12 THINGS TO STAY SAFE WHILE TRAVELING

12 THINGS TO STAY SAFE WHILE TRAVELING

1. Secret Pockets and Bras are the answer!

Whenever you are travelling make the most of secret pockets. If you don’t have any, make them yourself or ask somebody for help. It is easier than it sounds, believe me. I suggest using very thin material and sew your pockets inside your pants, close to your crotch. There is a very small probability that robbers would search that area.

Best friends having fun into a vintage van

Secret pockets are amazing as they enable you to hide most of your cash & documents and leave only the necessary amount in your regular pockets. The idea behind it is that if somebody is trying to rob or simply pickpocket you, he is unlikely to get to the core of your cash.

Whenever you find yourself in a position where you need more money, simply go to the toilet and take it out from your secret pockets. In this way nobody will even suspect that you have them. If you are a woman you can also hide the money inside your bra, in the padding.

I’ve visited many places perceived to be quite dangerous, and trust me, when you are strolling along crowded streets full of pickpockets this approach gives you a priceless peace of mind. There is no better feeling than the awareness that nobody will get to your documents and cash. It makes it easier to focus on enjoying your trip. If you are still hesitating I will show you what happens when things go wrong.

READ MORE : WHAT IS SECRET POCKETS AND WHY WE NEED THEM?

2. Always have some change in your pockets

Even if you use secret pockets always keep some change in your normal pockets. The reason is that if somebody is trying to rob you and you have absolutely nothing, they may become aggressive. I know situations where people got punched by a frustrated robber who couldn’t find any money.
alway have change.



 It is wise to have the equivalent of $10 or $15 in your regular pocket. If somebody is trying to rob you, you can take all that change and throw it on the ground. There is a big possibility that whoever is bothering you will stop and try to grab everything from the ground. This is your chance to run away (or punch them – I don’t officially endorse it though). If you don’t have any change the robbers are more likely to run after you (convinced that you are hiding something) or as I mentioned before, assault you physically. You don’t want to get into that situation.

3. Protect your Camera on the Beach with this Great Trick

The below technique works well when you want to let your creative spirit flow, but unfortunately the beach you chose is not the safest place in the world.
READ MORE my Experience: PROTECT YOUR CAMERA ON THE BEACH WITH THIS GREAT TRICK 

 Protect your camera

Once you are done with pictures & videos, put your camera in the bag or simply wrap a towel around it and jog for a few minutes. While you are jogging look back from time to time to make sure that nobody is following you. In this way you will ensure that once you reach your new spot nobody will know that you have the camera on you. I used this technique in Rio de Janeiro and it worked perfectly well. Protect your camera.
 You may think: “nobody will steal from me”. Well, this may be true. However, if your equipment is expensive and beaches you plan to visit are perceived to be a bit more dangerous (e.g. Rio or Barcelona), then I encourage you to test my approach.
Unfortunately, I still see many situations around the world where people flash photos and make videos on the beach only to put the camera in the bag and lie down. At that point every thief on the beach knows that the camera is securely packed in that nice green bag resting next to the deckchair. It becomes an easy target for an expert and there are many of them.
I will never forget when I was in Copacabana and saw 2 guys flashing their iPhones and fancy cameras in front of everybody. On the top of that they had T-shirts with Norwegian flag. All of this was like a gigantic neon sign saying: “Rob me please. I came from a rich country and brought some fancy things with me. Don’t worry, I will not fight for them”.
I really hope that these guys avoided the trouble. Nevertheless, showing your wealth is the last thing you want to do in certain places.

4. Scan your documents & don’t carry originals

Scan your passport, insurance and other important documents and make sure that you always have the copies with you. When you travel you can’t really predict when you will need your documents. On the other hand, the last thing you want to do is to carry the original copies wherever you go. The reason is that if you lose them you will have an insurmountable amount of stress to deal with. If it happened to you or you know somebody who experienced it you know what I mean. It is a predicament that can turn your trip into a disaster and you should do your best to avoid it. Learn from the mistakes of other people and scan your documents. It is better to be prepared than to be sorry. Also, if for some reason you need your real documents you can always keep them in your secret pockets.

5. Upload scans of your documents to CLOUD

Thanks to this approach you will be able to retrieve your documents from the internet no matter what happens. It’s an additional safety layer and you should definitely use it! Best thing to protect your documents

6. Always walk with the sense of direction & confidence

Walk in a confident way with a sense of direction and people will not try to stop you. They will simply assume that you know what you are doing and you are heading towards a specific destination. Therefore, you will not appear to be an easy victim.
I will share with you a great trick that will help you in potentially dangerous situations. When you are walking through any rough area on your own or when it is dark imagine that you need to go from point A to point B and you are already late. This will propel you to walk faster and it will appear that you know exactly where you want to go. In addition, when you are walking on the street and can sense some danger imagine that your friend is waiting for you and you can already see him. You should smile, wave to your imaginary friend and start walking faster. If you are travelling with a basic mobile phone you may even pretend that you are calling him. In this case confidently say: “Hey, what’s up, I can see you guys!” (Of course, you don’t want to do it with a fancy iPhone).
If you take these steps whoever intended to rob/harass you will think at least twice before doing so. Why would they approach you if somebody is already waiting for you? After all, your friends could potentially join you or call the police straight away. Whoever planned to harass you will probably figure out that the potential trouble is not worth the potential gain. I used this technique when I got lost in a dangerous part of Rio at night and it served me well.

WHAT IS SECRET POCKETS AND WHY WE NEED THEM?

Anywhere has bad people and good people. Secret pockets are amazing as they enable you to hide most of your cash & documents and leave only the necessary amount in your regular pockets. The idea behind it is that if somebody is trying to rob or simply pickpocket you, he is unlikely to get to the core of your cash.

Whenever you find yourself in a position where you need more money, simply go to the toilet and take it out from your secret pockets. In this way nobody will even suspect that you have them. If you are a woman you can also hide the money inside your bra, in the padding, blanket.

I’ve visited many places perceived to be quite dangerous, and trust me, when you are strolling along crowded streets full of pickpockets this approach gives you a priceless peace of mind. There is no better feeling than the awareness that nobody will get to your documents and cash. It makes it easier to focus on enjoying your trip. If you are still hesitating I will show you what happens when things go wrong. Secret Pockets also helping you keep your cash when you swimming of Halong party cruise or any tour of halong bay tours

Let me tell you my story: Lost in BangKok at night

In February my friends and I went to BangKok Water Festival and managed to dance on the official parade. One night we decided to celebrate and joined a street party in the central part of BangKok. It can get
quite rough at night, especially when you are solo. Well, that night I made a mistake of initiating contact with too many locals and not taking the phone with me. It resulted in losing all my friends in the crowd. I found myself in unknown territory, slightly intoxicated, without a T-shirt, a phone, and as I realized, no money.
Guess what? That night I didn’t put any cash into my secret pockets. It was a terrible mistake, which forced me to walk for hours through treacherous neighbourhoods. Let’s leave the full story for the next time though. The point is that even a small pile of  Thai Baht  in my secret pocket would’ve saved me a lot of trouble. I learnt the lesson.

Thien Cung Cave in HaLong Bay

Thien Cung Cave (Heavenly Cave)
When you booking halong bay tours or halong bay cruises, one of place you must visit is Thien Cung Cave in HaLong Bay

It is related to a legend the King Dragon. The legend had said that: After the King Dragon help our country to defeat the enemy, he came back its place. But unfortunately that year maked a drought and the people was poverty, so they came to pray the king supply the rain for drinking, planting trees, rice,... There were many people went but they didn't come back. Not afraid of danger, the couple went to pray the King Dragon. On the way they had a beautiful small girl. She grew up and more beautiful. Her name is May can be translated Cloudy. When miss May met the Prince of King Dragon, they fell in love with each other. And the wedding was held after a few days. In order to celebrate, there are many flying dragons loamed on the clouds. The wedding takes 7 days and 7 nights at the centre of cave. The dancing elephants. The 2 stone tiger are dancing. At the air force the eagle are waving. A big elephan is decorated sophisticatedly to wait the Groom and Bridge step down... All the scenery seems to be turned into stone.

In the centre of Cave is 4 stone pillars. It is very tall, big and it can support the heaven from falling down. From the bottom to the top there are many strange shape and it is very interesting. In the North of Cave there is some kinesis dancing to celebrate on wedding. When you go to the last Cave you will see a natural water tap. It is always available everyday, every month and every year. The water is very clean. This is a place which Mrs May had a bath for her children and brought up them. There is a curved road that is Mrs May with 50 children left home to improve the new land. And a half children stay here with their father to build the countryside. And the old object to be maintained is a fairy wet-nurse.

Thien Cung Cave in HaLong Bay is discovered in 1993, the area of this cave is about 2500m2. It's 25 meters wide and 120 meters long.

ALL ABOUT HALONG BAY AND VACATION HERE

HALONG BAY, ONE OF THE 7 NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD

HaLong Bay is northern Vietnam’s biggest attraction, one of the world magnificent natural heritages of the Far East with 3000 limestone and dolomite islands rising from waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. The vegetation-covered islands, which are spread out over an area of 1500 sq km, are dotted with innumerable beaches and grottoes created by the wind and the waves. Visitors have compared the area’s magical landscape of carboniferous chalk islets to Guilin in China and Krabi in southern Thailand.

The meaning of “Ha Long”, in Vietnamese, Ha means “descend”, and “Long” means “dragon”, so the word HaLong means “where the dragon descends into the sea”. 

HaLong Bay Descending dragon

Legend has it that the islands of HaLong Bay were created by a giant dragon who lived in the mountains. As he ran towards the coast, his flailing tail gouged out valleys and crevasses; as he plunged into the sea, the areas dug up by his tail became filled with water, leaving only bits of highland visible. The bay is even said to be inhabited by a mysterious marine creature of gargantuan proportions known as the Tarasque.

HaLong Bay affords some of Vietnam’s most spectacular scenery, including beautiful limestone formations, rock arches, gin-clear water, virtually scenery lagoons, sheer cliffs, peaceful coves, eerie caves, secluded strips of white, powdery sand, and thousands of limestone islets. Like sculpted cartoon characters, these islet are fancifully named: Frog Island, Face Island, Isle of Surprise, etc.

Wooden Stakes Cave

Among thousands of caves of all sizes and shapes, Hang Dau Go(the Grotto of Wooden Stakes Cave), known to the French as the Grotte des Merveilles (Cave of Marvels) is a huge one consisting of three chambers which you reach via 90 steps.

Among the stalactites of the first hall, scores of gnomes appear to be holding the meeting. The walls of the second chamber sparkle if bright light is shined on them. The cave derives its Vietnamese name from the third of the chambers, which is said to have been used during the 13th century to store the sharp bamboo stakes, which Tran Hung Dao planted in the bed of the Bach Dang River to impale the Kublai Khan’s invasion fleet.

Other well-known caves in HaLong Bay include the Grotto of Bo Nau and 2 km long Hanh Hanh Cave.

HaLong City.

The main town in the region is HaLong city, which is in two havles, one on the mainland and one on the neighbouring island. HaLong city East(Hong Gai) on the mainland is 165km from Hanoi, 60km from Hai Phong and 40km from Cam Pha; and HaLong city West(Bai Chay) on the island is across the water a few kilometers west from Hong Gai. Travellers always catch a car or bus to Hai Phong, then board a ferry there to Hong Gai and spend at least one night here. There are plenty of reasonable hotels in HaLong, mostly in or near Bai Chay. Besides, HaLong hotel system consist of three properties, a lot of newly built hotels can offer good accommodations and services at reasonable prices.

Taking a tour of the Bay is the main activity when visiting HaLong city. If you want to see a lot, choose a fast boat. If you want a romantic experience but with the risk of getting hardly anywhere, look for one of the old junks. It is hardly to visit almost every island in the Bay, but only some splendid and famous ones.Therefore, an ideal trip to HaLong city and the Bay is a four-day trip.

HaLong’s only natural drawback is the weather. It is often damp, rainy and cold, particularly during the winter months. Visitors during the winter tend to spend most of their time in the bay itself, as HaLong’s water remains bath-warm year-round. If HaLong were, say, a thousand kilometers closer to the equator, this would be a paradise on Earth. As it is, it is still darn close. Cacth the area on a nice day, particularly during the spring and fall months, and you are in for one of the biggest treats of your Vietnam visit.

HALONG BAY Travel

HALONG PARTY CRUISE

HALONG BAY HAS EXPERIENCED AT LEAST 500 MILLION YEARS IN VARIOUS GEOLOGICAL STATES OF OROGENY, MARINE TRANSGRESSION AND MARINE REGRESSION

LANDSCAPE

Most travellers  booking halong bay tours don’t stay in town, preferring to spend a night out in Halong Bay.

The bay has a 120km long coastline  with about 1.960- 2.000 islets, most of which are limestone, with thick jungle vegetation, rising spectacularly from the ocean.

Several of islands are hollow with enormous caves. The largest is called Hang Dau Go(Wooden stakes cave).

There are two bigger islands, Tuan Chau and Cat Ba, and a number of beautiful beaches on the smaller islands. Many of islands have acquired their names as a result of interpretation of their unusual shapes. Such names include Voi islet(elephant), Ga Choi islet(fighting cock), Khi islet(monkey), Mai Nha islet(roof), Kissing cocks,…

Other is the abundance of lakes inside the limestone islands. For example, Dau Be island has six enclosed lakes.

FLOATING LIFE

A community of around 1.600 people live on Halong bay in four fishing villages: Cua Van, Ba Hang, Cong Tau and Vong Vieng.

Halong Bay Tours

HALONG BAY AND CAT BA ISLAND WITH TREKKING

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HALONG BAY ON LEGACY CRUISE WITH SCUBA DIVING

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HALONG IMPERIAL LEGEND CRUISE

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IF YOU ASK US FOR A TOUR TO HALONG?

Halong Bay is the single most popular side trip, only 165kms from Hanoi. With many tour options and transportation, it’s easy for you to go to Halong city after about 3,5 hours on-route, and then have boat trip to explore 4000 square kilometer body of water.

You will be rewarded with some of the most spectacular and memorable sightseeing of your trip. Moreover, it is easy to find peaceful places to swim, fish, or just relax without seeing another soul, yet surrounded by majestic scenery.

If you have an extra day, you can add a night of wildlife sanctuary nearby Cat Ba Island.

Although having a plenty of vacation or tour options to discover Halong bay with uncountable quantity of cruises or junk boats or boats, and although itinerary detail of all may be different from each other, they all have the same point is that after the trip you’ll have enjoyed Halong Bay ‘s splending beauty. Tour price for 3 days 2 nights is just from $150 and for 2 days 1 night just from $110.

According to our experience in tourism for many years, we highly recommend a trip from 3 days 2 nights to Halong, including 1 night on boat and 1 night on bungalow(in a resort in private island).

Please notice that we offer Group tour, private tour and Tour on request. We also offer tours on other Cruise/ Junk boat/ Boat upto your request. So please dont hesitate to contact us via this IYA FACEBOOK or our email add iyatourcentre@gmail.com , we’ll get back to you right the way!