Retirement Travel Safest Cities To Visit

hey guys welcome back to the channel today we are sharing the nine safest cities to visit in retirement and we do a lot of traveling as you guys know we've been traveling full-time for over six years we've been to over 60 countries five continents and we've had a lot of experiences in a lot of countries and the funny thing too is that not only do we have experiences together but I also do a lot of things off by myself as well so I have a lot of experiences as as just a a woman traveling uh or doing activities in these places by myself yeah so we're going to attack this from our experience how we felt because there are definitely places where we haven't felt safe or as safe as other places and we're going to combine that with some of the statistics that you'll see to kind of give you an overall picture of real world experience of which places are to save as if that's a concern for you where you should start out and the number one place that's the safest which I thought to myself before I visited how could this be that safe it's Tokyo Japan and after being there it's laughable how safe it is it's it is it's almost comical really when you think to yourself okay so we're just going to you know leave that there I watched a couple of girls uh taking photos on the street they both set their purses by the railing and they went across to the other side their purses were still sitting by the railing they went across to the other side set up a tripod took their photo there was no concern they were never looking around like oh I wonder if someone's going to take our purse I wonder if someone will snatch our tripod with the phone on it nothing there was no concern whatsoever I was more worried than they were yeah there was no need for it you do see it all the time where people just leave stuff and it's like that's a computer that's your wallet like you're just leaving it and it's no concern uh this the city is just incredibly safe you never ever feel like you're in danger you I don't know how you could possibly feel that way in Tokyo right I mean often times you'll go into restaurants and people walk in and they go especially like a like a quick fast food type restaurant not necessarily fast food but you know some place where you order you get your food just sit down not like a restaurant where they take your order you go in and people will always just set their bags down you know set their computer bag down whatever set it down go Place their order and then come back and sit or go Place their order and wait for it and then come and sit and sometimes the seat is not in their line of view so they can't even keep an eye on their stuff they never even look back yeah and which just is mindboggling and you're also not as not even just theft like if you're crossing streets no one's going to run a red light and hit you no one's going to disobey any rule in fact the the sign could say don't walk and there could be not a car coming for a mile and you'll have like 10 people just standing there where it's like in America we would cross even if there's like multiple cars coming at us we just go across whenever we want they do not break the rules at all ever nobody so if there's a rule they're going to follow it and that just contributes to your safety it's it's almost like surreal it's it's very it's probably the most culture shock we've ever had because it's so different than pretty much anywhere we've ever been and so it's amazing you have to try it out and come try it uh number two is going to be Singapore you've probably heard of Singapore being safe and it is very safe it does feel very safe and you just yeah it's it's clean and safe yeah and one of the things in Singapore too is like we were out really late at night because we were trying to um you know do some photography cuz there's a lot of different you know light shows and things like that at night and if you wait till later on in the evening there's a lot less people walking around so it's a better time to you know take pictures cuz you have have less people walking around um but also that means like you know in some places it would be like okay well that's less safe because now there's less people around but I didn't even think about it at all there and I went out a couple times myself um absolutely no concern I never had to look over my shoulder and I knew people were back there but never felt like oh someone's you know chasing me or following me or whatever it never felt like you can just feel it you know you can just you have that feeling um you know of hey there might be something wrong that's never a feeling that you're going to get in Singapore next city is going to be Osaka Japan which all the same things that apply to Tokyo apply to Osaka it's a little bit less uh clean a little bit more gritty than than Tokyo so you do feel a little bit differently marginally though it's still exceedingly safe compared to basically anywhere else that we've been so uh we did go try to get Ball tickets at Osaka and the line to get the tickets was going to be like an hour it was going to be an hour until they started actually selling them so everybody they they told everybody that and then everyone was like well I'll just leave my stuff here and we'll we'll leave and go so everyone just sat all their stuff in a long line and left for an hour came back they didn't leave like nothing they left their bags their purses one guy had ordered a McDonald's meal and he just set it on the ground to hold a spot I was like how do you that just kind of blew my mind so I was like first of all in America you know someone's eating that just taking that or like a stray animal is going to come and eat it something is getting that and I'm not leaving a meal to hold my spot for an hour sure enough we let so we got a water bottle we bought it set it down we weren't really willing to leave our bags cuz we just we just couldn't it just felt wrong we couldn't comprehend doing that so we we left a water bottle sure enough we came back we came back a little early even to see what would happen and guys meal was still sitting there he came back an hour later and I don't really know why he wanted to eat cold McDonald's after he bought the meal an hour later but that's another story anyway that's kind of gives you an idea of just what they do in Japan and uh I now that we're in Japan right now and I just think they must just be shocked when they come to America yeah that's it's actually just really crazy to me and I've actually gotten into the habit of just leaving stuff um you know the other morning I went to a coffee shop I wanted to just sit and read quietly and so I walked in and I set down my I put my Kindle down you know to save a a table for myself I set my Kindle down and walked away and went and ordered my coffee and waited for my coffee came back and sat down and I sat down and it just kind of hit me I was like oh my goodness like I just left my Kindle just sitting here and I didn't even turn around it didn't even occur to me to turn around and look to see if it was still there I guess I just assumed it was there I need to get out of that practice though before we go back home yeah you do we're going to lose all my electronics next city is going to be Toronto and I know we have a lot of Canadian viewers so chime in in the comments on this one you may have a different opinion I don't think toron is in the same league as the Japanese or Singapore cities but it is certainly safer among the uh International statistics and just how we felt when we were there Canadians are just super nice there's no way other way to say that you know so I guess if something did happen to you in Canada they would at least be nice while they're doing it to you yes but you know we actually got back really late on a train ride and we were walking uh you know up the hill I think we were going to the Double Tree from the train station so it was you know a few blocks over or whatever and it was late and when we got off the train and we walked from the train station um up there to uh the hotel and you know we probably encountered maybe like two people but they were just walking around didn't really have any issues there at all um and like you said everybody was so nice yeah it it's it's a great City I want to hear what you Canadians think about it though what is the safest place in Canada uh because we've also been in Edmonton that felt pretty good people in Edmonton though they talked about Calgary they were saying Calgary is not the same so I don't know if that's I don't know if that's true or not yeah I don't know uh next city is goingon to be Bangkok and Bangkok just is another city where we had to check our thoughts at the door because the first time we went to Bangkok everyone was so nice and so helpful that you know in America when someone is that nice to you you're like you're trying to scam me what are you trying to do and you start like checking your wallet and like like why are you talking to me like this no they were just being helpful yeah it was really quite wild that's probably the one place that trained us cuz that's the first place where we went where it was like that um was in Bangkok Thailand you know years ago and that experience did definitely change our mentality and you know to kind of shift into that hey it's okay here and one our uh I think our second time there we celebrated new years's and we went down into all of the craziness you know for the fireworks and just kind of experience it you know and we went down there took the train there and we all had our our daughter was actually visiting as well so it was the three of us went down there did the celebration we had our bags with us and stuff our phones no concern by the time we were walking back to the train and walking off the train and to our apartment it was about 2 2:30 in the morning and not one time did we ever think oh goodness like look around make sure everything's okay perfectly safe uh and there were people out and about it's not that there was no one out there were people out and about just never occurred to to think anything bad would happen no I've never even thought twice in Bangkok about safety it's just it just feels like that that's just not even a concern so uh next up will be Saigon Vietnam and it's it's sort of like Bangkok maybe just a little bit less of that feeling I don't think it's unsafe at all in fact I I feel safer there than pretty much anywhere in America uh but I also wanted to point out that part of this list too is how welcome you feel and the people in Saigon really made us feel very welcome yeah I was actually you know a little bit nervous wasn't sure about what the experience would like would be like this was actually the first place we visited uh when we went to Vietnam for the very first time and the people there were just really kind of blew my mind again um you know from the moment we got there even at the airport the the border patrol person was so nice to us um I just was so surprised and everyone from you know from there out and into the city everyone was really nice um and when you needed assistance with something they would help you out if you were like ah I don't know what I'm doing um they would help you fix your stuff out so it was really nice next Up's going to be Dubai and this was another one that we just didn't know anything about before we got there we heard it was fine heard it was good got there and it is kind of interesting how many different cultures are present in Dubai and I think that's something we loved about it but the you just do feel really safe in Dubai and it's it's just a a lovely place to be yeah it's really a it is it's it feels like a like a like a warm hug and definitely warm because you're in the desert but it just kind of feels like a warm hug Dubai is a welcoming City and yes they're known obviously for the extravagance and the luxury and all that kind of stuff but behind all of that uh there are it is a really good pleasant experience and it is a very safe feeling there uh next up will be Zurich Switzerland and Switzerland you know they're neutral so uh they're they they kind of and Zurich does feel like that it does feel like nothing is going to ever happen in Zurich yeah you just uh again we had a train ride that we came in real late there too with our bags um trying to find our hotel and not once in in trying to you know look at the GPS and stuff and figure out where we were going not once did we ever think o like should we look around and make sure we don't get jacked here cuz we have we had all our bags and stuff and you know know our our equipment and everything with us and didn't have any trouble at all yeah now it is interesting because this is the only European city to make our list and if you look at the reports out there I don't know who puts these reports out there cuz one of them I read said that Bankok was less safe than Washington DC I was like have you ever been to both of these places cuz that makes no sense whatsoever uh but Europe generally scores really high on the safety meter but it doesn't always feel safe and so that's the difference in our real world test versus just these lists that are out there because Europe does have you know any place you get on a train which is basically all over Europe they're going to have announcements like look out for pickpockets you know and and you do have those things happen so when you're in the big European cities you're going to be having your hand on your wallet because train gets crowded we've heard countless people who've been pickpocketed there you know when you're in like Bangkok or Dubai there's no announcements to look up for pickpockets there aren't any you you could put your wallet on the floor and turn your back pick it up 10 minutes later and still be there in some of these Asian cities so uh you know in Japan that would be the case in fact we saw we've seen in Japan when when someone leaves something behind someone will pick it up off the street and they'll put it in a prominent area like on the side and just they'll all kind of leave stuff for people there uh we also saw in Vietnam uh ruro Vietnam we were in there was a they had made like their own UPS uh system because there was no package delivery so these buses would roll up and people would get off and they would set packages out on the curb and the bus would take off and then another bus would pick up and the passengers would get off the bus pick up the packages put them on that bus and they they had this whole interesting we couldn't figure out how it worked but they were just leaving people's packages out on the curb and I just thought to myself I can't imagine anything like that ever happening at home or even in Europe so it is just a different different animal but Zurich does make the list uh because it is it is one that feels very safe yeah next up moving we're going to go to Abu Dhabi yes and this one is very similar to the experience in Dubai as as well uh you get there and you just you just feel like I can let my guard down you know I felt like that instantly walking out of the terminal it was like okay well we're good here and you just walk around you don't feel like you have to hold on to your bag or like you said you know checking for your wallet or gripping your phone things like that uh you don't have to worry about those types of things you know hiding jewelry you've had to do those things in many places knowing that you know there's people that will drive up and just rip a necklace off of you or rip your phone out of your hand you know like you mentioned in Europe you see a lot of people wear their phone on those little latches across and like a crossbody because they're going to get ripped out of their hands if they're walking in the street looking at something so we did not have that feeling at all in Abu Dhabi it was a very safe feeling and it was actually a very comfortable place to be yeah and and it's because part of it's because it's so beautiful I think that kind of makes you feel safer sometimes and there's no graffiti or anything like this so uh it just gives you that kind of feeling but these are the places that we think are the safest if that's a concern for you you may want to start with some of these uh because it it's it's generally you know these big cities can can be the ones that are not safe but these here that we've listed we've always felt nothing with safe yeah and these are all big cities there's obviously lots of uh you know small towns and Villages and things like that in all these different countries that are just as amazing but in our personal experience you know if you're looking for that big city field these are great ones to start in where you know that you're going to have a good overall experience and you don't have to you know like we said earlier be worried about losing your things uh hopefully this was helpful to you guys uh if you have any questions leave those down in the comments and we'll see you guys next time

Channel: Grounded Life Finances

Views: 7,791

Keywords: safest countries to visit in retirement, what are the best safe countries to visit in retirement, safest cities to visit in retirement, what are the safest cities to visit in the world, safe cities to travel to, best safe cities to travel to

Id: fNHlqNvDeaE

Length: 17min 30sec (1050 seconds)

Published: Wed May 08 2024