What are some tips for traveling safely?
- Research About the Location
- Save Emergency Contacts
- Secure Copies of Important Documents
- Be Cautious When Using Public Wi-Fi
- Update Yourself on the Weather News
Regardless of whether you travel often or it is your first time, ensuring your safety guarantees a relaxed and convenient trip. Avoid getting scammed, losing your valuables, and any kind of undesirable event by educating yourself on the things to do and bring in your travel. If you are visiting beaches in the Philippines, here are some travel safety tips from securing your luggage or backpack to enlisting emergency contacts. Follow these simple steps to ensure your safety while traveling.
Research About the Location
Apart from doing research to know the packages that you can avail, check possible dates, as well as to find the best suite, you must learn about your destination before booking accommodations. You can read traveler reviews, consult the local government, and check the websites to ensure the destination is safe to visit.
Make an effort to discover the community and neighboring cities, safest spots, proper accommodations, local norms. Avoid the surprises as well as forecast possible unfortunate events by educating yourself about everything you can learn regarding your destination. Head to your trip knowing the location is safe and hassle-free!
Save Emergency Contacts
Apart from learning about everything you need to know regarding your destination, saving emergency contact numbers is another travel security precaution.
Aside from your immediate family members’ and closest friends’ numbers, here are some of the government emergency hotline numbers you should know when traveling within the Philippines.
- National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRMC)
NDRRMC consists of regional teams that are capable of reaching your location to provide you with emergency medical assistance. The teams are spread across the country, from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, with well-trained individuals regarding search and rescue.
- Philippine National Police (PNP)
Not all emergencies can be medical in nature. For emergencies that might involve security issues such as the threat of car-napping, theft, kidnapping, and other related events, you may contact the PNP via SMS. By simply texting “TXT PNP” to 2920, you will obtain further steps and directions to reach the right regional groups to assist you in your concerns. ‘
- Automobile Association of the Philippines
Dedicated to the welfare of motorists in the country, the Automobile Association of the Philippines is a non-profit organization that can help you with issues ranging from a dead battery, flat tire, fuel provisions, and towing.
If all hotlines fail, make sure to keep the 911 emergency hotline number that can direct you to other LGUs. Other than that, the 117 Street Patrol hotline number should ensure your safety within Metro Manila.
Secure Copies of Important Documents
You will never know when you might need a copy of your driver’s license, passport, or other forms of identification. The best way to do it is to scan documents, print them out, and save a copy online. With that, you do not have to bring the original copies of each and risk losing them along the way. Safely secure the scanned documents in plastic envelopes. Make sure to pack it in your bag in an unobtrusive way.
Be Cautious When Using Public Wi-Fi
Despite being given free access to Wi-Fi, be cautious of the applications and websites you visit. When you use a place’s Wi-Fi, make sure to set up your mobile devices’ VPN or virtual private network. This should allow you to access the internet securely while you are traveling abroad or visiting beach resorts in the Philippines. Otherwise, bring your own pocket Wi-Fi to have a secure connection all the time.
Update Yourself on the Weather News
Before booking your accommodation, make sure to check out the local weather news. Conversely, staying updated for any unexpected climate-related disasters should ensure your safety as you travel. Doing so will also help you be prepared for seasonal illness.
You can either turn on notifications for built-in weather applications or download other weather-related applications to stay updated on the news. Being updated comes in handy when you are going for island-hopping or traveling from one location to another by air.
Key Takeaway
It’s all fun under the sun until you encounter unfortunate events. Similar to the joys you get from packing your favorite bikinis and other beach essentials, you should also find solace in ensuring your safety while traveling. Whether you are traveling abroad or visiting beaches in the Philippines, these travel safety tips should guarantee everyone’s safety. Safety should always be your priority. Most especially, if you are traveling solo.
