Safety Vs Perception of Safety in Honduras: To Travel or Not to Travel?

This is always a difficult topic. When is a destination safe, and when is it not? Although it is generally agreed that numbers do not lie, and that statistics are cold, but true, they should always be put into perspective.

Over the last few years, Honduras has had some of the highest murder rates in the world, and the international press has been jolly about dubbing San Pedro Sula as the Murder Capital in the World. While the statistics do show a reality, it is one that a traveler to Honduras would probably never see. You see, crime, whether murder or petty crime, rarely affects the tourists and travelers in Honduras. As a general rule, you need only read the comments and reviews that different travelers put up on the travel websites to see that they not only were not affected by crime, but that most of them actually felt extremely safe! As you can see, there is a difference between safety vs. perception of safety in Honduras!

Sadly, a US citizen, for example, is probably much safer visiting Honduras than going on a shopping trip to the local mall, or walking into a theater to watch a movie. Heck, kids are surely much safer on vacations in Honduras that in school in the USA! Chances of randomly running into a nut with a gun are certainly higher in the United States of America than anywhere else in the World!

The US state department issues travel warnings for all of its citizens planning a trip to Honduras, warning them of the dangers and perils of visiting Honduras, yet they somehow neglect to warn the desperate Hispanic immigrants who are following the American Dream of the perils of living in the USA. The feared Central American gangs where actually born in the streets of Los Angeles as a means of defending themselves from the local gangs there! The local gangs were born when members were deported from the US back to Latin America.

Honduras, as a travel destination offers truly unique and often overlooked experiences and sites. The people of Honduras are certainly some of the most friendly and hospitable people you will find on planet earth. Given the opportunity, they will go out of their way to make you feel at home, safe and happy during a visit to their country.

Dare to break the misconceptions about Honduras. Plan a trip to Copan, La Ceiba, Tela or the Bay Islands. Discover the beauty of Honduras and the heart of its friendly people. Come and learn firsthand that safety vs. perception of safety in Honduras are two very different things!

During your visit to Copan, regardless if visiting Copan Ruinas, Gracias, Lake Yojoa, Tela, La Ceiba or the Bay Islands, you will be surprised at how safe you feel and how friendly the people are. Travelers coming through Honduras usually find that their travel experiences always exceed their expectations. Come and see for yourself!

write by John Rogers