I spent a month in El Salvador during the Sandinistas many years ago. The international passport control was like a small tool shed from Sears. The immigration official looked at my passport and asked me “why are you here”. I replied that I love beaches and I heard the El Salvador had some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, great and charming people, and exquisite food. He looked at me kind of funny (I was barely 30 years older) and said “Welcome to El Salvador “, and introduced me to his family who drove me to the coast, helped me find a wonderful condo for $10 a night, and insisted I shared a meal once per day with his son and family who also lived on the coast - truly a wonderful experience during a dangerous time along the border. I did get a drive-through tour of the capital city but advised to stay at the beach. His son drove me back to the airport after a month... I didn’t want to leave - life there was simple, relaxing, yet one of the most remarkable trips of my lifetime.
sounds like when I grew up, how my family travelled around the world....lol....coup? ...what coup? ...drought? ....what drought?....lol....life goes on...
Paris, France is now a dangerous city.The last time there, my taxi driver took me by the arm and escorted me inside the train station.There were dozens of young men with hoods just hanging around. My taxi driver stated, that I was the perfect robbery victim. I tipped him 5 Euros.
Having been in the oil & gas industry for over 25 years, I've traveled all across the world, mostly to "tough" locations. A lot of these countries can appear peaceful, and all in the sudden things can turn 180 degrees with no warning, whatsoever. Best to have awareness of your surroundings at all times & always stay low profile, regardless of the location...
@@reklovjj Tell me one neighborhood where it's safe in Miami. The whole city is prone to robbery and other crimes. I lived there for over 16 years in different neighborhoods. The most dangerous place I know in the world.
Safest metropolitan city I've felt safe, Tokyo and Yokohama. You can drop your phone or wallet and someone will run after you and give it back. There's a reason Japanese are the oldest in world age. It's really expensive though
What I love about Japan is that it is normal for drunk salarymen to sleep or off by the train station. They would be robbed instantly in most countries.
the reason theyre the oldest is because the young people leave due to lack of opportunity to own assets and build wealth because the countries uses debt to keep prices high, its been in a 40 year reccession
It’s ethnically pure. Still a nation state. THAT’s the main reason why it is safe. People still feel connected and solidair with eachother. They share the same culture, religion, values with eachother. They literally ‘recognize’ eachother. Like a mirror. THAT’s what’s the difference with many other countries. There is an almost biological reason why nations came of being. Now pc fascist destroyed by communist divide and rule global nomenklatura. Israel is safe.
I used to be a long distance truck driver. Sometimes I would end up parked somewhere over the weekend. I would always look for nearby restaurants and go get some good food. I'll never forget the time I was parked in Atlanta. I looked on my phone and found a Chinese restaurant about 2 miles down the road. I figured what the heck, I'll just walk. I'll never forget that evening for the rest of my life. I'm never doing that again. Lol!!!
Always felt safe in Nawlins! Went down Governor General St to find a shoe repair shop that had been recommended, found it, and became ill with some kind of heatstroke. These kindly black folks took me into their home, gave me water and made sure I was OK, then called me a taxi to get back to my hotel. And he fixed my shoes while I waited and wouldn't take any money! Went back the next day with some candy and the money!
Guatemala City was a real eye opener for me. Im 6ft 4 and not easily intimidated but I definitely felt "watched" in zona 1 while i was there. I was in Bogota the week before and it was a night and day difference. Zero desire to go back to Guatemala but I'm already planning my next Colombia trip
just don't go out after 8pm on Sunday in Bogota. everything is closed. security gurads with guns everywhere. no people. very scary only on Sunday night. Friday and Saturday everyone is out and about all night.
Guatemala sucks. I agree with your assessment. I drove through the country and was stopped by police four different times, so they could "practice English." It was annoying
Thank you, my son! (Ooooops, so sorry, just remembered an off-topic one. How do you know who the Catholics are at a Star Wars Convention? When someone says, "May the Force be with you!" They respond with, "And also with you!")
I lived almost 2 years in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I personally never had any serious problems and I rarely felt unsafe directly (mainly because I'm not a fearful person). But my immediate next door neighbour was robbed at gunpoint by a guy on a motorcycle at his home. Also, once when we were stuck in traffic another guy on a motorcycle flashed a gun at the car in front of us until he handed him a "maleta" (business handbag). It was definitely the most dangerous city I've ever spent any significant time in. When we moved back to Canada in 2007 our bodies almost literally sighed with relief. This was during a time when a key mob leader was in prison and his supporters were killing police and torching police stations, so we also saw police on high alert in plain clothes with shotguns guarding the police stations.
I lived in Nicaragua for two years by the beach and I always said that Managua is the worst city I've ever been to and I've been to 70 countries!!! I always said - get out of Managua as quick as you can!
Yeah I go to San Salvador all the time and I never ever carry a wallet with me, a watch, rings, or take out my iPhone in public - how stupid do you have to be? As soon as the pilot announced we are descending into Comalapa I have removed all these items and put them in my bag and won’t take them out again until I am back at Comalapa.
Please! he didn’t risk his life. He stayed at at 5 star hotel called intercontinental across the street from a mall named metrocentro. It’s very safe there. Diplomats and dignitaries stay there when travelling from other countries.
Los Angeles is relatively safe, but you can have a high speed chase happen anywhere. I was stuck at a light at the corner of Sunset & Laurel Canyon when the cops chased.a speed racer around the corner one direction then 20 seconds later back around the corner the other direction all while I was stuck in traffic at the light. Very odd almost being smashed into by the same guy running from the cops twice at the same stop light.
Safety varies everywhere depending on the ever changing people and their governments. While visiting NYC in the 80s, it was unsafe to visit the Bronx where years later I moved and lived very safely. Also in the 80s, I was terrified when visiting the Philippines. Now, I live here and feel safer than anywhere else I've ever lived. No matter what city or country you visit or live in, you need to be safe, avoid bad areas and gravitate towards safer areas. No matter your whereabouts or level of comfort, you need to lock your doors, windows, gates, and have plan Bs in place just in case you come under attack. Think "What if?" and create smart stay and fight or flee and escape plans before the unthinkable happens. Never let a stranger follow you into a lonely building or secluded area. Go another direction towards people. Always listen to your gut no matter what it tells you or how ridiculous you might look or feel. We are animals, intelligent animals with great instincts, but we need to use those instincts. And last but not least, think seriously about getting a dog. The scarier, the better. 💕
I was held up at gunpoint in Buenos Aires, but was fine in Rio, Caracas, Nairobi walking around by myself.. Memphis, Paris are up there in my own experience, which I guess is the point - a city is only as unsafe as your own experience. In any city you can have good or bad luck and what is safe for me is a hellhole for others.
The mention of Paris brought back a memory for me. It was 1999 and I was a 17 year old on a summer trip with about 40 other kids from my high school. The head of our French department, who had married a professional French basketball player, organized this yearly trip. Our itinerary was 4 nights each in Rome and Florence, then 3 nights in Paris. We were given an astounding amount of freedom when not on one of the scheduled cultural events such as visits to the Uffizi Gallery, Palace of Versailles, and Monet's Gardens in Giverny to name my favorites. Drinking was permitted, and we had 2 to 3 hours around lunchtime to go wherever we pleased so long as we were with at least one other student. One day in Paris, another male friend and I found a small out of the way bar. This was actually a short time before we were to meet up as a group for dinner, so we intended to just have a quick beer. The middle-aged female proprietress served us drafts and was welcoming to us as the only customers throughout our visit. We noted some flecks of white colored substance on the surface of the beers we were served, but shrugged it off and consumed. Rising to pay and leave as we realized our time before dinner was running short, the lady became very animated and insistent that we stay and drink another beer. We could not be persuaded, despite her protestations. It seemed strange, but we were not in our best frame of mind for critical thinking. Then at dinner soon after, our other friends noted our eyes looked bloodshot and glassy, and asked if we had taken drugs of some kind. We were also somewhat more intoxicated than we usually would be after whatever we drank at lunch and then the one beer at this bar. The others helped us connect the dots that apparently the whitish solids on our beers had been undissolved remnants of some kind of drug that the lady must have slipped us. Apparently she hadn't dosed us heavily enough for whatever purpose she had in mind, so that must have been why she had tried so desperately to convince us to have another drink. I would guess that the plan had been to rob us and dump us unconscious in some alley, but that is just my guess. I am certainly glad we didn't find out what the end game would have been.
You really only need to look for one thing to know if a country is safe, just look at the houses, if they have bars on the windows and doors, it's not for archetectual or appearence reasons!!!!!!!
A simple trick I have used on multiple trips to Central America: I fold up most of my cash and put it in my shoe, under my foot. I put my ID in the same way in my other shoe. I carry about $10 cash loose in my pocket. Then, if someone does try to rob me, I can give them enough to satisfy them without losing much money or anything valuable. That said, no one has ever tried to mug me but twice in San Jose they tried to pickpocket me, both times I caught them and knocked them to the ground. Pickpockets usually don’t have guns.
I backpacked through every country in Central America, except El Salvador. The most dangerous city I encounter was Tegucigalpa. I went to three other cities, but this place was crazy. The hotel clerk was behind bullet proof glass, and our rooms were behind a door that reminded me of a bank vault. People didn't smile, and I got out of there quick.
Carry a throw away wallet(cheap leather wallet you buy on the street, old and fake credit cards a few bucks in view) in your back pocket. Real money in a front pocket wallet. Robbed? Toss the fake wallet. Pickpockets? They see the back pocket and go for it.
>Carry a decoy wallet to deceive your robbers If you need to carry a decoy wallet you need to get the fuck out of wherever you are. Move to a civilized place.
PP2, there are virtually no places on earth that aren’t susceptible to pick-pockets and opportunistic muggings (which would be the reason to carry a decoy wallet). I guess you’re planning to go to Mars with Papa Elon asap...
I agree with San Jose too.. I just got back from Costa Rica making travel videos and San Jose is quite sketchy.. I wandered into the sketchy areas with a camera and fortunately didn't get robbed, but definitely felt more unsafe there than anywhere else I have been🙁
Back in the '80's into the early '90's, when I missed the last metro....it felt safe to walk the streets of Paris, alone as a girl. So sorry to hear that things have changed.
Well, don't do it nowadays...my ex and her friend got groped in the metro by two guys while buying a ticket from the machine, if I wasn't in the kiosk in front, things might have possibly been a lot worse. Oh and this is in the city center, not in the ghettos. Brussels is even worse, city of repugnant scum roaming the streets unpunished.
@@stephendoyle3542 - Open borders politics. BIG mistake. We in Holland had it already when you were still Irish. I remember my visit in 1997. We saw 1 black guy on o’Connell. Coming from Amsterdam we and 10 days in Ireland we couldn’t believe it and almost invited him for high tea. Lately i’ve seen items about Ireland. Saw the street scenes. Whoops. I an not surprised reading your statement. Dutch cities the same. Yet the communist propaganda ‘Divide and Rule’ continues. Multiculti bla bla bla. Can’t turn on the tele and the headscarf pr is shoved down my throat. I read about the Racist attack on Irish girls by not so Gaellic young man on that trainstation. NO mention of Racism and multiculti problems. Girls were white. Does not suit the leftwing narrative. Good luck. In the near future USA will be more Irish then Ireland. Beaten off the English, now occupied by the North Africans and Arabs. You’ll understand, i am soooo right wing.
Rio de Janeiro, never again will I go there. I felt threatened all my time there, was warned at my hotel and restaurants to be careful out. I thought I was being careful but still got robbed. Police reaction was, what else did you expect on Copacabana promenade. This was the middle of the day!
I'm a Canadian born of Costa Rican parents. I decided to move back for a few years in my twenties. I think I stayed 3 months in a San Jose apartment (in Barrio Escalante, which isn't a 'bad' area). On the second morning on my way to work, I heard a gunshot and a guy ran past me. It's freezing (much colder than the other provinces and there's no heating in CR), it's super dirty and smelly and it's the area I always felt the most unsafe. I moved to Heredia where I was much happier. The problem with CR is that all the buses leave from the San Jose terminal, and as was mentioned, most of the business happens in San Jose, all the documents are done in San Jose, etc. So you can't really avoid it entirely living there. I dated a Salvadorian and I've heard it's much worse there. Also my boss in Costa Rica used to visit the San Salvador office and needed to take the company approved taxi everywhere to keep from being kidnapped from some rando cab driver. It's not quite that bad in CR. Quito, Ecuador wasn't mentioned but the robbery there is worse than CR and I felt equally unsafe in Quito as I did in San Jose. Really beautiful countries, it's a shame we can't enjoy them without clutching our valuables, hiding our jewelry and fearing for our lives.
i've been all over south and central america and the caribbean .and the only country i really felt safe was in cuba ....it's very sad because latin america is so beautiful..and like you said it's a shame we can't enjoy all those countries without clutching our values ...
Wow! My dad was from CR and my mom from Guayaquil. Spent many summers in beautiful CR and never had any problems or heard much about crime... so sad to hear this... times have changed... it was fifty years ago after all! Guayaquil was rampant with crime even back then!
We hit Quito from New Zealand the day after the last eruption, stayed a few days and again 6 weeks later on the way out. Walked a lot. Felt safe. Taxi drivers carried on like my mother. Put up window, place bag on floor, really sweet. Off the tourist trails people were so pleased to see us wouldn't take our money for coffees, drinks. Left a bit of my heart.
@@casimono68 I have a very good friend she’s Cuban , and she tells me that things in Cuba are changing, her nephew that lives in a province, away from Havana go robbed walking in a neighborhood, also a supermarket, not sure which town got robbed at gunpoint, lots of changes , as Cuba transitions into a more open country!
No offense but you really need to try hard to feel unsafe in Boston. It’s one of the safest cities in the US. I’ve seen elderly people walking their dogs at 3 AM…
I was in New Orleans around Mardi Gras time, but for business. I went down to see what Mardi Gras was all about, and personally I was a little put off by the seediness of the revelries, but to each their own. However, walking back to my Hotel I became lost and found myself around the docks - I felt sure I was going to be mugged before making it back; the hair on the back of my neck stood up the whole time like I was in eminent danger. Nothing happened, but my spidey sense is rarely wrong - I was in the wrong town, at the wrong place and at the wrong time.
Yeah OK. I'm a woman. I walked ALL OVER downtown New Orleans waterfront at night and I can tell you that I NEVER experienced ANY problems! I was staying at the Marriott. I had a great time! I had a woman flash me while walking through the French Quarter. She was drunk & dancing on a bar top. I stopped because I was shocked to see her up there by herself and she saw me watching her. She flashed me! LMAO! Never felt safer!
@@crazifyit I agree....you can get mugged or shoot at on French quarter/accidentally/ or don't go to 9th ward or other stupid places..but in general , people in the south are nice
A pair of jeans, white T-shirt, cheap sneakers or flip-flops, a cheap mobile phone, 20 bucks in your back pocket, no jewelry or watch, 3 days unshaved, and you are safe ANYWHERE in the world.
I've actually heard a couple of months ago from a guy from Central America, I'm not sure but I think he was from El Salvador, that the government now is really into fighting crime and as a result many people have been arrested recently improving the overall safety in the country
Yes, in 2020 much of the crime in central america started to decrease. With the exception of Costa Rica for some reason. The country where it decreased the most was el Salvador
Many people familiar with cultures and who travel well have a sixth sense when things are not safe or when you might be in danger of having a problem. Given that, you start working your way out of the problem before it gets serious.
Came close to harm three time in my life - twice in small town England and once in lower Queen Anne, Seattle. Had jealous English locals try and light me on fire while on the dance floor and another incident where I was followed out of a pub by 4-5 locals intending bodily harm because I was taking a local girl home in a cab. Cabbie talked them down, thankfully. Seattle was walking back from a 7-11 late night when a group of blacks in car turned around and got out with baseball bats/bars to randomly beat the White guy. Instantly ran like the wind because there were numerous vicious beatings of White males at that time - all unreported/under reported by media. Very high situational awareness ever since and avoid bars and being out late night anywhere.
I lived in England for a year and saw a lot of violence. I'd never live there again. Lager louts, bored young kids, crazy women 'glassing' people, ruffians looking to hassle you for fun. That was 20 years ago. Can't imagine what it's like now.
I’m Brazilian and the only time I’ve ever got robbed was in Madrid where they took my laptop inside a coffee place! Absolutely love Madrid though. But you gotta be careful.
I’ve been to Madrid several times and all over Spain, 5 trips in all. The only problem I ever heard of was a Spanish guy in my hotel who got pickpocketed.
Haha, never robbed but annoying shoeshine guys, a guy with his pants down in the park, woman peeing outside a restaurant near the front door, weirdo people really but amazing food.
Mateus Paes C. Coelho some friends and I landed in Barcelona, took the airport train to the train station in the city, by the time we got off the airport train my friend had a laptop and tablet stolen from his backpack, while he was wearing it. He didn't feel and none of us saw a thing, and they didn't cut his bag they opened it, took the items, AND CLOSED IT BACK! Very skillful thieves there.
Here's a little bit of a reversal. I'm from the southern US. I moved to New Jersey to be with this chick after college. I had been there four years and began to move like a gangster. I walked very fast into a convenience store with a large jacket and my hair slicked back like Johnny Brasco. The people behind the counter jump down in fear. I asked why and they said they thought I was going to rob them. How you carry yourself is obviously a big deal.
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You really never do know how you'll react in a confrontation like that. The only time anything like that has happened to me, was in Waco, Texas. It was 1999, and I was at the Exxon that is right next to the main entrance to the campus of Baylor University. It was night and I had parked at the edge of the gas station lot to check the air in my tires and air up if need be. A car pulled up maybe 30 feet from me and a guy got out of the passenger seat and started walking towards me asking if I could spare some money. I immediately thought he might be distracting me while someone else comes up behind me or something, so I looked all around me, and after determining there was no one else, I just started walking towards him and yelled at him to "GTFO RIGHT NOW!" He looked like he saw a ghost and ran back to the car and the driver pulled out of there like he was running from the cops. I realized soon after that might have been overly aggressive, but it was just my reaction, I didn't think it through. In retrospect though, it worked. I think criminals are looking for soft targets and he quickly realized I wasn't one.
@@reformedchinesecommunist I don't really consider it bold because I didn't think it out, it was just my reaction. If I had had five minutes to sit there and come up with a reaction, it probably would not have been that.
Great move! I would've done the same. I had a situation once where one guy wanted to test my resolve and possibly 'strong arm' me ... I put my hand behind my back (as if I had something back there other than my wallet) and I said "Come and get it... I got something for you" (as if I had a knife... or maybe a gun) and he backed up and fled. All I had was MY WALLET. Criminals DO look for soft targets.
The most scary I've ever been is in America, Laredo Texas. I worked in the oil field there and we found a body. Right on the entrance to the well. I thought it was a doll or like a fake human from a store front. There were more then on scary event there. Saw a high speed chase, stuff like that. I didn't stay long.
I had a boring life only met a pickpocket in Barcelona and Paris and 2 armed robbers in Madrid. But then the banker and the taxman at home, somehow survived.
The most dangerous episode happened to me when I was in Kampala, Uganda. A prostitute lured me in a room. At some point I noted a man was hiding under the bed. All of a sudden two other people came in. They were trying to get my money and my phone, I had hands all over me. I managed to recover my phone from the hands of a man, but the problem is that my pants were down and I couldn't fight.They took my cash, and 10 minutes later I recovered my wallet and the credit cards. Since then I go around with almost no cash, and I do not bring the wallet, just the phone. That was my first time with a prostitute. It won't happen again.
I loved Sao Paolo and Rio but there was definitely a "be conscious of security" vibe there. I had an armored car/driver in Sao Paolo because we were taking a bunch of bankers to various places, but when I was on my own I'd take Uber Black and feel pretty comfortable in certain parts of the cities, but not "generally" walking around.
@@tubbyrainbow111 Look, a place like São Paulo is no different than a NY or a London, Rome or Paris. It’s mostly safe, and then there are certain neighborhoods you simply don’t go to. And that’s the same for most Brazilian state capitals. The only one I’m a bit uncomfortable with is Rio, which is a shame because it’s such a beautiful place. A very good and safe one is Curitiba.
I walked all over San Jose also, day and night and never experience anyrhing negative towards me. Visited other cities there and no problems. Of course theres shady looking neighbourhoods around so why jump in a tank full of piranhas if you know this will not end well !!! LOL...😀
Hmm, interesting. I live in a city where you can go for a walk alone at night anytime, and still safe even for children or girls - and not only in the center of the city. I couldnt find a ghetto in 5 years living here in Prague, Czechia. The worse thing that can happen to you is that some homeless guy (there is not too many of them) asks you for a cigarette, and even they are offering to pay for it very often. I regularly went jogging to parks after dark, and never had any problem.
Depends on the position, you can survive with 1K usd/month after taxes including rent as a single, but 2K usd/month or more is more comfortable. For living cost comparison check numbeo dot com (cannot put the link here)
I independently had the same experience in San Jose, Costa Rica... Made the mistake of making it the base for day trips/ excursions. Unbelievably unsafe.
Rio is bad, Sao Paulo isn't as bad, but getting much worse, but compared to many other cities in the world it's not the worst place to be. Far from being safe though. Got unsuccessfully mugged in Sao Paulo, but a friend of mine was robbed on gunpoint.
Being from St. Louis, Missouri makes me hyper aware of the street vibes. I used to live downtown and walk to work. You definitely learn the vibe of a place pretty quickly when you immerse yourself in it vs staying locked up in a hotel or apt. The second the gut feeling kicks in, I take some form of action even if it’s not warranted, even if it causes drama with the people I travel with. Has not let me down so far. I try to predict a situation as my default reaction is stand my ground and fight person which is no good in a lot of situations. Now that I’m older, I just try to avoid getting into trouble.
How about this for an idea: carry a money clip with several $1 bills and a $10 or $20 bill showing on the outside. When a crook demands your money, you nervously blurt out "Yes..Here, take it! Throw it on the ground and when the crook bends down to pick it up, Run like hell!
Generally, in Latin America areas situated close to the main bus station and train station are places where you need to be careful. In some cases there are shanty towns in the area. This is something backpackers need to be aware of. Don't arrive after dark and go strolling around looking for a guest house. Instead, take a taxi to a safer area.
Went to Nicaragua in 2016 or so, felt safe the entire time pretty much everywhere. It's definitely gone a little downhill since but still a beautiful place to be.
You have to be careful in other parts of Costa Rica too. It's many years ago, but I was in a small town near the Pacific coast. A resident of Alaska who was on holiday (I'm British) so I don't usually use the word vacation, came up to me and asked whether he could tag along with us as he was being followed. He was really nervous and agitated. Of course we agreed, but he kept looking over his shoulder, as if he was going to be robbed at any minute. On another occasion in the same town we were in a bar and this local youth entered. He went round the young, single and mostly drunk foreign men inviting them to a party where there would be 'lots of girls' and offering transport to the said party. It was an obvious ruse. I'm not alone in these observations; I've heard similar stories from other travellers in Costa Rica.
I've been to the barrios of Matamoros, Zihuantanejo Mexico. I've traveled through Phenom Pehn and the fevelas of Rio de Janeiro never have I felt more unsafe then Gary Indiana and Detroit Michigan.
Years ago a friend stopped to get gas in Gary. The guy working at the gas station said "You know where you at don't you? You best get back on the freeway as soon as you can."
Great video. Anecdotes are always interesting to hear. But, I always urge people to do their research. Not just asking people how a city "felt like" when they were there, but look at the statistics. Look at the homicide rate, look at the rate of violent crime and only then check places like Numbeo or NomadList (which is far more inaccurate than Numbeo). People who say "there's crime everywhere" are missing the point and don't understand how statistics work. In any place you go, there's a high chance that nothing bad will happen. But when you compare Johannesburg with Zurich, you'll get the idea of why statistics actually matter. Let the odds be in your favor wherever you go.
the problems is that most rankings most of the times are not based on empiric data but in perception, so places like Sweden or Spain get a spot in the rank just because of their name. another metric can be the evolution of the crime in a given city for example Seattle or Santiago are relatively safe but not because the governors are doing it well but because their used to be really safe cities and they are every year more dangerous and they eventually because just like any other big city in terms of crime so over the long term those places aren't really a solution in my opinion
@@emanuelriquelmemontoya3819 exactly, lists of safest countries are typically off. But I'm talking about doing your own research. This has nothing to do with perception. Spain's homicide rate is about 0.6 / 100k people. Switzerland (not Sweden) has about 0.6 as well. Some of the safest countries in the world. Sweden, on the other hand, has over 1.0 - but that's still extremely safe. Sweden's problem are the rape metrics. The only more dangerous countries when it comes to rape are South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Bermuda. It's important to point out that Sweden defines rape differently than these other countries so what's considered rape in Sweden, would be considered a less severe category in another country. With that said, the country clearly has a huge problem. Comparing the 1.1 homicide rate with El Salvador's 52 / 100,000 or USA's 4.96 or Mexico's 29.97, all EU countries are relatively safe. Canada, another pretty safe country has about 1.8 / 100,000. Of course different countries have different problems, so it's wise to understand the context in which the crime is taking place. If you check Numbeo, you'll see that these countries and cities are actually ranked pretty accurately compared to the data. I apologize for choosing only homicide as an example, there's a much broader violent crime metric that needs to be looked at. Spain is an example of a very safe country, but with extremely high corruption. So there's a lot of crime, just not violent crime.
Nuanced approach is a must. For example, Andrew mentioned Paris. The issue with Paris isn't JUST a high crime rate, it's the proximity between crime-ridden areas and affluent areas. If you look at London, however. You'll find that affluent areas are typically far out and you'll find them mostly in the southwest suburbs (from Wimbledon down to Guildford). One exception would be Hampstead which is an affluent area, but completely surrounded by poor, crime ridden communities. Proximity plays an important role. But it's important to understand the social dynamics of the place. The point is, numbers are cool and numbers tell a story. So research them yourself before making any big decisions.
I live in Santiago de Los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. Our city center is definitely one of the safest in this part of the world thanks to our no nonsense Mayor Abel Martinez who took office in 2016. Prior to him, it was just as dangerous as some of the cities you've described in Central America.
I'm Brazilian and I know Paris really well. I can assure you that são Paulo is way more unsafe. It's another level of violence. Specially in the city center.
London is there most unsafe place I've lived. however, I agree capitol cities in those countries are unsafe, any place where there is a massive gap between the wealthy and impoverished plus destabilized governance there will be an element of overt criminal activity. That goes for any place in any part of the world. It's not a matter of character or culture but rather one of survival.
It's not true that wealth gaps cause violence. Have you been to Bulgaria or Romania? Extreme poverty in those places. But the people value safety and peace.
The wealth gap brings some real nasty and dangerous criminals Who love stealing things. I had things stolen from me in London and lots of dodgy looking middle Eastern people in London too stay away from them.
What are your thoughts on Cape Town? Have you been? I would say Cape Town, hands down. Love Cape Town so much and it's so beautiful, but after an attempted break-in in which the police never came, I felt there was no safety net of protection.
@Charles Busby wowww. sorry to hear that. we had a similar experience with our attempted break-in. the security guard was from Zimbabwe and apparently it's a huge issue with migrants taking low-paying jobs. At the time of the break-in attempt, he was nowhere to be found. He also saw me leaving for Johannesburg two days prior with a suitcase. I pray for Cape Town. It's one of the most beautiful cities in the world but incredibly dangerous.
I got mugged in San Jose. Was silly to be wandering around and walked through an area without any tourists. Broad daylight and 3 guys surrounded me, 1 with a knife. Cash and backpack full of (old) clothes, but they threw my wallet back on the floor which had my ID...was my lucky day.
Good call on safety. I have also walked around Phnom Penh (no problem at all), and surprisingly Bogota, Columbia (same advice, no problem in some areas, don't go to other areas). I had a great time in Johannesburg but did lots of research in advance and knew where to go and stay and where not to. Same with Cape Town - had a blast actually. LA in the 90's or NYC in the 80's was far more scary and even then I never had a problem because I was careful. Buenos Aires? No problem at all - loved it! I loved Panama and Costa Rica - totally fine and I drove all over both countries. Mexico is fine as long as you know where is safe ie Baja California - but I also WALKED across the border at Tijuana and stayed over night before catching a flight south - TOTALLY FINE as long as you plan everything out in advance. I have avoided El Salvador, Guatemala and Hounduras all these years exactly for the reasons you have described but I also want to go there and there are certainly places in those countries you can go to that are safe with the proper planning. The media makes a lot of people scared to travel and that is a shame as most places are fine - just use the usual precautions - and many places are actually much safer than the US - no mass shootings!
@@jeffb.140 None but I thought I would give my theoretical worst. I have visited 62 countries but have never been afraid, apprehensive yes, but often proved unfounded.
@@mvnorsel6354 Baghdad and Kabul are not that bad (I've not been in Mogadishu either). A lot of places with a better reputation are actually much worse (even South African cities in my experience).
Havana, Cuba is my favoutite city, and the safest I've ever been to. I got physically assaulted in Paris 4 years ago, walking back to our hotel near the Eiffel Tower at 2:30 AM after we'd been in a jazz club and didn't realize the busses had stopped running. I was arm in arm with my husband when two tall, dark-skinned men walked by us and one grabbed my breast and squeezed it really hard. I yelped and my husband wanted to stop and punch the guy but I said, "No, just keep walking!" I was terrified as they were very tall and evil looking!
Most big cities have somewhere you don't want to be late at night but some places have that lawless nobody's going to know or care vibe. My dad was a world citizen. He traveled a lot and spoke the language, knew the customs and culture of the people who lived in each place. I remember him joining in a circle dance at a village festival. I was wondering how do you learn this. There's so little time. We were in Tangiers and he said that this was one place he hires a guide. Being young and foolish I wandered off early by myself and somehow had to deal with some thugs who tried to get me to run drugs for them. One kept flashing his knife around. I was just a teen and freaking out but I swaggered up and said their stuff wasn't that great, I seen better in Amsterdam. Suddenly everything changed and the guy put away the knife. Got out of there. Got chewed by an attack dog in Paris. Walked into the last place open and the manager says No No! and I hear toe nails clawing at the tiles. The German Shepherd stops and wags his tail as I back away. I turned my head to see the door and he was on my arm dragging his owner. Got out of that ok too. Got heat from locals in Tahiti just for asking directions and the same in Austria. Asked some youth in front of a loud bar where the road to the ski lift was and got an ear full. It was the weekend and they'd been drinking but not polite. San Jose Costa Rica we must've been in the nice part and we were in Limon for Carnival. Huge crowds of happy people, buckets of beer,very little law and not a harsh word but the last night we stayed down by the airport in San Jose. It was normal during the day. I stepped out at 7:00 or so and it was nice. Two hours later and I turned around and went back. I learned something in Tangiers. My dad was a doctor and before we left he found the local clinic and gave them a bunch of the free drugs and medicine that companies sent him. Then he would give away all his clothes to people and come home with a light suitcase. He was abducted at gun point in Tijuana. They let him go out in the country after stealing his van,money,ID and most of his clothes. We got the van back. I got pickpocketed in TJ and my friend saw it. He said one guy had a knife ready so he let it go. No matter where you go,there you are. I always thought if you went off the beaten path and spent money on building a well, hospital or school you could probably come back and have friends,be welcome. Not need to have houses all over. Just friends. Tax that!
Andrew is right about central America.. I'm an avid traveler to that part of the world and you get used to taking so many precautions that it become second nature.. Then I moved to Spain and I was looking over my head always but realized that it's probably among the safest places in the world, even in the most "dangerous" parts of Madrid. It's such a shame because Central America is so beautiful and the people are so amazing yet it's just been plagued by crime and poor economies its whole existence.
the photo you used for Managua Nicaragua is NOT managua.. That is the Calzada street in Granada. Granada is a VERY safe city and I have a wonderful vacation home there.
He's right about Managua- i felt the same way- Just get out fast. He glossed over Granada, for some reason. Amazing place and I never felt unsafe there, at least in the main part of town. Even at night. And the west coast of Nicaragua is amazing and very safe and relaxed.
Most big cities in the US are flat out unsafe. Someone mentioned Gary Indiana. I felt sure I was going to doe there one night. South Africa as a whole is unsafe. So many places. Note that your feelings about safety are not really relevant. Many murder victims, I am sure, felt safe until the knife went in.
Born in Coney Island, Lived in Kiev, been to 60 countries and absolutely most dangerous place I have ever visited is MANCHESTER, England Fist fights galore. Envious eyes on my luggage the moment I got down the train station steps. Far worse than Liverpool or even Brooklyn in the 70’s
Can not believe you left out Guatemala City as a dangerous place. San Jose I really liked , I found a great hostel , yes hostel near the park . Very nice. Crouds of people , the markets, the museums. The galleys. Managua, ok, you must dress down. No bling. No nice sunglasses. Long sleeve shirts long pants. No problem. Do you speak Spanish? That is the key. I have an amiga, she speaks english and , I stayed at her family's place . We would shop at the markets, and wander everywhere. No problem. We went out at night to dance. Eat everywhere. There are barios where we did not go. You just need a guide. Like anywhere. Make friends with a local. That's how to get around. I went to the mosquito coast alone. Took a panga 45 miles. To Blue Field. Primative, poor, but relatively safe.
I agree. I have been to Guatemala City several times and I did not feel safe whatsoever there. And, in fact, a guest at the hotel in which I was staying was robbed at gunpoint a half a block away. On the other hand, I did feel quite safe in Antigua Guatemala which I'd recommend to anyone as a beautiful historic city with lots of culture, charm and arts. Back to Guatemala City I hired a guide to help me as did other Americans down there at the time and he had very dark tinting on his car windows because he said with all the Americans he transported around he didn't want to be targeted or a target with us visible through the windows. This was around 2006/2007 timeframe.
Been like that for the last 35 years. The cruise ships stopped pulling into Venezuela about 20 years ago. Too many passengers returned to ship, having been robbed on day trips.
Speaking of Chicago. When I was 19 and fresh out of Navy boot camp, my buddies and I got a hotel room in south side Chicago so we could drink off-base for the weekend. It was real close to the train station but long story short I realized at that point about what a ghetto was and that I need to do more research before staying in strange places. However, that was 15 years ago and smart phones weren’t a thing yet. Now here we are! Lol
Echo the sentiments of San Jose. A buddy and I got followed for about 3-4 blocks as we were lugging bags from the bus station to our hotel, but made it just in time before a confrontation. I never felt unsafe in Salvador, Brazil-but was fully cognizant that every cab driver, cashier and waiter was looking to make a quick buck off of me whenever they could.
I have travelled to many cities for Travel Thoughts and I, too, felt threatened in San Jose, Costa Rica. I had a bad experience with a taxi operator there who blatantly tried to rip me off with a very dodgy meter. Also, city centre felt unsafe in certain areas. My advice: avoid the city and just go the airport and your destinations.
I had a taxi driver in Santiago, Chile take the long route on me. I only realized it later after seeing the return trip was much quicker, and by then I'd had quite a bit to drink. In another incident, a taxi driver in Ho Chi Minh City said he's take me to a nightclub I was trying to find for $5. I gave him the money and got in the cab, then he drove me there. It was just around the block!
I saw a video of a guy who spent a day there waiting for the next flight to one of the more inaccessible islands of Oceania and even in the middle of the day the falling down pier on the one beach & the crowd there all looked depressing. He had no problems, but even the local who drove him to a store said, don't leave your hotel room after dark. Not just don't leave the hotel, don't even leave your room. The locals think the place is sketchy.
@@jeremyleonbarlow I did the same. Was waiting for a flight to the Highlands and couldn't really leave the room except for a drive with a security guard into town just to have a look.
As an expat that lives in Bogotá, I would advise you to be careful and streetwise! Even the richer neighborhoods are subject to street crime / motorbike muggings etc.
True.. All of bogota is unsafe, I’d say specially the rich neighborhoods since it makes sense that crime is higher in “juicier” zones where with just one robbery they could get what is worth robbing 10 poor people
My friend is from Bogotá, Columbia. She wears her scruffiest clothes when she visits, takes a really old phone, no jewellery. She looks like a local, which she is, but is still is scared. People are being robbed on buses, she loves her country but hates it too
I am blonde, 6'1" and broad shouldered white, caucasian, American gringo. I check all the boxes! Ha! Obviously I don't look anything like they do in Bogota. But I have learned that it helps to always wear pants and a long sleeve shirt, and a black hat to cover my hair. It helps to reduce my profile when I walk the streets. But even still, I cannot leave my hostel without homeless and beggars asking me for things. I am so sick and tired of it. I don't ever get cute with them, just pretend I don't see or hear them and keep my head down and keep walking. I need to move out of el centro.
You have the correct attitude. I'm a local here and do the same with beggars. If you don't like the center, there is plenty of hostels to the north of the city where there is less of what you don't like.
I visited Sana’a, Yemen a few years ago. Wow, what an experience. All the guys walk around with these huge knives called jambiya in their waistbands. Pretty scary. The first day I was there, a vanful of terrifying al-Qaeda looking types rolls up beside me as I was walking down the sidewalk, passenger rolls down his window and shouts at me…”ya sadiq!!” Tried my best to remain calm and ignore him. Back at my hotel I asked the English-speaking front desk guy, “what does it mean, ‘ya sadiq’?” He said, “it means ‘hey friend!’“ Then I felt pretty dumb.
I have been to all three of those cities as well. Spending a couple days in each walking the city. Hey, must say I read In fact, the only city I would add is Guatemala City. I moved around somewhat freely at night, but you have to be careful what zone you’re going into. However, Antigua is a must hit spot in Guatemala. Absolutely stunning!
I’ve had some close calls near the ports in Belize, Jamaica (daytime), and even in Nassau (at night). In the south of Thailand my father-in-law was assassinated by motorboat and the building complex of my wife’s family’s restaurant was bombed and set on fire a couple years later. The US can be very sketchy too but it’s a totally different risk management situation when you’re on foreign soil.
@@lynnamarsh6384 In S. Thailand the Thai and Chinese minorities are targets. There aren’t many tourists or expats in those 3 southern provinces so the data isn’t really conclusive on your question.
I spent a month in El Salvador during the Sandinistas many years ago. The international passport control was like a small tool shed from Sears. The immigration official looked at my passport and asked me “why are you here”. I replied that I love beaches and I heard the El Salvador had some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, great and charming people, and exquisite food. He looked at me kind of funny (I was barely 30 years older) and said “Welcome to El Salvador “, and introduced me to his family who drove me to the coast, helped me find a wonderful condo for $10 a night, and insisted I shared a meal once per day with his son and family who also lived on the coast - truly a wonderful experience during a dangerous time along the border. I did get a drive-through tour of the capital city but advised to stay at the beach. His son drove me back to the airport after a month... I didn’t want to leave - life there was simple, relaxing, yet one of the most remarkable trips of my lifetime.
Sandinistas were in Nicaraugua - El Salvador had a civil war different group
sounds like when I grew up, how my family travelled around the world....lol....coup? ...what coup? ...drought? ....what drought?....lol....life goes on...
Sandinistas where in Nicaragua.
@@PMMagro they R in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, NYC also...they own cantinas...lol...
Talk about hospitality
Paris, France is now a dangerous city.The last time there, my taxi driver took me by the arm and escorted me inside the train station.There were dozens of young men with hoods just hanging around. My taxi driver stated, that I was the perfect robbery victim. I tipped him 5 Euros.
thats one way to rob people 😜
here is 5 for not getting me got...smh
Paris is full of angry young Muslims
Yeah the taxis in Paris ripped me off the most. One was driving in circles while I was on the phone, he thought I wouldn't notice
@@Batrnabmjhhhh Last week two horrific murders took place in Paris by members of the religion of peace.
Having been in the oil & gas industry for over 25 years, I've traveled all across the world, mostly to "tough" locations. A lot of these countries can appear peaceful, and all in the sudden things can turn 180 degrees with no warning, whatsoever. Best to have awareness of your surroundings at all times & always stay low profile, regardless of the location...
You watch asp on RUclips?
Nordic countries pretty stable ?
Great advice.
Spot on advice there.
@@lynnamarsh6384 You even asking that question fool? Nordic countries are far more stable than the US. But they have high taxes.
I feel unsafe in the USA.
if I drive in one direction its affluence if I drive in another its a ghetto :(
Me too. Miami Florida is a very dangerous place to live.
@@marrlena947 well it depends where in Miami
@@reklovjj Tell me one neighborhood where it's safe in Miami. The whole city is prone to robbery and other crimes. I lived there for over 16 years in different neighborhoods. The most dangerous place I know in the world.
@@marrlena947 Few examples: Coral Gâble, the Grove, North Miami Beach are as safe as any other safe areas or cities…
Safest metropolitan city I've felt safe, Tokyo and Yokohama. You can drop your phone or wallet and someone will run after you and give it back. There's a reason Japanese are the oldest in world age. It's really expensive though
What I love about Japan is that it is normal for drunk salarymen to sleep or off by the train station. They would be robbed instantly in most countries.
You can’t have a safe but cheap city. Real world doesn’t work that way. Just think as a premium to live in safe civilized city
the reason theyre the oldest is because the young people leave due to lack of opportunity to own assets and build wealth because the countries uses debt to keep prices high, its been in a 40 year reccession
Japan !!!!
It’s ethnically pure. Still a nation state. THAT’s the main reason why it is safe. People still feel connected and solidair with eachother. They share the same culture, religion, values with eachother. They literally ‘recognize’ eachother. Like a mirror. THAT’s what’s the difference with many other countries. There is an almost biological reason why nations came of being. Now pc fascist destroyed by communist divide and rule global nomenklatura. Israel is safe.
"How bad can it be?" Famous last words.....
Hahaha David that cracked me up .🤣
That or,
WHATS THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN?
I used to be a long distance truck driver. Sometimes I would end up parked somewhere over the weekend. I would always look for nearby restaurants and go get some good food. I'll never forget the time I was parked in Atlanta. I looked on my phone and found a Chinese restaurant about 2 miles down the road. I figured what the heck, I'll just walk. I'll never forget that evening for the rest of my life. I'm never doing that again. Lol!!!
😂😂story time !? Can u say what happened
Atlanta - about the worst traffic in the world. Loads of bad areas to boot.
You got teleported to the real China?
Always felt safe in Nawlins! Went down Governor General St to find a shoe repair shop that had been recommended, found it, and became ill with some kind of heatstroke. These kindly black folks took me into their home, gave me water and made sure I was OK, then called me a taxi to get back to my hotel. And he fixed my shoes while I waited and wouldn't take any money! Went back the next day with some candy and the money!
Guatemala City was a real eye opener for me. Im 6ft 4 and not easily intimidated but I definitely felt "watched" in zona 1 while i was there. I was in Bogota the week before and it was a night and day difference. Zero desire to go back to Guatemala but I'm already planning my next Colombia trip
just don't go out after 8pm on Sunday in Bogota. everything is closed. security gurads with guns everywhere. no people. very scary only on Sunday night. Friday and Saturday everyone is out and about all night.
Guatemala sucks. I agree with your assessment. I drove through the country and was stopped by police four different times, so they could "practice English." It was annoying
I've discovered that if I dress up like Father Guido Sarduchi, everybody leaves me alone!
From Chicken-Pot-Pie: You are a very sick man!
Thank you, my son!
(Ooooops, so sorry, just remembered an off-topic one. How do you know who the Catholics are at a Star Wars Convention? When someone says, "May the Force be with you!" They respond with, "And also with you!")
Dress is important for sure. I never look prosperous and I carry a wallet with a few bucks and hide my real one.
Want some gum??
🤣🤣🤣
I lived almost 2 years in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I personally never had any serious problems and I rarely felt unsafe directly (mainly because I'm not a fearful person). But my immediate next door neighbour was robbed at gunpoint by a guy on a motorcycle at his home. Also, once when we were stuck in traffic another guy on a motorcycle flashed a gun at the car in front of us until he handed him a "maleta" (business handbag). It was definitely the most dangerous city I've ever spent any significant time in. When we moved back to Canada in 2007 our bodies almost literally sighed with relief. This was during a time when a key mob leader was in prison and his supporters were killing police and torching police stations, so we also saw police on high alert in plain clothes with shotguns guarding the police stations.
I lived in Nicaragua for two years by the beach and I always said that Managua is the worst city I've ever been to and I've been to 70 countries!!! I always said - get out of Managua as quick as you can!
Carry two wallets. One with very little cash in it. The other hidden.
If robbed give him the monopoly money filled wallet.
Yeah I go to San Salvador all the time and I never ever carry a wallet with me, a watch, rings, or take out my iPhone in public - how stupid do you have to be?
As soon as the pilot announced we are descending into Comalapa I have removed all these items and put them in my bag and won’t take them out again until I am back at Comalapa.
That's what people do in Rio de Janeiro
I am curious how different your experience would be if you were a woman alone?
Dang, if only he was in America. For all the hate it deserves, being able to conceal carry is a beautiful thing.
Here in the states, they shoot you dead first , then take what they can find. lol America is an exceptional country!
Risking your life for Taco Bell....epic😂 That should be a commercial!
🤣
Yo quiero Taco Bell es muy peligroso.
Love it, good comment
Please! he didn’t risk his life. He stayed at at 5 star hotel called intercontinental across the street from a mall named metrocentro. It’s very safe there. Diplomats and dignitaries stay there when travelling from other countries.
I would to sometimes you need a taco 😂 lol
Los Angeles, Portland, and yes Portland!!! Lol I can’t stand my home city 😂
Los Angeles is relatively safe, but you can have a high speed chase happen anywhere. I was stuck at a light at the corner of Sunset & Laurel Canyon when the cops chased.a speed racer around the corner one direction then 20 seconds later back around the corner the other direction all while I was stuck in traffic at the light. Very odd almost being smashed into by the same guy running from the cops twice at the same stop light.
Did they finally disperse the riot or did they finally take a day off after day 140?
Stay out of downtown LA and skid row area.
Funny.. same. From Portland.... won't go back!
I've said that about DTLA - it's so hard core with the extent of homelessness in downtown is crazy. Tent city.
Awesome story about the wallet. You earned my respect. Interesting what happens when you stand up to people like that. Absolute stud. 💯 👊
Safety varies everywhere depending on the ever changing people and their governments. While visiting NYC in the 80s, it was unsafe to visit the Bronx where years later I moved and lived very safely. Also in the 80s, I was terrified when visiting the Philippines. Now, I live here and feel safer than anywhere else I've ever lived. No matter what city or country you visit or live in, you need to be safe, avoid bad areas and gravitate towards safer areas. No matter your whereabouts or level of comfort, you need to lock your doors, windows, gates, and have plan Bs in place just in case you come under attack. Think "What if?" and create smart stay and fight or flee and escape plans before the unthinkable happens. Never let a stranger follow you into a lonely building or secluded area. Go another direction towards people. Always listen to your gut no matter what it tells you or how ridiculous you might look or feel. We are animals, intelligent animals with great instincts, but we need to use those instincts. And last but not least, think seriously about getting a dog. The scarier, the better. 💕
In many countries dogs are food- you're just providing a meal
Thxs for sharing.
Giuliani changed NYC for the better.
@@YouknowmeOUdoHe's always been corrupt regardless.
I was held up at gunpoint in Buenos Aires, but was fine in Rio, Caracas, Nairobi walking around by myself.. Memphis, Paris are up there in my own experience, which I guess is the point - a city is only as unsafe as your own experience. In any city you can have good or bad luck and what is safe for me is a hellhole for others.
The mention of Paris brought back a memory for me. It was 1999 and I was a 17 year old on a summer trip with about 40 other kids from my high school. The head of our French department, who had married a professional French basketball player, organized this yearly trip. Our itinerary was 4 nights each in Rome and Florence, then 3 nights in Paris. We were given an astounding amount of freedom when not on one of the scheduled cultural events such as visits to the Uffizi Gallery, Palace of Versailles, and Monet's Gardens in Giverny to name my favorites. Drinking was permitted, and we had 2 to 3 hours around lunchtime to go wherever we pleased so long as we were with at least one other student. One day in Paris, another male friend and I found a small out of the way bar. This was actually a short time before we were to meet up as a group for dinner, so we intended to just have a quick beer.
The middle-aged female proprietress served us drafts and was welcoming to us as the only customers throughout our visit. We noted some flecks of white colored substance on the surface of the beers we were served, but shrugged it off and consumed. Rising to pay and leave as we realized our time before dinner was running short, the lady became very animated and insistent that we stay and drink another beer. We could not be persuaded, despite her protestations. It seemed strange, but we were not in our best frame of mind for critical thinking. Then at dinner soon after, our other friends noted our eyes looked bloodshot and glassy, and asked if we had taken drugs of some kind. We were also somewhat more intoxicated than we usually would be after whatever we drank at lunch and then the one beer at this bar. The others helped us connect the dots that apparently the whitish solids on our beers had been undissolved remnants of some kind of drug that the lady must have slipped us. Apparently she hadn't dosed us heavily enough for whatever purpose she had in mind, so that must have been why she had tried so desperately to convince us to have another drink. I would guess that the plan had been to rob us and dump us unconscious in some alley, but that is just my guess. I am certainly glad we didn't find out what the end game would have been.
My dad beat up some carjackers in Paris with a closed umbrella that he Gung-Fu style had wrapped around his arm. Hilarious!
Very disturbing story!
You really only need to look for one thing to know if a country is safe, just look at the houses, if they have bars on the windows and doors, it's not for archetectual or appearence reasons!!!!!!!
The USA!
A simple trick I have used on multiple trips to Central America: I fold up most of my cash and put it in my shoe, under my foot. I put my ID in the same way in my other shoe. I carry about $10 cash loose in my pocket. Then, if someone does try to rob me, I can give them enough to satisfy them without losing much money or anything valuable. That said, no one has ever tried to mug me but twice in San Jose they tried to pickpocket me, both times I caught them and knocked them to the ground. Pickpockets usually don’t have guns.
I knew a guy that got robbed in Central America.. The theif also wanted his shoes, and shot him when he refused to give them
I backpacked through every country in Central America, except El Salvador. The most dangerous city I encounter was Tegucigalpa. I went to three other cities, but this place was crazy. The hotel clerk was behind bullet proof glass, and our rooms were behind a door that reminded me of a bank vault. People didn't smile, and I got out of there quick.
I was surprised that Honduras didn't make the list.
Same here, Tegus was definitely the 2nd most dangerous feeling city I'd visited in Central America, but Mangua seemed 5x worse.
Carry a throw away wallet(cheap leather wallet you buy on the street, old and fake credit cards a few bucks in view) in your back pocket. Real money in a front pocket wallet. Robbed? Toss the fake wallet. Pickpockets? They see the back pocket and go for it.
brilliant. thanks for the tip
>Carry a decoy wallet to deceive your robbers
If you need to carry a decoy wallet you need to get the fuck out of wherever you are. Move to a civilized place.
@@w.o.jackson8432 Yeah, Darryl K had a good suggestion, but this is definitely the best suggestion. Maybe "carry a decoy wallet UNTIL you can GTFO"?
PP2, there are virtually no places on earth that aren’t susceptible to pick-pockets and opportunistic muggings (which would be the reason to carry a decoy wallet). I guess you’re planning to go to Mars with Papa Elon asap...
@@brawndothethirstmutilator9848 Imagine defending the idea of "decoy wallets." If you need one you live in a shithole, plain and simple.
I agree with San Jose too.. I just got back from Costa Rica making travel videos and San Jose is quite sketchy.. I wandered into the sketchy areas with a camera and fortunately didn't get robbed, but definitely felt more unsafe there than anywhere else I have been🙁
San José wasn't so bad, was there 2 months ago. I did drive through La Carpio there tho, that place is sketchy, slums pretty much
Back in the '80's into the early '90's, when I missed the last metro....it felt safe to walk the streets of Paris, alone as a girl. So sorry to hear that things have changed.
Whenever those people come, it becomes unsafe.
Europe is becoming like that. My city Dublin has multiple ghettos where natives get jumped.
Well, don't do it nowadays...my ex and her friend got groped in the metro by two guys while buying a ticket from the machine, if I wasn't in the kiosk in front, things might have possibly been a lot worse. Oh and this is in the city center, not in the ghettos. Brussels is even worse, city of repugnant scum roaming the streets unpunished.
@@stephendoyle3542 - Open borders politics. BIG mistake. We in Holland had it already when you were still Irish. I remember my visit in 1997. We saw 1 black guy on o’Connell. Coming from Amsterdam we and 10 days in Ireland we couldn’t believe it and almost invited him for high tea. Lately i’ve seen items about Ireland. Saw the street scenes. Whoops. I an not surprised reading your statement. Dutch cities the same. Yet the communist propaganda ‘Divide and Rule’ continues. Multiculti bla bla bla. Can’t turn on the tele and the headscarf pr is shoved down my throat. I read about the Racist attack on Irish girls by not so Gaellic young man on that trainstation. NO mention of Racism and multiculti problems. Girls were white. Does not suit the leftwing narrative. Good luck.
In the near future USA will be more Irish then Ireland. Beaten off the English, now occupied by the North Africans and Arabs. You’ll understand, i am soooo right wing.
You can thank lovely Jewish people like Barbara Lerner Spectre for that
Rio de Janeiro, never again will I go there.
I felt threatened all my time there, was warned at my hotel and restaurants to be careful out.
I thought I was being careful but still got robbed.
Police reaction was, what else did you expect on Copacabana promenade.
This was the middle of the day!
There are some really bad areas in Sao Paulo as well.
I'm a Canadian born of Costa Rican parents. I decided to move back for a few years in my twenties. I think I stayed 3 months in a San Jose apartment (in Barrio Escalante, which isn't a 'bad' area). On the second morning on my way to work, I heard a gunshot and a guy ran past me. It's freezing (much colder than the other provinces and there's no heating in CR), it's super dirty and smelly and it's the area I always felt the most unsafe. I moved to Heredia where I was much happier. The problem with CR is that all the buses leave from the San Jose terminal, and as was mentioned, most of the business happens in San Jose, all the documents are done in San Jose, etc. So you can't really avoid it entirely living there. I dated a Salvadorian and I've heard it's much worse there. Also my boss in Costa Rica used to visit the San Salvador office and needed to take the company approved taxi everywhere to keep from being kidnapped from some rando cab driver. It's not quite that bad in CR. Quito, Ecuador wasn't mentioned but the robbery there is worse than CR and I felt equally unsafe in Quito as I did in San Jose. Really beautiful countries, it's a shame we can't enjoy them without clutching our valuables, hiding our jewelry and fearing for our lives.
i've been all over south and central america and the caribbean .and the only country i really felt safe was in cuba ....it's very sad because latin america is so beautiful..and like you said it's a shame we can't enjoy all those countries without clutching our values ...
Wow! My dad was from CR and my mom from Guayaquil. Spent many summers in beautiful CR and never had any problems or heard much about crime... so sad to hear this... times have changed... it was fifty years ago after all! Guayaquil was rampant with crime even back then!
We hit Quito from New Zealand the day after the last eruption, stayed a few days and again 6 weeks later on the way out. Walked a lot. Felt safe. Taxi drivers carried on like my mother. Put up window, place bag on floor, really sweet. Off the tourist trails people were so pleased to see us wouldn't take our money for coffees, drinks. Left a bit of my heart.
@@casimono68
I have a very good friend she’s Cuban , and she tells me that things in Cuba are changing, her nephew that lives in a province, away from Havana go robbed walking in a neighborhood, also a supermarket, not sure which town got robbed at gunpoint,
lots of changes , as Cuba transitions into a more open country!
Quito is worse than CR? Oh well, not going there. Thanks
I was mugged at gunpoint in Houston ~30 years ago (Richmond at Mt. Vernon). Paris, London and Boston also can be risky. New Orleans too.
I was mugged in Miami in 2001.
Houston texas is getting worse. Check the news.
It's getting out of hand
True
Always feel safe in Boston
No offense but you really need to try hard to feel unsafe in Boston. It’s one of the safest cities in the US. I’ve seen elderly people walking their dogs at 3 AM…
I was in New Orleans around Mardi Gras time, but for business. I went down to see what Mardi Gras was all about, and personally I was a little put off by the seediness of the revelries, but to each their own. However, walking back to my Hotel I became lost and found myself around the docks - I felt sure I was going to be mugged before making it back; the hair on the back of my neck stood up the whole time like I was in eminent danger. Nothing happened, but my spidey sense is rarely wrong - I was in the wrong town, at the wrong place and at the wrong time.
Yeah OK. I'm a woman. I walked ALL OVER downtown New Orleans waterfront at night and I can tell you that I NEVER experienced ANY problems! I was staying at the Marriott. I had a great time! I had a woman flash me while walking through the French Quarter. She was drunk & dancing on a bar top. I stopped because I was shocked to see her up there by herself and she saw me watching her. She flashed me! LMAO! Never felt safer!
@@crazifyit glad you had a great time.
@@crazifyit I agree....you can get mugged or shoot at on French quarter/accidentally/ or don't go to 9th ward or other stupid places..but in general , people in the south are nice
A pair of jeans, white T-shirt, cheap sneakers or flip-flops, a cheap mobile phone, 20 bucks in your back pocket, no jewelry or watch, 3 days unshaved, and you are safe ANYWHERE in the world.
Except Los Angeles...
Let's not exaggerate too much. In a lot of places yes, you'd be pretty safe, but certainly not anywhere.
I've actually heard a couple of months ago from a guy from Central America, I'm not sure but I think he was from El Salvador, that the government now is really into fighting crime and as a result many people have been arrested recently improving the overall safety in the country
Yes, in 2020 much of the crime in central america started to decrease. With the exception of Costa Rica for some reason. The country where it decreased the most was el Salvador
Are you sure it's not the political opposition that's being arrested?
@@YouknowmeOUdo Which politician has been arrested for oposing the government?
Many people familiar with cultures and who travel well have a sixth sense when things are not safe or when you might be in danger of having a problem. Given that, you start working your way out of the problem before it gets serious.
Came close to harm three time in my life - twice in small town England and once in lower Queen Anne, Seattle. Had jealous English locals try and light me on fire while on the dance floor and another incident where I was followed out of a pub by 4-5 locals intending bodily harm because I was taking a local girl home in a cab. Cabbie talked them down, thankfully. Seattle was walking back from a 7-11 late night when a group of blacks in car turned around and got out with baseball bats/bars to randomly beat the White guy. Instantly ran like the wind because there were numerous vicious beatings of White males at that time - all unreported/under reported by media. Very high situational awareness ever since and avoid bars and being out late night anywhere.
I lived in England for a year and saw a lot of violence. I'd never live there again. Lager louts, bored young kids, crazy women 'glassing' people, ruffians looking to hassle you for fun. That was 20 years ago. Can't imagine what it's like now.
@Diose007 Actually, the Seattle case does happen, and the news underreport it. Don't forget the knockout game.
@@marrlena947 I lived in England in the sixties and seventies. Getting shot was rare back then. Getting beaten or stabbed was not.
I’m Brazilian and the only time I’ve ever got robbed was in Madrid where they took my laptop inside a coffee place! Absolutely love Madrid though. But you gotta be careful.
How did that happen inside a coffee place? Did you leave the laptop unattended and went to the bathroom?
I’ve been to Madrid several times and all over Spain, 5 trips in all. The only problem I ever heard of was a Spanish guy in my hotel who got pickpocketed.
Haha, never robbed but annoying shoeshine guys, a guy with his pants down in the park, woman peeing outside a restaurant near the front door, weirdo people really but amazing food.
@@CBatista1234 I did go to the bathroom but I was in a table with 4 people “guarding” my suitcase. The thief was very subtle
Mateus Paes C. Coelho some friends and I landed in Barcelona, took the airport train to the train station in the city, by the time we got off the airport train my friend had a laptop and tablet stolen from his backpack, while he was wearing it. He didn't feel and none of us saw a thing, and they didn't cut his bag they opened it, took the items, AND CLOSED IT BACK! Very skillful thieves there.
Belgrade is extremely safe. Just spent several weeks there. Paris is extremely dangerous especially around Gard Nord train station.
Is Serbia generally a safe coutry?
Here's a little bit of a reversal. I'm from the southern US. I moved to New Jersey to be with this chick after college. I had been there four years and began to move like a gangster. I walked very fast into a convenience store with a large jacket and my hair slicked back like Johnny Brasco. The people behind the counter jump down in fear. I asked why and they said they thought I was going to rob them. How you carry yourself is obviously a big deal.
I'm surprised that Kingston or anywhere in Jamaica didn't make the list.
?
I agree … it’s a complete shithole ! Way more dangerous than JNB or CPT
I just had a lot of empty threats in Jamaica.. but felt safe in most places.. downtown Kingston can feel a bit shady though.
Nicaragua is great in Leon and Granada, but Managua is a big, crowded mess and it can get dangerous.
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You really never do know how you'll react in a confrontation like that. The only time anything like that has happened to me, was in Waco, Texas. It was 1999, and I was at the Exxon that is right next to the main entrance to the campus of Baylor University. It was night and I had parked at the edge of the gas station lot to check the air in my tires and air up if need be. A car pulled up maybe 30 feet from me and a guy got out of the passenger seat and started walking towards me asking if I could spare some money. I immediately thought he might be distracting me while someone else comes up behind me or something, so I looked all around me, and after determining there was no one else, I just started walking towards him and yelled at him to "GTFO RIGHT NOW!" He looked like he saw a ghost and ran back to the car and the driver pulled out of there like he was running from the cops. I realized soon after that might have been overly aggressive, but it was just my reaction, I didn't think it through. In retrospect though, it worked. I think criminals are looking for soft targets and he quickly realized I wasn't one.
Bold move, kind of a coin flip as to if they were to engage in a violent interaction after confrontation.
@@reformedchinesecommunist I don't really consider it bold because I didn't think it out, it was just my reaction. If I had had five minutes to sit there and come up with a reaction, it probably would not have been that.
Great move! I would've done the same. I had a situation once where one guy wanted to test my resolve and possibly 'strong arm' me ... I put my hand behind my back (as if I had something back there other than my wallet) and I said "Come and get it... I got something for you" (as if I had a knife... or maybe a gun) and he backed up and fled. All I had was MY WALLET. Criminals DO look for soft targets.
pretty crazy... drive up money chasing
Spain and Germany are being invaded too.
The most scary I've ever been is in America, Laredo Texas. I worked in the oil field there and we found a body. Right on the entrance to the well. I thought it was a doll or like a fake human from a store front. There were more then on scary event there. Saw a high speed chase, stuff like that. I didn't stay long.
Great video Andrew! This is exactly what I want you to talk about - the negative side.
Great to hear!
I don't know why anybody would want to live in Central America. Blows my mind really.
I had a boring life only met a pickpocket in Barcelona and Paris and 2 armed robbers in Madrid. But then the banker and the taxman at home, somehow survived.
I got robbed in all those cities!!
The most dangerous episode happened to me when I was in Kampala, Uganda. A prostitute lured me in a room. At some point I noted a man was hiding under the bed. All of a sudden two other people came in. They were trying to get my money and my phone, I had hands all over me. I managed to recover my phone from the hands of a man, but the problem is that my pants were down and I couldn't fight.They took my cash, and 10 minutes later I recovered my wallet and the credit cards. Since then I go around with almost no cash, and I do not bring the wallet, just the phone. That was my first time with a prostitute. It won't happen again.
you did many things wrong with that prostitute. don't stop and just be careful
Johannesburg, Cape Town, Caracas, Paris and Brussels at night.
I loved Sao Paolo and Rio but there was definitely a "be conscious of security" vibe there. I had an armored car/driver in Sao Paolo because we were taking a bunch of bankers to various places, but when I was on my own I'd take Uber Black and feel pretty comfortable in certain parts of the cities, but not "generally" walking around.
I've been in San Jose and after walking alone in the city people said I was crazy, but I'm from Brazil where the situation isn't better 😂
Brazilians, always taking cheap shots at their own country 🤦🏻♂️
Brazilian women are very beautiful.
Where are some safe places to visit in brazil?
@@tubbyrainbow111 Look, a place like São Paulo is no different than a NY or a London, Rome or Paris. It’s mostly safe, and then there are certain neighborhoods you simply don’t go to. And that’s the same for most Brazilian state capitals. The only one I’m a bit uncomfortable with is Rio, which is a shame because it’s such a beautiful place. A very good and safe one is Curitiba.
I walked all over San Jose also, day and night and never experience anyrhing negative towards me. Visited other cities there and no problems. Of course theres shady looking neighbourhoods around so why jump in a tank full of piranhas if you know this will not end well !!! LOL...😀
Hmm, interesting. I live in a city where you can go for a walk alone at night anytime, and still safe even for children or girls - and not only in the center of the city. I couldnt find a ghetto in 5 years living here in Prague, Czechia. The worse thing that can happen to you is that some homeless guy (there is not too many of them) asks you for a cigarette, and even they are offering to pay for it very often.
I regularly went jogging to parks after dark, and never had any problem.
Depends on the position, you can survive with 1K usd/month after taxes including rent as a single, but 2K usd/month or more is more comfortable. For living cost comparison check numbeo dot com (cannot put the link here)
That's why it's always good to have conservative nationalist governments.
Parts of Lima Peru are quite dangerous. I had two attempts to rob me in the first two days I was there.
I independently had the same experience in San Jose, Costa Rica... Made the mistake of making it the base for day trips/ excursions. Unbelievably unsafe.
Thanks for the info. Because I was planning to buy small property and open bank account in San Jose Costa Rica
I would include most of big cities in Brazil, specially Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, in your list of unsafe cities.
Rio is bad, Sao Paulo isn't as bad, but getting much worse, but compared to many other cities in the world it's not the worst place to be. Far from being safe though. Got unsuccessfully mugged in Sao Paulo, but a friend of mine was robbed on gunpoint.
I love both of those cities though ! Great fun to be had !
Safest place I've ever been, *anywhere* in Japan.
Agree 100% Japan is awesome. I don't feel safer anywhere else.
Ireland felt the safest to me.
After I realized almost every example "need for self-defense skills" video comes from Brazil, I would never go there, even gratis.
@Inthe Flow You guessed it! Brazil. hehehe
About 10 years ago I spent a month in Brazil and I have to say if you get off-the-beaten-path almost anywhere in that country you better be armed.
Being from St. Louis, Missouri makes me hyper aware of the street vibes. I used to live downtown and walk to work. You definitely learn the vibe of a place pretty quickly when you immerse yourself in it vs staying locked up in a hotel or apt. The second the gut feeling kicks in, I take some form of action even if it’s not warranted, even if it causes drama with the people I travel with. Has not let me down so far. I try to predict a situation as my default reaction is stand my ground and fight person which is no good in a lot of situations. Now that I’m older, I just try to avoid getting into trouble.
How about this for an idea: carry a money clip with several $1 bills and a $10 or $20 bill showing on the outside. When a crook demands your money, you nervously blurt out "Yes..Here, take it! Throw it on the ground and when the crook bends down to pick it up, Run like hell!
Generally, in Latin America areas situated close to the main bus station and train station are places where you need to be careful. In some cases there are shanty towns in the area. This is something backpackers need to be aware of. Don't arrive after dark and go strolling around looking for a guest house. Instead, take a taxi to a safer area.
Went to Nicaragua in 2016 or so, felt safe the entire time pretty much everywhere.
It's definitely gone a little downhill since but still a beautiful place to be.
You have to be careful in other parts of Costa Rica too. It's many years ago, but I was in a small town near the Pacific coast. A resident of Alaska who was on holiday (I'm British) so I don't usually use the word vacation, came up to me and asked whether he could tag along with us as he was being followed. He was really nervous and agitated. Of course we agreed, but he kept looking over his shoulder, as if he was going to be robbed at any minute. On another occasion in the same town we were in a bar and this local youth entered. He went round the young, single and mostly drunk foreign men inviting them to a party where there would be 'lots of girls' and offering transport to the said party. It was an obvious ruse. I'm not alone in these observations; I've heard similar stories from other travellers in Costa Rica.
I've been to the barrios of Matamoros, Zihuantanejo Mexico. I've traveled through Phenom Pehn and the fevelas of Rio de Janeiro never have I felt more unsafe then Gary Indiana and Detroit Michigan.
Gary, Indiana's traffic alone could kill you and I've lived in Los Angeles.
I thought Gary, Indiana was a ghost town? People still live there?
@@jeremyleonbarlow 😂😂😂
Years ago a friend stopped to get gas in Gary. The guy working at the gas station said "You know where you at don't you? You best get back on the freeway as soon as you can."
Bullshit, the favelas of Rio de Janeiro are significantly more dangerous than anywhere in the United States
Someone literally took the hat off my head in Granada, Nicaragua. lol
I guess Granada is a bit 'old hat' to you then hehe.
Great video. Anecdotes are always interesting to hear. But, I always urge people to do their research. Not just asking people how a city "felt like" when they were there, but look at the statistics.
Look at the homicide rate, look at the rate of violent crime and only then check places like Numbeo or NomadList (which is far more inaccurate than Numbeo).
People who say "there's crime everywhere" are missing the point and don't understand how statistics work. In any place you go, there's a high chance that nothing bad will happen. But when you compare Johannesburg with Zurich, you'll get the idea of why statistics actually matter. Let the odds be in your favor wherever you go.
the problems is that most rankings most of the times are not based on empiric data but in perception, so places like Sweden or Spain get a spot in the rank just because of their name.
another metric can be the evolution of the crime in a given city for example Seattle or Santiago are relatively safe but not because the governors are doing it well but because their used to be really safe cities and they are every year more dangerous and they eventually because just like any other big city in terms of crime so over the long term those places aren't really a solution in my opinion
@@emanuelriquelmemontoya3819 exactly, lists of safest countries are typically off. But I'm talking about doing your own research.
This has nothing to do with perception. Spain's homicide rate is about 0.6 / 100k people. Switzerland (not Sweden) has about 0.6 as well. Some of the safest countries in the world.
Sweden, on the other hand, has over 1.0 - but that's still extremely safe.
Sweden's problem are the rape metrics. The only more dangerous countries when it comes
to rape are South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Bermuda.
It's important to point out that Sweden defines rape differently than these other countries so what's considered rape in Sweden, would be considered a less severe category in another country. With that said, the country clearly has a huge problem.
Comparing the 1.1 homicide rate with El Salvador's 52 / 100,000 or USA's 4.96 or Mexico's 29.97, all EU countries are relatively safe.
Canada, another pretty safe country has about 1.8 / 100,000.
Of course different countries have different problems, so it's wise to understand the context in which the crime is taking place.
If you check Numbeo, you'll see that these countries and cities are actually ranked pretty accurately compared to the data.
I apologize for choosing only homicide as an example, there's a much broader violent crime metric that needs to be looked at.
Spain is an example of a very safe country, but with extremely high corruption. So there's a lot of crime, just not violent crime.
Nuanced approach is a must. For example, Andrew mentioned Paris. The issue with Paris isn't JUST a high crime rate, it's the proximity between crime-ridden areas and affluent areas.
If you look at London, however. You'll find that affluent areas are typically far out and you'll find them mostly in the southwest suburbs (from Wimbledon down to Guildford). One exception would be Hampstead which is an affluent area, but completely surrounded by poor, crime ridden communities. Proximity plays an important role.
But it's important to understand the social dynamics of the place.
The point is, numbers are cool and numbers tell a story. So research them yourself before making any big decisions.
I live in Santiago de Los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. Our city center is definitely one of the safest in this part of the world thanks to our no nonsense Mayor Abel Martinez who took office in 2016. Prior to him, it was just as dangerous as some of the cities you've described in Central America.
Is Dominican Republic generally safer than other Latin American countries such as Mexico & Argentina?
I'm Brazilian and I know Paris really well. I can assure you that são Paulo is way more unsafe. It's another level of violence. Specially in the city center.
Very likeable gentleman. Thank you for sharing your knowledge of the world. Very educational.
So nice of you
London is there most unsafe place I've lived. however, I agree capitol cities in those countries are unsafe, any place where there is a massive gap between the wealthy and impoverished plus destabilized governance there will be an element of overt criminal activity. That goes for any place in any part of the world. It's not a matter of character or culture but rather one of survival.
It's not true that wealth gaps cause violence. Have you been to Bulgaria or Romania? Extreme poverty in those places. But the people value safety and peace.
Agreed I lived in London was sometimes sketchy but safer than usa or the Middle East
I've walked the streets of London many times late into the night trying to get over jet lag. Never once felt unsafe.
The wealth gap brings some real nasty and dangerous criminals
Who love stealing things. I had things stolen from me in London and lots of dodgy looking middle Eastern people in London too stay away from them.
@@samplechannel2fiyd5idjfufjfud love London best city in the world. The weather is bad sometimes but still love it!
What are your thoughts on Cape Town? Have you been?
I would say Cape Town, hands down. Love Cape Town so much and it's so beautiful, but after an attempted break-in in which the police never came, I felt there was no safety net of protection.
Same here. Someone tried to rob me and a colleague of mine and some police just stood next to us, watched and laughed ..
@Charles Busby wowww. sorry to hear that. we had a similar experience with our attempted break-in. the security guard was from Zimbabwe and apparently it's a huge issue with migrants taking low-paying jobs. At the time of the break-in attempt, he was nowhere to be found. He also saw me leaving for Johannesburg two days prior with a suitcase.
I pray for Cape Town. It's one of the most beautiful cities in the world but incredibly dangerous.
I got mugged in San Jose. Was silly to be wandering around and walked through an area without any tourists. Broad daylight and 3 guys surrounded me, 1 with a knife. Cash and backpack full of (old) clothes, but they threw my wallet back on the floor which had my ID...was my lucky day.
Good call on safety. I have also walked around Phnom Penh (no problem at all), and surprisingly Bogota, Columbia (same advice, no problem in some areas, don't go to other areas). I had a great time in Johannesburg but did lots of research in advance and knew where to go and stay and where not to. Same with Cape Town - had a blast actually. LA in the 90's or NYC in the 80's was far more scary and even then I never had a problem because I was careful. Buenos Aires? No problem at all - loved it! I loved Panama and Costa Rica - totally fine and I drove all over both countries. Mexico is fine as long as you know where is safe ie Baja California - but I also WALKED across the border at Tijuana and stayed over night before catching a flight south - TOTALLY FINE as long as you plan everything out in advance. I have avoided El Salvador, Guatemala and Hounduras all these years exactly for the reasons you have described but I also want to go there and there are certainly places in those countries you can go to that are safe with the proper planning. The media makes a lot of people scared to travel and that is a shame as most places are fine - just use the usual precautions - and many places are actually much safer than the US - no mass shootings!
Mogadishu, Baghdad and Kabul do it for me.
Have you been to those?
@@jeffb.140 None but I thought I would give my theoretical worst. I have visited 62 countries but have never been afraid, apprehensive yes, but often proved unfounded.
@@mvnorsel6354 Baghdad and Kabul are not that bad (I've not been in Mogadishu either). A lot of places with a better reputation are actually much worse (even South African cities in my experience).
@@jeffb.140 Mogadishu scares me a lot, would last seconds there. I'm grateful I've been lucky and you need some luck when travelling. Safe travels.
@@mvnorsel6354 Safe travels to you as well! Once this lockdown is gone I need to get out of my little prison here again
Havana, Cuba is my favoutite city, and the safest I've ever been to. I got physically assaulted in Paris 4 years ago, walking back to our hotel near the Eiffel Tower at 2:30 AM after we'd been in a jazz club and didn't realize the busses had stopped running. I was arm in arm with my husband when two tall, dark-skinned men walked by us and one grabbed my breast and squeezed it really hard. I yelped and my husband wanted to stop and punch the guy but I said, "No, just keep walking!" I was terrified as they were very tall and evil looking!
I felt unsafe in NY among an alternative hipster crowd.
Most big cities have somewhere you don't want to be late at night but some places have that lawless nobody's going to know or care vibe.
My dad was a world citizen. He traveled a lot and spoke the language, knew the customs and culture of the people who lived in each place. I remember him joining in a circle dance at a village festival. I was wondering how do you learn this. There's so little time.
We were in Tangiers and he said that this was one place he hires a guide.
Being young and foolish I wandered off early by myself and somehow had to deal with some thugs who tried to get me to run drugs for them. One kept flashing his knife around.
I was just a teen and freaking out but I swaggered up and said their stuff wasn't that great, I seen better in Amsterdam.
Suddenly everything changed and the guy put away the knife. Got out of there.
Got chewed by an attack dog in Paris.
Walked into the last place open and the manager says No No! and I hear toe nails clawing at the tiles. The German Shepherd stops and wags his tail as I back away.
I turned my head to see the door and he was on my arm dragging his owner. Got out of that ok too.
Got heat from locals in Tahiti just for asking directions and the same in Austria.
Asked some youth in front of a loud bar where the road to the ski lift was and got an ear full. It was the weekend and they'd been drinking but not polite.
San Jose Costa Rica we must've been in the nice part and we were in Limon for Carnival. Huge crowds of happy people, buckets of beer,very little law and not a harsh word but the last night we stayed down by the airport in San Jose. It was normal during the day. I stepped out at 7:00 or so and it was nice.
Two hours later and I turned around and went back.
I learned something in Tangiers.
My dad was a doctor and before we left he found the local clinic and gave them a bunch of the free drugs and medicine that companies sent him.
Then he would give away all his clothes to people and come home with a light suitcase.
He was abducted at gun point in Tijuana.
They let him go out in the country after stealing his van,money,ID and most of his clothes.
We got the van back.
I got pickpocketed in TJ and my friend saw it.
He said one guy had a knife ready so he let it go.
No matter where you go,there you are.
I always thought if you went off the beaten path and spent money on building a well, hospital or school you could probably come back and have friends,be welcome.
Not need to have houses all over.
Just friends.
Tax that!
I am an active traveler, I find it sometimes boils down to just wrong time, wrong place.
Andrew is right about central America.. I'm an avid traveler to that part of the world and you get used to taking so many precautions that it become second nature.. Then I moved to Spain and I was looking over my head always but realized that it's probably among the safest places in the world, even in the most "dangerous" parts of Madrid. It's such a shame because Central America is so beautiful and the people are so amazing yet it's just been plagued by crime and poor economies its whole existence.
A French teacher was beheaded in Paris on rushour.
Cultural enrichment.
I'm done with Paris.
Welcome to the allahist Europe.
He mentioned it was close to getting on the list, so sad, it was so great 20 years ago
agree with Paris. I'd also put Amsterdam on the list as well.
You always have great ideas for your videos! Bravo! 😊😊😊
Thank you! 😊
the photo you used for Managua Nicaragua is NOT managua.. That is the Calzada street in Granada. Granada is a VERY safe city and I have a wonderful vacation home there.
I knew that too!
Granada was wonderful but the poverty had people i friended asking for money all the time.
He's right about Managua- i felt the same way- Just get out fast. He glossed over Granada, for some reason. Amazing place and I never felt unsafe there, at least in the main part of town. Even at night. And the west coast of Nicaragua is amazing and very safe and relaxed.
Most big cities in the US are flat out unsafe. Someone mentioned Gary Indiana. I felt sure I was going to doe there one night. South Africa as a whole is unsafe. So many places. Note that your feelings about safety are not really relevant. Many murder victims, I am sure, felt safe until the knife went in.
MOMBASA TANGIERS MOGADISHU
I'm in Gary, Indiana right now. I try to stay aware of my surroundings and be ready to shoot or stab anyone who will attack me.
@@johnpdd can you not get an AK47 there?
@@johnpdd we see the VIOLENCE THERE.
CAN YOU NOT GET TO THAILAND?
@@michaelheery6303 I own an AK47. But I try to stay away from violence.
Born in Coney Island, Lived in Kiev, been to 60 countries and absolutely most dangerous place I have ever visited is
MANCHESTER, England
Fist fights galore. Envious eyes on my luggage the moment I got down the train station steps. Far worse than Liverpool or even Brooklyn in the 70’s
I agree with cities in Central America but I have personally felt less safe in Caracas, Guayaquil, and Lima.
Can not believe you left out Guatemala City as a dangerous place. San Jose I really liked , I found a great hostel , yes hostel near the park . Very nice. Crouds of people , the markets, the museums. The galleys.
Managua, ok, you must dress down. No bling. No nice sunglasses. Long sleeve shirts long pants. No problem. Do you speak Spanish? That is the key. I have an amiga, she speaks english and , I stayed at her family's place . We would shop at the markets, and wander everywhere. No problem. We went out at night to dance. Eat everywhere. There are barios where we did not go. You just need a guide. Like anywhere. Make friends with a local. That's how to get around. I went to the mosquito coast alone. Took a panga 45 miles. To Blue Field. Primative, poor, but relatively safe.
I agree. I have been to Guatemala City several times and I did not feel safe whatsoever there. And, in fact, a guest at the hotel in which I was staying was robbed at gunpoint a half a block away. On the other hand, I did feel quite safe in Antigua Guatemala which I'd recommend to anyone as a beautiful historic city with lots of culture, charm and arts. Back to Guatemala City I hired a guide to help me as did other Americans down there at the time and he had very dark tinting on his car windows because he said with all the Americans he transported around he didn't want to be targeted or a target with us visible through the windows. This was around 2006/2007 timeframe.
Oh so you never went to Baltimore Maryland?
compared to the cities he mentioned, baltimore is safe asf
Yeah immagine Baltimore without Front St. Or the Aquarium. Welcome to central america
Caracas was the unsafest place I've ever been too, was 2011 and I'm South African born!
Been like that for the last 35 years. The cruise ships stopped pulling into Venezuela about 20 years ago.
Too many passengers returned to ship, having been robbed on day trips.
yup, feel the same, makes the worst place in Brazil look like Disneyland, and those places really don't look like Disneyland.
You definetly dont know the worsts places in Brazil 🤣
Speaking of Chicago. When I was 19 and fresh out of Navy boot camp, my buddies and I got a hotel room in south side Chicago so we could drink off-base for the weekend. It was real close to the train station but long story short I realized at that point about what a ghetto was and that I need to do more research before staying in strange places. However, that was 15 years ago and smart phones weren’t a thing yet. Now here we are! Lol
Echo the sentiments of San Jose. A buddy and I got followed for about 3-4 blocks as we were lugging bags from the bus station to our hotel, but made it just in time before a confrontation.
I never felt unsafe in Salvador, Brazil-but was fully cognizant that every cab driver, cashier and waiter was looking to make a quick buck off of me whenever they could.
I have travelled to many cities for Travel Thoughts and I, too, felt threatened in San Jose, Costa Rica. I had a bad experience with a taxi operator there who blatantly tried to rip me off with a very dodgy meter. Also, city centre felt unsafe in certain areas. My advice: avoid the city and just go the airport and your destinations.
I had a taxi driver in Santiago, Chile take the long route on me. I only realized it later after seeing the return trip was much quicker, and by then I'd had quite a bit to drink.
In another incident, a taxi driver in Ho Chi Minh City said he's take me to a nightclub I was trying to find for $5. I gave him the money and got in the cab, then he drove me there. It was just around the block!
@@dr.elvis.h.christ Tbf you could have looked up that night club on google maps and would have known how far the journey is
It’s true, Guatemalan here, avoiding the city as much as possible. That’s where we get robbed 😅
I hear unflattering things about Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.
It's super dodgy yes
I saw a video of a guy who spent a day there waiting for the next flight to one of the more inaccessible islands of Oceania and even in the middle of the day the falling down pier on the one beach & the crowd there all looked depressing. He had no problems, but even the local who drove him to a store said, don't leave your hotel room after dark. Not just don't leave the hotel, don't even leave your room. The locals think the place is sketchy.
@@jeremyleonbarlow I did the same. Was waiting for a flight to the Highlands and couldn't really leave the room except for a drive with a security guard into town just to have a look.
Yeh thats what happens when most of the pop is poor, but everything there is shockingly expensive.
As an expat that lives in Bogotá, I would advise you to be careful and streetwise! Even the richer neighborhoods are subject to street crime / motorbike muggings etc.
True.. All of bogota is unsafe, I’d say specially the rich neighborhoods since it makes sense that crime is higher in “juicier” zones where with just one robbery they could get what is worth robbing 10 poor people
agreed,,,street wise in any city,,,
Avoid Cali at all cost.
Shame about Paris, back in 1993 didn't feel unsafe.
My friend is from Bogotá, Columbia. She wears her scruffiest clothes when she visits, takes a really old phone, no jewellery. She looks like a local, which she is, but is still is scared. People are being robbed on buses, she loves her country but hates it too
I am blonde, 6'1" and broad shouldered white, caucasian, American gringo. I check all the boxes! Ha! Obviously I don't look anything like they do in Bogota. But I have learned that it helps to always wear pants and a long sleeve shirt, and a black hat to cover my hair. It helps to reduce my profile when I walk the streets. But even still, I cannot leave my hostel without homeless and beggars asking me for things. I am so sick and tired of it. I don't ever get cute with them, just pretend I don't see or hear them and keep my head down and keep walking. I need to move out of el centro.
You have the correct attitude. I'm a local here and do the same with beggars. If you don't like the center, there is plenty of hostels to the north of the city where there is less of what you don't like.
North of the city is better. For me, I try and stay near Parque 93. Yes, more expensive, but a better experience and much safer.
I was in Bogota a few months ago just before the protests kicked off and el centro felt different /less safe than the times in years past
I visited Sana’a, Yemen a few years ago. Wow, what an experience. All the guys walk around with these huge knives called jambiya in their waistbands. Pretty scary. The first day I was there, a vanful of terrifying al-Qaeda looking types rolls up beside me as I was walking down the sidewalk, passenger rolls down his window and shouts at me…”ya sadiq!!” Tried my best to remain calm and ignore him. Back at my hotel I asked the English-speaking front desk guy, “what does it mean, ‘ya sadiq’?” He said, “it means ‘hey friend!’“ Then I felt pretty dumb.
Nicaragua was the country I felt most unsafe as well. Man followed me from a bank (in daylight). I eventually lost him.
I have been to all three of those cities as well. Spending a couple days in each walking the city. Hey, must say I read
In fact, the only city I would add is Guatemala City. I moved around somewhat freely at night, but you have to be careful what zone you’re going into.
However, Antigua is a must hit spot in Guatemala. Absolutely stunning!
I’ve had some close calls near the ports in Belize, Jamaica (daytime), and even in Nassau (at night). In the south of Thailand my father-in-law was assassinated by motorboat and the building complex of my wife’s family’s restaurant was bombed and set on fire a couple years later. The US can be very sketchy too but it’s a totally different risk management situation when you’re on foreign soil.
I agree about Belize. We had to walk from the main bus station to the port. Frightening!........and I lived in South Africa for 22 years.
Expats r targets?
@@lynnamarsh6384 In S. Thailand the Thai and Chinese minorities are targets. There aren’t many tourists or expats in those 3 southern provinces so the data isn’t really conclusive on your question.
You can have my money but not wallet, gotta draw a line somewhere🤣
Ive been to managua and i 100% agree with him.
In the Navy, our ship put into Morocco. Didn't think I would survive the night if I did not make it back to the ship.
Morocco is just endless hassle in the big cities unfortunately ..