Traveling can be a life-giving or a long lasting nightmare. Knowing what to research before you book your trip could have a significant impact on your experience and help you to be incredibly safe. Today’s guest is Asher Fergusson. Asher has been traveling around the world since 2004 when he left Australia to study in the United States where he received his undergraduate and master’s degrees. He has lived all over the globe, including in India, Europe, Hawaii, and the mainland US. He enjoys researching the travel industry and has been featured on CNN, USA Today, The New York Times, National Geographic, and many other publications.

Show Notes:

• [0:56] - Asher shares his background and how he got interested in travel.
• [2:12] - On Asher’s website, he started sharing travel safety tips and the site has grown.
• [3:44] - You will run into issues regarding cleanliness in hygiene and water. This can affect your body but is avoidable.
• [4:57] - Asher shares several tips on eating and drinking in other countries.
• [7:27] - When visiting another country, street food can be dangerous.
• [9:20] - Every country has different cultural norms regarding food, water, shelter, and safety.
• [10:31] - One of the major topics of research for Asher is regarding LGBTQ travelers.
• [12:01] - Research laws in other countries because you could actually be imprisoned.
• [14:24] - Another thing to consider is the dress code, especially for women in very conservative countries.
• [15:37] - Some tourists feel that following stricter rules is a violation to their rights, but it is safer to follow the country’s laws and rules.
• [17:17] - Americans tend to travel thinking that they don’t have to prepare and they are above the law.
• [19:01] - America is a phenomenon as each state has different laws, a large population, and a lot of diversity.
• [19:58] - Westerners tend to be targets for theft. Asher shares some things that might make you stand out.
• [23:17] - There are other scams, but they are all about money.
• [25:25] - It is always safer to go to the official site or location to buy tickets to something.
• [26:43] - Asher shares the list of the top 10 worst locations to travel to as a solo female traveler. Do your research about your destination ahead of time.
• [28:22] - Don’t be too nice. People might back off if you put up your boundaries.
• [29:46] - When it comes to family traveling, accommodations are important.
• [32:02] - Another hassle with traveling with kids in carseats and transportation upon your arrival.
• [33:26] - Asher dug deep into Airbnb and customer horror stories.
• [35:23] - Asher describes some of the issues found through this research.
• [38:01] - It is probable that there is a money laundering scam happening in some listings and hacked accounts on Airbnb.
• [40:56] - Never book a place with no reviews. The more reviews the better and only stay at the ones with a 4.8 or 5.0 rating average.
• [43:17] - Look at all the properties listed by the same owner. Only stay with super hosts and make sure they have a verified ID.
• [45:55] - Avoid the professional Airbnb landlords.
• [46:46] - Only book with a credit card and if anything goes wrong, be sure to have photographic evidence.
• [48:17] - Research is critical and real people’s experiences are at your fingertips online.

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