My host family explained scams and safety to me, although they recommended a few options to me that I myself do not recommend others trying such as riding the public bus at night (unless its an overnight bus ride from one region to another) the equovia/bus station itself in historic Quit and the equova at night. Always remain vigilant about your surroundings, especially in crowds and tourist locations. I have probably watched over 30 of your videos. A Warner Bros. One pickpocket and once from hostel. Ecuador is beautiful and worth visiting. Far right people are the worst and they are the 46% of the country. The Galpagos Islands, 596 miles (960 kilometers) west of the mainland of Ecuador are part of Ecuador and are home to unique reptiles, birds . Once inside, the tourists were robbed at knifepoint, threatened, or driven around to ATMs to make cash withdrawals. The group allegedly traveled on a tour called "Vallartazo", where they visit various municipalities from Guadalajara to that port. Kathryn Cox, a 23-year-old Briton, and Fiona Wilde, a 32-year-old Australian, were abducted while travelling by canoe in a group of seven five foreigners and two Ecuadoreans and two local guides in the Cuyabeno nature reserve in Sucumbios province on Friday. Two women tourists rescued from kidnappers in Ecuador near its border with Colombia told how they feared they would be killed by their captors. 25 WEIRD THINGS CAUGHT ON SECURITY CAMERAS!Check out these crazy weird moments caught on security cameras.Subscribe to never miss a video!Leave a like . This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. When youre traveling via bus, keep your valuable belonging on your person. How are you going to tell me that the police didnt fill him with lead on the spot? Ecuador is one of the most volcanically active areas on the South American continent, and the highlands are studded with snow-crested cones looming into the sky either side of a broad central valley, which the explorer Alexander von Humboldt grandly called the "avenue of the volcanoes". As in almost any countries, there is a great risk of getting scammed. This travelers dream vacation soon turned into a nightmare. "When the helicopters got right above us, the kidnappers made us hide under bushes. Its generally safe to store large bags in the luggage compartment under the bus because an attendant monitors it while the doors are open and you must present a claim ticket to take a bag. If you feel unsafe or suspicious of someone, keep walking until youre in a safe, open, and public place. This seems to be something that may happen often in this city and goes ignored by police! No way.I do not believe this fake storyno way..!! You wont regret it. Guayaquil, north of Portete de Tarqu Avenue Level 3: Reconsider Travel. Living in the outskirts of the city, I felt safe walking through parks, 1 mile to the big mall, through a market alone in the day. The US is much more dangerous than Ecuador. Since Ecuador is a relatively poor nation, flashing cell phones, laptops, portable music players, cameras or cash is highly dangerous. I did have a friend robbed at knife point because he walked down a street with headphones on and an iPhone out. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Transnational criminal groups and local gangs operating in Guayaquil have carried out a series of violent crimes in the city, to include several murders, targeted assassinations, armed robberies, bombings, and assaults. Ecuadorian journalists kidnapped by rebels have been killed, president says Lenn Moreno offers reward for information about suspected killers and orders resumption of military operations on. As frustrating as it may be, The Ecuador Cost of Moving & Living Calculator. We were surrounded and taken and felt very safe very quickly. Robberies and assaults have taken place even on crowded beaches . Getty The State Department already issues travel advisories for every country around the. The Interior and Environment Ministries offered slightly different accounts of what happened. You can only visit this place with a guided tour as the ecosystem here needs to be preserved. So the OP has now returned from the Galapagos and replied.World Traveller you certainly did not read the original post properly-it was obvious the OP group was catching a taxi from opposite the Ramada to some other hotel.To me this story is believable and with the OPs return should be kept in mind. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. No official crime stats for the second half of 2020 are available as of the writing of this article, but you may want to use extra precautions to avoid theft and robbery. Despite repeated government efforts, crime persists in the form of robberies, car break-ins, and homicides due to limited resources, a large wealth gap, and dense population. Clean even in the homes with dirt floors, which are rare. And while just six Americans fell victim to homicide in the latter, the murder rate for U.S. citizens is, per capita, higher on the Caribbean island than it is in Mexico. Demonstrations can cause the shutdown of local roads and major highways, often without prior notice or estimated reopening timelines. Like most ecotourism destinations, Cotopaxi is part of a fragile ecosystem. Some other investments are uploading essential documents to the cloud and using zipper pockets with a fastener. Kidnapping for ransom is a common activity for many extremist rebel groups, along with drug trafficking and terrorist activity. 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. We do not know. Carchi, Sucumbos, and northern Esmeraldas Provinces Level 4: Do Not Travel. Ecuador is a place for the real nature loving tourist, and a paradise for visitors trying to immerse themselves in breathtaking beaches like Salinas, Bahia de Caraquez, Manta, Crucita, San Jacinto, and San Clemente. 52 Ecuador : Safety by City Guayaquil Manta Quito Ecuador - safety as a country The City of Quito, whose official name is San Francisco de Quito, is the capital city of Ecuador, South America and has a population of 2,671,191 inhabitants, which makes it the second-largest city in Ecuador. Ranked: 10 Happiest And 10 Saddest Countries In The World, Top 20 Places Women Are Traveling In 2019, Dream Job Alert! Be wary of unlicensed taxis since you might get kidnapped and robbed. Its also better to travel during the daytime since the robberies that have occurred on buses typically take place at night. To put it in perspective, both Chicago and Guayaquil carry similar crime rates. Wild Frontiers/via REUTERS. The other foreigners were not taken in the attack, which the BBC reported as having been carried out by a Colombian group. What to do if an earthquake strikes while you're in Ecuador. Children have also been kidnapped for the commission of sexual assault. Dont stand around on a dark street talking to people, this can attract unwanted attention. Plus its a loss in home/culture/community for a lot of long-time Americans, its sad really how people are pushed out. I love Ecuador, the people, the food, its worth the trip. 2022 Semilla Verde Boutique Hotel 721 Santa Cruz, Ecuador from $191/night Hotel Colon Salinas 1,007 Salinas, Ecuador from $140/night Golden Bay Galapagos 197 San Cristobal, Ecuador 2022 Eb Hotel by Eurobuilding Quito 644 Quito, Ecuador We know of other taxi robberies and it's always the younger drivers. I have a huge desire to visit Ecuador but my fear of it being safe is my only hesitation. Poor girl. Most of these crimes occur in tourist locations, so staying vigilant in these areas and in crowds will help keep you from falling victim to theft. Gracias! ISISWA continues to conduct through suicide bombers, vehicle-borne IEDs, raids, ambushes, kidnappings, and other means asymmetric attacks against civilians, military, and government personnel. Anyone who harbours fear about travelling to Ecuador is denying themselves a visit to one of the most interesting an friendliest countries in the world. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. Nothing bad happened but the tension is in the air. If that wasn't enough, the assailants left them broke and alone in remote locations. Around 8:30, after having dinner, some of us hailed yellow cabs in front of the Ramada- which was the recommended precaution to take for safety- and three men ended up being kidnapped (the cab driver was in on it), and held at gunpoint. Despite a recent plateau, the Ecuadorian homicide rate fell from 15.4 per 100,000 in 2011 to 5.7 in 2018. Since violent crime in the US is 68 times greater than in Ecuador, Americans at least, should feel safe traveling in Ecuador. And they get killed for much more trivial reasons (look up Dylann Roof, the Charleston shooter, for example. Recommended for travel to regions under 2,200 metres elevation, excludes Guayaquil, Quito and the Galapagos Islands. As an Expat in Ecuador, I know its not very safe here. Knowing that we can use public transportation to get to all of those great destinations is comforting. Traveling or moving abroad may be uncomfortable at times, but its probably safer than youve been led to believe. Click here to get an offer for travel insurance. Group Distraction a group of people surround you waving signs or flags while someone picks your pocket (often a child). Generally, the police dont pursue thefts of property worth less than $500. The country is beautiful and the people are very generous and appreciative. Lol. Also be very careful about the taxies, now when we use taxies we are looking for middle aged drivers, not young guys. Miami, LA, Houston and NYC. . Its got better food. The U.S. State Department has released a list of. Um. In that time, I traveled solo by public bus into the city, used the equova transit, and traveled by public bus both in the day and at night alone to travel across the country. Visit the CDC page for the latestTravel Health Informationrelated to your travel. 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 incident comes as Britain and Ecuador are involved in a diplomatic standoff over Julian Assange's attempt to avoid extradition to Sweden, for questioning over alleged sex crimes. God Bless her and any other black person that wants to vacation their. Theres also the risk of losing your belongings traveling throughout Ecuador. Construction workers heard my cries for help and rescued me 12 hours after being taken from my home. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Since Ecuador is a relatively poor nation, flashing cell phones,,. Moving abroad may be uncomfortable at times, but its probably safer than been! From kidnappers in Ecuador near its border with Colombia told how they feared would! 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