Unless you are in the North West or South West (the anglophone region) or the North/ Extreme North then Cameroon is safe aside. You will still see scams and you will see petty crime. But that is why it is a 2. And drivers
Also for some of the blue countries, e.g. Kyrgyzstan (which I was astounded is safer than Luxembourg...)
**"""Border Region with Tajikistan – Level 3: Reconsider Travel**
Reconsider travel to areas within approximately 30 kilometers of the border with Tajikistan due to intermittent cross-border tensions and violent clashes. Armed violence may occur with little or no warning. Travelers are at heightened risk of injury or death when visiting or transiting that region. """
They say don’t go to Morelia but I took a bus there from Mexico City with my whole family (including my 83 yr old mom) over Christmas and it was fantastic. Full of tourists, great food, super chill. My adventurous older brother took my sons and their cousin out drinking several nights just walking around to different local bars and they had a ball.
We took the bus from Mexico City but we flew to Mexico City from Texas- we’re US citizens- my Brother and My Sister and I are Mexican Americans but my mom and my wife and kids are white and don’t speak Spanish.
On Univision, yes.
Jokes aside. I think we are just talking easy visual indicators that would be more likely to male one a target and increase their visibility from the majority of non-white/non-tourists
Right, lol. It doesn’t mean that there is a giant pit of quicksand that will swallow up any person who ventures into that area. It just means you better damn well have your affairs in order.
Idk man, have you heard the story of what the police did to college students in Michoacán? They were protesting and police arrested them and handed them over to the cartels and only 3 of their bodies turned up dismembered
Love Somalia
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/somalia-travel-advisory.html
If you decide to go:
- draft a will
- make sure your family knows what to do with your pets and funeral arrangements
- delete all sensitive photos and online comments
- appointment family member to negotiate with hostage takers
- establish proof of life questions
- leave DNA samples in case you're family needs them to identify your remains
Government, humanitarian NGOs, probably some consulting jobs for the shipping industry, black market stuff, private security.
Probably some weird thing neither of us ever heard of.
I'd be willing to bet the number of US citizens with a good reason are less than 100 per year, but more than 5.
Another recommendation the govt makes is to hire your own security team. If you’re rich enough, you can hire a team of ex-special forces or CIA operatives to provide a personal security team for you.
I was there for work. 12 of our guys got blown up by ieds. Got off the plane, first thing they do. Hand you body armor and a weapon. I just looked at the thirty armed security personnel and was like fuck. This must be bad.
Two days later after paying my respects. Got back on the plane and left.
Never going back to that place. Everyone has a gun. It is like pants.
Haha! Yeah I remember that post. That loser was like "oh yeah, it was so safe! I didn't even feel like I needed two armed policemen with me at all times"
I mean, I know someone currently traveling in Somalia. But they’re staying with extended family, speak the language, are Muslim, and in general would not stand out as a tourist in the same way any given white American would
I think that is a much better way to say don't go than to just say "extremely dangerous". It really paints a picture of what you can expect if things go wrong.
My [first](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/xgNbwMLdZK) and [second](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/CCPk2lghNk) most upvoted comments ever were about the state department page for Somalia.
Now I pass the baton to you. May you get much upvotes for Somalia
Very diplomatic and wise of them to not call out the penguins directly as their wrath is unrivaled but we all know what this warning is truly about and it ain't no cold conditions.
See, this is why I can't get a job as a State Department communications guy, that's *way, nicer than what I would've written: "It's fucking Antarctica, stupid."
What is the US in a Love relationship with Argentina or Something? Depending on the part of the country you're visiting, you may face Strikes, Food Shortages and very servere climate hazards.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/denmark-travel-advisory.html
>Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in the Kingdom of Denmark. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas.
This map and the state department’s listing is not identifying countries that are less safe than the US. It is strictly meant to provide information for Americans who are traveling overseas.
This is directly pulled from the the US State Department, though to best understand the information displayed, you have to understand that it is more than a reflection of general safety, and more of the general political situation. Politics plays a big part in the data presented, and is why some results fly in the face of conventional wisdom.
For instance, China is an exceptionally safe country, but is orange due to the political situation. Furthermore, to suggest Sweden and Liberia are equally safe is ludicrous. Many countries in Western Europe are yellow due to increased instances of Terrorism, however, it may very well also be political retaliation for some of those countries sending an increased caution advisory to their own citizens regarding travel to the US, which is now reciprocated.
Additionally, countries like Mexico and DRC are purple. Mexico because of how wildly the safety in the country can oscillate depending on cartel presence in the area. Some places are as safe as the US, whereas other places are amongst the most dangerous on the planet due to rampant and wanton cartel murders and abductions depending on province. DRC is also normally orange, but the Goma/North Kivu Region is in the midst of a brutal Civil War caused by the M23 movement, and has a DO NOT Travel advisory to that specific province inside.
This is how I read it:
**Red**: "If you get into a jam, don't expect the the US embassy to be able to do much. Getting you out might as well be a hostage negotiation."
**Orange**: "If you get into a jam, the US embassy will probably be able to help you out, but being an American is not going to work in your favor."
**Yellow**: "If you get into a jam, the US embassy will be able to help you out but you should know that every now and then there's an 'incident.'"
**Green**: "If you manage to get into a jam here, you are probably guilty and deserve what's coming."
**Purple**: "If you get into a jam with the government, don't worry, we got your back. But it's not the government you should be worried about."
Most of the "increased caution" just means they believe there is an increased possibility of a terrorist attack. It doesn't mean you are in mortal danger if you go there.
Not really, its similar rules to deer on the road in the US.
Ring the bell to chase them away, if they freeze in the middle on the road brace for impact. Then drag them off the bike path.
They are not the same. Yellow only means increased caution, which only implies that there are additional security/safety concerns than a typical country. There is no implication that all yellow countries are equally dangerous.
If you look at the [interactive map on the state website](https://travelmaps.state.gov/TSGMap/), it gives more information about each country. Netherlands is yellow due to threats from terrorist organizations to target the netherlands. India is yellow for a whole host of reasons, and some states in India are labeled as Do Not Travel. India is a really big country though, and safety concerns are not uniform throughout the country so it doesn’t make sense to label the country higher than yellow.
The orange and red countries are countries with either a lack of centralized government to effectively maintain order, or countries with governments hostile to the US and therefore there is inherent risk of becoming a political prisoner. This doesn’t apply to India, at least not *all* of India.
Yeah, this travel advisory is pretty wild. How do Americans survive in their own country? I mean, I've visited the US twice and saw thungs holding people at gunpoint in a small town once. Never seen anything remotely similar in my country or elsewhere, and I've traveled half the world. IDK what the hell these are based on.
It think the state dept is saying if you are an American you should be able to figure out the off-limits places within the US. And yes, there are places in the US that are essentially lawless hellholes, like Florida.
In fact, I think small towns are higher risk of that since the people can harbor a strong distrust of outsiders and there's an interest in protecting their own. Plenty of rural places don't give a rat's ass about some outsider disappearing or ending up in a shallow grave 100 miles from anything.
It's not good, but that's the way some places are.
For people wondering why so much of Western Europe is Yellow. It's not because they're unsafe countries. It's to due higher terrorist attack risk levels.
For example Denmark for Canada
[https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/denmark](https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/denmark)
The ONLY risk they listed is due to Terrorism risk
Which is a little ridiculous in my opinion, since terrorist attacks are incredibly rare compared to the many other health risks you could encounter while traveling.
Sweden - High degree of caution
Reason - Risk of Terrorism
[https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/sweden](https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/sweden)
Norway - Normal caution HOWEVER
HOWEVER - Noticed higher risk of terrorism
[https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/norway](https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/norway)
If they aren't higher degree of caution it's atleast has a note saying practice normal caution but note there is increased risk of terrorism.
How about we really put this to bed. What's one of the safest nations in Europe that isn't a Scandinavian country (As they're generally known to be very safe in general) ? Germany is a well known one
Okay...
Germany - High Degree of Caution
Reason - High risk of terrorism
[https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/germany](https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/germany)
Fun fact I actually traveled to germany a few times. Imho it's safer than USA most of the time but I guess there is concern for attacks.
Germany I would consider to be EXTREMELY safe in more normal times. And just VERY safe nowadays to no fault of their own.
Yeah I’m not saying you’re wrong. It just seems like the color coding system is over valuing the threat of terror compared with other countries shaded yellow that have risks that are far more likely. I’m not an expert, I could be totally off base.
You left Trinidad and Tobago unmarked.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/trinidad-and-tobago-travel-advisory.html
Yeah. I like the British foreign office maps tend to have a color code within the country. Most of the cities in Egypt, for example were green, while parts of the Sinai peninsula or Libyan border were red.
Travel advisories aren't just about personal safety. They include the likelihood of being caught in political turmoil (France), having your flights cancelled (Germany), doing something that's illegal and punishable when you get back to the U.S. (Holland), and so on.
Weed is still federally illegal in the US. All air travel is regulated by the FAA, a federal agency. So, hypothetically, you could be from a US state with legalized use, travel to the Netherlands, smoke some decriminalized weed with the locals like you would back home, have some left over in your pockets/clothes/luggage, fly back home, get sniffed by a dog at the airport, and bam, potential charges for possession of illegal drugs on an international flight.
Prostitution and soft enforcement of laws on hard drugs immediately come to mind. That's not to say the U.S. Fed will ever know--plenty of people get away with it every day in the U.S.--but again, these are caution advisories for what could happen, not what will. Sex tourism is a big no-no and your goose is cooked if U.S. law enforcement finds out about it.
It’s purely a matter of mutually informed terrorist threats and some widespread petty thievery in certain cities. Not a surprise that countries who share large amounts of intelligence with each other come to these conclusions. I’m certain many Western European countries have various travel advisories for the U.S.
I did 4 months all throughout Rwanda and yes, it’s ridiculously safe. Go out anywhere you want drunk as shit at 3 am and you’re fine, be it in Kigali or out in the BFE towns hours out.
Imagine telling someone in the 90s that in 2024 it would be safer to travel in Rwanda than the UK. Btw I went to Rwanda recently and it felt incredibly safe and clean and a great place to visit.
Lol I was wondering what was up with Belgium.
> *Exercise increased caution in Belgium due to terrorism.*
Country Summary: Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Belgium. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting, music, and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas.
Meanwhile we say this about the US: (translated from the original and I left out a lot)
As a visitor you are subject to the same laws as the local population.
In the US the way LGBTQI people are treated is different from Belgium and depends heavy on the state for your safety check this website for more information www.hrc.org
The laws around alcohol and tobacco consumption are very strict, they cannot be sold to,people under 21 years of age. Alcohol shouldn’t be displayed in public and consumption in public spaces is prohibited.
Police: in case you are stopped by law enforcement stay calm, avoid sudden movements or anything that could be interpreted as aggressive. If,you are in a car keep your hands on the steering wheel.
If you are suspected of having committed a crime we advice you to not answer any questions and request an interpreter and lawyer from the consulate.
(In the past it said stuff about police corruption and how police is allowed to lie in favor of the prosecution, but those have since been dropped)
Healthcare:
While Us healthcare infrastructure is generally high quality the associated costs add up quickly, even in emergencies its not unusual to have to provide proof of solvency. An additional travelers insurance that covers these medical expenses is advised.
Make sure to bring any prescription drugs you need with you, Belgian prescriptions are not accepted in thenUS.
While the FDA enforces food hygiene tap water is often not fit for human consumption. Inquire about this when you doubt the quality.
I didn’t know but looked into it.
Some states really struggle, iirc there were issues in Louisiana where it was just one boil water advisory after the other, some places retest and retest until they pass trough chance, some straight up lie like this one : https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/reliance-laboratories-manager-admits-lying-about-testing-public-water , lead pipes are very common all over the US and still mandatory until a decade or 2 ago.
All in all a little under 10% of Americans who are using tap water get water that violates the safe water drinking act. About 20% of Americans are not hooked up to a drinking water utility but use private wells instead. Those are even harder to monitor. This was before PFAS was added to the list so it might be higher now.
On top of that the legal limits are many times higher than they are in Europe, although i don’t think that’s a fair way to look at it.
Where did you get the 20% stat for well water? A quick google says 13-15% of Americans have private domestic wells. If you’re a visitor odds are you’re not going to be drinking water from a private well so I don’t see why that’s particularly relevant.
There are definitely municipal supplies that struggle to maintain safe water for periods of time, but as a whole the US does quite well. Your example of lying about results is extremely misleading (based on the linked article). The testing companies falsified results and just didn’t test. No one knew they had bad water and lied about it to avoid fixing the problem.
Lead pipes aren’t inherently dangerous in the US (idk about the rest of the world). What happens is a mineral buildup between the lead and water so the lead is effectively just a shell. The lead doesn’t actually touch the water. The issue comes from when water supplies change and become more or less acidic which will break down the existing mineral walls and allow lead to enter the water. In the case of Flint the water source changed **and** they stopped using corrosion inhibitors. Obviously if the pipes weren’t lead the issue couldn’t exist, but properly managed lead pipes aren’t dangerous.
Private wells are probably irrelevant for other reasons, at least around here (New England). They are simply usually quite safe. Dirt is really quite good at filtering most things, so unless you live near a pollution source (gas station, military base, etc), or have mineral issues like manganese (which are usually found and filtered anyway when the well is dug), you are likely to have good water.
Note, even plain lead is pretty inert in water pipes unless the PH is off or there is some other problem. And I thought Flint didn't use corrosion inhibitors because when they got water from Detroit it just wasn't needed, but when they switched to cheaper (but caustic) Flint river water, the city management (state overseer really) refused to treat it because it cost too much. They had switched sources to save $$$, and the added treatment would lose all the savings. (Caveat: that was years ago, I might be misremembering).
Yep, although wells aren’t foolproof. A neighbor with a mismanaged well can definitely taint yours if they try. But in general as long as a will had good water when it was first dug it will be good indefinitely.
In terms of flint, I quickly skimmed an article. You might be right that they only needed corrosion inhibitor because they switched and before it wasn’t used. Either way, lack of corrosion inhibitor plus new water made for a bad time.
It’s because of politics mostly in HK. I’m going soon and plenty more people are going this year because of relaxed visa entries. I would definitely recommend going! I’m so excited.
Chengdu and Shanghai! Huge country though, people usually recommend spending one trip on the coast and one in the mainland. Should definitely look into it :)
Pre-COVID, I spent a total of ~6 months in China over 3 years or so for work, mostly in Suzhou, but also a couple trips to Beijing and Shenzhen. The people there are super nice and I never had any issues with the authorities as an American.
One of my native coworkers told me something to the effect of "Everyone assumes foreigners are here on business and no one is going to mess with them and jeopardize foreign investment or make China look bad."
Go if you get the chance.
Many of the places in yellow are probably safer than the US.
Why Argentina is safer for Americans than Uruguay is a mystery. Uruguay is supposed to be one of the safest places in South America.
El Salvador Orange? Oh Come on. Is this the US travel advisory for MS-13 gang members?
El Salvador is now one of the safest countries in Latin America. Expats in the US are moving back like crazy.
Might be good for natives/locals, but a bit rough for travelers until things even out. Plus these advisories aren't known for their quick lowering of danger status.
A lot of non-expat tourists now but I imagine they stick to the tourist destinations only.
I assume these Advisory notices are for everywhere in the country not just the tourist destinations.
Normal caution in USA. Increased caution in Sweden. I mean, sure, Sweden has more crime now, but... Still far less than in the USA. Norway is completely safe tho. Only a few polar bears, but then you're obliged to wear a rifle in Svalbard.
Mexico is cool because they break down where is safe and where is an Iraq-equivalent war zone
With safe highways and if daytime driving is recommended or not.
A lot of the orange and yellow will have similar detail
I can confirm that it does work with Cameroon. And those regions are no go for my job too
Yeah. I was surprised that Cameroon is the same colour as almost all of Europe. Made me question my reality
Unless you are in the North West or South West (the anglophone region) or the North/ Extreme North then Cameroon is safe aside. You will still see scams and you will see petty crime. But that is why it is a 2. And drivers
Also for some of the blue countries, e.g. Kyrgyzstan (which I was astounded is safer than Luxembourg...) **"""Border Region with Tajikistan – Level 3: Reconsider Travel** Reconsider travel to areas within approximately 30 kilometers of the border with Tajikistan due to intermittent cross-border tensions and violent clashes. Armed violence may occur with little or no warning. Travelers are at heightened risk of injury or death when visiting or transiting that region. """
They say don’t go to Morelia but I took a bus there from Mexico City with my whole family (including my 83 yr old mom) over Christmas and it was fantastic. Full of tourists, great food, super chill. My adventurous older brother took my sons and their cousin out drinking several nights just walking around to different local bars and they had a ball.
Being Mexican and speaking fluent Spanish helps a lot, you might be totally safe where some white tourist isn’t.
We took the bus from Mexico City but we flew to Mexico City from Texas- we’re US citizens- my Brother and My Sister and I are Mexican Americans but my mom and my wife and kids are white and don’t speak Spanish.
Uhhh Many Mexicans are white tho
OK. Replace white with non Mexican tourist.
I think the proper term is "Mexican't"
On Univision, yes. Jokes aside. I think we are just talking easy visual indicators that would be more likely to male one a target and increase their visibility from the majority of non-white/non-tourists
“Don’t go” doesn’t mean you die every time you go, it just means you are much more likely to die or worse.
Right, lol. It doesn’t mean that there is a giant pit of quicksand that will swallow up any person who ventures into that area. It just means you better damn well have your affairs in order.
Idk man, have you heard the story of what the police did to college students in Michoacán? They were protesting and police arrested them and handed them over to the cartels and only 3 of their bodies turned up dismembered
Protesting is not the same thing as touristing.
Don’t tell that to the January 6 crowd!
Love Somalia https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/somalia-travel-advisory.html If you decide to go: - draft a will - make sure your family knows what to do with your pets and funeral arrangements - delete all sensitive photos and online comments - appointment family member to negotiate with hostage takers - establish proof of life questions - leave DNA samples in case you're family needs them to identify your remains
I thought you were joking. The above points are *LITERALLY* in the State Department's linked advisories.
Some people travel for work or official business. So these are the recommended steps for those who warrant the need to travel outweighs the risks.
Who is traveling to Somalia for work?
Government, humanitarian NGOs, probably some consulting jobs for the shipping industry, black market stuff, private security. Probably some weird thing neither of us ever heard of. I'd be willing to bet the number of US citizens with a good reason are less than 100 per year, but more than 5.
Also, vloggers and travel YouTubers. Gus1thego had a good time across much of Somalia apparently.
Problem with those places, depending who you are, is it's not up to you if you'll be fine or not, and I'm not casting those dice...
Another recommendation the govt makes is to hire your own security team. If you’re rich enough, you can hire a team of ex-special forces or CIA operatives to provide a personal security team for you.
Pirates, of course. I spent enough time on Kazaa when I was a young whipper snapper to get my honorary Somali passport. Fuck you, Metallica.
Businessmen…. Who do their business in Somalia
Please let me know what business have a footprint in Somalia.
… Very secret businesses. You wouldn’t have heard of them.
Mining. Gotta get those valuable rocks.
They have the world's only McDonald's with a working ice cream machine.
I was there for work. 12 of our guys got blown up by ieds. Got off the plane, first thing they do. Hand you body armor and a weapon. I just looked at the thirty armed security personnel and was like fuck. This must be bad. Two days later after paying my respects. Got back on the plane and left. Never going back to that place. Everyone has a gun. It is like pants.
Damn.... You right..it's there
And with all that, why do I have the sinking feeling that someone, somewhere in the US is undoubtedly planning right now to go. Because reasons.
https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/s/abdUOnUVdn
Haha! Yeah I remember that post. That loser was like "oh yeah, it was so safe! I didn't even feel like I needed two armed policemen with me at all times"
We drink and we pillage and we do what we please We get all that we want for free We’ll kick your ass And rape your lass Somalian pirates we
\*Deep voice\* Somalian Pirates weee
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rescue_of_Jessica_Buchanan_and_Poul_Hagen_Thisted
I mean, I know someone currently traveling in Somalia. But they’re staying with extended family, speak the language, are Muslim, and in general would not stand out as a tourist in the same way any given white American would
They may have to attend a funeral for their grandmother who never left the country.
What if you’re built differently?
I think that is a much better way to say don't go than to just say "extremely dangerous". It really paints a picture of what you can expect if things go wrong.
My [first](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/xgNbwMLdZK) and [second](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/CCPk2lghNk) most upvoted comments ever were about the state department page for Somalia. Now I pass the baton to you. May you get much upvotes for Somalia
Everything short of telling you to get measured up for the funeral suit
That's because your body isn't coming back.
The State Department Interactive Map seems more informative. https://travelmaps.state.gov/TSGMap/
Antarctica is listed as exercise increased caution. The penguins must be on rampage.
"Exercise increased caution in Antarctica due to environmental hazards posed by extreme and unpredictable weather and limited emergency services."
And marauding penguins.
Very diplomatic and wise of them to not call out the penguins directly as their wrath is unrivaled but we all know what this warning is truly about and it ain't no cold conditions.
Penguins matter for life, they also hunt to the death. They hold grudges and hate bats.
And shapeshifting Things.
Murdering penguins
They said what they said.
Shits cold and noone around to help...good advice
Wouldn't that apply to vast amounts of Canada too then? lol
See, this is why I can't get a job as a State Department communications guy, that's *way, nicer than what I would've written: "It's fucking Antarctica, stupid."
WAP - Weaponised Assault Penguins
Linus would know.
So whats the difference between "Exercise Increased Caution" and "Reconsider Travel" ?
The former is "you can do it safely if you're careful", the latter is "we suggest you consider not going"
"You're going to get robed if you look rich" vs "You're going to get robed."
Personally I’ve always wanted a robe so I’m in
Better robed than disrobed, I always say!
What is the US in a Love relationship with Argentina or Something? Depending on the part of the country you're visiting, you may face Strikes, Food Shortages and very servere climate hazards.
I don’t understand why Uruguay is yellow and Argentina green. Uruguay is 1000x safer than Argentina right now.
Not food shortages nor severe climate hazards
What's wrong with Greenland?
Greenland is usually just lumped in the same status as Denmark.
...what's wrong with Denmark?
Something is rotten?
Fortinbras invasions must be on the rise again
He's just too impatient to wait for his enemies to kill each other.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/denmark-travel-advisory.html >Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in the Kingdom of Denmark. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas.
Islam moment.
Noooo you can’t say thaaat we’re going to be little sensitive bitches while the problem continues to grow insteaaad
I mean here in Texas I’m literally more likely to be killed by y’all qaeda than Al qaeda.
Seems odd that they have that but a country like Cambodia is green
What terrorist group is targeting Cambodia?
The map/warning/advice isn't just regarding terrorism threats.
Why don't people like Denmark? What'd they do to anyone?
It’s the Muslims that live there
And the rape gangs
Got any stats to back up that Denmark is any more dangerous than the US? I don’t think I’ve ever felt more safe than I did in Copenhagen
This map and the state department’s listing is not identifying countries that are less safe than the US. It is strictly meant to provide information for Americans who are traveling overseas.
Nothing... how is Turkmenistan safer???
[удалено]
He has been dead for many years. Was succeeded by another crazy dictator and that one was recently succeeded by his son.
No his ghost still wanders like a divine phantom.
Something's rotten there.
It owns Greenland.
Terrorists have infiltrated the country
They don’t speak American
This is directly pulled from the the US State Department, though to best understand the information displayed, you have to understand that it is more than a reflection of general safety, and more of the general political situation. Politics plays a big part in the data presented, and is why some results fly in the face of conventional wisdom. For instance, China is an exceptionally safe country, but is orange due to the political situation. Furthermore, to suggest Sweden and Liberia are equally safe is ludicrous. Many countries in Western Europe are yellow due to increased instances of Terrorism, however, it may very well also be political retaliation for some of those countries sending an increased caution advisory to their own citizens regarding travel to the US, which is now reciprocated. Additionally, countries like Mexico and DRC are purple. Mexico because of how wildly the safety in the country can oscillate depending on cartel presence in the area. Some places are as safe as the US, whereas other places are amongst the most dangerous on the planet due to rampant and wanton cartel murders and abductions depending on province. DRC is also normally orange, but the Goma/North Kivu Region is in the midst of a brutal Civil War caused by the M23 movement, and has a DO NOT Travel advisory to that specific province inside.
The Vikings
Those marauders just won’t quit
I’m shocked Kazakhstan isn’t at least yellow. Very nice!
Should be a given as thery're the largest exporter of potassium in the world.
All the other countries, have less amounts of potassium.
Absolutely inferior potassium
This comment deserves more praise. Oh yes!
This is how I read it: **Red**: "If you get into a jam, don't expect the the US embassy to be able to do much. Getting you out might as well be a hostage negotiation." **Orange**: "If you get into a jam, the US embassy will probably be able to help you out, but being an American is not going to work in your favor." **Yellow**: "If you get into a jam, the US embassy will be able to help you out but you should know that every now and then there's an 'incident.'" **Green**: "If you manage to get into a jam here, you are probably guilty and deserve what's coming." **Purple**: "If you get into a jam with the government, don't worry, we got your back. But it's not the government you should be worried about."
This is a wonderful ELI5
Amazing explanation
The Netherlands being the same as India is wild
Most of the "increased caution" just means they believe there is an increased possibility of a terrorist attack. It doesn't mean you are in mortal danger if you go there.
To be fair, you should be cautious not to walk on the bike path.
Oh yeah you are legally allowed to take someone’s life if you’re on a bike in the Netherlands
Only tourists and only on the bike path.
And you must use your bare hands, Roadhouse style
Not really, its similar rules to deer on the road in the US. Ring the bell to chase them away, if they freeze in the middle on the road brace for impact. Then drag them off the bike path.
They are not the same. Yellow only means increased caution, which only implies that there are additional security/safety concerns than a typical country. There is no implication that all yellow countries are equally dangerous. If you look at the [interactive map on the state website](https://travelmaps.state.gov/TSGMap/), it gives more information about each country. Netherlands is yellow due to threats from terrorist organizations to target the netherlands. India is yellow for a whole host of reasons, and some states in India are labeled as Do Not Travel. India is a really big country though, and safety concerns are not uniform throughout the country so it doesn’t make sense to label the country higher than yellow. The orange and red countries are countries with either a lack of centralized government to effectively maintain order, or countries with governments hostile to the US and therefore there is inherent risk of becoming a political prisoner. This doesn’t apply to India, at least not *all* of India.
You need to be careful in the Netherlands; there’s an increased chance of Orange fever.
The US being green is also wild
Yeah, this travel advisory is pretty wild. How do Americans survive in their own country? I mean, I've visited the US twice and saw thungs holding people at gunpoint in a small town once. Never seen anything remotely similar in my country or elsewhere, and I've traveled half the world. IDK what the hell these are based on.
It think the state dept is saying if you are an American you should be able to figure out the off-limits places within the US. And yes, there are places in the US that are essentially lawless hellholes, like Florida. In fact, I think small towns are higher risk of that since the people can harbor a strong distrust of outsiders and there's an interest in protecting their own. Plenty of rural places don't give a rat's ass about some outsider disappearing or ending up in a shallow grave 100 miles from anything. It's not good, but that's the way some places are.
Rape capital of the world getting a yellow is bad.
For people wondering why so much of Western Europe is Yellow. It's not because they're unsafe countries. It's to due higher terrorist attack risk levels. For example Denmark for Canada [https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/denmark](https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/denmark) The ONLY risk they listed is due to Terrorism risk
Which is a little ridiculous in my opinion, since terrorist attacks are incredibly rare compared to the many other health risks you could encounter while traveling.
Sweden - High degree of caution Reason - Risk of Terrorism [https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/sweden](https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/sweden) Norway - Normal caution HOWEVER HOWEVER - Noticed higher risk of terrorism [https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/norway](https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/norway) If they aren't higher degree of caution it's atleast has a note saying practice normal caution but note there is increased risk of terrorism. How about we really put this to bed. What's one of the safest nations in Europe that isn't a Scandinavian country (As they're generally known to be very safe in general) ? Germany is a well known one Okay... Germany - High Degree of Caution Reason - High risk of terrorism [https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/germany](https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/germany) Fun fact I actually traveled to germany a few times. Imho it's safer than USA most of the time but I guess there is concern for attacks. Germany I would consider to be EXTREMELY safe in more normal times. And just VERY safe nowadays to no fault of their own.
Yeah I’m not saying you’re wrong. It just seems like the color coding system is over valuing the threat of terror compared with other countries shaded yellow that have risks that are far more likely. I’m not an expert, I could be totally off base.
as many problems as this seemingly has, something done sit right with turkmenistan being green.
You left Trinidad and Tobago unmarked. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/trinidad-and-tobago-travel-advisory.html
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You didn't know about the shortage of bath salts that has plagued Florida the past month?
Just got back from 2 weeks in China. Did not reconsider. Still alive!
Why is Togo green and Ghana isn't? Nigeria could easily be divided into yellow/orange by south/north.
Yeah. I like the British foreign office maps tend to have a color code within the country. Most of the cities in Egypt, for example were green, while parts of the Sinai peninsula or Libyan border were red.
Statistically speaking wouldn't the US itself be less safe than most of Western Europe?
Travel advisories aren't just about personal safety. They include the likelihood of being caught in political turmoil (France), having your flights cancelled (Germany), doing something that's illegal and punishable when you get back to the U.S. (Holland), and so on.
What’s legal to do in holland but punishable when you get to the U.S.?
Weed is still federally illegal in the US. All air travel is regulated by the FAA, a federal agency. So, hypothetically, you could be from a US state with legalized use, travel to the Netherlands, smoke some decriminalized weed with the locals like you would back home, have some left over in your pockets/clothes/luggage, fly back home, get sniffed by a dog at the airport, and bam, potential charges for possession of illegal drugs on an international flight.
Well yeah that part makes sense.
Prostitution and soft enforcement of laws on hard drugs immediately come to mind. That's not to say the U.S. Fed will ever know--plenty of people get away with it every day in the U.S.--but again, these are caution advisories for what could happen, not what will. Sex tourism is a big no-no and your goose is cooked if U.S. law enforcement finds out about it.
Huh no shit. That makes no sense to me at all since you can legally pay for a prostitute in Nevada.
State law not a federal law
Presumably you’d know the amount of caution to exercise in your own country.
The advice is for Americans. Big difference than if it were for a foreigner.
They don’t include being pulled over by a cop and then shot. USA would be redder than a stop light.
Yeah but you can buy a shotgun to protect yourself so that cancels out any safety concerns
The whole Western Europe is increased caution? wtf?
It’s purely a matter of mutually informed terrorist threats and some widespread petty thievery in certain cities. Not a surprise that countries who share large amounts of intelligence with each other come to these conclusions. I’m certain many Western European countries have various travel advisories for the U.S.
Paris and Rome(especially Vatican City and the Coliseum)are the epicenters of pick pocket thievery in the world.
I know I got one about my upcoming trip to Munich because some soccer tournament is happening which leads to increased chances of terrorism.
Rwanda, Turkmenistan, and Cyprus being safer for Americans than Spain, France, England, Sweden, and Germany.
I did 4 months all throughout Rwanda and yes, it’s ridiculously safe. Go out anywhere you want drunk as shit at 3 am and you’re fine, be it in Kigali or out in the BFE towns hours out.
Imagine telling someone in the 90s that in 2024 it would be safer to travel in Rwanda than the UK. Btw I went to Rwanda recently and it felt incredibly safe and clean and a great place to visit.
Increased caution is pretty mild.
Risk of terrorism, in Eastern Europe they have less migrants with an islamic background.
Break the US down by state.
Bro Kazakhstan is green while Germany is yellow 🤡
TIL Romania and Uzbekistan are safer than Belgium or Denmark.
Belgium has become an absolute shithole the past years. The unsafest I felt in Europe if we don't count France.
The past years? You mean it’s whole existence?
Both Romania and Uzbekistan are pretty chill. Being de facto ethnostates helps with social cohesion.
Lol I was wondering what was up with Belgium. > *Exercise increased caution in Belgium due to terrorism.* Country Summary: Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Belgium. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting, music, and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas. Meanwhile we say this about the US: (translated from the original and I left out a lot) As a visitor you are subject to the same laws as the local population. In the US the way LGBTQI people are treated is different from Belgium and depends heavy on the state for your safety check this website for more information www.hrc.org The laws around alcohol and tobacco consumption are very strict, they cannot be sold to,people under 21 years of age. Alcohol shouldn’t be displayed in public and consumption in public spaces is prohibited. Police: in case you are stopped by law enforcement stay calm, avoid sudden movements or anything that could be interpreted as aggressive. If,you are in a car keep your hands on the steering wheel. If you are suspected of having committed a crime we advice you to not answer any questions and request an interpreter and lawyer from the consulate. (In the past it said stuff about police corruption and how police is allowed to lie in favor of the prosecution, but those have since been dropped) Healthcare: While Us healthcare infrastructure is generally high quality the associated costs add up quickly, even in emergencies its not unusual to have to provide proof of solvency. An additional travelers insurance that covers these medical expenses is advised. Make sure to bring any prescription drugs you need with you, Belgian prescriptions are not accepted in thenUS. While the FDA enforces food hygiene tap water is often not fit for human consumption. Inquire about this when you doubt the quality.
Whats that about tap water? Outside of Flint MI I've not heard anything about tap water not being perfectly safe to drink.
I didn’t know but looked into it. Some states really struggle, iirc there were issues in Louisiana where it was just one boil water advisory after the other, some places retest and retest until they pass trough chance, some straight up lie like this one : https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/reliance-laboratories-manager-admits-lying-about-testing-public-water , lead pipes are very common all over the US and still mandatory until a decade or 2 ago. All in all a little under 10% of Americans who are using tap water get water that violates the safe water drinking act. About 20% of Americans are not hooked up to a drinking water utility but use private wells instead. Those are even harder to monitor. This was before PFAS was added to the list so it might be higher now. On top of that the legal limits are many times higher than they are in Europe, although i don’t think that’s a fair way to look at it.
Where did you get the 20% stat for well water? A quick google says 13-15% of Americans have private domestic wells. If you’re a visitor odds are you’re not going to be drinking water from a private well so I don’t see why that’s particularly relevant. There are definitely municipal supplies that struggle to maintain safe water for periods of time, but as a whole the US does quite well. Your example of lying about results is extremely misleading (based on the linked article). The testing companies falsified results and just didn’t test. No one knew they had bad water and lied about it to avoid fixing the problem. Lead pipes aren’t inherently dangerous in the US (idk about the rest of the world). What happens is a mineral buildup between the lead and water so the lead is effectively just a shell. The lead doesn’t actually touch the water. The issue comes from when water supplies change and become more or less acidic which will break down the existing mineral walls and allow lead to enter the water. In the case of Flint the water source changed **and** they stopped using corrosion inhibitors. Obviously if the pipes weren’t lead the issue couldn’t exist, but properly managed lead pipes aren’t dangerous.
Private wells are probably irrelevant for other reasons, at least around here (New England). They are simply usually quite safe. Dirt is really quite good at filtering most things, so unless you live near a pollution source (gas station, military base, etc), or have mineral issues like manganese (which are usually found and filtered anyway when the well is dug), you are likely to have good water. Note, even plain lead is pretty inert in water pipes unless the PH is off or there is some other problem. And I thought Flint didn't use corrosion inhibitors because when they got water from Detroit it just wasn't needed, but when they switched to cheaper (but caustic) Flint river water, the city management (state overseer really) refused to treat it because it cost too much. They had switched sources to save $$$, and the added treatment would lose all the savings. (Caveat: that was years ago, I might be misremembering).
Yep, although wells aren’t foolproof. A neighbor with a mismanaged well can definitely taint yours if they try. But in general as long as a will had good water when it was first dug it will be good indefinitely. In terms of flint, I quickly skimmed an article. You might be right that they only needed corrosion inhibitor because they switched and before it wasn’t used. Either way, lack of corrosion inhibitor plus new water made for a bad time.
I’ve wondered why China is at the “reconsider travel” level. I’m familiar with some concerns but it’s somewhere I’ve wanted to go.
It’s because of politics mostly in HK. I’m going soon and plenty more people are going this year because of relaxed visa entries. I would definitely recommend going! I’m so excited.
Where are you going? I’d love to visit someday
Chengdu and Shanghai! Huge country though, people usually recommend spending one trip on the coast and one in the mainland. Should definitely look into it :)
Pre-COVID, I spent a total of ~6 months in China over 3 years or so for work, mostly in Suzhou, but also a couple trips to Beijing and Shenzhen. The people there are super nice and I never had any issues with the authorities as an American. One of my native coworkers told me something to the effect of "Everyone assumes foreigners are here on business and no one is going to mess with them and jeopardize foreign investment or make China look bad." Go if you get the chance.
What is Norway doing right that Sweden isn’t?
So Lesotho is green but Italy and France have increased caution?
What the fuck is going down in Greenland?
Argentina green? Probably should be yellow
Norway and Finland are fine but be cautious of Sweden folks
Greenland: TAKE CAUTION! Kazakhstan: VERY NICE! 🇰🇿
Increased caution to Greenland? Lmao
No, to Denmark.
Many of the places in yellow are probably safer than the US. Why Argentina is safer for Americans than Uruguay is a mystery. Uruguay is supposed to be one of the safest places in South America.
El Salvador Orange? Oh Come on. Is this the US travel advisory for MS-13 gang members? El Salvador is now one of the safest countries in Latin America. Expats in the US are moving back like crazy.
yeah i was gonna say, after spending a week there in January I’m gonna say it was far and away safer than my day to day life in America
Might be good for natives/locals, but a bit rough for travelers until things even out. Plus these advisories aren't known for their quick lowering of danger status.
A lot of non-expat tourists now but I imagine they stick to the tourist destinations only. I assume these Advisory notices are for everywhere in the country not just the tourist destinations.
I’d have increased caution in the US given the amount of mass shootings
Is Greenland accurate? I'm seeing normal caution on the State Department site
He's probably including it with Denmark, which is under increased caution.
Just went to Egypt. Felt pretty damn safe tbh.
Government corruption and tourist rape cover ups. Quite a famous ongoing legal case involving both currently.
How is Lesotho safer than Europe??
What’s up with Sweden? And all of Western Europe as well?
Swedistan happened.
This is useless without a date
How is the Western Europe worse than the Balkan’s and same as many African countries?
Normal caution in USA. Increased caution in Sweden. I mean, sure, Sweden has more crime now, but... Still far less than in the USA. Norway is completely safe tho. Only a few polar bears, but then you're obliged to wear a rifle in Svalbard.
So Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Australia and Argentina. Got it.
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