We’ve all heard stories of friends going overseas and getting into trouble. Whether it’s trouble with the law or trouble with health, the sad reality is that there are a lot that can happen when you’re in a strange, foreign land.

Although you can try to stick to common sense, there are often times that you’ll ignore the little alarm bells that go off. However, when you’re overseas, it’s important to be extra cautious. Keep these things in mind and you’ll have a fun time on your trip – and live to tell the tale!

If it involves following someone, don’t buy it

There have been many stories of locals who have offered tourists questionable goods, like counterfeit designer clothes, only to tell them to follow them through a series of alley ways and back roads. At this point, three things can happen: you might be lead to a van full of fake handbags; being away from the safer main roads, you might suddenly encounter a group of less than savoury looking people; you might even be arrested by a policeman for attempting to buy illegal goods. Unless everything is there for you to see, don’t buy it. Don’t follow anyone anywhere, and you should be fine.

Stay in groups on main roads

When you’re going out, it’s important that you stay in large groups, especially late at night. Tales of lone tourists being preyed upon are common, so make sure you don’t become one of these numbers. Staying on main roads around crowds of people will also lessen your chances of being put into a dangerous situation.

Don’t carry huge amounts of cash

This is an obvious one but is forgotten quite often. When you’re travelling around on foot, don’t wave around huge wads of cash. If you do this, you’ll be drawing attention to yourself, and you might find shady characters suddenly taking an interest in you. Instead, look for ATMs and carry small amounts of money for any purchases you may want to make.

Eat as the locals do

Food poisoning is basically unavoidable. If you’re looking for street food, you’re basically asking for violations of food preparation standards. However, street food is one of the many pleasures of travelling overseas, so, rather than avoid it altogether, give your body a few days to get used to the different types of water and food that you’ll be encountering.

Get insured!

For the worst-case scenarios, make sure you don’t skimp on your travel insurance. Look for a reputable company that offers you the necessities and a little more. It may seem like a big investment at the time, but when it comes to your safety and wellbeing, no price is too high.