Lexie Alford holds the Guinness World Report for being the youngest individual to journey to each nation on the globe. All 196 of them. Throughout her globetrotting she found some locations so harmful that she recommends solely intrepid travellers ought to try to go to them – and the common vacationer ought to keep away.
The 25-year-old Californian, who has practically half 1,000,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel Lexie Limitless, created a video wherein she lists the ten international locations she has discovered to be probably the most perilous for inexperienced vacationers, locations the place there is a danger of kidnapping, the place violent crime is rife, and the place armed guards are necessary. One of many international locations, she reveals, shouldn’t be visited by travellers ‘except they’ve a dying want’.
Lexie has visited every of those locations lately and has no regrets, telling MailOnline Journey: ‘Every place has taught me one thing new concerning the world and has challenged me to change into a extra seasoned traveller.’ Her prime 10 record could be discovered under, ranked in reverse order from the least to probably the most dangerous vacation spot…
10. NORTH KOREA
Lexie says that travellers can go to North Korea – a rustic that has been dominated by the Kim household’s dynastic dictatorship for the reason that Forties – through a ‘highly-supervised’ government-organised tour, although she notes that these excursions provide no alternatives ‘to discover by your self to seek out out what’s actually occurring’.
She says: ‘In case you go on this tour anticipate to be inundated with pro-government propaganda and solely see the elements of the nation that the regime needs you to see. Your tour cash will go on to the Kim regime and its cronies, not the North Korean individuals.’
Itemizing the risks of visiting North Korea on such a tour, she says: ‘In case you step out of line within the eyes of the federal government minders, the implications are excessive. You have to be at all times hyper-aware of the principles and your actions if you happen to go on this tour. For example, when it is time to go to your lodge within the night, you’d higher keep there till it is your time to depart within the morning.’
There may be another solution to see the nation, Lexie notes. She recommends visiting the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the border between North and South Korea, the place you’ll be able to set foot in North Korean territory contained in the blue buildings on the demarcation line between the 2 international locations.
9. BANGLADESH
Explaining why she does not suggest Bangladesh to inexperienced vacationers, Lexie says: ‘Sadly there is a very excessive price of petty crimes and violent crimes like pickpocketing and theft. This occurs in each nation, however remember the fact that since there are hardly every other vacationers right here you are going to entice plenty of consideration each time you are on the road, making you an apparent goal.’
The YouTuber provides that ‘Bangladesh is usually an uncomfortable and troublesome place for girls to journey… particularly solo feminine travellers as a result of sexual harassment tends to be extra widespread than common right here.’
These points could be exacerbated by how densely populated the nation is, she says. Lexie notes: ‘Bangladesh is simply so crowded… if you happen to get claustrophobic or intimidated by crowds then that is positively not the place for you.’
Lexie continues: ‘To make issues worse, there’s been plenty of political instability as a result of unrest in neighbouring international locations with ongoing terrorist assaults, together with assaults that focused foreigners previously 5 years or so. [Bangladesh is] additionally, sadly, hit fairly generally by a number of various kinds of pure disasters, probably the most frequent being excessive monsoon flooding.’
Usually, she notes that there is a ‘lack of a stable vacationer infrastructure, which makes journey that a lot more durable’.
Nevertheless, there are many fantastic causes for knowledgeable travellers to go to too. ‘There may be lovely nature to see in Bangladesh, from its rivers to its jungles to the biggest mangrove forest on this planet,’ Lexie says, including: ‘This nation is cool and there are such a lot of type individuals in Bangladesh.’
8. LIBYA
Lexie tells MailOnline Journey that Libya is ‘one of many solely international locations on this planet that you just can not go to with out hiring a tour firm… you are not technically allowed to go to as a vacationer as a result of Libya does not at present situation vacationer visas.’
She managed to go to the nation in 2019 by securing a ‘enterprise visa’, explaining: ‘Once you arrive it’s a must to inform the immigration officers that you’re visiting Libya for work within the oil and fuel business, which is absolutely uncomfortable.’
The nation is within the grips of political-military instability that is been ongoing for the reason that ousting of its former ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Itemizing out the risks that travellers face, Lexie says: ‘On the low finish the chance could be not with the ability to transfer about freely as a result of battles that may pop up at any time. On the excessive finish, the dangers could be getting kidnapped for ransom or political leverage or just simply getting killed in a battle.’
The YouTuber notes: ‘Whatever the traumatic conditions that may include merely stepping into a number of the extra off-the-beaten-path international locations like Libya, it is at all times value it. You are rewarded with distinctive, vibrant tradition and delightful landscapes which you typically have all to your self.’
A excessive level for Lexie was seeing the ‘well-preserved’ ruins of Leptis Magna, an historic Roman metropolis on the Mediterranean coast. Lexie says: ‘Not solely have been they spectacular to witness with my very own eyes but it surely was additionally surreal to stroll round this place utterly alone – that’s positively not an expertise you’ll be able to have on the Colosseum in Rome or the Acropolis in Athens.’ Nevertheless, she notes that at present, she does not suggest that both skilled or rookie travellers attempt to go to.
7. SOUTH SUDAN
Lexie says: ‘There are various explanation why South Sudan isn’t a protected place to journey, however the principle concern is that foreigners are sometimes targets for kidnapping and violence by militia teams.’
The video blogger says that ‘there’s a large lack of the infrastructure vital for tourism’ within the nation, which makes it ‘extraordinarily costly to journey there’.
Whereas Lexie says that ‘most foreigners within the nation are there as support or army staff’, she does be aware, nevertheless, that ‘a number of the causes to journey there as a vacationer could be to see its distinctive tribal cultures and some nationwide parks scattered all through the nation’.
6. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Lexie says: ‘The Central African Republic (CAR) is the one place I’ve ever travelled the place my industrial aeroplane needed to land in a corkscrew formation to keep away from missile strikes… that actually set the tone for what it’s prefer to journey right here.’
The YouTuber notes that whereas ‘there are some nationwide parks and small cultural villages that vacationers would possibly need to see’, massive elements of the nation are ‘principally inaccessible as a result of armed conflicts over management for the roads all through the nation’.
My industrial aeroplane needed to land in a corkscrew formation to keep away from missile strikes Lexie Alford
She continues: ‘When you get exterior of the capital [Bangui] there’s not plenty of primary infrastructure so imposing any legal guidelines could be very troublesome for the federal government. Armed militia teams principally arrange unlawful roadblocks to exert their management on a area and have focused overseas travellers and support staff this manner.’
Lexie additionally notes that ‘primary transportation and communication traces within the nation are so restricted’ that embassy employees may not be capable of attain travellers that require assist within the time that’s wanted.
5. SOMALIA
Throughout her time in Somalia, Lexie stayed in a lodge with armed guards and safety checkpoints on the entrances. She says: ‘Kidnapping and terrorist assaults are by far the largest issues right here, so you aren’t allowed to go anyplace right here with out an armed escort that it’s a must to rent.’
She notes that the Somaliland state throughout the nation is marginally safer for travellers, however while there she was nonetheless ‘required by legislation to have an armoured automobile and safety guard with [her] your complete time’.
A spotlight of her journey was a go to to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland. She visited the Laas Geel caves on the outskirts of town, which include ‘a number of the oldest and most well-preserved cave drawings on this planet’. Lexie says: ‘That was fairly superb to see.’
4. SYRIA
Lexie says that it has change into ‘practically not possible’ to journey in Syria because the nation’s political tensions have worsened lately, because of the ongoing Syrian civil conflict.
She says: ‘Earlier than the conflict, there was a very good infrastructure for tourism however most of it has been misplaced now as massive quantities of the nation [have] been diminished to rubble.
‘Syria is the one nation the place I personally know somebody who was kidnapped there and held by the federal government. Fortunately my buddy was dramatically saved after a number of months of being held in a Syrian jail… many different travellers haven’t been as lucky.’
Summing up her recommendation, she says: ‘Even in case you are an skilled traveller as my buddy was, do not go to Syria within the foreseeable future.’ The YouTuber provides that she hopes the state of affairs adjustments sooner or later, as ‘Syria has such an amazingly wealthy tradition and historical past’.
3. MALI
Lexie says of Mali: ‘This isn’t the place to your common vacationer trip as a result of the chance versus the reward is not value it.’
She continues: ‘Massive areas of Mali are beneath the management of Islamist rebels who apply extraordinarily strict sharia legislation. This… makes it notably unsafe for solo feminine travellers. Let’s simply additionally say that these teams politically don’t take too kindly to American or European vacationers.
‘I’ve heard first-hand from European army officers that Mali is among the worst locations on the planet that you might probably get kidnapped as a result of it’s practically not possible to rescue somebody there.’
The YouTuber notes, nevertheless, that excessive travellers can be tempted to discover websites within the nation such because the ‘mysterious’ Unesco-listed metropolis of Timbuktu and the Nice Mud Mosque in Djenné.
2. YEMEN
Lexie spent per week in Yemen when she was granted a visa to entry the nation as a working photographer. She explains: ‘There isn’t any infrastructure for vacationers in mainland Yemen, and it is not even potential to get a vacationer visa for right here.’
Reflecting on her time within the nation, which has been seized by civil conflict since 2014, Lexie says: ‘Yemen was some of the fascinating international locations I’ve ever travelled to. I met a number of the kindest individuals right here, but it surely by far felt probably the most harmful.’
She says: ‘Not solely does the U.S not have an embassy right here, only a few international locations have embassies right here, and there’s principally no type of legislation enforcement past the Yemeni army. It feels such as you’re in probably the most lawless model of the outdated Wild West films.’
The YouTuber does be aware {that a} safer solution to ‘get a style of Yemeni tradition’ is to go to the island of Socotra, which lies off the coast of the mainland within the Indian Ocean. Describing the Yemeni isle as an ‘superb place crammed with a lot unimaginable range in its panorama’, she notes: ‘This island is considerably autonomous from mainland Yemen they usually do welcome vacationers.’
Nevertheless, Lexie does be aware that ‘there are nonetheless many dangers concerned with travelling [to Socotra], so I’d think about it one thing solely an skilled traveller ought to undertake’.
1. AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan was one other nation wherein Lexie stayed in a lodge with armed guards and safety checkpoints to safe her security. She says: ‘I beloved my time in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has all of the makings for a world-class tourism vacation spot – there are vibrant traditions, superb native meals, historic monuments relationship again 1000’s of years and extra importantly, type individuals at each flip who had a lot hope for his or her nation.’
Nevertheless, she notes that for the reason that hardline Islamist group the Taliban returned to energy within the nation in 2021, the ‘state of affairs has modified utterly’.
She says: ‘This nation is now completely inaccessible for the foreseeable future, even for probably the most excessive traveller. Until they actually have a dying want.’
The YouTuber provides: ‘I want everybody may see the fantastic thing about this nation but it surely has change into too nice of a danger in the intervening time.’
