Kudos to Canada. And a nod to Hawai’i, as well.
A study by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection has anointed Canada as the safest country on the planet for 2024. Montreal came second in the world for safe cities, beaten only by Honolulu.
Berkshire Hathaway nalyzed the responses of 1,702 travelers who were polled between August 24 and September 13, 2023, along with third-party data sources to evaluate concerns such as terrorism, weather emergencies, health measures, and the safety of underrepresented groups. The Berkshire Hathaway rankings also take into account data and information sourced from the U.S. State Department, The Economist, and Global Finance magazine, among other sources.
Canada was tops, up from sixth position in 2023. (Maybe the country’s not going to hell in a handbasket after all?).
“Ranked as the 11th most peaceful country in the world by the 2023 Global Peace Index, Canada has a reputation for its diversity, inclusivity, and low crime rate,” said Afar magazine. “This only enhances its legendary travel offerings, from fabulous multicultural cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver to remarkable natural beauty in national parks like Jasper, Banff, and Prince Edward Island.”
Aw, shucks, we’re blushing.
Le Grande Roue (Big Wheel) in Montreal. JIM BYERS PHOTO
As much as I sometimes complain about the winter weather, there really isn’t a country in the world I’d rather live in the Canada. We’re a fairly civilized bunch. We (mostly) look after each other. We welcome immigrants. We celebrate diversity and LGBTQ lifestyles. We have gun control, thank God.
Is Canada perfect? Of course not. There are too many homeless people in our cities. Housing costs are outrageous. And city streets in Toronto have so many lunar-sized potholes that I often expect Neil Armstrong to come down in front of my house and plant a flag.
But we are relatively safe. And we have a basketball team that won the NBA title a few years ago. And amazing musicians (well, they were from here originally, anyway) like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, and now Drake and Celine Dion and Michael Buble and Alanis Morissette and so many others. We have Margaret Atwood’s right hand. Margaret Atwood’s left hand. We have mountains and cities and lakes up the ying yang. We have a rich indigenous history, albeit one that’s been treated terribly by the white majority. We have PEI lobster and Vancouver Japadogs. We have the nicest people in the world, Newfoundlanders (okay, they’re tied with Saskatchewan folks). We have Mounties in crisp red uniforms and moose and Moraine Lake in Alberta and Montreal bagels.
As for safest cities, I was happy to see Honolulu, a city I always enjoy visiting, top the list this year. It’s a very diverse city, with fabulous art galleries, museums, historical sites, fine beaches, great hotels, excellent shopping, and amazing nature (try the Manoa Falls next time you’re in town). Not to mention amazing food; everything from Portuguese malasadas (like a donut) to Laotian fried chicken, fresh tuna poke, and, yes, Spam Musubi.
Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii.
If you’ve never been, check out the Doris Duke Estate, formally known as the Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, near Diamond Head crater. It’s a magnificent property with a stunning collection of Islamic art and lovely gardens. Great ocean views, as well.
As for the rest of the two lists, you probably thought I’d never get around to it. But here you go.
WORLD’S SAFEST COUNTRIES
- Canada
- Switzerland
- Norway
- Ireland
- Netherlands
- United Kingdom
- Portugal
- Denmark
- Iceland
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Japan
- France
- Spain
- Brazil
WORLD’S SAFEST CITIES
- Honolulu
- Montreal
- Reykjavik
- Sydney
- Amsterdam
- Dubai
- Copenhagen
- London
- Seoul
- Venice (Italy, not California)
- Tokyo
- Berlin
- Paris
- Barcelona
- Orlando
Nice to see Orlando in the top 15. I’m not a big theme park guy, but there are some nice areas downtown and some really good food. The suburb of Winter Park is a walkable, pretty town with great shops and restaurants, as well as a wonderful boat tour through pretty canals lined with luxury homes and trees dripping with Spanish moss. Also good to have Sydney in the top four.
I’m shocked to see Tokyo outside the top 10, as I’ve always found it be extraordinarily safe.
