5 Adventures That Await You In Chile

Spend the night in an Ewok village, bathe in the world’s largest swimming pool, and ride the elevator cars in the city once known as “The Jewel of The Pacific.” Welcome to Chile!

1. The Big Swim

San Alfonso del Mar is home to the largest swimming pool in the world. The pool was opened to the public in 2006 after taking over five years to build. It was engineered by Chilean biochemist Fernando Fischmann and his company Crystal Lagoons Corporations. This impressive artificial paradise is estimated to have cost between $1.5 and $2 billion to build and eats up close to $2 million is annual maintenance. The filtration system alone is rumored to have cost $3.5 million.

San Alfonso del Mar is located in Algarrobo, Chile just off the beach of the Pacific Ocean. The pool is 1,013 ft long and covers roughly 20 acres. Salt water from the sea is filtered and treated before being pumped into the pool. The pool contains 66 million gallons of seawater at a maximum depth of 11.5 ft. The water is cleaned and filtered once again before being returned to the Pacific Ocean. If you aren’t in the mood for a dip, San Alfonso del Mar rents small sailboats and paddleboats to visitors.

2. Elevators Of Valparaiso

If you’re visiting the coastal city of Valparaiso, it’s hard to miss the old elevator cars the line the city’s hillsides. The elevators of Valparaiso are curious artifacts of the city’s more prosperous past. The first elevator car was installed in 1911. At the time, the cars were the only way for residents to commute promptly to the city below. The cars look like a mix between a San Francisco trolley and the elevators of an old mining town.

The city of Valparaiso was once referred to by sailors as “Little San Francisco” and “The Jewel of the Pacific.” It was a prestigious port town and home to some of the country’s wealthiest families. The city’s economy experienced a sharp decline when the Panama Canal opened in 1914, diverting the bulk of the shipping traffic to the north.

In the last 15 years, Valparaiso has been making a comeback as a cultural center.

Its residents live perched on the many rolling hills that huddle against the coastline. The elevators began to fall into disrepair following the opening of the Panama Canal. Today, only 15 cars remain in operation, but they’re still the cheapest way to make it up the city’s hills. Be sure to bring cash, coins especially. A trip up the hill will cost you roughly 50 cents American.

3. Dancing In Santiago

It’s hard to visit Chile without passing through Santiago. The city offers plenty of opportunities to get your dance on. Try your hand (and feet) at some salsa or tango. Tango’s birthplace is in Argentina, but that hasn’t stopped its migration into the heart of Chile.

Dancing can be a great way to shake your body loose after a long plane or car ride. Check out Havana Salsa for classes and socials or Ile Havana for live music and dancing. You can find traditional tango music at Buenos Aires Tango Club. Take the Bellas Artes, Patronato, or Los Leones Metro to Havana Salsa or the Cementerios, Irarrázaval, Santa Isabel Metro to visit the Buenos Aires Tango Club.

If you’re in the mood for a taste of home, Santiago has a popular Jazz scene too. Club de Jazz is one of the city’s most well-known jazz clubs. Other venues around town include Thelonious, Bar Grez, and the Jazz Corner.

4. The Hotel Nothofagus

The Hotel Nothofagus rises out of the rainforest in the town of Panguipulli in southern Chile. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to live like a Lord of the Rings character, the Hotel Nothofagus can give you a glimpse. Nothofagus is seven stories tall and made entirely of wood. The hotel’s 55 suites wrap around a central atrium, with a single tree stretching all seven stories to the glass-dome ceiling above. Climb the stairs or take the elevator to the roof where you can enjoy a stunning view of the nearby Choshuenco, one of Chile’s 500+ active volcanoes. The Hotel Nothofagus is located next door to the Montana Magica Lodge in southern Chile, not far from the Argentinian border. It’s 1.7 miles northwest of Puerto Fue by car.

5. The Ba’Hai Temple Of South America

The Ba’Hai Faith celebrates universal harmony and religious tolerance. Its teachings began in the middle east but have since spread across the globe. Worship and educational centers are located in Uganda, Australia, the United States, Panama, Australia, Samoa, India, Cambodia, and now Santiago, Chile.

In 2002, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Ba’Hais of Chile announced a competition to design the new temple. Construction began in November of 2010, and it was completed in 2016. The structure’s futuristic design is composed of nine translucent panels of marble and glass. The panels drape over the dome-shaped structure like soft leaves. The temple can hold up to 600 visitors at a time, and the leaders of the Ba’Hai faith invite you to be one of them.

Chile stretches 2,670 miles, making it the longest country in the world from north to south. Whether you feel like sleeping amongst the trees of Panguipulli, or want to taste the ocean’s salty breeze, we can guarantee you’ll you won’t be bored!

Ba'Hai Temple, Chile — Ba’Hai Temple, Chile. Wikimedia Commons

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Chile

Chile is alive with geological activity, biological diversity, and alleged supernatural phenomena. This narrow sliver of land along South America’s Pacific coast has plenty of interesting secrets.

1. The Population of Santiago

Santiago serves as both the country’s capital and cultural center. Chile’s geography has created a unique distribution of its population. The country is only 350 km wide but over 4,300 km long from north to south. The landscape transitions quickly from the seaside to the foothills of the Andes. Chile’s geographical oddities have left much of countryside isolated and underdeveloped. Citizens seeking opportunity and prosperity have relocated to the nation’s one true cosmopolitan center: Santiago.

Nearly a third of the nation’s 17 million citizens live in the capital. The population density of Chile is approximately 12 people per square km. The population density of Santiago alone is 454 people per square km.

The city’s population is expected to grow to almost 7 million by the year 2020. You’d think that such a densely populated city would be prone to higher crime rates, but Santiago has one of the lowest crime rates in all of South America.

2. The National Drink That’s Allergen-Free

Pisco is Chile’s national drink. It’s a type of high-proof alcohol similar to brandy. Pisco can be clear, yellow, or amber depending on how it’s produced. Pisco is made from distilling grapes grown in the winemaking regions of Peru and the Elqui Valley of Chile. Spanish settlers of the 16th century began producing the spirit using copper stills. Today, Peruvian pisco continues to be made almost exclusively in copper stills. In Chile, regulations for Pisco production are strict, but allow for more boutique manufacturing practices.

The end product is free of wheat, rye, potato, barley, and all other ingredients known to be a source of food intolerances. Pisco is commonly mixed with ginger ale, vermouth, or Coca-Cola. One of the most well-known drinks is the Pisco Sour, which is a blend of egg whites, sugar, ice, and lemon juice. If an egg doesn’t sound appealing, take a swig of Pisco à la carte and enjoy a taste Chilean heritage.

Pisco sour — A pisco sour. Erik Anestad/Flickr.

3. Chile’s Copper And Mineral Reserves

There’s a reason why copper stills have historically been the container of choice for fermenting Pisco. Chile is home to the world’s largest copper reserves. Nearly one-quarter of the world’s copper is to be found in Chile. Escondida, one of the nation’s many copper mines, is the largest on earth. On its own, Escondida supplies 5% of the world’s copper. Chile also has substantial reserves of salt, gold, coal, manganese, zinc, iodine, iron, and silver, along with the second largest reserve of lithium, a critical ingredient in the production of batteries. So… bring a shovel!

4. Land Of Fire

Chile is the longest country in the world from north to south, and it’s situated entirely within the infamous Pacific Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire is an area encompassing the entire Pacific rim, where tectonic activity produces destructive volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The Andes mountains were formed 66 million years ago when the Nazca and Antarctic tectonic plates collided, forcing the land upwards. The Nevado Ojos del Salado, on the border of Chile and Argentina, is the highest volcano in the world at 6,891 meters tall.

Chile has over 500 active volcanoes, 60 of which have had recorded eruptions within the last 450 years. Earthquakes are also common. The world’s highest ever recorded earthquake happened in southern Chile in 1960. The United States Geological Survey recorded it as a 9.5 on the Richter Scale.

An archipelago off the southern tip of Chile was appropriately named Tierra del Fuego, or “Land of Fire,” in 1520 by Ferdinand Magellan. Ironically, Magellan named the island for the smoke he saw rising from the campfires of natives rather than a steaming volcano. Tierra del Fuego’s largest island, Isla Grande de Tierra de Fuego, is split between Chile and Argentina. 70% of the island belongs to Chile, with the remaining 30% belonging to Argentina.

5. Stargazing And More

The Norte Grande is the northernmost geographical region of Chile. It contains the Atacama Desert, one of the most arid places on earth. The Atacama is a broad plateau that descends gradually from the Andes to the ocean. Astronomers love the area because its high elevation and clear air make it ideal for stargazing. The skies of Norte Grande are clear 300 of 365 nights a year on average. Several observatories are located here, including La Silla, Cerro Grande, La Serena, Tololo, and Las Campanas.

If you keep stargazing long enough, you might just glimpse a UFO. Chile is notes for its frequent UFO sightings. The town of San Clemente in Chile’s Central District has been the site of so many such occurences that in 2008 they opened a 19-mile long UFO trail, winding through the Andes mountains. The range’s many open plateaus are thought to be ideal landing spots for visiting spacecraft.

Maybe, maybe not. Either way: good for a hike!

Whether you have a thirst for Pisco Sours or a taste for the extraterrestrial, Chile has you covered. The world’s longest country is a hotbed of geological activity and good times.

5 Common Travel Scams And How To Avoid Them

1. Broken Meter In The Taxi

The Uber app is becoming increasingly popular for tourists in other countries, and for good reason! Travelers often report negative experiences with cab drivers. Sometimes it’s just poor service, but something it’s criminal: one of the most common cheats is the broken taxi meter scam.

How it works:

Upon getting into a taxi, usually outside of an airport or train station, the driver will start pulling away while informing you that his meter recently broke. He’ll then go on to charge you a ridiculously high fare that can’t be argued due to the meter being broken. This is especially common in Central America, in places such as Costa Rica.

How to protect yourself:

There are a few different ways to get around this scam. First, try to negotiate the fare before getting in any taxis, or double check that the meter is actually working and turned on. You don’t need to mistrust all taxi drivers, but Uber is another good option in many countries, as the app handles all of the payment automatically, so drivers don’t have the chance to rip you off like this.

2. Phony Police Officers

Police departments are generally supposed to be trusted institutions that tourists can feel comfortable turning to for help. But a recent scam has made it so you even have to scrutinize your dealings with people claiming to be officers of the law. After all: they may not be who they say they are.

How it works:

This scam involves a few people playing different parts. First, someone will approach you and offer you something illegal, such as drugs. When you tell the person “no,” one or two people dressed as police officers will approach to investigate. They might quickly flash some kind of identification or badge, and then they’ll insist that you give them your wallet and passport. The catch, of course, is that they’re not police officers, and you’ve just handed over your most valuable possessions to random conmen.

How to protect yourself:

Evaluate these “police officers” carefully. A big tell is the requests they make i.e. wallet and passport. Always ask for identification and thoroughly inspect it when it has been provided. If you’re still unsure, inform them that you’ll call their police headquarters to confirm their identity as you’ve been made aware of a recent scam. If all that fails, you can tell them that you don’t have your passport as it’s locked up in your hotel safe. Offer to have them accompany you to the hotel. This will likely cause the con artists to give up and choose a victim who doesn’t put up such a fight.

3. Free Gifts

A popular scam in many cities, including such gems such as Lisbon, Paris, and Rome, is to use the allure of a friendly stranger and a free gift. Sadly, it’s caused us to mistrust anyone offering anything free, as it almost always comes with strings attached.

How it works:

While lingering outside a popular tourist destination, you’ll be approached by a friendly stranger. They might casually chat with you for a few moments before trying to force a “free” gift into your hand, onto your wrist, etc. Once you accept the gift, they immediately change their tactic and start demanding money in return. They’ll use guilt, aggression, and a number of other tactics to get you to give them money, sometimes even making a public scene if you refuse.

How to protect yourself:

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, so never let anyone force anything into your hands or onto your body. Ignore these fraudsters and make as little contact as possible when walking past them.

4. The Attraction Is Closed

Naturally, you’ll likely be planning to visit many popular attractions during your travels. Scammers are preying on tourists in these areas and using subtle techniques to con them.

How it works:

When you near your destination, a friendly local might approach you, strike up a conversation, and casually let you know that the attraction you were hoping to visit is closed today for some unspecified reason. They’ll offer you a “helpful” suggestion and mention another shop or attraction to visit instead. Once you get to this destination, you’ll be strong-armed into paying a hefty sum to enter.

How to protect yourself:

If someone tells you the attraction you’re planning to check out is closed, verify it for yourself. Call them, go to the ticket counter, or ask someone else to confirm if it’s true.

5. Guest WiFi Hubs

There’s plenty of free WiFi access throughout the world, which is great. But travelers should be wary when they join a new network. It could be a dangerous source.

How it works:

A savvy scammer will set up an unsecured hotspot in a public area to lure tourists eagerly in search of free WiFi. When you connect, without knowing it, you’ll be handing over access to your computer or phone, account information, passwords etc. Spyware could even be planted to monitor your usage going forward.

How to protect yourself:

If you’re at a cafe, airport, or hotel, ask the staff which connection is the official one so that you avoid copycat hotspots. If you need WiFi, always try to get it from a verified source, and consider installing a virtual private network on your device to encrypt all of your online activity and prevent hackers from taking advantage of it.

You don’t have to avoid the locals or mistrust everyone you meet. But watch out for these common scams, and protect yourself as best you can. Nobody deserves to be taken advantage of.

The 7 Countries With The Worst Organized Crime

Some of the world’s most beautiful destinations are lamentably dangerous. But we’re not talking about typhoons or volcanoes, or even petty street crime here. We’re talking about covert criminal organizations so deeply embedded in society that they sometimes run society.

These are the countries with the worst organized crime on earth.

A police car in Mexico. — Photo Spirit / Shutterstock

1. Mexico

Mexico may call to mind images of sipping margaritas against the backdrop of the rock-beating surf. Sure, Mexico is still a popular travel destination – and for good reason. But it’s also home to violent organized crime. Most of the illicit drugs entering the United States enter the country by way of Mexico. Contraband, weapons, and humans are also routinely trafficked into the US via the Mexican border.

With the capture of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, as well as the fall of numerous other drug lords, the Mexican government is making headway in its fight against these sophisticated, well-funded cartels. An increase in the murder rates of tourist hotspots like Los Cabos and Cancun has prompted Mexican authorities to up security in popular destinations, so that revenue from foreigners can continue to rolling into the country.

2. El Salvador

According to UN statistics, the small Central American state of El Salvador has the world’s highest murder rate per capita. This is due in large part to the gangs running rampant throughout the country.

A civil war, which lasted from 1979 to 1992, ravaged the nation and catalyzed the organized crime that still wracks El Salvador today. Many guerrillas who fought in the war kept their weapons and used them to lead a life of crime, stealing cars, kidnapping, and trafficking human beings. Poverty and lack of educational opportunities has also led to the rise of violent street gangs, most prominently MS-13 and the Barrio 18, who deal primarily in extortion, kidnapping, and drugs.

Much of the violence in El Salvador takes place between members of rival gangs, so tourists are, for the most part, safe. You should heed travel warnings, however, and take any precautions your government recommends to ensure you remain out of harm’s way.

Police cars in Italy. — Pierluigi.Palazzi / Shutterstock

3. Italy

Italy is the ancestral home of la cosa nostra (“this thing of ours”) – the Mafia, which was founded back in the 19th century. Though The Godfather may have distorted our view of the Mafia, these are not guys you want to cross. The mafia remains active in Sicily, where it is still killing, extorting money for “protection,” loan sharking, and worse. Italy is a common point of entry into Europe for smugged people and drugs, making it a natural theatre of operations for those who prefer to work in the shadows.

Fortunately for would-be visitors, the Mafia’s violence tends to take place in the poorer parts of Sicily where few tourists set foot. You can help businesses who are standing up to the Mafia by patronizing the establishments found on this map that have signed on to an anti-extortion charter.

4. Mozambique

Tourism used to be a big part of Mozambique’s economy. However, the travel industry took a huge hit as a result of the Mozambican Civil War, and it’s just now starting to bounce back.

Mozambique offers up-close encounters with exotic wildlife, access to great beaches, and diverse cultural heritage. Bordering six other countries as well as the Indian Ocean, Mozambique is unfortunately also a hotspot for the trafficking of humans, illegal wildlife products, and drugs. Tourists may be targeted by street criminals due to their assumed wealth. The majority of these crimes are non-violent forms of theft, although weapons are sometimes brandished.

A Japanese police officer. — Terence Toh Chin Eng / Shutterstock

5. Japan

Japan is a bucket list item for millions of people due to its ancient temples, shopping centers, festivals, art, and incredible culture. Unfortunately, it is also home to the yakuza, a sprawling organized crime syndicate. Often viewed as Japan’s version of the Italian Mafia, the yakuza sell drugs, firearms, traffic in human beings, and extort businesses and people. However, violence tends to primarily occur between various gang branches, so tourists should be safe. In fact, some believe the presence of the yakuza actually reduces petty crime and increases the safety of the average citizens. The yakuza even famously organized disaster relief efforts after the Kobe earthquake in 1995.

On the other hand, members are known to cut off their own pinkies as a way of atoning for mistakes so… beware men missing fingers.

6. France

People typically associate France with romance, the Eiffel Tower, baguettes, wine, cheese, cigarettes, and philosophy. But organized crime? Less so.

However, thanks in part to its location in the heart of Western Europe, France is a port-of-call along many drug trade routes – particularly heroin and marijuana. North African gangs have cornered the French drug market, while the Corsican mafia participates in trafficking, extortion, money laundering, contract killing, and more.

While the most common crime in Paris is pickpocketing, violent crimes are more common in cities likes Nice and Marseille, including theft from cars stopped in traffic. Tourists would do well to keep their doors locked in these cities.

Riot police in Greece. — De Visu / Shutterstock

7. Greece

Greece is home to Delphi, the Parthenon, the tasty gyro, and, unfortunately, organized crime, which is on the rise of late. Greece’s economic crisis, the abundance of and market for illegal firearms, and large populations of illegal immigrants have coalesced to create a breeding ground for organized crime.

Police in Greece estimate that around 300 gangs are involved in weapon trafficking throughout the country. The Greek mafia smuggles weapons, drugs, and illegal oil, often with help from Russian and Albanian criminal organizations. As Greece is a maritime shipping center, much of its homegrown marijuana is shipped throughout Europe. Though organized crime is an issue for Greece, tourists mostly have to look out for street crimes like pickpocketing in busy tourist areas.

No country is crime-free, but certain travel destinations require more precautions than others. Be sure to do your due diligence to see to it that your vacation will be remembered for all the right reasons.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also be interested in our list of the 6 Countries With The Lowest Crime Rates.

12 Countries With The Silliest (Real) Laws

Every state in the union has its fair share of silly laws that are still technically on the books, and other countries are no different. These are the silliest laws we found from around the world. You might want to check them out lest you accidentally break one!

1. No Pee Pee In Portugal

Portugal has taken the “don’t pee in the pool” rule to a whole other level by making it illegal for anyone to pee in the ocean.

We’re not sure if anyone has been arrested for this offence yet (or how someone would even be caught), but we highly recommend holding it or finding an actual bathroom if you’re in Portugal and nature calls.

2. We’re All Momma’s Boys

The Ten Commandments tell us to honor our parents, but the Chinese government has decided to enshrine parental care in secular law as well. Since 2013, adult children in China have been legally required to visit their parents “often” – a pretty fuzzy term, legally speaking. The same law also requires children to see to their parents’ spiritual needs.

So if your kids don’t call while you’re visiting China, you might want to consider having them extradited!

3. Fishy Behavior

The British Salmon Act of 1986 makes it illegal to “handle a salmon in suspicious circumstances” in the United Kingdom. So if you’re walking in an abandoned alleyway in London late at night and you see a salmon on the ground, think twice before you pick it up. When you handle a salmon in suspicious circumstances, you’re handling every salmon that salmon has ever handled in suspicious circumstances.

Seafood for thought!

Salmon dish — Dinner? Or probable cause? Unsplash / Caroline Attwood

4. Cambodia Wants You To Leave Your Water Guns At Home

For some reason, the governor of Phnom Penh in Cambodia banned the import and sale of all water guns in 2001. His fear? That people shooting water at each other might cause social unrest during their New Year’s celebrations.

Maybe he hasn’t seen how comical and harmless water guns are these days. Someone tell the governor there’s no such thing as a water bullet.

5. Forget About Naming Your Pig This In France

Anyone who might want to name their pig “Napoleon” in France has been legally banned from doing so for years. While the law has been altered as of 2013 to no longer specifically forbid the name Napoleon, the country does retain very strict laws against defamation and slander.

It might be best to err on the side of caution and just name your pig Frankfurter, or Kevin. (As in Kevin Bacon. Not bad, huh?)

6. No Stilettos At The Acropolis

Forget about accentuating those hips when you’re touring through the historic cities of Greece because high heels are banned at many of the ancient monuments.

Besides being the worst type of shoes you could possibly wear for sight-seeing, they can also damage the very artifacts that you’re going to see. Silly on the one hand, but serious on the other.

7. Georgia Takes Chickens Seriously

Georgia (the state, not the country) doesn’t want to hear why the chicken crossed the road. In fact, if you let your chickens cross the road at all in Quitman, Georgia, you’ll be facing legal jeopardy.

Basically, you better have those crazy chickens of yours under control!

8. Better Have Gas For The Autobahn

While many parts of the Autobahn have no posted speed limits, they’re not entire without rules. Besides keeping a close eye on the road as you zip around at 100 mph, you should be double-checking your gas gauge.

Running out of gas while driving and stopping on the side of highway is completely verboten. It can also lead to significant fines.

9. Huge Fine For Bird Feeding

Some of these laws seem so ridiculous that they’re almost unbelievable, but some actually have explanations that are at least somewhat reasonable.

A lot of places don’t allow the feeding of birds, but in Venice’s St. Mark’s Square, they’ll actually you fine you up to $700 if you dare feed a pigeon.

They say that feeding attracts too many birds to the area which damages the monuments and is a health hazard. $700 seems extreme, but at least the logic isn’t too out there! No one wants to come home from Venice with a case of avian flu.

The Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Square, Venice — The Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Square, Venice. Unsplash / Sam Mouat

10. Hiking The Alps Naked Is Illegal

Some rules make you wonder if they really needed to be enshrined in law in the first place. Isn’t there such a thing as common sense? The Swiss’ law against hiking in the nude sure makes you scratch your head. As they say, if it’s illegal, that’s because someone was caught doing it.

Apparently, Swiss village Appenzell was the first to make naked hiking illegal in 2009 when a German man walked past a picnicking family in his birthday suit.

Some things simply are not meant to be done naked, and alpine hiking is decidedly one of them. Those poor children will likely be scarred for a long, long time, too.

11. Arrogant Bikers Beware

Everyone hates a showboat, and apparently, some people in Mexico were getting a little cocky about their fancy, newfangled bicycle machines back in 1892. A law was subsequently put into effect to forbid bikers from taking their feet off the pedals in case they lost control.

While practical, it’s hard to imagine a police officer pulling someone over for taking their foot off the pedal of their bike! But they could…

12. Stick To These Baby Names

Baby names have gotten a little ridiculous these days. (Just look at celebrity baby names like Moon Unit Zappa & Jermajesty Jackson.) In response, Denmark has perhaps overreacted.

They instituted official child-naming guidelines that basically force parents to stick to a database of 7,000 approved names, or seek government approval for going off-book.

Have fun on your next adventure. And don’t get arrested!

The 5 Worst Countries To Get Arrested In

In some countries, you’re innocent until proven guilty, you can make bail, and you won’t be arbitrarily detained. In some countries.

1. South America

We’re well aware that South America is a continent, not a country, but we’re listing it at #1 because you really don’t want to get arrested anywhere from the Falklands to Colombia.

There are lots of desirable places to travel in South America, but they’re also infamous for the inhumane treatment of prisoners. You know a country’s prison system is especially brutal when even its own government officials are speaking out against it. For example, the Brazilian Minister of Justice had this to say about their prison system: “We have a medieval prison system, which not only violates human rights, it does not allow for the most important element of a penal sanction, which is social reintegration.”

Ironically, another quirk of South American prisons is that they function similarly to hotels in one specific way: they charge rent to inmates for the “right” to a bed and a cell. That motivates inmates to do other unsavory things while incarcerated just to earn enough money to afford their “rent.” We’re curious to know who dreamed up that brilliant idea!

2. Thailand

The punishment doesn’t always fit the crime, and despite being its breathtaking beauty, Thailand can be pretty ruthless with their treatment of criminals.

A Swiss man once graffitied a painting of the Thai King. While that’s definitely illegal, it doesn’t seem like such a serious offense to westerners. His punishment? Ten years in prison.

Stick to the beaches and avoid anything to do with politics. Avoid drugs too. That should go without saying, but note that any drug smuggling in Thailand will be dealt with in the most severe way: the death sentence.

You even have to watch out for some innocent acts that, as it turns out, are crimes in Thailand. For example, it’s apparently illegal to leave your house without underwear. Don’t ask us how any police officer would discover that someone isn’t wearing underwear, but we hope the punishment isn’t too severe for that one!

Thailand island — One of Thailand’s gorgeous coastal islands. Unsplash / Mo Baghdadi

3. India

Don’t expect special treatment in India just because you’re a tourist! The same laws that apply to an Indian citizen apply to travelers from other countries, and Indian officials have no qualms about holding visitors to the letter of the law.

Drug smuggling is an especially touchy subject (obviously), but lesser charges can land you in hot water just as easily. Daniel Robinson was a traveler who received much infamy when he was arrested in India for a visa violation and threatened with ten years in prison. The only reason he was released was a coordinated campaign to free him.

Not only does India fully enforce their laws, but they’re also not stingy at all about the length of their sentences. Five and ten-year stints are handed out freely in the face of legal violations, and the prison conditions are none too pleasant.

None of this should stop you from visiting India and learning more about its rich history. But it should make you think twice before you do anything even borderline illegal.

4. Singapore

Despite the modernness of Singapore in architecture and lifestyle, there are some pretty archaic and severe punishments for illicit acts.

An American 18-year-old, Michael Fay, experienced the cruel hand of the Singapore law when he spray-painted a building and received a $2,000 fine, four months in prison, and perhaps most shockingly, whippings with a bamboo cane.

If you’re not a fan of lashings similar to those performed in medieval times, don’t be defacing any Singapore structures with graffiti!

5. China

There’s so much to see in China, and so many ways to get in trouble doing it! Most people wouldn’t think twice when they connect to the internet in their hotel, but a group of 20 international travelers realized how careful you have to be. Eleven people from the group were deported for watching banned videos on their hotel’s wifi. Be careful what you check out online when you’re on public wifi in China. It’s safest to assume you’re always being monitored and behave accordingly.

Another peculiarity of Chinese law is the fact that defendants do not necessarily have the right to a lawyer when they’re being interrogated by the police. Still more unpleasant is that forced labor will very likely be part of your prison sentence, should you get one.

If you’re surprised by some of these laws and cases from around the world, remember how important it is to read up on a country’s laws before traveling there. In particularly severe cases, you might even want to think twice before booking travel to certain countries. Always pay attention to the news for recent incidents, and read up on feedback from other travelers to see how visitors are treated. The last thing you want is to end up famous for being the latest tourist to cause a legal and diplomatic incident.