Tips to keep money safe when traveling in Vietnam

NEVER KEEP ALL YOUR TRAVEL CASH AND CREDIT CARDS IN ONE PLACE

1. Do not keep your money, credit cards and valuable items (eggs) in one place (one basket) such as your luggage, in your hotel room or on your person. You will lose all if the luggage gets lost, a thief enters your hotel room, you are pickpocketed or your bag is snatched.

2. Divide up your cash and bank cards and stash them in different places on your person, throughout your luggage, and in your hotel room.

3. Leave all the cards and cash you won’t need immediately in a secure location in your hotel. Put bags of money in suitcases, safety boxes and other places in your hotel room. 

4. Separate your cash into piles and put them into separated zipper bags, squeeze the extra air out of the bags before hiding them.

5. If you’re a solo traveler, keep a backup card in a separate place to the one you use regularly.

6. If you’re traveling with a partner, split your money and cards between the two of you in order to make sure two of your are ok in case you get separated or something happens to one of you.

7. You can simply keep money in your zipper pockets. So that shorts, pants, jackets, shirts with zipper pockets are good choices. Money and wallets should go in front pockets of your pants or shorts. But the truth is pickpockets easily get money from your zipper pockets. Clothing items with hidden interior pockets are smart things to help you avoid pickpockets.

8. Anti-theft bags, backpacks, wallets, purses which are made from cut-proof and slash-proof fabric and leather, have steel-cable-reinforced straps and locking zippers, are worth buying. These items are sometimes expensive but they are investments that might save you so much money.

9. A dummy wallet containing nothing or paper cards which sample credit cards, small notes, some coins can deceive pickpockets or stop pickpockets before they get to your real wallet.

10. A dummy wallet containing nothing or paper cards which sample credit cards, small notes, some coins can deceive pickpockets or stop pickpockets before they get to your real wallet.

11. Wear bags and backpacks in the right ways to help you avoid pickpockets and snatch thief:

• Keep the flap of the bag against your body so that it is harder for pickpockets to steal something from the bag.
• Sling the strap across your body rather than just over one shoulder.
• Wear the bag on the front instead of the back.

12. Planing what to spend on a day and carrying enough money for the day is one of the smart ways to keep your money safe while traveling.

13. Keep your valuables and money in your carry-on luggage rather than in your checked-in bags. In Vietnam, your check-in bags can be lost or slashed.

14. There are some money alternatives in Vietnam and you should consider using them in order to avoid carrying so much money while traveling and going out:

15. Book in advance and make online payment for your hotel rooms, tours, bus and train tickets, cyclo rides, meals, show tickets and other services. Certainly, you should check the cancellation policies for the services. Make sure that they refund you in case you need to cancel. Some tour agencies and hotels in Vietnam do not charge if the cancellation is made at least 24 hours before the scheduled tours and check-in date.