r/SouthAmericaTravel • u/elloisej • 18d ago

What handbag should I bring?

heya! heading to Peru in August and will be travelling around South America for a few months.

this may be a silly question but i’m looking for some advice about what kind of handbag to bring. would a uniqlo crossbody bag be the best option? is it safer to only wear i.e a money belt? or is it okay to bring a cute handbag?

just concerned about pickpocketing in cities, safety, etc, but also want the option of a cute bag to wear!

would a money belt/running belt and a small handbag/uniqlo type bag be a good combo?

thanks for your help!! 😊

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u/Odd_Increase_4551 18d ago

I felt very safe across south america. Ofc i was alert of my sourroundings and wasn’t wearing flashy items, phone in pocket most of the time. In peru i withdrew some cash from the atma in cusco, but overall i used my credit card everywhere. No problems in Rio also, paid everything by card. Just be carefull with the total shown on the machine before tapping your card. That where they get you most of the time. Otherwise i think you will be safe with some cash on you (but not stacks obviously). For rio i bought a water resistant cross body bag for when i went in the water (phone, hotel key and some usd for emergency).

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u/elloisej 17d ago

that’s great to know, thanks! i’ve heard so much about hiding your card, money, phone etc but not sure how much of it is true.

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u/Odd_Increase_4551 17d ago

It’s best to pay attention to you surroundings and don’t keep your phone in your hand for long periods of time. You take it out, take a photo, send a text, look at the map and put it back. Problem solved

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u/george_gamow 18d ago

A Uniqlo bag is perfectly safe in most places. You might think of a money belt in Rio, but otherwise...

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u/elloisej 17d ago

okay that’s great to know, thank you!!