Drew Binsky, a travel vlogger who says he has visited all 197 countries, identified Somalia’s capital Mogadishu as the most unsafe place he has visited, describing the city as “miserable” and saying he was advised not to walk outside without armed protection.
In a YouTube video titled "Top five places where I felt the most unsafe as a traveller," the 34-year-old American recounted that each time he left his hotel in Mogadishu he required a convoy with armed escorts. "Every time you leave your hotel, you have to have a convoy in the front and back with four bulletproof vest military guys sitting on the beds of each truck with huge AK-47s in their hand, scouting out the area before you go," he said. He also cited the presence of Al-Shabab, which he described as an "offshoot of al-Qaeda," as a factor that made the city "very, very scary."
Binsky, who has more than 5.7 million YouTube subscribers and has said his videos have amassed over one billion views, ranked Mogadishu at the top of five destinations where he felt most unsafe. The other four cities he named were Conakry in Guinea, Kandahar in Afghanistan, Port-au-Prince in Haiti and Tripoli in Libya. He described Conakry as his "least favourite place in West Africa."
Binsky has spent about a decade documenting his travels and often posts video reports from countries with security challenges. His recounting of Mogadishu aligns with long-standing concerns about safety in Somalia’s capital, where international governments and aid agencies have repeatedly warned of risks tied to armed groups and instability. Al-Shabab has been widely reported by international media and security analysts to carry out attacks and exert influence in parts of Somalia.
Travel advisories issued by several Western governments typically caution against all but essential travel to many parts of Somalia, including Mogadishu, citing crime, terrorism and the threat of kidnapping. Aid organizations and those that work in the country often operate under strict security protocols that include armed escorts and controlled movements.
Binsky’s video adds a personal, on-the-ground account to broader assessments of security in certain cities. He framed his impressions in the context of having visited every country, saying that Mogadishu stood out as uniquely dangerous among the 197 places he has been. His list of other cities reflects a range of security environments, from conflict zones to urban areas with high crime and instability.
News coverage of Binsky’s comments has drawn attention from viewers and other travellers debating the relative risks of visiting different destinations. Officials and travel experts continue to recommend consulting government travel advisories and local contacts before planning trips to places with known security concerns.