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Earlier this year we published a travel safety alert for Colombia, where scammers were rampant and some situations were even fatal.
It turns out that Colombia is not alone in South America when it comes to playing dangerous games with the lives of tourists.
The American Embassy of Buenos Airesthe phenomenal capital of Argentina, has issued a new travel safety warning for Argentina.
Although no fatalities have been reported as in Colombia, similar scenarios are occurring – good enough to issue a warning.
Argentina is truly a bucket list destination, but travelers should be extra careful when venturing into its vibrant nightlife.
Buenos Aires is generally safe
The recent warning comes as a bit of a shock. Of course, crime can occur anywhere. But Buenos Aires is generally considered a safe destination.
This is one of the many reasons why solo travelers and digital nomads like to come here. At all hours of the night you can wander the lively streets of Buenos Aires, full of European-style architecture.
Plus, it’s radically cheap!
Without the fear of spending a lot of money, you’ll likely discover more than the average place you visit.
In fact, you can easily live in Buenos Aires for less than $1500 a month if you want to.
Now that the US Embassy has sounded the alarm, the question now is: should you visit at all or let things settle?
Solo travelers should be especially careful
Before I sound like a hypocrite, if anyone is to blame for getting too comfortable abroad, it’s me.
I’ve walked the streets of Mexico at 3 a.m., hung out in sketchy Serbian bars until dawn, and taken some wild Honduran bus rides.
Frankly, it’s not the best travel strategy. You just never know when ‘bad apples’ are going to act out.
While you may feel safe, we travelers often don’t realize how much we stick out like a sore thumb.
For me, that usually happens when I get through half a sentence in Spanish and get stuck!
The good news is that for the most part you can simply control what happens in Argentina stay aware of your surroundings.
Since Buenos Aires is popular among solo travelers and digital nomads alike, you can grab a drink alone after a day of wandering or boring Zoom calls.
And this is the kind of situation that the US embassy is now warning Americans about.
A national alert aimed at Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is without a doubt the country’s most popular destination, while many of us dream of visiting the magic of Patagonia.
Although Patagonia is one of the last places on earth where you have to worry about running out of drinks, there are countless bars and nightclubs spread across Buenos Aires, a huge city of more than 17 million people.
According to the latest information, There has been a significant increase in reports of robberies after unsuspecting victims were drugged.
The most popular method is unattended drinks.
Just like Colombia, Dating apps have been used to lure targetsessentially ‘catfishing’ them for a date gone wrong.
In addition to dating apps, random encounters in bars, hotels and nightclubs are commonplace, leading to robberies.
Tips for Pay attention to your safety
Obviously, when traveling internationally, it’s best to keep your head on a swivel. Even more so when the sun sets and cities come to life.
Bar hopping abroad can be great, but you shouldn’t let your drink out of sight. Perhaps the best advice is to order bottled or canned drinks to ensure it has not been tampered with.
The US Embassy has its own suggestions for staying safe, such as:
- Call 911 in case of emergency (yes, even in Argentina)
- Meet people you don’t know in public places
- Refuse food and drinks from strangers
- Tell loved ones about your plans
- Avoid leaving bars with strangers
- Trust your instincts
- Seek medical attention if you suspect you have been drugged
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
