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Southeast Asia has long been a popular destination for backpackers and other budget-conscious travelers who want to stretch their dollars to the fullest. For the most part, traveling throughout southeast Asia is safe for everyone, including woman travelers.
However, have you ever the saying better be safe than sorry? Underneath are some tips that you can exercise once you arrive in any country in southeast Asia:
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Street Safety
This is especially for women traveler. You can sometimes attract unwanted attention, whether from other women, men or children. The locals usually Habor harmless curiosity and sometimes involve in starting, a request for a photograph even for a quick chat. Most of the time, interactions are pleasant and brief.
There are instances where men continually follow or request for a photograph, and if declining them does not work, then you can just enter any cafe or restaurant. To better ensure your safety, then having a mobile phone ( 8 Genius Ways to Preserve Your Phone’s Battery Life While Traveling )with a workable SIM card is better. This means that you can constantly be intact with people.
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Pay attention to the custom
There are a lot of countries in Southeast Asia where wearing short and revealing clothes are taboo. Even tho southeast Asia is full of beaches, and some are welcome to bikinis. There are also regions where are more modest and conservative. They also have certain areas in which dressing scantily is not appropriate for examples temples, and certain traditional ceremonies. It is best for you to research the area that you are going to before you leave so you can dress more appropriately.
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Assaults
Violent assaults in southeast Asia is not common. However, travelers should exercise basic street smarts; try to avoid quiet areas at night, avoid excessive drinking and avoid getting into a heated argument with the locals. In most of these countries, police enforcement of local laws and investigations are often inadequate and there are some cases in which the police was proven to have colluded with the criminal.
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Motorcycle safety
In southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Indonesia, traffic accidents are a leading cause of death. Motorcycles riders are everywhere in these countries and they are the most vulnerable road users, especially because of the lack of strict laws that regulates helmet usage, reckless driving, poor road conditions, and inadequate emergency health care.
Unfortunately, in these regions, it is very easy to get access to motorbikes, and there are plenty of foreigners who use it as a transportation mode. There are many cases in which these foreigners would get injured or hurt because of their lack of experience in driving a motorcycle.
If you are going to get a motorcycle during your vacation ensure that you always wear a helmet and appropriate clothing. Drive carefully and defensively, and be aware of the oncoming vehicles in the middle of the road. When it is the rainy season, ensure that you drive slowly and be aware of the potholes, loose gravel and debris on the road. The most important thing is to learn the road etiquette. Ask the owner of the motorcycle to explain the road etiquette in that country to you.
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Scams
Unfortunately, there are many cases of scams in Southeast Asia. It often happens a lot with taxi drivers that will try to extort you, tuk-tuk drivers that will tell you the place is closed and try to take you somewhere else where they can earn a commission, even border guards can try to force you to give them some money.
Most of the scams cases exploit the gullibility of travelers. Rip-offs are usually done at border crossings, popular tourist attractions, bus, and rail stations, and anywhere else newly arrived travelers might have become an easy target for con artists.
Be politely suspicious of over-friendly locals, are one of the tips that can help you avoid scam. Avoid super cheap inclusive transport packages, and try to avoid accepting invitation to play cards or to go shopping with a stranger.
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Theft
Most of the theft cases in southeast Asia are usually by stealth rather than force. Violent theft is a rare case. It usually occurs at night time and often after the victim has shown signs of being drunk. Bag snatching occurring more often of late in countries like Vietnam and Cambodia. Traveling in groups at night is better to ensure safety and be wary of friendly seeming locals gathering around you.
There are many cases of clandestine theft as well, where the thieves would have scoured to check into a guesthouse and rob another guest in the middle of the night.
Little things that you can do in order to avoid theft is by keeping your money and valuables in a money belt and do not carry your valuables in a bag that can easily be grabbed. Be careful of your belongings and ensure that to avoid using your phone excessively while you are walking.
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Drugs
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Drugs such as marijuana and heroin are widely available in Southeast Asia, but it is illegal to even when the authorities appear on the surface to turn a blind eye. Most of the countries penalties are severe, large numbers of foreigners have been charged for years in prison for petty drug offenses and the penalty of trafficking is typically death.
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Political conflict
