How do you feel about Ten of the Most Dangerous Destinations (And Which Ones Are Worth the Risk)?
What about these Six Countries on the US State Department Alert and Warning Lists That You Should Visit Anyway?
And closer to home, what about America’s Most Dangerous Cities?
Some of these countries are no surprise that you may want to wait a bit (for example, war zones for the less adventurous (!) travelers out there)…but others, just require street smarts and being a smart traveler.
South Africa, Brazil and Colombia all make the ‘dangerous’ list. Honduras, India and Israel make the State Department list. Yet, I know plenty of people who have traveled to each of these amazing destinations.
What’s your travel style? How do you determine where your travels take you?
Do you ever visit the State Department’s website? Do you use the State Department as a loose guide for your travels? Do you shy away from any that are on the State Department’s list? Or are you so adventurous that you create your itinerary based on destinations that the State Department deems dangerous?
As for me, I regularly visit the State Department’s website. I do use it as a guide but I am also well tuned to international news. Google has a setting where you can see the news based on your location — from time to time, I check out headlines from countries I am interested in visiting and I also check the BBC and other international news outlets than just those based in the US.
Personally speaking, I wouldn’t go to an active war zone but I know of people (Wandering Earl, for example) who have. And he brings back stories of kind people, memories of undiscovered places and a bullet in his pocket.
simply three cents 
October 9th, 2011 at 6:46 am
This is always a good topic to discuss and I personally feel that relying on the information and advice of other travelers is the best way to go. Other travelers who are either in the region or have recently been can provide much more authentic and unbiased advice than any government website.
And while State Department warnings can be a decent guide, just because a country finds itself on that list simply means that you should do a little more research and not just avoid that country automatically.
Often times a country will make the list simply because of one incident in one tiny corner of a country. As many have said, if there were gunfights in the streets of Los Angeles, you don’t need to stay away from New York City.
Additional research is always best!!
October 9th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Thanks Earl. I absolutely agree! And while I understand the government has to do due diligence, they also need to cover their a$$ – that’s their job.
I added those US cities links to show my readers (all ten of you) that there are places deemed ‘dangerous’ right in our backyards, and you might not think twice about going there.