Oct 19, 2018, 4:49 pm
Poll - how many countries have you visited?
Nov 29, 2014, 1:16 pm
#1171
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Nov 29, 2014, 4:41 pm
#1173
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,462
I definitely want to visit all of them, just current political/social issues make it difficult. Limited or no flights for starters as all the major airlines have canceled routes to those places that I would have used points on.
Nov 29, 2014, 8:11 pm
#1174
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Up in the Air
Programs: AC/EK
Posts: 248
They maybe too 'interesting' even for my tastes I definitely want to visit all of them, just current political/social issues make it difficult. Limited or no flights for starters as all the major airlines have canceled routes to those places that I would have used points on.
I definitely want to visit all of them, just current political/social issues make it difficult. Limited or no flights for starters as all the major airlines have canceled routes to those places that I would have used points on.
Nov 30, 2014, 1:37 am
#1175
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
They maybe too 'interesting' even for my tastes I definitely want to visit all of them, just current political/social issues make it difficult. Limited or no flights for starters as all the major airlines have canceled routes to those places that I would have used points on.
I definitely want to visit all of them, just current political/social issues make it difficult. Limited or no flights for starters as all the major airlines have canceled routes to those places that I would have used points on.
Nov 30, 2014, 7:32 am
#1176
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,309
There is places that are "interesting" that nothing will happen to you and then there are places where you will get actually get your head blown off or kidnapped. There is a big difference between places that experience hardships and actual warzones. Will you get Ebola in Sierra Leone, probably not, but is it on my to-go list at the moment, not really.
Some 'country collectors' purposely pick airport connections in countries they have no intention of visiting to tick them off a list. Some drive up to the border, step across, and tick it off the list too. To each their own.
Dec 1, 2014, 1:42 am
#1178
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
The thing you learn about being in so called "war zones", is that the media plays it up as if everyone is killing everyone in order to get ratings. But that is simply never the truth. Specific groups of people are trying to get the upper hand over another group or groups. Specific groups that do not generally include foreigners. The only exception is when foreigners visit and kill the locals, as in Iraq and Afghanistan. I wouldn't go wandering around those countries, but CAR and South Sudan present no problems for me. I know people who live part time in Juba and they too have no issues, because the people who are in the conflict have no issues with them. It is not indiscriminate violence. Like anywhere else in the world, if you stay away from the bad parts of town and keep your nose clean, you'll be fine.
The bottom line, don't listen to the media. Talk to people who actually live and work or travel on business to these places. I'll give one example. During the so called Kenya election riots, CNN, BBC, etc were reporting that wandering groups of independent militia were killing everyone on the streets with machetes, etc. They made it sound awful and their cameramen found terrible images to show the world. The only thing was that I was there at the time and didn't see a single problem with my own eyes. Nor was any foreigner killed or injured or anything. The conflict was between two tribes over who got the most power. I was out and about on the streets and no one paid any attention to me. Kikuyu's and Luo's had to be extra careful and most of those people stayed in their homes. But people with peachy white skin were not bothered at all. That didn't stop most everyone American or European from cancelling their Kenya safaris, the US and UK, etc., warning their citizens against travel to Kenya and all sorts of other problems for Kenyan tourism, but it was pretty much a huge lie by the media for implying that Kenya was dangerous to tourists. I'm sure that CNN attracted a lot of eyeballs for a couple of days, and that's all that matters to them. However people who travel the world on a regular basis know better.
The bottom line, don't listen to the media. Talk to people who actually live and work or travel on business to these places. I'll give one example. During the so called Kenya election riots, CNN, BBC, etc were reporting that wandering groups of independent militia were killing everyone on the streets with machetes, etc. They made it sound awful and their cameramen found terrible images to show the world. The only thing was that I was there at the time and didn't see a single problem with my own eyes. Nor was any foreigner killed or injured or anything. The conflict was between two tribes over who got the most power. I was out and about on the streets and no one paid any attention to me. Kikuyu's and Luo's had to be extra careful and most of those people stayed in their homes. But people with peachy white skin were not bothered at all. That didn't stop most everyone American or European from cancelling their Kenya safaris, the US and UK, etc., warning their citizens against travel to Kenya and all sorts of other problems for Kenyan tourism, but it was pretty much a huge lie by the media for implying that Kenya was dangerous to tourists. I'm sure that CNN attracted a lot of eyeballs for a couple of days, and that's all that matters to them. However people who travel the world on a regular basis know better.
Dec 1, 2014, 8:03 pm
#1181
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Anywhere I need to be.
Programs: OW Emerald, *A Gold, NEXUS, GE, ABTC/APEC, South Korea SES, eIACS, PP, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 16,046
Dec 2, 2014, 8:13 am
#1182
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: NAP
Programs: LH, BA, TK
Posts: 2,409
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Dec 3, 2014, 6:40 am
#1183
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
The most corrupt countries in the world
One thing you can say for these "difficult" countries, is that they are rife with corruption. Thus I think this list is helpful for people when planning to visit. Just be careful.
http://www.businessinsider.com/most-...-world-2014-12
http://www.businessinsider.com/most-...-world-2014-12
Mar 2, 2015, 8:46 am
#1185
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Usually on a ship looking for oil and gas; Uruguay, Malaysia, Turkey, Nigeria, Libya, Egypt, Norway, Scotland, India, Congo & Angola, next project who knows? Agreed to CC rules
Programs: AC Altitude E75K/*G, AS MVP, AF/KLM Petroleum Club, BA Blue
Posts: 1,184
Updated my post #10 in this thread to include Uruguay for a total of 60 countries visited