http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19831
This is always the best way to minimise your risk when visiting a new city (or even one that you have been to many times!). Also, be prepared to help others with advice on your own city also :-)]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19831 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19794
We then went down to the ruins of the Agora, and got out to walk around the old bazaar. We thought this would be a lot safer as their were a lot of people around. However, a well dressed Turkish man came up to us and told us, in a very urgent manner, that we were not safe and should get back in the car and go! We thanked him and promptly obeyed!
We have been to Turkey many times and love the country and its people, but we definitely felt unsafe in Izmir even before the incident. We felt hostility from passers-by and a restaurant owner during the short time we were there.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19794 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19277 We went there in May 2008 and it is not at all the dirty, dangerous city of the movies. We would say no more or less dangerous than many European cities.
Probably advisable to avoid the Belsunce area (south west of train station) at night.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19277 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19200
- Do not carry large amounts of money when you leaving your apartment or hotel.
- Don’t let anyone invade your personal space while walking down the streets (whether they seem suspicious or not).
- Wear your bag diagonally across your chest and avoid wearing it on your shoulder. If possible, keep a hand on it at all times. If you must have a backpack, wear it on the front and not on the back as it should normally be worn.
- Even though it is important that you have a valid ID such as a passport with you, in case you decide to go shopping and you need to pay with your credit card, it is not recommend that you carry your passport with you. Take a photocopy of it and keep it somewhere safe in your bag.
- If you still want to take your passport or other ID documents with you, remember to photocopy them and leave the photocopy in your apartment or hotel.
- Carry your wallets and purses in your front pockets and never the back pockets. You will be surprised at just how easy it is to take a wallet or purse from a back pocket and before you realise, then perpetrator will be long gone.
- Whenever you leave a bus, metro or taxi cab, please remember to take all your belongings with you. If you are carrying a laptop, always keep it close to you and never leave your luggage or any other valuables unattended.
- It cannot be stressed enough that even in the busiest, safest looking places (bars and restaurants included), you are a potential target, so be aware at all times.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19200 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18812 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18812 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18629 the Cathedrale de Notre Dame. Thiefs loiter here - especially at night, so women don't walk alone in this area!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18629 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18464
The local lads gather in the streets and have water fights - with coloured water and western tourists are a prime target.

The papers were full of warnings about the chemicals used in the colouring (I wrote off a pair of trousers and T-shirt) They contain some pretty nasty chemicals that can cause skin complaints.

All the taxis and rickshaws (if you can find one) will charge three times the normal rate as "danger and damage" money.

Sit tight (it's only one day) and watch the mayhem from a balcony or rooftop!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18464 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18412 vntraveler.com provides updated travel warnings and safety for tourists to Vietnam plus destination guide, travel tips and answers on travel topics in Vietnam.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18412 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18075 earthoria.com.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18075 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17422 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17422 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17288
I certainly wouldn't recommend it to lone women. If anything goes wrong (and it did with me) you will have absolutely no help whatsoever.

Capitol Guesthouse looks awful from the outside but on the inside it's scrupulously clean, has cable TV, private bathroom, air conditioning, good security (proper walls!) and all for about $8-10.

It also runs buses to Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap etc so it's very well located. You'll get off the backpackers trail just that little bit and experience much better levels of comfort, security and hygiene. And it's just round the corner from possibly one of the best and friendliest restaurants in Cambodia - Mama's.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17288 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14898 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14898 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14889 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14889 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14513 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14513 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10220
Saves hassle, and can be great if you strike up a rapport, even better if they speak a bit of English.

Pay 2000 riel per journey (maybe 3000 at 3am), or negotiate a day rate.

Plus if you're planning on being out late, having a moto driver you trust who you can ring up on a mobile is worth the extra peace of mind.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10220 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10066 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10066 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8753 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8753 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6423
Not everything is glossy in Vancouver - it has the warmest winter temperatures of any Canadian city and there are a lot of street-sleepers, even more than you would find in other large cities like Toronto or London (UK). While the right response is charity and compassion, you may encounter aggressive behaviour if you do try to give money - this happened to me twice in three days last month.

Despite that, a big thumbs up to the gentle people of Vancouver... now if only they could do something about the rain.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6423 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3055 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3055 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/1806 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/1806