It’s said that travelling is one of the most humbling experiences that a person can undertake, giving them the chance to break away from everything that they know and see how other people live in different places.

And while travelling is no doubt a truly unforgettable experience, there are some dangers that travellers will want to keep an eye out for, especially when they’re in a completely new place that uses a language that they don’t know or can use.

These dangers are usually nothing more than simple scams or the odd pickpocket, but it’s always a good idea to try and practise good safety no matter the situation.

Here we will look at some helpful tricks a traveller can employ to remain as safe as possible while seeing the world.

Hide Expensive Belongings

Tourists that tend to show off their wealth, usually in the form of wearing expensive jewellery or a large camera, tend to be the most common targets of criminals.

This is why it’s always best to hide expensive items as well as possible when travelling, and, if possible, to lock them in a lockbox is the hotel or backpackers provides one. Showing off a shiny gold necklace is sure to bring attention to the traveller, and there are some extremely well-trained and experienced pickpockets out there that would have no trouble taking it.

Learn The Local Language

Another reason that some travellers tend to get targeted more than others is because they fail to learn even the basics of the local language, and it’s something that criminals will use to their advantage. An extremely common scam is to make a tourist pay that much more when they’re at a restaurant and are not able to read the menu that they are given.

This scam can easily be avoided by taking the time to learn the basics of the language and to avoid falling into any of these traps. There are plenty of apps, videos, and books that are able to teach enough of a language for a traveller to successfully get by without too many problems.

Don’t Wander Around At Night

Many cities around the world boast a selection of things to do and see at night, such as night markets, but this can also lead to a traveller that’s unfamiliar with an area getting lost. Some countries and cities tend to be more dangerous at night, so it’s a good idea to try and avoid being in notoriously dangerous areas after the sun has gone down and staying at the hotel is a much better idea.

And if the traveller finds themselves in a potentially unsafe area at night, it’s best that they try and stay in a well-lit area wherever possible, and to remain near to other groups of people, which is why restaurants and stores are excellent choices.

Travel Insurance

If the worst does happen and a traveller finds that all their belongings have been stolen, things will be much smoother if they had taken the time to buy good travel insurance.

Not only does it cover transport and medical emergencies, but a traveller is also often able to recover the cost from having their luggage stolen while staying in a foreign country.