When you are an international traveler, you always have your guard up from the moment you step off of the plane until you get back on it. Your guide book has probably warned against wearing a lot of jewelry, walking alone at night, going into specific neighborhoods, and looking 'American'. If you've read and are following this advice, you are taking the first step to protect your money, health and safety. Exposing scams in international travel is all about not losing your concentration and keeping alert.
So what type of scams will you see when you are traveling abroad? Of course different countries and regions have different scams, but it is probably safe to say that most scams that you will encounter during vacation will have to do with money. The best way to protect your money from scams is to be well acquainted with the new money that you are carrying around. Make sure that you can calculate (or at least estimate) how much each of your purchases will cost you. With a lot of currencies, adding one zero to a price can change the different between being regularly priced and really expensive. For example, if a bottle of water costs 100 Yen (which is a bit less than one U.S. dollar), and they say it costs 1000 Yen, you may end up paying more than 10 times what the water is worth. If you aren't thinking about the price, you may just hand over the money.
Another problem that you might encounter while traveling is counterfeit money. On American bills, you can easily identify if it is real or not by the feel, watermarks and other security features. When you aren't aware of how to spot a fake bill, you are asking to get scammed. Another way to make sure that your money is safe is to not accept big bills. If you are buying something that costs a couple of Rupees from a local merchant, don't try to give them a huge bill.
So how do you protect your health and safety while enjoying international travel? Of course you got the proper vaccinations and travel insurance before going abroad so that if something happens you don't have to mortgage your house and end up selling your time share to pay for an expensive medical treatment. What else do you need to know to stay healthy and safe?
The best tip to stay safe is to watch what you eat. A lot of guide books will warn against eating street foods, but the truth of the matter is that eating street food can be delicious and really be a highlight of a vacation. Practical advice is really not to avoid this food, but instead to be careful when choosing it, looking for a vendor that makes the food fresh when you order it.
Common sense and staying alert are all things that you need to staying safe and returning home happy and with all of your souvenirs, including those Lenox china replicas that you bought for a pretty penny.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_A_Wang
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