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 would disagree as someone who has worked overseas (mostly high-threat areas). It is like saying I am going to travel to the Middle East but disregard to mention I am going to Iraq vs. Jordan. Of course, I am overexaggerating, but you get the drift. No offense, but given your original post asking us for advice regarding 'some type of security protection' and then failing to acknowledge higher risks associated with a particular country... The level of security precautions will also depend on the level of threat with the latter very much associated with a particular country, part of the country, neighborhood, etc. Just speaking from personal experience.
Exactly their are massive differences in safety going from country to country, rural area to rural area etcetera. As a Nigerian I breathe and audible sigh of relief when we left that country. Ghana is the safest of the West African countries I’ve been too. Togo and Benin are a step down but still decently safe. Nigeria is a mixed bag. NE Nigeria, Maiduguri is a literal war zone. Port Harcourt/Warri where I’m from might as well be a war zone at certain times. Lagos, Ibadan and Abuja are all much safer than either of those 3 cities mentioned before them.
If you want “general rules”- Islamic northern areas tend to have less crime but more extremism and overall might not be safe for Western Travelers although very safe for locals. Southern areas tend to have more crime but way less extremism with exceptions. But even the rules I just mentioned can be thrown out if you go too far north into the desert which is a lawless wasteland, and some countries most criminals have knives. Other like Nigeria most criminals have guns left over from the various coups and insurgencies in the area and shipped in through the relatively porous borders.
There is one reason why I would always feel safer in Muslim areas. Alcohol is very often a contributor to anti-social or dangerous behavior in Africa. But alcohol is essentially absent from the lifestyle of Muslims.
There is one reason why I would always feel safer in Muslim areas. Alcohol is very often a contributor to anti-social or dangerous behavior in Africa. But alcohol is essentially absent from the lifestyle of Muslims.
Given the problems with violence and terrorism facing many Muslim areas (Boko Haram in Nigeria, ISIS types in the Middle East, etc.), maybe radicals should start embracing alcohol and loosen up a little
On a more serious note, alcohol is widely available in many Muslim areas as well, both as a matter of law in some instances or via the black market in other instances.
Given the problems with violence and terrorism facing many Muslim areas (Boko Haram in Nigeria, ISIS types in the Middle East, etc.), maybe radicals should start embracing alcohol and loosen up a little
On a more serious note, alcohol is widely available in many Muslim areas as well, both as a matter of law in some instances or via the black market in other instances.
Of course alcohol is available, but Muslims are very conscious of their public appearance. They may drink in private, but not out in public where they can do any harm to bystanders or lose their coool in a crowd..
I assure that drunken Afrcans overall, in any city, are a hundred times more threatening than the few well-known hotbeds of local and predictablr Muslim terrorist activity, which a traveler would have a hard time getting to even if you wanted to.
Of course alcohol is available, but Muslims are very conscious of their public appearance. They may drink in private, but not out in public where they can do any harm to bystanders or lose their coool in a crowd..
I assure that drunken Afrcans overall, in any city, are a hundred times more threatening than the few well-known hotbeds of local and predictablr Muslim terrorist activity, which a traveler would have a hard time getting to even if you wanted to.
You paint with too broad of a brush. Alcohol is not only widely available (both legally and via the underground scene) in numerous Muslim countries, but is widely consumed publicly by Muslims in numerous countries where it is legal, to include Turkey (I know from first-hand experience), Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, Bahrain, etc. It is a mistake to treat all Muslim countries (and Muslims) the same in this regard. Not everyplace is like Iran.
Bottom line is that much of West Africa is plenty safe. And I'd go to much of West Africa before going to some parts of the greater Muslim World (acknowledging that some parts of West Africa are part of the Muslim World and are generally very safe, to include Senegal). And those parts of West Africa that I hesitate about going to (at least to certain areas) due to safety issues generally suffer from the same underlying issue as those parts of the Muslim World that I hesitate about going to, namely radical Islamist extremists.
How broad one's brush is always debatable. I would question your belief of how many Muslim Terrorists are lurking on street corners waiting for a western traveler to fall into his trap.
I've had a few dicey encounters in Africa which could have turned out badly, but luckily didn't. But none I can recall in a Muslim environment, in or out of Africa.'
How broad one's brush is always debatable. I would question your belief of how many Muslim Terrorists are lurking on street corners waiting for a western traveler to fall into his trap.
I've had a few dicey encounters in Africa which could have turned out badly, but luckily didn't. But none I can recall in a Muslim environment, in or out of Africa.'
Odds are you'd be fine. But--using Northern Nigeria as an example where Islamist extremists Boko Haram has been wreaking havoc on the scene--Boko Haram has killed many thousands of people over the more recent years and caused millions to be displaced. And don't even get started on the hundreds of thousands slaughtered in the name of religion by Islamists throughout certain other parts of the Islamic world. Thus, while odds are you'd still be fine, the odds are still too high of getting caught up in situations in certain areas for my liking.
But, again, I don't claim that all of the Muslim world is problematic or that violence is limited to the Muslim world. But those parts of West Africa where I'd hesitate traveling to due to safety issues generally suffer from the same issues with radical Islamists that certain other parts of the world do.
Odds are you'd be fine. But--using Northern Nigeria as an example where Islamist extremists Boko Haram has been wreaking havoc on the scene--Boko Haram has killed many thousands of people over the more recent years and caused millions to be displaced. And don't even get started on the hundreds of thousands slaughtered in the name of religion by Islamists throughout certain other parts of the Islamic world. Thus, while odds are you'd still be fine, the odds are still too high of getting caught up in situations in certain areas for my liking.
.
The total over dacades is still short of what happened in the 90s in Rwanda and Burundi, when half the population hacked the other half to pieces with machetes, in a week, with no assistance from your dreaded Muslims.
The total over dacades is still short of what happened in the 90s in Rwanda and Burundi, when half the population hacked the other half to pieces with machetes, in a week, with no assistance from your dreaded Muslims.
True. But Rwanda is relatively safe today. I'm focusing on safety today in certain regions, which may be informed by historic things (i.e. Islamist extremists were a problem in terms of violence 20+ years ago, and they still are a problem today in many parts of the world). If there was a question about traveling to Rwanda during the genocide and period immediately after, I would have been the first to warn against going. For West Africa in particular (since this thread is about safety in West Africa), the regions I'd advise against visiting tend to be facing threats from radical Islamist Jihadists, to include parts of Northern Nigeria. In short, I don't mention the atrocities committed by the likes of Boko Haram in a vaccuum; no, they are still committing them to this day.
But don't just take my word for it:
Quote:
Most coastal countries in West Africa are considered safe for travel, including Cameroon, Benin, Togo, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Equatorial Guinea; this includes inland regions of these countries. Offshore, Cabo Verde and São Tomé & Príncipe could just be the region's safest destinations.
Senegal, too, is considered safe, but check the prevailing security situation if you're travelling to the Casamance region.
The security situation in Côte d'Ivoire improves with each passing year, but the fragile nature of the peace means that you should exercise great caution, especially in the north and west of the country. Safe travel was possible in Guinea and Guinea-Bissau at the time of research but the ongoing potential for instability in both countries means you should check the situation before travelling.
Nigeria
As with most things in West Africa, Nigeria deserves special mention. This perennially complicated country has one of the highest road accident rates in the world, the extremist group Boko Haram poses a serious risk in the north of the country, crime rates are high in Lagos and outbreaks of violence from the north to the Niger Delta are always possible. And yet, for all its challenges and potential pitfalls, we certainly don’t recommend against travelling to Nigeria. Just be careful…
Seems like some seem to discount even the basic criminal threats when traveling to high(er) risk areas. It was fairly common place to hear about locals in Liberia chopping off someone's arm just to grab a cellphone one was carrying. This was about 14 years ago, but nevertheless. That particular spot then elected a soccer player with 3rd grade education as their President. After having a Harvard educated president prior to that. Not particularly relevant to this discussion, but some countries are just upside down in a sense. Seen plenty of riots start and grow tremendously in size/turn very violent in a matter of minutes. This is not by any means a scare tactic or an excuse to stay hidden away in one's safe place, but just a reminder to look at a new environment with a bit more security minded than 'generally speaking things should be fine' point of view.
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.
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.
