Too dangerous?

What would make a country/place too dangerous to visit, in your opinion?

I am planning to go to Israel in October. The following is a bit worrying though. I am glad I have a stopover in Greece, because if Israel becomes too dangerous, I can stay in Greece for the 2 weeks I intended to spend in Israel.

Israel likely to strike Iran before November

Last year I was planning to go to Syria, but ended up staying in Istanbul instead.

India, Israel its all the same I suppose. Is there an Israel Mike perchance.?

Any place can be dangerous to people who are unfamiliar with the lay of the land. Few klicks from where I am, the Mayor of the city has gunned down yesterday - execution style

As many people who go to Israel recommend; Keep normal attention to detail and do not venture out of your comfort zone.

Mell
If you are at Indiamike you can travel everywhere. I suppose Nadreg will confirm it.
If you are scared try to be ready as much as you can. Everything is helpful, news, friends, websites, suggestion of government, learn language, how to behave at time when things are getting wrong. Maybe you change your mind but it is realy up to you.

I did not travel to Israel. But I went to Kashmir by myself and I was as scared as a earthworm in the end of a fishing rod.

Where's the shivering coward smillie?

I just wouldn't go anywhere scary. I would not go anywhere where some group of people were regularly trying to blow up or shoot some other group of people. I like having the normal number of limbs, senses, etc.

There was a travel report a few years ago, might have been on this very site, maybe about Kashmir. "It was perfectly safe! Sometimes, in the night, we could hear guns from the next valley..." Whoa! People shooting each other just a few miles away? Pass the sun tan lotion....

Nowhere is safe. In India, they don't try to shoot you, they try to run you over, or force your bus to go flying in a deep mountain valley, which buses are not very good at.

Actually, India has a very high number of terrorist incidents, and, before that, the IRA were trying to blow us all up in London. But these are places that I live in, not places that I chose for a holiday. And my corner of India is pretty peaceful.

Shiver has to be busy at the safe place with the name of London.

I would think that any place on the brink of war or constant bombings or air strikes would be considered a dangerous place to go!

then again, I know suburbanites who are afraid to go into Chicago....


I read in the Chicago Tribune travel section recently that the U.S. State Dept. still considers India high risk because "of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure. Extremists have targeted
and attempted attacks on subway and rail systems, aviation, and maritime services." This is a caution as of just last month.

My friend in Calcutta has advised me to NOT take the train to Varanasi. Unsure right now as to whether to take her advice.

Really ? I would never recommend a place where a) You can't speak the language b) You stand out c) there is a drug/civil war going on.

Or Da Bronx It is all about comfort zone (which also encompasses prejudice, ignorance and irrational fear)

The brutality of drug wars in Cali, Colombia in the 80-90s. Is today's areas of Mexico. One does not venture into areas where there is constant battle between the two sides.

Many many moons ago; I was give a list of 15-20 words and phrases (pre internet's prevalence) to listen over a tape till I understood, that any of those heard; I was to stop and slowly raise my hands. Else,I'd be a mere statistics not worthy of even a byline. Welcome to the vassal states of FSU.

Yes, and our suburbanites are afraid to go to downtown San Francisco. Go figure!

Was that before or after some jerk shot up a movie theater in Denver? I don't see much difference, ya know.

A lot of our Indian friends are afraid to leave the town they live in for the Unknown.

Mell,

I would not be afraid to travel to Israel as I have friends there. Fear is very subjective. Loads of my friends are afraid to come to Greece because of the perceived dangers (over-emphasized on TV) here during the economic crisis and the recent riots in Athens. I am thinking of travelling to North East India this winter and flying over Assam without passing through it on the ground - is that a good idea? - probably not! I went to Israel to work on a kibbutz back in 1980, at a time of a kind of a lull in wars. My mother was horrified. She kept writing me to say how dangerous it was. On the ground, in the Valley of Jordan, I just carried on with work in the banana plantation, oblivious to what was going on.

In Kolkata, a friend of ours advised us that taking a taxi at 9 p.m. from Gariahat to Sudder Street was 'dangerous'! He insisted on a telephone call as soon as we reached our hotel to check we had not been molested.

Use your common sense, Mell, and keep abreast of the news to see the latest, but follow your heart. We only live once.

P.S. You may well find that Greece is more dangerous than Israel right now.

But you got your cats so you are safety.

I live in a place where 'a' and 'b' get ticked

.

true. have heard comments about Chicago from those who've never been to the city and the bottom line, IMO, they are closet racists.

like people who believe the worst about India from news reports, ditto re Chicago.


has pretty much been since 9/11. don't think the "travel alerts" ever go away.

Hey! I believe the worst about India from news reports!

...Indian news reports.

if I had listened to what people told me in 2005 about they read about India, I never would have gone the first time. of course, these are the same people who are afraid to drive into Chicago because they would have to drive by, not through, an "urban downscale" neighborhood. HOLLA!