In Quito, extreme caution should be taken in tourist areas and crowded marketplaces, especially on the crowded streets of south Quito, the Panecillo, Old Quito, and all transportation terminals. In early 1998, there were robberies against tourists at the Cotopaxi National Park and Parque Carolina. Other areas identified as dangerous for tourists are El Tejar, Parroquia San Sebastian, Mariscal Sucre, Avenida Cristobal Colon and Gonzalez Suarez. Backpackers are frequently targeted for criminal activity in Quito. Incidences of luggage thefts at the airport were reported in early 1998.
Traffic accidents involving buses are frequent.
Bus travel throughout Ecuador can be particularly dangerous, especially at night, because of the frequency of crimes perpetrated against travelers. El Nino weather phenomenon has caused road closures and bridge washouts and may necessitate delays and less direct road travel. Caution should be exercised to guard against theft of personal belongings on the trolleys in Quito. Hostilities in the border area between Ecuador and Peru have occurred several times and no settlement has yet been reached. A demilitarized area has been negotiated and is in effect, and the border between the two countries is open.