nations make it extremely difficult for Americans to visit them. In fact, the US state department

has issued a list of travel warnings for more than 40 countries. So, are there any places

where we can’t visit? Here are some of the most difficult countries to travel to.

North Korea. There is no US embassy in North Korea, and the US State Department “strongly

recommends against all travel” there. But, there ARE a growing number of tour agencies

available to visitors, unless you’re a journalist or South Korean. Be sure to have a valid passport

handy at all times, and follow all the rules, because North Korean officials have been known

to detain tourists, send them to hard labor camps, or even put them to death. Tour agencies

claim there are around 5 thousand visitors per year, who get to see a few significant

locations, under intense supervision.

Libya. (LIH-bee-uh) First of all, if you have an Israeli passport, or have ever been to

Israel, they won’t even let you in the country. Also, they recently shut down their US embassy

because of militia violence . According to the US State Department, Americans are specifically

targeted for kidnappings, violent crime and murder. They encourage all American citizens

living there to “depart immediately”.

Eritrea. (air-ih-TREE-uh) This is a smallish country near Somalia and Ethiopia. Prior approval

is needed to travel outside of the capital city, and many rural areas and border towns

remain off-limits. Also, dual US and Eritrean citizens are recognized only as Eritrean (air-ih-TREE-an).

And, because there is a national draft, dual nationality visitors may be imprisoned or

forced into military service there. Eritrea does not inform the US embassy when it has

detained or imprisoned dual-nationals.

Saudi Arabia. In 1930, the King himself said that the country should “remain difficult

to access” for foreigners. You must have a visa in advance, and just like in Libya,

if your passport has an Israeli stamp, you ain’t gettin in. All females travelling

alone must have a male companion with them. Also, possession of drugs is punishable by

death…. so make sure you aren't travelling with anything questionable.

So it’s not that you can’t go anywhere, but there are countries where you probably

shouldn’t visit. Middle Eastern or African countries bear the most warnings for US citizens.

Along with Finland, Germany, Sweden and the UK, the US has THE most powerful travel privileges

in the world, allowing visa-free access to 174 countries. To travel safely, the State

Department's website provides information about local terrorism, extreme weather conditions

and disease outbreaks -- it's a great resource for those hoping to visit other nations. They

also offer a Smart Travel Enroll Program which informs the nearest US embassy of your visit

to region, were something to go wrong.

Southeast Asia is one hotspot for worldwide travelers, but the underbelly of some industries

can be pretty dark. To learn about the illegal moonbear industry, check out this story from

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