What’s it like to travel to countries with a firm place on multiple governments’ ‘Do Not Travel’ lists?
From Afghanistan to Somalia, adventure travel company Untamed Borders plans trips to many of the world’s most ‘interesting and inaccessible’ countries. Many of its tours operate in countries that rank among the world’s most dangerous destinations on the 2024 Global Peace Index.
MailOnline speaks to James Willcox, the company’s founder, to find out what’s awaiting travellers in some of the globe’s least-likely tourist destinations.
And it might surprise you. Scroll down for a peek at what adventure travel looks like in Libya, Somalia, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan…
Libya
Untamed Borders offers tours to Libya, with Roman city Leptis Magna (above) – described as an ‘amazing Unesco site’ – one of the stops
Untamed Borders travels to Ghadamis (pictured above), close to the Algerian border in Libya, which James describes as a ‘classic desert town’ and a fantastic place to experience ‘Berber culture’
Why is it dangerous?
Civil war broke out in Libya in 2011 when rebel groups sought to oust the country’s leader, Muammar Gaddafi. A second conflict broke out in 2014 and many governments, including the USA and UK, have advised against all travel to the country since then due to the ‘fragile security situation’. It ranks as the world’s 27th least peaceful country on the Global Peace Index.
What to see
James says: ‘We’re quite restricted on where we can go in Libya due to geopolitics so we can’t go to the south at the moment. But we can visit Tripoli where there are two amazing Unesco sites – Leptis Magna and Sabratha.’ Leptis Magna, founded in 1,000 BC, was once one of the Roman Empire’s most impressive cities, while Sabratha was another ancient Roman metropolis. Untamed Borders also travels to Ghadamis, close to the Algerian border, which James describes as a ‘classic desert town’ and a fantastic place to experience ‘Berber culture’.
Biggest surprise
James says: ‘In a lot of the places we travel to, including Libya, the rate of violent robbery and muggings is actually very low. It’s not like a city in South or North America where you’ve really got to watch your bag and wallet. So a lot of the time, although there are risks, people go there and it feels extremely relaxed, very normal and everyone’s extremely friendly.’
Somalia
Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital (pictured above), is the only destination Untamed Borders visits that requires constant armed security
James says: ‘The Cave paintings in Laas Geel in Somaliland (pictured above) are a style that you don’t see anywhere else and they’re genuinely very cool’
Why is it dangerous?
Somalia has undergone violent turmoil since the overthrow of dictator Siad Barre in the 1990s and multiple governments advise against all travel to the majority of the country. It ranks as the world’s 8th least peaceful country on the Global Peace Index. Somaliland, an unrecognised breakaway territory in the north, has its own government, police force and currency and is considered more stable than Somalia.
What to see
James says: ‘Somaliland has a much better security situation and it’s a really good place to get out and see traditional nomadic culture. The Cave paintings in Laas Geel in Somaliland are a style that you don’t see anywhere else and they’re genuinely very cool. People also like going to Mogadishu (Somalia’s capital) and that’s the only trip we run where we have armed security for the duration. If you travel there, you have two vehicles with a security detail.’
Biggest surprise
James says: ‘Somalia was one of the first countries to use online banking. Around five years ago, more people in Somalia used online banking than any other country in the world. You could go into a really tiny shop and you wouldn’t pay with money. ’ That’s because a lot of the country’s infrastructure was damaged during the war so people had to rely on their mobiles for a lot of everyday functions.’
James adds: ‘So even in a really remote area, you get this kind of strange but surprising use of technology.’
Iraq
James says: ‘Karbala (pictured above) is one of the world’s holiest cities for Shia Muslims and an incredible pilgrimage site to witness’
Untamed Borders runs a skiing trip in Kurdistan in northern Iraq every year (pictured above are members of a tour)
Why is it dangerous?
US forces invaded Iraq in 2003, which led to the overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein. The country has suffered various conflicts since then including the rise and fall of ISIL. Many governments, including the UK and USA, advise against all travel to many areas of Iraq. It ranks as the world’s 10th least peaceful country on the Global Peace Index.
What to see
James says Iraq has ‘amazing ancient history’ due to its place as the centre of the Islamic world. The Iraq Museum in Baghdad has Assyrian artefacts that date back to 1350 BC.
James adds: ‘Najaf and Karbala are two of the world’s holiest cities for Shia Muslims and they’re incredible pilgrimage sites to witness. Then in the south, you’ve got the marshes – this huge wetland area, which is about the size of Wales. Then in the north, you’ve got the mountains in Kurdistan where Untamed Borders do a skiing trip every year.’
Biggest surprise
James says: ‘Overall, the situation in Iraq is getting better – of course from a pretty low bar. Things are sort of moving in the right direction, there’s a bit more security, a bit more peace. The guides we work with who travel around the country – they’re seeing more roads and infrastructure being built.’
Yemen
In this image guests take pictures in Yemen, although James says there are lots of areas the company ‘wouldn’t take people to’ due to the active conflict
Socotra Island, off the coast of Yemen’s mainland (pictured above), is ‘genuinely really beautiful’, says James
Why is it dangerous?
Yemen’s civil war has been raging since 2014 when Houthi forces took over the capital city, Sanaa. Many governments, including the UK and USA, advise against all travel to Yemen. It ranks as the second least peaceful country in the Global Peace Index.
What to see
Due to the active conflict in Yemen, James says there are lots of areas of the country Untamed Borders ‘wouldn’t take people to’. Tours do go to Socotra, an island off Yemen’s coast, though.
Flights go from Abu Dhabi, which means tourists can avoid entering Yemen’s mainland, although James says ‘there’s always the risk that those flights could stop overnight’.
He adds: ‘It’s often described as the Galapagos of the Middle East and it has a lot of endemic and indigenous plants. It’s genuinely really beautiful. You take a boat out and you’ll just see all these spinner dolphins diving through the waves.’
Biggest surprise
Despite the active warzone, tour groups can still visit the east of mainland Yemen, which is ‘far enough removed from the conflict’.
James says one of the coolest spots to visit is Shibam. Known as the ‘Manhattan of the Desert’, the ancient mud city is made up of incredible high rise buildings that were built to shelter the residents from the hot climate.
Afghanistan
Bamiyan (pictured above) is one of James’s ‘favourite places in Afghanistan’ and it was once a major trading route between India and China
This image shows guests in the south of Afghanistan. James says many people ‘feel like they kind of know Afghanistan’ from seeing it on the news, but may be surprised once they’re there
Why is it dangerous?
Afghanistan has faced turmoil since the 1970s. Following the withdrawal of US troops in 2021, the Taliban returned to power and multiple governments, including the UK and US, advise against all travel to Afghanistan. It ranks as the world’s least peaceful country in the Global Peace Index.
What to see
James says: ‘One of my favourite places in Afghanistan is Bamiyan, in the centre of the country. It’s where the giant Buddha statues were before the Taliban blew them up in 2001. It was on the main trading route between India and China 1,500 years ago and it wasn’t far off being the Dubai or Hong Kong of its day. And now it’s not so geopolitically important, but there’s that history and the people still hold that together.’
Biggest surprise
James says: ‘Like in Iraq, people often feel like they kind of know Afghanistan a bit because they’ve seen it on the news. Places like Kabul or Kandahar. And you’ll drive past places like Bagram Air Base (the site of a car bomb attack in 2019) or you’ll look out your hotel window and think “20 years ago, I saw bombs dropping there on the news”. You feel like you know it from the news but you don’t actually know much about day-to-day life there and that can surprise people.’
Rankings in the Global Peace Index correct at the time of writing.
