Crime is a fact throughout the world. In most of the places, tourists are targeted for theft. To have a safe and pleasant vacation, it is a must to follow the safety travel tips. If you tend to over pack, then it becomes a problem from the very start itself. It is important to travel light in order to reduce hassle and stress. Traveling light helps you be free to move around without worrying about your baggage. It is smart to avoid wearing Expensive-looking jewelry. It is a wise idea to put your valuables in various places rather than all in one wallet or pouch. Avoid handbags, fanny packs and outside pockets that are easy targets for thieves. Don’t use shortcuts, narrow alleys or poorly lit streets. Never discuss your travel plan with strangers. Avoid wandering through unfamiliar areas alone, always remain alert.

It is important to stay healthy throughout your trip to make your trip more enjoyable. It is quiet common to fall sick when you are traveling to a new place. Traveling can bring you in contact with things that your body hasn’t been used to. Be aware of endemic diseases and have appropriate shots and pills with you. Before leaving, rest as much as possible to speed up the recovery period. In addition, try to have a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables and stay well hydrated. It is better to drink bottled water, also avoid eatables from road side vendors.

People remain more vulnerable if they still operate on the premise of the days when they left the key under the mat or the house unlocked. Recently, I was visiting relatives in the US Midwest and was alarmed at their crime prevention attitudes. They routinely left their 3000 square foot home unlocked with patio doors open. Their opinion is that if someone wants to break in, they will. So why make it difficult; they will only damage locks and/or break windows. This is very foolish thinking. Criminals are basically lazy. If there are two houses side-by-side and one is locked and alarmed, even if they are high on drugs and looking for an adrenalin rush, they are more likely to choose the easy target!

Arm yourself with the latest information from the local police department, and try to think from inside a criminal’s mind-set – don’t make yourself a target. Start by removing all keys hidden outside your home. Let’s face it – there are only a few good hiding spots outside a house and if you think it is a good hiding spot, you are probably wrong. It is likely to be the same spot as most people use: under a mat, in a flower pot, in the mailbox, on the top of the door jamb, under a bush—how predictable is that? Install secure dead-bolts, and proper locks on windows. Place screws in the top window tracks on sliding windows, so windows cannot be easily lifted up-and-out from outside.

Get a monitored alarm system. It is affordable and can minimize damage if thieves do enter. Most people who have never experienced a burglary fail to fathom the damage and vandalism that occurs in the process. Install light timers and use them. Ensure that mail, junk mail and newspapers do not accumulate, leaving tell-tale signs of your absence. Arrange to have the lawn mowed and watered and make arrangements to secure the safety and care of your pets.

Next, build a “what-if” plan. Leave your travel itinerary with a trusted neighbor or friend. There are many reasons for staying in touch. Not only does it protect your home. It enables family/friends to reach you in case of a family emergency. It also secures your safety. Recently a retired couple was buried alive in a mud slide in BC and it was nearly a week before they were even announced missing. They were in the habit of not staying in touch, so the family simply didn’t think anything was wrong – until it was too late.

Given the circumstances of the slide it is unlikely that earlier notice would have saved their lives, however it would be a relief to a family to never have to question that. Set up a travel about to keep your family and friends involved with your trip. It will create a great diary and memory of your trip and gives a meaningful way to maintain contact.

Keep personal records, both with you and at home of your credit cards and travelers’ cheque numbers. Keep a back-up credit card and/or travelers cheques secure but separate. Keeping everything together could leave you stranded. Notify your credit company that you will be making more expenditure and that billings will come from your travel destination.

One week into my daughter’s trip around the world her bank phoned me and asked for her. When I said she was unavailable, they asked when they would be able to reach her. I stated she was on a lengthy trip and would not be accessible for some time. They asked me where she went and when I expected to have contact with her.

It was at that point that I became aware that the call had been triggered by the flurry of charges coming from Tokyo, Hong Kong, and China. If she had not been living with me, or had my response to the bank been different, they would have frozen her cards assuming she was being victimized by fraud.

Most travel by air has been affected by the World Trade Center attacks, and security criteria is constantly changing and becoming stricter.

Many of the things you could carry even a year ago are now prohibited. Simple things we could carry such as a bottle of water, now can only be carried on if it has been purchased beyond the check-in gates. Keep your luggage in sight at all times. You become liable if someone plants anything in your luggage. Remove all previous destination tags to prevent your luggage from going on its own vacation – alone. Place tags that list your name, address and telephone at the next destination point – making it easier for the airline to reunite you with your luggage if it becomes lost. It is wise for these tags to be somewhat private, so they cannot be easily read by the wrong people. Keep a list of the contents of your luggage and carry-on items so you will be able to tell the airline what you are missing if it goes astray and is never found.

Use a unique method of tagging your luggage for quick, easy identification when it comes off a carrousel. The more times your luggage goes around the circle without you grabbing it, the more likely it is to be lifted willfully or accidentally by someone else.

When there are 500 black suitcases going around and around, unless yours has some quick identifying feature it becomes unrecognizable. Beautiful expensive luggage is often targeted more than ‘tacky tourist’ suitcases with large pink daisy designs. The assumption on the part of the thief is “if that is how bad their taste is in luggage, what is inside is probably equally as unappealing”. Exercise your sense of humor – they will never know.

At your destination, do not leave cash or valuables in your hotel room. In fact, it is a good idea to leave all expensive jewelry home. Wearing expensive jewelry is like hanging out a sign – “I have expensive taste and my luggage may be worth going after”.

Lock your suitcases when leaving them in your room. It makes them more secure from unscrupulous housekeeping staff and also prevents the possibility of the suitcase being used to carry things out of the room.

Never open your door to an unexpected person or stranger. Look through the door viewer and use the security measures provided by the hotel for your protection while in your room. It is also possible to purchase an inexpensive motion sensitive alarm to hang on the inside of your room door. If an intruder enters, it will alert you. It is a terrible experience to wake up to a stranger in the room with you. We were once victims of a home invasion, and although we were unaware of the burglar’s arrival and departure – it took a very long time before we could sleep without feeling we were being watched. Protect your calling card numbers or pin numbers from people who may easily watch you, or snap your picture with a camera phone.

What kind of beach vacations sound ideal to you? Are you all into the east coast scene, or are you more of a California sands kind of guy? Or better yet, maybe you’re anxious to head off to the Bahamas or Hawaii. These are certainly ideal hot spots when it comes to summer beach vacations. All I have to say is you’d better plan in advance. But that’s what the World-Wide-Web is for right? You can pop open your nifty Google search engine and find out what deals are cooking. This summer my family and I are headed to the east coast for a couple of weeks in the healing Carolina sun. Yeah, I can already feel that gentle breeze whipping at my hair as I lounge in total serenity. Okay, does that sound perfect or what? It all began with surf through net-land. With the aid of my trusty laptop, I was sorting through a variety of deals on beach vacations and summer getaways. They just make it so simple now days. I love the all-inclusive package deals.

This way I can purchase my plane tickets and lodging far in advance. Why would I want to do this you ask? Well, for one, the package deals are typically cheaper and it’s nice to have everything taken care of before you actually get there. Furthermore, if you plan your exciting beach vacations in advance, you’ll be certain to get that perfect lodging. Believe me; you definitely do not want to get stuck with some seedy motel room. It always pays to plan ahead and get exactly what you desire. So, are you ready to plan your big summer getaway? Jump into cyberspace and start browsing through beach vacations now.

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Missing home and the various other things that were important to you before you left is normal and is part of the transition into a new country and new culture. It can be especially hard if the culture of the country you have moved to is really different to what you were used to.

In the first few months or even the first year, you may feel as if you have lost your identity. Having this state of mind can amplify the feelings of missing home. Back home, people knew you and knew your personality. It may feel like you have to rebuild your identity. In some respects you have to, but it is important to remember why you moved to a new country in the first place. Maybe you wanted a fresh start in life. Grasp the opportunity this fresh start has given you. You could even give your personality a makeover and be someone new.

Dealing with missing home, friends and family can be made that much easier, but it takes effort. One of the important aspects you can do is to plan. Plan to make calls to friends and loved ones. Plan not to be alone. Don’t let yourself be alone too much as this is not good for your morale. Invite the new friends you make to spend time with you. Arrange for your family and friends back home to come and visit as much as possible. By being proactive and planning, you will have something to look forward to and this helps with the thoughts of missing home.

In this modern age of communications, there are many ways to keep in touch. Telephone, email, Internet chat and even via web cam video. Grasp the technology and get it working in your favor. You may feel that you are missing out on things at home, but imagine what a video of your nieces birthday party would do for you. Sure it would probably make you miss home, but you would still feel very much a part of what is happening back home and have not been forgotten.

Learn to fit in with the new culture you have found yourself in. Forget that back home you would celebrate Christmas like this, or would eat this on a Sunday. You are not at home so learn to live like the locals. Once you accept that the world around you is different, maybe then you will learn to live with it and feel part of something again. Perhaps that is when you can start to deal with missing home.

Missing home is difficult to overcome, but with effort, friends, a social life and enthusiasm to fit into this new life, it can be easier to deal with.

London attracts more American visitors than any other European city. Dig deep enough and you’ll find Roman, Saxon and Medieval remnants but, you’ll also find skyscrapers and imposing Victorian architecture. The past is alive and well in London, you just have to know how to look for it. Over the centuries, all the outlying villages have become consolidated into one huge and wonderful city. The size alone can intimidate the first time visitor. Here are a few suggestions to make your first journey to London stress free.

Take an orientation tour. Get your bearings by taking an orientation tour, such as London Hotels where those offered on the red double-decker buses. Take the tour on the very first afternoon, or the next morning at the latest.

Be sure your accommodations are near a subway (tube) stop. Don’t even think about renting a car within the city. Streets are typically congested, drivers are aggressive and parking is nearly nonexistent. dx newsNot to mention you’d be driving in the left lane. Try to stay within a ten minute (or less) walk from a subway stop. For convenience, purchase a subway pass, which allows speedy entrance and exit of the subway. Buying individual tickets will slow you down and cost more over the long run.

Study a city map and subway map before leaving home. You need not be an expert, just get a feel for the place to lessen confusion. For example, Tower Bridge is on the East side of the city, and Kensington Gardens is on the West side of the city, and so on.

Don’t expect to cover all the sites of the city in one trip. You could return to London five times and still not see everything the city has to offer. On your first trip, narrow down your list to a manageable number. Traveling within the city, even with their efficient subway system will still take a chunk of time from your day. Going from one section of the city to another could take forty minutes to an hour. In other words, don’t plan to see such major sites as the British Museum, Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum and the Tower of London all in a single day. Unrealistic sightseeing schedules will leave you frustrated and exhausted.

Plan for crowds. London gets millions of visitors year-round, not just in the summer months. Don’t kid yourself, even if you go in November or January, the tourists will be there in full force.

There are a few “must-sees” for any first time visitor to London. Here’s a list.

Changing of the Guard: This is perhaps London’s greatest spectacle and one dating back hundreds of years. It takes place year round outside Buckingham Palace. The Palace itself, the Queen’s official residence, is open each year for two months in late summer. Visitors can see the magnificent State Rooms containing some of the Queen’s fine collection of paintings and furniture.

The Tower of London: Home of the famous Yeomen Warders or Beefeaters, the tower has been a fortress, palace, prison and zoo. The most historic part, the White Tower, was built in the time of William the Conqueror and is more than 900 years old. The priceless crown jewels are on display, as well as new displays of armor. To avoid the long lines at the jewels, arrive at 9:00 a.m. and go straight to the jewels. You’ll also want to take the free Beefeater tour which lasts about an hour. Other famous sights at the Tower include the immense black ravens and Traitors’ Gate.

The British Museum: As the oldest public museum in the world, this mammoth place also claims to be the most visited of all museums in Britain. Highlights include the Elgin Marbles, the Rosetta Stone, the Magna Carta and Egyptian mummies. The museum was founded in 1753 by an Act of Parliament from the collections of Sir Hans Sloane. If it all seems overwhelming, take a “highlights” tour, then come back later to see your favorites in-depth.

Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral: Westminster Abbey is one of Britain’s finest Gothic buildings and the scene of coronations, marriages, and burials of British monarches. Built between the 13th and 16th centuries, this church, with its great rose windows, outstanding height and flying buttresses, seems to have been inspired by the great cathedrals of Rheims and Amiens of France. Well-produced Walkman tours are available or you can join a 90-minute tour with a human guide.

St. Paul’s: London’s classical cathedral designed by Sir Christopher Wren, is famous for being the site of Prince Charles and Diana’s wedding. It was built between 1675 and 1710 and features the whispering gallery and the crypt, in which many famous individuals are buried. A word of warning, the whispering gallery requires walking up 259 steps.

Tower Bridge and Big Ben: Perhaps the two most photographed sites in London, most first time visitors make time to see both. Although not old by London standards, (opened in 1894) Tower Bridge is the city’s most beloved bridge, while Big Ben is often considered the city’s landmark.

When you are in London, you’re in one of the world’s most exciting cities. Just walking and looking can be an unforgettable experience. Like Samuel Johnson said, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford.”