My Best Travel Advice

I’ve spent most of my lifetime travelling. My travels have brought me to a diverse range of places, with a diverse range of risks. At last count, I’ve travelled to over 50 countries. Just in the last 12 months, I’ve travelled to Japan, Myanmar, Taiwan, Syria, Hong Kong, South Korea, Morocco and Vietnam. (Noting that I’m not a ‘country counter’ — the majority of these trips have been for work projects).

Local market stall in Yangon, Myanmar.

Like other travellers, most of my travel ‘best practices’ have been learnt the hard way. Through a lot of trial and not an insignificant amount of error.

There are so many travel tips out there that they kind of become meaningless. Some advice sounds simple, but is difficult for many people to apply in practice. “Maintain a low profile.” “Maintain awareness of your surroundings.” It’s hard for many people to understand exactly what actions they need to take to maintain a low profile or awareness of their surroundings.

So, I’ve been trying to work out my ‘Top 10’ pieces of useful travel advice.

While you’ll never be able to eliminate all problems or risks, what can you do to reduce most of them? What are the most impactful actions you can take?

Here are my recommendations for safer, smoother travel experiences, regardless of destination:

1. Pack Lightly

Packing light makes you more agile when you travel. You have less to worry about and less to lose.

Packing light implies carrying fewer things. It also means that each item you carry is as light as possible.

For clothes, focus on lightweight items that can be layered when needed.

Each item of clothing should be sufficiently robust to withstand any type of washing arrangement (machine, rock, river). Clothes should also be quick drying, particularly underwear and socks.

Always pack something slightly warmer, even though you’re travelling to a warm location. I always pack a lightweight insulated jacket and a lightweight shell jacket, regardless of where I go.

Shoes take up a lot of space, so only pack one pair — the ones on your feet.

Always pack an umbrella. An umbrella is essential protection against downpours and the scalding sun.

To fit your stuff, focus on lightweight, durable, discreet and versatile bags that don’t draw unnecessary attention (check our Station XV bags, which have been designed specifically for this purpose).

When packing, ensure every item is congruent with your purpose for travel. Don’t carry anything vaguely tactical or too ‘dialled in’.

What about other stuff? OK.. AirTags are cool, but are you really going to chase your missing luggage across Abuja or Karachi? It’s good to have a flashlight. Notebook and pen is also good. Most other things you can buy at your destination if you need them.

Overall, taking a lightweight approach to packing not only reduces physical burden but also minimises your risk profile and simplifies unexpected transitions.

2. Ensure You Can Communicate

If you can’t communicate, you can’t get assistance. If faced with an immediate problem, your inability to communicate effectively could make the situation worse and may introduce significant and avoidable risks.

As a start point, set up a data roaming package before you leave. If that’s not an option, buy a local SIM card shortly after you arrive. Use this SIM card in either a dedicated phone or a mobile router.

If you’re operating in an area with unreliable cellular service (or none at all), carry a satellite phone or messenger. Be sure to check country laws and restrictions before you travel.

Beyond devices and networks, if you can’t speak the language, use a local guide. A guide will help you talk your way out of problems, such as when you take a photo of the wrong person. More practically, a guide can help you buy a SIM card, arrange transport, find ‘safe’ restaurants, and connect you with other people.

As a backup, download offline translation apps that work without internet connection — they’re not perfect but can bridge crucial communication gaps in emergencies.

3. Have Sufficient Funds

Having enough money on you, in the appropriate form, can ensure you are fed, can get around the country, and can get out of trouble, if needed.

In addition to whatever funds you have budgeted for the trip, carry additional cash for emergencies. I recommend at least USD 1,000 / EUR 1,000. Break this down into a few 100s and a bunch of 20s and 10s. Try to keep the notes in pristine condition and don’t fold them. Carry some on your person, some in your satchel, and some in a backpack or other bag.

Money changers in Damascus, Syria.

Aside from cash, it’s also useful to have something you can ‘unwillingly’ give up or barter. A ‘checkpoint watch’ is a good example of such an item. Buy yourself a high-quality fake Rolex that you can offer up as a last resort to get yourself out of a bad situation or across a border. This might seem unusual, but in regions with informal ‘taxation’ systems at checkpoints, such items can be surprisingly effective negotiation tools when other options have been exhausted.

4. Anticipate Illness

You’re going to get sick or maybe even injured at some point during your travels.

Carry appropriate medical equipment. For all trips, pack a gastrointestinal kit that will help you manage stomach complaints. This kit should contain an escalating regime of medications and supporting items, including charcoal tablets, anti-diarrhoea medication, and antibiotics. Rehydration powder is also important, and pack probiotics to offset the damage strong antibiotics will do to your gut.

Local market in Hama, Syria.

The moment you feel unwell, let someone know. If you’re travelling with a team, let other team members know. If you’re travelling alone, notify a loved one. If you need to, inform your hotel. Some medical conditions can deteriorate quickly, so it’s important that someone monitors your wellbeing while you work your way through it.

As a solo traveller, be circumspect when it comes to carrying items such as tourniquets, chest seals and other trauma gear. Consider whether you think you’d be able to apply these to yourself. Alternatively, if you’re travelling with a local guide or fixer, would they have the necessary training and experience to apply these for you (noting of course that you may also need to apply for them)?

Always secure comprehensive travel insurance that covers both medical emergencies and evacuation. The few hundred dollars spent upfront could save you tens of thousands in an emergency. Just be aware that insurance isn’t available for all destinations, which brings its own challenges.

5. Focus on Driving and Pedestrian Safety

Vehicle accidents, and being injured as a pedestrian, are key risks when travelling. Unlike many risks you’ll face as a traveller, vehicle accidents can be fatal.

Vehicles are often in bad condition and poorly maintained. Drivers take risks that, regardless of local driving norms, are often unacceptable.

Taxi in Karachi, Pakistan.

There’s a few simple approaches you can take to manage these risks:

• Look both ways before crossing the street (be particularly careful if traffic drives on the opposite side of the road from that you are accustomed to).
• When in a vehicle driving at speed, always wear a seat belt.
• If your driver is driving too fast, ask them to slow down.
• If your driver doesn’t follow your instructions or consistently drives erratically, get a different driver.
• When driving long distances, limit how much you drive each day. Take frequent rest breaks. Try to break up the journey when you can.
• If you’re driving in more remote areas, ensure you have a plan for breakdowns and accidents. Don’t assume your driver will be able to manage these types of incidents in a way that assures your safety. Also, don’t assume your driver is also a mechanic.
• If you’re travelling by bus, avoid overnight buses which typically have poor safety records.

6. Avoid Adverse Situations

Most serious incidents involving travellers come as a result of simple misunderstandings that escalate into arguments and then, if mismanaged, into physical confrontation. This progression typically follows three stages:

1. Misunderstandings. Often begin with language barriers, cultural differences, or simple confusion about expectations.
2. Arguments. Misunderstandings that aren’t quickly resolved can escalate when either party feels disrespected or taken advantage of.
3. Confrontation. When arguments aren’t de-escalated, they can progress to physical confrontation.

There’s a greater possibility of altercations occurring when people are drinking, particularly in bars or clubs. While I’m not suggesting you need to stay clear of such places altogether, it’s wise to be alert to changes in the social dynamics in the room and leave at the first sign of tension.

Checkpoints are another common flashpoint for potential issues. When approaching checkpoints, maintain a respectful demeanor, have your documents readily accessible, and follow instructions calmly. Remember that the people staffing checkpoints often have significant power in that moment and challenging their authority rarely ends well.

Checkpoint in Syria.

Your best defence is to remain courteous, speak softly, and avoid any behaviour that could be interpreted as challenging or disrespectful. When in doubt, de-escalate and disengage.

7. Orientate To Your Surroundings

Awareness of your surroundings helps you to move around confidently and avoid known trouble spots.

As a start point, learn the layout of your hotel or apartment block, including emergency exits and alternative routes. Then, walk the streets immediately around your accommodation. Extend as far as you’re comfortable, building familiarity with the neighborhood while also building your confidence.

On day 1, find a shop that sells SIM cards, and another that sells bottled water. Find cafes and restaurants that are obviously popular with locals (and therefore less likely to make you violently ill).

Back streets of Tripoli, Lebanon.

If moving through residential areas, be respectful and sensitive to the fact that some people may not take kindly to foreigners wandering around where they live. Avoid taking photos of people in private areas (in narrow laneways in many countries, even though the lane itself is technically a public space, it’s effectively their front yard and should be considered private).

Developing a mental map of the area early in your visit helps you to identify safe zones and potential risk areas, allowing you to navigate the area with greater confidence.

8. Engage with Locals

It’s easy to visit a place without ever engaging with a local person, but meaningful interactions can transform your experience and enhance your safety.

One of the best ways I’ve found to engage with local people is to offer to take their photos. Many times, after I share the photos, we engage in conversation. It’s a great way to learn more about a country and build goodwill in the community you’re visiting.

Lads in Damascus.

Another great way to learn about a place is having short conversations with people you interact with. For example, when you buy a coffee, ask the person about their family. If you’re unable to communicate with people in the street, consider getting a guide or a fixer.

Here’s a starter list of questions you can ask local people to better understand them and the dynamics of the location:

• What’s changing most rapidly in your city/region right now?
• What tradition or aspect of your culture are you most proud of?
• How has daily life here changed in the last decade?
• Where do you go when you want to relax or enjoy yourself on a day off?
• What do you wish visitors understood about your country that they typically don’t?
• What local issue are people most concerned about these days?
• How do most people here get around daily-what transportation do they rely on?
• What food or dish should I absolutely try that tourists usually miss?
• What’s a common misconception about your country that you’d like to correct?
• If you could change one thing about living here, what would it be?
• What skills or knowledge are most valued in your community?
• How do people here typically celebrate important life events?

These connections not only enrich your experience but often provide critical local knowledge that no guidebook can offer.

9. Sort Out Logistics for the First 1–2 Days

If you’re travelling to somewhere new, you might not have a good sense of the best place to stay. Also, you want to ensure a stress-free arrival. An effective approach, and one that I use on most trips, is to book accommodation for the first one or two nights and make sure I have a good plan to get from the airport (or border crossing, or whatever) to that accommodation.

Driving from Lebanon to Syria.

Research and arrange reliable airport transfer in advance, especially for late night arrivals. For your initial accommodation, prioritise location over luxury — choose somewhere central and accessible for your first days so you can easily orient yourself to the new environment.

It’s also good practice to change money and get a SIM card within the first hour or so of arriving. Having these basics sorted gives you breathing room to make more informed decisions about the remainder of your stay.

10. Advanced Practices

I’ve kind of cheated here, in that #10 is actually 10, 11 and 12.

As you become more comfortable with travel, consider these advanced practices for higher-risk environments:

Proactively Manage Your Exposure

If people don’t know you exist, they can’t target you. This applies specifically to criminals, terrorists and random militia groups.

Reducing awareness of your presence and activities in a particular location requires deliberate planning and conscious ongoing effort.

In principle, the longer you spend in a location, the more difficult it will be to reduce your level of visibility. You’ll move past the same points multiple times whether you intend to or not, and people will notice you.

An important approach to reduce your level of visibility is to avoid loitering in public spaces where you can be readily observed by passersby. For example, if you’re in a cafe or restaurant, sit in a place where you’re not visible from the street.

Gentlemen in the street, Damascus.

As a principle, it’s also important not to remain static for too long. In higher risk environments, it will take time for a threat to mobilise against you. First, someone will notice you. Then, they’ll evaluate you as a target. If they believe you are a good target, they’ll then call their friends. By the time their friends arrive, you need to be long gone. Keep moving.

Maintain Awareness

As you move, maintain awareness of your immediate surroundings.

Learn to parse the street as you move. Break the street into zones: ‘near distance’, ‘middle distance’ and ‘far distance’. Anything in the near distance could quickly move on you and harm you. Therefore, you will need to carefully assess everyone that enters this zone.

Obviously this is difficult in a crowd, particularly when people are moving behind you. You can’t continually turn around to check who is near you, because that would be suspicious and unusual behavior.

Moving through a market area in Damascus.

Consider who is moving, who is static (standing or sitting, observing the street). Who is using their phone?

Consider the layout of the street around you. If something were to happen, where would you go? Into that store (then what?). Down that laneway (where does it go?).

Building familiarity with your environment is key to maintaining effective awareness. Once you understand the physical layout of the streets and the social patterns, it will be easier to identify changes that could indicate potential threats.

This isn’t hyper-vigilance, which is counterproductive, anxiety inducing, and could actually be dangerous. Instead, it’s just a calm approach of analysing what’s in front of you and adjusting that analysis as you move through your environment. With practice, it will become second nature.

Be Congruent

If you’re travelling to a location where foreigners are placed under scrutiny, and where there are significant risks associated with being accused of being someone you are not, then it’s critical that every aspect of your persona and activities are congruent with who you say you are.

Start from your visa and work everything else around that. If you’re travelling on a tourist visa, your choice of transport, accommodation and activities should be congruent with that of a tourist, not a businessperson, journalist or a government employee.

Think about what you’re packing. Lay it out on a flat surface and consider “what type of person packs this stuff?”

Once in location, remember that activities are information. Anyone observing you will make an assessment of who they think you are and what you might be doing in the country. Based on this assessment, they may decide you are benevolent. Alternatively, if they sense incongruence, they may suspect that you are up to no good and report your activities. Similarly, if you are under surveillance, any activities you conduct that break from your stated purpose of travel will be scrutinised and assessed. If your activities are congruent, surveillance will probably be lifted and directed at a higher priority target. If your activities are incongruent, surveillance may be expanded and extended.

Remember: It’s almost impossible to prove you are not a spy. You want to avoid any situation where you may be suspected or accused of being one.

These recommendations won’t eliminate all travel risks, but they will help you navigate the world more safely and confidently. The goal isn’t to make travel risk-free — that’s impossible-but to make it risk-aware and resilient to common challenges.

Thanks for reading, and safe travels!