Safety Abroad
Safety abroad comes down to being prepared and vigilant. The most useful thing you can do upon arriving in any country you study in or travel to is to find the local emergency number, contact information for police, and nearest hospital. If you’re ever in a situation where you need help, having to find this kind of information in the moment will only make you feel more flustered and delay the help you need. The second biggest piece of advice I tell people is to listen to their instincts anywhere they go. If you ever get an inkling that the place you’re in may be dangerous or you find yourself feeling uncomfortable in an environment, don’t stifle these feelings. It is always best to go with your gut and leave if anything feels off. There is no need to ever put yourself in a situation that doesn’t feel right. Asides from safety tips, there have been a number of a helpful travel tips I’ve learned these past months.
1.) Hotels are a Great Help (Even if you’re not staying there!)
It can be quite difficult to hail a cab in China. Most cabs are hesitant to pick up foreigners due to fear of language differences and others are only available with phone apps that require a Chinese credit card. As a result, there have been many times my friends and I struggled for 30 minutes to even an hour finding a taxi. One day, as we were yet again trying to hail a taxi, we tried asking a hotel doorman to help us and he gladly agreed. From then on, we always tried to ask hotels near wherever we were to help us with hailing a taxi. In other situations, I’ve gone to hotel lobbies to ask for directions, transportation quotes, restaurant recommendations, and advice on where to go. Even if you’re not staying in that hotel I’ve found hotel staff to be extremely willing to help out foreigners.
2.) Technology is Always Your Friend
The greatest app discovery I made in China has been Google Translate. Besides having a dictionary and a written translation function, Google Translate also has the ability to scan characters in real time on camera and translate directly on the screen. This is incredibly useful for Mandarin or any other language without a letter alphabet. In addition to using technology for language, it is really helpful to research what apps are popular in your country of residence for travel and accommodation. For example, in the U.S. we most commonly use websites like Expedia or AirBnB to book flights or rooms. However, in China the most popular place to make travel bookings is on C-Trip. By using C-Trip, I’ve saved hundreds if not thousands of dollars on hotels and flights in comparison to using American based websites. Overall, it is always best to speak with locals and hear what they usually do when they want to book a trip locally to get the best deal.
