When we mentioned to friends and family that we were going to Syria last year, we received many concerned and surprised looks. “Is it safe?” was a common question, closely followed by “you must be mad”. For those who have visited Syria, they will doubtless concur that it is one of the safest countries in the world to visit. You can walk around at night without fear, while the Syrian people go out of their way to extend their natural hospitality to foreigners.
And it’s not only Syria that carries this negative perception. I heard similar concerns before our recent visits to Argentina, India, Uzbekistan and even Cambodia. Why does the unknown provoke so much fear? Why does the world appear such a dangerous place to so many people?
Of course, our view of the world around us is derived from what we see, hear and read. As the majority of the population do not have first hand contact with people who have visited these countries, perceptions are created by proxy through the media. And so the myths are born.
Some common myths include (and I have heard each of these more than once):
1. Muslim terrorists=wicked Arabs=all Arab countries are dangerous. PLUS, Syria is part of the Axis of Evil.
2. Falklands War=Argentinian warmongers=Hate the British=dangerous to go. PLUS, all of South America is bandit country.
3. Cambodia=Genocide, Starvation=unpleasant, unsafe place to go. PLUS, people plant drugs on you at the airport and you end up on death row in a squalid prison.
How do these myths enter the mainstream perception to create such fear? One reason may stem from our basic need to understand and have an opinion of the world around us, however little information we have to form that understanding. Without knowing the individuals that make up a society and their diverse traits and beliefs, it is natural to form opinions based on news (nearly always negative) and attach them to entire groups. By doing so we dehumanise an entire population and place a set of predicted behaviours and characteristics onto people who in fact have a wide multitude of opinions and values. And so negative stereotypes are built up, and we learn to distrust and avoid entire populations.
What strikes me most from travelling is just how alike people actually are across the world. Sure, we observe widely varying customs and traditions, and people’s behaviours may have their roots in different religious or traditional beliefs. But certain universal truths apply whether you are in Beirut, Buenos Aires, Bangkok or Birmingham:
1. Respect is reciprocated.
2. A smile is well received, while laughter needs no translation.
3. As a stranger in a foreign land, the vast majority of people will extend kindness to you wherever you are. 
There are exceptions of course, and bad things happen. They happen in London, New York and Paris too. But from my own experiences, every time I have had a negative or cautious preconception about a country I have visited, it has been blown away and replaced with a more positive picture within moments of arriving: and the new picture is more valuable to me as it is formed by first hand experience. It is in this way that I think travel truly can broaden our minds.
This is so correct especially for my country South Africa and particularly my city Johannesburg, having had a fair share of traveling myself i have found people perception of Joburg far supersede the reality, some cannot even understand why i live there and while i would want to go back there again. This perception is not only common in western media but even in other African countries i have visited . Many people are cautious of traveling this year world cup because of the same fear mongering.
South Africa is beautiful country and Cape Town is our famous beautiful city but if you want to experience the most cosmopolitan city in Africa, i will urge travelers to visit Joburg it is the epicenter of struggle for freedom against apartheid and commercial hub of the continent.
To ensure that you have a fantastic time in Joburg take normal precautions as advised by your embassy or local hosts.
BTW Mandela lives in Joburg (Yes i know he has body guards)
Before we traveled through the Caucasus and Central Asia, we had images of dark, dangerous countries. The reality? Some of the most hospitable people we’ve met yet in three years of our journey and a feeling of safety we would wish for in cities in our own country. As you wrote, the more one travels, the more one notices our similarities as people instead of the differences usually highlighted on the news or in other media.
Even though my fears of countries have been proven wrong over and over again, I do admit I am a bit apprehensive about independent travel through Sub-Saharan Africa. I think once we get there, we’ll be fine but in this time of research it’s still the unknown.
If you don’t see these places or don’t travel it’s easy to believe the world is a scary place, especially since the media in the US tends to be a bit sensationalist and with a very wide audience. I think the Arab world and people in particular get a bad rap, which is really unfortunate. The recent TSA profiling of people having traveled to Syria and other countries is an example of it.
As soon as I started talking about the fact that I am headed to South and Central America solo I’ve been getting the fearful talks – people warning me about drugs and abductions. Thankfully this has been largely outside of the travel community though! Because I was starting to believe them until other travelers reassured me that it’s all just a bit overblown
It’s so easy to get caught up in the fear mongering and believe media reports and the such!
The only place I have ever been robbed was in the U.S. I keep my wits about me when I travel and take all the normal precautions, but I really believe that there is no danger in traveling. As you say, the unknown is a fearful thing for most people. Me, I love the unknown. Just another adventure waiting to be discovered.
Thanks for the many excellent comments. I’m glad I’m not alone! Joburg, Caucuses and c.America also suffer from a negative image. Thank you for providing an insight into how you found these places. As you describe Barbara, where we live can be more dangerous than the places we don’t know and fear. Didn’t know the TSA were singling out Syria for profiling, but maybe shouldn’t be surprised. On a ride through Syria we were asked by a local man “Why do Americans not like us?”
well done.
I get so sick of the ‘i couldnt do that/ go there’ or ‘weren’t you scared ‘ comments about places that are FINE. I know of people who are too scared to come into my city from the suburbs at night .,, have never been here ( I live inner-city) but know their own ‘city is unsafe’ WIERD!
The only good thing about scared, wont travel to.. where-ever (insert any or your own place/ country here) peopel is that they leave it less traveller/tourist polluted for me to travel in by myself
will be putting a link to your blog on one of my travel tips section on my blog pages
Thanks for the wonderful post Andy.We just returned from a trip to Kashmir, our friends considered us crazy to even think of kashmir which is considered to be the most hostile state full of militants.
We found all our own preconceived notions blown away just as you stated.Our loaded wallet was returned to us and the boatman on Dal lake who didnt accept the tip for the same.We met and befriended a local family who invited us to a elborate traditional Kashmiri meal (Wazwaan).We were in the city when a militants attacked the main market place in the state capital.It was business as usual for the rest of the city ,we came to know of it when we started receivin frantic calls from friends in Delhi.The hotel staff went out of their way to ensure we reached the airport in time the next day accompanied by our new Kashmir friend.
Thanks for the great post Andy. The amount of information available to travel these days can sometimes provoke the wrong perception and it’s best to find out for ourselves.
Thanks for the link to your post Heather, a great read! http://kiwitravelwriter.wordpress.com/2010/01/12/travel-tips-are-you-fearful
Great to hear of your experiences in Kashmir Smita. It’s long been considered one of the most beautiful places in the world, yet dangerous to visit. I think our UK govt. advises against travel there, so few UK based tour companies take people up there. Your account illustrates again how we can find kindness and honesty anywhere. Glad you enjoyed the trip!
My Son 21 is planing a 6 Month trip to Argentina, I was born in Argentina, I called my Uncle there in Rosario and for the first time he told me not to let him come, that since a year and a half ago crime started to get bad & is now at it’s worst & getting worse allover Argentina, I was there 3 years ago & did not feel in danger,can you suggest any sites that I can get more information, I worry that since he does not speak Spanish he might be taken advantage, I was planning to go with him for the first 10 days but my Uncle said it would not even be safe for me, to just wait till things get better.
Thank you ahead for your advise.
Daniel perret
Well said. We’ve had people ask us time and time again if xxxxx is safe, whether xxxxx is Thailand, Egypt, Cambodia, Pakistan, and in the past year+ Mexico. The basic answer is generally it’s just, or more dangerous in many places back home.
@Daniel, I’ve found in my travels that sometimes the people who are most afraid are the residents of the country in question. For example, when my wife and I traveled in Russia on the train, we met two Russians in Irkutsk. They were mind-blown when we told them what we were doing. They were under the impression that Russia is a very scary and dangerous place. We tried to assure them that this isn’t the case.
When I lived in Melbourne not long ago, almost everyday I would read in the paper or see on the news someone being attacked/stabbed/beaten up/robbed…because I lived there, I was inundated with this information. You decide how you will react to it. You can get scared and never go out (and tell other people how dangerous it is), or you can inform yourself, take precautions, and not let it bother you.
Think about it. How big is Argentina? That’s a pretty sweeping generalization to say “Argentina is dangerous.” If you spend some time Googling “travel in Argentina” or something to that effect and read forum posts and blogs, I am sure you will be comforted by all the travelers who are there now or have just been there without incident.
Our fears are hardly ever rational. The fact is, something bad can happen just about anywhere in the world, at any time.
This is a great example of the dangers of a single story
http://blog.ted.com/2009/10/the_danger_of_a.php
I completely agree…the two times I have come closest to disaster when travelling was a car accident on a flat, open stretch of road in Bolivia because the driver fell asleep, and being in London when the 7/7 bombings occurred.
I have been in places and situations considered far more ‘dangerous’ and never had a problem, and I find it ironic that the closest I came to terrorism was in a Western country most of my friends (even those who warn me about the dangerous places) have visited.
one of our politicians here in brazil asked for more respect to the brazilian immigrats abroad.
so here, we have the same feeling:
-I’m going to the usa.
-oh really? but arent u afraid that they can stop you in the airport? arrest u?
stop being racist, stupid world. give us a break, let us travel and get a life
Carlo makes an excellent point. Mexico gets a similar bad rap, thanks in part to what the U.S. media chooses to cover, mainly the drug wars and swine flu. I have spent considerable time in Mexico over the past three years, and I can’t tell you how many times someone in the United States has expressed concern for my safety. I know that they mean well, but like Argentina, Mexico is a huge country. Sure, there are dangerous areas, just like anywhere. I’ve witnessed more crime on the street in San Francisco than I ever have in Puebla, which is more than twice its size (in population). It saddens me to think that travelers would skip this beautiful Colonial city and other worthwhile places in Mexico out of fear, or just because there’s trouble hundreds of miles away at the border.
I always thought like you. I live in the northern Brazil state of Pará, near the Amazon jungle. And yet never understood why some people believe we are all Indians. I do not walk the canoe through the streets of my city. Where I live, we study science, we have universities, movies, malls and we can read and speak English. I know that we also have violence, as anywhere in the world. Violence is associated with social problems, educational deficiencies and poverty.
Absolutely – nice post and well put. That fear keeps us strapped down to our lazy-boys experiencing the world through our flat screen tv rather than seeing it for ourselves. Fear is powerful. The question is – do you want it to have power over you?
very interesting comments. i guess its all the media and Cultural tension. I myself am spanish and have heard very negative things about morroco. Even my brother in law who travelled there last year, was scared shitless b4 he got on the plane. thining that he was going to get robbed in teh exact moment he landed. I can’t blaim him, because he has been living in spain all his life (Unot like me) and believes this “local rumour” abut morrocans being dangerous and dodgy. my bro in law and myself have both come back from morroo happier than ever. proving this “spanish/local belief” being false. NO problems no violence . nothing. In fact, i wouldnt mind retiring in the rif mountains when i get older.
My husband and I had the same fear questions about our trip to Dubai, but we felt safer there walking around at night than we do in our home city and everyone was really wonderful. We tend to visit “unusual” places by the standards of most of our family and friends so we enjoy breaking those fear myths for them and encouraging everyone to get out and explore.
Another great article, Andy. Thank you! Reminds me of being advised by Avis in Hua Hin not to drive in rural Thailand without a gun (we went anyway and were met with nothing but kindness); and being told in Panama it was too dangerous to travel on Colombian buses (we did and found the Colombian people the friendliest and most welcoming on the continent). And the only place I’ve ever been robbed or burgled? London. Three times!
Couldn’t agree with you more, Andy. Everyone thought I was crazy moving to Egypt….safest place I’ve ever been. On the other handI have no wish to visit America because of 3 concepts my own imagination works on because of the films, sit-coms etc. on TV…
1. Fear of small towns ‘cos the sheriff might be the bad guy with the power to make me disappear!
2. Wouldn’t want my kids to go to school there because of the bullying and the “hazin”i(initiation rites).
3. Gangsters, drug wars, murders, corruption (from all the crime films set in America that our media is filled with these day)
Well, where else am I to get my “programming’ from? Wonder if the film makers and TV producers are aware of the effect this has on the minds of “foreigners” like me! ?
Thanks to all for the interesting comments. The stories are familiar – of those fearing for our lives when we travel to places with far lower crime rates than we leave behind in our home towns. The fear of the unknown.. it’s a powerful force and keeps so many people from leaving their perceived safety zone. I guess this gives those in Egypt/Thailand elsewhere the chance to explore without swarms of visitors?
Such a great, insightful post! I find this too – and mostly the negative comments come from people who haven’t travelled – whether because they don’t want to, they limit themselves to “safe” countries or whether circumstance doesn’t allow them to travel. But as travel bloggers we have an opportunity to show people the world and let them know it’s a safe, wonderful, fascinating place.
I travelled to South Africa recently and had people throwing all sorts of statistics about crime rates at me before I left. Then when I returned, the first question I was asked was “did anything bad happen to me?”
And when I went to East Timor – well, there were quite a few freaked out people!
But by telling people about the wonderful people I met, the amazing things I saw, hopefully I’m opening up their minds to new experiences and new information.
Of course, wherever you go – even here in my home town of Melbourne! – you have to be safe.
Thanks for the post!
Thanks for your comments Rebecca. You’re absolutely right. Even in our own cities we need to stay safe and be careful. And yes, we can play a part in opening people’s minds to the fact that the world isn’t full of people trying to kill us, and that in fact in most countries we’re welcomed with warm hospitality.
Great article, I can relate as my first solo trip overseas was to Colombia. People here in the US thought I was insane. Ditto for going to Brazil during Carnival. I swear the people at my work thought I would be kidnapped or car-jacked. Anyways, without buying too much into media perception, how was/is the security situation in Cambodia?
Hi Chris
Security in Cambodia was not a major concern. I understand that those crossing the Thai-Cambodian border by land frequently report a list of scams that are targeted at tourists – we flew from Siem Reap to Bangkok so avoided this hotspot. But in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap it felt very safe, even in the evenings. And beyond this in the north of the country even more so. But as with everywhere (including in our home towns) it’s always wise to be alert to your surroundings.