As a warning to others, a number of solo travelers have spoken out about the most dangerous cities they have visited, where muggings, shootings and prostitution are common and going out after dark is not recommended.
On a TikTok, traveler Conner McBee It stands out that Tijuana in Mexico is widely considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world and in 2023 it was reported that 105 homicides were committed per 100,000 inhabitants.
He interviews a woman who works at a local pharmacy and she warns him that criminals can “beat you up” and “take your stuff.” She continues: ‘(They will take) everything away from you until you are barefoot.’
Another local interview of Conner on the street paints a similar picture of the place. He says, ‘They’ll take the shit out of you, yeah. They’ll take it from you and then take everything you have.
While walking through town, Conner tells viewers, “There are all these prostitutes walking toward me, like they’re watching me.” Yeah, I definitely don’t feel safe.’
In a TikTok, traveler Conner McBee highlights that Tijuana in Mexico is considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world
While walking through town, Conner tells viewers, “There are all these prostitutes walking toward me, like they’re watching me.” Yeah, I definitely don’t feel safe.
In another TikTok, Courtney Leopard, who has been to more than 59 countries, reveals the cities where she felt most unsafe. First, she chooses Havana in Cuba.
One viewer agreed with Conner’s summary of Tijuana, saying “everything that happened to me there.”
Another commenter said the city is “a place I will never set foot in” due to its bad reputation.
In another TikTok, Courtney Leopardwho has been to more than 59 countries, reveals the cities in which she felt most unsafe.
She highlights to viewers that “this is just a personal experience as a solo traveler” and in no particular order.
First, she chooses Havana in Cuba because she said she “didn’t feel particularly comfortable walking alone” and witnessed a robbery on the street.
Recalling the incident, she said: “I was walking with an older American woman behind me and this guy literally tried to mug her and grab her purse when she was about 20 feet behind me. So that really put me off.
Cebu City in the Philippines is another city where Courtney said she felt unsafe.
The traveler notes that she didn’t stay in Manila, so she “has nothing to compare it to,” but while in Cebu she said she was walking to the ferry port just as it was getting dark and was being booed.
“It just…wasn’t very comfortable for me,” he explains.
YouTuber @littleshamelessviking also shared his thoughts on Belize City, which he says is where “most of the violence” occurs in Belize.
In an attempt to help her followers, Jessica Ufuoma reveals in a TikTok the cities she felt unsafe in while traveling alone as a black woman
She said she felt that people in Turkey were “unfriendly and cold” towards her and this was felt even more so in Istanbul, while Rio is another place she would not return to alone.
Finally, Courtney’s other nomination is Thessaloniki, on the Greek mainland.
She tells viewers: “I feel like I can’t give a fair representation because I didn’t spend much time there, but I’m basing it on what happened to me and that was that I was followed by a man from the bus stop to my hostel.
“It made me so uncomfortable that I had to go to a store and explain to the woman that this guy was following me and she basically said she knew him and he dealt with substance abuse so I should avoid him.
“It just wasn’t a good introduction to Thessaloniki.”
In an attempt to help his followers, Jessica Ufuoma reveals in a TikTok the cities she felt unsafe in while traveling alone as a black woman.
She says she felt that people in Turkey were “unfriendly and cold” towards her and this was felt even more so in Istanbul.
Remembering what happened while he was there, he says: ‘People barely helped me and looked at me very badly.
“Türkiye is beautiful, but please don’t go there alone.”
Other cities where Courtney said she didn’t feel comfortable included Rome and Venice.
The globetrotter adds: “Honestly, I love Italy, but not just myself. I went to Rome and Venice and received unsolicited attention from men asking to take me home for the night. (It was) very disrespectful and not cool.”
Finally, Courtney said that Rio is another place she wouldn’t return to alone.
In one of her TikToks, Daniela Marie highlights some of the cities and towns in the United States that she considers most dangerous if you are traveling alone.
She explains: “I so wanted to feel safe in Rio, but unfortunately it didn’t happen that way.
“Rio has really good vibes though, but I couldn’t help but feel unsafe there. (I) constantly had to take care of myself and it just wasn’t the best experience.’
YouTuber @littleshamelessviking He also shared his thoughts on Belize City, which he says is where “the most violence” occurs in Belize.
In his video, he explores the southern part of the city, which locals tell him to avoid.
While walking the streets, he meets a local man named Gatwick, who warns him that he should not wander the neighborhood alone.
When they arrive at a restaurant, Gatwick explains that he never leaves his house after 6 pm, as there are ten gangs in the area and murders occur regularly.
He estimates that there are between five and six murders a day.
Summing up her trip around Belize City, @littleshamelessviking says: ‘I had a nice tour of the city… got to see some more difficult areas and also some nicer parts. I learned a lot about the city.’
In one of his TikToks, Daniela Maria highlights some of the cities and towns in the United States that she found most dangerous if she were traveling alone.
Her nominations include Moriarty in New Mexico, where people treated her “like an alien,” Lubbock in Texas, where “a group of guys followed her in the supermarket parking lot” and Memphis in Tennessee, where her car was almost broken into and She was followed by a creepy guy on Beale Street.