Have No Fear of These “Dangerous” Travel Destinations

The constant influx of news telling you what a scary and hostile place the world is can make one rather reluctant to travel. “Don’t go here, there’s crime and slums and bad smells!” The thing is, though, a lot of these travel advisories are blown way out of proportion. One tourist gets a whiff of a bad smell, and suddenly a whole city is under tourism quarantine.

Don’t let sensationalism keep you from seeing as much of the world as you can. Here are 9 cities around the world that, according to Forbes, aren’t anywhere near as scary as they’re made out to be.

1. Detroit, United States: Detroit has a bit of an image problem. I imagine the first thing you pictured when you read “Detroit” was a run-down factory town. Detroit had some economic and crime problems in the past, but they’re currently in the midst of a large-scale revitalization project. The neighborhoods have been cleaned up, and there’s lots of new and interesting places to eat, shop, and all that other good touristy stuff.
2. Mexico City, Mexico: They say if you visit Mexico, you should never ever leave your resort. That’s why most people just go to Cancun. But Mexico City has a lot of fascinating local history and architecture (not to mention pretty awesome food), and it’s perfectly safe as long as you follow standard travel safety procedures, which you should be doing regardless.
3. Medellin, Colombia: Medellin gets a lot of sideways looks for its connection to infamous drug lords. The days of Scarface are long gone, though. These days, there’s a lot of new travel infrastructure that makes getting around the city easier, as well as a pretty kickin’ nightlife scene.
4. Tehran, Iran: Depending on where you’re from, you miiiight not be able to get in here. But you totally should if you can; most of the citizenry around here is very hospitable to tourists, and there’s lots of really fascinating art and history spots to check out. There’s a bit of a traffic problem, but hey, it’s a city.
5. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Rio definitely has its sketchy side, but ever since it hosted the Olympics, it’s become much more accommodating for tourists. As long as you don’t go down any dark alleys (which, like, why would you?), there’s plenty of fun to be had, especially at the phenomenal beaches.
6. Moscow, Russia: Political tensions aside, Moscow is a truly beautiful city steeped in luxury and culture. Just, y’know, if you’re American, maybe don’t be super vocal about it.
7. Nairobi, Kenya: Africa is definitely not a place for novice travelers. You gotta be smart and know the strat if you don’t want to get in trouble. If you’ve got a good number of trips under your belt, though, then definitely visit Nairobi, preferably with a friend. You’ll get a front row seat to all of Kenya’s natural beauty and wildlife.
8. Colombo, Sri Lanka: No, not the 60s TV show about the detective. Colombo never really stood out as a tourist town in the past, but thanks to recent investments, it’s becoming quite a hot spot. There’s lots of great luxury hotels and fun attractions available at any time of the day. It’s a fascinating mixture of classic colonial heritage and newfound modern identity.
9. Beirut, Lebanon: Beirut is one of the regular faces on the US Department of State’s no-no list, which is unfortunate, because European tourists go there all the time. It’s a got a real happening fashion scene, not to mention great food and nightlife.