I'm currently cycling around the world carrying both a full sized u-lock and a cable lock, which together weigh 5.3lb (2.3kg). My partner is also carrying her own separate full sized u-lock. We share the single cable lock I'm carrying.
https://www.rei.com/product/216211/h...1000-bike-lock
https://www.rei.com/product/809719/k...007-cable-7-ft
Using careful behavior to safeguard your bike is a dead end. When you are touring on another continent, it's because you want to take in the exotic sights. You're not doing it merely to ride your bike dawn to dusk while occasionally sprinting into a store to buy food. When you arrive at a tourist destination, you need to lock your bike. When you go for a hike, you need to lock your bike. When you go to a bazaar, you need to lock your bike. When you're staying in a capsule hotel in Japan, you need to lock your bike. There is no getting around locking your bike, unless you want to completely destroy your travel experience by being a slave to guarding your bike like a hawk.
And no, you're not going to be able to sweet talk your way into stashing your bike with some restaurant/store/hotel across the street while you explore Angkor Wat. They can't understand what you're saying, and even if they could, they're not interested in being liable for some foreigner's bike.
Right, it's that simple... if one visits ""tourist destinations"". But tell me please, where do you lock your bike when you go for a hike? Let's say a 5h hike....
My travel experience would be destroyed visiting tourist destinations.