So be safe, not sorry. Apply commonsense, stay alert and be streetwise in safeguarding your valuables. 

• Do not carry a large amount of cash, even if you are going on a long-haul holiday. Use a combination of cash, travellers’ cheques, and credit and ATM cards instead.



• Try not to keep all your valuables in one place. It is a good idea to keep your cash and credit cards (try not to carry more than two) separate so you have a “back-up” mode of payment if you should accidentally lose any of your valuables or get robbed.



• Find creative ways to hide your money. Items like pouches, key chains, belts, cases and apparel with hidden pockets or compartments are obtainable from travel speciality shops.



• Keep the bulk of your valuables in safe places, and a small amount of local currency in a separate dummy wallet where it's easily accessible. This way, you're not flashing all your cash each time you want to make a small purchase, and if it's stolen, it won't be a huge loss.



• Stories about nimble-fingered pickpockets, including very young children, abound in certain places like Italy and Mexico, but you should never let your guard down anywhere. Thieves often work in syndicates and stake out crowded tourism hotspots and shopping bazaars to prey on tourists.



• If you need to exchange currency, it’s safer to so with licenced moneychangers or banks instead of street-side dealers.