Traveling to Asia for us is always an exciting experience but, especially with kids in tow, a little more advanced thinking is needed to ensure your safety during your trip. Here are our top 10 travel safety tips for Asia:
- Research and plan: Before you travel, research your destinations thoroughly. The Lonely Planet books, (lonelyplanet.com) for example, are often where we start with our research. Guidebooks and online research will help you to understand the local customs, culture and any potential safety concerns specific to each country. We then plan our itinerary or the way we travel accordingly. For example, in our recent visit to Phnom Penh, bag snatching has been pretty prevalent in some areas. Just being aware of this made us more cautious about having valuables on us, and always getting a tuk tuk that had mesh sides to help prevent this.
- Check travel advisories: Stay updated with travel advisories and warnings issued by your country’s government or relevant authorities. This information can alert you to potential risks or security issues in certain areas. In New Zealand we have safetravel.govt.nz for example. As an example, during the planning of our recent trip to Cambodia, we discovered that there has been some conflict in the Preah Vihear area in the north. There were plenty of other places we were keen to visit, so we just skipped that area.
- Get travel insurance: Purchase comprehensive travel insurance that covers medical expenses, trip cancellation, lost belongings, and emergency evacuations. Ensure the policy covers all the countries you plan to visit in Asia.
- Register with your embassy: Register with your country’s embassy or consulate in the countries you plan to visit. This allows them to assist you in case of emergencies, natural disasters, or civil unrest.
- Secure your belongings: Keep your valuables, including passports, money, and electronics, secure at all times. Consider using a money belt or a hidden pouch under your clothing to deter pickpockets. Most hotels all across Asia have in-room safes for you to use.
- Stay vigilant in crowded areas: Asia’s popular tourist destinations can be crowded, which can make you more vulnerable to theft or scams. Stay aware of your surroundings and belongings, especially in crowded markets, public transportation, and tourist sites.
- Use reliable transportation: Stick to reputable transportation options such as licensed taxis, registered ride-hailing services, or public transportation recommended by local authorities. We have our hotels book reputable local drivers for longer city to city transfers.
- Stay connected: Carry a reliable mobile phone and ensure you have access to local emergency numbers. Stay connected with your travel companions and inform them of your whereabouts. Keep important contact numbers saved in your phone. We always get a local sim card on arrival for all the members of the family too, so everyone can stay in touch if they get lost. In Asia they’re normally super cheap compared to what we pay at home.
- Respect local laws and customs: Familiarize yourself with the local laws, customs, and traditions of the countries you are visiting. Show respect for local customs, dress modestly when necessary and be mindful of local do’s and don’ts. This might be speaking respectfully about royalty in Thailand, taking off your shoes before entering a temple, avoiding public displays of affection, not touching people on the head and not leaving your chopsticks sticking into your food in Japan. Do your research on the specific countries you’ll be visiting. Again, the Lonely Planet books and a bit of online research normally covers this off.
- Stay informed about health risks: Be aware of any health risks or required vaccinations for the countries you plan to visit. Consult a healthcare professional or travel clinic well in advance to ensure you are up to date on vaccinations and medications. Some vaccinations require a course of several shots across a few months. As we’re based in Auckland, New Zealand, we use Worldwide Travel Health Clinic to make sure we’re up to date for the countries we’re going to be visiting.
While these 10 safety travel tips for Asia can enhance your safety, it’s essential to use your common sense and trust your instincts while traveling in Asia or anywhere else in the world, the same as you would at home. We’ve travelled safety through multiple Asian countries with our family without encountering any serious problems.
We have lots of content on our blog site of our travels in Asia. Here is our blog post on Vietnam and here is one on our one week trip to Siem Reap.
