<p>Ecuador is very different from Costa Rica.
I use those tips when I go ten minutes away to Detroit and would certainly use them in London as well. Those are all very common sense measures.</p>
<p>If this is an issue in Detroit I will add it to my list of undesirable vacation destinations:</p>
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<p>In London you are pretty safe to carry your passport or use an expensive camera.</p>
<p>I love both places - was in London a few months ago and just got back from Playa Conchal last week. </p>
<p>If traveling in during the summer months and if you have never been to either location, I would recommend going to London. It should be good weather for touring the sites in London. </p>
<p>Costa Rica is also fantastic and highly recommended. However, summer is the wet/green season - a couple hours of rain is possible each day. I would say Costa Rica is a great destination for winter or spring break vacations - during its dry season. Last week it was 95+ everyday with barely a cloud in the sky. At the bar I was watching a tennis match in Miami where everyone was wearing winter coats and gloves. After being “burned” by cool weather on several winter/spring vacations in Florida and Cancun, the heat of Costa Rica was appreciated!</p>
<p>DD lives in Costa Rica and said tourists very rarely rent cars, so you wouldn’t have to worry about punctured tired or rear-end taps, and she has never heard of that happening to expats. Most crime is petty crime and happens when people get careless and don’t pay attention to their surroundings, ie, walk around using expensive phones while being oblivious. That is the same type of crime that is common in US cities - read warnings about using iphones or ipads on public transportation. And it is never smart to carry a lot of cash, no matter where you are. </p>
<p>Another DD has experienced attempted pick pocket attempts in several cities in Europe (including London) and she is experienced at warding them off from living/traveling in third world counties. </p>
<p>No place is “safe” if you aren’t on guard.</p>
<p>sorghum should just stay home and never leave the house. </p>
<p>D1 is renting a house this summer at CR with few friends. I would love to stay at their Four Seasons at some point. </p>
<p>It really depends on what kind of vacation you want to have. London doesn’t inspire me, maybe I have been there too many times for work. I am going to Mexico City for few days this summer to visit.</p>
<p>sorghum–funny that you mentioned Detroit. It has lost 25% of its population since 2000. 40% plan on moving in the next 5 years due to crime and over 50% would move now if they could afford it. Not to bash Detroit, but some might find SJ “safer” from what “they say.”</p>
<p>[Detroit</a> Crime Rate Makes More Than 50 Percent Of Residents Want To Leave: ‘Detroit News’ Poll](<a href=“Detroit Crime Rate Makes More Than 50 Percent Of Residents Want To Leave: 'Detroit News' Poll | HuffPost Detroit”>Detroit Crime Rate Makes More Than 50 Percent Of Residents Want To Leave: 'Detroit News' Poll | HuffPost Detroit)</p>
<p>In the last 3 years my Son (now 24) has been mugged/robbed in Colorado Springs, but has solo backpacked extensively on two separate occasions in Asia (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia) without incident. </p>
<p>I asked about it. He said he is more aware and attuned when away. In July, he and a friend (female) are going to Peru and Ecuador.</p>
<p>When he returns he will resume living in Bushwich area of Brooklyn. If someone read the crime stats for parts of that area they might think that was too unsafe.</p>
<p>07, it was actually I that brought up Detroit. It’s just the closest big city to where I grew up. Having spent a decent amount of time in each place, I probably felt more safe in SJ than Detroit. Really all about where you go in the city though.</p>
<p>Maybe I should stay home, Oldfort. I am away from home about 200 days a year, have been in armed robberies in South Africa and had my hotel bombed in Sri Lanka. Last week I was in Zimbabwe (which I classify as very safe).</p>
<p>You can ignore State Department and travel site warnings all you like, that’s fine. But the theme now on this thread boosting Costa Rica as one of the safest places in the world is just silly.</p>
<p>With respect to the beaches in Costa Rica:</p>
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[quote]
Cautions
Theft is a major problem on the beaches, not least by the monkeys. [/qupte]</p>
<p>We envisioned monkey poker games, after the Manuel Antonio park closed: “I’ll see your sunglasses and raise you an iPhone.”</p>
<p>As someone else said, they are entirely different experiences. Costa Rica is the prettiest place I’ve ever been. Good food, too. It’s nature/hiking/scenery vacation. London is urban, a sightseeing/culture vacation. London is quite a bit more expensive. Do you want to zip line or see the British Museum? Hike near a volcano or see The Royal Shakespeare Company?</p>
<p>Everybody has a different opinion about what full safety means. </p>
<p>In general, and based on some direct knowledge of some the areas covered, I can say that the State Department warnings are either enormously alarmist or simply completely outdated. Look at the source as it pretty much the typical result of your government dollars at work. </p>
<p>As far as Costa Rica, it is safe --pun intended-- to conclude that it is no longer the Costa Rica of a few years ago, when it WAS one of the safest places in the world. The country could live without an army and a complacent police force that only had to deal with petty crimes. But even then, the Carribean coast (think Limon) all the way to Nicaragua was not as safe as San Jose or Guanacaste. The biggest danger for tourists would be the giant potholes and the poor directions given by the locals! </p>
<p>Things have changed a lot in Costa Rica. Plenty of tourists also attract undesirable actions from locals and migrants from other countries that are not as well-off as Costa Ricans. </p>
<p>And, yes, there is crime in Costa Rica, and nobody is immune to what could be random violence. This was last month in Limon.</p>
<p>[Hotel</a> Samasati Costa Rica victim of armed attack, 18 tourists robbed :: Latin America Current Events & News](<a href=“http://latinamericacurrentevents.com/hotel-samasati-costa-rica-victim-of-armed-attack-18-tourists-robbed/27024/]Hotel”>http://latinamericacurrentevents.com/hotel-samasati-costa-rica-victim-of-armed-attack-18-tourists-robbed/27024/) </p>
<p>In the end, Costa Rica is no Honduras. San Jose is no San Pedro de Sula. Neither is it Guatamela or another country with a high level of dangers for tourists. </p>
<p>I would not hesitate to travel to Costa Rica, if I had to. The reality, however, is that I have little desire to return there, considering how many more attractive places there are to visit in the world. People interested in biodiversity and spending time in the canopy might find it very attractive. Surfing on Lake Arenal is an experience, and so is watching the volcano at night. But the beaches are just typical Central America, which means subpar in general.</p>
<p>I’ll back you up, Sorghum. A few years ago, I was considering a spring break trip to Costa Rica with my children and a few of their friends, including 4 or 5 teenagers. One of my friends is a developer who has lived in Costa Rica for many years. He’s built numerous houses all over the country, so I called him to ask for recommendations on where to stay. We were hoping to stay in a small town or rural area.</p>
<p>His response? There’s lots of crime in Costa Rica, so don’t bring teenagers to Costa Rica if you can’t guarantee they’ll stay in your place of lodging after dark. He said the resorts were fine, as long as we stayed within the confines of the resort. Since we didn’t want to stay in a resort, we passed on the trip. </p>
<p>Is there really lots of crime in Costa Rica? I don’t know, but I trust my friend. I visited Costa Rica about 5 years ago and didn’t have any problems; however, I stayed in a resort.</p>
<p>With respect to the beaches in Costa Rica:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Cautions
Theft is a major problem on the beaches, not least by the monkeys. [/qupte]</p>
<p>LOL. DD had a monkey in her kitchen one morning, which took a plantain and egg as it went out the window.</p>
<p>Costa Rica is a third world country…no, you should not send your teens out to explore the town late at night. You should use the same good judgment you use every day. It is beautiful, relaxing, fun, full of culture and some of the most gracious, wonderful people you will ever meet. But you do need to exercise caution. It’s not Disneyworld. That said, I wouldn’t send my teens out alone at night in London, either.</p>
<p>We went to Tamarindo, and loved it. We went out to bars and stayed out late in a group and had a blast. No one got robbed. (We went to the bars with adults)</p>
<p>I like London, too, but I’d love to retire to Costa Rica, and it would be a shame if you were scared off, but it depends on you comfort level with adventure. I’m a little afraid of Mexico, from the news, so I get the concerns, but I’d guess CR is about as dangerous as Jamaica.</p>
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<p>Or just about anywhere else in the world, including my city.</p>