Warnings about ATMs

In countries where there are no ATMs, cash is king. In about half the countries in Africa, there are no ATMs or establishments that accept credit cards outside of the capital or main financial city. This is also true in many Pacific island nations. I’ve found that establishments in the Pacific islands tend to prefer dollars from Australia, New Zealand or the US. 

Almost all of the countries where you will need cash prefer brand-new bills in high denominations.

In some countries with high crime rates, thieves often secrete themselves at night near the few available ATMs (many of which are on the street) in order to rob people who have withdrawn cash.

Also, there are a few countries where they are trying to control cash outflow, where you are prevented from getting money at an ATM unless you have a bank account in that country. I had this problem in Cyprus in summer 2016.

ALBERT PODELL

New York, NY