Travellers’ Tips for Staying Safe in South America

South America has it all: pristine beaches, tropical rainforest, cities that never sleep and something for everyone. Whether dancing all night is your thing or you’re more at home making sunrise treks for the best views, you’ll fall in love with what this continent has to offer. Be prepared for all the times you’ll be asked ‘but is it safe?!’. It is! You just have to keep your wits about you. Here are our top tips for staying safe in South America.

Don’t Flash the Cash

Dress conservatively, and keep the jewellery to a minimum. If your wrist feels naked, wear a cheap watch that you won’t mind losing. Take your photos subtly and then put your camera away when you’ve finished with it. When you have to pay, make sure you have smaller notes handy and aren’t flicking through wads of cash.

Keep Your Valuables Close

Invest in a money belt that goes underneath your clothes and keep cash, cards, phone and passport in there where you’ll definitely notice if someone’s trying to get at them! When walking in crowds or on public transport, keep your backpack with the most valuable items on your front where you can keep an eye on it.

When the Sun Goes Down

Don’t walk alone after sunset in big cities, especially if you’re female. Make sure to use a trusted taxi service (this applies at all times of the day). Ask at your hotel/hostel reception for advice about taxis, or if you’re on the street ask a policeman which cabs can be trusted. If you’re heading out on a night out it’s better to bring a photocopy of your passport rather than the real thing just in case, and let your hotel or hostel know where you’re going and when they should expect you back. Use a cheaper camera if possible, and make sure you’ve backed everything up before heading for a night on the tiles— you don’t want to lose all your photos!

Bring Some Secure Essentials

Never travel without a sturdy padlock. Combination ones are best if you’re likely to lose those tiny little keys that the standard ones tend to come with. Moneybelts have already been mentioned, but bumbags work well too. Look into getting a pillow with an interior pocket as well for those long bus journeys: no one is getting at your stuff without waking you up that way.

Get Good Travel Insurance South America Style!

No matter where you go, you should have comprehensive travel insurance. South America is no exception. InsureMore’s travel insurance (South America) offers 24 hour emergency service as well as quick online claims should you need it. South America really isn’t as dangerous as people make out, but make sure you’re insured before you travel.

Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of InsureMore, an award-winning team of specialists in global single trip, family, annual, cruise travel and winter sports insurance. If you need travel insurance, South America and any other business or leisure travel destination worldwide are covered by InsureMore's policies. Besides offering great deals on travel insurance, Patrick also collects and shares the best free travel competitions to help his clients get the most out of their holidays.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.