10 Most Dangerous countries For Women to Travel

Most Dangerous Places for Female To Travel .

Written By:

Hammad Abbasi

Published By:

BestForTravellers.

Stay safe, ladies! Travel experts are warning women to avoid the most dangerous places for female travelers when planning your next vacation.

Traveling as a woman isn't always easy. In fact, women are much more likely to end up getting hurt while traveling abroad than men are—and that's a statistical fact. 

That being said, traveling as a single woman is a great idea in many cases. Regardless of gender, traveling alone allows you to learn more about yourself and the world around you. A good trip can give you memories that last a lifetime, and that's why it's worth doing. 

However, if you're female, there are definitely certain places you should seriously consider avoiding. According to experts, women would be wise to avoid the most dangerous places for female travelers—including these doozies below. 

(For the sake of this article, we're avoiding areas which are fairly obvious due to war and international conflicts, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and North Korea.) 

Somalia

Yes, it's obvious that this should be on the list—but it's just worth saying again simply because how totally lawless Somalia has become. No one should go to this country unless they are a professional journalist or an ambassador. If you want to see Somalia, see Somalia through the eyes of others.

Somalia is one of those places where it's just not a good idea to go, regardless of who you are. Along with being one of the most dangerous places for female travelers, it's also a perennial war zone. Somalia has barely any government to speak of, and is known for its lawlessness.

Women who go to this country should be aware that you need armed bodyguards just to be legally allowed to travel there. If you're not lucky, you may get raped, sold into slavery, or killed—possibly by the very same guards who you paid to protect you. 

Additionally, pregnant women, in particular, should not travel here. There's a 50-50 chance you'll survive since it's one of the five most dangerous countries in the world for women... and because there's no antenatal care here whatsoever. 

India

India may have a good reputation for electing female politicians, but that doesn't stop it from being one of the most dangerous places for female travelers to go. Though India definitely has a lot of progressive people in it, the problem is that it's one of the biggest street harassment centers in the world. 

Traveling in big cities, as a female, means you will get a lot of unwanted attention. You will probably get commentaries, and many women even will get groped by strangers as a result. 

To make matters worse, India also has a serious gang rape problem. Many reports of women travelers being gang raped have surfaced, as well as a number of disappearances that have been attributed to human trafficking. Official reports claim 93 rapes per day happen in this country, with many more likely being unreported. 

A number of countries have issued out travel advisories against India in recent years—including the US, Canada, China, and Japan. Reasons included high human trafficking activity, gang rape advisories, as well as pollution concerns. 

Mexico

It used to be that a trip to Mexico was the way college kids would enjoy a Spring Break rite of passage, but no more. This is a no-brainer on the list of the most dangerous places for female travelers. Thanks to the drug cartel wars that have been raging for the past ten years, no one is safe from the extreme violence—regardless of what your gender may be. 

It's been a bloodbath that has quickly become world famous for gruesome murders. Recent years have seen a spike in female travelers being kidnapped and forced into prostitution by gang members. Carjackings and robberies are also very common, and that's all the more reason to avoid Mexico. 

Right now, Mexico is the leading location of American deaths by vehicular homicide abroad. No matter who you are, it's probably a good idea to just avoid Mexico. 

Sudan

Sudan is another one of those countries that's considered a "no-go" zone by most travel experts, but it's particularly bad for women. Men should avoid this place because it's a war zone and you could probably get killed just trying to get to your hotel.

As one of the most dangerous places for female travelers, the addition of ridiculously high rape rates and a very widespread human trafficking problem makes this a very dangerous country to visit as a woman. 

Egypt

Many of us have wanted to see the wonders of Ancient Egypt—but today, that might not be wise.

Though Egypt hasn't really erupted in full civil war, the country remains filled with political and religious violence. Terrorist attacks from groups like ISIS have caused locals to live in fear, and while it may be relatively safe for men to travel, it remains one of the most dangerous places for female travelers to go. 

Currently rated a 5.5 out of 10 for chances of violence, Egypt has become rather infamous for its extremely misogynistic society. Women who go here face the risk of street harassment, gang rape, and kidnappings—not to mention the possibility of a terrorist attack. 

If you do choose to go here, stick to women's areas when traveling in public spaces and avoid eye contact with men. Eye contact is considered flirting here, and that can cause misunderstandings that eventually culminate in violence.

Saudi Arabia

If you've watched that duo of episodes from American Dad, then you already know that Saudi Arabia is one of the most dangerous places for female travelers to go due to its culture. Being female and trying solo travel is just not done here—and if you don't have a guardian, you can easily end up arrested. 

It's absolutely crucial that you become fully aware of the laws before you go here, if you choose to go here with a chaperone. Things that are considered to be totally normal or appear to be minor infractions can end up being a cause to get the death penalty here. 

Women here do not really have many rights to speak for themselves, which means that you can easily end up in a world of trouble while trying to be as law-abiding as possible. Additionally, Saudi Arabia has started to see an uptick in terrorist attacks. So, it's really not a good idea to go here no matter how you look at it.

Honduras

Currently the holder of the highest murder rate in the world, the country of Honduras is just not a wise place to go unless you have family members there. The homicide rates are sky-high, and robberies of tourists end up happening on a day to day basis. 

More than 3,000 women have been killed in the past ten years there, with 90 percent of those crimes remaining unacknowledged by authorities. To make matters worse, MS-13 and other major gangs have taken hold of many city streets. 

The end result? High murder rates, high robbery rates, human trafficking galore, and the title of one of the most dangerous places in the world for female travelers. 

Brazil

Rio de Janeiro may be beautiful, but trust me when I say that there's reason why Brazil is one of the most dangerous places for female travelers to explore. Along with high crime rates involving homicide and tourist robberies, Brazil also has become a hotbed of human trafficking. 

Kidnappings, in particular, have become very common in Brazil—with "quicknappings" that involve forcing travelers to give all the money they have being the most common thing to report. Cops often look the other way.

Between the regularity of the crime against women and the relentless street harassment, it's safe to say that Brazil is not going to be a nice place to go for the ladies any time soon. 

Kenya

Kenya very carefully treads the line between a full "no-go" zone and a seriously dangerous country. The only reason it's not as bad as Sudan or Afghanistan is because it's not technically a war zone. However, it seems like poverty has ravaged this place badly enough for many to consider it otherwise. 

High robbery rates and murder rates plague many big cities, and it's not unheard of for female visitors to Kenya to become kidnapping, robbery, and rape victims. Things have gotten worse in recent years, which is why the US now calls Kenya a "critically dangerous" location. 

Al Shabab terrorist groups have taken control of much of the country, and sexual assaults on tourists have become extremely common. Overall, it's one of the most dangerous places for female travelers to go—and realistically, is also one that should be avoided at all costs. 

Colombia

Though Colombia may have beautiful attractions, it's sadly one of the most anti-woman countries in South America and one of the most dangerous places for female travelers to go. Along with having very high sexual assault rates, even women who openly admit that they're feminists often find themselves as victims of assault for voicing their opinions. 

Catcalling is the norm, and sadly, considered to be part of the culture. If you find yourself in a situation where you need medical treatment or police assistance, there's a very good chance that you may end up being ignored. 

When explaining how totally detached parts of Colombia are to women's needs, the International Women's Travel Center noted: 

"In an amusing side-note, this country is so unclear on the concept of what women appreciate that one mayor hired male strippers to celebrate International Women’s Day. Local women and children were not amused."