Headed to a dangerous site? Four pointers to keep in mind

FORT WORTH, Texas — You've scrimped and saved for years to visit Africa. Then, weeks before your departure date, violence breaks out after the Kenyan elections. Should you take the risk of going or not?

Even travelers who think they're going to a safe place should stay alert — danger is not confined to faraway and exotic locales. For example, an annual teachers strike in Oaxaca, Mexico, in 2006 turned into six months of civil unrest that kept tourists out for much of 2007. And lately, assaults on American tourists in Northern Baja California — near the border, not in Los Cabos — are keeping visitors away.

Travelers who have booked a trip through a tour operator likely won't have to decide themselves whether to postpone a trip, says Harvey Boysen, president of Gulliver's Travel in Fort Worth. The tour operator will make the decision based on reports from local offices. But if you're on your own, or just like to have all the information you can, here are ways to make an informed decision, keep yourself safe and possibly keep your savings intact if the worst happens.

Find on-the-ground reports: Obviously the most effective way to really know what's happening is talking to people who are there. The key here is geography. Will trouble in Oaxaca affect your trip to Mexico City? News reports don't always pinpoint your vacation spot.

"You really need to be sure that you have a resource you can turn to for independent information," says Pamela Lassers, director of media relations for Abercrombie and Kent in Chicago. In Mexico, she suggests talking to hotel employees, particularly hotel security. Also, tourism bureaus can be useful — while it's in their interest to lure visitors, it's also in their interest to make sure tourists aren't traveling into harm's way.

For more elaborate trips, such as a safari, do the research before you book.

"That's really a key point for people, that they need to be sure they've booked with somebody who has a local presence so they can provide you with the most complete and up-to-date information," Lasser says.

In an e-mail interview, Robert Young Pelton, author of "The World's Most Dangerous Places" (Collins, $22.95), writes that the best sources include local newspapers in the region, via the Internet.

Check government warnings: The first source to try is travel.state.gov, the U.S. State Department's Web site. Travel alerts tell you about short-term problems. Travel warnings are for ongoing danger. For example, the most recent update on Congo notes that travelers are often detained by "poorly disciplined security forces" at roadblocks, that sometimes they have to pay unofficial "special fees" at the airport and that the Ebola virus was reported as recently as October.

Boysen says the State Department should be taken seriously: "If it makes it to the State Department Web site, it's pretty significant," he says, noting that there are political ramifications for what amounts to blacklisting a country, so the government's not likely to put places on the list without good reason.

Pelton, also an adventurer/journalist best known for interviewing American Taliban John Walker Lindh in 2001, called the warnings "political weapons," but both men agree that registering with the State Department is a good idea, so the government can locate you if there's a need to evacuate. (Register at travel.state.gov.)

The State Department suggests registering if you plan to stay in a country for more than a month; if you're going to a place experiencing civil unrest, an unstable political climate or a natural disaster; and in a country where there are no U.S. offices such as an embassy or consulate — in that case, register at one of those offices in an adjacent country.

Another good supplement can be other Western countries' government Web sites. The U.K.'s Foreign and Commonwealth office site (www.fco.gov.uk) has its own lists, plus links to the government warnings of the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

Peruse chat rooms: As with any Web search, be selective about what's reputable and what's not. Boysen uses www.traveldocs.com, an online visa and passport service that lists countries alphabetically and links to sources of information — newspaper Web sites, the State Department, Web forums — about safety.

Pelton's site (www.comebackalive.com) is not something you want your grandmother reading. But the sections called "Travel discussion" and "Black Flag Cafe Recommends" (click on "Black Flag Cafe" and you'll find both links) are worth a look for the raw thoughts of what sound like seasoned travelers. Pelton's trademarked Dangerous Places map lets you zoom in on countries and pick up information on health care, dangerous things, dangerous days. There's also a Dangerpedia, which uses the same software as Wikipedia

Get travel insurance: Most policies will cover some costs associated with canceling a trip, but vacations in a potentially dangerous place — or for a traveler with health problems — may warrant evacuation insurance as well, says Robin Ingle, chairman of Ingle International, an insurance broker in Toronto that works with international insurance firms.

None of the plans will cover you if your destination is under a U.S. State Department warning before you buy a policy, Ingle says. If you buy in advance and a warning is issued later, you're usually covered, he says. Ingle also says to ask the insurance provider whether you're covered in cases of war or terrorism.

Evacuation insurance can save you big bucks in a medical crisis abroad. If a traveler is hurt or ill and needs to get home fast under a doctor's care, the cost can run $50,000 or more.