Despite the bad headlines over the seemingly never-ending drug wars in Mexico, tourists are flocking to the country more than ever before. The Financial Times reports that Mexico had a record number of tourists this past December. More than a million tourists traveled to Mexico in December – a 13 percent jump from the previous December.

It’s quite a rebound. In late 2009, there had been concern that tourism to Mexico was a thing of the past as the number of visitors plummeted. But remember, that was soon after the H1N1 flu epidemic that broke out there and the global financial crisis was at its nadir. Now, things are looking very rosy, despite the drug wars. But just in case, sign up for mPassport and keep track of safety alerts.

Speaking of safety alerts, a trip to Egypt could be a touch adventurous these days. Violence erupted this week in what’s being called a soccer riot, but seems to have much deeper roots. A lot of people on the ground are blaming authorities for being too aggressive and sparking the vioelence.

This looks like some unexpected fun. Mike Ives of the Washington Post journeyed to Laos to celebrate the New Year, and a water fight broke out.

It’s been a mild winter in most of the US, but trust me, you could use a little sun. How about Tahiti and French Polynesia? The folks at Lonely Planet say it’s a lot more affordable than you think, especially if you follow their advice and avoid some of the insanely expensive islands that give this destination its reputation.

In the wake of the Costa Concordia disaster, you’d think that everyone would be a little more attuned to the safety drills and rules. Apparently not. U.S.-based Holland America had to boot a passenger off its Caribbean-bound cruise ship Westerdam after the passenger refused to take part in a pre-cruise safety drill.

Caveat emptor. Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority is chastising TripAdvisor for calling their customer reviews “trusted.”