Rolf Potts: Travel abroad safer than staying home?

Believe it or not, traveling around the world is statistically no more dangerous than traveling across your hometown. As at home, most dangers and annoyances on the road revolve around sickness, theft, and accidents — not political violence or terrorism. Thus, the same common-sense precautions that serve you well at home should help keep you safe on the road. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Travel Fear #2: Foreign countries are dangerous, right?

By Rolf Potts

1) Research your destination

Thanks to the Internet, it’s easy to stay current on the political and safety situation of a given country. Whether you’re going to Israel or Colombia or the Philippines, online versions of these countries’ newspapers are going to give you more specific information than whatever you’ll find reported in the mainstream American media.

There are several online sources that collect information relating to global travel safety, including World Travel Watch and U.S. State Department Travel Warnings. Through the State Department site, Consular Information Sheets are available for every country of the world, describing national entry requirements, currency regulations, unusual health conditions, crime and security situations, political disturbances, and areas of instability.

In the event of a specific and current danger in a country, a special “Travel Warning” is posted alongside the consular information. But keep in mind that State Department warnings tend to err on the conservative side, and are best cross-referenced against other sources of information.

2) Utilize local information on the road, and use common sense

Often, the best way to stay safe on the road is to use the same common-sense tactics that keep you safe at home. Don’t wander around drunk at night, don’t befriend pushy or shady characters, and don’t stray into dicey neighborhoods. In maintaining this awareness, don’t overcompensate and fall into knee-jerk paranoia — a sure way to ruin your experience anywhere. Instead, cultivate a simple and instinctive habit of diligence as you travel.

Even if you accidentally find yourself in a dangerous area as you travel, the key to keeping safe is to know and talk to the locals (who can tell you where specific dangers lurk), patronize mom-and-pop businesses (which are never targeted in political attacks), avoid a loud or flashy appearance (this includes dogmatic debates of religion and politics), and travel outside of predictable tourist areas (which are easier for troublemakers to target).

Should the security situation seem especially tense in a region, go a step further and avoid hangouts that cater exclusively to foreigners, stay away from public demonstrations and crowds (this includes small bands of drunks and rabble-rousers), and don’t share your travel plans or lodging arrangements with strangers.

3) Be aware of the true dangers

Are you sure you’re ready to pilot that moped in an unfamiliar country? Road accidents account for far more tourist injuries and deaths than political violence — so use extreme caution when you take your transportation into your own hands overseas.

Crime and scams are common wherever travelers are found, though they are generally no more dangerous than the average annoyances you’d find at home. All it takes to avoid theft is a little awareness.

For starters, avoid bringing expensive or irreplaceable items of the road, and don’t flaunt what wealth you do have. Keep cash and traveler’s checks in discreet places (such as a money-belt, a sock, or a hidden pocket), and be wary of public distractions and dense crowds, as this is where pickpockets tend to operate. Many local scams are detailed in travel guidebooks, for example, so be sure to study up whenever you arrive in a new region. (Word-of-mouth among travelers is also a good way to keep tabs on this.)

Sickness is another potential problem for travelers, but I’ll cover that topic with a separate post tomorrow.

4) Don’t be paranoid

Despite all the headlines and hysteria about anti-Americanism abroad, keep in mind that most people in the world will see you not as a political entity or an appendage of the “Great Satan.” Rather, they will regard you as a private guest in their country. Even if these hosts vehemently disagree with your country’s policies and practices, they will invariably honor your individuality and regard you with hospitality and respect. The best way to return the favor is to be honest (few people are impressed by Americans posing as Canadians), ask sincere questions, listen patiently to people’s world view, learn why people believe the way they do, and practice courtesy.

For a further discussion of how to avoid dangers and embrace cultures on the road, read chapters 2, 6 and 7 of my book, Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel.

- Rolf

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Editor’s note: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you or a loved one far from home? Agree or disagree: Traveling in your own backyard can be just as dangerous as half way around the world? Weigh in with your comments below.Follow this link for the introduction to Rolf’s week-long “Conquering your fears and living your travel dreams” series. Tune in tomorrow for “What if I get sick in some faraway land?”

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This entry was posted on Saturday, July 7, 2007 at 10:49 am by Andrew and is filed under News, Tips & Advice, Travel Q&A. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.