Travel Safety
As a travel expert, I feel like it is my duty to share all of my tips on how to stay safe in any destination. Every place is different and I believe in taking specific precautions in certain areas. However, these are my general safety tips that I implement in any and every trip.
Research your destination.
I know this may be obvious but some travelers simply do not take the time to research thoroughly the safety of their destination. One has to keep in mind that whether or not the destination is safe to travel to all depends on the current state/conditions of the city and/or country. For this reason, researching and keeping up with current events is vital when deciding if a destination is safe or not. However, please keep in mind that no destination is perfect and there is no need to panic if the news coming out of the destination are somewhat similar to your home city/state/country.
Crossbody Bag.
This has to be my BIGGEST advice to anyone who travels. Invest in a great, useful, pocket packed, small-ish, crossbody bag. The crossbody will be useful the entire trip starting at the airport and all of the way through. The bag will be an addition to your personal item and carry-on allowed on the flight. I will show you how to get away with this. Just make sure to not over pack the bag when at the airport since you will have to condense your bags before boarding.
At the airport, the crossbody will be perfect to store all of your important travel documents and anything you need easy access to such as phone, wallet, and any other travel essential.
Before boarding, make sure to put your crossbody bag into your personal item bag. I usually have a backpack as a personal item to make sure I have space for it. This will avoid any questions or complaints from the airlines.
As soon as you land at your destination, you can take the crossbody bag out and use once again to have all of your documents and essentials easily accessible.
Throughout your trip, having this crossbody bag will ensure you have all of your valuables close to you at all times to avoid any pick pockets or stolen valuables.
Here are some of my favorite crossbody bags that are great for travel.
Have a designated and safe place for your important documents.
The last thing you want to happen on your trip is to lose your passport or any other extremely important documents. By making it a habit to put them in this designated spot will help reduce the times you misplace them. Here are some designated spots for important documents that puts my mind at ease knowing they are safe:
When at the airport, place them in your small crossbody bag that you will then put inside your personal carry-on. By putting them in your crossbody bag it will make them accessible and as close to you as possible in a crowded area. Make sure to put them in the most secure pocket in your bag. Avoid putting anything valuable on front pockets of any bag!
Most hotels have a safe which you can put valuables in. If your hotel does not have a safe, you can take them with you when exploring by putting them in the most secure pocket of your bag. The safest pocket tends to be the closest to your body. If you do not feel comfortable taking them with you and don’t mind splurging just a little, there are portable safes that you can purchase. Click here to purchase one.
Keep digital copies of your important documents.
In the rare case you lose your documents, having digital copies of them will save you a lot of trouble. You will need to get them replaced and these copies will make that process much smoother. Here are some documents I recommend making digital copies of:
Passport
State ID/ Driver’s License
Boarding passes
Hotel confirmation
Car rental confirmation
COVID-19 tests
COVID-19 vaccination cards
Avoid locks.
I know that most people will see this one as a surprise but there is a reason why I try to avoid them as much as possible. Locks attract a lot of unwanted attention. Even if you do not have any valuables in your bag or luggage, putting a lock on them is almost a sign saying “Hey, I have something here that you want.” If you are wanting to put locks, just make sure they aren’t visible. Keep valuables on you at all times and avoid putting anything of them in your checked bag.
AirTags or GPS trackers.
I love taking advantage of technology. If you can, splurge on AirTags or any GPS trackers such as Tile and attach them to your bags. In the rare event that the airline loses your bag or it gets stolen, you will be able to track your belongings with these. I recommend putting them on all carry-on bags, checked bags, and any valuables such as cameras, portable safes, etc. AirTags are $29 each or $99 for a pack of 4.
Avoid flashy items.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to show off your amazing jewelry and clothes especially when on vacation. However, be mindful when and where you wear these items as sometimes it might get unwanted attention.
Do not share your exact location on social media.
This may be a general overall safety rule for many but it needs to be emphasized for travel. There have been rare but known times of malicious people going on social media and looking through tagged locations to target tourists. If you are going to tag, tag a general area such as “Dominican Republic” instead of the exact hotel you’re staying at. If you want to share the hotel you visited, make sure to do so after leaving the location.
Keep your friends and family informed.
Make sure to let someone know your itinerary and keep them informed throughout your trip. I personally share my location with them the entire trip but if you do not feel comfortable doing so a simple text or call should be enough. Doing this will make sure that just in case something happens and you are not able to contact anyone, someone will know your last location and take it from there. If you know you will be somewhere with no service, let them know and how long you plan on not having service.
Trust your gut.
Sometimes we forget to trust our gut and make ourselves believe that we are overreacting. Make sure to trust your instincts. Its always better to be safe than sorry.
