Book Recommendation: Your Guide to Safer Travel
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Traveling is one of life’s great joys, but to be honest, it does come with risks.
Not necessarily dangers around every corner, but situations that require awareness, preparation, and good judgment. And in today’s world, many travelers are thinking more seriously about safety than ever before.
That’s why I recently read Your Guide to Safer Travel: Travel Confidently by Understanding the Threats You Might Face, and How to Avoid and Respond to Danger, written by A. Yohann de Silva.
This guide is based on the author’s more than 20 years of work in intelligence and overseas operations and is simplified for everyday travelers like you and me.
And by the way, this guide feels more serious in tone than many travel books I’ve read.
But in some ways, that’s exactly what makes it stand out.
About the Author
A. Yohann de Silva, is a former CIA operations officer with more than two decades of experience working both in the United States and internationally.
His background includes extensive training in personal security not only for himself, but also for colleagues and others working in overseas environments.
Right at the beginning of the book, there is a disclaimer stating that the opinions expressed are his own and do not represent official U.S. government views. I appreciated knowing that, given that the cover of the book looks quite official.
But considering his background, you can understand why.
What This Guide Covers
This is another short but information-packed guide. At 46 pages, it’s a quick but meaningful read.
The focus of this book is on personal security awareness, especially for travelers visiting low- to medium-risk destinations rather than active conflict zones.
Some of the topics discussed include:
- Hotel selection and room safety
- Transportation awareness
- Crowded places and tourist areas
- Airline travel considerations
- Luggage and identification risks
- Social media safety while traveling
- Recognizing vulnerabilities travelers may overlook
What stood out to me is how the author presents realistic scenarios, not to frighten travelers, but to help them recognize situations where they could unknowingly become vulnerable.
What I Liked About This Guide
The book is short, but it is packed with useful information.
And in today’s busy world, sometimes that’s exactly what we need: a quick read that delivers valuable insights without requiring hours and hours of time.
Another thing I appreciated is that the author highlights situations that many typical travelers, myself included, don’t always think about.
For example:
- How the type of hotel you choose could affect your safety
- Where your room is located within the hotel
- Risks associated with crowded places and tourist-heavy locations
- Even how clothing or logos displayed on clothing could draw attention in ways you may not expect
- That last one really made me think, especially the part about the logos.
The Insight That Confirmed My Instincts
This one really resonated with me: hotel selection.
Over the years, I’ve often chosen to stay in well-rated 3- or 4-star hotels that are commonly used by local travelers, rather than automatically selecting large international luxury hotels.
Reading this book confirmed something I had sensed but never fully articulated.
The author explains that in some destinations, high-profile international hotels, especially those frequented by expatriates, foreign officials, or large numbers of international visitors, can sometimes attract unwanted attention or become potential targets.
That doesn’t mean travelers should avoid these hotels altogether. But it does suggest that thoughtful hotel selection matters, and that sometimes blending in with local patterns can be a wise strategy.
For me, this reinforced my habit of choosing comfortable, reputable hotels used by locals, rather than assuming that the most expensive or internationally branded option is always the safest.
It was reassuring to see my instincts supported by someone with professional security experience.
My Personal Takeaway
One idea from this book that really stayed with me was the concept that predictability is not always an asset.
Sometimes, unpredictability can actually increase your safety.
The author explains that predictable routines, especially while traveling, can make travelers easier to observe or target. That insight made me rethink some of my own habits.
For example, I used to visit the same ATM locations out of convenience. After reading this guide, I became more intentional about varying the ATM locations I use rather than relying on the same one repeatedly.
I also enjoy walking around neighborhoods when I travel. It’s one of my favorite ways to explore and get a feel for a place. But now, I make a conscious effort to vary my walking routes and the times I go out, instead of following the same patterns day after day.
These are small changes, but they can make a meaningful difference.
It’s not about living in fear.
It’s about being aware and making thoughtful adjustments that help you travel more safely.
Who This Guide Is Best For
I would recommend this guide for:
- Travelers who want to better understand safety risks
- Solo travelers
- Group travelers
- Business travelers
- Leisure travelers
- Students studying abroad
- Anyone who wants to travel more confidently and thoughtfully
Even experienced travelers may discover vulnerabilities they had never considered before.
I certainly did.
My Final Thoughts
Travel does come with risks – from delays and illness to theft or unexpected situations. But that hasn’t stopped people from traveling, and it likely never will.
The key is not fear.
The key is awareness.
While the tone of this guide is more serious than many travel books, I did not find it alarming or fear-based. Instead, I found it informative and thought-provoking. It provides the kind of information that helps you travel with greater awareness, not anxiety.
And in uncertain times, that kind of preparation can make all the difference.
Book Recommendation: A Guide to Travel Safety & Security for Solo Female Travelers
Are you a woman who wants to travel somewhere but hesitate because there’s no one to travel with you, or because you’re afraid to travel on your own?
If that sounds familiar, then this guide may be just what you need.
Recently, I read a very practical and visually appealing travel safety guide titled, A Guide to Travel Safety and Security for Solo Female Travelers written by S. Anne Marie Archer.
Although this guide was written specifically with Black women and women of color in mind, the information is certainly not exclusive to them. Women of all backgrounds can benefit from the valuable safety insights shared in this guide.
About the Author
Anne Marie Archer is an experienced traveler who has visited more than 40 countries. In addition to traveling extensively, she curates group travel experiences for women and has professional experience in the international development sector, where she was responsible for the safety of employees working in different parts of the world.
In other words, she knows what she is talking about.
Throughout the guide, she encourages women to:
Travel safely. Travel smart. But most importantly, travel joyfully.
That message alone resonated with me.
What This Guide Covers
This downloadable guide is concise and easy to read – about 41 pages in total – and includes:
- An introduction and conclusion
- 10 short chapters
- Practical travel safety strategies
- Numerous links to helpful resources
- Tips for planning safer travel experiences
The guide is sold as a downloadable PDF, and there is no print version currently available.
What I Liked About This Guide
One of the first things that caught my attention was the design.
The front cover is visually striking, featuring a fashionable bald-headed woman with an airplane flying above her. It’s colorful, modern, and inviting. Honestly, the design alone made me want to start reading.
Inside, the layout is equally appealing. The pages are colorful, easy to follow, and not overloaded with text. Photographs and visual elements support the content, making it a pleasant and engaging read.
And I appreciate that.
Because when something looks inviting, you’re more likely to read it.
But beyond the visuals, the real value lies in the practicality of the information. The author presents useful, straightforward advice that travelers can actually apply.
What I Personally Learned
Now, I travel quite a bit, so much of the information shared in this guide was already familiar to me.
However, and this is important, I still learned something new.
The section on ride-sharing safety stood out to me the most.
In recent years, I have started using ride-sharing services more frequently, particularly in places like Ghana, where services such as Bolt are commonly used. After reading this guide, I realized there were a few safety practices I had overlooked and honestly, that made me pause.
For example, one important reminder was not to tell the driver your name first. Instead, the safer practice is to ask the driver who they are picking up, confirm that they say your name, and then verify the license plate before getting into the vehicle.
Well… here’s my confession.
I had been doing the exact opposite.
I would mention the driver’s name first and wait for him to confirm it. Arghh! The totally wrong thing to do.
I also realized that I wasn’t consistently checking the driver’s reviews before getting into the vehicle which is something that now seems so obvious.
Thankfully, nothing bad ever happened, but reading this section reminded me that even experienced travelers can benefit from refreshing their safety knowledge and correcting small habits that could make a big difference.
I also appreciated the discussion about selecting hotels, including what questions to ask and what factors to consider when choosing both the location and the type of accommodation.
These are practical reminders that matter.
Who This Guide Is Best For
I would especially recommend this guide for:
- Women considering solo travel
- First-time international travelers
- Women who feel hesitant about traveling alone
- Travelers who want a quick-reference safety guide
- Anyone who wants practical reminders about travel safety
Even seasoned travelers may find helpful reminders inside.
Where to Get the Guide
This guide is available as a downloadable PDF and can be purchased directly from the author’s website. I did not see it listed on Amazon at the time I purchased it.
I will include the link below so you can explore it further if you’re interested.
I am sharing this recommendation simply because I found the information helpful. I do not receive a commission from this recommendation.
My Final Thoughts
Traveling solo can feel intimidating, especially in uncertain times. But with the right preparation and awareness, it can also be empowering and deeply rewarding.
This guide offers practical insights in an easy-to-read format, and I believe many women, especially those considering traveling alone, will find it helpful.
And even if you already travel frequently, as I do, it never hurts to refresh your safety knowledge and learn something new.
So here is where you can buy this guide.
If you’re interested in a more security-focused perspective, you may also want to read my thoughts on another safety guide written by a former intelligence professional: Your Guide To Safer Travel written by A. Yohann de Silva, Former CIA Operations Officer.
Returning Home Ain’t Easy But It Sure Is A Blessing!
A Mini Book Review
Returning Home Ain’t Easy if it means picking yourself up and moving to a different country, but yes it can be a blessing. That’s for sure!
When many African-Americans and other People of African Descent living in the Diaspora visit Ghana, one place they are sure to visit is a place called, One Africa Health Resort located in Cape Coast. Situated close to the Elmina and Cape Coast Slave Castles and Dungeons, the resort has became an iconic pilgrimage spot for visitors eager to reconnect to their African roots.
One Africa Health Resort
One Africa Health Resort is also the home and brainchild of the author, Seestah Imahkus (and her late husband).
One visit to the Cape Coast Slave Castle dungeons was all it took. After an emotional and gut-wrenching experience , as she states in the book’s introduction, “I would never be the same again! After years of wandering and searching, I have finally found home.”
But, saying it and actually making the move did not happen overnight. They needed to plan and prepare and so between 1987 and 1990, Seestah Imakhus and her husband made several trips to Ghana.
In 1990, despite objections from friends and family, especially on the part of her mother, they made the move.
Reality sets in
And then reality set in. Visiting a country and living in it are two different things. In this memoir, Seestah Imakhus chronicles her experiences over the course of twenty one years of living in Ghana. There are the good times and the challenging times as she and her husband and other friends and returnees adjust in their ancestral African homeland.
She discusses how she learned to be careful not to trust everyone after being taken advantage of by a friend and swindled out of money. Lacing factual information about some of Ghana’s history, culture and traditions, Imakhus addresses the challenges of language barriers, and being viewed as foreigner and called obroni (white person), which she found to be particularly disturbing. But most of all, the book speaks to the joy she has always felt at being home in Motherland, Africa.
Today, many global celebrities make it a point to visit the iconic One Africa Health Resort in Cape Coast. In addition to hosting enlightening Rites of Passage ceremonies, and conducting somber Castle/Dungeon pilgrimages and ceremonies, One Africa is the site of weddings, meetings, burial of ashes and and a lot more.
If you are lucky, you may get to visit with Sister Imakhus herself.
So here is the takeaway
I highly recommend Returning Home Ain’t Easy But It Sure Is A Blessing! for the following reasons:
If you you are thinking about relocating or repatriating to a country in Africa, this book gives detailed insight as to what to expect.
It is as relevant today as the day it was published (1999 and revised in 2009). It’s worth keeping on hand as a reference guide.
It provides Ghanaians with a greater understanding of African-Americans and why they are choosing to return to Africa, specifically, Ghana.
And finally, Seestah Imakhus writes in way that is so relatable, conversational; funny at times, and other times, angry and feisty.
You can purchase a copy of this book at Amazon.com and other online retailers.
Ready To Quit Your Job and Become Your Own Boss?
Before you do that, read “two weeks notice” by Amy Porterfield
Do you wake up too many mornings thinking that you just don’t want to keep on doing what you have been doing? Quitting comes to mind. You want to become your own boss. But are you ready?
You’re envisioning taking more control of your work and career by starting your own part-time or full-time business. The more you think of it, the more certain you are about becoming your own boss, but you’re just not sure how to get started.
Perhaps you’re a writer like me, and want to take your writing to another level by diversifying what you offer and creating additional income.
No matter what the business you’re thinking of starting, I highly recommend that you begin by reading Amy Porterfield’s book, two weeks notice: Find the courage to quit your job, make more money, work where you want, and change the world.
But hold on! Before you hand in your two weeks notice, please read Amy’s book first.
Yes, I am promoting this book and here’s why. I am a writer, editor and business owner. I want to take my writing and editing business to a higher level, but I am terrible at marketing. I just don’t know enough. I should be more successful than I am, and I know it’s because I am terrible at online marketing.
I want to become better at being my own boss.
Enter Amy Porterfield. She is an undisputed master of online marketing. Check out her top-rated podcast, Online Marketing Made Easy.
I attended some of her free online webinars and was impressed with the knowledge, energy and passion she brought to every session, along with her signature humor and authentic desire to help others succeed. I was equally impressed by the fact that she stayed online with attendees until every question was answered.
She always over-delivered and had plenty of stories to illustrate topics she covered, as well as several scripts that attendees could swipe and make their own. Kind, encouraging and always smiling, by the end of her sessions, attendees and students are left feeling that Amy is a friend who has your back.
After attending one of her free bootcamps on how to start an online business, I decided to take her courses. Since then, I find myself going back to her teachings over and over again. Doing so refreshes my thoughts and keeps me motivated to keep going.
But, could she impart her personality and brand into a book?
Because she teaches on video and students get to see and interact with her in a visual way, I wondered if, or how, she would be able to translate all of her knowledge, as well as her personality and brand into a book. After all, there are some things that are really difficult to feel, or get a sense of, without seeing.
But somehow she did it. And here’s the thing. The book is not even that long, at 277 pages, but Amy has been able to infuse her book with that same enthusiasm, with that same passion, and that same wealth of knowledge.
It’s pretty amazing, given that this is her first book. What’s also amazing to me is that despite her multi-million dollar success, and with all that she has accomplished in her business, she admits she still had a bit of doubt and fear that she could actually write a book about the business she is a master of.
In her book, Amy shares the ups and downs of starting and growing her business. She is very honest about the fears, stumbling blocks, mistakes, crying fits, embarrassments that she faced along the way to creating a very successful business.
We have all felt those things one time or another, right? When you begin to think of starting a business, there’s going to be fear, uncertainty, and looking at others to see if you can possibly be as good as they are, called imposter syndrome, these days.
Still, I was surprised that Amy admitted to feeling uncertain about writing a book about a business that she excels in. She shares this to show how normal it is to feel this way, but she also shows you what she did to overcome and push through that feeling.
Here’s my best advice.
If you are ready to start your own business, my best advice is to start by reading two weeks notice. It’s an excellent, practical guide to get you started. You’ll learn what you need to have in place before handing in your two weeks notice.
Amy has been where you are now, and where you want to be. She breaks it all down in a friendly, conversational way. You’ll get scripts and examples to follow to reach your goal. At the same time, you’ll get strategies that will help you overcome the hurdles that will undoubtedly come your way.
And you’ll feel that she believes in you and is holding your hand as she guides you to success. Like a friend who “has your back.”
It all begins with a single thought. If you are reading this, then I know you are already thinking of taking charge and becoming your own boss.
Be motivated, gain confidence and save yourself time and money. Order your copy of two weeks notice today. You won’t be disappointed.
If you have enjoyed reading this article, or found it helpful, you might be interested in these other articles of mine. Write a Book to Promote Your Business and Think You Can’t Do Something? Think again.
I write about writing, editing, entrepreneurship, self-improvement and travel. I invite you to subscribe to my newsletter! When you join, we’re able to stay in touch, and I’ll send you weekly articles, resources and more, to take your writing to the next level. Subscribe!
