Safety and Scams

Crime in St. Petersburg

The Travel Advice Unit of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London points out that there has been a sharp increase in street crime in St. Petersburg, Russia, since April 2004, with tourists being held up at knifepoint on the metro and buses.

Be especially aware of pickpockets in the main tourist areas. Avoid openly carrying expensive items or anything that might easily identify you as a tourist. Incidents of bogus police officers harassing and robbing tourists are also occurring. If you are stopped, always insist on seeing I.D.

Jet ski rental scams in Thailand. Wildlife harassed in Sri Lanka. World's best airports.

Dear Globetrotter:

Welcome to the 438th issue of your monthly foreign-travel magazine, the one you help write.

I’ve got lots to report this month.

Pickpockets in Athens

We lost a driver’s license, credit cards and other documents to pickpockets in Athens in fall ’03. (Be wary on the metro!) Fortunately, we had taken with us color photocopies of both sides of each document for use in contacting credit card companies and to permit both of us to drive the rental car. Make copies to take with you; many cards will fit on a single sheet of paper.

BILL & MARY CARSTEDT
Beverly Shores, IN

Kyrgyz Republic security

The State Department reminds U.S. citizens that extremist groups such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), a terrorist organization with links to al-Qaida, may be planning terrorist acts targeting Americans or American interests in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Mauritania danger

The US Department of State urges extreme caution for those who choose to travel in Mauritania.

Favorite Country poll results, plus avoiding scams

Reader Survey

Here are the results of your voting on “My All-Time Very Favorite Country”:

1. Italy

Safety precautions in Papua New Guinea

Dancer at the Komun Culture Center at the base of Mt. Hagen — Wahgi Valley, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea. Photos: Ledray

Chad mending; still crime

The security situation in Chad has slowly but steadily improved since its peace agreement with Sudan in early 2010. Historically, however, it has been volatile.

Crime in Burundi

Because Burundi participates in peacekeeping operations in Somalia, the terrorist organization al-Shabaab, based in Somalia, has threatened terror attacks in Burundi, the US State Department reported.

Low-level political violence is a concern in Bujumbura Rural, Makamba, Rumonge and the area by the Kibira forest.

Kenya terror warning

The US Department of State warns of recently heightened threats from terrorism in Kenya plus the high rate of violent crime in some areas. On April 23, the US Embassy in Nairobi stated they had “credible information” regarding a possible attack on Nairobi hotels and Kenyan government buildings.

On March 10, 2012, assailants threw four grenades at a bus station in Nairobi, killing nine Kenyans and injuring more than 50.

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