Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Like everywhere, stay in your hotel after dark. Night is always full of danger.
Well, I can't say I agree with this part. Certainly be alert and aware of your surroundings, but don't barricade yourself in your hotel room for fear of the dark. There's so much I would have missed in my travels if I had not ventured out when the sun went down.
Keep wallet in your front pocket or take an old wallet with just a little $$$ for that evening's entertainment & nothing else in it for the event you get robbed, keep id/credit cards separate from it, perhaps in a money belt type deal, & carry Xerox of your passport but lock the original up somewhere else.
Buy a can "safe" that looks like deodorant, shave cream, etc & keep with your toiletries to stash your $$$ & valuables inside it if you don't want to use the room safe. If you're a single & meet a local at a bar never take your eyes off your drink or leave it for any reason... get drunk at your own peril. Check that the bar/club has a fire exit & physically walk to your hotel's fire exit/stairway so you can crawl to it in case of hallway full of black smoke or at night with no lights.
Don't do any important/financial/personal stuff on wifi without using a vpn. If in a developing country establish the cost of the taxi ride first & don't put your luggage in the trunk/boot - it could be held for ransom if you don't pay up.
Xerox all important documents including credit cards, air ticket, etc & important phone numbers for these. Notify all cards & banks in advance of your travel plans. Get travelers' medical insurance that covers the cost of airlifting you to a major medical center of your choosing & will cover the cost of repatriating your remains home if necessary.
Buy a can "safe" that looks like deodorant, shave cream, etc & keep with your toiletries to stash your $$$ & valuables inside it if you don't want to use the room safe.
Considering that the OP is living in the Philippines, it is unlikely that many of the travel safety tips given by the posters on this forum would completely apply in Cebu. Conversely, there are threats in Cebu that are probably not encountered much in the United States. These usually center around the use of jeepneys and other forms of public transportation.
Considering that the OP is living in the Philippines, it is unlikely that many of the travel safety tips given by the posters on this forum would completely apply in Cebu. Conversely, there are threats in Cebu that are probably not encountered much in the United States. These usually center around the use of jeepneys and other forms of public transportation.
But one would assume when we're talking about travel, we're not just talking about travel in the Philippines, or just travel in the US. We're talking in general.
The RFID blocker thing is kind of funny for many reasons.
1. Very few credit cards in USA have RFID, it quickly fell out of favor as other mobile payment system grew in popularity
2. Newer cards have EMV (the chip), so it generates a unique encrypted transaction each time , useless for RFID to steal anything even if it was one of the few remaining cards that had RFID
3. There has never been a reported case of RFID stealing credit card data to make a transaction, as opposed to millions stolen by other means
4. It makes no sense, scammers can either buy thousands of cc numbers online black market or use ATM skimmers that would get much better results
5. The RFID chip on a US passport contains no personal information. All it has is unique code to for govt to access your information from a secure government database. It is utterly useless to anyone but TSA and CBP sitting in front of their console.
If you're still paranoid that they can do something with your credit card data (which they cannot with EMV card) then just check your card to see if it is one of the tiny percentage in the USA that has RFID. It will have a radio icon somewhere on it like below:
+1 on the RFID post from Liequang. Most people don’t understand what an RFaiD chip is and get it confuse$ with the mag stripe.
I don’t agree with virtually any of the OPs tips, and often travel with the intent of violating them.
I often leave my hotel after dark. It might simply be for dinner, it might be for some sightseeing or an evening activity. I have walked through several cities after midnight.
I seek out opportunities to drink with strangers. It is one of the best, easiest ways to socialize. I have many fond memories of meeting people and having drinks in a pub, local bar,restaurant or on the beach.
I do carry my wallet in my front pocket, but I always do so. I do limit the amount of money I have to amounts that I am comfortable losing, and I keep critical ID separate.
Watches and jewelry? I don’t change my habits.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
