Michele on the Road: on Travel, Photography and Life

“Isn’t it dangerous?” is probably the question that comes up more often when I talk about my past, present and future travel plans.
Even more so when I say I go somewhere alone. “But isn’t it dangerous to go there? alone?!”

Now, I’m not here to say there are no risks in traveling to far off places. However, when you stop worrying about it and start visiting other countries, you realize it’s not that dangerous, especially if you compare it to most Western cities.

Milan is certainly not safer than Cusco. And New York? not safer than Ho Chi Minh City.

Almost every city comes with its own perils. What makes the difference between traveling safely and looking for trouble is not where you go or who you go there with. The difference is in how you approach a new city.

You need to keep your eyes open at all times and learn to identify possible threats, which vary in each city.
And it’s really not that difficult, it’s just a matter of common sense:

• Don’t go around looking as a pimp: keep a low profile
• Watch out for people following you and generally try to avoid isolated or dark streets
• If you’re traveling alone, try not to get drunk… ;)
• Be friendly and make a lot of friends, but don’t trust them any more than they deserve
• Keep your wallet in the front pocket — and possibly distribute money between different pockets and bags
• Don’t ever leave your luggage unattended and if you travel on overnight buses consider buying a Pacsafe to secure your backpack
• Enjoying the nightlife is a big part of an abroad trip, but try to avoid well-known problematic areas and generally raise your awareness level at night

This list may have a few more items in it, and it may sound like a lot of things to remember, but believe me, it will actually become second nature after a couple of days.

And remember, you’re there to enjoy the sights, culture and people, so just do that, enjoy it! and don’t be overly paranoid, because it won’t necessarily make you any safer, but it will certainly make for a less remarkable experience.

What do you think? are you afraid of traveling abroad? would you go on a trip to a remote place alone?