Risky Travel: How Much is Too Much?

Risky Travel: How Much is Too Much?

Is it safe to travel to Turkey or other areas of unrest? After several weeks in the country, we reflect on the recent attacks and ask how much risk is too much

On Tuesday, June 7, 2016, a bomb exploded in central Istanbul, killing 11 people and injuring 36 others. The news was particularly sobering since we had only been in the city a day and a half earlier.

We had spent a few weeks traveling through parts of western Turkey, stopping in Istanbul, Selçuk and Ephesus, Denizli, Pamukkale and Cappadocia, ending in Istanbul.

On the flight back to London, I mentally planned the post I wanted to write: a call for tourists to start visiting Turkey again to experience the iconic landscapes, historic architecture, delicious food and amazing people of Turkey.

We had met numerous locals who were suffering from the free fall of tourism. Hotels everywhere were half empty and some reported a 70% drop in business. Osman, from Kirkit Horse Riding, told us the turmoil had been “catastrophic” for his business and his family.

My post wanted to urge people to return to Turkey. We have limited influence, but surely we could help a little? After all, we had traveled half the length of the huge country and experienced nothing but complete openness and warmth.

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And then the bomb went off in Istanbul. The tragic attack not only destroyed lives but had serious consequences across the country. As for us, instead of a rallying cry for tourism, we published a low-key post on the Blue Mosque's dress code.

Just three weeks after the June 7 bombing, the city suffered a second attack, this time on Ataturk International Airport, which left 41 people dead and another 239 injured.

This brings the fatal total to five bombings in Istanbul and four in Ankara in the last eight months alone. Suffering at the hands of Kurdish and IS fighters, Turkey clearly wasn't as safe as we thought.

We were asked to ask how much risk is too much?

Would I visit Turkey again next month? Probably. Would I advise our readers to visit next month? Probably. Would I be happy if my little sister came to visit next month? No.

Of course, the risk comes in different shades and intensities - but how much is too much?

Our ethos at Atlas & Boots is to travel with passion, and if there is one solid guiding principle we can offer, this would have to be it. We won't be visiting the world's most dangerous countries any time soon, but as independent travelers we would urge our colleagues to explore as much as their nerves allow.

We're planning a six-month trip through Africa soon, including some arguably dangerous countries like Burundi. We know there are risks and have even talked about writing wills before we go - but we will go.

If we shied away from Turkey, we would never have seen some of the most unique landscapes in 60 travel countries.

I'm not as spiritual as I used to be, but I still believe that when it's your time, it's your time. The worst thing you can do is not to “suck out all the marrow of life” before that time comes. This can mean different things. For some, it means spending more time with their children; for others it is the enjoyment of luxurious things. For travelers, it means seeing the most beautiful things our planet has to offer.

Perhaps extreme climber Jimmy Chin explains it best: "The two big risks are risking too much and risking too little. Everyone has to decide that for themselves. For me, risking nothing is worse than death."
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