- safety
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You hear so much about Marseille being dangerous, probably a legacy of the French Connection movies.
We went there in May 2008 and it is not at all the dirty, dangerous city of the movies. We would say no more or less dangerous than many European cities.
Probably advisable to avoid the Belsunce area (south west of train station) at night.
In order to avoid becoming a victim of crime on the streets of this wonderful city, here are a few tips:
- Do not carry large amounts of money when you leaving your apartment or hotel.
- Don’t let anyone invade your personal space while walking down the streets (whether they seem suspicious or not).
- Wear your bag diagonally across your chest and avoid wearing it on your shoulder. If possible, keep a hand on it at all times. If you must have a backpack, wear it on the front and not on the back as it should normally be worn.
- Even though it is important that you have a valid ID such as a passport with you, in case you decide to go shopping and you need to pay with your credit card, it is not recommend that you carry your passport with you. Take a photocopy of it and keep it somewhere safe in your bag.
- If you still want to take your passport or other ID documents with you, remember to photocopy them and leave the photocopy in your apartment or hotel.
- Carry your wallets and purses in your front pockets and never the back pockets. You will be surprised at just how easy it is to take a wallet or purse from a back pocket and before you realise, then perpetrator will be long gone.
- Whenever you leave a bus, metro or taxi cab, please remember to take all your belongings with you. If you are carrying a laptop, always keep it close to you and never leave your luggage or any other valuables unattended.
- It cannot be stressed enough that even in the busiest, safest looking places (bars and restaurants included), you are a potential target, so be aware at all times.
This industry is inhumane. Please consider this before you ride them. Horses have died and pedestrians and drivers have been injured. The horses are treated as cars and not living beings that feel pain. Please look at their eyes and do the right thing by them. Contact Mayor Bloomberg and inform him how wrong this industry is to exist in NYC traffic.
All over the city and around Central Park
Avoid the scruffy and dangerous streets in Grenoble city centre which stretch from the cable car station on the quayside beside the Isere river to
the Cathedrale de Notre Dame. Thiefs loiter here - especially at night, so women don't walk alone in this area!
Avoid either arriving, departing or simply moving out of your hotel during Holi... (Indian spring festival)
The local lads gather in the streets and have water fights - with coloured water and western tourists are a prime target.
The papers were full of warnings about the chemicals used in the colouring (I wrote off a pair of trousers and T-shirt) They contain some pretty nasty chemicals that can cause skin complaints.
All the taxis and rickshaws (if you can find one) will charge three times the normal rate as "danger and damage" money.
Sit tight (it's only one day) and watch the mayhem from a balcony or rooftop!
vntraveler.com provides updated travel warnings and safety for tourists to Vietnam plus destination guide, travel tips and answers on travel topics in Vietnam.
The air quality plummets to dangerous levels every March in Chiang Mai due to slash-and-burn farming in the surrounding countryside. You can check the daily pollution levels here before setting off, at earthoria.com.
www.earthoria.com/air-pollution-levels-in-chiang-mai-rising.html
Avoid like the plague - unless you enjoy men looking lewdly at you as you go about your 'business'.
Carrer d'Alí Bei, 80
The places by the lake are backpackery, obsessed with drugs and Angkor beer. OK for a chilled-out day drinking and watching the lake, but paper-thin walls and minimal security did not make me feel safe.
I certainly wouldn't recommend it to lone women. If anything goes wrong (and it did with me) you will have absolutely no help whatsoever.
Capitol Guesthouse looks awful from the outside but on the inside it's scrupulously clean, has cable TV, private bathroom, air conditioning, good security (proper walls!) and all for about $8-10.
It also runs buses to Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap etc so it's very well located. You'll get off the backpackers trail just that little bit and experience much better levels of comfort, security and hygiene. And it's just round the corner from possibly one of the best and friendliest restaurants in Cambodia - Mama's.
Several locations across Phnom Penh. Well known - ask any moto driver. If you get the bus from HCMC or Siem Reap, chances are you'll be dropped off right outside!
Take small change for the metro - it's a requisite for the musicians/beggars.
Keep one eye on the ground for landmines. (People with large dogs sometimes do not clean up after them!)
Take insect repellent as there are lots of mosquitos there in warm weather.
If you're staying for a couple of days, it's worth cultivating a regular moto driver (many guesthouses have a bunch of reputable guys).
Saves hassle, and can be great if you strike up a rapport, even better if they speak a bit of English.
Pay 2000 riel per journey (maybe 3000 at 3am), or negotiate a day rate.
Plus if you're planning on being out late, having a moto driver you trust who you can ring up on a mobile is worth the extra peace of mind.
Ask your guesthouse owner
Much of Phnom Penn is pretty seedy and at times depressing with its array of hostess bars which are visible in vast areas of the city. It is also not uncommon to see old foreigners with young working girls. There is still sadly a problem with paedophilia in Cambodia, and in some areas (especially on the outskirts of the city) this practice is very common. Many NGO’s and locals are trying to stamp out this problem - if you see anything untoward phone the Unicef Child sex line on (023) 720 555.
Many visitors take advantage of the siesta to take photos or see more of the city while it's quiet, but don't do it. Don't wander the back streets of Santa Cruz or any place with few people during siesta (2:30-5pm). It's better to follow the Spaniard's example and use the time as it should be used: for relaxing, eating lunch, taking a nap and then heading back out at 5pm.
Despite their reputation as 'just unarmed Americans with healthcare', visitors will be struck by how friendly Canadians are, particularly in Vancouver, which combines a softer 'west coast' feel with the old-fashioned decency typical in small Canadian towns.
Not everything is glossy in Vancouver - it has the warmest winter temperatures of any Canadian city and there are a lot of street-sleepers, even more than you would find in other large cities like Toronto or London (UK). While the right response is charity and compassion, you may encounter aggressive behaviour if you do try to give money - this happened to me twice in three days last month.
Despite that, a big thumbs up to the gentle people of Vancouver... now if only they could do something about the rain.
Everywhere, especially in coffee shops (try Blenz: www.blenz.com/stores.aspx) and Stanley Park
Prague is the worst city for pickpockets I have ever been in, and I've been in a few. The metro is especially dangerous.
Watch your bags etc especially outside the Reina Sofia Gallery - Madrid has one of the highest crime rates against tourists in the world and they particularly prey on people outside this gallery, creeping up from behind on the varying levels at the front of the gallery
It was shockingly run down. A lot of graffiti and litter. I´d really keep your wits about about you and your bags tightly held walking around here. Also in Piazza Garibaldi. Maybe we missed a lot in Naples, but we left feeling disappointed.
Central Naples
In the UK I study people near ATM machines if I wish to use one, as undesirables are sometimes lying in wait. You will be pleasantly surprised to find that physical crimes against people are very infrequent in Thailand. Crimes tend to be non-violent, ie picking pockets or deception.
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