The amazing thing about being part of the online travel community is all the great blogs and websites I come across. A few days ago I discovered the Dodeqa Project by Thibaud Clément, a recent business school graduate who enlisted traveling the world to further his education and to reach personal and professional goals.
Thibaud has a really smart travel tip that he gracefully allowed me to copy and share with you. The tip comes from a fascinating interview given by Thibaud to Tortuga Backpacks (the smart new backpacks I wrote about in my last blog):
"Here is a trick I was given by a traveler friend: when you travel abroad, make sure to have your checkbook – or just a check – hidden in a different place than your wallet. In this way, if you lose your wallet with all credit cards and cash inside, you can go to the local embassy of your country and give them a check: they will give you some cash in return, which is really cool while you wait for your bank to send you another credit card. I wish I had done it!"
I hadn't heard this tip before, about this but it makes complete sense. Add to this smart check tip some other ones:
There are a lot of precautions you can take before you leave on your trip. Make sure you have a backup plan: what will you do if you get pickpocketed? Can you manage? Do you know where to go, who can help? How will you get replacements?
Once on your trip, there are some other things to think about. Most are common sense: don't flash that 2 carat diamond ring around and don't show everyone you have wads of newly changed money in your pocket. Don't wear a super fancy new camera around your neck on a thin string that anyone can cut off in seconds. Most importantly - don't underestimate the bad guys, they know what they are doing so let's not make it too easy on them.
Regardless if you are backpacking, traveling in luxury, on a cruise or charter, take a few minutes before you leave and make sure you are covered. So bring a domestic check on your foreign travels. And my standard tip - don't put all your eggs in one basket. Spread out your money and credit cards. That way if you do get pickpocketed you will have a back up somewhere. And of course my recommendation is to hide it in your underwear or t-shirt or tank top with pockets so you can stay safe on the trip!