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Tips for smart travelling?
#1

Hey everyone, it's less than 28 days until I head off on a big trip to Europe, Malaysia and Philippines, and I absolutely can't wait! My last overseas trip was almost 3 years ago, and the last major one another 3 years before that. So you can probably say that I'm not very well traveled, in international terms anyway.

I was wondering what advice people could give me with regards to travelling and safety of my personal belongings? I hear lot of stories about pickpockets and purse snatchers overseas and how holidays are ruined through an encounter with these unsavoury characters. Living in Australia, one can get so accustomed to taking safety for granted...

I realise too that with my DSLR around my neck, I will be sticking out like a sore thumb. However, no camera means no pictures either, so it's sort of a catch 22 there.

What tips can people give to help an innocent little traveller going into the big bad world? Big Grin
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#2

What I would recommend to someone travelling to Mexico city is.

-Use public transport for tourist, not for locals. About taxis the ones you can contact throught the airport and your hotel. If you are out of touristic areas use public transport, buses or trains, preferably no taxis from the street. A map of the city is always a good idea.

- Not to wear jewelry or expensive closes to catch the attention. In Mexico, people charge you by watching what you wear. I always dress very simple when I go downtown.

- Cash enough for what you think you will spend that day. Silly but never mind, we always carry a bill hidden in the sock.

- Not to carry with you important papers, like passport, tickets. If you have a safe deposit box in the hotel store you things there along with your credit cards and traveler checks. You can carry with you a copy of your passport as an ID in case you need it, and always say the original is stored in the hotel. It is always a good mesure to have a copy of your passport and the number of your credit cards written in a paper separately.

- try to carry your backpack infront in crowded places.

- About your camera, I think if you are in touristic areas, it shouldn't be a problem. it might be a problem if you leave those areas.

- Take a little first aids bag with pills for headache, diarrhea, things you normally have at home, and liquid for mosquito bites...

- And one of the first things everybody say to tourists in Mexico.... Do not drink water from the tap.

I hope you find this useful.

A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art.
Paul Cezanne
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#3

Hey those are great tips, Irma - especially about not carrying important documents on you...

I will certainly use them on my trip. Big Grin

Funny about carrying money in the sock.... Big Grin
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#4

When I go anywhere, I don't like leaving my gear out of my touch/sight.
Remember when you brought me for dinner? When getting my food I kept looking back at my bag! hehe Smile
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#5

shuttertalk Wrote:I realise too that with my DSLR around my neck, I will be sticking out like a sore thumb. However, no camera means no pictures either, so it's sort of a catch 22 there.
I think we all have that problem. As long as you are in touristy areas, your benefit lies in not being the only one with a camera around your neck. I always figure that if I don't look like the richest of all camera owners (clothes, bags, jewellery, like Irma said), they will go for someone else.

You have a big itinerary! Philippines, Malaysia, AND Europe...

I have a couple of philippina friends here, I will ask them, are you going to Manila? Or to the provincial areas?

Where are you going to in Europe?
Spain has the worst reputation in terms of pick-pockets, followed by Italy and some of the eastern European countries, and I know almost no one who travelled there without being at least "a little bit" robbed. But I think over the past years there has been trememdous improvement. In general most of Europe should be much saver than anywhere in either Mexico ( Wink ) or the Phillippines. I try to look as "local" as possible whereever I go and hold on tight to my gear when I use crowded public transport. Just use common sense (instead of a backpack) and be alert. So far I have been lucky, and I have travelled many places.

The worst thing we witnessed once was in Hungary, where all of the guests at a camping site were ripped of all cash - miraculously, we were the only ones spared. When we do tent out, I stick any valuables into the bottom of my sleeping bag, although I haven't done that with my cam. We also used one of these "made in australia!" to wrap your backpack in and then you can lock it to whatever non-mobile thing, or yourself...

Personally I figure the chances of being ripped of in an unfair bargain on taxi fares or when buying tourist gadgets are much higher that those of your gear or credit card being stolen if you follow the known rules.

Have fun! Are you way into your preparations?

Uli
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#6

Paris and London are both very bad for pickpockets at the tourist attractions. I don't know about now but when I was in Paris a few years ago there were more reports of pickpocketing around the Eiffel Tower than in the rest of Paris Combined!
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#7

I had my camera bag ripped off in Rome in 1979 in the train station. I had it between my feet with the strap looped around my legs - still disappeared - and no real way to stop it other than constant vigilance.

Don't carry your wallet in your back pocket. A money clip or very small billfold in you front pocket is a better idea. Watch out for crowded areas, and carry your camera in front of you in crowds (a sling bag like the T-214 is ideal for this).

Last of all, have full replacement cost insurance on your valuables, and back up your photos regularly to an external storage unit. The gear is replaceable, but the photos are not.
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#8

Hey everyone, thanks for all the tips - I'm really learning a lot.

I usually carry a lot of things in my wallet - credit cards, ID, medical and all sorts of cards - I'd really hate to lose it. I should really leave all those things at home and carry just the bare minimum with me. I do put my wallet in the front pocket at least, which is good, according to Mr. T Big Grin

Uli - in Philippines I'll be staying in Makati (in Manila)... shopping galore, I've heard! In Europe, we won't be visiting Spain unfortunately, but our itinerary is: London, Amsterdam, Rhine Valley, Heidelberg, Munich, Innsbruck, Venice, Rome, Siena, Florence, Pisa, Lucerne, Paris and Dover...


What about carrying the camera itself? Any tips on that? Do you just have it out all the time, just strapped around your neck?
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#9

Anytime you travel in tourist destinations you should be alert to your belongings. If you have not heard, you can now purchase security waist packs that protect your property from street thieves and gypsy kids who have become very good at surrounding you, pushing a cardboard sign in your stomach (causing the distraction) then the other kids go into your pockets or unzip your fanny pack which is being hid from the cardboard sign. I know everyone says when you wear a fanny pack you look like a tourist but I don’t want to be carrying all of my stuff.

This new waist pack has a thin braided cable in the rear strap so pickpockets cant cut the back strap, the rear buckle is surround with a Velcro cover so it cant be easily unhooked from the rear, the front zipper pocket has a small carbineer type hook so it takes 2 hands to open the pack (hard to do for pickpockets). Lastly, the packs have a pickpocket slash shied built into the front of the waist packs so a thief with a small knife cannot cut the front of your waist pack and remove your wallet. This stuff does happen - look at this video that shows you a pickpocket in action http://www.metacafe.com/watch/117210/baia_pick_pocket/
or do a simple Google search of "pickpocket pocket cutting" to read more.

If you want to provide the ultimate security for your camera gear, they have new camera security bags that provide a great level of security for you gear - especially if you need to leave it in your hotel room or some other location (we know we should never do this but sometimes we just have too). Some items to consider. Camera security straps. These straps look like regular camera straps but have a flexible braided steel cord sewn into the strap to prevent street savvy thieves from walking up behind you, cutting your neck strap and running away. They also have other versions of the camera security straps in different sizes, and some with built in combo locks.

The best items I can recommend are the new security day packs. These are great if you are carrying your camera gear and want to also use it as a portable safe. These waist packs have that same security mesh built into the entire bag so it can’t be cut open and items removed. The DaySafe’s also are the only ones that have a built in security cable that let you lock the daypack to a secure fixture in your hotel room, office, or trunk of your car. The packs also have a built in cinching strap that closes the tops of the packs with a padlock and can also be used for securing laptops.

A great online store that has extensive listings, photos, and descriptions of these products is http://www.corporatetravelsafety.com/catalog/ They have a separate section for camera security too. They use to give a discount to camera professionals - at least they gave me one when I bought their DuffelSafe. A great bag that I use to protect my laptop, Nikon D-80, and 5 lenses when I go on the road. They have great customer service and allowed me to return a product without any issues or additional charges. This was great for me being that I live up in Alaska and did not have a store anywhere in the state that sold these items.

As you can see, you now have various new items to choose from to protect your property while traveling. Don't carry wallets in your back pocket - Remember, most of the time we travel and have no problems at all. Most people in the world are honest, law abiding folks - but thieves do like tourists - especially in Europe where they are considered easy pickings. Just be aware of your surroundings and anyone one who "bumps" into you. Many times these are simple set ups for thieves.

Good luck, happy travels, and bring home great photo memories......
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#10

Hey!!! I have to remind my friend to drop you a lign about manila,

but when you do down the rhine valley to Heidelberg you will pass MANNHEIM, that's where we live when we are in Germany!! It's only a 20 minute train ride from Heidelberg.... and not worth visiting. But it sounds like you have a well thought-out travel plan. You will see some beautiful places and have great food and whines.

how long are you going for?

uli
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#11

Cool... 18 days in Europe, 5 days Malaysia, 5 days Philippines.

I'll keep an eye out for Mannheim (and will see if I can take some pics) just to prove I was there! Big Grin
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#12

Heidelberg is really nice, but also touristy. Lots of Japanese travel groups around there.
is the "Rhine on Fire" or "Rhein in Flammen" part of your program? It's fireworks in different locations along the Rhine River and you get to watch from a boat on the water.

uli
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#13

Ooo, I'm not sure actually.. but I'll look out for it. Big Grin
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#14

In London some good shots can be gotten with a Thames River Cruise. The Tower of London is great. Be careful if traveling on the tube, keep your bags very close.
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#15

carry your wallet in your front pocket (which you mentioned you do anyways) but another little tip is to put rubber bands around it....the rubber makes it grip your trouser pocket more making harder for pick pockets to just 'slip' it out.

Oh....and don't laugh at the money in sock trick..... i used it in malaysia when i bought my guitar gear.....don't really want to be walking around with $2000 ringiit in my wallet lol

Since light travels faster than sound,
people appear bright until you hear them speak.
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#16

Cool tips here - I leave for my trip to the Philippines on Tuesday. Can't wait.

Canon stuff.
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#17

Here is what my friend from the Phils said so far:

"Oh! it's a huge subject. i dont even know where and how to start. will see..."

hope she comes up with more than that... Big Grin
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#18

Hey Chris... have a great trip! Are you all packed and ready? What are you bringing with you in terms of gear?
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#19

ST - I am no where near packed Smile

I have an appointment with a bride on Saturday morning and a wedding to do this Sunday and I was up till three in the morning this morning finishing a video from an Indian wedding I had to have done by today.

But thank God I am up to date now. I don't have to process Sunday's wedding until I get back in May. Then it is winter and quiet for Weddings - so I should be able to catch up with things like getting a web site together for my business - pretty dumb huh - not even having a web site yet!

In terms of gear for the trip I am going to travel pretty light.

20D (leave the 5D at home)
17-40 f4 L
50 1.4
85 1.8
Extension tube
580 EX Flash
19 GB in CF Cards
60GB iPod for uploading CF cards to.
My smaller Panasonic 3CCD Video Camera (leave the bigger Canon at home).

Apart form the video camera I can fit all of that in a top loading Lowe Pro bag that is not too bulky. I have three kids and my wife along on this trip and will need hands free to juggle them Smile

I am so excited now. Once I finished all the wedding work and also my regular job today I felt like a huge weight had been taken off my shoulders. Only three days to go and I will be on my way.

It will be great to swap stories when you come back. Such a pain that we will just be missing eash other in KL and the Philippines.

Canon stuff.
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#20

Cool! 19GB in CF cards? Big Grin

Interesting that you're not bringing a telephoto zoom, but I suppose that's what the teleconverter is for...

I'm just going for a basic D50 + 18-70mm, with a 55-200mm and SB600 flashgun in the bag. Nice and light, and hopefully inconspicuous as well... Big Grin

Are you bringing a tripod? I'm still tossing up whether to chuck one in the suitcase or not... what does everyone recommend?


p.s. yeah bummer about our itineraries - would have been really good to catch up with you overseas...
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#21

When we went to Italy we didn't carry any tripod. We really didn't miss it much. A big part of our pictures were taken during the day... At night we used to leave the cameras and go for a walk and to a restaurant and just enjoy the place...

A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art.
Paul Cezanne
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#22

My only tele is the 70-200 2.8IS L. It is heavy and expensive. I think I will jut leave it at home. the 85 on a 20D will be long enough fo most stuff.

I will bring a tripod if there is room and weight available in our luggage. I have a mini one which I may bring if I can't bring the bigger one.

Canon stuff.
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