St Maarten Travel & Safety Tips

Acts of crime and violence can be found worldwide and so you don’t have to cancel your vacation to St Maarten – St Martin or think that one place is more safe than another just because of the headlines!

Generally, if you’re alone, you’re more vulnerable. No need to worry: If you consider your environment, stay confident and take the proper steps to ensure your safety, you’ll be fine. The following are some travel tips to help you on your way while on vacation in St Maarten – St Martin.

• Always bring as many different forms of identification with you as possible. You want to make sure that you can prove who you are in case of emergency.
• Be sure to scan all of your important paperwork and keep them in an email file. This way, if you lose your documents, you can access them from a nearby computer or smartphone.
• If you’re carrying jewelry, expensive luggage and other valuables, have them photographed prior to your vacation. When checking in, keep an eye on your luggage and your purse. Check to see if the interiors of the hotel are well lit and do not venture into dark areas.
• Make sure that your hotel room has a peephole and a dead bolt lock. Keep the safety chain, dead bolt and bar on at all times when you are in the room. When you leave your room, place the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign hanging from the door knob on the outside to give the impression that you are in the room. Check to see if there are fire sprinklers and smoke detectors in your room, in hallways and meeting rooms. Secure the locks on any adjoining doors and windows and check to see that the phone in your room has outgoing calls.
• Stay in public places  when venturing outside of your hotel so that you’re never alone or especially vulnerable: If you’re where people can see you, there’s less of a chance someone could rob or hurt you.
• If it’s late, dark out and quiet, try not to make any unnecessary detours. Take a map with you so that you don’t get lost and always have the numbers of emergency contacts with you: your hotel, friends and family members, your embassy, etc.
• Walk like you know where you’re going: shoulders back and your head up. If you need to check your map, do it discreetly. You don’t want to call attention to the fact that you’re a tourist. Look like you know where you are and where you’re going.
• Adhere to and respect local rules and customs that can ensure your safety.

Listen to your gut feeling. If something doesn’t feel right about a situation or decision, don’t do it. Vacationing in St Maarten – St Martin is an amazing experience, listen to yourself, and you’ll be safe and sound during your stay on the island.