This is not a covid-related article!
I know, I know… that nowadays everybody is searching for the best place to travel but bear with me.
If you are searching for countries to avoid as a tourist or to send your enemies there, then you come to the right place.:)
There are many places in this world where foreigners have a hard time, but we are not going to talk about them. Instead, we are going for the worst of the worst.
Venezuela
A few years ago, Venezuela might not have entered this top, but after a period of political instability and economic decay, violent crimes are at an all-time high.
Since violent crimes happen so often, police don’t bother to register all of them, so the statistic is somehow misleading
Why would you visit this country?
Well, gas is cheaper than water, when you can find it.
I’m not kidding here; the gas price is nothing in Venezuela, but you will have a hard time finding it.
Some gas station receives gas every week, but it’s usually gone in 1 day. There is no fun being forced to wait three days for a full tank of gas.
As a tourist, you have absolutely no reason to be here, but if your job or whatever forces you to go, I hope you will receive a consistent bonus from your employer.
If you can negotiate with your employer, then ask him to hire a security team and use armor vehicles on public roads.
Also, kidnapping insurance might be another good thing to have because nobody wants to kill you; they want your money or your company’s money.
Nigeria
There are a lot of human-related problems in Nigeria.
The majority of people there don’t know how to read or write because most of them didn’t get any kind of education
AIDS is also a big problem in the country causing a lot of deaths.
To make matters worse, there are Islamic extremist groups, the most famous being Boko Haram who launches repeated attacks on schools and government institutions to take power and institute an Islamic State regime.
The majority of these attacks are in north-east Nigeria, but you should not consider the rest of the country safe.
Avoid the Borno region at all costs, except if you are a mercenary and looking for a job.
Kidnapping is also a significant risk in Nigeria, so you should never go alone.
The ZIKA virus is still present in the area, and although the risk of infection is low, you shouldn’t underestimate this fact.
Some good news: The Internet is working in Nigeria. You obviously shouldn’t expect miracles in terms of speed. Every year the number of internet users in Nigeria increases, WhatsApp being the most used social media platform.
Angola
There is a piece of good news about Angola crimes: the majority of them do not involve foreigners.
Women especially should not travel alone in this country since rapes are a daily event.
A police force is present in this country, but if you face a problem that requires law enforcement support, there is a chance that they will not come in a reasonable time …like never.
Don’t stop your car in rural areas.
Thieves in this country have an unusual method to rob cars.
They stay at the gas station, and one of them distracts the driver, and another one puncture the tires.
After the car leaves, they follow it, and when the driver stops to change the tire, they stripped him of all of his belongings and leave him there, so if you are traveling by car, extra precaution is needed.
Somalia
This country is another destination that is better left unchecked on your travel bucket list.
Somalia is well known for its black market, piracy, drug dealers, illegal arms, and human trafficking.
You might think to yourself that this land matches Tortuga city from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but you better don’t go there to see if it is true or not.
Even the U.S. Department of State advises you not to travel to Somalia
You better don’t wear jewelry or other expensive items when venturing forth.
This also includes your beloved smartphone. If you need a phone, I suggest buying a cheap 10$ and keep your smartphone in the hotel room and use this affordable alternative as a daily driver instead.
Remember that 10$ might mean nothing to you, but the people here need to work at least a week for this money. So even a 10$ phone might look expensive to them.
Electricity is also a problem in Somalia; some areas are powered by diesel generators.
Rule of thumb: 70% of the Somali people live with under 2 $ a day.
Go watch yourself in the mirror before leaving your safe spot.
How much do you worth in “Somali days”?
If the answer is: too much, then remove some items.
Main rules to follow in dangerous countries.
No t-shirts or other cloth items with an inscription of any kind; keep it simple.
I’ve seen a lot of tourists with items with a national flag or baseball hats or shirts with their favorite team. You shouldn’t do that.
You shouldn’t wear religious items of any kind.
Don’t drink tap water.
You could ask the locals if tap water is good to drink, but even if they say it is, you shouldn’t drink it.
Safe zones are not safe, keep your guard up.
If you heard that you just entered a “safe zone,” don’t believe that. People die every day in these safe areas. The terrorists always target the safe zone, trying to create a media impact. You are not safe.
Don’t talk to strangers.
You might believe that talking to a stranger is not a big thing, but you give up essential clues like where are you from, where are you working, where are you staying, are you alone or with someone, this kind of details make it accessible from an attacker to cause harm.
Avoid all activities during the night.
If you want to kill time you shouldn’t go outside during the night.
Keep in mind that dusk falls rapidly in some parts of the globe.
Avoid driving
If you just arrived in the country, you should avoid driving.
If you need to drive, wait a couple of days to see how the locals are driving their dilapidated cars.
You will see reckless drivers and a lack of road markings.
Don’t panic because these are considered normal driving conditions, and if you don’t know which driver has the right of way, a simple hand signal will tell if you may pass or no.
Here you find how to make hand signals for driving
Conclusion
There are other countries you should also avoid, but these are the most deadly of all.
If by some hazard you encounter a dangerous situation and you are forced to part with your belongings, don’t try to recoup them.
A couple of hundred dollars don’t value your life.
Stay Safe!
