Guides, tips, culture, safety & more from around the world
25 articles found
Mali occupies a profound place in world history. Timbuktu — the ancient Saharan city that became synonymous with farthest remoteness in European imagination — was, in the 14th century, a city of 100,000 people, an Islamic scholarly capital, and a com...
Syria was, before 2011, one of the most underrated travel destinations in the Middle East: a country of extraordinary ancient cities, exceptional food, and some of the most significant historical sites on earth. The civil war that began in 2011 devas...
Japan's reputation as one of the world's safest countries for travelers is not exaggerated. It's built on real data, deep cultural values, and a daily social contract that most visitors immediately register — even if they can't fully explain it. Walk...
Before traveling to the Middle East, safety is the first question most people ask — and for Oman, the answer is genuinely reassuring. The Global Peace Index regularly places Oman among the top 10% safest countries in the world. Crime against tourists...
Laos has one of the lowest violent crime rates for tourists in Southeast Asia. Traveler-on-traveler theft is rare. Scams are mild compared to neighboring Thailand or Vietnam. Political tension doesn't touch tourists. By general safety metrics, it's a...
Paris has been a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ people for well over a century — from the bohemian artistic circles of Montparnasse in the 1920s to the electrifying clubs of the Marais today. In 2026, Paris ranks among the most LGBTQ+ welcoming major cities in...
The short answer: it depends entirely on which coast and which beach you're on. Puerto Rico's geography creates dramatically different ocean conditions on its various coasts, and the island has a meaningful number of drowning incidents every year — ...
Puerto Rico earns its reputation as the most LGBT-friendly destination in the Caribbean. As a US territory, it carries the full weight of federal anti-discrimination law and the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) Supreme Court ruling legalising sam...
By almost any metric, Norway is one of the safest travel destinations in the world. It consistently ranks in the top 5 of the Global Peace Index. Violent crime rates are extremely low. Corruption is minimal. The rule of law is robust. Pick-pocketing ...
Poland is one of the safest countries in Europe for travellers. Its crime rate is low by European standards, violent crime against tourists is rare, and the country's hospitality tradition means foreigners are generally treated with warmth. That said...
Palau is one of the world's premier diving and marine destinations — the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its underwater biodiversity is staggering. But Palau's marine environment demands respect and awareness. Here's...
One of the most common questions about Cuba: is it safe? The short answer is yes — Cuba is one of the safest countries in Latin America and the Caribbean for travelers. Violent crime against tourists is extremely rare. But "safe" doesn't mean "no ris...