How to Avoid Pickpockets in Bali

Considered one of the most Instagramable places in the world, Bali has become one of the top tourist destinations. However, in order to successfully post those jaw dropping photographs; taking precaution for pickpocketing when sightseeing is a must. Here are a few ways to avoid pickpocketing in one of the most beautiful destinations in the world.

1)    Although most of us have the notion that pickpockets strike at night, in busy tourist spots or on any form of transport, the reality of it is that they can be found anywhere. One place you must take special care with is when visiting places where money is being retrieved or exchanged such as banks, currency exchange booths. Of course, popular pickpocket zones also include plazas, festivals and places where there are large crowds. In order to avoid pickpocketing, keep your money close to you, avoid keeping it all in one place such as your bag or wallet; and always, always close your bag properly.

2)     Avoid conversation. The majority of the time, pickpockets will create distractions to catch tourists off guard. Although you may think all pickpockets are of older age, the reality is that they may be disguised as children. Don’t be fooled into their cuteness; while they are luring you in, one may be slipping their tiny hands into your pocket or bag. If a group of children or adults seem to be approaching you, avoid eye contact and move away as quickly as possible.

3)    Whatever you do, do NOT keep your phone or wallet in a vulnerable place such as your back pockets, jacket pockets and especially not in the front pockets of your backpack. If you must keep your wallet or purse in your trouser pockets, keep them in the front as they are harder to access. Another tip is to attach a chain or rubber band to them in order to minimize retrieval.

4)    Yes, it’s hard not to show off that new luxury jewellery you just purchased, but in order to avoid it being stolen, store it in a secure place such as a safe provided by the hotel. It’s best not to flash your status in order to avoid calling attention to yourself.

5)    Lastly, avoid carrying any unnecessary baggage. By packing only the essentials, you avoid pickpockets attempting to steal form the large quantity of bags you are travelling with. If you must carry a backpack, ensure it is an Anti-Theft backpack with no outer compartments for the pickpocket to target. Alternatively, you can carry a small cross body bag for easy storage and access of your smaller valuables.

So overall, be smart, follow this guidance, think practical and have a most of all, have a fantastic time on your holiday!

Nicole Fernandez Medina

Top 10 Tips for Travelling as a Vegan/Vegetarian

(1) Learn Useful Phrases

This tip is very important when you are travelling to countries where English is not the national language. You will have to learn some phrases such as ‘I do not eat meat, fish or cheese.’ 

Saying that you are vegan or vegetarian in the local language is not enough. In some cultures veganism and vegetarianism is still a new concept, so you will have to be extremely clear on your dietary requirements. Keep in mind that in some cultures, refusing to eat someone’s food can be seen as offensive. When requesting a vegan or vegetarian meal in the local language please be apologetic and polite and they will be happy to help you.

(2) Find Local Vegans

Before travelling to your destination, do your research on the Vegan and Vegetarian community in the country or city you are visiting. See if there are any events happening where you can meet other vegans that can further help you enjoy the local cuisine in the vegan/vegetarian way.

(3) Pack Your Emergency Food Stash

While you are out exploring, vegan and vegetarian snack options will not always be readily available. In response to this, we would suggest for you to carry around granola, dried fruits, or energy bars. So when you randomly get hungry you can quickly grab one of your snacks. In addition, always ensure you pack up a larger stash of vegan/vegetarian snacks in your luggage as back up.

Bonus Tip -

Pack a snack or two for the flight. Don’t rely on plane food, as they most likely will not have vegetarian or vegan options in their menu.

(4) Research Vegan Restaurants at Your Destination

Look up the vegetarian restaurants and cafés in your destination. There are apps/websites such as Happy Cow or Vegan Passport. These apps/websites give you a full comprehensive list of vegan restaurants in your destination.  In addition, the online platforms also have honest reviews, so this will give you a clearer idea of which restaurants to visit during your trip.

(5) Check Vegan/Vegetarian Options with Hotel

When booking accommodation remember to check to see if they provide any vegan/vegetarian options in their menu.

(6) Book Accommodation with a Kitchen

If you want to have more control over your vegan/vegetarian options. You can book apartments or hotels with kitchens. You can book this type of accommodation through AirBnB.

This will give you the opportunity to shop for your favourite ingredients and it will enable you to have more control over what you are eating. You can also pack some food for when you are going out.

Bonus Tip:- If you are going to be cooking often during your trip, you may want to book accommodation near a supermarket.

(7) Book a Vegan Friendly Hotel

Alternatively you can find vegan friendly accommodation if you want the full vegan/experience. In the hotel it is very likely that the guests will also be vegan so you will have a greater chance of meeting new people that will share advice, recommendations and tips during your trip.

(8) Be Clear and Ask for what you want

When you visit a restaurant. Please be aware that you do not have to order what is on the menu. The chef can create a vegan/vegetarian dish for you according to your request.  Please ensure that you are nice, respectful and polite and they will be happy to help you out.

(9) Eat Little Amounts Throughout the Day

Get used to eating small amounts throughout the day. Fruits, nuts, vegetables always take food with you. This will keep the hunger away and keep you satisfied.

(10) Get Involved In the Culture

Before booking your trip ensure that you research the all the national local vegan/vegetrarian dishes and make sure you try them all. See it as one big adventure and remember to fully enjoy the moment.

The One Website You Need for Cheap Flights

Hope you guys are having a wonderful summer. :-)

This World Cup has been super epic. Even though it is super sad that England didn’t make it to the finals. We are still proud of the team. They did a great job :-)

We know that a lot of you will be going on holidays this summer (and later on in the year). So we wanted to help save you guys some money. We recently came across this website called Jacks Flight Club. It is actually the most amazing thing ever. The website is great for getting really super cheap flights to anywhere in the world.

How it works is they basically look throughout the Internet to find the cheapest flights. It can be to any destination in the World. This is especially good if you are spontaneous and open to exploring any destination. After using the platform ourselves, we found that a majority of the deal emails are for fares in about 1 to 12 months time. So it gives you plenty of time to prepare for your trip once you have booked your ticket. To get the deals from Jack's Flight Club, all you have to do is head to jacksflightclub.co.uk, sign up with your email address and you will get flight deals to any destination sent directly to your email.

We love to share tips, hacks and High Spirit updates and we could not stay quiet about this one. We just had to share it with you guys. Hope you guys find it useful. :-)