnapped or disappear, it happens. There is even kidnapping insurance for travelers, usually for executives, but the point being that if you are in the wrong place, people just see you as money, or as a victim. So sometimes the best way to stay safe if you are not sure is to take a tour. You have a tour guide to keep you safe and a lot of other tourists to be with so you are not caught alone.
Touropp.com is a good good place to find good, safe, discounted tours. They are a group of experienced tour operators that came together to try and make a great site with steep discounts for tours around the world. They all have a love for travel and tours and are happy to help you with where you want to travel and advise you on keeping safe. Some simple steps to stay safe are as follows.
1) Stay with the tour group
Stay with the tour group and don’t go wandering off places that you don’t know, especially not down any side streets, and especially if you are a woman traveler. People forget that some locations where some attractions are might not be in the best neighborhood and tourists are preferred prey for many of the lower element. Stay with the group, or in visual of the group, and use common sense.
2) Don’t be enticed away
Don’t be enticed away from the tour. Similar to rule one, but this is if you meet some nice seeming helpful stranger. Often people will try and get you to go somewhere away from the tour, while most people are safe and friendly, it is just not worth the risk. There are many scams around the world. The tea house scam in China is extremely common one for example. Basically, you meet a couple of nice girls that are Chinese students and want to practice their English. They suggest a place you can have tea nearby. If you go with them, you will find that you have to pay the bill later for an astronomical amount, and if you don’t you are in trouble. So, don’t assume anything, and stay with your group.
3) Don’t look like a victim
It’s a bit hard not to look like a tourist, but you can tone it down a bit. Don’t wear that Rolex watch or gold jewelry while you are traveling around with the group, and especially not without the group. You might not think that bit of jewelry is that much of anything, but some locals might see that as a year’s wages and try and take it from you. People are pretty brazen as well; snatch and grabs are quite common. Should someone grab something of yours and makes a run, you shouldn’t chase them as they probably have friends that will take everything else you have when you go after them.
4) Make sure that your family back home has all your information and itinerary
If the tour is a long one, make sure the tour operators also have your emergency contact information. Just in case there are any problems, you can at least know that you have people that can track you down and know where you should be. They can call the authorities or embassy if need be, so you are not stuck out there on your own.
Traveling the world is a fine adventure, and should never be avoided for fear of safety. Use common sense, and take a tour, whether it is a week’s travel tour or just a day’s tour, the guides are locals and know more about what to avoid than you do. Listen to them and enjoy your life. Tours are a great way to visit new places when you travel. They allow you to experience and see more things that you might on your own. A well experienced tour guide can tell you history, culture, and anecdotes of the places while making sure you are safe. Stay safe and travel.