Travel security risk, medical risk, road safety risk. These are some factors you must take care of when planning your next travel in the “Adventure Motorcycling Zone.”
Probably you’re done with the safe and expensive Europe, and you plan an adventure. Usually, the adventure begins when you leave the occidental world, and you face the unknown. You have a couple of choices: Africa, Central & South America, Russia, and Asia.
After preparing your bike, and you getting enough money to cover your expenses you must look out for the Visas and the travel route. And here’s the hardest part.
Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Mali, Somalia are among the most dangerous countries in the world. Africa and the Middle East are painted in red when it comes to safety. The main criteria on a country’s danger level is set by the amount of government control and the threat of violence to travelers. Basically, the law is almost non-existent across those zones, and there are serious threats of violent attacks by armed groups targeting travelers. A large part of those countries is inaccessible to foreigners.
Maybe you’re not planning to visit Syria soon, but if you want to see Africa from Morocco (safe) to South Africa (also safe), you must pass through some red zones.
There’s also the Road Safety Risk (see the third layer of the map) which is considered to be “very high” in the most places in Africa.
The Travel Risk Map for 2017 was created by medical and security specialists “International SOS and Control Risk.”
Risky doesn’t mean Impossible
Although risky, this map doesn’t have to make you change your mind when it comes to traveling. Each year, tens of bikers are going to those reddish areas and they’re coming home safe. It’s just that there might be a possibility to be in the wrong place at the wrong moment.
For example, in our Great Caucasus Ride Adventure Trip we passed through some dangerous places and nothing happened. Watch our story.
When planning an adventure, talk to those bikers who recently been in the remote and dangerous places to find out “the little secrets” and routes that will keep you safe. You can easily find them on specialized forums like Horizons Unlimited or AdV Rider.