Wars and Rumors of Wars: Traveling During Times of Unrest

bharris8
Jul 16
2 min read

One of the most frequent questions we get asked is..."Is it safe to travel to XYZ?" Every traveler wants assurances that their family and themselves will be safe while traveling to another Country or city. Unfortunately we cannot provide those assurances as travel advisors. But what we can do is help everyone understand the things travelers CAN do in order to try to minimize the chances of something tragic happeing during their vacation.

Every destinations has it's risks. Whether it's crime, weather, environment, civil unrest etc, every Country has things someone needs to be aware of during their vacation. And never forget, there is not a single destinaton on this planet that protects someone from some random tragic event. So while we cannot promise safety and security, we can help you do some simple things to help minimize those risks and help make sure the vacation is as enjoyable as possible. Here are 5 things you can do:

Do not travel to places where there is known civil unrest. If you know for a fact that riots and protests are happening in a given destination, simply do not go there. You are literally putting yourself in harms way. Wait for things to calm down.
Stay vigilant when walking in crowds. Keep personal items and expensive looking items out of sight. Make sure you are paying attention to the people around you as much as you are the sites you are there to see.
Stay in well populated areas. Try to avoid walking down alleys and dark side streets and stay where the crowds are. If locals are staying out of those areas, so should tourists.
Travel with groups when visiting destinations known for crime. There is soime level of safety in numbers.
Hire local, trusted guides. It is hard to put a price tag on a great local tour guide and they will know areas that you need to avoid for safety reasons.

If a Country is at war and the battles are taking place in that Country, does someone really need to tell you if it is safe or not to travel there? Common sense is your best asset. Most of the things that we mentioned are just that, common sense. Don't wander off down dark streets. Don't flash your money, passports and phones out in public. Don't forget where you are and become an easy target. And try hiring a trusted local guide that can steer you in all the right directions. See? Common sense.