TRAVEL SAFE - Part 1
With my impending trip abroad fast approaching, I though it pertinent to run a short post on Travelling in Safety.
It is common for many people to treat travelling away from home in the same way that they see travelling around their own neighbourhood, ie feeling safe in their surroundings and relaxing any sort of internal alarm system.
However, without trying to frighten people away from exploring new countries, you have to plan, both internally and externally, any trips abroad as if you are planning a military exercise. The army and police used to use the five 'P's which means, 'Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance', in the way that they approached any situation, and, travelling away from home should engender the same ethos.
Good planning means that you will be travelling with all the right documents, copies of important papers and the right clothing needed for the trip, and any equipment that you may require. It also means, equal importance is given to researching where you are going and how any laws, customs or traditions may affect you. The last thing that you want to do is offend anyone with your lack of knowledge of do's and don't's in the country that you are a guest in. Remember; you are a 'guest' in their country, nothing more.
To use my trip as an example; I will be travelling to Pilau Penang, an island to the west of the Malaysian peninsula. From what I have heard and researched, Penang is a diverse island with rain forests and habitation with a number of different cultures co-existing on this small island, including Malay, Chinese, Indian and European cultures. The capital is Georgetown (named after King George III). On this occasion, my first ever trip there, I will be travelling alone, however, I will be meeting friends who live on the island and so, it will not be the same as travelling alone without any prior personal contacts. As a female travelling alone (or even a male in many cases) I would always say that it is safer travelling in pairs or a group.
Several months before you leave for your trip, you should make sure that you have any travel Visa applications sent to the relevant Embassies to ensure that you are legally able to enter the country of choice. In this case I do not need a Visa to travel to Penang via Singapore from the United Kingdom. You should also seek medical advice and enquire as to what inoculations (jabs) are needed. The travel clinics (many Doctors' practices have them) will advise what injections are recommended and you then have a choice whether to take their advice or not. I would always recommend that you take everything that they advise. Do not take chances with your health or your life.
I will assume that if you are going somewhere that you have never visited before, you will be interested enough in the location to do some research on those destinations. With the internet, this has never been easier. More importantly, when you are checking out the activities that you want to do, you should put some time aside to read up on the customs and do's and don'ts. It is possible to offend someone by doing or omitting to do something that you were unaware of just because you did not check things out beforehand.
Having been to Malaysia before (the mainland, not Penang island) I am already aware of many of the social pitfalls, such as knowing that it is rude to show the soles of your feet to anyone, eg putting your bare feet up on a table or chairs in a public or private area. Pointing your finger is also rude, if you have to point, then custom in Malaysia dictates that you lead with your thumb and not your index finger. If you are visiting a family home, it is polite to remove your shoes at the door and bring a gift. It does not have to be an expensive present but good manners dictate that this is the correct etiquette. You also have to be aware that a large proportion of Malaysia has a Muslim population and therefore, in some States, alcohol is not always available in restaurants or shops, but is more than likely available for purchase in hotels, but ones' behaviour has to be taken into consideration should one imbibe an excess of the 'falling down juice'.
My overriding warning to every traveller, unless you know the person/s that you are visiting is, be suspicious of everyone until you know different. This piece of advice could save your life. There will be many people that approach you on your holiday, including smiling locals, street sellers, beggars and homeless people and those that are touting for business as taxis. There are many people posing as taxi drivers, even in the UK, who are not licensed or bona fide cab drivers. They may be doing this to earn money illegally or they may have a rather more sinister reason. If in doubt, do not get in. If you are seeking a taxi from the hotel, get the hotel staff to call you a licensed taxi and get the telephone number of the driver for the return journey. Hotels are less likely to use unlicensed or illegal taxis as it is their reputation that is on the line.
I was in Malaysia in 1999 and was in charge of the security for over forty martial arts students from Europe (mainly from UK and Eire) and I gave a safety talk after we had arrived in Johor State. Even after that lecture, there were still some of the younger students who could have got themselves into some difficulty as they ignored the advice about going off with people that they didn't know. Fortunately there were no dangerous outcomes but there could have been.
Always plan your day before leaving your hotel that morning (or the night before). If you look confident in the way that you present on the street, although people will still approach you, your demeanour will show that you know where you are going and what you are doing. Locals will have better luck with those travellers that look lost or uncertain on the streets. If you do not want to visit a shop or other location (they will have touts on the footpaths some distance from the business and are often paid per customer brought to them) then a firm but polite no will suffice, but will not deter them from continuing to try. If you really do not want to go, then you should not waver in your refusal. If they see you may have softened then they will effectively have changed your mind. Refer to any map you have in private and not on the street; another indication that you might be lost or unsure.
The next instalment (Part 2) will deal with personal safety, money, visiting sacred sites and modes of dress.
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