Things you must know before you travel

Leave the jewellery at home and travel in a group to stay safe. Picture: Thinkstock

RECENT high-profile attacks on tourists in India, Brazil, Turkey and Mexico - including rapes - have raised questions about personal safety for overseas travel, especially for women. But frequent travellers and those who work in the industry say a few common-sense precautions can go a long way to ensuring personal safety.

For example, Fly.com vice president Warren Chang didn't hang a "Do not disturb" sign on his hotel room door on a trip to Jordan, because he didn't want to advertise his presence. Cindy Vanhoutte, who works for the vacation rental site HomeAway.com, always checks Google Street View to see what neighborhoods look like before renting there. And Pauline Frommer, co-publisher of Frommer Guidebooks, leaves her jewellery home and tries to dress according to "local norms" - recently wearing long, loose trousers in Morocco.

It's also prudent to check the Government's Smartraveller website's travel warnings, which track everything from crime to terrorism to natural disasters.

Sometimes travellers simply become careless, forgetting that crime is everywhere. "The cynicisms get left at home," said Alex Puig, a regional security director for International SOS, a medical and security crisis response company.

"I was on a train recently in Geneva, Switzerland. It's like Disney World there but an individual had his bag stolen." Puig himself was robbed by a gang in Rio but gave up his wallet and was unharmed. "Be prepared to lose whatever you're carrying," he advised.

Puig says travellers may be less cautious these days because websites and TV shows have made extreme adventures and off-the-beaten path destinations seem routine. "In the digital world, we can instantaneously show our friends all the cool, weird things we're doing," Puig said. "Our clients are flying to the developing world and going to spots they never would have gone to 10 years ago. In the era of Facebook postings, all the great things you're doing can lead people to bad judgment."

One important tip from Puig: Most crimes occur between 10pm and 5am, so stay indoors or be careful between those hours.

Elizabeth Becker, author of the new book Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism, said sometimes people "do things abroad they would never consider doing at home. They travel to countries where they don't speak the language, have a superficial knowledge of the culture and do little advance preparations beyond booking hotels and buying a tourist guide.

"My suggestion is to do your homework and spend the money to hire a reputable guide. If possible, make a connection to a local before you visit - either through a trusted friend, family member or colleague. The local can help steer you away from dangerous situations."

Carole Cambata's company Travel Leaders/Greaves Travel in the US, specialises in travel to India. She said her agency got a few calls after several attacks there on women, including from parents whose daughters are heading there as students or volunteers.

Cambata says the safest way for tourists to travel in India is by car and driver rather than public transportation, with the exception of certain trains, and she noted that it's much more affordable to have private cars there than here. She sometimes books female travellers on hotel floors that are female only - both guests and housekeepers.

While nobody is blaming the victims for any of these attacks, Cambata also advises visitors to avoid going out late alone, to dress conservatively and to stay away from isolated areas. "I wouldn't send a tourist to a dodgy area in New York either," she said.

The recent attacks inspired STA Travel, which specialises in student travel, to post "Tips for Safe Travels" on the STA blog. Advice includes staying in a group, never leaving your belongings unattended, and making sure gadgets and other valuables are out of sight. Young travellers are also encouraged to drink and party "responsibly": Don't ever leave a drink unattended where someone can slip something in it.

Chang advises leaving a spare ATM card and credit card in the hotel safe, so you still have access to cash if you're pickpocketed or robbed. He notes that some travellers ask for hotel rooms above ground floor, to prevent street-level break-ins, but below the sixth floor, so they can easily flee a fire. When he flies, he says, he counts rows between his seat and the emergency exit, in case the lights go out or the cabin fills with smoke.

A woman gang-raped last month on a public van in Rio was an American student, and three Boston University students died last year in a minivan accident in New Zealand. A critical incident database for study abroad programs is being launched this year by the US Forum on Education Abroad, in order to see where vulnerabilities exist - whether crimes, accidents or illnesses - and prevent future problems. The first data is expected early next year.

Aerial view of Copacabana Beach from Mount (Mt) Corcovada, Rio De Janeiro. Brazil / Travel Source:

Several companies that organize group tours - including Gate 1 Travel, Abercrombie & Kent, Overseas Adventure Travel, and Road Scholar - said they experienced no cancellations and no changed itineraries as a result of the attacks in India and Brazil. They also noted that safety is one reason people - especially women and solo travellers - choose group tours.

"They tell us that our expert local guides allow them to travel comfortably to places where they hesitate to go on their own due to language and cultural differences," said Pamela Lassers, spokeswoman for the luxury Abercrombie & Kent company.

Peter Greenberg, travel editor of CBS News and author of the Like a Local guidebook series, says immersing yourself in local culture is still the best way to travel, but you must use common sense.

"There are places in Ohio and New Jersey I wouldn't frequent, but that doesn't stop me from going to Cincinnati or the Jersey shore," he said. "A quick review of travel crime statistics will reveal the truth: More Americans are injured or killed in accidents in their own bathtubs than are victims of crime or terrorism overseas. The only real downside to going off the beaten track is when you act like a tourist, not a traveller."

View the original article here

Things you must know before you travel

Leave the jewellery at home and travel in a group to stay safe. Picture: Thinkstock

RECENT high-profile attacks on tourists in India, Brazil, Turkey and Mexico - including rapes - have raised questions about personal safety for overseas travel, especially for women. But frequent travellers and those who work in the industry say a few common-sense precautions can go a long way to ensuring personal safety.

For example, Fly.com vice president Warren Chang didn't hang a "Do not disturb" sign on his hotel room door on a trip to Jordan, because he didn't want to advertise his presence. Cindy Vanhoutte, who works for the vacation rental site HomeAway.com, always checks Google Street View to see what neighborhoods look like before renting there. And Pauline Frommer, co-publisher of Frommer Guidebooks, leaves her jewellery home and tries to dress according to "local norms" - recently wearing long, loose trousers in Morocco.

It's also prudent to check the Government's Smartraveller website's travel warnings, which track everything from crime to terrorism to natural disasters.

Sometimes travellers simply become careless, forgetting that crime is everywhere. "The cynicisms get left at home," said Alex Puig, a regional security director for International SOS, a medical and security crisis response company.

"I was on a train recently in Geneva, Switzerland. It's like Disney World there but an individual had his bag stolen." Puig himself was robbed by a gang in Rio but gave up his wallet and was unharmed. "Be prepared to lose whatever you're carrying," he advised.

Puig says travellers may be less cautious these days because websites and TV shows have made extreme adventures and off-the-beaten path destinations seem routine. "In the digital world, we can instantaneously show our friends all the cool, weird things we're doing," Puig said. "Our clients are flying to the developing world and going to spots they never would have gone to 10 years ago. In the era of Facebook postings, all the great things you're doing can lead people to bad judgment."

One important tip from Puig: Most crimes occur between 10pm and 5am, so stay indoors or be careful between those hours.

Elizabeth Becker, author of the new book Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism, said sometimes people "do things abroad they would never consider doing at home. They travel to countries where they don't speak the language, have a superficial knowledge of the culture and do little advance preparations beyond booking hotels and buying a tourist guide.

"My suggestion is to do your homework and spend the money to hire a reputable guide. If possible, make a connection to a local before you visit - either through a trusted friend, family member or colleague. The local can help steer you away from dangerous situations."

Carole Cambata's company Travel Leaders/Greaves Travel in the US, specialises in travel to India. She said her agency got a few calls after several attacks there on women, including from parents whose daughters are heading there as students or volunteers.

Cambata says the safest way for tourists to travel in India is by car and driver rather than public transportation, with the exception of certain trains, and she noted that it's much more affordable to have private cars there than here. She sometimes books female travellers on hotel floors that are female only - both guests and housekeepers.

While nobody is blaming the victims for any of these attacks, Cambata also advises visitors to avoid going out late alone, to dress conservatively and to stay away from isolated areas. "I wouldn't send a tourist to a dodgy area in New York either," she said.

The recent attacks inspired STA Travel, which specialises in student travel, to post "Tips for Safe Travels" on the STA blog. Advice includes staying in a group, never leaving your belongings unattended, and making sure gadgets and other valuables are out of sight. Young travellers are also encouraged to drink and party "responsibly": Don't ever leave a drink unattended where someone can slip something in it.

Chang advises leaving a spare ATM card and credit card in the hotel safe, so you still have access to cash if you're pickpocketed or robbed. He notes that some travellers ask for hotel rooms above ground floor, to prevent street-level break-ins, but below the sixth floor, so they can easily flee a fire. When he flies, he says, he counts rows between his seat and the emergency exit, in case the lights go out or the cabin fills with smoke.

A woman gang-raped last month on a public van in Rio was an American student, and three Boston University students died last year in a minivan accident in New Zealand. A critical incident database for study abroad programs is being launched this year by the US Forum on Education Abroad, in order to see where vulnerabilities exist - whether crimes, accidents or illnesses - and prevent future problems. The first data is expected early next year.

Aerial view of Copacabana Beach from Mount (Mt) Corcovada, Rio De Janeiro. Brazil / Travel Source:

Several companies that organize group tours - including Gate 1 Travel, Abercrombie & Kent, Overseas Adventure Travel, and Road Scholar - said they experienced no cancellations and no changed itineraries as a result of the attacks in India and Brazil. They also noted that safety is one reason people - especially women and solo travellers - choose group tours.

"They tell us that our expert local guides allow them to travel comfortably to places where they hesitate to go on their own due to language and cultural differences," said Pamela Lassers, spokeswoman for the luxury Abercrombie & Kent company.

Peter Greenberg, travel editor of CBS News and author of the Like a Local guidebook series, says immersing yourself in local culture is still the best way to travel, but you must use common sense.

"There are places in Ohio and New Jersey I wouldn't frequent, but that doesn't stop me from going to Cincinnati or the Jersey shore," he said. "A quick review of travel crime statistics will reveal the truth: More Americans are injured or killed in accidents in their own bathtubs than are victims of crime or terrorism overseas. The only real downside to going off the beaten track is when you act like a tourist, not a traveller."

View the original article here

Things you must know before you travel

Leave the jewellery at home and travel in a group to stay safe. Picture: Thinkstock

RECENT high-profile attacks on tourists in India, Brazil, Turkey and Mexico - including rapes - have raised questions about personal safety for overseas travel, especially for women. But frequent travellers and those who work in the industry say a few common-sense precautions can go a long way to ensuring personal safety.

For example, Fly.com vice president Warren Chang didn't hang a "Do not disturb" sign on his hotel room door on a trip to Jordan, because he didn't want to advertise his presence. Cindy Vanhoutte, who works for the vacation rental site HomeAway.com, always checks Google Street View to see what neighborhoods look like before renting there. And Pauline Frommer, co-publisher of Frommer Guidebooks, leaves her jewellery home and tries to dress according to "local norms" - recently wearing long, loose trousers in Morocco.

It's also prudent to check the Government's Smartraveller website's travel warnings, which track everything from crime to terrorism to natural disasters.

Sometimes travellers simply become careless, forgetting that crime is everywhere. "The cynicisms get left at home," said Alex Puig, a regional security director for International SOS, a medical and security crisis response company.

"I was on a train recently in Geneva, Switzerland. It's like Disney World there but an individual had his bag stolen." Puig himself was robbed by a gang in Rio but gave up his wallet and was unharmed. "Be prepared to lose whatever you're carrying," he advised.

Puig says travellers may be less cautious these days because websites and TV shows have made extreme adventures and off-the-beaten path destinations seem routine. "In the digital world, we can instantaneously show our friends all the cool, weird things we're doing," Puig said. "Our clients are flying to the developing world and going to spots they never would have gone to 10 years ago. In the era of Facebook postings, all the great things you're doing can lead people to bad judgment."

One important tip from Puig: Most crimes occur between 10pm and 5am, so stay indoors or be careful between those hours.

Elizabeth Becker, author of the new book Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism, said sometimes people "do things abroad they would never consider doing at home. They travel to countries where they don't speak the language, have a superficial knowledge of the culture and do little advance preparations beyond booking hotels and buying a tourist guide.

"My suggestion is to do your homework and spend the money to hire a reputable guide. If possible, make a connection to a local before you visit - either through a trusted friend, family member or colleague. The local can help steer you away from dangerous situations."

Carole Cambata's company Travel Leaders/Greaves Travel in the US, specialises in travel to India. She said her agency got a few calls after several attacks there on women, including from parents whose daughters are heading there as students or volunteers.

Cambata says the safest way for tourists to travel in India is by car and driver rather than public transportation, with the exception of certain trains, and she noted that it's much more affordable to have private cars there than here. She sometimes books female travellers on hotel floors that are female only - both guests and housekeepers.

While nobody is blaming the victims for any of these attacks, Cambata also advises visitors to avoid going out late alone, to dress conservatively and to stay away from isolated areas. "I wouldn't send a tourist to a dodgy area in New York either," she said.

The recent attacks inspired STA Travel, which specialises in student travel, to post "Tips for Safe Travels" on the STA blog. Advice includes staying in a group, never leaving your belongings unattended, and making sure gadgets and other valuables are out of sight. Young travellers are also encouraged to drink and party "responsibly": Don't ever leave a drink unattended where someone can slip something in it.

Chang advises leaving a spare ATM card and credit card in the hotel safe, so you still have access to cash if you're pickpocketed or robbed. He notes that some travellers ask for hotel rooms above ground floor, to prevent street-level break-ins, but below the sixth floor, so they can easily flee a fire. When he flies, he says, he counts rows between his seat and the emergency exit, in case the lights go out or the cabin fills with smoke.

A woman gang-raped last month on a public van in Rio was an American student, and three Boston University students died last year in a minivan accident in New Zealand. A critical incident database for study abroad programs is being launched this year by the US Forum on Education Abroad, in order to see where vulnerabilities exist - whether crimes, accidents or illnesses - and prevent future problems. The first data is expected early next year.

Several companies that organize group tours - including Gate 1 Travel, Abercrombie & Kent, Overseas Adventure Travel, and Road Scholar - said they experienced no cancellations and no changed itineraries as a result of the attacks in India and Brazil. They also noted that safety is one reason people - especially women and solo travellers - choose group tours.

"They tell us that our expert local guides allow them to travel comfortably to places where they hesitate to go on their own due to language and cultural differences," said Pamela Lassers, spokeswoman for the luxury Abercrombie & Kent company.

Peter Greenberg, travel editor of CBS News and author of the Like a Local guidebook series, says immersing yourself in local culture is still the best way to travel, but you must use common sense.

"There are places in Ohio and New Jersey I wouldn't frequent, but that doesn't stop me from going to Cincinnati or the Jersey shore," he said. "A quick review of travel crime statistics will reveal the truth: More Americans are injured or killed in accidents in their own bathtubs than are victims of crime or terrorism overseas. The only real downside to going off the beaten track is when you act like a tourist, not a traveller."

View the original article here

Most annoying things about hotel rooms

A shower positioned over the toilet can be challenging. (Note: This is a different hotel to the one I stayed in) Photo from a TripAdvisor traveller

• Some hotel stays are disappointing, bizarre
• These are some of my worst hotel experiences
• Tell us what you most dislike about hotel rooms below

THERE'S nothing like the feeling of walking into your hotel room after a long journey to be met with a jaw-dropping view and amazing furnishings. But what about the times you're left underwhelmed?

A hotel room can make or break your holiday. While the vast majority of hotel rooms I've stayed in have been wonderful, there have been times I was left wondering 'what were they thinking'?

Here are 16 of the most puzzling and disappointing hotel moments I've had. What are yours? Tell us below.

Shower over the toilet
This layout makes trying to get clean after a long day travelling quite challenging. That's right - at a hotel in Auckland, New Zealand, the shower was positioned above the toilet. It left me trying to wash while avoiding accidentally touching the toilet bowl with my leg. Not to mention that the water that ran over my feet also went up against the toilet, as it all swirled in together. Ewww. That's why you always bring thongs...

Blocked drains, clogged toilets and leaking seals around the doors to the shower can also lead to a headache. 

Is that it?
It can be very disappointing when the hotel room ends up looking nothing like what you've been promised. That awesome view of the beach is actually a swamp and that modern-looking, bright and spacious room is actually a decrepit run-down box.

Surprise extra fees
Ever heard of "resort fees"? Well stay in Vegas and you'll quickly become accustomed to them. One Vegas hotel assured me there would be no other fees payable on my account, which I'd booked through a third party. However upon checkout days later an extra few hundred dollars had magically appeared on my bill. Don't be afraid to challenge these fees if you weren't notified of them.

Also beware the $80 "holding fee" - an amount "frozen" by some hotels for damage or to replace items you may have taken from the mini-bar - which I've had taken out of my account by a hotel without being notified.  I only discovered what it was about after calling up to find out why the amount had been deducted.

Pushy – and snoopy - maids
Sometimes I actually like to sleep in, but maids have other ideas. On one occasion I'd hung out the do-not-disturb sign on the door the night before and was enjoying a sleep-in when, at 8am, the knocking and yelling "housekeeping" began. It continued persistently for two hours, each time I fell back to sleep it would start up again.

I do have a lot of respect for hotel maids, who often have a lot to do in little time, but some are just too keen. Take for example the maid at one Abu Dhabi hotel, who went into a room despite a drunken guest still being asleep in it and tidied up around him, even removing the clothing lying on the bed next to him and folding it up. He awoke dazed and surprised at his surroundings. He'll remember to lock the door next time!

Parking, what parking?
A lack of parking options close by can be another downside to hotels. Just as frustrating is the extra fee you'll often have to pay for valet parking when it's the only feasible option. You can also face a half-hour wait for your car to be returned to you – and it can be worse during peak times.

Early check-outs and breakfasts
Having to beg for a late checkout, say 11am, and sometimes having to wait until the morning of your checkout to find out if you've secured it or not, can be frustrating. For many the whole point of a hotel stay is to relax and sleep in, not rush out. The same goes for breakfast, which often finishes so early you miss out.

Theft
OK, most people would have returned to their hotel room at some point to find their belongings in different locations or their clothes tidied and put away, so it's clear someone went through your bags, and this can be harmless enough. But when I returned to my room at a new luxurious hotel in Singapore only to find that the seal on my brand new jar of expensive moisturiser had been broken and 90 per cent of its contents removed, I wasn't happy, mostly at the thought someone had been through my belongings. Was this how some hotels filled all those tiny bottles of moisturiser they offer? I got off lightly - fellow travellers have reported laptops and cameras stolen from their rooms.

Mini-bar rorts
I know hotels have to make money somehow, but having ridiculously-priced (and often underwhelming) snacks and drinks is just irritating, especially when there are no other shops anywhere near the hotel and you're on a tight schedule, forcing you to pay an extreme price for your thirst.

Hotel minibar. Picture:II Uggboy Ugggirl/Flickr Source: No Source

Terrible TVs
Sometimes there's nothing better than watching some trashy television after a long day of sightseeing. But a top hotel in Sydney had me wondering what were they thinking with their layout, which saw a king bed positioned facing the window and a TV mounted at an odd angle, way off the side of the room. This meant I had to twist diagonally across the bed to watch TV.

Smokin'!
Unfortunately, not all smoke detectors work. I experienced this at one LA hotel when I opened the bathroom door to a non-smoking room only to walk into a huge cloud of cigarette smoke. The hotel owner insisted the guest must have tampered with it. More concerning was the fact they obviously hadn't cleaned the bathroom or they would have noticed the smell.

Dirty towels
That yellow stain on the white towel isn't going to be good news.

Trapped in a lift
Checking out of a hotel in Nelson Bay, NSW, became a lot more challenging when I found myself stuck in a lift. The check-out time had been extended but little did I know the keycard had been deactivated early. A few presses of the emergency button and I was free, but not impressed.

Costly internet
Some hotels still charge extra for WiFi access, and it can quickly add up.

Insects galore
I arrived at one hotel in Peru late one night only to find the room full of bugs. They were everywhere. Sure, it was located next to a river, but the hotel staff had no bug spray and offered no help. There were wide gaps around the door so the insects kept following the light and making themselves at home on my bed.

Noisy
Thin walls and loud air conditioning can lead to a sleepless night.

Surprises on the bathroom floor
Nothing gives away the lack of cleanliness of a room like spotting pubic hairs scattered all over the bathroom floor.

 Saying all this, many hotels do get it right. But if you're not happy with what you see and experience, sometimes it pays to speak to hotel staff about it. You never know, they could upgrade you or give you a partial refund.

View the original article here