For those who love to travel, visiting a country that’s vastly different from yours might be just what you’re wanting to experience for your next trip. So if you’re ready to plan a trip to a developing nation, here are three tips that you’ll want to remember in order to keep yourself safe while you’re there.
Don’t Draw Attention To Yourself
While all countries have amazing people who live there, they also have a few people who actively seek to take advantage of others, especially those who look as though they have a lot to lose. And if you have enough money to travel to this area for vacation, it’s likely safe to assume that you have something worth having. The trick here is to not draw attention to yourself so that those looking to rip people off will target you and you won’t have to worry about defending yourself.
To do this, Kendall Dick, a contributor to GoAbroad.com, advises that you keep a low profile so you don’t draw unwanted attention to yourself. This can be done by dressing in a similar fashion as the locals do, walking with purpose when you’re out and about, and trying to pick up some phrases in the language of the area. By doing these things, you hopefully should be able to reduce your chances of getting mugged.
Take Care When Choosing Transportation
One of the biggest dangers when visiting a developing country is transportation. While you may be used to certain safety measures being taken with public transportation in your home country, developing countries may have far more lax rules around these things.
Knowing this, Elissa Leibowitz Poma, a contributor to Smarter Travel, recommends that you only travel on transportation that has rigorous safety standards that they follow. You can learn about these things by looking up the company before you use them. While this might make your travels a little bit more complicated, at least you’ll know that you’re safe when in transit.
Be Cautious About What You Eat Or Drink
Along with transportation safety not being as high as in the country you’re from, the cleanliness surrounding food and water might not be up to the same standard either. Because of this, you’ll want to be very cautious about what you eat and drink in a developing country.
As part of this, Barbara Gordon, a contributor to EatRight.org, recommends that you generally avoid eating raw foods. If the food hasn’t been properly washed or cooked, there’s a much higher chance that it could make you sick. Also, if food has been allowed to sit out for too long, you will want to avoid eating it, too.
If you’ll be visiting a developing country soon and are worried about how to keep yourself safe while you’re there, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you see how this can be done.