Our Hilton Head vacation was the most incredible vacation we have ever been on. I just can not stop talking about it to all of my friends and family.

When traveling many things can and do go wrong so following a few simple rules could prevent many of those problems fellow travelers encounter on the road. This often means that the memories of the holiday are tainted as sometimes the local people are blamed for something which could have been prevented. Things can even get to the point where you can feel like a prisoner as you become reluctant to leave your room. The most important weapon in your armory to travel safely is your common sense so don't dismiss this invaluable ability if you want to enjoy your vacation.

Whatever it is you are doing or wherever you are, when you get that feeling that something doesn't feel right, that is your instinct; learn to listen to it. A big mistake made by many tourists is they take everything of value with them which makes it very easy for thieves and pickpockets to steal their whole identity in one go. Expensive and necessary items like identification tickets for example should be left at the hotel in their safe or the room safe if you have one; it is much easier to recover your vacation if you only lose a few important belongings instead of all of them. There is nothing worse than having to cancel credit cards on vacation so to protect your assets further when you are out and about, hide them and the cash in different areas about your person in small amounts; that way a possible thief would not get much.

Many couples who have not adopted the travel safely ethos will have 2 credit cards, both accessing the same account; it is much easier to use two cards, each accessing separate accounts so if one is lost or stolen, there is a backup. For some time now, thieves have been perfecting the art of snatching handbags and cameras on straps over the shoulder; but by placing the strap over the head and laying it across the chest, this is much harder to do without cutting the strap. When you walk out make sure you are on the sidewalk as motorbikes and cars can't drive here and if you have your bag or camera dangling off the shoulder furthest from the road it won't be so easy to take. There are many ways to scam tourists and you are vulnerable when you are on vacation so it is an easy task as these people are very good at what they do.

The problem is we all think we're smarter than the scammers, robbers and pick pockets but the sad reality is that these people do it for a living and it's how many of them feed themselves and their families. If you carry a bag of any kind, buy yourself a small padlock or combination lock as the few dollars you spend will be well worth it as it will deter the majority of sneak thieves.