How I Travel To "Dangerous" Countries

In the next couple of days, I will head off to what some consider the most dangerous countries on earth.

How can I do this without being absolutely paralyzed by the fear you might imagine most people would experience if they were in my shoes?

First, I bear in mind the difference between perception and reality. My feelings are an indicator, not a dictator. If all the propaganda media has ever done is show us the worst of a place, that’s how we’ll be wired to understand it. It’s not to say there aren’t risks, but the same people questioning my decisions are more afraid of flying than driving… check the odds of death on that one.

Second, I go and watch other travel content creators that have been to the place I’m interested in. I will even message them questions, and pick up verified local contacts and guides for the country. There are also private Facebook groups that give access to an ocean of information about travel in every corner of the planet.

Third, I plan accordingly. For example - when I visited Ethiopia, all the locals told me it wasn’t safe to travel north by land. The cities and sites in the north were considered safe, but only if I flew there. I decided to heed their advice and fly. I plan how I am going to operate in the country before I arrive, and make a point to ask a tremendous amount of questions to locals.

Fear is not always a bad thing. If you are face to face with a tiger, fear is what will motivate the actions that keep you alive. However, I believe most of us live in too much fear. Striking the balance is difficult. Others will always question you, judging from their own way of living.

You don’t have to go to the places I do, but now you understand how I do it.

And yeah… the adrenaline rush is pretty cool.

Sincerely,

Jacob

P.S. I decided to add a week in the most hated country on earth… should be interesting.

P.S.S. Looks like 2/6 spots are filled for the Kenya trip… can’t believe the newsletter hasn’t shown up for this one. Still time!