Much of what you may perceive as graffiti, is actually commissioned and paid for by property owners or local governments. There are plenty of reserves and national parks such as Cuyabeno Wild Life Reserve, Mindo and San Luis de Pambil where you can spot many types of flora and fauna. Cotopaxi in the Andes is the highest active volcano in the world. Ecuadorian children are leaving, by the dozens, for the United States. . I say I never was pickpocketed or mugged but there were 2 definite times I escaped it by having awareness of my surroundings. Ecuador has some people fooled considering its small size. Below well go over some of the main tourist areas and examine their safety. White or Black do your time for your crime ! Ranked: 10 Happiest And 10 Saddest Countries In The World, Top 20 Places Women Are Traveling In 2019, Dream Job Alert! Robberies, assaults and kidnappings have been reported in Ecuador's areas that border Peru and Colombia because of drug traffickers. Ive traveled throughout the country and never had any problems. The Interior and Environment Ministries offered slightly different accounts of what happened. All are amazing places to explore and take hundreds of pictures at. Finally! Since Ecuador is a relatively poor nation, flashing cell phones, laptops, portable music players, cameras or cash is highly dangerous. Just so happens that Ecuador's Parliament has approved an oil drilling project. Use common sense and you should be fine. Violent crime, such as murder, assault, express kidnapping, and armed robbery, is common. Short story: its a very safe place for people who are smart, and for those who arent so street smart but have a little luck. One of the most common crimes against tourists in Ecuador is pickpocketing. During the rainy season lasting from December to May, you can expect common flooding and tsunamis. Yes, Quito and Guayaquil can be very unsafe at night in certain neighbourhoods, but so is ANY large city in North America. No way.I do not believe this fake storyno way..!! Violent crime, such as murder, assault, express kidnapping, and armed robbery, is common. In the last few months, a Senior Police Officer and a Taxi driver were both murdered by drug cartels. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. The nationwide political protests across Ecuador that began on 13 June 2022 ceased on 30 June following an agreement between the government and protestors. More people do not need to be going to the Galapagos. Before you buy a travel insurance policy, check your government travel warnings and health advice . Search on the internet and you will find tales of tourists being express kidnapped from Mexico to the Philippines to Fiji. Some areas have increased risk. It is a beautiful country, I traveled around mainly by car , often from Quito to Guayaquil including in the night and never had issues. There's a wide variety of techniques used to snag your wallet. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Ecuador experienced just under 1,000 murders in 2018, setting its murder rate at 5.7 per 100,000. Which areas of Guayaquil are worth visiting? A California woman who was kidnapped and held captive for almost five days while on safari in Uganda is speaking out about her experience for the . It is a warm and friendly city, with Spanish and Indian influences. In some cases, they take you to the nearest ATM and force you to withdraw everything from your bank account. Marcos Pin/EPA, via Shutterstock. Most hotels allow their guest to set a custom password so youll know your belongings are safe as you explore everything Ecuador has to offer. Airline Passenger Arrested After Complaining About Vomit On Seat. Other common-sense tactics weve covered include avoiding nighttime travel and investing in safety products like cash belts, bags with zipper clips and personal safes. U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE BUREAU of CONSULAR AFFAIRS, Carchi, Sucumbos, and the northern part of Esmeraldas provinces, including Esmeraldas city, due to, Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. And dont forget the Galapagos Islands, worldly famous for their wildlife. Youll get all sorts of timely information about Ecuador and global expat news that might affect your travel or move decisions. A few months ago, shots were fired outside the Chabad house during an attempted . I was advised by my host family to walk the mile and a half to the bus stop every day for fresh air. If you are been held by any authority the first thing done is immediately report you to your countrys embassy or consul. Review the. QUITO (AP) Ecuador reanud el transporte de petrleo de exportacin tras superar la emergencia en los dos mayores oleoductos del pas causada por una erosin de los suelos que provoc . Read the entire Travel Advisory. Advice from me (the most paranoid traveler who prepares like crazy): Dont be vulnerable. Kidnappings have . The goal, according to the State Department: To communicate more clearly to U.S. citizens the risks of kidnapping and hostage-taking by criminal and terrorist actors around the world.. I never encountered any issues or ever felt unsafe. READ MORE:Airline Passenger Arrested After Complaining About Vomit On Seat. Both these assumptions are false. Click here to get an offer for travel insurance. Overall, Ecuador is a very safe country, but crime is a still a risk, just as it is across the globe. Come here for the hummingbirds, the orchids (my wife loves them) and the weather which is pretty constant all year long. Recommended for travel to regions under 2,200 metres elevation, excludes Guayaquil, Quito and the Galapagos Islands. As for criminals, resist arrest and you see what happens!! Baos is a small family tourist resort. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. More whites are shot by the police by the way, its just not reported on. I have been all over Ecuador. She and her safari guidewere kidnapped on April 2. Heres the list of 35 countries where youre most likely to get kidnapped, according to the U.S. State Department. However, social reform efforts such as rebuilding the police and criminal justice system, installing street cameras, and increasing vital social spending, has increased safety in Ecuador. You should speak spanish if you travel alone but if not you will make it by. These are sad days. However, there are kidnappings in taxis where the robbers keep you hostage until they take everything from you and make you withdraw all your money from the nearest ATM, so be very careful. Choose Ecuador as your holiday destination! Coordinator for the Arctic Region, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Office of International Religious Freedom, Office of the Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Office of the Science and Technology Adviser, Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, Bureau of Information Resource Management, Office of Management Strategy and Solutions, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Road closures may significantly reduce access to public transportation and airports and may disrupt travel both within and between cities. Theres also the risk of losing your belongings traveling throughout Ecuador. and real estate question, Transportaion from Guayaquil to Playas (General Villamil), Grand Hotel Guayaquil, Ascend Hotel Collection. To have so many people come to our aid, such an enormous response, and to hear so many people searching for us on the ground, and then hearing there were so many people behind the scenes, we are so grateful. "When the helicopters got right above us, the kidnappers made us hide under bushes. Though other South American countries are known for getting stabbed, mugged or kidnapped on the streets, the most common form of crime is petty theft and the weapons criminals use are mostly only there to scare you. Some of the companies vetted by the U.S. consulate include FastLine, Solservice, and Wayose. Hello Laura Dont be. Dont be afraid to make eye contact with others. Some other investments are uploading essential documents to the cloud and using zipper pockets with a fastener. While the overall crime rate has been in steady decline since 2011, following the pandemic and the resulting economic fallout, there has been an uptick in theft related crimes, at least anecdotally. The WikiLeaks founder has been in Ecuador's embassy in London since June. QUITO, Ecuador Every night since March 26, when three Ecuadoran journalists were kidnapped near their country's border with Colombia, their colleagues have gathered to demand their rescue. They are grouped bytheir overall level of danger and listed alphabetically. For five days, the world watched and waited in horror. Violent crime, such as murder, assault, express kidnapping, and armed robbery, is common. We didn't think anyone was looking for us. So taking the proper precautions in public will keep you from being stranded in Ecuador without a phone or wallet. What to do if an earthquake strikes while you're in Ecuador. Its also better to travel during the daytime since the robberies that have occurred on buses typically take place at night. "One of the guys who rescued us got on a motorcycle and notified authorities and within 10 minutes there was 100 army people. A 2016 file photo of Judith DSouza, an Indian, charity worker who was kidnapped in Afghanistan. These officers can help you out in an emergency, such as a personal injury or to report a crime. Little children wander the streets here in the late evening. An Israeli Chabad rabbi working in Quito, Ecuador was kidnapped last week and held for four days by a gang of criminals who demanded $500,000 in ransom. State of emergency over fuel subsidies - October 2019. Someone suggesting there is muggings in taxis here is so misinformed it is laughable. Well show you how to earn legitimate income from anywhere in the world! The Amazon Rainforest. Taxi drivers might try to trick you into paying more, giving you wrongful information about the price of the ride. As in almost any countries, there is a great risk of getting scammed. Ecuador is a fairly friendly and respectful country because its citizens are like that, and I say this because I am a resident of this country, the only bad thing is that corruption abounds, even in small businesses, the corruption that the government has against the people is very greatAll Ecuadorians work very hard to feed bureaucrats who only live with the efforts of their citizensThats the only bad thing, the security of Ecuador depends a lot on how the tourist is dressed, for example if a tourist It is very elegant, it is obvious that thieves will put their eye on it and want to steal it, but if a traveler is dressed normal and simple, absolutely nothing will happen to him, also depending on how you treat Ecuadorians in the same way they They will treat youIf you plan to travel to Ecuador, I highly recommend it, there are many unique and wonderful tourist sites waiting for you! Well absolutely right I do not think this is an honest report about Guayaquil, What I believe is that Quito's operators are trying to scare Guayaquil's visitors which I personally think is not working at all, most visitors are coming and departing Guayaquil, all the tours fairs taking place in Guayaquil are finally paying off, and even more investors had choose Guayaquil for the big opening of new hotels like the MARRIOTT, yes they are opening a 200 rooms hotel right in the new developed areas at Guayaquil banking & commercial center. A number of foreign workers have been kidnapped, and one killed, it says. As for pickpocketing and bag snatching, it is a recurring concern on the streets of Ecuador, so be careful and hold your bags tightly by your side. You are about to leave travel.state.gov for an external website that is not maintained by the U.S. Department of State. 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