In this post, we share a baker’s dozen of the most common of the international travel safety don’ts we’ve received along with pertinent actual experience.
Over the past two years, we’ve been on the receiving end of quite a few international travel safety don’ts and admonitions. Many of these have come from well-meaning people who haven’t got a current passport (and may never have had one at all), and others from people who do but should know better. Obviously, your mileage may vary.
1. Don’t go to Hungary, there are too many gypsies who want to rob you. (Budapest became one of our favorite European cities. We weren’t robbed. It must have been a miracle.)
2. Don’t go to Romania, there is too much crime. (We did see an empty purse discarded on a snowbank in Bucharest, much like one I saw in Minneapolis years ago. We also had a very memorable experience on an overnight train through Romania, and miraculously accounted for all our belongings at its conclusion.)
3. Don’t go to Russia for the Olympics. There will be a terrorist attack. (Obviously, there was not and the security made us feel confident and safe. All the toilets we used and doorknobs we turned worked perfectly, too.)
4. Don’t go to Fiji. The government is a military regime. (Yes, yes it was. Now it’s somewhat not. It’s still beautiful and the people are lovely.)
5. Don’t go to Bosnia and Herzegovina. It’s not safe (no specific reason) or there are land mines everywhere. (Yes, land mines are still around in the forests and other remote areas. We spent time in two cities, and kept on the road in the mountains. Therefore, we learned other things, including the war there has been over for 20 years and people are looking to the future. Imagine if everyone had been told not to visit Germany in the 60s? We’d have never had the Beatles, who got their start in Hamburg, maybe?)
6. Don’t go to Bangkok. Someone set a bomb off there some time ago. (Yes, they did. The odds are good it won’t happen again. We’ve been in and out of Bangkok half a dozen times since October, and are going again tomorrow.)
7. Don’t go to Laos/Vietnam. Vague and unintelligibly inarticulate reasons, mostly along the lines of “It’s a Communist country.” (We gave up trying to answer and visited. There’s a lot of capitalism going on. Vietnam has the region’s fastest growing economy. Laos, not so much. You might argue they could really use our tourist dollars and you’d be right. They’d rather have dollars than their country’s own currency, imagine that.)
8. Don’t fly Air Malaysia, your plane will crash. (Again, please study statistical probabilities. We’ve flown AM several times in the last year and emerged completely unscathed at our destinations on time!)
9. Don’t even go to Malaysia. It isn’t safe. You might be kidnapped. It’s one of those Muslim countries. (Nope, been to Malaysia twice, no kidnapping. Yep, Malaysia is 60% Muslim, and while Islam is the state religion, the Malaysian constitution also guarantees freedom of religion. There are Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and Muslims living peacefully together in Malaysia.)
10. Don’t go to China. It’s polluted and they hate us. (Yes, certain cities are polluted. We will be in Ningbo for six weeks, a somewhat smaller city outside Shanghai. We doubt the Chinese people hate us. Our governments may not always get along, but business investment is plentiful. We will definitely report what we see and learn.)
11. Don’t go to Paris (before the latest attacks). The French are dishonest, rude and hate Americans. (We suppose that’s how Pete got his lost wallet back with everything in it?)
12. Don’t go to Paris (after the latest attacks). We wouldn’t dream of not going to or through Paris in the future. This is like saying don’t go to New York, London, or even Oklahoma City.
What’s the point of this post? The point is if we had listened to the well-meaning, but ill-founded advice from armchair personal safety experts we would never have had what we count to be some of the richest experiences of our lives.
We do have one don’t for you:
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Wow! We are asked all the time by people concerned and we would never say anything like this to them but we’ve had a few of these things said to us from people who don’t know better. And absolutely …we can never have too many friends!
Hi Bec – Glad we’re not alone!
Loved this post, Betsy and your photos are beautiful. We too have received cautious advice by several well meaning friends who totally miss the reason for travel. For us traveling is seeing, learning about history, cultures and religions and, most of all, meeting and interacting with new people and communities. Sure we can stay “safely” in our armchairs watching other people travel on TV but where’s the feeling of being hyper-aware of one’s surroundings, experiencing new tastes, smells, ideas, and sights? We’ve always felt safe while traveling and keep in mind that really being engaged in living means new challenges. Traveling is the perfect way to learn more about yourself, your country and the world.
Hi Anita – People do mean well, but it can be frustrating when you realize they’re not even close to a realistic point of view. And our view of travel is a lot like yours, as you know. 😉
Well said (and written)! Loved how you highlighted these countries, especially mentioning Germany and the 1960s. So true…maybe the Beatles would never have been discovered! Wish I could remember all your “rebuttals” when people confront me and say, “Why are you going back to Paris (or any place on your list)?”
Hi Janice – Feel free to point them in the direction of this post! 😉
Great post and very interesting. You are absolutely right and for the most part it’s ok to go see and not listen to people. It’s also good to listen to people when there is a concern and make plans accordingly. Thanks for sharing and the pictures are stunning.
Hi Marc – Thank you so much. You’re right it’s important to listen and then make your own judgments.
This is so familiar! For me it’s mostly shaped as a question rather than a warning: “Slovenia? Is it safe there?” People, especially Americans, tend to paint the map with a very broad brush. An attack in Egypt? Then the whole Middle East is off limits. A war in the Balkans (20 years ago)? Then the whole of the former Yugoslavia is unsafe. And so on.
Hi Rachel – Yes, the old seed of doubt planting questions! You’re right about the broad brush!
Hi Betsy! This post made me laugh out loud. I’ve been to so many of these places, and a few of them numerous times. I survived! People sometimes have the weirdest insights into places they’ve never been. I think it’s called to much CNN or Fox News! My sister-in-law once told me that I shouldn’t go to Egypt because it’s dirty! 🙂
Hi Nancie – Yes, the media is great at exaggeration and sensationalizing isolated instances. LOL on the Egypt admonition. Think there might be a little bit of dirt in the desert?
Great post, Betsy, and such a powerful reminder of the amazing experiences we can have when we don’t listen to all that “advice.” It makes me sad to think of all the people who don’t go anywhere to see for themselves simply because they believe those things they’ve heard.
Hi Amy – Yes, it’s sad and frustrating. What a waste.
Such a great piece. I also am amazed by your photos. They are breathtaking. Most people who offer advice are well meaning, however, most of them don’t even travel! Travel safe and Merry Merry Holidays to you!
Hi Suzanne – Yes, people do mean well, but in these instances, they weren’t speaking from experience, were they? Thanks!
Great post. I love the line “The more I travel the more I realize: fear makes strangers of people who should be friends.”
Hi Donna – Yes, me too. The pic is of Pete with a North Vietnamese Army veteran. We met their group on the train to Ho Chi Minh City. They were on their way to a reunion organized around their equivalent of Armed Forces Day to memorialize their fallen comrades. Tears came to his eyes when he told us, and I teared up, too. Nobody really wins a war.
People warned me about Africa, and told me not to go. I went anyway. I ended up being detained on the side of the road by soldiers, pulled out of line by the military while crossing the tarmac the day after the Nairobi airport burned because I took a photo of the smouldering fire….and without the armed guards I traveled with I would probably have had more problems. Three terrorists blew themselves up just down the street from us and we had to leave the country under cover of darkness and threat of being kidnapped and I felt fortunate to get out of the country when I did. I wasn’t harmed, but came close several times in several ways, in the jungle and in the city. I was fortunate enough to have locals who alerted me to danger, bad areas and kept me safe. Are countries dangerous? Yes. Will we be the target of terrorism, robbery, kidnapping or bombs? Probably not. We live in American where crime happens too, and we warn each other about bad areas of town, where to avoid when passing through Chicago etc. I won’t go to DC by myself, or any large city really, because the risk of being a victim isn’t worth it. I’ve had too many encounters and seem to be a magnet for bad people. But that doesn’t mean I don’t travel. I’m just very aware when I do.
Friends warn us because they care about us. I welcome the warnings, thank them for their prayers and do what I want. Nothing wrong with being aware! Go, have fun and enjoy every minute! May you never become a target. I’ve been robbed, mugged and shot at in the USA, so…danger is everywhere….
Hi Becky – Yes, friends do warn because they care, no doubt. This post was meant to encourage people to go ahead with their dreams. You’re right that being aware of your surroundings and the potential for something is the right thing to do.
Great article and I cannot agree more. We are heading off to Turkey in January for at least 2 months. All we have heard is don’t go from our family, friends and even strangers. But we could have just as easily been killed at home in Colorado where two mass shootings happened in November alone. Or in California in December and we were in Lisbon when the Paris recent attacks happened. It can happen anywhere. So we are off to Turkey, a place we have always wanted to visit. We will let everyone know how it went 🙂 Keep on going in the face of don’ts!
Hi Heidi – We know lots of people who really love Turkey. Istanbul was not our favorite, but that’s no reason not to understand that others love it. Have a wonderful trip!
For being the “Home of the brave,” a lot of Americans sure do seem fearful these days. We have always found that a bit of gold old common sense and keeping our wits about us has kept us safe all over the world.
Hi GypsyNesters – All that and “get home early” have worked for us, too!
Good grief! How scarily ignorant and uneducated some people are!
I live in Athens, Greece and often find myself grinding my teeth when people say to me:
“How can you live there? The Greeks are going through such economic hardship, don’t they want to rob you because you’re a foreigner and have more money than them?”
Er, no – they don’t – and actually, the Greek people are the most friendliest people I’ve met in my travels to date (my elderly next door neighbours are constantly bringing me food for goodness sake, not robbing me!)
Hi Rebecca – I think the inferences people make and media speculation/sensationalization arising out of economic hardship in Greece have been some of the most ridiculous we’ve encountered. People have said, “Oh, I’d never travel to Greece now” and even, “They deserve what they get. They voted for it and now the chickens are coming home to roost.” It’s just amazing. If they truly believe these kinds of things, it’s probably better that they just stay home.
I think the people who come up with excuses not the travel are the ones missing out. As long as you use common sense and good judgement, you can travel anywhere.
Hi Nat – Yes, I agree on the missing out part.
To further debunk the Hungary gypsy threat-we just returned from Budapest and spend hours going through the Christmas market unscathed by gypsies or anyone else for that matter. Travel on sister!
Hi Sue – I would love to visit Budapest’s Christmas market. What a wonderful trip you’ve had!
People who don’t travel tend to see the world as a very scary place. I’ve been warned about many places I’ve visited and have been very fortunate to have never had a scary indecent of any kind. I will say I won’t return to China because of the pollution but I found the people to be curious and not at all hostile. And I wouldn’t fly Air Malaysia because after their disasters they seem to remain confused as to the facts and keep changing what they say so they don’t seem to me to have their act together. I do feel bad about all that’s happened to them but I lack confidence that necessary steps have been taken to prevent future tragedies. I may well be wrong about that! Currently I want to go to Iran and everyone thinks I’m crazy (as per usual).
Hi Kay – You’re right. I think fear of the unknown is the common denominator. If you’re wanting to go to Iran, and you’re not the only one who does, you’d probably better get on that! The politics could be escalating after the latest provocation. :-/ But yes, we’ve got an entire slew of people who probably think we’re crazy and I’m okay with that. 😉
Love, love, love this post! I can’t even number the people who are mortified by the places I go to and the things I do. Some of them are even from Chicago, which I’m pretty sure is more dangerous than almost all the places I’ve visited.
Hi Patti – Good point about Chicago! Um, yeah! I just look at it this way: somebody has to have all the fun we’re having, so it may as well be us!
Hi Betsy – OMG everytime I’m gonna travel somewhere alone people go on about the safety aspects of wherever I’m going. And of course many can’t understand how I can enjoy myself alone too. Lol – I can’t imagine being stuck with anyone 24/7 for a whole month – especially if they’re not independent enough to do stuff alone.
That said, I had planned to go to Paris the weekend of the concert bombing. And I did consider the probability of a terrorist attack when choosing Prague instead. But it was also down to other things – like I’d overspent on travel this year so Prague was a cheaper destination to go. And I doubt I would have gone to that concert as U2 were gonna be playing the following night.
My main concern when I go anywhere is bad roads, poorly maintained cars & idiotic drivers – but that is my main worry at home too. I also worry about being bitten by insects and wildlife, which happens a lot but I wouldn’t let it stop me from going anywhere.
I had a conversation with friends recently and they think I have some special kind of super-confidence to travel alone. Not true – as you and I both know, doing small things once builds your confidence and you try bigger things.
Hi Cath – Yes, you’re right. Once you’ve taken the plunge, it helps with the confidence level. I think people misconstrue common discomfort with lack of safety, too. As in, “I’ve never been there before so I don’t know my way around, so that would make me vulnerable and people there could take advantage of me.” Instead of “I don’t know my way around but I’m sure there will be somebody kind enough to help me.” It’s a different way of looking at the world. I don’t worry too much about anything except when scheduling goes amok. I like it when the plane leaves when it’s supposed to, and I can find the right track at the train station by reading my ticket. 😉
Hey Betsy,
I just wanted to say that I love to read your blogs and they give me big things to look forward to when I do my own travelling. There are a lot of misunderstandings about other countries and cities, but the best thing to do is go see for yourself like you said and be amazed at what you actually experience.
Also, your photos are absolutely stunning. 🙂
Hi Kamleen – Thank you so very much! Happy to have you along! 🙂