ecuador and columbia

Martron

my gf is travelling over to meet friends.

how safe is ecuador and columbia?

she might have to spend night on her own. obviously with a bit of common sense she will be ok. but in general how safe are these countries for a gang of girls to be marching around

RATM

Im not being smart or anything but its like asking how long is a piece of string. If they wander into areas with high crime they will almost certainly be mugged, or worse.
If they have common sense, are streetwise and stay within tourist areas at nighttime and take taxis then in general they should be okay.
Bus and train stations are always a source of crime (not just in Colombia but the world over) so they should get away from them asap.
They'll see plenty of guns, soldiers, police in Colombia but in a way that makes you feel safer ( strange but true)

holystungun9

Hey,
will I'm from Tipperary but I have been living here in Ecuador for a year and I am staying for at least another year. All foreigners stick out here. You can try all you want but you will be spotted a mile away. Not that that is anything bad though. Your gf will almost definitely be in Quito which is relativly safe. She like every other tourist will stay in the Mariscal or the old town both of which are safe enough. I liken the Mariscal to Temple Bar in many ways. Safe enough to walk around but there is always a chance some drunk may cause a fuss. Taxis everywhere in this city so advise her to keep a few dollars in a pocket so that she will always be able to jump in one if she feels a little out of place. If she speaks no spanish she will definitely get ripped off on the price everytime but still, at that she will only lose a few dollars and it is far better to lose the money than not take a cab and run into a problem. You say she may have to stay the night on her own, this will be no problem and personally if she is coming from the airport in Quito I advise her to go to the Mariscal, definitely more touristy and comfortable for the first couple of nights. Unless she has a guidebook and arrives during daylight hours it may better to forgo the bus system and just get a taxi. Five dollars, maybe six tops, it should be a bit less but again if she has no spanish she will get taken for a ride, still it's only about three euros fifty and taxis offer a safe way around. As a girl she should always be a bit more cautious but the drivers are only interested in trying to get more money if they can. I don't want to clog up this post so if you have specific questions just post them and I will get to them. A quikie re Columbia. I still hear mixed reports. Some friends of mine have done quick weekenders form here and had various things to say. Basically noone had any problems, one american guy said he had a nice time but would be a little wary travelling there on his own as he felt he really stuck out as a white tourist. And in this part of the world being a white tourist means you have money, even if back home you may not have a lot, in comparison to people in Ecuador and Columbia you have a lot. A girl I know went there to meet a friend and got on fine and her friend, an english guy had been there for about a week and really liked it. I think you don't have to worry too much. Like in any poorer country you just need to watch your bags and leave your documents etc. in the hotel. If you are worried about the FARC and kidnappings I think this only happens in a few wellknown border towns, it won't be an issue for her. If she passes from Ecuador to Columbia or vice versa she will use the more common and safe border crossing not the shadier crossing closer to the jungle.

holystungun9

Just reread your post, and have some questions for you, how long are they coming for? Are the other girls here before her and are any of them familiar with either country or speak spanish? Just to help put things in context and maybe I can offer more specifie advice. As a general thing, a gang of girls will be fine together. No need to worry but it will help when dealing with the pushy latin men here. In general young men here are cheating womanisers and are very persistent. Some are a real pest to girls who just want to go out and have a drink and a dance. I've seen this and heard it from every girl I know. If she is with her mates they will be fine going out as they will be able to laugh off any persistant men but that gets more difficult if a girl is out on her own. She should avoid the bars if she is on her own, in the evening she can go somewhere nice to eat and chill out and then an internet cafe or somethin', check out her facebook or mail. Steer clear of the bar scene unless she is with other friends.

Martron

thanks you have been very helpful.

so basically taxis......

keep to well known areas until the others arrive and common sense.

she will be on her own for a day and is arriving into quito.

she has a hostel booked and comes highly recommeded from trialfinders . so she should be ok.

so its the usual so. hide money on you and bring no more than you need to.

if you think of anythingg else i would appreciate it

holystungun9

that's about it. Taxi is less hassle after getting off a long flight. You don't want to be dealing with buses and finding your hostel. The taxi will get her to the area and is best if she has the street address of the hostel as the taxi men may not know the hostel by name as there are so many of them. All the best.