There has been a lot of talk lately about travel safety following certain incidents abroad – https://nypost.com/2019/06/10/tourist-death-count-at-dominican-republic-resorts-rises/ While we don’t always know what exactly behind terrible tragedies, this brings to question certain things we can do to best protect ourselves while abroad. Here are some of my tips..
1. Don’t always trust the mini bar – I have myself opened mini bar bottles and found someone had replaced the alcohol with another substance. Equally be careful with water and ice cubes.
2. Make copies and secure your valuables – share your itinerary with a friend or neighbor at home. Also make copies of your passport and your credit card and any other important documents. Let your bank know your travel plans as well.
3. Tag your luggage – one way to stay safe is to use luggage tag covers or to put your office address on your luggage tag instead of your home address. And if you do decide to go for the carry on route, pack a few travel essentials in case of flight delays or such like a toothbrush and toothpaste.
4. Where you decide to travel is up to you, and while you cant always let stories like this change your generalized view of a destination, keep yourself up to date and educated as a traveler ALWAYS – especially about any local news or scams. Vet reviews of resorts and destinations to know your risks of traveling there.
5. Be adventurous but also sensible with what you ingest or drink in another country (especially medication) and if you have any doubts stick to what you KNOW is safe.
6. Check your health (get screened) before you go and understand fully any risks both from your own previous health conditions and anything that you could come into contact with when there. Check as well any banned prescription medication as you could find yourself subject to harsh penalties.
7. Plan your arrival – especially if you are arriving late at night or have never been to this destination. You might want to consider a pre arranged transfer so as to avoid any dodgy cabs that could overcharge you or worse – get you lost.