TOMFORD

Dress like the locals. Yea bro tanks are cool or repulsive in the US, depending on who you ask, but in Thailand they say you're either a tourist, a gay, or both. Not that there's anything wrong with being either.

emika

Trying to not look like a tourist can be futile if you're going for the casual look and the advice I've heard from other frequent travelers is to go for the expat look especially in areas where you'll stick out due to your ethnicity.

White buttoned shirt, nice slacks, decent-looking shoes for men. I haven't been able to figure out a similar outfit for women but a decent-looking dress fitting for the climate and local modesty standards seems to be the best shot.

YuropFlyer

^ This

Most people won't manage to go "incognito" in another country, heck, even another area. But taking crappy luggage and relatively crappy clothes does make scammers think "nah, not worth, probably only has little cash".

I do keep some older clothes and luggage especially for countries where I know that there is a lof of those scammers/thieves etc. - it won't work THAT well when you massively blend out and they're used of scamming (Say, in Egypt..) but as long as you don't look like a "hot target", you'll have a much easier holiday.

Doc Savage

The only thing more annoying than a tourist with a selfie stick is a tourist with a &@$* GoPro on a selfie stick.

wanderer35

Good advice!
In most other countries you greet people before making any kind of request or inquiry, whether at the deli counter at the supermarket, or in the souvenir shop.
Greet in English if you did not learn the words in the language of the country you visit. Much better than not greeting at all. Same for Thank you, etc.

pon18n

I remember when we were kids and our parents took us to Taiwan. At a restaurant he whispered to us to "keep quiet and act like the locals" so they don't try to rip us off. Which, to be fair, wouldn't have been that difficult since we look Chinese and my dad can speak fluent Mandarin.

He then laid out the map on the table to figure out our next destination...

Way to blend in like a local, Dad.

pinniped

Goodness, I hope there isn't *too* much variance on this question in the U.S.

Although I guess if you're a 16-year-old bro taking a trip to Arkansas, maybe you should pack a bro tank...

Amelorn

Quiet? Restaurant? Greater China? That is supposed to help you blend in?

milepig

I was recently flying intra-asia with a colleague who works for the company's office in Singapore. He appeared at the airport that appeared to be nothing but duct tape, but upon closer inspection was actually a reasonably expensive suitcase. When asked, his reply was "camouflage so no one will steal stuff from it while checked baggage. Very important for some of the locations they make me fly to."

Annalisa12

I've had a friend that has had expensive clothing stolen from their suitcase when I was checked luggage. She swears it was because of the first class tags. She now asks that first class not be put on. She'll wait for her "economy" bags or if the tag says priority without the class she's in she'll go for that.

Ivelisse

As a Mexican living in Malaysia who every day gets confused as local but never as tourist and blends in doesn't matter if is New Zealand, Spain, Germany, Brazil or Indonesia (in all those countries people have assumed i'm local) i would say no selfie sticks, gopros, no big camera hanging from your neck, no lonely planet/map while walking on the street and PLEASE if you visit Southeast Asia no singlets shirts printed with name of beer brands or padi conical hats!! Those scream tourists!! Same in Mexico if you walk with a big sombrero hat! Dress as local, i have realized here in Kuala Lumpur it's so easy to identify who is a foreigner living here and who is a tourist just by looking at the clothes. We expats even tend to even wear jeans, when a tourist probably would never do while in KL!!

Also, do your research of the place you are visiting before getting there, the colors of subway lines, main stops, landmarks, how to get from A to B, the main food dishes, don't ask for food substitutions/changes unless religious/allergy concerns (don't ask for a curry soup less spicy if the stall is just a lady with a big pot of soup serving the bowls in front of you), if you need directions just check your phone (those days is so easy to get tourist simcards with data plans), learn a couple of words in local language. Actually, it's easy to blend in, to put it simple look at the obvious people who look like tourist and try not to act/look like them.

Cat Man Do

I do not use a fanny pack or money belt. If you do have a money belt, it should never be accessed in public.

I avoid the deer-in-the-headlights look. Even if I have no idea where I am, I'll continue to act as if I know where I'm going, either occasionally checking the phone map or asking directions if necessary.

Those two bits are the big ones. Pickpockets and scam artists can smell fear and naivet� a mile away.


You can NOT avoid looking like a tourist in some situations. If you're pasty white and in the Marrakesh medina, they'll make you as a tourist.

I won't touch a selfie stick with a 10 foot selfie stick. If I carry a camera other than my phone, it's a small micro-four-thirds mirrorless one.

Some logistical / packing decisions I've made:

I've pared down my luggage over the last couple of years, after constantly bringing home half of what I took unused. Last few 1-2 week trips have been done with a 13 liter Osprey day-lite pack. I've standardized on mostly merino wool layers. How does this make me look less like a tourist? My pack is the same one I usually use as a daily-carry laptop bag. If I can fit into a coffee shop at home, I can fit in elsewhere.

I prefer pockets with discreet zippers. Cargo pockets are also very touristy, but I still prefer them just to carry a hat, sunglasses, etc. Passport in the front left pocket where I would normally carry my keys, couple of cards in left rear, small amount of cash right rear, backup cards some other pocket, phone in right front pocket. These are standard for me - keeps me from forgetting one or more items if everything has a standard pocket. Nothing goes in jacket pockets, because those can get left behind.

TiberiusOnTime

My advice is don't worry or dwell on it too much. Using some common sense and being a gracious visitor is what I always aim for when visiting a foreign country. How you act will impact how people treat you, whether it be positively or negatively, more than how you are dressed. That is assuming you are dressed conservatively.

Also take some time learning about your destination (reading, youtube videos etc.). And talking to people who have visited or lived in that area. They can warn about any pitfalls they have encountered. Knowing about what scams take place where you are visiting is very useful. Online there is no shortage of knowledge about the most visited places.

bumfluff

-if you're using apple products replace the highly recognizable white headphones with something more generic

- if you have to use your phone in public get your back up against a wall or find a place where you can see people approach you

-as others have mentioned, do some research into local scams (ie bangkok tuk-tuk "suits"/"mall" scam)

-anyone who refers to you as "my friend" is not your friend

pon18n

I'm from bangkok and I can pretty much tell you that unless you look Thai and speak the language, 90% of the taxis will try to rip you off. No amount of dress/preparation is going to help you here.