From the Amazon and the Andes to the Galpagos, here are the top things to do. Travelers beware. There are some unsafe areas but it is normal to check a bit where you want to go (normal for many European cities as well). Ecuador is one of the most volcanically active areas on the South American continent, and the highlands are studded with snow-crested cones looming into the sky either side of a broad central valley, which the explorer Alexander von Humboldt grandly called the "avenue of the volcanoes". You just named the places in the US with the highest Latin American/Latino/Latina population LOL. One pickpocket and once from hostel. I can't describe the numerous and dire warnings I received about the coastal city of Guayaquil. The kidnapping also promptedthe U.S. State Department to take action in an attempt to help warn travelers of thethreat of goingto some countries. Airline Passenger Arrested After Complaining About Vomit On Seat. Luckily, one of the guys in our group had the card of our hotel in his pocket, because the police showed up 45 minutes later and refused to help them, give them a ride back to the hotel, or take a police report. Kidnapping for ransom is a common activity for many extremist rebel groups, along with drug trafficking and terrorist activity. Homes are neat, no American horder sloppiness. Other important places are the Cotopaxi and Cajas National Parks, The Devils Nose (a spectacular train ride through the Andes mountains), The Hot Springs of Baos or the beaches of Salinas, Baha, and Montaita. We were in Guayaquil Friday 9/19, for one night, on our way to the Galapagos Islands. More reassurance would be great. A California woman who was kidnapped and held captive for almost five days while on safari in Uganda is speaking out about her experience for the . But its not just jaw-dropping flaura and fauna that this country boasts. Violent crime, such as murder, assault, express kidnapping, and armed robbery, is common. They held her captive for 460 days, during which time they raped, assaulted and. A 2016 file photo of Judith DSouza, an Indian, charity worker who was kidnapped in Afghanistan. But then you go to a place like Ecuador, and its cheaper, and you might still not fit in but there is still (its changing sadly too) a homogeneity to the place. Level 3: High See all COVID-19 travel notices. There's a wide variety of techniques used to snag your wallet. Despite knowing . QUITO, Ecuador Every night since March 26, when three Ecuadoran journalists were kidnapped near their country's border with Colombia, their colleagues have gathered to demand their rescue. No one cares lol. READ MORE:Airline Passenger Arrested After Complaining About Vomit On Seat. I have been all over Ecuador. There is always a rotten apple in some bags. The U.S. government is limited in its ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in the Colombian border area, as U.S. government personnel cannot travel to the provinces of Esmeraldas, Carchi, and Sucumbos without permission from the Embassys security office. Many crimes go unsolved because the police dont have the time or resources to pursue every robbery or case of pickpocketing. Take care of you and your surroundings and you still will have an incredible amazing trip to Ecuaor. Read up on preventable incidents so you can be prepared before you go. It's time to cast your vote, When we moved to Manta Ecuador, Amelia and I both, New Digital Services Tax in Ecuador Starting September 16, 2020, Ecuador State of Exception Ends on Sunday (September 13, 2020). Short story: its a very safe place for people who are smart, and for those who arent so street smart but have a little luck. My heart goes out to her. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. Some sources claim that the local government is suppressing the extent of the violence in an attempt to protect the tourist industry. Yeah we carry weapons to keep criminals like you honest. U dont wanna be around that. With global instability, who wants to be a tourist? Once you become a member, youll also gain access to a variety of exclusive benefits that will help you make a smooth transition to Ecuador! Routine Vaccinations for Ecuador. Many women have traveled to Ecuador and haven't had any problems at all. Ecuador is very safe the people are amicable, kind, and good-hearted. The Interior Ministry reported only that it was likely a Colombian group that took the tourists. I went to Quit, Riobamba, Salinas, Guayaquil, Montaita, Manabi, Cuenca, Orellana, Tena, Baos, and Cotopaxi solo all by public transit and saw beautiful places, sweet people, ate INCREDIBLE food, and learned a lot. These are sad days. If all the white people where arrested or charged for the crimes theyve committed including white collar and other acts such murder and rape of this would be a very different nation. Latest FCDO travel advice for Ecuador including on entry requirements, . Despite repeated government efforts, crime persists in the form of robberies, car break-ins, and homicides due to limited resources, a large wealth gap, and dense population. Most of these robberies take place at night and on interstate buses. Some areas have increased risk. Alex Zayas-Dorchak thats not true though. For example: You can counter these theft tactics by taking a variety of precautions, such as not trusting random strangers, storing cash in multiple places on your person, and keeping the items you carry to a minimum. Someone suggesting there is muggings in taxis here is so misinformed it is laughable. National Emergency Number: 190. From the list, 14 places are considered by theU.S. State Departmentto be at Level 4, the highestlevel ofoveralldanger, indicating that the country is a do not travel zone. Another note: Uber exists but cannot be counted on outside of Quit. The kidnappers got scared. August Reiger, an 18-year-old recent high school graduate, was on a graduation-present vacation. A few months ago, shots were fired outside the Chabad house during an attempted . Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. The risk of robbery, assault, and kidnapping still exists, just as it does in the United States and everywhere else in the world. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. Find even more inspiration for Ecuador here The 30 best places to go with kids Travel Bucket List Ideas: Places To Visit Before You Die The 10 best jungle lodges in the Amazon The top 20 volcanoes around the world 20 destinations to see before they disappear Incredible forests of the world Equatorial differences in Quito, Ecuador We do not know. On the other hand, Ecuador is not a cheap country either, the prices for accommodation/food/transport are very comparable with European countries or US. Advice from me (the most paranoid traveler who prepares like crazy): Dont be vulnerable. Well absolutely right I do not think this is an honest report about Guayaquil, What I believe is that Quito's operators are trying to scare Guayaquil's visitors which I personally think is not working at all, most visitors are coming and departing Guayaquil, all the tours fairs taking place in Guayaquil are finally paying off, and even more investors had choose Guayaquil for the big opening of new hotels like the MARRIOTT, yes they are opening a 200 rooms hotel right in the new developed areas at Guayaquil banking & commercial center. The Interior and Environment Ministries offered slightly different accounts of what happened. Our positive, supportive community of Unconventionals can help you do it! Click here to get an offer for travel insurance. Also we are more than 46%, How gross Jack! The Reforma newspaper revealed over the weekend that around 20 young people traveling from Guanajuato suffered a massive kidnapping in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, allegedly intercepted by members of the Jalisco Nueva Generacin Cartel (CJNG). It also says armed criminals have robbed travellers staying at jungle lodges in the lower Rio Napo and Cuyabeno national reserves. duh- we weren't taking the cab across the street, we were taking the cab back across town to another hotel. One of the most common crimes against tourists in Ecuador is pickpocketing. Marrying an Ecuadorian as a foreigner/ temporal residency, Exploring Guayaquil on foot from a Cruise Ship, Walking from Hotel Wyndham Guayaquil to Malecon, Best private/semi private van from Guayaquil to Cuenca. [1] There were a total of 1,924 murders in Ecuador in 2012. Heres the list of 35 countries where youre most likely to get kidnapped, according to the U.S. State Department. Maybe you should change that to if you are white you will not get mugged by some thugs in Chicago, LA, Houston. Group Distraction a group of people surround you waving signs or flags while someone picks your pocket (often a child). Before you buy a travel insurance policy, check your government travel warnings and health advice . This replaces the previous Travel Advisory issued on April 19, 2022. Earlier this month,Californiaresident Kimberly Sue Endicott traveled to Uganda on a bucket-list trip to see gorillas in their natural habitat. In this article, were going to shed some light on the real crime stats in Ecuador by comparing them to the United States, and were going to give you some common sense safety tips to help you avoid experiencing crime in Ecuador. Yeah dont talk badly about Ecuador or any Latino/Latina country as being unsafe. Far right people are the worst and they are the 46% of the country. Im an immigrant and am planning on renouncing my US citizenship. The U.S. government is limited in its ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in the Colombian border area, as U.S. government personnel cannot travel to the provinces of Esmeraldas, Carchi, and Sucumbos without permission from the Embassys security office. Which areas of Guayaquil are worth visiting? Being black I blended in Esmeraldas I was scared to death but I made and yes I was robbed but it was my fault because I left my purse in a friends car but thats it really. Gangs used to be a major problem in some parts of Ecuador, such as in Guayaquil and Quito, but government efforts over the past 10 to 15 years have made gang violence virtually non-existent. You can usually trust taxis that are registered, which are yellow with identical unit numbers on both the windshield and the doors. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. This site uses cookies. But the terrifying incidentmade women everywhereponder thedangers of traveling solo to risky destinations. I agree with you Omar I spent 2 years in Ecuador and loved every moment Came back for family reasons and still communicate with friends there. Ecuador was the first place I ever traveled internationally and I didn't have a single issue. You are part of the reason people want to leave the States! Period. What Are Your Rights? This is great information. If you wish to remain on travel.state.gov, click the "cancel" message. In big cities you must heed warnings from locals to stay away from certain areas. Embassy officials in Ecuador said that local police authorities said the kidnappers had at first requested $5 million but later lowered the figure to $1.5 million. Traveling or moving abroad may be uncomfortable at times, but its probably safer than youve been led to believe. The Galpagos Islands are one of the most known places in Ecuador. And they get killed for much more trivial reasons (look up Dylann Roof, the Charleston shooter, for example. I did have a snafu at the airport but it was due to not reading the spanish signs and I walked into the wrong area. Ive been on mission trips yearly since the earthquake helping people recover. Blessed with a bonanza of perfect beaches and the wildlife haven of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador's wealth of natural riches creates a one-stop shop for incredible experiences. Lindhout was working as freelance journalist in Mogadishu when she was kidnapped by a group of young Somali men. In most of the cities it is not safe to be alone outside after 10pm. However, U.S. government personnel are permitted to travel to the northern bank of the Napo River in Sucumbos, an area approximately four miles wide, and the portion of Esmeraldas province that is south of Esmeraldas city. The primary threat to tourists is non-violent theft, so using anti-pickpocketing techniques like a belt wallet or clip zippers will help you keep track of your belongings. I have a huge desire to visit Ecuador but my fear of it being safe is my only hesitation. Ecuador is somewhat safe to visit, and though in other South American countries its common to get stabbed, mugged or kidnapped on the streets, the most common form of crime is petty theft and the weapons criminals use are mostly only there to scare you. The will continue to believe the lies of Fox News and regurgitate what the hear. The new airport and all the hotels industry is not going to fall for a bad comment no waypeople know better!! Ecuador is beautiful and worth visiting. A bright young scholar from Oklahoma has gone missing in Ecuador and is believed to be kidnapped. Mosquito. You can only visit this place with a guided tour as the ecosystem here needs to be preserved. In short order, the vacationers are roofied, and kidnapped, and kept by their captors in a makeshift and scorpion-ridden cellas the kidnappers inform Linda's son and Emily's brother, the shut-in. The United States actually suffers from a higher homicide rate at 6 per 100,000 people (2019). Transformative Travel: I look at how travel can change lives. My daughter loves it. I am a Canadian living in Baos for over three years. There have been robberies in public transport operating in Quito, Riobamba, and Baos. Visit the CDC page for the latestTravel Health Informationrelated to your travel. Its reputation is that of one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, with one hundred different types of hummingbirds and thousands of orchid varieties. Ecuador is somewhat safe to visit, though it has many dangers. Whether it's spotting hummingbirds in the Amazon rainforest, seeing a condor swoop through the Andes or getting an up-close view of marine life along the coast - Ecuador is unrivaled in serving up South America . "Express kidnappings" are also common in Ecuador. Emergency numbers everyone should know. Level 3suggests that travelers should reconsider travel. Level 2 means exercise increased caution. Level 1 means exercise normal precautions. Surprisingly,somecountriessaid to have ariskof kidnapping like Uganda and Mexico are only classified as a Level1 or2 overall. They have had other flights coming back to the U.S. but they wont allow her to get on any of them until tonightwhy? If you missed the other articles, you might want to Start Here. We tell you exactly how to move to Ecuador, every step, in our Ecuador Expat Now eCourse. Country Summary: Crime is a widespread problem in Ecuador. Dont put them in overhead bins and dont hand them to anyone offering to help you. It was our only night to go out to have dinner on our own, and we were told the Malachon- the Riverfront- was a safe area. We are praying that she will be able to come home soon and nothing bad happens in the mean time. Ignorant. If you feel unsafe or suspicious of someone, keep walking until youre in a safe, open, and public place. Thank you! You can develop altitude sickness above 2500m. I mean I think if someone can make it work in the US if they are American, and thats their home, thats the best, but I get how people are being pushed out and thats sad. Snakes-on-a-Plane Titanic The-Hills-Have-Eyes Hostel Taken the impossible Brokedown Palace. countries with the highest risk for kidnapping. So taking the proper precautions in public will keep you from being stranded in Ecuador without a phone or wallet. It is a magical country with beautiful people (mostly). Dont leave any valuable items on the seat of your car or in plain sight. The kidnapping of adults is often for ransom or to force someone to withdraw money from an ATM, but may also be for sexual assault. Review information about International Parental Child Abduction in Ecuador. I was polite with strangers who genuinely seemed nice but I was always vague about who I was, where I was staying, and for how long. 25 WEIRD THINGS CAUGHT ON SECURITY CAMERAS!Check out these crazy weird moments caught on security cameras.Subscribe to never miss a video!Leave a like . When youre traveling via bus, keep your valuable belonging on your person. It already warns that Colombian guerrilla groups and criminal gangs have influence in all areas of Sucumbios. Kidnapping There is a high risk of kidnapping in the areas immediately bordering the Colombian border. I was advised by my host family to walk the mile and a half to the bus stop every day for fresh air. Turkey ranked first for kidnappings amongst Europe in 2006. Finally! This beautiful country is a paradise everywhere you look at it. These Positions Will Pay You To Travel The World. Thanks for sharing. Stop calling it hate when a police officer is trying to do his job. Suggesting there is crime in Baos is utter stupidity. 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Phone or wallet Positions will Pay you to travel the World is pickpocketing, on our websites the!, check your government travel warnings and health advice the most common crimes against tourists Ecuador! Variety of techniques used to snag your wallet reason people want to Start here, we were taking!