Street-smart travel: South Africa, Brazil and more

Some countries are safe almost by default. You can wander at midnight, leave your phone on a café table and take any taxi. The six in this guide are not like that, and they are also some of the most rewarding places on Earth: Cape Town's mountain, Rio's beaches, Medellín's cable cars, Mexico City's food, Buenos Aires at night and a sunrise over the Maasai Mara.

What they ask for is street smarts. Colombians have a phrase for it, 'no dar papaya', which roughly means don't make yourself an easy target. Most crime against visitors in these countries is opportunistic: a phone snatched from a hand, a bag lifted from a beach towel, a fake taxi at the airport. Change a few habits and you remove most of the opportunities.

Every fact below comes from the US State Department, the UK Foreign Office (FCDO) or a national authority, checked on 2 October 2026.

How to read a travel advisory

The US State Department rates every country on four levels, and it is the only government scale with simple numbers. The UK does not use numbers but names the specific areas it advises against all travel, or all but essential travel. We give both for each country.

For perspective: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom are all Level 2. Most of the countries below are rated the same, one is lower and one is higher. Several also have specific regions at Level 4, and those regional ratings matter more than the headline number.

The six at a glance

Habits that work in all six

• Book every ride in an app or through your hotel. Don't hail taxis on the street, and never accept a ride from someone who approaches you at the airport.
• Keep your phone out of sight on the street. Step into a shop or café to check a map.
• Use ATMs inside banks, malls or supermarkets during the day, and cover the keypad.
• Carry one card and a little cash. Leave the rest, and your passport, in the hotel safe.
• Meet people from dating apps in busy public places, and never leave a drink unattended.
• If someone robs you, hand it over. Every government source here says the same thing: do not resist.

South Africa: Cape Town to Kruger

South Africa is a road-trip country, and most of the advice is about the car. The FCDO warns that thieves 'often break car windows and take valuables while cars are waiting at junctions'. That is the smash-and-grab, and the fix is simple: windows up, doors locked, and bags in the boot, not on the passenger seat.

The airport needs a plan too. The FCDO reports that criminals have followed people from O.R. Tambo in Johannesburg to their destination and then robbed them. Use main roads, have your hotel or tour operator meet you if you can, and in Cape Town stay on the M3 and N2 rather than letting GPS route you through side roads.

In the cities, the FCDO's advice is short: do not walk around after dark. Use Uber or Bolt booked in the app, wait inside until the car arrives, and check the registration before you get in. At ATMs, be wary of strangers who offer to help: the classic trick is a 'helper' who swaps your card while watching your PIN.

Table Mountain is the one surprise. The FCDO reports violent attacks on hikers, including on Lion's Head and Signal Hill, and recommends busy, marked trails, popular days and groups of four or more.

Mobile data is what makes this easy, because every tip above runs on an app. Our South Africa eSIM guide covers coverage from Cape Town to Kruger.

Brazil: Rio, São Paulo and the coast

In Brazil the target is your phone. The FCDO says thieves target mobile phones 'particularly between 4pm and 9pm', on buses and in the street, and its advice is to avoid using your phone in the street at all. Step into a shop to check a map, and carry it in a front pocket or a zipped bag.

The beaches are where visitors relax, which is why thieves work them. The FCDO describes 'arrastões', where large groups of thieves run through a beach grabbing whatever they can. Take only what you need to the sand, and stay off city beaches after dark.

Two more risks: drink spiking, which both the US and UK say is common, especially in Rio, often after meeting someone through a dating app. And fake ride-hailing accounts: the FCDO says to book through the official app, check that the plate and driver match, and use the trip-sharing feature.

Brazil also holds its general election on 4 October 2026, with a possible second round on 25 October. The FCDO advises avoiding rallies and demonstrations. Plans for the country are on the Brazil page.

Colombia: Medellín, Bogotá and Cartagena

Colombia is the only country in this guide rated Level 3, so read the full advisory before you book. Millions of visitors still go every year, mostly to Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena, and the risks they meet are specific and well documented.

The best known is drugging. The FCDO warns that criminals use scopolamine, which can be given in food, drinks, cigarettes or even on paper flyers, and that they 'use dating applications and websites to identify and lure foreign nationals who are travelling alone', often working in teams. In early 2024 the US Embassy reported eight suspicious deaths of US citizens in Medellín over two months and warned travelers about dating apps.

The rules that follow are firm ones. Meet dates only in busy public places, never invite a stranger back to your room, and never accept a drink you did not see poured.

The second risk is the 'paseo millonario', or millionaire's ride, where a fake taxi picks you up and its driver's accomplices drive you between ATMs. The FCDO says do not hail taxis on the street and to use pre-booked or app-based taxis, and Bogotá's city government now runs taxi checkpoints in nightlife areas to deter it. Use ATMs during business hours inside a bank or shopping center.

Our Colombia eSIM guide covers coverage from Bogotá to the Caribbean coast.

Mexico: one country, 32 different advisories

Mexico shows why the headline number is not enough. Its advisory is effectively 32 advisories, one per state, and the gap between a Level 1 state and a Level 4 one is huge. Check the state you are visiting, not just the country.

In the places most visitors go, the risks are familiar. The FCDO warns that unlicensed taxi drivers have robbed and assaulted passengers, including in Mexico City, and recommends 'sitio' taxis from authorized ranks, a taxi ordered by your hotel, or pre-paid taxis at the airport. Express kidnapping, where victims are forced to withdraw cash, is the reason to use ATMs inside shops or malls in daylight.

The scam that catches people from home is the 'virtual kidnapping'. Criminals call a relative, claim you have been kidnapped, and demand money. The FCDO advises agreeing with your family before you leave how you will contact each other, so a call like that can be checked in seconds.

In Cancún, Tulum and Playa del Carmen, the FCDO advises care after dark downtown and notes that gangs have not targeted tourists. It also reports protests by licensed taxi drivers against Uber near hotels in Cancún. Our Mexico eSIM guide covers coverage from Mexico City to the coasts.

Argentina: Buenos Aires without the snatch

Argentina is the gentlest country in this guide, rated Level 1 like Japan or Iceland. It is here because Buenos Aires has one specialty: thefts in the street. The FCDO warns that thieves 'can snatch a mobile phone while you are using it on the street', and that thieves on motorbikes snatch bags from pedestrians. Locals call them motochorros.

The other trick to know is the mustard scam. Someone sprays mustard or a similar liquid on you, a friendly stranger offers to help clean it off, and an accomplice takes your bag. The FCDO's advice: 'politely but firmly refuse help and walk away'.

The FCDO lists the places to stay alert, and they are the places you will want to go: Palermo, San Telmo, La Boca, Florida Street, Retiro and the area around the Obelisk. In La Boca, stay within the colorful Caminito tourist area, where police patrol. For taxis, book ahead or use a 'radio taxi' with the company logo on the doors.

Our Argentina eSIM guide covers coverage from Buenos Aires to Patagonia.

Kenya: Nairobi, the coast and the safari

Most visitors to Kenya spend their time on safari, which is the safest part of the trip. The city is where to take care. The FCDO names Nairobi's Eastleigh, the Central Business District, and the Mathare and Kibera settlements as higher-risk areas, and advises against walking alone in isolated areas even in daylight.

On the road, drive with the windows closed and doors locked, avoid driving at night, and from Jomo Kenyatta airport take the Mombasa Road or the Nairobi Expressway, which the FCDO says carry less carjacking risk than the old airport road. It also warns of frequent accidents and hijackings on matatus, the minibuses locals use.

The scam to avoid is the fake safari. The FCDO says do not buy safari tours from touts, and Kenya's Tourism Regulatory Authority lets you check any operator's licence on its verification site. If you use M-Pesa, the mobile money app, remember Safaricom never asks for your PIN.

Our Kenya eSIM guide covers coverage from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara.

If your phone is stolen

In all six countries, the phone is the thing most likely to go. Brazil's Ministry of Justice publishes a checklist for exactly this, and its steps work anywhere:

• Lock or erase the phone remotely with Find My on iPhone or Find My Device on Android.
• Call your home operator to block your SIM or eSIM, so nobody can receive your bank codes.
• Freeze your cards and banking apps from another device.
• Change the passwords for your email, social media and messaging apps.
• File a police report. Your insurer will ask for it, and in Mexico it must be done in person before you leave.

Brazil also runs a phone-blocking service, Celular Seguro, but it needs a Brazilian line and tax ID, so most visitors cannot use it. An eSIM helps here too: unlike a plastic SIM, a thief cannot pop it out and use your number in another phone, which is why eSIMs are safer. Keep a photo of your passport and booking details in cloud storage, so you can carry on with a replacement phone.

Why a working phone is your best safety tool

Look back at the advice above and nearly all of it needs mobile data the moment you land: booking a ride in an app instead of taking a street taxi, sharing your trip with a friend, checking a map without stopping on the sidewalk, and calling home to check a 'kidnapping' call. Data from the moment you land is not a luxury in these six countries. It is part of your safety plan.

Install your eSIM at home and turn it on before you leave the plane. That way, the airport arrivals hall, where the fake taxi drivers wait, is the one place you never need to ask anyone for help.

New to traveling abroad? Start with the safest countries for your first trip abroad, and see countries to save for your second trip for the next step up.

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