Thunderroad

Didn't exactly feel unsafe, but definitely the places I most felt the need to keep my wits about me: Nigeria and South Africa (though I'd return to the latter in an instant for work or vacation).

It's funny to see Manila mentioned here. Not that I doubt people feeling unsafe. But having lived there for six years, I got very used to knowing where to go and not go and what to watch out for. But I guess that happens with most places.

richardinmotion

My wife was heavily hassled in Istanbul in the clothing district on our trip there last fall. I let her go a few blocks away from me in the middle of the day. Big mistake. She will never go back.

invisible

Could you please provide a source about this? Especially about "hundred human deaths".

I was in Bali twice over last 6 month and I would surely hear about such case. I have not.

DesertNomad

When was this? I was in Goma in 2005 and it felt very dodgy.

invisible

These are two different questions - feeling safe is actually about one's perceptions. Where is really unsafe based on facts is a different matter and as it was said - in reality it is behind a wheel or when crossing a road.

That's why I asked about feelings which came after arrival.

My wife (she is mid-40s) went alone to Istanbul several years ago for a week. Checked in to hotel, took public transportation, walked and visited Bazaar on her own. Had wonderful experience. Before that she went on her own to Romania and Moldova, for charity, visiting gypsy families. Never felt unsafe either.

At the same time, when we went back to the country where I was born for a month long vacation the several hour drive from the east to the west of the country was probably the most nerve wracking experience I had. And I was not driving - my brother did. But despite the fact that he was driving very safe, the whole experience caused my wife to had nervous breakdown to the point that she wanted to go directly to the airport. Needless to say, we survived.

Tchiowa

1999. I was there doing a Y2K prep for a company.

BEYFlyer

I sincerely hope not Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me Enjoy your stay in Beirut.

Badenoch

Perception and personal experience are often far removed from reality. Based on personal experience the most unsafe place I've been is Montreal because it's the only place where I was involved in a physical confrontation but a sample size of one is of no value.

Perception of risk is cultural. I don't like to admit it but it takes me a couple of days to adjust being one of the few if not the only white person in an African supermarket or bar. Sorry if it offends but in the U.S.A. anywhere you are the only white person and everyone else is black is probably somewhere you don't want to linger.

The media also play a role. Working in Eastern Europe has caused friends and family to think I'm risking my life in a corrupt and dangerous region. The biggest danger in most Eastern European cities are sidewalks that are in poor repair. It can be risky wandering back to your hotel after a long liquid dinner in Bucharest or Sofia.

spryam

I've traveled all over the world. Italy, specifically Rome was were I felt the least safe. Grouped in the hostel I stayed at. Everyone we met was pick pocketed. The sites there are great but you have to be very careful. I felt super safe at Vatican City, it's like night and day from Rome. India was also quite an expierence. It was exhausting traveling in india.

richardinmotion

Thanks!!!

airmotive

I am very much like you, only a bit younger (46), a bit taller (6'3") and the earth finds me a bit more gravitationally attractive (200).

I've also grown up within the American "gun culture" and have no knee-jerk fear of guns, but rather a healthy respect for what a gun can do in the hands of an idiot (or in the hands of a good person).

That said, in the last 8 years, my travels have taken me to 47 countries. When traveling, I will walk miles every day if time permits. I freely admit that if I were a 100lb female (or even a 300lb female) this would be a much riskier proposition; and I apologize on behalf of the entire male sub-species for this state of things in the female world. But I digress...

I've walked trough the poorest slums in India, Lesotho, Bangladesh, Colombia, Guatemala, Kenya, Honduras, etc, etc...and yes, even the US. In the US, I've walked while CCW, but it made no difference. You keep your eyes open, greet the locals, observe their reactions. How people respond to you will tell you if you're at increased risk. Change directions frequently and if needed, bend down and pick up a large rock or stick. Yep, just walk down the street with a big ol' rock in your hand. Pretty much by definition, criminals don't want to work for their rewards, and a man with a weapon of any kind is just too damn much work. A guarantee of safety? Hardly. Your goal is to tip the odds a bit more in your favor.

But to answer the OP... Caracas, hands down. The city is consuming itself. It's a shame, because the rest of Venezuela is stunning.

rankourabu

140+ countries and counting.

I m in my 30s, and there really is only one country that I've been genuinely afraid in, USA

honourable mentions for feeling uneasy - Russia, Bahamas, Mexico, France, Spain, Italy, Dominican Rep, Panama, Brazil, South Africa, Kenya - obvisouly not entire countries, just specific cities/situations

mpkz

26 years old, physically fairly imposing, walk around a lot and always take public transport, 80+ countries visited:

Tops for me would be:
South Africa
Jamaica
Brazil

That being said, I haven't visited most of Central America or the worst places in Africa (Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania) yet, so it will be interesting to see those places.

What makes a place seem physically unsafe to me seems to be a combination of:
1) Lack of accountability for actions (murders etc have a high chance of being unresolved)
2) Easy access to weapons
3) Culture of violent crime

#1 is why I don't find the US that bad. Don't get me wrong, it's not high up on the safety list but I didn't feel threatened at all walking around Oakland or the Bronx at night. Maybe I've just avoided the worst areas or had good luck. #3 is why a place like Cambodia, which seems like the kind of place that would be on par with Jamaica, never seemed threatening to me. And that includes Phnom Pehn at night.

Even the places I listed seemed reasonably safe to me, i.e. I never once felt that I was in immediate danger. In Jamaica I saw someone get stabbed downtown from a bus, but that seemed more like local conflict instead of economically motivated crime. I never felt that someone was going to stab me for my phone for example. I mainly listed them because they're the kind of places where I need to be more alert and avoid doing some things I would normally do.

MSPeconomist

Unsafe sidewalks can be problems in China (although Shanghai is pretty good on this), Malaysia, Thailand, etc.

However, my worst experience on this recently was surprisingly in San Francisco, including on the streets off of Union Square. I was shocked by how bad the downtown sidewalks were. A number of people at my meeting commented on it at the time and we discussed the financial status of California state and local governments in recent years.

richardinmotion

SF will revert to a third world city within the next decade. Very sad, as I remember it fondly in the past. I visit frequently for embassy visa applications and am always appalled at how bad it's getting.

Bangkok sidewalks! Wow!