#Wanderlust: 10 Safety Tips to Follow When Traveling

Before you board the plane, read this first.

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Watch Your Back! - The influx of Black women traveling is a wonderful thing — we too should explore the world and get those stamps on our passports. But it’s also important whether you’re with your girls or alone to be as safe and sound as possible. Read this first before you step on that plane.  By Kellee Terrell(Photo: Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Getty Images

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Do Your Research First - Depending on where you go, especially abroad, you have to understand the culture and how they historically treat Black women and women of color. Yes it’s 2016, but these are issues that you need to not be naïve about when traveling. Also, get a feeling about the nightlife, sites and places to stay. (Photo: Westend61/Bonninstudio/Corbis)

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Only Book Airbnb Rooms That Have Good Reviews - Thanks to Airbnb and other housing sites, hotels and hostels don’t have to be your only options for lodging. But you need to be very careful who you stay with. Do your homework to ensure that they have good reviews. The last thing we want is for you to end up on an Investigation Discovery show. (Photo: Siephoto/Masterfile/Corbis)

Be Prepared - Not that you need to have every last second planned, because you do want to have some spontaneity, but it’s important to have some type of itinerary mapped out. Opt for walking group tours where you will be with other people. That will keep you from getting lost and keep you a little safer than being out on your own. (Photo: Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Be Prepared - Not that you need to have every last second planned, because you do want to have some spontaneity, but it’s important to have some type of itinerary mapped out. Opt for walking group tours where you will be with other people. That will keep you from getting lost and keep you a little safer than being out on your own. (Photo: Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Watch Out for Your Valuables - If you are staying in a hostel abroad, it’s probably in your best interest to pack anything valuable, such as passport, medicine, phone, etc., and have it on you the entire trip. Also ask to see if they have a safe just in case. Our tip: Keep your super valuable stuff at the crib. (Photo: Wavebreak Media Ltd/Corbis)

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Be Easy on the Liquor - Enjoying wine in France, Spain or South Africa is a must, but that doesn’t mean you have to be turnt up every day, especially if you are traveling alone. Monitor your alcohol and be careful who you talk to when you are out. You are in a strange place, which leads us to…(Photo: Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Be Easy on the Liquor - Enjoying wine in France, Spain or South Africa is a must, but that doesn’t mean you have to be turnt up every day, especially if you are traveling alone. Monitor your alcohol and be careful who you talk to when you are out. You are in a strange place, which leads us to…(Photo: Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

Be Open to New People, But Be Weary - You can meet some pretty awesome people on trips — which can make vacations fun and exciting. But be mindful that not everyone can be trusted and people may have ulterior motives. So be careful how close you let people in and how much you share with them. (Photo: Monkey Business Images/Corbis)

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Be Open to New People, But Be Weary - You can meet some pretty awesome people on trips — which can make vacations fun and exciting. But be mindful that not everyone can be trusted and people may have ulterior motives. So be careful how close you let people in and how much you share with them. (Photo: Monkey Business Images/Corbis)

Try to Mimic the Locals - Granted, if you go to Poland or Montana, most likely you’re not going to blend in that easily! But if you are going to larger cities that are diverse, try to dress the part so that you don’t stick out like a sore thumb, making yourself a target to pickpockets. (Photo: Rick Gomez/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Try to Mimic the Locals - Granted, if you go to Poland or Montana, most likely you’re not going to blend in that easily! But if you are going to larger cities that are diverse, try to dress the part so that you don’t stick out like a sore thumb, making yourself a target to pickpockets. (Photo: Rick Gomez/Blend Images/Corbis)

Check In With Folks - Whether it’s your Mama, BFF who stayed home or your bae, make sure you are checking in with someone on a daily basis so that your loved ones know you are OK. (Photo: David Kˆhler/Westend61/Corbis)

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Check In With Folks - Whether it’s your Mama, BFF who stayed home or your bae, make sure you are checking in with someone on a daily basis so that your loved ones know you are OK. (Photo: David Kˆhler/Westend61/Corbis)

Look Into Travel Insurance - You never know what is going to happen during your trip, especially if you are going to a different country. Travel insurance is a great way to help deal with unexpected drama from breaking your arm to getting mugged. (Photo: Monkey Business Images/Corbis)

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Look Into Travel Insurance - You never know what is going to happen during your trip, especially if you are going to a different country. Travel insurance is a great way to help deal with unexpected drama from breaking your arm to getting mugged. (Photo: Monkey Business Images/Corbis)

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Make an Emergency Plan   - What happens if your purse gets stolen and your passport and ID are gone? It’s important for you to have copies of credit card numbers and photocopies of your ID and passport uploaded to Google Drive or Dropbox. Also, ALWAYS carry money on you outside of your purse in case anything happens. (Photo: Johnny Greig/Getty Images)