For this week’s post, I’m inspired by the recent return of a fellow IgoUgo employee who ventured off on a two-week trip to Yemen. Despite the warnings from the State Department—and pleas from his mother—our friend ventured into a land that is (was) purported to have a high risk of kidnapping for westerners. Yet, he returned, replete with some of the more stunning photos of vast plains, spectral hilltop villages, and children just curious about the camera.
I am all for trying new and uncharted and even slightly dangerous waters, in fact, I think I would prefer them to the placid sea, but certainly some things that call themselves adventurous don’t seem as daring as other, more extreme choices. Of course, to each his or her own—to some, being daring can depend on your location.
Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member HELEN001
This particular trip was chosen for its remoteness and all that that entails—namely no Starbucks, no tourists, and a lack of pretension in everything from the landscape to the culture. In a way, I assume that the risk was a draw for our now-safe friend, adding to the mystique of a land already steeped in antiquity, and helping to turn an already great travel story into a tale of survival. This type of travel is not new by any means, nor is it foolhardy. However, you’ll want to make sure you don’t overdo it on your checklist. As always, you need to be aware and take certain precautions, but that is true no matter where you go, around the world, or around the corner.
Safety warnings, current events, and any number of other factors can and should come into play when deciding where to go. However, that said, letting fear or paranoia stand in the way of travel is no way to go about things. You don’t need to be entering war zones or witnessing coups—or even bungee jumping—to be adventurous, but that’s also not to say that being out of your comfort zone is not a good thing either. It forces you to interact and become more aware of what is going on around you, and in the world of travel, that’s never a bad thing.
What’s your most harrowing tale from the road? Have you ever traveled despite rumors of risk, only to find them utterly unfounded?
