To ask where you’d love to visit but are too scared to visit.

[Gawwwd]

Mine is Haiti. Such a fascinating place and such an interesting (and predictably oppressed) history. I would so love to go there, but even if things improved there I’d likely still be far too chicken shit, truth be told.

I've been to China twice, as a solo independent backpacker - first to Beijing and Yunnan, second to Shanghai and Xinjiang. I wouldn't go to Xinjiang now, as it would break my heart. But otherwise China is a really easy country to travel in, despite the language/text barrier.

Again, that warning is for a very small area near the borders. Far far away from the tourist route.

We went on a school trip to Russia. Did the train between St Petersburg and Moscow. It was 20 years ago but it wouldn’t be considered now.

I would love to see the pretence of North Korea, though not at all safe! And Iran.

Thanks for this. I was wondering what on earth the previous post was about. Uzbekistan is a lovely, safe for tourists, country to visit, and the Silk Road cities are phenomenal!

I'm reluctant to travel anywhere that the British government has to specifically warn tourists there's a risk of being sexually assaulted.

Sri Lanka and India both have those warnings on the safe travel guide, so not for me right now.

Iraq
also Turkey due to heritage sites linked to my religion but heard horror stories about the attitude to solo female travelers

Moscow is my dream destination!! We looked into going in 2017 and were advised to wait until after the World Cup as they were likely to introduce tourist visas that would be easier to get. Fast forward to Covid now there’s Putin being even more of a maniac - I’m so sad that I’ll likely not get there.

There’s loads of history in Iraq. Saddam and Isis didn’t manage to destroy it all. It’s an amazing place to visit!

Cuba and Istanbul. I travel on my own, and I like it but I've had less than great experiences in a couple of places, so that's why Istanbul. Cuba is long haul and although I fly, I don't like it much.

It more bring a solo traveller and in China the food- stomach issues.

Russia because it has a lot of history and the buildings are magnificent and beautiful ❤️

I looked into the Trans Siberian a few years ago.
A berth with private bathroom was something like £30,000.

Fuck me!

Many years ago I did the train from Moscow to Irkutsk. It was an experience but I wouldn't recommend it..

I was also fortunate to visit Lebanon and Syria back in 2001 (I feel so old writing that). Both beautiful countries.

As a solo traveller, I was in receipt of more acts of kindness in China then any other country I've visited. Which surprised me as Chinese people tend to sound so abrupt and angry when you're around them (due the the sound of the language, I think!)
I was genuinely surprised how easy it was. There are very few English speakers, but somehow one would appear out of nowhere and actively want to help me, whenever I was standing looking slightly lost or bemused.

North Korea. I've always been fascinated by it. I wouldn't be scared exactly but I'd feel too much like a grief tourist: I would find it very uncomfortable going somewhere where the ordinary people are forced to collaborate in an elaborate charade and pretend they are happy.
I'd love to visit the Silk Road countries (Uzbekistan etc). I would go but not as a solo traveler.
Russia is about the only country in the world I wouldn't go to. I've been before and found it utterly fascinating but just not worth it at the moment.
Other than Russia and Gaza I don't think there's anywhere in the world I'd be too scared to go. Maybe some parts of central Africa but they don't hold much appeal.

Russia
North Korea
Iraq

I worked with & got to know a group of Russian people when my then employer had a joint venture with a Russian business. It was great to get the opportunity to go there, and I would love to go back but that’s sadly not possible, or at least extremely unwise, at the moment. Such a great country with a fascinating history.

Maybe one day Putin will fuck off & Russia can become a normal, peaceful, democratic European country. Maybe…

Socotra, Syria, Lebanon, Russia and Iran. Maybe Saudi Arabia too. And Timbuktu. And definitely the tepuis in Venezuela. Plus Israel / Palestine.

Yeah there’s a whole load of places people have said that are actually safe for tourists because they’re totalitarian states like Saudi/north Korea/china/

still wouldn’t want to go and take part in the charade that it’s all fine, nothing to see here

I don’t want to go anywhere anyone has mentioned apart from maybe Cuba, looks like a great place

Russia. I’d love to visit St Petersburg.

Not a country but a continent, I would love to travel through South America but heard so many horror stories when I was back packing elsewhere.
I have travelled to a few of the countries mentioned, travelled from South Africa through Namibia, visiting Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi. Also spent quite a lot of time in Israel and Egypt even been through Gaza. Jerusalem is amazing but so sad to see the way people are treated. Visited India, would love to travel more there but I found it challenging.

DRC. I would love to go but am too scared.

Ditto Syria, Iran and Libya. I'd also like to go to Tunisia and Morocco but have been put off after being relentlessly pestered by sleazy men in Egypt.

I’d love to do a Russian ballet tour.

Australia, because of the fauna....

Israel.

South Africa, although I'm not sure how safe it is.