Which “scary countries“ would you most want to visit if it were safe?

Iran, Iraq and Syria.

Egypt, even though I don’t think it’s scary on its own.

Transylvania

USA.

I'd love to see Damascus, but I'm not sure how much of it survived the civil war. Iran is also a fascinating place but I'd be scared to go there, since they tend to detain Westerners and use them as bargaining chips (just like Russia.)'d also like to travel to DRC and the Republic of the Congo - the national parks and gorilla sanctuaries are supposed to be amazing.

India isn't overall scary, but the Kashmir region has been violent for years. I would love to travel there if it ever cooled down.

Iran, Afghanistan, Russia (specifically the Hermitage in St. Petersburg), Ethiopia, Palestine.

While I don't think it's a dangerous place, I'm turned off by how invasive and evil the Chinese government is. I would love to visit China but I don't want to set foot in a country ruled by people like that.

My art teacher went to Kashmir and took pics to show us, it was soooooo beautiful

1. Great Wall of China 🇨🇳🧱🗻

2. Petra (Jordan) 🏜️🏛️🇯🇴

3. Christ the Redeemer (Brazil) ✝️⛰️🇧🇷

4. Machu Picchu (Peru) 🏞️🦙🇵🇪

5. Chichen Itza (Mexico) 🏯🌴🇲🇽

6. Roman Colosseum (Italy) 🏟️🏛️🇮🇹

7. Taj Mahal (India) 🕌💖🇮🇳

You must be quite a hillbilly if you think Italy is scary.

R7, those places have been crawling with tourists for decades.

What the fuck else scares you? Teletubbies?

Oops, I meant that for r10.

R7’s choices are most assuredly not tourist hotspots.

North Korea, Haiti

North Korea

Cuba. I don't think it's scary but it takes planning, at least from the US.

I would love to visit Ukraine and tour the Odesa Oblast because that's where my grandmother, great aunt and uncle, and great-grandparents were from. Unfortunately, I don't envision that happening.

I've always been fascinated with North Korea. I mean, going to an uber-Stalinist Disneyland sounds great on paper. On the other hand, having read the accounts of people who went there as tourists (it's actually quite doable, unless you're in a line of work that would preclude you from getting a visa), you realize that it's creepy and fascinating at the same time, like being stuck in some strange cross between "1984" and an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm".

I'm also curious about North Korea, but I think visiting it would be distasteful. You'd basically be gawking at a prison.

Russia and Iran

Kyrgyzstan and Iran

Meanwhile, OP is completely unaware that for the rest of the world - you know, all the “foreigners” - the USA is # 1 of countries to avoid.

It still astounds me that some of you are so lacking in self-awareness that you don’t know how much your country is hated these days and has been since November 2024.

R22 Get over yourself. Yes, we know the US is fucked up right now. But still most westerners would visit the US before they visited Iran or North Korea. Get real.

I’m completely done with traveling.

You speak for most Westerners, do you, R23? How very American of you.

The majority of voters in your recent election delivered you President Trump - maybe focus on that, no matter how embarrassing for you.

BTW I’ve been to both Iran and North Korea - I suspect that you have not. I found North Korea sad/fascinating but I never felt in danger - I’d been to the then East Germany 40 years before - similar vibe.

I found Iran quite beautiful and the people incredibly welcoming and friendly and the culture and history amazing.

But as an American, YMMV.

Yes, R25 I’m sure you just happen to have been to both of the countries I randomly mentioned. I’ve sure you’ve been to Syria, Sudan,, Afghanistan, and Gaza as well.

Papua New Guinea

R26 I haven’t been to any of those countries. I do understand that for a certain type of American such as yourself, the idea of traveling to another country is (quite literally) a foreign one.

I’m Australian - we are some of the most traveled people out there. Ask anyone - for better or for worse you can’t go anywhere without running into a bunch of Aussies. And I have been to North Korea and Iran (as well as a shitload of other countries) as difficult as that might be for you to process.

You should get out there! Acquire a passport! Take a deep breath and explore the rest of the world. It’s not quite as frightening as you may imagine. Just keep your voice down - if you can.

Happy trails R26.

R28 I travel all the time. Although mostly in Europe. Eastern Europe is my favorite. I drove all the way from Poland to Estonia last year and it was wonderful . Australia is on my list too, although I hope I never have to run into your miserable ass.

Fine by me, R29.

Yes of course, R29 - wow, you drove all the way between two countries. So brave.

Egypt might not be "scary" as such, but I have heard that tourists have to deal with a lot of hassle and scams, so I don't know if I will ever go, much as I would love to see it.

Definitely St Petersburg - I can live without seeing the rest of Russia. I doubt it would be physically dangerous, but just getting a visa is a hassle and I don't want to support the current regime or have to worry about becoming a political prisoner.

I've been all over Latin America and would feel more nervous about visiting my home country of the US right now than I ever felt there.

Fuck Poland

R31 that’s 4 countries. There are two countries in between Poland and Estonia, which you would know if you knew how to read a map.

R25, WOW, you must be ancient

North Korea and Iran

(How did R22 "know" OP was from the U.S.?)

Trust me, R37, for the rest of us, it’s not exactly challenging.

[quote] Egypt might not be "scary" as such, but I have heard that tourists have to deal with a lot of hassle and scams, so I don't know if I will ever go, much as I would love to see it.

I’ve been to Egypt recently as part of a tour group and that made it manageable. I would like to go to St. Petersburg, but similarly as part of a group.

I used to want to go to Cape Town, but now all of Sub-Saharan Africa is off the list. I could see going to Argentina, but the rest of South America is too scary. I’d like to see Southeast Asia and all the temples someday.

Another vote for Iran. Several of my friends have traveled there (several of my friends are also FROM there). And the pictures and stories they share are wonderful. If you trace my DNA far back enough, I am 51% Persian/Georgian/Armenian etc.

Definitely the historic sites in Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia

[Quote] If you trace my DNA far back enough, I am 51% Persian/Georgian/Armenian etc.

I’m guessing you’re hot…but also full of yourself.

I had the opportunity to visit Russia with my then partner in the 90s, but a work situation meant I couldn’t go. I wouldn’t go now.

Rotherham, England

[quote] I could see going to Argentina, but the rest of South America is too scary.

Chile and Uruguay are very safe. Peru is quite ok if you stay in the tourist areas.

Iran, absolutely. Supposedly stunning sites, which isn’t surprising considering the history of the Persian empire. And I keep hearing, lovely, welcoming locals. Shame about their government unfortunately.

29 that’s not really that far is it?! Why not just say “I drove through the Baltic states?”

Colombia and Brasil are also fine.

Is r10 Britney Spears?

[Quote]North Korea

Been there, done that, got the body bag!

France. New York. Africa.

This thread is proudly sponsored by the douchebros at:

[quote] I’m Australian - we are some of the most traveled people out there.

And yet you still have a reputation for being trashy and uncultured. Guess all that travel did nothing to expand your mind.

I’d love to take a walk all thru Palmer park once again. Was once a crown jewel of parks. So I guess my answer is parts of Detroit.

The American government is hated by the rest of the world, r22. Most people are able to differentiate between a government and a population of 340 million.

Congratulations on your visits to Iran and North Korea. I'm glad you were able to enjoy yourself in countries where civil rights don't exist as a concept. How very cultured of you, choosing those open-air prisons for your vacation destination. I hope you consumed plenty of restaurant staff spit with every meal.

Sweden.

Myanmar. It seems like it shouldn't be that scary, but both the US and Canada have "do not travel" advisories (and the UK advises against visiting nearly all of the country)

Kier, P.E.

I'm reading Rick Steves's new book, a publication of his 1978 journal of traveling from Istanbul to Nepal, crossing through various countries on this thread. They often sound like shitholes, but he's not concerned about traveling there per se. It's like reading Richard Halliburton's books about traveling in those areas in the 1920s, obliviously carefree, when they were all, overtly or covertly, colonies of western Europe.

[quote]I’m Australian - we are some of the most traveled people out there.

Of course you are. Why the fuck would you want to stay in Australia all the time?

Me

I would like to visit North Korea, just to see how weird it supposedly is.

Used to have work in Russia. Been to St Petersburg dozens of times before things went off the deep end there. Absolutely gorgeous city. The Hermitage is something to experience. But the Russian people, just awful. The only sane/good ones all fled in the aftermath of the Ukraine attacks. I can’t imagine how awful it is with what’s left.

I have no desire to travel to Iran or n. Korea. You never know but the cops or authorities there could make up some BS and detain you and jail you...

My partner and I took a side trip to St. Petersburg from Helsinki in 2011 and really enjoyed it. There was a bit of hesitation even back then, since the Russian government had already started some homophobic campaigns, but in a far more muted way (they were still trying to play nice with the West back then.) We didn't have any issues or experienced anything negative on the basis of being a gay couple, but local people all seemed dour and depressed. The architecture and art venues were wonderful but suffering from serious neglect.

[quote]I have no desire to travel to Iran or n. Korea. You never know but the cops or authorities there could make up some BS and detain you and jail you...

I don't think r64 understood the assignment.

R22 the world doesn’t hate Americans you dumb twat. The world hates Donald Trump and the Trump administration and the Americans who voted for him. The world does not hate the Americans who voted against him and the Americans currently protesting against him. If you do not understand that distinction, then you’re probably the same kind of person who hates all the Jews or thinks every Muslim on the face of the Earth is a terrorist.

Not scary: Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar--it's run by horrible people, Russia, China, Argentina, Chile, Peru. Egypt has had periods where tourists were targets but not in many years. I know people who have visited Iran without problem---only scary when its being bombed. R10 is an idiot.

I watched a YouTube video, someone with a cell phone camera walking the streets of Pyongyang (not sure if it was concealed or not) so you could see what it was like—empty as expected. A few people on the wide sidewalks. Very clean and quiet.

Is there still a layer of dirt that hangs over every building in St. P… there was in 2000 when I visited.

Even at the Hermitage…in a room full of almost three dozen Rembrandts, you had sunlight, and whatever else, streaming through windows.

The US.

That’s original

Sorry, snowflake. Are you triggered?

DISNEYLAND

Another vote for Iran, Saudi Arabia & Syria, but I'd also include Israel; not because it's "scary" but I'm not giving that country my tourist $$

We were in Israel in 2015 and it felt relatively safe except near the main religious attractions in Jerusalem (the Western Wall, Al Aqsa Mosque) where visitors have to go through military security gates with detectors, etc, and those big IDF dudes with their machine guns were a bit scary. Another time when my partner and I felt that we were not in some regular tourist situation was when we hired an Israeli driver to take us from our hotel in Jerusalem to Masada. Namely, the highway (which has a heavy security wall around it) goes through the West Bank. There are a number of remarkable medieval monasteries in the Palestinian towns and villages just off the highway and we wanted to make those detours and visit them. The driver categorically refused it, saying that he feared for his safety with Israeli licence plates.

Plenty of ferriners are still visiting the US.

Turkiye. I'm Greek, so no, it's not safe for ME. I'd like to visit the open markets there.

Have had relatives drive in from Greece and almost immediately pulled over and extorted by Turkish police. Happened more than once.

Israel and Syria. I dont really consider Turkey dangerous but I guess some do so that one.

R67 lol as s non american...it has never been just about Trump lol...in your sweetest of dreams is it just about Trump. But its true that hate for Americans isnt as bad as people think. Way overrated. We mock more than hate (just like we do every other country)

That just sounds Greek to me. Turkey is a very welcoming country. The culture of hospitality is amazing.

Because of my interest in historic architecture, two of prime importance would be Iran and Uzbekistan.

The only annoyance about Turkey (or, rather, Istanbul) is how overpriced everything that is geared towards Western tourist is. For instance, tickets for non-Turkish citizens for Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace were 45 Euros (!) or so. And difficulty of getting from Point A to Point B; the traffic was a nightmare along with the Istanbul subway system, where half of the stations were partially under repairs or with non-working elevators.

[quote]Turkiye. I'm Greek, so no, it's not safe for ME.

The Turks are still pissed that you kicked their asses out of Greece.

Anyone naming a Latin American country is on crack. Even the more crime infested countries avoid it affecting most tourists and its safe to travel if you have 3 working brain cells and know how to act.

Vain men--straight, gay, and from everywhere in the world--descend upon Turkey to get "cheap" hair transplants. It can't be THAT scary.

R70 Yes. “Dirty and dusty” is a perfect description for how the Hermitage felt.

The subway in St Petersburg was another “must see”. Some absolutely gorgeous stations.

R85 For the most part. Then there is Venezuela. Honorable mention of Haiti if you want to say that is Latin America.

R86 I have a Turkish student who I tutor and she has confirmed Turkey isthe plastic surgery capital if the world, or at least, for europeans, because its so cheap.

R85 of course that one, there is always an exception.

Haiti. I know some resorts are safe but I’d be interested in seeing Port Au Prince

Haiti is the Quebec of the Caribbean. Or vice.-versa. ;)

But it is not Latin America.

I'd love to actually drive through South America but I hear that's even more dangerous than just flying directly to the most dangerous places in South America.

Myanmar. I'd love to see the pagodas of Mandolay, but the repressive military junta (which I'd be putting money into the hands of), as well as inter-religious strife makes it a no-go.

I would like to visit Russia and experience kompromat with muscle bound Russian studs. And see Moscow, of course.

[quote]I'd love to actually drive through South America but I hear that's even more dangerous than just flying directly to the most dangerous places in South America.

You're nuts, R93. Watch The Motorcycle Diaries instead.

I don't know about "scary" but it would be exhausting to always be on the lookout about doing something wrong or illegal, while maintaining respect for customs and etiquette.

That said, I'd love to see Myanmar but that gets a Level 4 Travel Advisory from the State Department. No thanks.

Turkey. I'd love to go to Cappadocia for the hot air ballooning and to see the underground cities at Derinkuyu and Kaymakli, but I'd have been worried about corruption even before Erdogan's reign.

R98 Turkey is completely safe.

[quote]Haiti is the Quebec of the Caribbean. Or vice.-versa... But it is not Latin America.

Why not? French comes from Vulgar Latin, and qualifies.

R98 your loss…it was OK then, it’s OK now.

R100 because the Quebecois are not vulgar…despite their record of fucking like rabbits.

They are kind of vulgar

You never hear about the Guiana countries (Guyana, French Guiana-not really a country, or Surinam. ) Is there much travel there? Are they safe (assuming you're not with a US-based cult maniac)?

When in Guyana, remember one thing—don’t dare mention that most Guyanese have ancestors in South Asia!

The Guianas were once carved up into Spanish Guiana, Portuguese Guiana, British Guiana, Dutch Guiana, and French Guiana. Everybody wanted a piece of the pie.

If Libya were a functioning nation, it could be the next Morocco (which is now completely overtouristed as the only reliably safe North African destination). Beaches, desert oases, and ancient ruins that are just staggering.

r56 is (rightly) alarmed by the surströmming. The horror . . . the horror . . .

R108 No, not the surstromming.

Even those so called safe countries are not "safe"...you always hear about tourists dying from Carbon monoxide from the AC or whatever they add into the cocktails etc...

[quote] I found North Korea sad/fascinating but I never felt in danger

You are DUMB!

When were you last in North Korea, R111?

Sentinel Island w/o the natives

I've wanted to visit Tehran, Iran for many years. I have 2 close Iranian friends and I've seen their photo albums from back home. Tehran is a wonderfully beautiful massive city. But alas, it doesn't look like that'll ever happen at this point.

Just look at this. Incredible.

LA without Catholicism.

I really want to see St Petersburg in Russia

1. Great Pyramid of Giza (Egypt) 🏜️🧱

2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon (Iraq) 🌿🏛️💦

3. Statue of Zeus at Olympia (Greece) ⚡🪑👑

4. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (Turkey) 🏺🕊️🏛️

5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (Turkey) ⚰️🪦🏰

6. Colossus of Rhodes (Greece) 🗿🌅🛡️

7. Lighthouse of Alexandria (Egypt) 🌊💡🏖️

Greece is scary R118? You must find everyday life very challenging.

R118, you're going to be sorely disappointed when you try to visit several of those ancient wonders.

I know 💅

I'm not gay but wouldn't R110 be a Mary! situation

R122 I remember a while back, I posted on here that I was taking a vacation to American Samoa. Some paranoid queen on here told me that my partner and I were going to get beaten up because Samoans hate gays. They turned out to be some of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life.

R123 it’s the DL queens who have never been anywhere outside their home town who are the most opinionated about the dangers to be faced in places that they could not hope to visit, even if they could dare to face up to leaving their mommies’ basements or scraping together the fare.

Samoa and the Western and American Samoans are delightful.

Myanmar might be one of those “dangerous” places to visit but the danger is for its own citizens , not obvious foreigners. I was there years ago, thought I’d stay for a week, ended up staying for a month. Loved it. It was very rough traveling, I don’t think I could handle it now.

R94, Bagan is the place with the temples and stupas.

A friend went on a tour of temples in Myanmar. She didn’t describe anything to fear

[quote]R118 you're going to be sorely disappointed when you try to visit several of those ancient wonders.

At least the one extant one seems to be a better experience these days. I've heard you no longer have to fight your way through a mob of conmen and beggars to see the site, so good on Cairo.

Iraq, Egypt, Iran, Russia

[quote] I've heard you no longer have to fight your way through a mob of conmen and beggars to see the site, so good on Cairo.

I was just there, and you do have to walk around/past Egyptians looking for tips, but it wasn’t a “mob”. It was a short distance from where the tour bus was and the Great Pyramid.

How absolutely ghastly, having to walk around/past Egyptians as you walked from your tour bus! In Egypt.

East St. Louis

r130 they were dirty filthy beggars.

America. Big cities of America can be crazy arrogant and plain mean.

True r133. Reasons?

[quote] How absolutely ghastly, having to walk around/past Egyptians as you walked from your tour bus! In Egypt.

It was not. They were relatively easy to maneuver around. If you get the opportunity to go, you should and put your worries aside.

Whoosh!!! R135!

Doing what they have to, to get by - IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY, R132.

The Ugly American is alive and well.

I'd love to see Moscow, and some unsafe places in the Middle East.

Cuba is pretty safe. A lot safer than Mexico. better like chicken and pork.