I came across an interesting article last week entitled “The Most Dangerous Countries for Tourists, in Maps“.
The article referred to an interactive map on CBCNews which showed which countries to avoid whilst travelling. It was based on travel safety advise from Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs.
I find it interesting to see which countries are labelled as dangerous and which are not. The big surprise for me was seeing South Africa being labelled as “Exercise High Degree of Caution”. I have never been to South Africa, however it is well documented as having one of the highest rates of homicides, rapes and assaults. They have given it the same warning level as many South American countries I have travelled in over the last few months including Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brasil. I have no doubt each of these countries have dangerous areas, however I travelled extensively in all of these countries and always felt safe. Much safer than many western cities such as New York or London.
The USA state department advises against Colombia too, which is where I am staying now (my girlfriend is Colombian). Two weeks ago we travelled up from Ecuador to Colombia by bus. This is something that most governments advise against as there are reportedly many kidnappings at the border, however I didn’t see anything to suggest that it was dangerous.
We then travelled up to Cali, which is Colombia’s third biggest city, and the biggest city in the south of the country. We stayed with a friend and we had a fantastic time at the national park and in the old Colonial area, however I did see why Cali has a reputation as being unsafe. There were a lot of homeless people in the city and we drove through some very dangerous areas in our last day. Perhaps I saw the city in a different light after reading on Wikipedia that there are “1,700 assassins working for various groups in the city”. That’s a statistic to make any experienced traveller wary.
I’m getting close to the age where I want to settle down with a family, however there are so many places out there I still want to visit. Due to the troubles in the middle east, I have no real desire to go there, however Africa remains high on my list of places to go. My friend has been to Rwanda several times and raved about it.
The key is remaining safe it to use common sense. Don’t get into cars with people you don’t trust, and try not to stay out too late at night. I have not experienced any problems in South America, though this is in part to me not drinking too much on my travels. And when I did drink a lot, it was always with a large group of friends.
What dangerous countries have you visited?
Kevin
Visit soon to India. :)
Nah. I wouldn’t like travelling for months on end with kids, particularly as I’d be working on the road. It would be a nightmare.
I’ve not been to many places in the USA. I’ve been to New York four or five times. Spent a week in Boston. Been to Vegas twice. And spent time in Chicago, Indiana and Michigan, when I was over for his wedding.
Hi Kevin,
I meant future children, as you made mention of wanting to settle down at some point. :-D
NYC was more dangerous back then, but as we all know the news blows certain things out of proportion for headlines all the time.
Yes, it is pricey to travel here, and especially in places like New York.
Where else did you visit, other than NYC?
K.
Yeah, New York is notorious for being a dangerous city during the 70s and 80s. It’s a fantastic city to visit though.
Take my family on my travels? I don’t have any children and my parents are retired. :)
I have been to the USA four or five times. I’d love to go back and travel for a few months. Unfortunately, it’s a little more expensive to travel there than in other countries, therefore it’s something I will need to do later.
Kevin
Not being a seasoned world traveler, one dangerous ‘country’ I’ve visited is New York City, where I lived for many years.
Back in the 1980s, in terms of crime it was much worse than it is now, but even then for the most part I was able to walk around by myself without issue.
Like you said, common sense goes a long way: Trust your instincts, avoid sketchy situations as much as possible, and keep your eyes open.
If I may be so bold, Kevin, why not take your family with you on your travels? You may perhaps not visit the same countries as a family as you would as a single person, or couple without children, but what a great way to educate and enlighten children about other cultures.
While I did not travel the world, as a child (and later) I did get to see a lot of the United States, which was a great experience.
I do hope you (and other travelers on here) come to the U.S. again to visit, and see more than the big cities. There are so many different cultures here, and it is a beautiful country. The best way to see it is by car, via the back roads and blue highways.
K.
P.S. In case it’s unclear, I am from, and live in the U.S. :-)
Most of South America is, in my opinion, quite safe. Sure, there are parts of big cities that are dangerous, but that’s no different to any other part of the world.
Of all the countries I visited, I’d say Quito in Ecuador and Cali in Colombia, seemed the most dangerous. I still had a good time in both cities, however there are a lot of unsavoury characters walking around at night.
An interesting one Kevin. I’m wondering why China is also on the dangerous list, haven’t really heard of it being a place where one should be wary of going as a tourist. Are there any countries in South America where a first time visitor to the continent would feel safer than in others?
I love Asia. I’ve spent more than a year of my life in Asia. I’ve yet to visit India though. It’s on my todo list :)
Kevin,Travel Asian country. Especially india. Much safer place. you will love it.
One of my friends has visited it and said it was beautiful. I’m quite ignorant about the country though. Are the tourist areas much safer than other areas (i.e. are there areas with relatively low crime and others which are very unsafe).
The whole saga with Oscar Pistorius gave me the impression that most of the country was safe, as he lives in a secure gated community.
I’m currently living in Colombia, that still has a bad reputation for crime etc, so I realise that many warnings can be unfounded.
Kevin
Kevin, am South African and would say the same encounter you’ve experienced in South American countries also applies to South Africa. Due to its historical past, South Africa is violent…but the tourism industry is thriving, with loads of tourists visiting daily. My challenge to you…add South Africa to your bucket list and you’ll not regret it.