Tips for staying safe when travelling abroad: exit suspicious situations, carry a photocopy of your passport, and keep cash and credit cards in your sock.

Travelling abroad is an exciting adventure, but it can also be a bit scary when you’re not familiar with the place you’re visiting. One of the biggest concerns for international tourists is the possibility of falling prey to such scams.

Losing your passport, money, and phone while abroad can quickly turn your dream holiday into a nightmare.

Here are the most common international tourist scams and tips on how to stay safe.

Fake Gold Ring Or Wallet Scam

One of the most common scams is the fake gold ring or wallet scam. Scammers usually carry out this scam in crowded places such as metros, buses or near stops.

The scammer drops a gold ring or wallet on the ground, and you pick it up and hand it back to them.

They then accuse you of stealing it, and a large crowd gets involved. While you are distracted, your wallet is stolen. To avoid this scam, try to be aware of your surroundings and avoid crowded places.

Asking For Directions Scam

Another popular scam is the asking for directions. A person may approach you when you’re carrying shopping bags and ask for directions while blocking your vision with a big map.

While you’re helping them, someone else will steal your shopping bags. To avoid this scam, be cautious when someone asks for directions and keep your shopping bags close to you.

Friendship Bracelets Scam

The friendship bracelets scam involves a random person tying to tie a bracelet around your wrist in a friendly manner.

However, the bracelet is not free, and they will make you pay for it. To add to the scam, two gangster-type people will appear and show you a card stating that each bracelet costs £100.

They will threaten to involve the local police, who won’t help. To avoid this scam, avoid people trying to put anything on your wrist, and keep your distance.

Hotel Check-in Scam

Scammers may also try to take advantage of you when you’re checking into a hotel. A person may come aggressively towards you and pick a fight, while someone else steals your bags from the counter.

The hotel and police may refuse to help you, and there may be no CCTV cameras to capture the theft.

To avoid this scam, keep an eye on your bags and try to remain calm in such situations.

English Student Scam

The English student scam involves a young teenager approaching you in a market and asking if you speak English.

They will then ask to test their English skills with you for a few minutes, take you to a café and after a short conversation, leave. A few minutes later, the bill arrives, and it’s usually around £2000.

To avoid this scam, don’t engage with strangers and don’t follow them to secluded areas.

Tips To Stay Safe From These Scams

The first and most crucial step to protect yourself from falling into such scams during travel is to exit the situation immediately.

Scammers often try to create distractions or use aggressive tactics to confuse you and take advantage of you.
Be cautious of anyone who approaches you and tries to engage you in conversation, especially if they are trying to sell you something or asking for your help.

If you feel uncomfortable or unsure of the situation, it’s best to trust your instincts and remove yourself from the situation as quickly as possible.

Carrying your passport with you at all times may seem like a logical thing to do, but it can actually put you at risk of theft or loss.

Instead, it’s recommended that you carry a photocopy of your passport and leave the original document in a secure place, like a hotel safe.

If you’re required to show identification, presenting a copy of your passport is usually sufficient.

Another tip to keep in mind while travelling abroad is to keep cash and credit cards inside socks. This may seem like an unusual place to store your valuables, but it can be an effective way to protect yourself from pick-pocketing and theft.

Thieves often target tourists who keep their wallets and purses in easy-to-reach places, like backpacks or pockets.

It’s important to remember that tourist scams can happen anywhere, and it’s essential to stay aware and vigilant at all times.

We are all counting down the days until we have a week off with no tests, no stress and much better food! Hopefully, you are able to go someplace warm and sunbathe your cares away (with proper SPF)! In the past year, I am thankful to have done quite a bit of traveling. Here are some travel tips and tricks so you can travel smarter this spring break!

Pack smart

Most airlines let you take a carry-on for free. I love to travel minimally. When I can, I will literally just travel with a backpack and that is it! I am aware that you simply can not just take a backpack to your two-week Europe vaycay because you need all the space for the Pinterest outfits you have been planning for months! With that said, make sure you have some space to take some stuff home with you. You will be thanking yourself later when you decide to buy your entire family, neighbor and your dog souvenirs.

I am also a BIG fan of saving space in your suitcase with packing cubes. Packing cubes allow you to separate your clothes into different sectioned cubes which saves so much room. They will come in sets that usually include toiletry bags, laundry bags, and bra and underwear bags in addition to the larger cubes for your clothes.

Plane entertainment

Not every plane has a boujee touch screen with “Spiderman No Way Home” to watch for the seventh time. I always make it a habit to download shows on Netflix the night before so that I can binge an entire season while on the plane. You all know the four new episodes of Perfect Match will be downloaded for my flight to Florida this weekend. I also always love to bring a book to read and a notebook to journal in or doodle.

The plane fit!

I don’t know about you but I think it is absolutely NECESSARY to have a comfy but cute outfit for the plane. If you are traveling from somewhere cold to somewhere warm, I suggest some layers: a comfy pair of yoga pants, a band tee (you can bond with your new meet-cute over), and a zip-up you can tie around your waist when you arrive at your destination. My sister bought me a fanny pack that I have been LOVING when I travel. Usually, I am not the fanny pack type but when I wear it around my chest it is the perfect location for me to grab my phone, wallet, passport and ID to hand to the people at security. Also, never underestimate a comfy beat-up pair of sneakers especially when you are walking all around the airport.

Make some friends

I think airports are the best place to make a friend, tell them your life story, and never see them again. Or maybe if you are lucky, they will be the meet-cute of your dreams! On the last plane trip, I was on I sat next to an older woman and a guy a little bit older than me. We bonded over babies crying and soon I gained knowledge and wisdom about education, life and careers. It never hurts to be kind to others and ask them questions about themselves!

Vlogging

Any time I go anywhere, I vlog my experiences and either set up a private story or just send the videos to my close friends. I am not a big social media person, so I think this is the perfect way to have your friends know what you’re up to and to keep some memories of your trip. My best friend and I still go back and look at our vlogs from the trips we have taken and I love every second of it!

Romanticize it!

Traveling can be grueling especially if you are going out of the country and the time difference hits you like a truck. Make the most of it! Buy a little coffee, walk around the airport, and people-watch while making up everyone’s life story (a personal favorite).

Make your vacation worth your time and money by avoiding these tourist traps.

You’re a savvy traveler who knows how to plan every detail, how to avoid tourist traps, and how to be a tourist without being an asshole. Still, sometimes even the most shrewd travelers can’t resist the desire to check off the most popular tourist attractions—even if those attractions end up being overrated. When in Rome, you’re going to visit the Colosseum. When in Paris, you need to see the Eiffel Tower. This is the logic that drives hundreds of thousands of tourists to the Great Wall of China, the Great Pyramids of Giza, and all the other Great Tourist Traps of the world.

After travel restrictions and safety concerns due to the pandemic, any long-awaited travel plans you have for this summer should be worth every moment. The last thing you want as a traveler is to discover that you’ve wasted time and money only to be thoroughly underwhelmed. The feeling of intense letdown even has a name: Paris Syndrome. Officially coined as a way to describe the physical sickness experienced by Japanese tourists in Paris in 1986, the term now can be thought of as a severe form of culture shock, homesickness, and ultimately, disappointment when a destination can’t live up to damagingly high expectations.

All too often, the hype is bigger than the attraction. This leads to overcrowding, scammers, and often miserable experiences that could have been better spent at more underrated tourist spots. Here are some popular destinations that are overrated—and some travel ideas that are worth your while.

The most overrated tourist destinations

About my reasoning here: I believe that a smart traveler can make any city worth it, so I’m not actually trying to diss an entire city or region as “overrated” (even though I love to poke fun at the French). You’ll hear people call a lot of popular attractions overrated due to “scammers” on-site, but personally, I believe in factoring in a “tourist tax” where you can expect to lose a few $20 bills here and there to people who somewhat take advantage of travelers.

And please don’t think I’m an arrogant American dissing cultural icons like the literal Taj Mahal. This is just my insight as to what tourist attractions will truly be worth all your time, money, and jet lag.

The Mona Lisa, Paris

The Louvre is the most-visited museum in the world, and it has plenty of fine art to offer. However, if your main draw is visiting Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, prepare to be let down. Not only is the painting much smaller in real life, but the crowds around it don’t exactly make for the best artistic appreciation. For less chaotic museums in Paris, try out the Musée d’Orsay and Musée Picasso.

Sacred Monkey Forest, Ubud

Wild monkeys can be found all over Bali, so there’s no reason to contribute to this overwhelming, zoo-like park. It’s overcrowded with tourists, and since the monkeys here have become used to humans, they’re known to be overly aggressive. In general, you want to research the ethics of any animal-centered attraction (like with elephant rides in Thailand). If you’re trying to see wild monkeys while in this region, consider Mount Batur or the Uluwatu Temple.

The Taj Mahal, Agra

Although this structure is undeniably magnificent, this is another one of those attractions where it’s so crowded that you won’t be able to appreciate where you are. From sunrise to sunset, there isn’t really a secret hour of the day where you won’t be overwhelmed. When I visited, I wished I had skipped this stop in Agra in favor of spending another day exploring beautiful Udaipur instead.

Pisa, Italy

After getting your precious pic of you pretending to prop up the leaning tower, Pisa is generally seen as too touristy and out-of-the-way, when the rest of Italy has so much more to offer.

The Temple Bar, Dublin

Also the name of Dublin’s nightlife capital, this Temple Bar specifically refers to the frequently-photographed pub with iconic red walls. It’s worth strolling around the cobblestone neighborhood, but the bar itself is an overpriced and overcrowded tourist trap.

Jemaa el-Fna (the famous Marrakesh market)

Marrakesh, Morocco is worth a spot on your bucket list. The iconic market, however, is best to speed through before getting out of the main square and into the old city. Chances are you look like a tourist, in which case this market is going to be a suffocating slew of vendors yelling at you. Make sure to keep an eye on your belongings as you pass through, since this place is known for pickpockets.

Stonehenge, England

believe Stonehenge gets a reputation as “overrated” because it’s fairly difficult to visit. You’ll have to devote a whole day away from London, and once you arrive, you’ll find that tourists aren’t able to get all that close to the iconic rocks. And look: I don’t believe tourists should be allowed to climb on the rocks. But personally, I really want to be able to climb on the rocks. ME! (There, my American arrogance is showing.)

Hobbiton, New Zealand

New Zealand is worth a visit for many reasons, but these tourist trap hobbit houses are not one of them. The Lord of the Rings fans should do their research to visit more of the natural beauty that New Zealand provided as a major filming location of their favorite films. Unfortunately, Hobbiton-specific tours are pricey, fast-paced, and jam-packed.

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kyoto

This bamboo garden is no doubt jaw-dropping, but once again, the sheer number of tourists around you might make it hard to take in your surroundings. Consider visiting one of Kyoto’s smaller, underrated bamboo-clad pathways like Kodaiji Temple.

Geneva, Switzerland

Although Lake Geneva offers stunning views and fun water activities, this city is so expensive, it’s hard to budget more than a day here.

Hawaii

Alright, this one is a technicality. It’s not that Hawaii is overrated. You shouldn’t go because the people are begging you not to come.

Where to plan your next vacation instead

I could spend all day listing alternative ideas for your next big vacation. For now, here are some of my top picks to pique your interest.

Touristy spots that you can do right

• Angkor Wat, Cambodia. I’m biased, since I lived in Cambodia for a spell, but I believe this popular destination is worth your time if you do it right. These sprawling, ancient Buddhist temples are huge enough that you can easily stray from the beaten path and avoid the overwhelming crowds. Just make sure to get there at sunrise.
• Great Pyramids. Again, I’m biased since I visited Giza during the tourist off-season (late June). While a lot of people will call the pyramids overrated, I think those people are somehow spoiled or impossible to please. Book a private tour guide, who will have a wealth of knowledge and also have your back against aggressive vendors. Remember to tip your guide generously at the end of the day.
• Hạ Long Bay, Vietnam. It might not look quite like how it does in the James Bond movies, but this moody seascape is still a stunning cruise. I recommend booking a group tour that includes kayaking and caving.
• Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Don’t feel bad skipping the Red Light district in favor of the hip Jordaan district. Plus, the Van Gogh Museum is one of my favorite places in the world.
• Bangkok, Thailand: Skip the Great Palace and spend your time appreciating Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun. Make sure to try all sorts of amazing street food along the way.

Destinations to add to your bucket list

The following cities have yet to be totally overrun by tourists:

• Udaipur, India. A little more peaceful and spread out compared to other popular cities in India.
• Lima, Peru. A lively capital city that gets overlooked, but shouldn’t.
• Brussels, Belgium. Make sure to book a chocolate tour.
• Valparaiso, Chile. From street art to rainbow houses, this city is unbelievably colorful.
• Puglia, Italy. Wine, pasta, and beaches.
• Budapest, Hungary. The “Little Paris of Middle Europe.”
• Dubrovnik, Croatia. Bummed about Hobbiton? This is the main filming location for King’s Landing in HBO’s Game of Thrones.
• Denmark’s Faroe Islands. Sheep outnumber humans 70,000 to 50,000 here.
• Java, Indonesia. Less-visited than Bali, but just as beautiful.
• Petra, Jordan. Known as the “Rose City,” Petra is a series of caves, temples, tombs, and ruins carved from pink sandstone.
• Luang Prubang, Laos. The perfect spot for day trip to remarkable aqua waterfalls.
• Taipei, Taiwan. This capital city has a culinary scene to die for.

Like I mentioned at the top: You can make the most of any journey, so long as you do a little research first. I’m not saying you should map out every minute of your vacation. Just spend a little time online to find the best hours and seasons to plan your visit, and try to gather site-specific tips from all the travel blogs available for free online. Make sure you manage expectations and understand what you’re getting into, wherever you’re going.

When does it start—this freaky desire to want to get creeped out from time to time. Does it start in high school? Middle school, or are we born hardwired to crave it?

Most everyone has heard the story of the teenage couple parked on a secluded lane when suddenly an arm with a hook for a hand appears at the car window. The girl screams like a banshee. Next thing you know, other couples are deliberately parking in that same lane, waiting to see if the man with the hooked hand appears.

Creepy movies are being pumped out by the dozens every year, and movie lovers can’t get enough of them. Some are based on true-to-life locations. So for anyone up for the thrill, here are ten of the creepiest places to go to alone. That is if you’re brave enough to take the dare.

1. Shawshank Redemption Revisited

Mansfield Reformatory is located in Mansfield, Ohio, set halfway between Columbus and Cleveland along Interstate 71. If you ever set eyes on it, most likely, it’ll feel familiar. That’s because Mansfield Reformatory is where the movie Shawshank Redemption was filmed.

There’s a lot of creepiness to go around here, thanks to the architecture alone.

The reformatory opened in 1896 and closed in 1990 thanks to a federal court ruling. Inmates housed here were kept in inhumane conditions. Cells were overcrowded and cramped. Medial care was abysmal.

Here’s the really creepy thing: Doctors were allowed to use experimental techniques on inmates in the name of discovering how to get them to be compliant within the walls of the prison. Some wardens were sadistic enough to allow torture.

While it was a working prison, over 200 people died within its walls. You can take a ghost tour of the facility but be careful not to be separated from your tour guide. Many believe the building is haunted by the souls of those who suffered cruel injustices and died here.

2. Bethnal Green, East London

During World War 2, many tube stations were used as bunkers during German air raids. On one particular 1943 day in March, the air raid sirens blew, and 1500 people rushed out of their homes and headed for the Bethnal Green tube station.

It was raining. Once inside the passageway, one woman clutching her baby slipped and lost her footing. As she began to fall, she grabbed hold of the gentleman in front of her. This set off a domino effect, with one person knocking down the person in front of them. The passageway was poorly lit, and people began panicking. All told, 173 people died in the crush of bodies. The government attempted to cover it up—to protect the public’s morale, they said.

It’s been reported by people who find themselves alone in the Bethnal Green station that they can hear the cries and screams of those people who died. One worker reported that, while staying late one night to finish some paperwork, he heard the cries and screams of the dead for fifteen minutes.

3. Hotel del Salto

It was once one of Columbia’s most exclusive hotels. Built in 1923 and converted into a guest house in 1928, it overlooked stunning waterfalls. Plans were made to convert it into an eighteen-floor hotel. This never happened due to contamination of the Bogota River.

The building was abandoned in the 1990s and became a hub for people intent on committing suicide. Today locals claim Hotel del Salto is haunted by the spirits of the people who’ve taken their own lives there. An eerie pall shrouds the hotel and grounds.

4. The Bird Suicide Grounds

In Jatinga, a small village in northern India, a strange phenomenon takes place every year. Most often, it happens on dark foggy nights between 8 and 9:30 pm in September and October across a mile-long strip of land. This is when hundreds of birds start diving to their deaths. For years, locals waited with poles to kill the birds.

Until a scientific explanation was given for this phenomenon, local tribes believed the birds were spirits flying down from the sky to purposefully terrorize the villagers.

Scientists studying this annual event have concluded that the birds are mostly juveniles. While migrating, they become disturbed by high winds as they roost at night. The birds take flight, see the lights of the village of Jatinga below and fly toward the light for refuge. Instead, historically, they were clubbed to death.

Steer clear of Jatinga in the autumn months if you don’t want to find yourself a real-life actor in a Hitchcockian movie.

5. A Town Deeply Rooted in Darkness

Is Point Pleasant, West Virginia, suffering from a 200-year curse called down upon it by a Shawnee chieftain? If you believe in such things, then steer clear of this town.

Ever since the curse, the town has experienced two devastating floods, followed by a massive fire. Nearby, Marshall University sent its football team and their coach on a flight for an away game. The plane crashed after takeoff, and everyone aboard was killed.

In 1967, the Silver Bridge connecting Point Pleasant to Ohio collapsed, killing 46 people. In 1978 a freight train derailed, spilling toxic chemicals into the town’s water supply.

Then there’s the reported UFO activity in the area and encounters with the Men in Black.

And finally, there’s the legend of a creepy humanoid creature known as the Mothman that has haunted Point Pleasant since the 1960s, with sightings of this creature flying over the town and terrorizing some people. People have reported it lurking outside of their homes. Others report being chased by it while driving down the highway. It’s even been claimed that pet dogs have been stolen by Mothman.

If you’re brave enough to walk the streets of Point Pleasant at night knowing its creepy history, and you’re not afraid to come face to face with a red-eyed, seven-foot monster, then more power to you.

6. The Hanging Coffins of Sagada

Don’t go walking alone below the cliffs of Sagada, Philippines, because there’s always a chance a coffin might fall on you,

Most cultures that bury their dead in coffins bury those coffins in the ground or put them in above-ground crypts. Not so with the people of Sagada. They hang the coffins containing the remains of their loved ones from cliff tops using ropes.

It can be an unnerving experience to be walking, expecting to see clouds and sky, but you see coffins suspended in mid-air instead.

In the local culture, when an elderly person senses their end is near, they will carve their own coffin from a log with the help of their relatives.

Once the person dies, their bodies are placed inside the hollowed-out log. Next, the coffin is taken to a holy cave, where a ritualistic service is performed. Then the coffin is hoisted up alongside the deceased person’s ancestors. It’s believed that the higher the coffin is hoisted, the easier it is for the deceased to cross over to the afterlife.

This traditional form of burial has been going on for over 2,000 years. Many tourists from around the world come to gaze upon this shocking spectacle.

If you’re one of them, remember that what goes up must come down. The ropes have been known to deteriorate to the point of snapping. When this happens, the coffin plunges to the ground. Make sure you keep yourself out of harm’s way.

7. The Romanian Bermuda Triangle

The Hoia Baciu Forest, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, covers 730 acres (about 3 square kilometers) in northwest Romania in the County of Transylvania. This eerie forest has a history of paranormal activity. Fog and strange aromas in the air go far in setting the stage for creepiness.

This area is haunted by a dark history with the souls of those who’ve been wronged still searching for peace. At one time, thousands of peasants were slaughtered here to reduce the number of people needing to be fed due to dwindling food supplies. Believers think this is what started the haunting of the forest.

Rumor has it that a local girl walked into the forest, disappearing for five years. When she reappeared, she hadn’t aged one bit. She also had no recall of what she was doing during those five years.

There is a mysterious, nearly perfect oval-shaped clearing in the forest where nothing has grown for centuries. Believers come to the oval with the intent of opening portals to other dimensions. This oval is also known for UFO sightings.

Visitors not steeped in local lore, having walked through the forest, later report strange feelings and sensations that visit them long after leaving the area. If you’re intent on a firsthand experience with creepiness, this might be the perfect destination for you.

8. Chillingham Castle

Located in Northumberland, England, this castle is haunted. This medieval castle dates back to the 12th century. It was initially built as a monastery and is considered to be the most haunted castle in England.

The most famous ghost is that of the “Blue Boy,” who was ordered to be buried alive. People who’ve stayed at the castle have reported a blue halo floating above their beds.

With the discovery of bones sealed inside a wall during renovations, the “Blue Boy” may or may not finally be at peace. It is a fact that many other ghosts remain.

You can book a stay at the castle from Easter to October. If you have the nerve, ask to stay in the Pink Room. That’s where the Blue Boy likes to make his spooky visitations.

9. La Recoleta Cemetery

This Buenos Aries cemetery is curious because it looks like a miniature city. La Recoleta is filled with row after row of mausoleums, over 4500. It covers fourteen acres (0.5 square kilometers). The designs of the mausoleums are extravagant because they house the remains of the wealthy and famous citizens of the city.

There are a few horrors to behold, which only adds to the creepiness of this city of the dead. One particular mausoleum set among those of various poets, politicians, and elites is the final resting place of David Alleno, who worked in the cemetery for thirty years.

Wanting to eventually be laid to rest among the well-heeled of the city, Alleno saved his entire working life to pay for a carved statue of himself that would one day watch over his own crypt.

Not long after the statue was finished, depicting him with a watering can, broom, and his ring of keys dangling from one hand, Alleno committed suicide. Visitors report seeing David Alleno walking along the cemetery paths with his keys still dangling from one hand.

10. The Kabayan

The Kabayan is in the province of Benguet in the northern part of the Philippines. It is a collection of man-made caves going back as far as 2000 BC. These caves are overflowing with well-preserved mummies.

The Ibaloi culture had a unique process of mummification. Shortly before a person died, he was given a salty drink to digest. Right after death, the corpse was washed and then placed in a seated position and set over a fire. This dried out the fluids. Tobacco smoke was blown into the mouth of the corpse, which dried the inside of the body, including the internal organs. Finally, the mummy was rubbed with herbs, put into a pine coffin, and placed in a man-made burial niche inside a cave.

There are so many caves that it’s easy to get lost in the labyrinth. If you visit the caves, make sure you bring along bread crumbs to drop along the way to mark your path so you can find your way back out.