It’s a good idea to look up safety concerns while you are putting together your itinerary. If you choose a location that is not within your level of acceptable risk then go ahead and mark it off now.
I recommend looking up illnesses (like Malaria or Zika), animal threats (if you don’t like snakes, Costa Rica may not be your place), altitude (taking young children unaccustomed to higher altitudes could turn in to a big problem), road conditions (you may need to add a driver in to your budget), and violence threats or incidences.
For illnesses I start with the CDC’s website. I use this site when consulting patients as well. I start with country specific information then I read the sections about the specific concerns. I generally would not take young kids to a high Malaria area and I would also make sure everyone takes preventives when traveling to areas with Malaria. It’s not a bug you want to mess with. Also see the medical section of this blog for more information.
Zika, Denge and Chikungunya can also be concerns. If you are pregnant or even thinking about getting pregnant in the short term I would skip areas with Zika.
Many travel areas have a higher risk of contact with poisonous animals. In Costa Rica closed toed shoes were required for a lot of the hiking trails due to snakes. Snake boots were recommended in many areas and we did see locals routinely wearing them. They also had poison frogs – which we saw several times. It’s a good idea to research what you might come in contact with, how to prevent injuries, and what to do if something happens.
For safety against violence I start with the Department of State. Then I try and put things in perspective. Some countries may be have a higher risk of terrorism but overall have a much lower risk of violent acts. If you think about it New York, many larger US cities, London, Paris and other large international travel hubs are at increased risk of attacks. I would not consider these cities unsafe but they are at risk. If you compare those cities to places like Morocco the safety may not be that much different (or even better). I also try and look at the numbers. You will find that many cities that you may visit without concern in the US rank much less safe then the places you were worried about. I’ve been to New Orleans about 20 times and I’ll go again (with and without kids). If I was researching New Orleans from afar as a place to visit on this trip, I would have skipped it. One of the more common questions people ask us about the US as we travel is – is it safe? You may also find that some places are considered safe in certain areas but not in others – so look up specific cities as well. Mexico is in that group.
Here are a few links to help your research:
https://safearound.com/danger-rankings/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Peace_Index
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/maps-and-graphics/safest-countries-in-the-world/
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/safest-countries-in-the-world.html
