Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
in a neck pouch. Women have advantages here: the neck pouch can be hooked over their
bra so no cord shows at the neck and a moneybelt beneath a skirt is safe since it needs an
unusually brazen thief to reach for it! If you must have a bag, make sure it is difficult to
cut,andthatitcanbecarriedacrossyourbodysoitcannotbesnatched.Passengersintaxis
may be the victims of robbery: the thief reaches through the open window and grabs your
bag. Keep it on the floor by your feet.
Havingescortedscoresoffirst-timersthroughMadagascar,I'velearnedthemistakesthe
unpreparedcanmake.Themostcommoniswearingjewellery('ButIalwayswearthisgold
chain'),carelessnesswithmoneyetc('IjustputmybagdownwhileItriedonthatblouse'),
and expecting thieves to look shabby ('But he was such a well-dressed young man').
PASSPORTS AND IDS
If you prefer to leave your passport in a safe place in your hotel
roomwhenyougoout,carryingaphotocopyisnolongersufficientforIDpurposes,unless
it is an authorised copy, with red stamps all over it, available either from the police or from
the office of the mayor. You must provide your passport (photo page and visa page) and as
many photocopies of it as you think you might need. This authorised copy is then valid for
the police, for banks, for Western Union, or anyone else who might demand your ID. This
is all quite a hassle, but losing your passport is worse. I've never been stopped in all my
trips to Madagascar, but have had plenty of reports of people (mostly young) who have.
TIPS FOR AVOIDING ROBBERY
• Remember that most theft occurs in the street not in hotels; leave your valuables hidden
in a locked bag in your room or in the hotel safe.
• If you use a hotel safe at reception, make sure your money is in a sealed envelope that
cannot be opened without detection. There have been cases of the key being accessible
to all hotel employees, with predictable results.
• If staying in budget hotels bring a rubber wedge to keep your door closed at night. If you
can't secure the window put something on the sill which will fall with a clatter if
someone tries to enter.
• Pay particular attention to the security of your passport.
• Carry your cash in a moneybelt, neck pouch or deep pocket. Wear loose trousers that
have zipped pockets. Keep emergency cash (dollars or euros) in a Very Safe Place.
Keep a small but reasonable amount of cash in a wallet that you can give away if
threatened.
• Divide up travellers' cheques so they are not all in one place. Keep photocopies of im-
portant documents in your luggage.
• Remember, what the thief would most like to get hold of is money. Do not leave it
around (in coat pockets hanging in your room, in your hand while you concentrate on
something else, in an accessible pocket while strolling.
