Comments on: You Don’t Need a Travel Money Belt: How to Manage Your Money While Traveling

By: Rajesh Sharma

Rajesh Sharma — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 20:09:31 +0000

Thanks for sharing this amazing guide with the audience. I will be sharing this with my family and friends as the tips and ideas which you have shared is indeed amazing and will definitely help someone in need. Thank you for your worthy share. Keep up the good work.

By: Danielle

Danielle — Sun, 07 Jan 2018 18:52:36 +0000

Hi Rachel, in general I agree but you might want to reconsider your advise for countries like Uzbekistan (no ATM with local currency at airport and hardly any elsewhere, Madagascar (where – Dutch – bank cards f.e. don’t work, just creditcards like Visa so you have to get out large amounts when you can), island like Pemba or Zanzibar (none to hardly any ATM’s or just in capital)… quite a few reasons to wear a concealed money belt if you’re carrying around around 1.000 US$ in cash (or equivalent in local currency).

By: Kelly Irving

Kelly Irving — Mon, 28 Nov 2016 06:42:43 +0000

Love your blog and advice. However, I will weigh in on the side of money belts. Last winter we were in Ecuador and at one place our manager warned us against leaving anything valuable in our room (basically a tree house) even if it was locked. Well, that very night a woman had her passport and hundreds of dollars stolen from her locked room. Likely scenario was that a small person, or child, had come through a window.
Some countries, like Myanmar, you pretty much have to take a bundle of cash as there are few ATMs. It’s surprising how thin you can compress a bunch of $US dollars and keep them crisp looking (a requirement in Myanmar).
I always keep a day’s ready cash in a small wallet in my front pocket (with a shirt hanging our over it) and my main cash, credit/debit card and passport in my money belt.
As for HSBC…. when I lived in Vietnam I used them as I had an account at home. They had terrible service fees. Eventually I learned to use ‘private’ banks in Vietnam. So true that the longer you’re in a place the more you learn about how the locals work things out.
Thanks for the great work and words.

By: Rachel Jones

Rachel Jones — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 06:53:26 +0000

In reply to Liz. haha, men... they're always embarrassing us ;)

By: Liz

Liz — Sat, 04 Jun 2016 14:25:42 +0000

During my time in Peace Corps in Kenya, I just used a regular purse or backpack and a regular wallet. My boyfriend at the time (now my husband) used a money belt type wallet (while traveling and in urban areas) but kept it tucked into the leg of his cowboy boot. We called it his “boot safe” and I found it ridiculous and embarrassing, but he swore by it.

By: Rachel Jones

Rachel Jones — Mon, 23 May 2016 17:48:56 +0000

In reply to Alex. Hi Alex, totally see the other side of it. I definitely think people should use their hotel safes although I am always too lazy to do it. I use a bank that doesn't charge ATM fees so I never carry large amounts of cash and only have my passport on me while in transit.

By: Alex

Alex — Fri, 20 May 2016 10:19:43 +0000

I know this post is mostly about banking, but I couldn’t resist weighing in on the other side the money belt argument. Don’t want people to be too complacent!

– Money belts may be dorky, but they shouldn’t LOOK dorky. The whole point is to wear them somewhere where others can’t see, and only access them in private where possible.
– Obviously you can carry smaller change in a wallet or something in addition to the belt. It’s much safer that way, especially if you’re mugged. Then you have something to easily give up.
– Passports (and cards) shouldn’t be left in luggage in many places. People can steal stuff from your rooms and luggage, locked or not. It happens in the nicest hotels, and in the cheapest hostels.
– Purses can easily be stolen/ripped from you, leather or not.
– No, locals don’t use money belts. They also don’t have to carry around passports and large amounts of cash, and they aren’t foreigners, so they don’t have targets painted on their backs.

Sincerely,
Dork extraordinaire/belt believer

By: Betsy

Betsy — Fri, 20 May 2016 08:47:12 +0000

Hey!
The festival is called Chobi Mela. There are exhibitions of photography and lectures about photography or by photographic artists. Anyone who likes photo is welcome. You make really nice cell phone photos! Obviously, we checked out other things in the city as well.

By: Rachel Jones

Rachel Jones — Fri, 20 May 2016 08:40:23 +0000

In reply to Betsy. Oh that's really interesting! yes I'd love to know about it. What is the festival called? Although I take all my pics on a camera phone lol they might not let me in :p

By: Betsy

Betsy — Fri, 20 May 2016 08:27:19 +0000

Hey Rachel!

I am planning to be in Dhaka, Bangladesh during the first/second week of February 2017. I am going for a photograph festival. We may travel outside of Dhaka but we haven’t finalized plans yet. You can come if you want! I will keep you posted.

Betsy

By: Rachel Jones

Rachel Jones — Fri, 20 May 2016 06:30:45 +0000

In reply to Betsy. Hi Betsy, I really want to go to Bangladesh. Let me know if you go back, maybe I'll tag along!

By: Rachel Jones

Rachel Jones — Fri, 20 May 2016 06:30:11 +0000

In reply to Joanna Szreder. Hi Joanna, Yes in some cases it does make sense to :)

By: Betsy

Betsy — Thu, 19 May 2016 11:44:29 +0000

I brought a money belt the first time I came to India. However, I stopped using it after a few days. I did use it in Bangladesh, as it is not a tourist place. But when I go back to Bangladesh I will not use it. Bangladesh is super fantastic.

Great advice as always!

By: Joanna Szreder

Joanna Szreder — Thu, 19 May 2016 11:32:54 +0000

Good advice. I have been having so many problems with my bank recently that I’m currently thinking of transferring to HSBC.
You mentioned that it’s better not to exchange money at the airport. I think that’s absolutely true. However, sometimes you don’t have a choice. Like, I am going back to Poland after 3 years now and have no Polish money with me, but I have a couple of dollars, which will be handy to exchange at the airport so I have money for a cab.

By: Kate

Kate — Thu, 19 May 2016 07:26:09 +0000

Great tips – thanks so much for sharing!

Kate | http://www.petiteadventures.org/

By: Rachel Jones

Rachel Jones — Thu, 19 May 2016 07:19:08 +0000

In reply to Danielle. haha it's always fun when you HAVE to spend money ;) no guilt!

By: Danielle

Danielle — Wed, 18 May 2016 20:18:28 +0000

Great tips! I am going on a short trip to Macedonia next week and you can’t exchange money to Macedonian Denar or vice versa unless you’re in the country – uh oh – looks like I’ll have some cash that I just HAVE to spend in duty free ;-).