Basics - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 41

lock, is useful for doors and windows at inexpensive
guesthouses and beach bungalows, and for
securing your pack on buses , where you're often
separated from your belongings. If your pack is on
the top of the bus or boat, make sure it is attached
securely, and keep an eye on it whenever the
bus or boat pulls into a station, jetty or port. Be
especially aware of pickpockets on buses, who
usually operate in pairs: one will distract you while
another does the job. On trains , either cable-lock
your pack or put it under the bottom bench-seat,
out of public view. Be wary of accepting food
and drink from strangers on long overnight bus or
train journeys: there is a rare possibility that it's
drugged in order to knock you out while your
bags are stolen.
Some guesthouses and hotels have safe-deposit
boxes or lockers, which solve the problem of what
to do with your valuables while you go swimming.
The safest lockers are those that require your own
padlock, as valuables sometimes get lifted by hotel
staff. Padlock your luggage when leaving it in hotel
or guesthouse rooms.
Violent crime against tourists is not common in
Southeast Asia, but it does occur. Obvious precau-
tions include securing locks at night, and not travel-
ling alone at night in an unlicensed taxi, tuk-tuk or
rickshaw. Think carefully about motorbiking alone
in sparsely inhabited and politically sensitive border
regions. If you're going hiking on your own for a
day, inform hotel staff of your route so that they can
look for you if you don't return when planned.

for the day, so encouraging you to go with them on
their own special tour.
Some, but by no means all, travel agencies in
the backpackers' centres of Southeast Asia are
fly-by-night operations. Although it's not necessa-
rily incriminating if a travel agent's o ce seems to
be the proverbial hole in the wall, it may be a good
idea to reject those that look too temporary in
favour of something permanent and thriving. In
Vietnam in particular, travel agents and guest-
houses will copy the name of a successful and
reputable company, so always double-check the
address to ascertain that it is actually the place
that's recommended.

Reporting a crime
If you are a victim of theft or violent crime, you'll
need a police report for insurance purposes. Try to
take someone along with you to the police station
to translate, though police will generally do their
best to find an English-speaker. Allow plenty of time
for any involvement with the police, whose o ces
often wallow in bureaucracy; you may also be
charged “administration fees” for enlisting their help,
the cost of which is open to sensitive negotiations.
You may also want to contact your embassy -
see the “Directory” section of the nearest capital
city for contact numbers. In the case of a medical
emergency, you will also need to alert your
insurance company .

Drugs
Drugs penalties are tough throughout the region -
in many countries there's even the possibility of
being sentenced to death - and you won't get any
sympathy from consular o cials. Beware of drug
scams: either being shopped by a dealer or having
substances slipped into your luggage. If you are
arrested, or end up on the wrong side of the law
for whatever reason, you should ring the consular
o cer at your embassy immediately.

Con artists and scams
Con artists are usually fairly easy to spot. Always
treat touts with suspicion - if they offer to take you
to a great guesthouse/jewellery shop/untouristed
village, you can be sure there'll be a huge commis-
sion in it for them, and you may end up being taken
somewhere against your will. A variation involves
taxi drivers assuring you that a major sight is closed

OFFICIAL ADVICE ON INTERNATIONAL TROUBLE SPOTS
The following sites provide useful advice on travelling in countries that are considered
unstable or unsafe for foreigners.
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs
W dfat.gov.au. Advice and reports on
unstable countries and regions.
British Foreign and Commonwealth
O ce W fco.gov.uk. Constantly
updated advice for travellers on
circumstances affecting safety in more
than 130 countries.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Department
W international.gc.ca. Country-by-country
travel advisories.
US State Department Travel Advisories
W travel.state.gov/travel. Website providing
“consular information sheets” detailing the
dangers of travelling in most countries of
the world.