American traveling to Algeria - good or bad idea?

1POSTS

15 years ago

I'm an American living in the US. My ex-husband is Algerian who plans to travel home to Algeria to visit his family. He would also like to bring our 6 year old son with him on the trip....an American, with light skin, brown eyes and hair, and only speaks English.

I'm trying to keep an open mind while researching my safety concerns....as I believe Algeria is a beautiful country rich in culture.

Please let me know your thoughts and the ground-truth for such a visit to Algiers/Boumerdes area....as the US Government web sites strongly urge against such travel. It's unfortunate to be put in this situation. Please advise. Thanks!!! Ellen

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naila16 Member

3POSTS

15 years ago

Dear,

My name naila. I just alger bab Ezzouar
voila! I understand full well I know it is confusing in your head, you're an American father and mother you're used to a country, culture, mentality, but it must not be too afraid I know its the first time will be hard for him to be familiar with Algeria, but I know people in your case and now its gonna work great among his people and my cousin who is married to an Englishwoman and now they live a good life
anyway I'll be there to listen and help you why not?

Naila

ucif Guest

0POSTS

15 years ago

sincerly .. they said Boumerdes area still dangerous ..so can advise you ..that never speak english..try to put some french words in your talking and spread news that you come from england safer then you come From usa .. and for visit try to make it short or just travel to other area ..and if you feel isn't safe enough ..and if your ex husband had another family in Algiers .;it's better too ..anyway ..you need a Head scarf too .. and enjoy your trip and have a great time ..so don't so much ..only few places are unsafe and welcome to Algeria ..your second home

)

ucif Guest

0POSTS

15 years ago

Hi,

Common people, Alggiers is very safe, i dont remember any thing happaned in algiers since few years (and same in NYC), so i think algiers is very safe.

Algeria is a nice country and stop giving these bad ideas about ourselves, such things exist everywehere.

samiol Member

14POSTS

15 years ago

you will love Algiers and Algerian.....seems starange but you will just see by your self, if you need any english speaker just drop an email here I will help you for to find very good friends, very open mind and as the tradition is they are very wolcoming

sistersue Active member

75POSTS

15 years ago

Hi Ellen..
I myself come from UK and have been living in Algiers for a few yrs now...Things have changed since the mid 90`s...There are many foreigners here,including quite a few American ladies.I personally know. a lady from Texas in Blida 1 Cheraga and another one in the centre of Algiers...maybe your son has already been here,let us know how it went..? its such a shame the goverment have had advised your ex to come over with your son...I would have no problem going to Boumerdes area..xx

algiers Member

13POSTS

15 years ago

Dear Miss, I have been going back to algeria (mainly algiers and surrounding ) every 2 years with my australian wife and kids and last time was only in octobber last year, i can assure it is as safe as it can get as in any other country including USA !! as they say wrong place at the wrong time otherewise it is very important for your son to know where his father comes from because as he get older he may not be too keen as he will have his own interest.

Alglondres New member

7POSTS

15 years ago

HI SORRY IS NOT TRUE WHAT HE SAID: UCIF.
I AM AN ENGLISH WOMEN, WHO USED TO LIVE IN ENGLAND ( LONDON ) MY HUSBAND IS ALGERIAN EXACTLY BOUMERDES WE HAVE MOVED ABOUT 3 YEARS NOW TO BOUMERDES... THERE IS NO PROBLEM AT ALL IN BOUMERDES IT IS A NICE AREA, WITH FRIENDLY PEOPLE.. YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE AS THERE ARE BEAUTIFUL PLACES... AND YOU DON'T EVEN NEED TO DO SCARF AS HALF OF ALGERIAN WOMEN GO OUT WITHOUT SCARF!!

Alglondres New member

7POSTS

15 years ago

AND YOU CAN SPEAK ANY LUANGUAGE YOU WANT.. NO PROBLEM AT ALL OBVIOSULY SOME WOULDEN'T UNDERSTAND BUT EVEN IF THEY HEAR YOU SPEAK ENGLISH WITH SOMEONE THEY ACTUALLY WOULDEN'T CARE..

( FROM ENGLISH WOMEN LIVING IN ALGERIA )

Alglondres New member

7POSTS

15 years ago

#10

THANK YOU VERY MUTCH DOCTORSALIM23 FOR YOUR COMMENT

mimi007 Member

2POSTS

15 years ago

#11

Algeria is very safe,it's much safer than many touristic countries.oran,tlemcen,constantine and algiers are beautifull places to visit ;algeria is a great destination for summer and its very cheep u can stay in a very nice hotel for 40dollars a night (i mean a5stars hotel) the only problem is english we don't speak english:D

Emre New member

9POSTS

14 years ago

#12

mimi007 wrote:
Algeria is very safe,it's much safer than many touristic countries.oran,tlemcen,constantine and algiers are beautifull places to visit ;algeria is a great destination for summer and its very cheep u can stay in a very nice hotel for 40dollars a night (i mean a5stars hotel) the only problem is english we don't speak english:D

Yes, surely English is a big problem for an expat in Algeria

ili belkar Member

1POSTS

14 years ago

#13

Hello Hellina
sweetie you are making it so hard and complicated to for you
there is nothing wrong if your son or Daughter will visit Algeria
it's a safe place,security and people don't have any problem with the Americans,why the american government are against this idea
i advice you ,u can visit Algeria,you ,ur son,and even all ur family
be sure that everything will be ok
am Algerian i used to work with Americans in the south of Algeria
all the Americans are there in the south in the catering and oil field
why they didn't kill them
they travel from USA to Algeria some of them they stay in Algiers some of them they travel again to the south
sweaty my ex manager is american if you want i can give you his number you can contact him
he is american and he lives in Algeria

dogblue Member

2POSTS

14 years ago

#14

Hello to All
I am American, I will be offered oilfield job in Algeria near Hassin Moussaud area next month.... So, My question is what language do I need to learn before I come... French or Algerian Arabic...?

1 member reacted to this post

Harmonie ViP

19273POSTS

14 years ago

#15

Hello dogblue and welcome to Expat.com!

I hope that other members will soon help you.

Regards,
Harmonie.

algiers Member

13POSTS

14 years ago

#16

dear dogblue, the official language in algeria is arabic with out a doubt , but because you will be based in a oil field there will be a lot of foreign therefore you will get away with french or simply english. good luck

dogblue Member

2POSTS

14 years ago

#17

Algiers
Thanks for your reply...

Regards,
DogBlue

ucif Guest

0POSTS

14 years ago

#18

Dogblue .. if you go to oil field .. you can find many Foreigner ..and English Speaker .. even Algerian there had this skill ..

you won't have any problem with language ..
Good Luck

Emre .. in Algeria Every Person at least know 2 language .. Slang and Academic Arabic ..beside Amazigh if he/she is Kabyle .. and if you meet person like me .. i know at least 7 language .. the language isn't problem .. the Language is Tongue twist of mind Kneading .. So mimi007 write correctly what she thought ...her keyboard do mistake

samicarles Member

19POSTS

14 years ago

#19

yo soy venezolana , me enemore de un tuncecino, pero no hay embajada de venezuela en tunez, y me han recomendado ir argelia para casarno alla , pues he estado viendo los requisito para la visa y necesito una carta de invitacion formal de una persona que viva alla . debe ser en original

sera que me puedes ayudar .para darle mi direcion me envian la carta pagadeoa destinoen venezuela ,

saludos samaris mi email samicarles@gmail.com

requeria una ivitacion de una persona que viva en argelia legal

lo antes posible , si no no pode ir alla y posiblemente no podre casarme en argelia para luego legalizar a mi novio y traerlo a venezuela.
yo estare saliedo de viaje el 22 de julio a tunez, de este año

la otra embajada que puedo tramitar mi matrimonio es en tripoli pero por la razones que todos sabemos, no esta operativa ahora.

I am Venezuelan, I enemore a tuncecino, but there is no embassy of Venezuela in Tunisia and Algeria I have recommended going to casarno there, as I have been watching the visa requirement and need a formal invitation letter from a person living there. should be an original

will you can help me. to give my direcion pagadeoa send me a letter to Venezuela,

samicarles@gmail.com Samaris my email greetings

required a ivitacion a person living in legal Algeria

as soon as possible, otherwise do not prune go there and can not possibly get married in Algeria and then legalize my boyfriend and bring him to Venezuela.
I will be traveling saliedo July 22 to Tunisia this year

the other I can handle my embassy in Tripoli but marriage is for the reasons we all know, is not ready now.

samicarles Member

19POSTS

14 years ago

#20

I am Venezuelan, I enemore a tuncecino, but there is no embassy of Venezuela in Tunisia and Algeria I have recommended going to casarno there, as I have been watching the visa requirement and need a formal invitation letter from a person living there. should be an original

will you can help me. to give my direcion pagadeoa send me a letter to Venezuela,

samicarles@gmail.com Samaris my email greetings

required a ivitacion a person living in legal Algeria

as soon as possible, otherwise do not prune go there and can not possibly get married in Algeria and then legalize my boyfriend and bring him to Venezuela.
I will be traveling saliedo July 22 to Tunisia this year

the other I can handle my embassy in Tripoli but marriage is for the reasons we all know, is not ready now.

ahmedshameer New member

7POSTS

14 years ago

#21

mimi007 wrote:
Algeria is very safe,it's much safer than many touristic countries.oran,tlemcen,constantine and algiers are beautifull places to visit ;algeria is a great destination for summer and its very cheep u can stay in a very nice hotel for 40dollars a night (i mean a5stars hotel) the only problem is english we don't speak english:D

40USD per night in a 5star??? Name at least one 5star hotel where you got this rate in the near past. I think you maybe quoting the rates which were in existence a few decades ago.
I am an expat living in Mostaganem, near Oran, I totally disagree with your rates.

Sam-himself Member

1POSTS

10 years ago

#22

Hello , I m Samir from Constantine, Algeria . i just want to tell you that it's really a bad idea to let your kids grow up in especially this country .you should think twice before you do such decision . maybe it's Okay to let him live here if you think about his safety ..you don't have to worry .i think in that case we have much advantages somehow .many places in USA full of crimes ..criminals ..gangs..kidnapers..drugs ..weapons . let me tell you something that you really should think about it ..Education .if you want your kids to be educated you have to think about another destination for them ...there is no education here just shit..( sorry to say that ) they will live here without goals..no ambitions at all ..like us . we are just surviving . we are stupid peoples here ( sorry to say that ) but it's the fact .if you love your kid and want the best for him , want him to grow up and be somebody in this world ..useful one. you shouldn't let him grow ..in such country . it's your decision in the end , but please think about you kid future .

1 member reacted to this post

stumpy Laos Expert

18028POSTS

10 years ago

#23

Sam-himself wrote:
Hello , I m Samir from Constantine, Algeria . i just want to tell you that it's really a bad idea to let your kids grow up in especially this country .you should think twice before you do such decision . maybe it's Okay to let him live here if you think about his safety ..you don't have to worry .i think in that case we have much advantages somehow .many places in USA full of crimes ..criminals ..gangs..kidnapers..drugs ..weapons . let me tell you something that you really should think about it ..Education .if you want your kids to be educated you have to think about another destination for them ...there is no education here just shit..( sorry to say that ) they will live here without goals..no ambitions at all ..like us . we are just surviving . we are stupid peoples here ( sorry to say that ) but it's the fact .if you love your kid and want the best for him , want him to grow up and be somebody in this world ..useful one. you shouldn't let him grow ..in such country . it's your decision in the end , but please think about you kid future .

Welcome to the forum...
You have posted on an old(2011) and inactive thread and will probably not get a reply. Please feel free to open a new thread.

XB23 ViP

1132POSTS

10 years ago

#24

Sam-himself wrote:
Hello , I m Samir from Constantine, Algeria . i just want to tell you that it's really a bad idea to let your kids grow up in especially this country .you should think twice before you do such decision . maybe it's Okay to let him live here if you think about his safety ..you don't have to worry .i think in that case we have much advantages somehow .many places in USA full of crimes ..criminals ..gangs..kidnapers..drugs ..weapons . let me tell you something that you really should think about it ..Education .if you want your kids to be educated you have to think about another destination for them ...there is no education here just shit..( sorry to say that ) they will live here without goals..no ambitions at all ..like us . we are just surviving . we are stupid peoples here ( sorry to say that ) but it's the fact .if you love your kid and want the best for him , want him to grow up and be somebody in this world ..useful one. you shouldn't let him grow ..in such country . it's your decision in the end , but please think about you kid future .

That explains why many are desperate to leave that God-forsaken country. Who can blame them.

Stéphanie ViP

729POSTS

10 years ago

#25

Hi everyone,

Please note that this thread is outdated, I invite all of you to create a new one or even to participate on Algeria forum.

Thank you

Stéphanie