Most of us love visiting new countries, but not all countries love new visitors.
Many nations make it extremely difficult for Americans to visit them.
In fact, the US state department has issued a list of travel warnings for more than 40
countries.
So, are there any places where we can’t visit?
Here are some of the most difficult countries to travel to.
North Korea.
There is no US embassy in North Korea, and the US State Department “strongly recommends
against all travel” there.
But, there ARE a growing number of tour agencies available to visitors, unless you’re a journalist
or South Korean.
Be sure to have a valid passport handy at all times, and follow all the rules, because
North Korean officials have been known to detain tourists, send them to hard labor camps,
or even put them to death.
Tour agencies claim there are around 5 thousand visitors per year, who get to see a few significant
locations, under intense supervision.
Libya.
(LIH-bee-uh) First of all, if you have an Israeli passport, or have ever been to Israel,
they won’t even let you in the country.
Also, they recently shut down their US embassy because of militia violence . According to
the US State Department, Americans are specifically targeted for kidnappings, violent crime and
murder.
They encourage all American citizens living there to “depart immediately”.
Eritrea.
(air-ih-TREE-uh) This is a smallish country near Somalia and Ethiopia.
Prior approval is needed to travel outside of the capital city, and many rural areas
and border towns remain off-limits.
Also, dual US and Eritrean citizens are recognized only as Eritrean (air-ih-TREE-an).
And, because there is a national draft, dual nationality visitors may be imprisoned or
forced into military service there.
Eritrea does not inform the US embassy when it has detained or imprisoned dual-nationals.
Saudi Arabia.
In 1930, the King himself said that the country should “remain difficult to access” for
foreigners.
You must have a visa in advance, and just like in Libya, if your passport has an Israeli
stamp, you ain’t gettin in.
All females travelling alone must have a male companion with them.
Also, possession of drugs is punishable by death….
so make sure you aren't travelling with anything questionable.
So it’s not that you can’t go anywhere, but there are countries where you probably
shouldn’t visit.
Middle Eastern or African countries bear the most warnings for US citizens.
Along with Finland, Germany, Sweden and the UK, the US has THE most powerful travel privileges
in the world, allowing visa-free access to 174 countries.
To travel safely, the State Department's website provides information about local terrorism,
extreme weather conditions and disease outbreaks -- it's a great resource for those hoping
to visit other nations.
They also offer a Smart Travel Enroll Program which informs the nearest US embassy of your
visit to region, were something to go wrong.
Southeast Asia is one hotspot for worldwide travelers, but the underbelly of some industries
can be pretty dark.
To learn about the illegal moonbear industry, check out this story from Seeker.
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