5 SCARY Travel Destinations! (That You Really Shouldn't Be Scared Of)

A Note From Paul: Don't be afraid!!!

Greetings All!

Travel is a rewarding, horizon-expanding experience.  But it can also be kind of scary.  I mean, who'd have thought in 2013 we would still be worried about pirates?!  PIRATES!!  Plus you have your terrorists, your kidnappers, your pickpockets and thieves, not to mention your ebola and other deadly viruses just waiting to take over your body.  No zombie hordes yet, but it's just a matter of time!

Well if you listen to every doom-and-gloom news report you might never leave your own back yard.  And that would be a shame, because news reporters only report the bad stuff.  You'll never read "An American tourist had a lovely visit to Kenya this week" -- it just doesn't sell papers.  But the fact is, many places that you think are dangerous are safe as can be.

So herewith, five great travel destinations that you always thought of visiting... but worried they were too dangerous.

Stop worrying!  And read on...                     

5 SCARY Travel Destinations!
(That You Really Shouldn't Be Scared Of)

Mexico
Our neighbor to the south is the destination for more than 150,000 Americans  every day. Are they crazy?! Looking for trouble?!  Nope.  Most of us wouldn't think twice about visiting popular U.S. cities like Miami, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Orleans, Washington D.C, or Atlanta.  Well guess what -- each of these cities is statistically less safe than Mexico City!

When you get out of the city to resorts like Riviera Maya, it's even safer.  Travel expert Peter Greenburg is asked a frequent travel question these days. "Is it safe to travel to Mexico?"  Greenburg's answer: "Unequivocally, yes." So go, enjoy the sun, enjoy the beaches... and when you come home, tell your scaredy-cat friends what they're missing!

Jamaica 
Sometimes staying safe is just a matter of using the same common sense you would use at home.  Don't walk in strange areas alone, don't accept rides from strangers, avoid places where criminals congregate.  Jamaica has no problem with terrorists or pirates. It does have a reputation for everyday street crime, especially in the major cities of Kingston and Montego Bay.  But most vacationers will never visit Kingston, and the resorts in Montego Bay and west to the breathtaking Negril provide a safe haven for tourists.  Many of the most popular resorts, such as Sandals and Secrets, are all-inclusive resorts with a wide variety of restaurants right on the property.  You need never leave the resort grounds!

Kenya
Despite the constant deluge of dark reports out of Africa, you don't face any more danger traveling in most African countries than in other parts of the world. The myths about Africa being a dangerous and violent place are ill-founded. Petty theft is the most common crime you're likely to come across, and as a tourist with cameras and cash, you just have to be careful -- use common sense!

Visitors should at all times steer clear of the Kenya/Somali border, but otherwise political unrest has all but vanished in Kenya,

That said, if you're visiting Kenya on safari, what few worries you may have in Nairobi utterly vanish once you're in the bush.  There you'll discover the most amazing landscapes, the most remarkable wildlife, and the warmest people you will ever encounter.  It is truly a life-altering experience, and I don't throw that phrase around lightly.  Go, and be amazed.

The Middle East
Ok, you're thinking, now we know he's crazy!  But let's be clear:  I'm not advising anyone to bake on the lovely beaches of Syria, or hit the shopping bazaars of Cairo.  I'm talking Israel, Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates... and yes, I'm talking Turkey! Be hypnotized by Istanbul's daily call to prayer, take in the Ottoman architecture  and too-cool art scene.  It's one of the hippest destinations in the region.  Dubai is an ultra-modern center of skyscrapers, malls, resorts and glittering urban extravagance, all generated by the region's vast oil wealth.  And going from the ultra-modern to the ancient, Petra in Jordan, the world wonder, is without a doubt one of the Middle East's most valuable treasures.  A vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.  
There is so much to see in the Middle East.  And so much of it can be seen safely. 
One word of advice: If you're traveling to Israel, make it the last country you visit on your Middle East tour.  Port officials in Muslim nations may bar entry to anyone bearing evidence of having visited Israel, as evidenced by entry and exit stamps on their passport.

Cuba
There's 's little reason to fear Cuban street crime -- it's virtually non-existent -- and it's not likely kidnapping or pirates would worry you.  Maybe it's just because Cuba remains on the U.S. "State Sponsor of Terrorists" list *.  Or maybe you just think, "THEY'RE ALL COMMUNISTS WHO WANT TO KILL AMERICANS AND EAT US!!"

Oh baloney!

Cubans are the warmest, friendliest, most welcoming people in the Caribbean, and they love Americans!  With its classic cars, Spanish Colonial architecture, the best cigars in the world, and a unique, vibrant history, Cuba should be at the top of every traveler's "bucket list".


* Cuba remains on the U.S. State Sponsor of Terrorists list due to its historic ties with two known international terrorist groups: the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA), a group of roughly 300 members (50 active members) in the Basque regions of Spain and France which has been inactive since 2011 and has reportedly disbanded;  and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a "peasant army" operating exclusively in Columbia.  They pose no danger to visitors to Cuba.  On July 1, 2013, FARC and the second-largest guerrilla group in Colombia, ELN, announced that they would be working together to find a "political solution to the social and armed conflict." _____________________________

So there you go! Five great travel destinations that aren't nearly as scary as you think they are. Until next week!