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ASIA, LAND OF DIVERSITY

Asia is a beautiful and diverse place, from rain forests, rice fields, and cultural landmarks, to bustling cities, gridlock motor bike traffic, and relentless marketeers. But there are two sides to this intriguing land; Asia is also a place of terrible crime, violence and corruption. Travellers to Asia can take safety precautions and procedures to ensure you are kept safe.

CRIME PREVAILS

Most Asian countries are developing nations, where people on average have a much lower income than people from western countries. I was talking with a young 20 year old man that was waiting on us at a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He told me he worked 18 hours a day, 28 days per month, and he earned US$40 per month (US$1.40 per day). Although these people get by, living in these conditions can be very difficult, and turning to crime would be an attractive and almost irresistible option. Just a small amount of pick-pocketing and stealing could provide a lot more for their families.

TRAVELLERS ARE TARGETED

Most lower-middle class Asians will see foreigners as very wealthy people. In their minds, if you can afford to travel here, you are rich. Criminals will know that you will be carrying valuable items and cash, and you could be targeted as a potential victim. My friend and I were walking to the park near our hotel in Ho Chi Minh. He was taking photos with a very expensive camera and kept it loosely around his neck with a strap. Thankfully, before anything happened, a concerned local who could speak very good English told us that we should be extremely careful if we were to have the camera out, especially at night time. We returned the camera to the hotel room before returning to the park.

AUTHORITIES ARE OF LITTLE USE

If you are a victim of a crime in the developing Asian countries, there is not much help provided. In fact, the police can be just as corrupt as the criminals. While in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, I was visiting an Australian who lives there permanently. She had just bought a car and was giving it a test run. She saw some locals drive down the wrong direction of a one way street and decided to do the same. Immediately she was stopped by the police. According to protocol, she was to go to the police station and receive a US$25 fine for breaking the road rules. She waved a US$10 note to the policeman, he took it, returned to his car, and let her go about her business. The police in Cambodia rely on bribes and corruption to provide food for their families, as the wages they get do not go very far.

HOW TO BE SAFE

No-one likes to be a victim of crime, so here are techniques to be safe while travelling in Asia.
1. Do not keep valuables lying around in hotel rooms. Hotel cleaning staff earn a lowly wage, and although they may be nice and honest people, don’t tempt them. A good idea is to lock your luggage zippers with a padlock when leaving possessions alone in hotel rooms.

2. Do not keep valuables loosely hanging on your body. Cameras and belt bag straps can be slit with a small knife very quickly, and by the time you have figured it out, your items are gone. Use a slim, poly-cotton money belt, strapped inside of your clothes, around your body. They are very thin, almost invisible under clothes, and inaccessible by shifty pick-pockets.

3. If possible, wear your backpack at the front. This is not so important if you are in a group, but when alone or in a pair, this is a good idea. An acquaintance was sharing with me his experiences in Cambodia. A foreign woman with a bag on her back was riding on the back of a moto (motorbike taxi service) when a man (who was on foot) grabbed her pack as she was riding by. The woman stubbornly held on to her pack and came off the back of the moto. Although she got to keep her possessions, she was covered with cuts and grazes from the fall.

4. Travel in numbers. A good rule is to have at least two people going everywhere you go, ESPECIALLY at night time. When we were in Cambodia we made it a rule to walk in pairs, even throughout the day. I know this can be difficult for people that travel alone, may be you could find a group from your country that is going to the same country that you want to go to.
http://www.asiaexplored.com An up and coming website dedicated to travel in Asia.

My name is Jono, and I am writing articles for my Asia travel website. http://www.asiaexplored.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_Pepperell

An all out exotic Asian travel destination getaway is a top priority on most travel enthusiast’s itinerary. Most travelers might get stuck on which hotels to choose or where to find the right hotel in Asia that they can afford. Certain hotels in Asia can be quite expensive. Hong Kong, Shanghai and Japan are just a few examples. But you shouldn’t let that fact discourage you since there are many hotel agencies that can find discount hotel rates all over Asia, regardless of low season or high season.

Most travelers usually stick with the well advertised Internet travel companies with cutesy commercials to book hotel rooms throughout Asia. While it’s acceptable and you may find decent rates on their websites you can still do even better.

The key is to find Internet hotel agencies rather then choose an agency that provides plane tickets, etc. The benefits of Internet hotel agencies is that they are able to offer travelers more choices of hotel properties to select from. Hotels in Asia seek out these agencies because they know that travelers are relying more and more on hotel agencies that basically act as hotel room wholesalers.

And when a particular hotel needs to sell more of their rooms to reach a quota they will send out a flash sale to these agencies and have them promote the offers. In return the agencies receive a deep discount on a bulk set of hotel rooms which part of the savings is passed to travelers who make a hotel reservation from their website.

Another tip for getting the best hotel rates in Asia is stick with an agency that specializes in hotels of the region you are traveling to. Below are a few reputable and professional Asian based hotel agencies:

* Asia Web Direct
* Agoda
* Rakuten (Recommended for finding discount hotel rates in Japan)

All of those agencies have offices in Asia so they are the first to receive updates on last-minute hotel deals and special promotions.

So whether you are planning a trip to Thailand and all the way through to Japan make sure you find a local agency. They are the best providers of discount hotel rates and in a better place to find you the right hotel for your budget and comfort level.

Visit Best Websites to Book Hotels Online to find the best reliable hotel reservation agencies written by a travel industry insider.

Edwin M. Clark is a business consultant who works and travels to Southeast Asia for over 9 years. His experience and knowledge in the region has provided valuable information and resources for business ventures and mid range to major corporations in the travel industry.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edwin_M_Clark