The year I went to Java and Bali all Western nations where warning their people not to go there. While I was there, the State dept. issued a warning that they had good reason to believe that there was a plan to start killing westerners after Ramadan. The state department warnings always seem to be overly cautious. If you believed everything, they said, you would never go anywhere. Still it’s good to read the warnings and advice. http://travel.state.gov/
Because the situation was considered shaky there, I never left my room without my plane ticket, passport, visa card, money and travelers checks. I kept it all in a money
belt worn against my skin around my lower waist in the area that is covered by my pants. Worn against my lower back it was quite comfortable, unobtrusive, and didn’t create bulky lines. I even slept with it on sometimes. The money belt that I used was the Eagle Creek – Deluxe Security Belt. It has two pockets; one big enough to hold plane tickets. It has soft fabric that lies against your back. There are lots of these like this one. I haven’t tried others but the Rick Steves Silk Money Belt
is made of silk, has a lot of good reviews on Amazon, and has a plastic pocket for your passport which would be nice because moisture from sweat is an issue. Whatever you buy, I would recommend that you make sure it is big enough to hold a plane ticket.
I have tried the ones that you wear around you neck and they create a big bulge under my shirt and a big ugly string hanging around my neck; I wouldn’t recommend them.
Note: I never revealed my money belt when out in public. I carried a pouch for all the stuff that I knew I would need that day. It had a strap and a wide belt loop, so I could secure it across my shoulder and loop it through my backpack’s hip belt for added security. If I did need something out of my money belt, I would duck into a restroom and take it out there.
