One of the most common questions raised by a traveler preparing for a trip to Southeast Asia are those regarding the safety. Is it safe? As everywhere and every time, we want to feel and be safe. It is the crucial and basic need of a man. We all focus on the efforts to stay safe.
For each one of us the safety will be understood in a different way however. For some it is about the possibility of any offense that can occur, for some it will be mostly about the safety of the luggage, or credit cards, and for some it is about avoiding any situation that could be considered uncomfortable.
The bad news is that there is no place you can call 100% safe. Even the most liked cities in the world are subjected to numerous kinds of crimes, scams, and vulgar pick pocketing. The overall feeling of safety comes therefore from the way we feel and the statistics then.
Every first time traveler will feel less secure and safe in any new place. And it is totally understandable: the unknown is what actually creates the sense of insecurity. It simply takes some time for this feeling to vanish. However, it depends form the environment, the people we interact with and the overall external factors that determine the speed of how fast we are going feel good and safe in a new place.
Once you understand that this is a natural reaction and there is nothing wrong with you, it can be helpful. It is a very proper approach to be cautious at first. Yes, keep your luggage next to you, keep an eye on your belongings, don’t travel by taxi in Vietnam before you make a clear deal, don’t pay upfront for anything.
Vietnam is among those that make you feel good at the first day. What happens is the fear steps down to make place for the curiosity and simple excitement. Everything here is so different, but not scary (ok, traffic with millions of small motorbikes looks scary at first).
Now, when you look at the statistics, you will see that Vietnam is among the safest countries in the world to travel to. Yes, Vietnam is really safe.
It is wise to keep eyes open, however, since we live in the world where there will be always someone trying to take advantage of the situation. So let’s stay safe and sound. Here are some small tips:
• Your money, cards, documents and passport are crucial. Keep them in safe places at all time.
• Have limited trust to people who are suddenly nice to you and offer you so called free lunch and “special offer just for you”.
• Try to read a bit before you step into unknown. Learn about most common things good and bad that happen to travelers. Use someone else experience, so you don’t have to use yours.
• Always be clear with your statements, and always demand clear statements. It works whenever money or time is in use.
• Get the travel insurance. Always.
• Avoid doing the things that are simply silly. “don’t do anything your mom wouldn’t appreciate”.
• If you need help, ask for it. Don’t ask the crowd, always address it towards a particular person.
• In Asia stay calm: screaming and losing the temper will only make things worse.
• Travel to safe places, for example Vietnam with its amazing tour packages.
