Cash or cards or both and pick pockets while travelling…
When I travelled for the first time outside the country to Thailand, I carried cash. Having hard currency in hand made me feel more secure in a foreign land. The only thing I did was to divide it into different pockets so that I would not loose all the money at once (should I be the chosen one for a pick pocket).
Across the many travels, abroad and within the country, I found that there is a bounty of coins available (except in Goa, there are plenty of sweets for return change instead) and you do get your change back, down to the last penny. I find carrying coins troublesome and a little embarrassing at the counter as I try to figure out how much coins to pay specially when I am not familiar with the coinage value. At the end of some holidays, I am loaded with so much coins that I need to get rid of (another daughter collects a penny or two from all travels but that does not help much).
So, I do find using the debit, credit or forex card much more convenient and carry all three for different purposes rather than cash. Besides, once cash is lost, it is lost. Period. At most I carry just enough cash to pay from airport to hotel if I am unable to prebook and prepay a taxi or unable to find a running ATM machine at the airport.
A preloaded forex card can be used for emergency cash withdrawals (there is no charge for upto three withdrawals). The debit card which I enable for international transactions already has enough in the account as the budget for the entire holiday. And the credit card for unexpected expenses, or in case the debit card for some reason does not work. As soon as I check in a hotel, I also pay upfront for the stay so that budget is taken of straight away.
With net-banking being so accessible, I have found no problem thus far, using just my normal debit cards. Besides, if the card is lost or stolen, I can at once block it on the mobile app. Just to be on the safer side, one can carry additional cards of another account (my favourite is to carry the better half’s card as there is a thrill for swiping that card for purchases).
Always carry 25% more than your actual budget. Knowing that you have something to fall back on in a foreign country is very comforting. It is better to delay your trip than travel with an absolutely tight budget. When you travel, do it with peace of mind to really enjoy your holiday.