DUBAI: If you are in dire need of a break but dread airport queues and holiday hassle, you could be about to find the solution in the unlikeliest of places.
Last week, WikiLeaks exposed the CIA Engineering Development Group’s instructional documentation which advises spies on the protocol to follow while traveling abroad.
The tips and tricks are useful for any wary voyager so read on for the top five secrets on how to travel like an intelligence agent.
1. Alert your credit card company
Your bank will monitor account activity for suspicious behavior and could block any transactions you attempt to make abroad.
As the leaked document suggests: “Be sure to call your credit card company and notify them of your travel to Germany.”
2. Don’t leave valuables lying around your hotel room
The leaked documents warn: “Do not leave anything electronic or sensitive unattended in your hotel room.”
For the average holiday goer, this includes passports, jewelry and any valuable items which hotel staff could pilfer.
3. Be calm in the airport security line
Travelers who are most likely to be pulled aside for additional screening usually exhibit “shaking or trembling hands, rapid breathing for no apparent reason, cold sweats, pulsating carotid arteries, a flushed face, and avoidance of eye contact,” the leaked documents say.
If you get pulled aside, try not to use phrases like “to be honest” and “swear to God,” the CIA cautioned in another document leaked in 2014.
4. Research local cultures and customs
Don’t be surprised if you plan a busy Sunday morning in a sleepy European town, only to find shops and cafes are closed. The leaked documents warn of travel to Germany: “If you arrive on a Sunday morning... expect to find most businesses (grocery stores especially) are closed. Some restaurants may be open.”
5. Spend leftover cash buying duty free
The document includes a confidence-boosting note to agents: “Buy something in Duty Free, because you’re awesome and you deserve it!”
Travel made easy: Top 5 leaked CIA tips on how to fly like a spy
Travel made easy: Top 5 leaked CIA tips on how to fly like a spy
Russian cyclist finds warm welcome on Saudi Arabia’s roads
- Anna Rodnishcheva’s ride through Kingdom is defining chapter in solo expedition
- Rodnishcheva cycled to Aqaba, crossed the border into Saudi Arabia, and has since traveled through Tabuk, AlUla, Madinah, Jeddah, and Taif on her way to Riyadh
MAKKAH: Solo adventurer Anna Rodnishcheva, 27, has undertaken an ambitious journey that spans countries, climates and cultures — on a bicycle.
Born and raised in Moscow and trained as a biologist before becoming an event photographer, she now finds herself pedaling thousands of kilometers across unfamiliar landscapes in pursuit of discovery, connection, and the simple joy of movement.
In her conversation with Arab News, Rodnishcheva offered a detailed account of her ongoing route in Saudi Arabia, describing how the expedition is her third major cycling adventure.
After previously riding from Moscow to Sochi and later from Vladivostok to Sochi — a route that stretches across the entirety of Russia — she felt compelled to explore foreign lands by bicycle.
She set off from Moscow heading south last June, passing through Russia, Georgia, and Turkiye before flying from Antalya to Amman. She cycled to Aqaba, crossed the border into Saudi Arabia, and has since traveled through Tabuk, AlUla, Madinah, Jeddah, and Taif on her way to Riyadh.
Rodnishcheva explained that physical preparation played only a small role in her planning. She began slowly and allowed her body to adapt naturally over the first month.
The true challenge, she said, was in the mental and financial preparation. She spent a year and a half planning the journey, even though she originally intended to postpone it for several more years.
Ultimately, her belief that “life is short” convinced her to start with the resources she already had. Although she sought medical evaluations and additional vaccinations, she was unable to complete them all and decided to continue regardless.
Her journey through Georgia and Turkiye presented unexpected difficulties. Simple tasks such as finding groceries or locating bicycle repair shops became more challenging outside of Russia, where she knew how to navigate on a budget.
She also encountered language barriers, though the situation improved when a local cyclist joined her in Georgia. The intense midsummer heat added another layer of difficulty, but she had prepared herself for such conditions.
One of the most striking moments of her trip occurred as she crossed from Jordan into Saudi Arabia. She described the experience as surreal and emotionally overwhelming, likening it to the adventures of a literary hero traveling across the Arabian Peninsula.
Her anxiety eased unexpectedly when she got a flat tire at the border, bringing her back to the present.
Despite being warned that crossing by bicycle would be prohibited, the process went smoothly, and she was struck by the friendliness of both Jordanian and Saudi officials. She expressed particular surprise at meeting a female Saudi passport officer, an encounter that challenged her previous assumptions about women’s roles in the Kingdom.
Rodnishcheva said the hospitality she had experienced in Saudi Arabia surpassed anything she had encountered on previous journeys. Drivers frequently stop to offer her water, fruit, or sweets, and several families have generously hosted her in their homes or guest flats.
She emphasized that she feels completely safe traveling across the Kingdom, especially on the open roads between cities, noting the strong and visible security presence.
She has also observed significant differences in weather. While the stretch from the border to Jeddah was hot despite being winter, the climate changed dramatically after climbing Al-Hada in Taif, turning cooler and windier — a climate she compared to Russian summers.
Rodnishcheva documents her travels primarily through Russian-language platforms such as VK and Telegram. Although she maintains YouTube and Instagram accounts, she explained that her schedule left little time for frequent updates.
Offering a message to women around the world who dream of embarking on similar adventures, she said such journeys were “not as scary as they seem before you start,” though they may not suit everyone.
Her closing advice? “Listen to your heart.”
