What, no army? A traveler's guide to peaceful destinations
May07 Filed in: Lifestyle
There are 315 countries in the world, so where do you start looking for a holiday destination? Norman Roberts gave us some good ideas with nations without armed forces! If you think that is a dumb point of reference, you have never been to Africa or the old East Germany where a good time awaits.
This is probably the first arms-less country you would think of. The Central American state is definitely not your typical run-down despotic nation. You can land without being asked for bribes, as in Nigeria, and you can travel the quiet inland tracks in safety. So there are a few banditos, but per square mile, LA is a far more gung-ho gunslinger territory.
It is the people who make a place and Costa Ricans are enterprising and friendly folk who make their land a nice place. Always looking for a novel way to part foreign tourists with their hard-earned credit - in a nice way - they are not pushy at all - apart from those occasional banditos.
The "Rich Coast" conjures up images of a hot warm seaside paradise, but Costa Rica has plenty more micro-climates to choose from. From a steamy and muggy coast with mosquitoes at every turn, it can also turn mighty chilly if you head up into the mountains above the clouds. But relax, you can warm up on outstanding coffee for just 25 cents a cup. And to keep really warm, just attract the attention of some bandits and run like hell to the safety of ... oh yeah, almost forgot, there are no soldiers to protect you.
This is another country devoid of hunky guys in uniform, but it has plenty more to offer the visitor to their shore. White sandy beaches, clear blue water and wildlife everywhere. I have vague memories of a scandal a few years back with a hotel that was charging Brits a fortune to spend a fortnight in paradise. The problem was the plague of Mauritius Goffers. As one irate visitor pointed out,
"That is the cutest name I ever heard for a bloody rat."
Of course, the tourist uprising that followed was only local to the hygienically superior hotel, and luckily there was no reason for the authorities to re-think their nationwide no-army policy.
Have you ever been to any of these army-free countries? Did you feel less safe, or did you just appreciate the way the authorities always had enough money available for good schools and free health care?
Costa Rica
This is probably the first arms-less country you would think of. The Central American state is definitely not your typical run-down despotic nation. You can land without being asked for bribes, as in Nigeria, and you can travel the quiet inland tracks in safety. So there are a few banditos, but per square mile, LA is a far more gung-ho gunslinger territory.
It is the people who make a place and Costa Ricans are enterprising and friendly folk who make their land a nice place. Always looking for a novel way to part foreign tourists with their hard-earned credit - in a nice way - they are not pushy at all - apart from those occasional banditos.
The "Rich Coast" conjures up images of a hot warm seaside paradise, but Costa Rica has plenty more micro-climates to choose from. From a steamy and muggy coast with mosquitoes at every turn, it can also turn mighty chilly if you head up into the mountains above the clouds. But relax, you can warm up on outstanding coffee for just 25 cents a cup. And to keep really warm, just attract the attention of some bandits and run like hell to the safety of ... oh yeah, almost forgot, there are no soldiers to protect you.
Mauritius
This is another country devoid of hunky guys in uniform, but it has plenty more to offer the visitor to their shore. White sandy beaches, clear blue water and wildlife everywhere. I have vague memories of a scandal a few years back with a hotel that was charging Brits a fortune to spend a fortnight in paradise. The problem was the plague of Mauritius Goffers. As one irate visitor pointed out,
"That is the cutest name I ever heard for a bloody rat."
Of course, the tourist uprising that followed was only local to the hygienically superior hotel, and luckily there was no reason for the authorities to re-think their nationwide no-army policy.
Any more memories?
Have you ever been to any of these army-free countries? Did you feel less safe, or did you just appreciate the way the authorities always had enough money available for good schools and free health care?
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