Where not to go on holiday

Living side by side with extreme beauty is just one of the benefits of living on Earth. Whether it’s the luxurious growth of rain forest and untamed jungles, the severe burnt landscapes of vast deserts, or the manmade elegance of olde worlde architecture we are spoilt for choice when it comes to satisfying our sense of the aesthetic. An unfortunate aspect of all this beauty, however, is that we have to contend with all the people that accompany it. As we all should know, people are capable of creating ugliness of horrific proportions.

Zimbabwe, for example, is an extraordinarily beautiful country. It has rich fertile soil which led to it being named the bread basket of Africa. It has a rich stock of wild life and had the facilities to accommodate hundreds of thousands of tourists annually. Now, thanks to unbelievably bad governance and a volatile, power-mad leader, it’s ranked fourth on letsblue.com’s list of the 10 most dangerous holiday destinations in the world.

Official figures have placed the inflation rate at over 100,000%. There are fuel and power shortages and violent crime is prolific, especially against tourists, as it’s assumed that they have money. Political violence and intimidation are common. If seeing the Victoria Falls is your most ardent wish, do so from Zambia.

Fifth on the list is Columbia. It’s rich in diverse natural beauty, from the peaks of the Andes to jungles, and unique rock formations. Columbia also has abundant wildlife, which is protected in numerous parks and sanctuaries dotted around the country. It’s a pity that tourists are advised not to visit them owing to the fact that they are used as guerrilla training camps.

Natural resources include gold, oil, coffee and cocaine. Drug trafficking is rife while kidnapping and murder mar what would otherwise be a tourist paradise. Columbia has the highest murder and kidnapping rates per capita in the world, even after efforts were made to stabilise the situation. For a safer South American travel experience, try Costa Rica, Uruguay or Chile; at least according to the Latin Security Index as reported on latinbusinesschronicle.com.

Thailand comes in at tenth place; the reason for its listing has very little to do with crime, war or drugs. Neither is political instability or corruption cited. Thailand made it onto the list because of bad driving. Apparently the inherent respect for all life, from the largely Buddhist population, does not extend to the road. Drivers, particularly those on motorbikes, treat the rules of the road as vague suggestions to be obeyed, or not, on a whim. Only the seriously pedantic stick to the left side of the road (as is ‘suggested’), red lights serve a strictly decorative function and pedestrians provide good sport. Road-related deaths number over 17,000 per year, while over 30,000 people suffer road-related injuries per week. Whatever you do when driving in Thailand, and it seems you can indeed do anything, wear a helmet and buckle up.

The number one, most dangerous destination in the world is Afghanistan, although you would be forgiven for guessing Iraq, which is at number three. The reasons for both of these countries making the list are similar – war and terrorism. Both have been on the brink of or engaged in civil war for decades, and then they were liberated by the US and things got worse. Now car bombs and friendly fire lead the list of causes of death.

Unexploded land mines and cluster bombs litter the ground for the unwary pedestrian. Should you survive one of these, there is a very good chance that your ambulance will simply hit another. Or you could be fired on by soldiers with nerves so frayed that white flags make them see red. Labelled ‘Ultra Extreme’ and ‘Extreme’ respectively on the risk rating, it’s probably advisable to give the Middle East a skip. At least for the foreseeable future.

On the other hand, for a truly frightening experience you could visit Norway. The Aurora Borealis is beautiful, but you’ll leave with an empty wallet. This is not due to pickpockets or thieves, but because Norway is recognised as being the most expensive country in the world for tourists. Which is criminal in its own way.

Recommended sites:

source: http://www.nmg-uk.com/
http://letsblue.com/?p=7

http://www.worstholiday.com/archives/112