There is nothing worse than having problems occur when you are on vacation, especially in a foreign land where many things are unfamiliar. Usually these problems could be prevented but may give a false impression of the location you have visited. In serious cases, you may not even want to leave your hotel room or have to spend time sorting out the problem at the local Police station. It is easy to drop your guard when you are on vacation and enjoying yourself but this is when you are most vulnerable so traveling safely relies on your common sense to guide you.
If you ever get that distinct feeling that something is wrong, which often happens on vacation, that is your instinct giving you a warning that you should take notice of. 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. Take just what you need for the day and leave the rest in the hotel safe as it is better to lose a little, rather then everything. One easy thing to do to protect your money is not carry all of it around at once or leave it in just one location where a thief can steal everything you have quite easily.
It is also never a good idea for a couple to use the same credit card, when to travel safely it just is a simple matter to take a second card from a completely different account; as a replacement should one be mislaid or taken. Some people just make it easy for snatch thieves who specialize in grabbing bags and cameras from unsuspecting tourists who have them hanging from their shoulder; to prevent this make sure the strap is over the head as well. Some of the easiest crimes involve snatch thieves that may actually work in teams; they locate unsuspecting victims who have a bag on their shoulder for instance that can be easily grabbed by a passing cycle or scooter. Criminals love tourists as they are usually considered easy prey and we all underestimate how very proficient they are at relieving people of their personal belongings.
This complacency can cause problems because these people make their living doing this sort of thing but just a little extra vigilance can make it much harder for them to take what does not belong to them. Carrying a small backpack can be a good idea as it can be secured with a small padlock which although will not deter the determined thief, will certainly slow down and prevent the majority from trying their luck.