I have been to 22 countries/territories in 4 continents and one of the most common question other Black travelers ask me if I wasn't afraid of traveling to all these places, not only because of standard safety concerns, but for race issues.

A while back a very young (20/21) gay Black man asked me for travel tips. He had a dream of traveling the world and I wanted to encourage him, but at the same time I didn't want him to think there was no danger out there (talking strictly about race issues here) so I ended up encouraging him to travel, but at the same time I didn't sugarcoat anything, I explained to him some countries are off-limits for people like us.

Now, when people ask me in general, I have three concepts that have helped a lot during this journey.

CONCEPT # 1: There isn't a single country on Earth without racism or some other form of discrimination. There isn't. If people from a country tell you their country is "racism free", run the other way. I prefer when people tell me the truth upfront so I know what to expect.

CONCEPT #2: This is a game of probabilities. Yes, there is racism all over the world, but I am going to give you some examples: where would a Black traveler have a higher chance of being the victim of racism: China or Colombia? what about Argentina vs Puerto Rico? or Poland vs Türkiye? Nobody would say racism is not present in Colombia, Puerto Rico or Türkiye, but the chances of suffering racism in China, Argentina and Poland are way higher.

CONCEPT # 3: The types of racism (even when comparing racist countries) are not the same. A few months ago I made a comment after another redditor said no country loves Black people. I replied "There's a difference between countries that don't love Black people and countries where you can be murdered for being Black". This matters. Micro-aggressions suck, but verbal violence is worse and the chances of being murdered for being Black is very real in countries like Argentina, Poland, Russia, Bulgaria, Chile or Morocco.

So yeah, this is my discussion for today.

Keep traveling, keep exploring, keep learning. You can do all of that while staying safe.

Just one note, I've met plenty of people (of all races) who have no interest in traveling for several reasons, that's fine too. In the case of Black people it is totally understandable to be scared of traveling since we live in an anti-Black world. So, if Black people decide traveling isn't for them, that's fine too.

Hello fellow Black travelers

Some users had been asking me to share my updated ranking, but I had been very busy with work. I finally found the time.

It's important to note that this ranking reflects my personal experience, but I also add something from my own research.

No country is exempt from racism or any other type of discrimination (these countries are absolutely not), but I usually focus on chances (how likely is it for me to suffer racism) and severity (micro aggressions suck, but physical violence - including murder - is worse).

I also think that the fact that I speak Spanish (1st language) and Portuguese (4th language) makes me more trained to perceive things that people who speak English as a first language cannot.

Another thing is that this ranking comes from the perspective of a traveler. Being an expat or an immigrant obviously changes a lot of things, not only here but all over the world.

I just hope we can have a healthy discussion like the ones we had before the forum became popular where divergent points of view could coexist without any problems

Let's go.

1. Bolivia 🇧🇴

My memories or Bolivia are absolutely amazing. I went to a place called Chacaltaya where it doesn't usually snow and that day - during the dry season - it snowed. It was amazing touching the snow for the first time. Uyuni Salt Flats are as impressive as they look. What surprises me is that there are no Black people in Bolivia (except for some students and expats) and nobody seemed shocked to see Black people. I met a Black family traveling through South America and they were welcomed. People are very introverted (but polite and friendly) though, which is fine since it's important to respect local culture and traditions. La Paz is a city like no other.

2. Brazil 🇧🇷

Speaking Portuguese changes the whole experience here. In the last 40 years Brazil has progressed in the fight against racism like no other country on Earth. There's still a debt to be paid to Black Brazilians obviously, but every time I go I see more and more Black people in important positions in the private sector. São Paulo has the image of being an industrial city, but there's so much to do and see. Iguazú Falls are wonderful and I always tell people to go if they can.

3. Colombia 🇨🇴

Colombia is not a Black country (as some people say) but there's a sizeable Black population (12%). Like Brazil the change has happened mostly in the last 40 years. Bogotá is a big city with some of the best museums I've ever been to (go to Botero Museum!). Pereira and the Eje Cafetero are also very welcoming. San Andrés? You'll feel at home.

#4. Ecuador 🇪🇨

I went to Ecuador for an emergency work trip in 2018. Quito is such an amazing city. Back city Ecuador had crime issues, but nothing like the problems they are facing today. People are friendly and there's a lot to see. The Old Town is very well preserved and Mitad del Mundo is very interesting. There's a place named Itchimbia where you can get an amazing view of the city. Ecuador has also progressed in the recognition of Black citizens, but not like Brazil and Colombia.

#5. Peru 🇵🇪

People always ask me about Peru. I would not say it's as Black-friendly as the first four, but it's also not as hostile as the last four. Lima has horrible traffic, but the city offers a lot. Barranco is a very interesting be neighborhood and the views of the Pacific Ocean from Miraflores (Larcomar) are absolutely impressive. Huacachina has amazing sunsets. However, Peru is very conservative even by Latin American standards. Homosexuality is a social death sentence and women rights are not a thing there.

#6. Argentina 🇦🇷

If, for some reason, you to to Argentina, stick to Buenos Aires, Tigre, Puerto Iguazú and Santa Fe/Rosario. Even in the context of the racial problems of the country, these places have seen lots of non-white people so the chances for suffering racism are lower (not zero). I would not recommend rural places (Córdoba, Mendoza and Neuquén) because the chances of suffering racism are way higher. Bariloche also seems to be whites-only. In general rural places are more backwards. Argentina doesn't pretend to be a progressive country. It's a country with racial problems and a culture with lots of *machismo*. Homosexuality is OK in urban areas. My favorite place is Tigre. I went after a rainstorm and the place looked fantastic, the boat trip was absolutely great.

#7. Paraguay 🇵🇾

This is easily the most isolated Spanish-speaking country in South America. The country itself has some interesting things to offer (solid museums in Asunción and nature in Ciudad del Este) and the fact that tourism levels are low means you will be actually enjoying your time, but Paraguayans have a weird irrational hate for everything Brazilian and for some people Blackness is Brazilian. Also, I told you Peru was conservative, but Paraguay is even more so. Women's rights are non existent and hate crimes against gays happen all the time. This is the *ONLY* country where I had to actively hide my homosexuality. In other countries, I just didn't say anything, but here I had to be more cautious as I could actually face violence.

#8. Chile 🇨🇱

Context matters here. When I visited Chile I had a good time (Laguna del Inca and Portillo are a dream while Valparaíso and Viña del Mar are also interesting) and racism/xenophobia were problems, but more about ignorance. Today Chile has become, by far, one of the most racist/xenophobic countries in human history. Hate crimes are commonplace (I heard something about a Nazi group murdering Haitian children to extract their organs) and the new president's father was a Nazi (not a Nazi supporter, an actual Nazi officer back during WW2). The country is beautiful and I am glad I was able to visit when the worst I could face was a micro aggression.

#9. Uruguay 🇺🇾

I have talked about this before. Racism didn't happen once or twice, it was a common issue during my 5 days there. It happened almost everywhere in every single city (except for Punta del Este) and was more "in your face" than anywhere I've been to. The immigration officer at the airport was beyond rude. It was difficult to get basic service at restaurants and the stares I received were not curiosity, but hate. Uruguayans are a worse version of Argentinians. Just yesterday I read here on Reddit an Uruguayan saying us Panamanians are unpleasant (likely because we are 40% Black). I replied he didn't have to fly Copa Airlines because there are other options like Avianca and American Airlines to fly from the US to Uruguay but that he likely flew Copa Airlines because it was cheaper 😜. The worst part is that, unlike Argentina (that accepts it's a country with severe racial problems), Uruguay always pretend to be a super progressive country, it's the hypocrisy of saying you're progressive when you are really not. This is the only country/territory out of the 22 I've been to where I don't want to go back under any circumstances.

So, this is it. I hope this is useful for my fellow Black travelers.

I cannot be the only one.

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I am counting the days until the cup is over.

Panamanian here. Curaçao has a special place in my heart. I've been there three times and can confirm the sunsets at Punda (Marichi) are the best. The people, the food and the culture make Curaçao one of my favorite destination out of the 22 countries/territories I've been to.

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You lost 7-1 against Germany. So what? It's your first World Cup and it's not your most popular sport. Move on and continue. I personally hate soccer because it's such a toxic sport, but whatever.

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# DUSHI 💓

I work at a multinational company with people from different backgrounds and they seem to be unable to understand that a Latin American doesn't like soccer (football) and can't wait until this World Cup is over.

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One the common phrases I hear is that soccer "unites" the world. Look, it's fine if you like soccer and I don't, but don't tell me soccer "unites" the world because this is not based on reality.

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1. Racism: All professional sports have had incidents of racism, but no other sport reaches the level of soccer. Racism in soccer happens all the time and, maybe with the exception of the British League, nobody does anything. If influential players like Vinicius cannot fix this problem, who can?

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2. Homophobia / Misogyny: Again, this is not exclusive to soccer, but while other sports are slowly progressing, soccer remains a sport with a higher level of homophobia and misogyny.

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3. Corruption: Being from Latin America I never thought any case of corruption would surprise me, but FIFA (and other organizations) have achieved levels of corruption that would make Latin American politicians blush. This used to be concealed, but it's out there in the open in the 2026 World Cup.

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4. Toxic Culture: Barras bravas, Hooligans or Ultras. In any other sport this problem would have been addressed completely. It has only being half addressed in soccer. In many parts of the world going to a soccer game means putting your life at risk. In some parts of Latin America and Europe, some soccer fans have been murdered for wearing a rival team's jersey or hat.

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So yeah, enjoy soccer if you want, but don't say this sport "unites" the world, it does quite the opposite.

Brazil doing WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE 👏🏽👏🏽 👏🏽

Si los argentinos no van a aprender a las buenas, van a aprender A LAS MALAS

As some of you know, a few days ago a Chilean (pretends to be shocked) passenger was detained in Guarulhos for using very offensive racist and homophobic language towards a flight attendant after being confronted when he tried to open a plane door during the flight (or during taxiing). This is likely worse than the previous situation with Agostina Páez (the Argentinian criminal who racially attacked Brazilian men in the streets of Rio de Janeiro).

The purpose of this post is not to discuss again the severe problems of racism in the Southern Cone (even though it's nice to see Brazilians opening their eyes and seeing that Chileans are not better than Argentinians in this regard - actually, they are worse), but to recognize what Brazil is doing good.

There are things that you can criticize of Brazil, sometimes with good reason, but I have to admire this push to uphold the dignity of the human being, especially with racial and sexual minorities. In most other countries this would have been a scandal, but it could have ended there, but today this man is in a Brazilian cell waiting to be processed for racism and homophobia. These emojis are the only way I can express how I feel: 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Brazilians, you have a right to feel proud of this, all the right. Please, ignore the people who say you guys are "exaggerating". You are not. The fact that the rest of the world accepts attacks against the dignity of the human being doesn't mean you have to. You are doing what you have to do.

PARABÉNS!

Por alguna razón, muchos brasileros tienen una imagen positiva de los chilenos diciendo que son menos arrogantes y racistas. Bless your heart, los argentinos no son ningunos santos, pero los chilenos son aún peor.

Espero que este hombre disfrute muchísimo su estadía en el hotel 5 estrellas que es una cárcel brasilera.

PARABÉNS BRASIL!

Hello Solo Travelers,

I had a business trip to Pereira and asked my boss if I could stay a few more days (paying my own expenses during those days) and he agreed.

I had been to Colombia three times before: San Andrés in 2012, Bogotá in 2019 and Bogotá in 2023. Colombia is a huge country and visiting this region for the first time opened my eyes about how big regional differences can be.

Flight: Nothing complicated here. The flight from Panama - Tocumen (PTY) to Pereira - Matecaña (PEI) takes about 1h20m. There was a lot of wind while trying to land so we had to go around and spend about 20 minutes in the air, but in the end it was possible. Because the airport is very close to the city center, during the approach you're able to see buildings and houses very close. The flight back home had no incidents and it actually landed like 20 minutes before schedule. Most international travelers arrive via COPA Airlines or Avianca (with a layover in Bogotá).

Hotel: I stayed at a hotel in the Pinares area, one of the best neighborhoods of the city. Not cheap, but not expensive either. There are hotels for all budgets.

Food: I will never get tired of telling people to try aborrajados when they travel to Colombia. They are way more common in this area. They are a common snack and are delicious (they are fried plantain with cheese and guava jelly inside). Apart from this, there are a lot of places to eat either local food or international food. There's this Colombian hamburger chain named El Corral, it's still very good.

Transportation: Pereira is not a small town, it's a city and there's traffic, but not like Bogotá, at all. I took Uber most of the time and they were super cheap because the distances are not too big and the traffic is manageable. Most trips cost between USD 2 and USD 4. The most expensive trip was the one I took to a coffee farm outside the city. It cost me USD 11 each way. I did take the Megacable (local cable car), but just to sightsee. Totally worth it.

Money: Colombia is still a relatively cheap country, but prices are not as cheap as they used to be in 2019 and 2023 (this is a global issue). As I said, there are hotel and restaurants for all budgets. Credit cards are widely accepted, but it's a good idea to carry some cash. Cash advance fees are steep by Latin American standards, usually COP 26,000 (USD 7.50).

⚠️ DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion) is everywhere in Colombia now. Avoid it or you'll end up loosing money - about 5% or 7% for every transaction.

Safety: Pereira is not free from crime. However, if you take basic precautions, you'll be fine. I noticed that people in downtown Pereira were cautious, but not excessively paranoid like in Bogotá. Road trips to Quindío (Valle de Cocora, Salento, Filandia and Parque del Café) were perfectly safe.

Communication: Avoid Tigo Colombia, AT ALL COSTS! I bought a tourist eSIM that offered "unlimited data" and it never worked. I was able to install the eSIM, but they assigned me a prepaid number with no mobile data. I went to three local Tigo stores and nobody was able to fix this. I ended up collecting all the info and disputing this with the bank. Vodafone Travel eSIM came to the rescue. It's good, but it's roaming so if your phone has bad battery life it can be a problem.

Politics: Avoid talking about politics in Colombia. While Colombia has left the most difficult part of its past (1970 - 2003) behind, there are still lingering issues.

PoC/LGBT Travel: I didn't have an issue at all related to my race. I am mixed race and look a little like Trevor Noah (I wish I also had his bank account 😂). I did notice that my accent shocked maybe 3 or 4 people because - for untrained ears - the Panamanian accent is close to the Venezuelan accent. As some of you may know, there's widespread xenophobia against Venezuelans in South America. About LGBT tolerance, Pereira is not Bogotá so you'll not find same-sex couples holding hands everywhere. It's a more conservative city, but it's not the Middle East.

Language: Spanish is my first language, so I didn't have any issues. English is spoken in hotels and touristic places, but not everywhere.

Activities: Pereira itself may not have a lot of things to do (I do recommend the Megacable, Cerro Canceles and the local art museum), but Pereira is well connected to the Quindío department where there are a lot of attractions: Parque del Café, Salento, Filandia and Valle de Cocora. Valle de Cocora is one of the most impressive places I've ever been to. It's absolutely beautiful and it's worth the long walk (be careful with the sun).

This trip made me realize every Colombian region has something to offer. Pereira and the Coffee Axis offer a balance between history/culture/tradition and modernity.

Buenos días

Constantemente veo en los medios de comunicación, las redes sociales y el Internet que mucha gente piensa que latinoamericanos = hispanos. Esto está errado, no solamente por el tema de Brasil (que es latinoamericano, pero no es hispano) sino porque hay muchos latinoamericanos que no tienen ninguna clase de vínculo con España:

1. En el Chocó (Colombia) hay gente negra con 100% de ADN africano. Son latinoamericanos, no son hispanos.

2. En el Perú hay gente que desciende 100% de japoneses. Son latinoamericanos, no son hispanos.

3. En partes de Bolivia y Ecuador hay personas que son 100% indígenas. Son latinoamericanos, no son hispanos.

4. En Argentina y Chile hay gente que desciende 100% de holandeses, alemanes o incluso escoceses. Son latinoamericanos, no son hispanos (aunque los chilenos y argentinos dicen que Chile y Argentina no forma parte de América Latina, pero ese es otro tema).

El punto es que esto al principio sólo pasaba en USA, pero ahora lo veo pasando en cada vez más lugares.

En mi caso soy panameño, soy latinoamericano pero tajantemente rechazo la etiqueta de "hispano". No solamente no tengo vínculo genético alguno con España, sino que soy descendiente de las personas que los españoles robaron de África para esclavizar en América. Identificarme como "hispano" sería una deshonra hacia mis ancestros.

Si te quieres identificar con los genocidas, ladrones y asesinos, es tu derecho, pero no digas que todos los latinoamericanos somos hispanos. No lo somos.

Most of us here travel because we want to.

However, what happens when we *have* to travel?

I started a new job in January after losing my previous job back in September. Traveling is part of the job. I was actually in Pereira (Colombia) in late April. It was cool.

However, there's a (not so small) chance I may have to visit Chile and Argentina for work conferences and I am dreading it. Argentina? Well, you already know about the *severe* racial problems over here. I visited Argentina twice in the past and it went fine except for the occasional microaggression, but I guess I was just lucky. Chile is not better, actually racism is worse than in Argentina, but you guys don't know about it because Chileans don't speak English very well, but there's widespread racial hate in Chile, not only against Black people, but anybody with African ancestry (just check out how they treat the Mapuches).

Now, in this case it's Argentina and Chile, but it can be any other place where Black travelers are in danger: Texas, Alabama, Poland, Hungary, India, Italy, China, etc.

I don't want to lose the job because the job market isn't good right now, but I will not risk my life for a company.

Good news is that our CFO is a little bit stingy and he may reject those business trips to Argentina and Chile because they're expensive (silver lining I guess 😜).

Let me know your opinion in the comments.