Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am pointing out that a city being violent doesn't mean there isn't tourism etc look at New Orleans look at Cape Town etc people still visit despite their high murder rates and Rio has a lower murder rate and it has been more than halved in a decade.
But there is still a ton of tourism in Rio, probably more than Cape Town. Its not like Rio or Brasil is so far off the map that the locals have never seen a tourist in their life. They just don't see the same amount as some of the other "safe" destinations.
But there is still a ton of tourism in Rio, probably more than Cape Town. Its not like Rio or Brasil is so far off the map that the locals have never seen a tourist in their life. They just don't see the same amount as some of the other "safe" destinations.
For the New Orleans to Rio comparison, it's probably an issue of accessibility in terms of language and cheap/shorter plane flights (or even rail, bus, car) for the population with the disposable income to take faraway vacations. It's not just the crime.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,606 posts, read 55,825,632 times
Reputation: 11862
Quote:
Originally Posted by minibrings
Define underrated. Also is this from an American perspective (e.g., few visit). Someone from the states might find the baltics "under-rated" but someone from a neighboring country may not...
If underrated means not commonly visited by Americans, I would put Laos and Myanmar on the list. I love Laos. Nice people, you don't get stalked by tuk tuk drivers when you say no to rides and cabbies don't offer you whores like in Bangkok. And I know Myanmar has a repressive government but its slowly opening up and there are ways to visit without supporting the government. Buddhist architecture stunning, people incredibly nice, just liek in Laos, and heaps cheap. Spent a long weekend in Tongatapu, Tonga (cheap flight from Australia) and that was interesting.
Myanmar most definitely, but it's understandable why Myanmar isn't thought of as a tourist destination for obvious reasons. I think if Myanmar were opened up people would discover it's beaches are just as good if not better than Thailand. Just look at how much coastline it has, literally thousands of islands in the Andaman sea, and all of that comparatively untrammeled by tourist hoards.
From what I've heard/seen, Myanmar is the place to experience more authentic Asian, specifically Burmese culture, including the tribal minorities. Yangon is a sleepy town that can't compare to the cities of Thailand or even Vietnam, but that's not what you go to Myanmar for. I've heard Bagan can rival Angkor Wat (apples and oranges), while the scenery in say Shan state is similar to Yunnan province.
Laos seems to be increasingly featuring on the itineraries of backpackers. I myself considered going through Laos but I think by that stage I was sick of long bus rides and the like. While it's good people are experiencing Laotian culture, I really hope it doesn't become overrun like Thailand has.
The problem is the bad image that TV gave to Brazil, due to the favelas controlled by drug gangs in Rio de Janeiro. In fact, Rio, or any other Brazilian city, are not more dangerous for a tourist than Bankgok or New Orleans are.
It's unlikely to a tourist to have any trouble when visting Brazil, specially if they buy a "closed package" from a tourism agency, and travels together with a group of other tourists. But even for those who like to "explore the city" on their own, it's not unsafe if you use common sense, and don't walk alone through some deserted street carrying a digital camera, an expensive watch, or a laptop in plain view.
Besides the bad image given by TV, I guess many tourists don't come to Brazil because of the very expensive air fares...
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,606 posts, read 55,825,632 times
Reputation: 11862
Quote:
Originally Posted by MalaMan
The problem is the bad image that TV gave to Brazil, due to the favelas controlled by drug gangs in Rio de Janeiro. In fact, Rio, or any other Brazilian city, are not more dangerous for a tourist than Bankgok or New Orleans are.
It's unlikely to a tourist to have any trouble when visting Brazil, specially if they buy a "closed package" from a tourism agency, and travels together with a group of other tourists. But even for those who like to "explore the city" on their own, it's not unsafe if you use common sense, and don't walk alone through some deserted street carrying a digital camera, an expensive watch, or a laptop in plain view.
Besides the bad image given by TV, I guess many tourists don't come to Brazil because of the very expensive air fares...
But are people going to take your word for it and risk it?
I want to believe you, but I'm not sure Rio is as safe as Bangkok in any way shape or form. I rarely hear about random shootings in Bangkok, but I hear it's a daily occurence in Rio and N'awlins.
Sure, most of the violence is between gangs, but where there is a lot of the crime innocents are bound to be caught up in it. It's still a bit of a gamble, to me. And I'd like to experience the nightlife without feeling unsafe.
I still plan to see Rio, but unless I'm assured a place is safe I will just stick to all the tourist areas.
You can't walk down the street in Ipanema/Copacabana without bumping into a foreigner. I was downtown for 3 hours yesterday and ran into 5! Most of them are Europeans, but there's a definitely a lot of foreign tourists in Rio. Head to the Northeast and you see a ton as well...
You can't walk down the street in Ipanema/Copacabana without bumping into a foreigner. I was downtown for 3 hours yesterday and ran into 5! Most of them are Europeans, but there's a definitely a lot of foreign tourists in Rio. Head to the Northeast and you see a ton as well...
I live in the Northeast. In Fortaleza. Yes, there are many Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and Italian tourists. But the foreign tourists in Fortaleza are still a very small minority compared to the domestic tourists who come from other Brazilian states.
The number of foreign tourists coming to Brazil is ridiculously small when compared to Ukraine, Turkey or Thailand...
But are people going to take your word for it and risk it?
I want to believe you, but I'm not sure Rio is as safe as Bangkok in any way shape or form. I rarely hear about random shootings in Bangkok, but I hear it's a daily occurence in Rio and N'awlins.
Sure, most of the violence is between gangs, but where there is a lot of the crime innocents are bound to be caught up in it. It's still a bit of a gamble, to me. And I'd like to experience the nightlife without feeling unsafe.
I still plan to see Rio, but unless I'm assured a place is safe I will just stick to all the tourist areas.
I guess the subject of "random shootings" is the main nightmare in the minds of people who think about visiting Brazil...
Some facts about "random shootings":
- They exist almost exclusively in Rio. In other Brazilian cities, you have less "radom shootings" than in American cities were "rampages" occur in Universities or schools (Columbine style). In most Brazilian cities, criminals don't dare to confront the police. They only act when and where there is no police. Only in Rio there are criminals armed with machine guns in the favelas. In the other cities, criminals barely have pistols.
- Even in Rio, it don't happen every day. It happens sometimes, and in almost all cases, it happens in areas that are located far away from the touristic spots.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.