Is reviewing travel advisories at the US State Department (or state departments in other countries) enough for international travel?

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The wharf was a few blocks from the condo in Maui in 2014.

When we first began traveling the world in 2012, we never failed to read travel advisories from the US State Department, which can be found here. The problem we encountered is that they often didn’t appear updated to date, which required an additional search on their site:” travel advisories 2024.”

Scrolling through the advisories, you will see many started in 2024. However, those listed for earlier dates, such as 2023, can mislead some travelers, who assume these warnings are older and may have expired. All they’d have to do is add another column, “date advisory was first issued.”

After experiencing much confusion recently about the processing of Medicare claims, it’s not surprising that US State Department Travel Advisory information could be equally confusing. When reviewing the warnings for a country you intend to visit, it’s imperative to carefully read the entry to determine if traveling to that country is riskier at this time than visiting other seemingly safer locations.

Much to our dismay, the State Department listings do not include crime-ridden cities in the US. If foreign travelers were to use this US resource to guide their travels, they may end up booking hotels and venues in areas many US citizens wouldn’t consider safe to visit.

No country, including the US, is exempt from crime, including the risks of pickpocketing and violent crime. So, how do travelers reassure themselves that their chosen destination(s) are safe? Research, research, and research! Check police department records and national and local statistics, and search for recent (past 12 months) news stories. Ask other travelers who have traveled to particular cities you plan to visit.

Although not explicitly related to the US State Department, here is a good website with statistics.

Most often, a country may be safe overall, but specific cities should be avoided. Simply because a city or town is a popular tourist attraction doesn’t mean it is entirely safe to visit. Cape Town, South Africa, is listed as the #12 most dangerous (murders) city in the world, but that doesn’t prevent us from going to South Africa to live in the bush. Cleveland, where we are now, is listed at #27, but we don’t feel unsafe here. Please do your research.

However, along with all of your discoveries, it’s imperative to exercise caution wherever you may travel and secure documents such as passports, digital equipment, wallets, and credit cards. Never carry a bag that doesn’t require at least a zipper to access contents, although more complicated access is preferable.

Do not, under any circumstances, get involved in road rage or other conflicts, regardless of how difficult it may be to control your opinions and emotions. Stream the TV series “Road Rage” (Prime, Hulu, and others) to convince you further to avoid road rage and angry public outbursts at all costs. It’s just not worth it.

Reviewing travel advisories from the U.S. State Department is essential in trip planning, especially for international travel. Here’s why it’s so important:

  1. Safety and Security Awareness: Travel advisories provide up-to-date information about potential risks in specific countries, such as political unrest, natural disasters, terrorism, crime, or health risks. This knowledge can help you avoid areas with heightened dangers.
  2. Entry and Exit Requirements: Countries sometimes change their entry rules due to political conditions, public health concerns, or security situations. Advisories often include visa requirements, vaccination needs, and travel restrictions.
  3. Local Laws and Customs: Understanding a destination’s cultural and legal landscape helps prevent misunderstandings or inadvertent legal issues. Travel advisories often outline behaviors that could be frowned upon or illegal.
  4. Insurance and Travel Plans: Some insurance policies may not cover you in countries with high-level travel advisories. Reviewing the advisories allows you to adjust your insurance accordingly and make more informed decisions about going or delaying your trip.
  5. Emergency Preparedness: Travel advisories for emergencies include contacts for U.S. embassies or consulates and steps to take if you are in a crisis.
  6. Understanding the Situation Beyond the Headlines: The media might focus on dramatic events, but travel advisories often provide a more nuanced and localized assessment of the situation.

Ultimately, reviewing these advisories gives you peace of mind, ensuring you’re prepared to handle potential risks. While it might seem like just another item on the travel checklist, it’s a proactive way to safeguard your journey.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today,  October 23, 2014:

The sky at sunset at the condo in Maui, Hawaii. For more photos, please click here.

Terrorist fears for Bali, our next stay in our travels…

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The sun was peeking through the clouds casting this glow at the beach. Of course, the scene would have been more impressive had it not been so late in the evening.

We’re scheduled to arrive in Bali at the Denpasar Airport on April 30th, a mere 53 days from today.  Yesterday, Tom noticed a change in ports of call for the Celebrity Solstice, a ship on which we’ve sailed twice when he was reading travel concerns at cruisecritic.com. 

Here’s yesterday’s cruisecritics.com news article which in part, stated as follows:
“(11:47 p.m. AEST) — Celebrity Solstice canceled its scheduled stop in Bali today due to the “potential for terrorist attacks” in Indonesia.

In a letter distributed to passengers over the weekend, shared with the Celebrity Cruises board by Cruise Critic member NorbertsNiece , the ship’s master, Captain Yannis Berdos, said the situation had been closely monitored since sailing from Fremantle, Western Australia. 
 
“The most recent information in the past few days, indicate that the possibility of an incident in Bali has increased. Also, the Balinese New Year is March 9 and recent past advisories have named this date as one that could be targeted by terrorists,” Captain Berdos wrote.”

The beach at Opunake slightly before dark, when we visited a few nights ago.

Immediately, we got to work checking news stories, researching the map, and reading as much as we could find about the imminent risk.  In reviewing the map the only area where we’ll be concerned is upon arrival in the Denpasar area, one of the high-risk areas listed in the threat.

A news story from an Australian media source stated:

“BALI police are investigating a threatening letter that claimed Islamic State militants were ready to bomb the island.

The letter has also prompted police to tighten security across Bali’s seaport, airport, and crowded areas that are popular with tourists.

The note was delivered to a government office in northern Bali just days after the Jakarta attacks that left eight people dead, including four civilians and four terrorists.  According to reports, the note stated: “Our members are currently present in Denpasar and Singaraja” and threatened “to blow up these cities in the name of Allah.”

“Our members are currently present in Denpasar and Singaraja,” it said. The letter also warned they would “attack shopping centers, offices and tourism destinations.”

When driving along the coast, we often try to make our way to these scenes of sun peeking through dense clouds. 

The property we’re renting in Bali is 120 km, 75 miles, from Denpasar Airport.  Yesterday, we arranged a private luxury van to transport us from the airport to the villa.  We’d read a few reviews that past guests had arranged a car to transport them, suffering uncomfortably in an old vehicle without AC during the long, almost four-hour drive on rough roads. 

For a mere NZ $18, US $12 more than the cost of the car without AC, we could arrange the luxury van. At this point, we don’t know the degree of luxury in that van but we can only hope for some degree of comfort. If not, so be it. 

We’ll be relieved once we get off the plane, collect our luggage, go through immigration and hightail out of that airport and be on our way to the property. Unquestionably, we’ll be avoiding any popular tourist venues while in Bali based on the high degree of risk in heavily populated areas.

Our new camera is able to zoom in further for this distant cloudy evening shot.

Did we consider changing our plans?  Not at this point. We’ll continue to monitor the news, checking travel warnings at the US Department of State, which as of this morning hasn’t posted any travel warnings for Bali.  Then again, on their homepage, they’re still highlighting 2015 weather conditions. This source may no longer be a reliable for our use.

Are we frightened?  We try not to be frightened instead taking every measure possible to ensure our safety in high-risk areas as we’ve done in the past.  Having traveled extensively in other high-risk areas, the most logical decision is to steer clear of nightclubs, coffee shops, popular tourist restaurants, and tourist attractions. 

There’s no guaranty that the small village where we’ll live is free from risk but then, no place in the world is entirely free from danger, nor is any airport, pier, public places, or even private property.

The coastline in Opunake is jagged, rocky with many steep cliffs, hard to see this late in the day.

At this point, we watch and wait. We’ll keep our readers updated as this short period winds down. On April 16th we’ll board Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas for a 14-day cruise which is not scheduled to go to Bali. The cruise ends in Singapore where on the same day we’ll board our “already booked” flight to Bali.

We can only pray for safety and good health in our travels and for each of you in your travels and daily life as well.


Photo from one year ago today, March 8, 2015:

One year ago we posted a few photos of us as we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary which was March 7th in Hawaii (March 8th here today…confusing).  I took this photo of Tom while we were visiting Mount Kilauea on the Big Island with the lava spewing in the background.  For more photos, please click here.