Hiding valuables in your hotel room

by Sean McLachlan on

Every hotel tells you not to leave valuables in your room. They suggest using the hotel safe, and for the most part that’s a good plan. But what if the hotel safe isn’t safe? What if the “safe” is merely an unlocked drawer at the reception desk? This is too often the case with hotels in the developing world.

One option is to always keep your valuables with you. This isn’t always convenient or wise, such as if you’re going out on a pub crawl where you might be bum-rolled or attending a religious service where it would be inappropriate to bring a camera. So if you must stash stuff in your room, here are some ideas.

Under the mattress: This old trick is surprisingly effective for small items if you take a few precautions. First, make sure to stash your passport/money in the middle of the mattress, where it can’t be found by simply pulling up one corner. Also, spread out some clothes or a book on top. The cleaning staff will be less tempted to disturb the bed. Finally, make sure to do this after the bed has already been made for the day.

Hiding in plain sight: In the Edgar Allan Poe story “The Purloined Letter”, a clever thief baffles police by hiding a stolen letter in plain sight by refolding it and adding a different address. People make assumptions about what they’re seeing, and thus are easily fooled. A pile of worthless papers can easily hide a passport. A few dollars left carelessly in plain view keeps the thief from looking further.These are two of my favorites, and in twenty years and 28 countries of travel I’ve never been robbed. (Well, I got my pocket picked the first hour I was in Pakistan, but that wasn’t in a hotel room). Looking for fresh ideas, I decided to ask a creative group of people–authors. Here’s what they came up with.

Lock your suitcase: Brenna Lyons says, “have a locked suitcase. Someone could steal the entire suitcase, but that’s extreme. Or they could get lock cutters and cut the lock off…also extreme.”

Hide stuff in other stuff: Brenna Lyons again, “One thing I’ve done before is get a dark-colored plastic bottle and place something small and valuable, wrapped in tissue and/or plastic, inside it. If it looks like shampoo or something, people don’t tend to look twice. If you have one of those little clear toiletry cases with a bunch inside, and one or two have valuables in them, they really don’t look. If you’re really inventive, you can put something like shampoo or lotion in the container over or around the valuables (either using a plastic bag or a smaller bottle).” Jean Hart Stewart has a hollowed out paperback she uses to hide stuff, and she puts it with a bunch of real paperbacks. She better not have destroyed one of my titles!

Taping an envelope in a hidden place: I do this too, but Bob Nailor describes it best.
“Bring a spare envelope and tape. 1) Tape to bottom of trashcan and DON’T USE IT! Housekeeping won’t move it.

2) Tape to bottom of desk, table, or inside of drawer.
3) Tape it to the inside of bi-fold doors, on a solid section, if available. As the doors are opened, the doors close on themselves, hiding the envelope.”

Where do you stash your stuff? Share your secrets in the comments section!

Know the numbers (and the currency) – Dining out tip

by Gadling Staff on

The meal was delicious, and the atmosphere was divine, but then it comes time for the bill. As long as you know numbers in the native tongue, dealing with the bill should be no problemo. Perhaps you know your basic, uno, dos, tres… but try learn more numbers in the native tongue.

Parts of Italy are especially notorious for using some fast-talking to try and overcharge for even your basic bowl of penne. Make sure you have no problem asking for correct change or asserting that your meal was trece (13) euros — not treinta (30).

Pro tip: When you arrive in-country, look carefully at the money from that place. Learn what the different colors or sizes of the bills indicate. Later, when you’re feeling rushed — perhaps you’ve been drinking? — you want to feel comfortable with the cash and not throw down the equivalent of $100 when all you ordered was two beers.

Keep your data safe when connecting to public wireless hotspots

by Scott Carmichael on

How about we open this article with some good old fashioned scaremongering? Any time you connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot, almost every single piece of data you transmit can be picked up by anyone within range of the same network.

When you connect to an unencrypted Internet hotspot, almost everything sent between your computer and the Internet is sent in a format that anyone can read when they install a small piece of software.

There are hundreds of free “network analyzers/sniffers” available on the Internet, and even untrained users will be able to start sniffing wireless traffic in a matter of minutes. Now, before you freak out too much, you need to know that not all traffic is susceptible to snooping, and that there are ways to protect yourself. Also important to know – sites and services like banks and email providers use a secure Internet protocol that makes snooping virtually impossible.

(Photo from Flickr/Corypina)
Turn off “auto connect”

On your computer, make sure “auto connect to Wi-Fi hotspots” isn’t enabled. Always verify that the hotspot you are connecting to is indeed from the provider you want.

There are real scams out there, usually involving wireless hotspots called “Free public Wi-Fi” – these “honeypot” hotspots are set up with the sole purpose of trying to steal your data. If you really need to get online, the urge to connect to the first open hotspot you find may be tempting, but it pays to be secure.

Don’t share files on your computer

When you connect to a wireless hotspot, anything you are sharing on your computer, may be shared with anyone else connected to that network.

So, to prevent this make sure you either disable the file and printer sharing feature, end the files/folder sharing option, or pick the correct network type. Only the most recent versions of Windows will present you with the network “location” popup, so be sure to pick wisely.

Get yourself a 3G or 4G adapter

Don’t trust working on a public network at all? Invest in a 3G or 4G wireless broadband adapter, and you won’t have to worry about people listening in on your data. Network connections with a mobile broadband service are encrypted, and extremely tough to hack/eavesdrop.

Of course, your own 3G adapter comes at a price – you’ll be paying around $50 for access, and you’ll be limited to the coverage area of the operator, but if the information you transmit is really important, the investment won’t be hard to justify.

Create your own secure connection with a VPN

A VPN – or Virtual Private Network is a system that transports your Internet traffic to a secure server, then passes it on to the Internet. By using a VPN, everything sent between your computer and the VPN service is encrypted. Access to a VPN is usually pretty simple if you work for a large company. but even consumers can get their own VPN setup without too much hassle.

The easiest, and most popular (free) consumer solution is Hotpot Shield. With Hotspot Shield, you simply enable the application when you are at a public hotspot, and your traffic is securely sent over their VPN.

Another solution (that I’ve used a lot myself) is Hotspot VPN. Their no-frills web site lets you create a VPN connection (which you have to manually configure). Hotspot VPN is available for under $9/month, or for $3.88 if you only want a day pass.

Once you have set up a VPN, all Internet traffic on your computer passes through the secure servers of the VPN company, making eavesdropping nearly impossible.

More advanced users may want to consider setting up their own VPN at home, using Open VPN, or even by installing an improved firmware version on their router, turning it into a router/VPN server.

Connect securely to your home PC, then connect to sites you need

Several weeks ago, we reviewed Logmein – a service that lets your remotely connect to your computer. With Logmein, you can connect to your home PC using the Logmein software, your browser, or the Logmein Ignition client for the iPhone.

Once connected to your home PC, you can use all the Internet applications you want – securely. The downside is of course that your home PC needs to be turned on 24/7 for the connection to work.

Secure sites are your best bet



Staying secure is as simple as making sure the sites you connect to are secure – so always look for the https:// and/or padlock symbol in your browser. Modern browsers also allow you to hover with your mouse over the site name to be sure it is a verified web service, and not a spoof.

ALL traffic is vulnerable – not just web traffic

Just because you are a responsible user that keeps an eye open for the “padlock” in your browser, doesn’t mean you are safe.

ALL traffic you send over Wi-Fi could be vulnerable. This includes your Twitter application, photo upload programs and anything else that accesses the Internet. When possible, make sure your applications access the service using a secure connection. If in doubt – don’t use them.

Firewall your computer

Always make sure your computer has a reliable firewall installed. Many systems come with this nowadays, so make sure you have it turned on, and set to block incoming traffic. Firewall software is usually “set and forget”, so there is no excuse for not being protected.

Don’t forget your mobile device(s)

Keep in mind that your handheld device is just as vulnerable as your laptop computer. Anything you transmit in the open on an iPhone or other Wi-Fi enabled device can be intercepted.

Thankfully, modern devices like the iPhone and Droid also support VPN connections – so if you really want to be secure, consider subscribing to a VPN service, or setting up your own VPN server.

Restrict what you do on Wi-Fi

This final tip is also the easiest to implement – don’t do anything on Wi-Fi that you wouldn’t want to share with anyone else. This means no bill payments, no Ebay auctions or anything else that could get you in trouble if someone grabbed your user name and password. Don’t underestimate how quickly someone can grab your password and start stealing from you.

Advice you can actually use about clubbing alone on a trip

by Annie Scott on

Going out to the clubs at night is an important part of experiencing a new city. For many of us, mingling with the locals over drinks is one of our favorite travel activities. There’s a lot of finger-shaking, old-fashioned advice for staying safe out there, but here are some real tips you can actually use, even if you’re alone, which can actually increase your fun-times.

Make and take a buddy – if you can.

A buddy is not always possible. I travel alone a lot, but it doesn’t preclude me from going out at night. Always ask your hotel reception (and your taxi driver, and anyone who will listen to you) if there are areas you should avoid at night alone, and how late is really too late to be out. Make a friend during the day if you can, as you can meet up with them at night, but if it doesn’t happen? It’s okay. Stick close to your hotel and/or call taxis (don’t just wander around outside trying to flag a cab).

Careful who you befriend.

If you’re the kind of person who wants to get laid in every city you travel to … I don’t know how to help you. That is some dangerous business, even if you’re in your own state and trolling the suburbs. I would advise travelers to consider “hooking up” a big risk, and not a wise one to take on a night out in a strange city. If you’re going to make new friends, it’s safest to meet them during the day, then meet up with them at night. Added bonus: they’ll be able to recommend a cool place to go and keep you from wasting your evening somewhere that sucks.

Now, if you befriend Dr. Jekyll during the day, and at night they turn into Mr. Hyde, remember that you don’t owe them anything, and get the heck out of the situation.

If you’re out on your own and trying to meet new friends at the bar, don’t be looking to hook up with the hottest thing you see. You’re just setting yourself up for disappointment or even danger. Look for people in your age group, who dress like you and are laughing and having a good time. It may be tempting (or less intimidating) to approach someone who’s all alone, but it’s much safer to go talk to a group of people; serial killers don’t usually travel in groups of friends who are laughing their heads off and having fun.If they don’t speak any English and you don’t speak any [language], be careful.

If you’re in a country where you don’t speak the language and they don’t speak any English, you probably shouldn’t go out without a bilingual buddy. Fortunately, most countries where one would go clubbing have a fairly developed English-speaking population. Just be careful, and listen to your gut. If you think the people with whom you’re speaking English are muttering bad things about you to each other in their own language, they may well be — and if they’re not, it’s rude of them to behave that way. Move on.

Plan the end of your night in advance.

Enjoying the thrill of the evening and letting the night take you wherever it may is a romantic idea, but it can be dangerous. Decide in advance which part of town you’re going to end up in and how you can get a cab from there. Furthermore, decide what time you’re going to turn in — lest you should stay out too late, spend all your money and ruin your sightseeing the next day. Going out with no plan is like wandering down a dark alley with no idea whether it has an outlet at the other end. Don’t do it — it’s not just dangerous, it’s also likely to be way less fun.

Put these numbers in your phone.

Even if you don’t want the roaming charges, etc., put these numbers in your phone in case of emergency:
1. Your hotel — and put the address in there, too.
2. Local taxi service.
3. Police.
4. 202-501-4444 (country code 01), the US Department of State Emergency Assistance to Americans in Foreign Countries line.

Now have fun, and click here for Five sexy ways to carry your valuables safely.

Travel insurance a must for adventure travelers

by Kraig Becker on

For most travelers, the thought of purchasing travel insurance is usually an after thought, at best. For many, it is seen as an unnecessary expense, when they’re already paying a lot for a vacation, with no tangible benefits most of the time. Travel insurance is one of those things you don’t really need, until you do.

But adventure travelers are not like other travelers. They often visit remote places that are sometimes dangerous, and are located far from urban centers, making it difficult to get medical aid should it be required. Additionally, they are often carrying highly specialized, and expensive, gear, that makes the loss of their baggage potentially far more devastating that when a typical traveler has their bags lost in transit. For these reasons, and more, travel insurance isn’t just recommended for adventure travelers, it is generally a necessity.

Basic travel insurance usually covers such things as trip cancellation or interruption. This is, by far, the most common type of travel insurance that people buy, as it will cover you if you’re traveling abroad, and something causes your expensive vacation to go awry. Usually, the insurance company will help arrange alternate accommodations and help schedule flights home, and will often reimburse you for money lost due to the trip being canceled. A lot of travelers invest in this kind of insurance “just in case”.
As mentioned above, the other benefit of travel insurance is that it usually covers loss of baggage. For most tourist, that means they are reimbursed for buying new clothes and other items so that they can continue on their trip with just a minor inconvenience. For adventure travelers however, that inconvenience can turn from minor to major very quickly. Some of their specialized gear, like climbing harnesses, cold weather sleeping bags, and backpacks, can be difficult to find when they’re actually at their destination, and even though you may have the money to replace them, who wants to trek for miles over difficult terrain in a brand new pair of hiking boots?

Many travel insurance plans will also offer coverage for emergency medical treatment and assistance, should you become injured on your trip. Freak accidents can happen anywhere, and your usual normal health insurance plans generally won’t cover you while traveling abroad. Having this kind of medical insurance is another contingency against a completely different kind of “just in case” scenario. But here’s the rub when it comes to medical insurance. It generally doesn’t cover adventure activities, such as mountain climbing, sky diving, or whitewater rafting. You need to read the fine print very closely to find out exactly what is covered, but usually you’ll need supplemental insurance if you intend to take part in those types of activities. Those supplements usually include increased medical coverage and medical evacuation to cover the costs of getting you to a hospital should the need arise. If you’re trekking the Andes in Peru for instance, it can be very expensive to get an airlift back to Lima should an emergency arise.

While buying travel insurance remains optional for the vast majority of travelers, for the adventure crowd it can be a requirement, quite literally. For instance, I have needed to show proof of travel insurance when trekking Kilimanjaro and visiting the Amazon, and I’ll need it again when I travel to the Himalaya in April to make the trek to Everest Base Camp. So far, I have never had to make a single claim, but it has always been nice to know that I am covered should the need arise.

So, all of that begs the question. Do you need travel insurance on your next trip? Well, that depends. If you’re taking a cruise in the Caribbean, you’re probably fairly safe. If you pay for the trip with a credit card, it often offers you a level of security, up to a certain dollar value (check with your card for details), should the trip be canceled, and trip organizers will usually work with you if other problems arise. On the other hand, if you’re thinking about trekking through Chile’s Patagonia region, it might be prudent to consider buying an insurance plan that offers adventure travel coverage. Hopefully you’ll never need it, but “just in case”…