Tibet tourism ‘hit record high’

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Title – Tibet tourism ‘hit record high’
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 17th December 2007

Once the last frontier of adventure travel, exploration and expeditions, Tibet became a favourite with backpackers and Gap Year travellers and is now teetering on the edge of becoming a mainstream tourist destination. With 4 million tourists visiting Tibet (a substantial increase will have come from Chinese tourists) each year, it can hardly be described as the final frontier of adventure travel any more.

But independent travellers should not be deterred, Tibet still has a lot to offer and will be a spectacular destination for anyone not having visited the Himalayas before. Anyone truly willing to put in the effort will still find untouched landscapes and hiking trails which the masses choose to ignore or don’t have the time or fitness levels to attempt.

Politically Tibet is sensitive, many are calling for the Chinese to leave and autonomy to be restored. Undoubtedly the Chinese influence is a negative and repressive one and one that threatens (some would say already has) to permanently ruin one of the countries greatest attractions; the spiritual heart beat which has survived centuries, but is critically threatened by Chinese 'development'. As long as his Holiness The Dalai Lama is exiled from his spiritual homeland, Tibet will be missing its heart beat.

Tibet is a perfect example of a country where tourists and travellers should choose where they spend their money wisely, support local Tibetan businesses when you choose your hotel, dinner, guides and choose authentic local crafts as gifts to take home rather then cheap Chinese imports.

We believe that every individual should be allowed to choose where they decide to travel to themselves, but that they should be informed of both politically sensitive areas, politically unstable areas, medically dangerous destinations and culturally sensitive destinations before they make their final choices. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop provides candidates with comprehensive Destination Advice and safety tips specific to your destinations to allow you to make informed choices. Where we determine the destination to be unsuitable for safe independent travel we may refuse to offer advice, but this is determined before the booking process is completed.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Malaria risk ‘higher’ this year

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Title – Malaria risk ‘higher’ this year
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 3rd December 2007

Having accurate and up-to-date information about your travel destination is vital for any travel you are planning.

Travel Health is an essential part of any travel plan and Malaria is one of the more serious risks faced by travellers to certain parts of the world. When the risk increases, such as is the case in South Africa currently, then the protection you afford yourself needs to be redoubled.

We take Travel Health seriously and protecting yourself from Malaria and its devastating effects is to near the top of our list. Both a proactive and a prophylactic approach is called for and we advise candidates on our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop (GYITSA) of the best ways to protect themselves against Malaria and other travel health issues.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Rift valley fever deaths in Sudan

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Title – Rift valley fever deaths in Sudan
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 15th November 2007

Rift Valley Fever is just one of the many afflictions parts of Africa have to deal with and it sometimes seems that Sub-Saharan Africa suffers from the scourge of almost every tropical disease know today.

Travel to the Sudan is not common, the reputation of a country synonymous with war, famine, Dafur, Al-Qaeda and so many more news headlines means that most people cross it off the list early when deciding where to travel to, but it is still on the list of some intrepid travellers mostly on organised tours.

Disease is prevalent on every continent except Antarctica and no travel should ever be planned without an in-depth look at the dangers disease causes the locals and therefore travellers to those areas. Fortunately instances of Rift Valley Fever are relatively rare, but the same can not be said for Malaria, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, Typhoid, heatstroke, altitude sickness and many more.

A trip to any part of the world needs to be planned in conjunction with a programme of appropriate vaccinations, prophylactic drugs and most importantly sound preventative measures. A basic understanding of the symptoms and incubation periods of diseases from the areas of the world you are travelling to also helps, when it comes to diagnosis. Malaria for example can have an incubation period of several months; the symptoms are initially similar to a common cold, so when you visit your doctor with a cold 3 months after you return from your tropical adventure, the knowledge you have will allow your doctor to make a more accurate diagnosis.

Making plans is more than just choosing which countries to visit, it’s about planning for the worst case scenario and leaving as little to chance as is practicable. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshops help you achieve this goal.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Libya changes tourist entry rules

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Title – Libya changes tourist entry rules
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 13th November 2007

Travel is often not straight forward, different countries change their entry and exit rules on a regular basis, often on a tit-for-tat basis as a result of arguments between governments and those it affects most is the travellers simply seeing what the world has to offer and what they can learn along the way.

Fortunately this type of sudden unannounced change which results in plane loads of tourists being refused entry doesn’t happen very often and you are generally warned before your departure by your tour operator or airline.

But visa and documentation requirements can be a nightmare in the planning stages of any trip, especially when travelling to a number of different countries on the same trip. Even a stamp from another country in your passport can raise an eyebrow or lead to unending questions of where you have just come from, the reason for your visit and remember customs officials tend not to have a sense of humour when they listen to your answers.

Our two day Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop prepares those candidates attending with all the information they need to start their trip preparation, including visa applications and requirements. This allows you to plan effectively for your trip and not make the simplest mistakes such as not allowing enough time to get all the visa applications filed and thus resulting in sometimes hundreds of pounds worth of extra costs being added to your budget. We also help you to be aware of some of the more dangerous aspects of travel and the course provides skills to deal with these as well, including; personal safety techniques, Travel Health, dealing with crime abroad, Travel Equipment, Cultural Awareness and more.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Backpacker hostels are ‘death-traps’

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Title – Backpacker hostels are ‘death-traps’Source – Times online
Date – 1st November 2007

When you are travelling, especially in countries you are unfamiliar with there are often days when you look forward to getting to your accommodation at the end of the day not only because you are tired or need a wash, but also because your accommodation is often your sanctuary, you feel safe on arrival and the stresses and strains of the day are left outside your door.

So the last thing you want to worry about is the safety of your hotel or hostel, but should you?

The answer to that question is no you should not worry; you shouldn’t worry because you should know a simple few steps and checks to take to put your mind at rest. These steps don’t have to take a long time or be difficult and you’ll soon find them becoming routine, so you hardly even think about them. When was the last time you consciously thought of looking left and right before you crossed the road? Probably a long while ago or maybe when teaching your children; yet nearly every time any of us cross the street we do look both left and right, probably several times.

Fire safety standards in many parts of the world are much more lapse then in the UK; in many places they are effectively non-existent. Your destination will dictate the level of risk, but don’t think that your budget does. Some of the more expensive places I have stayed have been the biggest death traps and some of the cheapest have been the easiest to get out of…

The key is to decide for yourself where it is safe to stay and where you should avoid; have the courage to ask for a different room; ask for the fire safety guidance from the hotel / hostel; and ultimately if you are unhappy stay somewhere else.

Fires in hotels and hostels are far from rare, many go unreported. In the UK we tend only hear about fire where UK citizens are hurt or killed. For the sake of a few minutes observation and a few checks when you check-in, you can dramatically reduce the risk you face.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop (GYITSA) examines all aspects of Travel Safety from personal safety to Travel Health and Cultural Awareness to Transport Option. During the travel safety section of the workshop we examine the simple steps you can take when checking your accommodation to reduce your risks from fire and other harm. Whereas most people will check general cleanliness and speak up if it is unacceptable, some will go a step further and check under the sheets for bedbugs, we recommend you go even further and carry out a few fire safety checks that should also form part of your pre-check-in procedures.

Please visit our website please visit at

www.safegapyear.com

The young people got up and ran, but the police just fired into their backs

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Title – The young people got up and ran, but the police just fired into their backsSource – The Independent
Date – 29th September 2007

This terrible eye witness account of what happened on one of those fateful days in September 2007 when the Burmese people tried to stand up for themselves against 'their' rulers and it turned into a blood bath, can leave no one in any doubt that the situation for the Burmese people is a desperate one. For 45 years they have lived in fear, fear of the people that rule over the country. A tiny military elite who rule through oppression, violence, torture and extrajudicial killings. But even in a country where the majority of the population has never seen anything but this regime and even the older populations only briefly saw any form of democracy between the colonial rule and the military junta, they are still willing to stand up and pay with their lives in an attempt to change their future through peaceful protest. How depraved is a leadership that can turn guns loaded with live ammunition on praying Buddhist monks? Even the Burmese themselves never believed the day would come when the junta’s desperation would lead them to such brutality.

Beyond The Blue prides itself on a reputation or providing impartial and transparent advice to anyone taking one of our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops. We will not provide guidance or advice on certain countries for a number of reasons. These may be as simple as a location like Colombia where in 2005, over 800 kidnapping cases were reported (many believe the actual figure is much higher) and foreigners are regularly targeted, as they generally command a higher ransom. We believe Colombia is an unsuitable destination for the average independent traveller and as such advise against travel to the country (and therefore do not provide information on it) on the grounds of safety.

Another reason we may choose to advise against travel is for political reasons. Burma for example, is a country ruled by an illegal military dictatorship, their record on Human Rights is one of the world’s worst and tourism is one of the primary ways that this corrupt government generates foreign exchange. Much of this income is then used by the military to allow it to better oppress its own people. The list of reported atrocities is a long and disturbing one.

In 1990 Burma held the first free and fair elections since the military regime came to power. By way of demonstrating exactly how out of touch the military regime was with the will of the people and reality in general, they believed that the fear they had instilled in the Burmese people would land them and overwhelming victory. As it turned out Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory with over 82% of all the votes cast. The military’s response was to place her under house arrest and either imprison torture or kill most of her party. Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest to this day in one of the most flagrant displays of Human Rights abuses that the world seems able to ignore. She has however made it abundantly clear that she feels it is not in Burma’s interest at this time to have tourists visiting the country and providing the dictators with funds to further oppress her people.

A snapshot of the worst atrocities committed by the brutal military regime reads like one of history’s horror stories from hundreds of years ago, but it is happening today :

Widespread use of forced labour. Over 1 million people forcibly moved from their homes, At least 1100 political prisoners (many of whom are routinely tortured), an army of over 500,000 soldiers (The UK has just over 100,000) of whom 70,000 are child soldiers (more then any other country in the world), rape as a weapon of war against ethnic women and children, nearly half the government budget spent on the military and only 19p per citizen, per year, on health and one in ten babies die before their 5th birthday. (Source The Burma Campaign)

Burma used to be one of the richest countries in the region providing exports it now has to import.

However there are other pressure groups that disagree with this advice. Beyond The Blue believes that it is the right of every individual to choose if going to Burma is the right or wrong thing to do. We also believe that the will of the only democratically elected leader of Burma is one that represents the views of the Burmese people. We would never seek to dictate people’s choice of destination and our workshop would be very useful to anyone travelling to Burma, but by way of showing our support for the people of Burma, Beyond The Blue will not provide specific information on this country. We ask anyone planning a trip to Burma to research their trip carefully. The first step of this research should be www.burmacampaign.org.uk.





Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Hundreds may have died already, as junta tries to keep brutality unseen

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Title – Hundreds may have died already, as junta tries to keep brutality unseen
Source – The Independent
Date – 29th September 2007

The very fact that no one outside of Burma including the world’s free press, has any real idea how many people died in the brutal crackdown on peaceful protests in Burma in September 2007 is testament to the complete isolation that the regime has decided upon for the Burmese people. They want nothing to do with the rest of the world, except for their foreign currency and brush the worlds concerns aside with an arrogance that comes from 45 years of a small military elite controlling a country of millions of innocent, oppressed and terrified people that are willing to lay down their lives to protest. They don’t protest in the hope that their own leaders will listen to them, they know that is almost futile, they protest so we in the west see their plight and they lay down their lives so that their fellow Burmese might have a small chance of a life free of brutality and fear one day. But they don’t expect that to happen unless the world stands up and stands by them. That time has surely come.

Beyond The Blue prides itself on a reputation or providing impartial and transparent advice to anyone taking one of our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops. We will not provide guidance or advice on certain countries for a number of reasons. These may be as simple as a location like Colombia where in 2005, over 800 kidnapping cases were reported (many believe the actual figure is much higher) and foreigners are regularly targeted, as they generally command a higher ransom. We believe Colombia is an unsuitable destination for the average independent traveller and as such advise against travel to the country (and therefore do not provide information on it) on the grounds of safety.

Another reason we may choose to advise against travel is for political reasons. Burma for example, is a country ruled by an illegal military dictatorship, their record on Human Rights is one of the world’s worst and tourism is one of the primary ways that this corrupt government generates foreign exchange. Much of this income is then used by the military to allow it to better oppress its own people. The list of reported atrocities is a long and disturbing one.

In 1990 Burma held the first free and fair elections since the military regime came to power. By way of demonstrating exactly how out of touch the military regime was with the will of the people and reality in general, they believed that the fear they had instilled in the Burmese people would land them and overwhelming victory. As it turned out Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory with over 82% of all the votes cast. The military’s response was to place her under house arrest and either imprison torture or kill most of her party. Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest to this day in one of the most flagrant displays of Human Rights abuses that the world seems able to ignore. She has however made it abundantly clear that she feels it is not in Burma’s interest at this time to have tourists visiting the country and providing the dictators with funds to further oppress her people.

A snapshot of the worst atrocities committed by the brutal military regime reads like one of history’s horror stories from hundreds of years ago, but it is happening today :

Widespread use of forced labour. Over 1 million people forcibly moved from their homes, At least 1100 political prisoners (many of whom are routinely tortured), an army of over 500,000 soldiers (The UK has just over 100,000) of whom 70,000 are child soldiers (more then any other country in the world), rape as a weapon of war against ethnic women and children, nearly half the government budget spent on the military and only 19p per citizen, per year, on health and one in ten babies die before their 5th birthday. (Source The Burma Campaign)

Burma used to be one of the richest countries in the region providing exports it now has to import.

However there are other pressure groups that disagree with this advice. Beyond The Blue believes that it is the right of every individual to choose if going to Burma is the right or wrong thing to do. We also believe that the will of the only democratically elected leader of Burma is one that represents the views of the Burmese people. We would never seek to dictate people’s choice of destination and our workshop would be very useful to anyone travelling to Burma, but by way of showing our support for the people of Burma, Beyond The Blue will not provide specific information on this country. We ask anyone planning a trip to Burma to research their trip carefully. The first step of this research should be www.burmacampaign.org.uk.





Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

What the Burmese Junta wants you to see and what the world must know

Title – What the Burmese Junta wants you to see and what the world must know
Source – The Independent
Date – 29th September 2007

The Independent newspaper should be applauded for taking the lead before the recent (09-2007) problems in Burma surfaced. Following the crushing of the peaceful democracy movements through the use of live gun fire, thousands of people being detained, torture and an unknown number of killings, no one can be in any doubt that Burma is a country not just of a people oppressed, tortured and gagged, but one where there is a spirit that refuses to lie down and be beaten. Those of us who enjoy freedom in the west must not allow the illegal and brutal military regime that rules Burma to do so behind closed doors and without consequence.

Beyond The Blue prides itself on a reputation or providing impartial and transparent advice to anyone taking one of our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops. We will not provide guidance or advice on certain countries for a number of reasons. These may be as simple as a location like Colombia where in 2005, over 800 kidnapping cases were reported (many believe the actual figure is much higher) and foreigners are regularly targeted, as they generally command a higher ransom. We believe Colombia is an unsuitable destination for the average independent traveller and as such advise against travel to the country (and therefore do not provide information on it) on the grounds of safety.

Another reason we may choose to advise against travel is for political reasons. Burma for example, is a country ruled by an illegal military dictatorship, their record on Human Rights is one of the world’s worst and tourism is one of the primary ways that this corrupt government generates foreign exchange. Much of this income is then used by the military to allow it to better oppress its own people. The list of reported atrocities is a long and disturbing one.

In 1990 Burma held the first free and fair elections since the military regime came to power. By way of demonstrating exactly how out of touch the military regime was with the will of the people and reality in general, they believed that the fear they had instilled in the Burmese people would land them and overwhelming victory. As it turned out Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory with over 82% of all the votes cast. The military’s response was to place her under house arrest and either imprison torture or kill most of her party. Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest to this day in one of the most flagrant displays of Human Rights abuses that the world seems able to ignore. She has however made it abundantly clear that she feels it is not in Burma’s interest at this time to have tourists visiting the country and providing the dictators with funds to further oppress her people.

A snapshot of the worst atrocities committed by the brutal military regime reads like one of history’s horror stories from hundreds of years ago, but it is happening today :

Widespread use of forced labour. Over 1 million people forcibly moved from their homes, At least 1100 political prisoners (many of whom are routinely tortured), an army of over 500,000 soldiers (The UK has just over 100,000) of whom 70,000 are child soldiers (more then any other country in the world), rape as a weapon of war against ethnic women and children, nearly half the government budget spent on the military and only 19p per citizen, per year, on health and one in ten babies die before their 5th birthday. (Source The Burma Campaign)

Burma used to be one of the richest countries in the region providing exports it now has to import.

However there are other pressure groups that disagree with this advice. Beyond The Blue believes that it is the right of every individual to choose if going to Burma is the right or wrong thing to do. We also believe that the will of the only democratically elected leader of Burma is one that represents the views of the Burmese people. We would never seek to dictate people’s choice of destination and our workshop would be very useful to anyone travelling to Burma, but by way of showing our support for the people of Burma, Beyond The Blue will not provide specific information on this country. We ask anyone planning a trip to Burma to research their trip carefully. The first step of this research should be www.burmacampaign.org.uk.



Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Bus trip goes global to Australia

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Title – Bus trip goes global to Australia
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 15th September 2007

It seems that travel has gone full circle. 30 years ago flights to Australia were only for the elite and anyone else would have to consider the arduous journey by boat, either as a paying customers or working their passage. In 2007 flights to Australia leave several times each day from many airports in the UK and are accessible to the masses and anyone willing to work hard and save can afford to go, but as flying is now 'normal' the adventurous travellers are looking for alternatives and this bus journey is just one of those. In an age where people are joining rallies to Mongolia armed only with a car worth less then £1000 for charity fundraisers and busses are crossing vast continents stopping along the way to explore the fascinating, often undiscovered countries, travellers now have the more options then ever and there is a choice to fit every need.

But whether you fly, drive, sail, go alone or in a group, many of the essentials of travel remain the same. The dangers may vary, but they always remain a constant potential threat.

At Beyond The Blue we understand the wide variety of obstacles and dangers that travellers face along the way and our two day Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop addresses many of these providing candidates with an insight into the problems they may face and the solutions to allow them to travel in confidence with the knowledge they have gained.

On a trip like this bus journey, travellers will pass through countries and cultures as varied as the most populous Muslim country in the world in Indonesia and the devote Buddhist country of Nepal. Both require a very different approach not just in the cultural and religious aspects of their respective peoples, but in many other areas as well; dealing with altitude sickness in Nepal and the malaria risk in Indonesia; the extreme heat of Java and the cold nights in Kathmandu. All these considerations and much more are covered during our course as well as vital personal safety techniques.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

I was abandoned as soon as I landed

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Title – I was abandoned as soon as I landed
Source – The Times
Date – 14th August 2007

This is an all too common story, you pay all your money up front and once you set off the company you booked through are more concerned about where their next booking is coming from, rather then your plight on the other side of the world and you end up so far out of your comfort zone you can’t even remember what life back home was like.

The projects themselves are often badly researched, inappropriate, misjudged or wholly unnecessary, in the worst scenarios, gap-year volunteers actually hinder local communities rather then provide any form of assistance. We have heard stories of people turning up to their placements to be greeted by blank looks from local staff asking themselves who this strange westerner is who has just offered their services. Following a quick call to the local contact, it is revealed that no one from the company has ever visited the project, but had heard third hand from others that they were looking for English teachers.

We regularly hear stories like Sarah’s, they don’t all end happily, many students buckle under the pressure they have simply not been prepared for and leave for home soon after they arrive but many, like Sarah, realise their potential and struggle through making the projects all the more fulfilling for them. Happy endings are common but so are the failures, but if you are promised the support then you deserve to get it, even if with hindsight you did manage on your own, what justifies the £3000 you paid?

We saw the advice booklet from one such company that students are supplied with to 'prepare' them for travel, it contained some useful information which anyone could have gleaned from the FCO website and then among the safety advice was the useful hint “when in a busy train station, do not take large quantities of cash out of your wallet and have it on public display or it might be stolen by someone rushing past you”. It was accompanied by a representation of a man in a busy station holding his cash like a hand of cards and a second drawing of him without the cash looking glum and a local running off in the background…. Do you feel ready to travel now?

People should not feel bad about taking a gap-year for fun or not having a fixed project when they arrive at their destination, often they can have equally great experiences or work at their destination without having to pay a lump sum to someone else to organise it. The thousands of pounds you save can prove very useful to you on your travels or to people you meet along the way. The old adage “don’t give a hungry person a fish, give them a net to allow them to fish” still stands. The key if you do go on an organised gap-year volunteering programme is to research the company and the project they are sending you on and don’t rely on their flashy marketing. Look behind the gloss and get them to commit to exactly what they will provide. If they fail in their commitment ask for a refund or write to trading standards and demand they meet the same standards any other commercial company has to. Remember that although many of them act like charities, very few actually are!

Much of the appeal of these gap-year companies is the support they offer, but there are other ways of getting that confidence to set out. At Beyond The Blue our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop provides candidates with knowledge and skills to travel independently with confidence and to prepare for your travels adequately considering your destination. We offer you the support you need before you leave home so that you can learn some of the essential skills required as well as being mentally prepared for what you are about to encounter when you arrive.


Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Gap-year students told to forget aid projects

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Title – Gap-year students told to forget aid projects
Source – The Times
Date – 14th August 2007

There are undoubtedly many gap-year students that partake in gap-year volunteering projects that do benefit local communities as well as giving the students themselves an experience that will potentially change their outlook on life and potentially their career options and opportunities. But as this article and VSO suggest there are many stories of students paying large sums of money for very little in return and what exactly are they paying for?

Figures of students paying £1500-3000 to companies to facilitating gap-year volunteering programmes are common, but these often don’t cover flights and provide individuals with accommodation in 'local' lodgings or with families. This experience of living in very basic accommodation can be a great learning curve; it makes students experience for a short while what locals experience for a lifetime and gives them a grounding to work alongside local people. But this type of accommodation is also generally very cheap to provide and often costs as little as £25 – 50 a month when booked by an individual, not to mention the discounts a company would get booking in bulk.

Then you will be promised an in-country support network; but often this is no more then someone on the end of a telephone sometimes many many miles away in a different part of the country. The qualifications they have to be your support often varies significantly; sometimes they are no more then someone who has done a programme the previous year and who returns at a discount if they go back as the local contact. We have even come across situations where companies make gap-year volunteers who have been in-country for just 6 weeks the in-country contact.

There are endless stories and it’s not all bad, thousands of gap-year volunteers go out each year and work hard to do their little bit to make things better and many return home reinvigorated and enthused by what they have achieved and what they have learned from their hosts. Many of the communities they visit benefit not just from a wall they may have built, or a fence they have fixed, but by the experience of sharing their way of life and learning a bit about ours.

People should not feel bad about taking a gap-year for fun or not having a fixed project when they arrive at their destination, often they can have equally great experiences or work at their destination without having to pay a lump sum to someone else to organise it. The thousands of pounds you save can prove very useful to you on your travels or to people you meet along the way. The old adage “don’t give a hungry person a fish, give them a net to allow them to fish” still stands. The key if you do go on an organised gap-year volunteering programme is to research the company and the project they are sending you on and don’t rely on their flashy marketing. Look behind the gloss and get them to commit to exactly what they will provide. If they fail in their commitment ask for a refund or write to trading standards and demand they meet the same standards any other commercial company has to. Remember that although many of them act like charities, very few actually are!

Much of the appeal of these gap-year companies is the support they offer, but there are other ways of getting that confidence to set out. At Beyond The Blue our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop provides candidates with knowledge and skills to travel independently with confidence and to prepare for your travels adequately considering your destination. We offer you the support you need before you leave home so that you can learn some of the essential skills required as well as being mentally prepared for what you are about to encounter when you arrive.


Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Holidays from hell

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Title – Holidays from hell
Source – The Guardian
Date – 3rd August 2007

How many times do we see headlines like this? Newspapers, magazines and the plethora of TV programmes entitled; “The worst ever …” or “The worlds most dangerous…”. It’s a wonder we ever choose to leave our own shores.

There are undoubtedly dangers of varying degrees out there for even the average traveller let alone the intrepid traveller. This article highlights some of these with statistics such as the five most dangerous destinations: 1. Thailand – 224 Deaths; 2. Australia: 59 Deaths; 3. India: 111 Deaths; 4. Czech Republic: 16 Deaths, 1 Rape, 445 lost passports, 52 Hospitalisations; 5. Greece 139 Deaths, 955 Hospitalisations, 48 Rapes. Rape is also a higher risk in; Spain: 41 Rapes; Turkey: 38 Rapes.

But statistics must always be put into context, of the 224 deaths in Thailand, the vast majority were from natural causes and involved elderly visitors and ex-pats. But there are a significant number of serious incidents the ruin holidays, result in serious injury or loss of valuables that are wholly avoidable.

Many of these destinations are actually no more dangerous then being in London, the difference is that we have grown up aware of the dangers we face in our everyday lives at home and we have taught our children to be aware of them. However the same rules don’t apply equally across the world and too many people try to use what is acceptable behaviour in their own country to resolve problems in countries where such behaviour or actions may actually make the situation worse.

Our two day Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop provides those attending with an insight into the culture and traditions of the countries they intend to visit. With conflict management and resolution skills to avoid potentially dangerous situations in the first place and personal safety techniques designed to allow individuals to remove themselves physically from dangerous situations when they get out of hand, candidates can set off on their travels with renewed confidence gained through the skills they learn. We also offer practical advice on how to remain safe both from people, disease, accidents and the elements.


Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Demands grow for British firms to cut links with Burmese regime

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Title – Demands grow for British firms to cut links with Burmese regime
Source – The Independent
Date – 27th July 2007

While we wait for our own inept governments to exert pressure on the Burmese military regime to reform and stop murdering and oppressing their own people, we can all do our little bit to move the situation forward. If we put pressure on those companies that still ignore the directives to stop any trade which leads to the government getting foreign currency (used to continue the war they have waged on the defenceless people of Burma), then it edges the solution forward. To see which companies still flaunt the voluntary ban on trade with Burma see the Burma Campaigns 'dirty list' and pressurise them into pulling out. Commercial pressure is a key element in the campaign to resolve Burma’s problems.

Beyond The Blue prides itself on a reputation or providing impartial and transparent advice to anyone taking one of our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops. We will not provide guidance or advice on certain countries for a number of reasons. These may be as simple as a location like Colombia where in 2005, over 800 kidnapping cases were reported (many believe the actual figure is much higher) and foreigners are regularly targeted, as they generally command a higher ransom. We believe Colombia is an unsuitable destination for the average independent traveller and as such advise against travel to the country (and therefore do not provide information on it) on the grounds of safety.

Another reason we may choose to advise against travel is for political reasons. Burma for example, is a country ruled by an illegal military dictatorship, their record on Human Rights is one of the world’s worst and tourism is one of the primary ways that this corrupt government generates foreign exchange. Much of this income is then used by the military to allow it to better oppress its own people. The list of reported atrocities is a long and disturbing one.

In 1990 Burma held the first free and fair elections since the military regime came to power. By way of demonstrating exactly how out of touch the military regime was with the will of the people and reality in general, they believed that the fear they had instilled in the Burmese people would land them and overwhelming victory. As it turned out Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory with over 82% of all the votes cast. The military’s response was to place her under house arrest and either imprison torture or kill most of her party. Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest to this day in one of the most flagrant displays of Human Rights abuses that the world seems able to ignore. She has however made it abundantly clear that she feels it is not in Burma’s interest at this time to have tourists visiting the country and providing the dictators with funds to further oppress her people.

A snapshot of the worst atrocities committed by the brutal military regime reads like one of history’s horror stories from hundreds of years ago, but it is happening today :

Widespread use of forced labour. Over 1 million people forcibly moved from their homes, At least 1100 political prisoners (many of whom are routinely tortured), an army of over 500,000 soldiers (The UK has just over 100,000) of whom 70,000 are child soldiers (more then any other country in the world), rape as a weapon of war against ethnic women and children, nearly half the government budget spent on the military and only 19p per citizen, per year, on health and one in ten babies die before their 5th birthday. (Source The Burma Campaign)

Burma used to be one of the richest countries in the region providing exports it now has to import.

However there are other pressure groups that disagree with this advice. Beyond The Blue believes that it is the right of every individual to choose if going to Burma is the right or wrong thing to do. We also believe that the will of the only democratically elected leader of Burma is one that represents the views of the Burmese people. We would never seek to dictate people’s choice of destination and our workshop would be very useful to anyone travelling to Burma, but by way of showing our support for the people of Burma, Beyond The Blue will not provide specific information on this country. We ask anyone planning a trip to Burma to research their trip carefully. The first step of this research should be www.burmacampaign.org.uk.





Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

The day-trippers who risk death on Mont Blanc

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Title – The day-trippers who risk death on Mont Blanc
Source – The Independent
Date – 27th July 2007

Adventure travel is more popular then ever and the boundaries are being pushed further and further, with travellers looking to outdo each other. Destinations that were once the preserve of expeditions are now offered as day trips that even the averagely fit should attempt. Unfortunately this availability and peer pressure can end up being a deadly combination.

Even in Europe with all the advantages of infrastructure, modern technology and dedicated rescue teams regular rescue are needed and unfortunately deaths of people that have over stretched themselves or been caught out in unpredictable environments are regularly reported. In many parts of the world there is no help, but travellers often take even more risk where there are no restrictions.

Beyond The Blue don’t run survival training, but our Gap Year and Independent Travel safety and Awareness workshop allows those attending to understand the risks and take whatever measures are sensible in the circumstances. Those attending the workshop leave with the clear message that actions during travel need to be considered even more carefully then when at home. Factors that we take for granted in some parts of the world are simply not available in others and issues as simple as clean drinking water, can have a very serious impact on even a short hike, when far away from home.

We examine Travel Equipment, personal safety, Travel Health, Visa and Documentation issues as well as Cultural Awareness to prepare you for the adventures in front of you.


Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

A plight we can ignore no longer

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Title – A plight we can ignore no longer
Source – The Independent
Date – 26th July 2007

The Independent newspaper should be commended for having the courage of conviction and to highlight the situation in Burma on its front page. The situation in Burma is and has been for sometime, one that we should all be screaming about from the roof-tops. Nearly 20 years since the military 'government' felt it had oppressed it’s own people so much that it was safe to hold an election (that they could not loose because of the level of fear they had created in the country, yet somehow the Burmese people had the bravery to stand up and vote for the National League for Democracy who won a landslide) they remain in power and they have continued their oppression through forced labour, rape, murder, torture, illegal imprisonment and some would claim systematic genocide; to this day unabated by the international community which has stood by and abandoned those people who came to their aid during the second world war in the pacific basin.

Beyond The Blue prides itself on a reputation or providing impartial and transparent advice to anyone taking one of our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops. We will not provide guidance or advice on certain countries for a number of reasons. These may be as simple as a location like Colombia where in 2005, over 800 kidnapping cases were reported (many believe the actual figure is much higher) and foreigners are regularly targeted, as they generally command a higher ransom. We believe Colombia is an unsuitable destination for the average independent traveller and as such advise against travel to the country (and therefore do not provide information on it) on the grounds of safety.

Another reason we may choose to advise against travel is for political reasons. Burma for example, is a country ruled by an illegal military dictatorship, their record on Human Rights is one of the world’s worst and tourism is one of the primary ways that this corrupt government generates foreign exchange. Much of this income is then used by the military to allow it to better oppress its own people. The list of reported atrocities is a long and disturbing one.

In 1990 Burma held the first free and fair elections since the military regime came to power. By way of demonstrating exactly how out of touch the military regime was with the will of the people and reality in general, they believed that the fear they had instilled in the Burmese people would land them and overwhelming victory. As it turned out Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory with over 82% of all the votes cast. The military’s response was to place her under house arrest and either imprison torture or kill most of her party. Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest to this day in one of the most flagrant displays of Human Rights abuses that the world seems able to ignore. She has however made it abundantly clear that she feels it is not in Burma’s interest at this time to have tourists visiting the country and providing the dictators with funds to further oppress her people.

A snapshot of the worst atrocities committed by the brutal military regime reads like one of history’s horror stories from hundreds of years ago, but it is happening today :

Widespread use of forced labour. Over 1 million people forcibly moved from their homes, At least 1100 political prisoners (many of whom are routinely tortured), an army of over 500,000 soldiers (The UK has just over 100,000) of whom 70,000 are child soldiers (more then any other country in the world), rape as a weapon of war against ethnic women and children, nearly half the government budget spent on the military and only 19p per citizen, per year, on health and one in ten babies die before their 5th birthday. (Source The Burma Campaign)

Burma used to be one of the richest countries in the region providing exports it now has to import.

However there are other pressure groups that disagree with this advice. Beyond The Blue believes that it is the right of every individual to choose if going to Burma is the right or wrong thing to do. We also believe that the will of the only democratically elected leader of Burma is one that represents the views of the Burmese people. We would never seek to dictate people’s choice of destination and our workshop would be very useful to anyone travelling to Burma, but by way of showing our support for the people of Burma, Beyond The Blue will not provide specific information on this country. We ask anyone planning a trip to Burma to research their trip carefully. The first step of this research should be www.burmacampaign.org.uk.





Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Forgotten and locked in the shadow of the past

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Title – Forgotten and locked in the shadow of the past
Source – The Independent
Date – 26th July 2007

The world eventually stood up to its responsibilities when South Africa held Nelson Mandela in captivity for 27 years and it led to the dismantlement of the appalling apartheid era that was a blight on Africa and the world. It was obvious in that situation that if the vote were to be given freely to all South Africans, there would be immediate change and the world knew this. Today he is viewed by many as one of the world most eminent and cherished citizens. Nelson Mandela has himself called for her release and praised Aung San Suu Kyi for her devoted and determined campaign to free Burma. It’s time for the rest of the world to wake up, for our businesses to stop supporting the illegal regime and our governments to govern, Burma may not be the most fashionable cause, but if we really want to champion democracy in the world, we could do worse then start where democracy is most desired by it’s people and most abused by the illegal military 'government'

Beyond The Blue prides itself on a reputation or providing impartial and transparent advice to anyone taking one of our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops. We will not provide guidance or advice on certain countries for a number of reasons. These may be as simple as a location like Colombia where in 2005, over 800 kidnapping cases were reported (many believe the actual figure is much higher) and foreigners are regularly targeted, as they generally command a higher ransom. We believe Colombia is an unsuitable destination for the average independent traveller and as such advise against travel to the country (and therefore do not provide information on it) on the grounds of safety.

Another reason we may choose to advise against travel is for political reasons. Burma for example, is a country ruled by an illegal military dictatorship, their record on Human Rights is one of the world’s worst and tourism is one of the primary ways that this corrupt government generates foreign exchange. Much of this income is then used by the military to allow it to better oppress its own people. The list of reported atrocities is a long and disturbing one.

In 1990 Burma held the first free and fair elections since the military regime came to power. By way of demonstrating exactly how out of touch the military regime was with the will of the people and reality in general, they believed that the fear they had instilled in the Burmese people would land them and overwhelming victory. As it turned out Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory with over 82% of all the votes cast. The military’s response was to place her under house arrest and either imprison torture or kill most of her party. Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest to this day in one of the most flagrant displays of Human Rights abuses that the world seems able to ignore. She has however made it abundantly clear that she feels it is not in Burma’s interest at this time to have tourists visiting the country and providing the dictators with funds to further oppress her people.

A snapshot of the worst atrocities committed by the brutal military regime reads like one of history’s horror stories from hundreds of years ago, but it is happening today :

Widespread use of forced labour. Over 1 million people forcibly moved from their homes, At least 1100 political prisoners (many of whom are routinely tortured), an army of over 500,000 soldiers (The UK has just over 100,000) of whom 70,000 are child soldiers (more then any other country in the world), rape as a weapon of war against ethnic women and children, nearly half the government budget spent on the military and only 19p per citizen, per year, on health and one in ten babies die before their 5th birthday. (Source The Burma Campaign)

Burma used to be one of the richest countries in the region providing exports it now has to import.

However there are other pressure groups that disagree with this advice. Beyond The Blue believes that it is the right of every individual to choose if going to Burma is the right or wrong thing to do. We also believe that the will of the only democratically elected leader of Burma is one that represents the views of the Burmese people. We would never seek to dictate people’s choice of destination and our workshop would be very useful to anyone travelling to Burma, but by way of showing our support for the people of Burma, Beyond The Blue will not provide specific information on this country. We ask anyone planning a trip to Burma to research their trip carefully. The first step of this research should be www.burmacampaign.org.uk.





Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

A land ruled by thugs, where parents must watch the execution of children

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Title – A land ruled by thugs, where parents must watch the execution of children
Source – The Independent
Date – 26th July 2007

How many more sets of statistics are needed for our governments to act against the tyrannical government of Burma and insist that they return power to the democratically elected NLD, end their military assaults on their own people and free prisoners held for no other reason then expressing their political views. A country which has a infant mortality rate of 221 in 1000 (in the UK its 6 in 1000), which spends less then 50p a year per person on healthcare and education combined (in the UK we spend about £1200 per person on healthcare alone), where parents are made to watch the execution of their own children, where 50% of the 'government's' budget is spent on the military (Burma has not been at war with any of it’s neighbours since independence from Britain in 1948; the military budget therefore being almost exclusively used to oppress the Burmese people) and where aid from governments across the world has been tiny and disproportionate, against problems in other parts of the world.

Beyond The Blue prides itself on a reputation or providing impartial and transparent advice to anyone taking one of our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops. We will not provide guidance or advice on certain countries for a number of reasons. These may be as simple as a location like Colombia where in 2005, over 800 kidnapping cases were reported (many believe the actual figure is much higher) and foreigners are regularly targeted, as they generally command a higher ransom. We believe Colombia is an unsuitable destination for the average independent traveller and as such advise against travel to the country (and therefore do not provide information on it) on the grounds of safety.

Another reason we may choose to advise against travel is for political reasons. Burma for example, is a country ruled by an illegal military dictatorship, their record on Human Rights is one of the world’s worst and tourism is one of the primary ways that this corrupt government generates foreign exchange. Much of this income is then used by the military to allow it to better oppress its own people. The list of reported atrocities is a long and disturbing one.

In 1990 Burma held the first free and fair elections since the military regime came to power. By way of demonstrating exactly how out of touch the military regime was with the will of the people and reality in general, they believed that the fear they had instilled in the Burmese people would land them and overwhelming victory. As it turned out Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory with over 82% of all the votes cast. The military’s response was to place her under house arrest and either imprison torture or kill most of her party. Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest to this day in one of the most flagrant displays of Human Rights abuses that the world seems able to ignore. She has however made it abundantly clear that she feels it is not in Burma’s interest at this time to have tourists visiting the country and providing the dictators with funds to further oppress her people.

A snapshot of the worst atrocities committed by the brutal military regime reads like one of history’s horror stories from hundreds of years ago, but it is happening today :

Widespread use of forced labour. Over 1 million people forcibly moved from their homes, At least 1100 political prisoners (many of whom are routinely tortured), an army of over 500,000 soldiers (The UK has just over 100,000) of whom 70,000 are child soldiers (more then any other country in the world), rape as a weapon of war against ethnic women and children, nearly half the government budget spent on the military and only 19p per citizen, per year, on health and one in ten babies die before their 5th birthday. (Source The Burma Campaign)

Burma used to be one of the richest countries in the region providing exports it now has to import.

However there are other pressure groups that disagree with this advice. Beyond The Blue believes that it is the right of every individual to choose if going to Burma is the right or wrong thing to do. We also believe that the will of the only democratically elected leader of Burma is one that represents the views of the Burmese people. We would never seek to dictate people’s choice of destination and our workshop would be very useful to anyone travelling to Burma, but by way of showing our support for the people of Burma, Beyond The Blue will not provide specific information on this country. We ask anyone planning a trip to Burma to research their trip carefully. The first step of this research should be www.burmacampaign.org.uk.


Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Factor in some sun protection

Title – Factor in some sun protection
Source – The London Paper
Date – 18th July 2007

Many travellers first thought when planning a trip is to head for the sun and even those that shy away, often can’t help getting caught up in areas of high UV exposure. Sun protection is one of the basic items that every traveller should pack as an essential. Knowing how to use it and how much to use will prevent what blights most first time travellers at some point; sunburn.

But the impact of the sun should not be underestimated, most of us may well have been sunburnt at some point in our life, especially those of us that come from the UK who are very susceptible to more serious effects such as sun stroke, when we are in climates our bodies can just not deal with on their own.

A tan is often one of the things travellers most want to come back with, but sensible measures must be followed not only to protect yourself, but also to achieve the perfect tan. Speed and over-exposure are not the way to go.

Through our workshops we help individuals to plan for their travels in many different ways. As well as looking at personal safety, we also examine how to stay safe from disease and every day problems such as how to obtain clean drinking water and how to stay protected from the sun. During the section on travel equipment we advise on the equipment required for your trip and items such as sun creams and other sun protection.

We do not specifically recommend brands, but we will expand on our own experiences and provide facts for people to make responsible choices. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop is directed at anyone travelling for the first time or returning to travel after a long break. The workshop prepares people of all ages for a trip of any length.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Ask the pharmacist… insect bites

Title – Ask the pharmacist… insect bites
Source – London Lite
Date – 16th July 2007

At Beyond The Blue we are not in the business of recommending certain brands over others and don’t endorse those mentioned in this article over others. But our instructors are all experienced travellers and all have their own preferences they have used in the course of their travels. We do all have one thing in common, we have all been bitten by insects in parts of the world where this is not just an irritation, but a serious health concern.

Mosquitoes, sand flies, bed bugs, fleas, horse flies, mites, ticks, aggressor bugs and the literally hundreds of other varieties of insects that bite and many that carry serious and often deadly diseases are found in almost every environment in the world and for the traveller in this case, ignorance is not bliss it is potentially deadly.

Prevention is the key to protection and measures such as prophylactic drugs should be considered the vital second line of defence.

On our travels we have heard it a hundred times; one traveller asks the next what anti-malaria drugs they are taking and they exchange the horror stories of side effects that come mainly from the grapevine rather then a qualified physician. Then another traveller interjects; they didn’t bother, they claim that in their experience, the risks are over stated, the drugs too expensive and the side effects too dangerous, they even suggest in their tone that there is some credibility to be gained in their bravado, that somehow they are a more hardy traveller because they don’t take the drugs to protect themselves and rely of mumbo-jumbo methods of protecting themselves that they heard 10th hand from an Amazonian Indian tribe……. The picture is one all experienced travellers have heard and one that anyone with any level of common sense knows is peppered with potentially very serious flaws.

The facts speak for themselves, despite having access to the worlds most developed and tested drugs, many travellers from the UK still choose for one reason or another to travel to areas of the world that are burdened with the effects of malaria (that kills more then a million people every year) without taking prophylactic drugs to protect themselves. It is from this group that generally come the 2000 or so individuals that contract malaria every year in the UK. It’s a high price to pay for a little 'Street Cred', or to save a few pounds by not buying the drugs required for the destination you intend to travel to.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop examines the various dangers from insect bites, how to avoid them and what precautions to take before you travel. The workshops are designed to examine every aspect of travel planning and in-country experiences to allow those attending to prepare with the facts rather then relying on the grapevine for their most important planning and implementation stages.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Four fatal shark attacks in 2006

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Title – Four fatal shark attacks in 2006
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 15th July 2007

At Beyond The Blue our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop examines the facts and not the myths. This approach allows you to make decisions on your safety based on sound judgement rather then at the whim of a Hollywood movie that still haunts the average swimmer in the worlds shark infested seas, 30 years after it was first released.

For many people the fear of sharks keeps them permanently out of the water, for some it keeps them from enjoying some of the worlds wonders like the Great Barrier Reef off the Australian coast or surfing in California.

The facts are simple though with the 100’s of millions of people all over the world heading into the sea for a swim each year, only 4 people worldwide are killed by sharks. In actual fact the danger of getting to the water front (crossing the road, being attacked by another human or even buying a soft drink from a vending machine) is statistically more dangerous then sharks and the risks are substantially higher then sharing water with the so called “killer” sharks.

We have firsthand experience of diving with sharks, we have ourselves sought out some of the so called most dangerous sharks and watched them go into a feeding frenzy. This may seem to some to be insane, but the shark is a beautiful creature, there is no doubt that they are potentially life threatening, but most human encounters with sharks have one of two result; the first is a thrill to those who are privileged enough to witness a shark in it’s natural environment and admire evolution at its best; the second is the disgraceful habit of over fishing it, especially the practise of fining that kills millions of sharks each year, simply to harvest the fins before throwing the rest of the (often still alive) shark back into the water.

The issue of sharks is a simple one, understand your destination, seek local advice, avoid high risk areas where it is actually dangerous to swim due to the number and species of shark present and when an area is 'safe' enjoy the water. Remember sharks really do have a lot more to fear from humans then humans have from them.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

3000 types of mozzie

Title – 3000 types of mozzie
Source – The Evening Standard
Date – 8th August 2007

Mosquitoes can arguably be considered as the single most dangerous animal to humans on earth. They are involved in the transmission of malaria that kills over a million people a year and are also responsible for the transmission of other fatal diseases in many different parts of the world.

Mosquitoes are also here to stay. In certain parts of the world there have been exceptionally successful eradication programmes and programmes that have been designed to reduce or eliminate the breeding grounds that can lead to prolific population growth amongst mosquitoes. Singapore for example does not have a significant malaria problem, thanks to their continued hard work in reducing and eradicating mosquitoes. But freeing Singapore, a tiny and immensely rich nation with almost no naturally wild areas, is relatively straight forward in comparison to some parts of the world that do not have these luxuries, Africa and many of Singapore’s South East Asian neighbours suffer terribly from the diseases that are spread by mosquitoes and even in countries we generally consider safe from malaria such as the USA, mosquitoes carry other hidden dangers such as encephalitis.

We know the dangers and annoyance that mosquitoes can cause travellers as well as the local population. We know how to manage and minimise these risks when travelling to countries where diseases are spread by mosquitoes. During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop we identify many areas of Travel Health and consider the problems mosquitoes can cause by first looking at where in the world precautions should be taken, where precautions and prophylactic drugs should be used and fundamentally how to avoid being bitten in the first place. By understanding the mosquito’s behaviour and therefore putting measures into place to make sure you’re protected effectively when mosquitoes are at their most active, the risks can be reduced to acceptable and manageable levels.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Now parents want gap years as well

Title – Now parents want gap years as well
Source – Metro
Date – 2nd July 2007

It’s been a growing phenomenon; 'Gappers' are getting older and older. A generation ago, taking a year out of your career was almost unheard of, let alone for something as frivolous as world travel. But increasingly older people and people with established careers are taking the time out to travel the world and to be as adventurous as their young counterparts.

Where once the beaches of Australia and the jungle temples of Cambodia were the almost exclusive domain of the young Gap Year Student, they now find themselves joined by an ever increasing number of independent older travellers. People who change careers are seeing it as the perfect opportunity to take a year off, to go and experience first hand the places where 20 years ago only serious adventurous dared go, but are now open to an ever more sophisticated tourism industry. Others find themselves working for the growing number of far-sighted employers who have career break schemes set up, to allow their valued employees to take time off without the need to worry about their job, which will be waiting for them when they return.

But with this latest survey suggesting the 35% of 45 – 54 year olds are seriously considering taking a Gap Year the number of 'older' Gappers is set to reach new highs. It is a prospect that can only be good for all concerned, as the travel mentality is a great leveller and allows individuals whose paths would not normally cross, to find and share the common ground. 18 or 54, travel tips as you arrive at a new destination will be the same; where a good place to stay is, are there any cheap and good places to eat, what is the best way to get to the local attraction and can you recommend a good guide, are questions where the age gap has no impact.

At Beyond The Blue our courses are designed to suit all ages, the perils that individuals face when on their travels are the same no matter how old you are. A mosquito does not decide on its 'victim' by age and a conman sees everyone as a walking wallet, greying hair or bright pink hair they will find an angle. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop was designed with all ages in mind; we find the common ground and resolve it.

We particularly steered away from simply calling it a 'gap year course', as the concept of a 'gap year' is still one that most people see as the young school / university leaver, but that is no longer the case. Independent Travel is now open to everyone and we are ready to help everyone achieve their goals safely and with renewed confidence.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Is a one-dose malaria vaccine around the corner

Title – Is a one-dose malaria vaccine around the corner
Source – Telegraph Magazine
Date – July 2007

It’s one of the holy grails which the best scientists around the world are looking for; a cure that will save thousands and in the case of malaria, millions of lives. Malaria is one of the blights on the world and kills a million people every year, including the young and frail, who can’t fight off the symptoms of the disease. Most of these victims live in sub-Saharan Africa where they don’t have access to the medications and simple protective measures such as mosquito nets, which travellers from the UK do and should not take for granted.

During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop we examine what measures individuals should take when travelling across the world to areas affected by malaria and other diseases. Despite the availability of drugs and protective measures such as repellents and mosquito nets, many travellers still don’t take the basic precautions seriously and in 2006, 1386 people in the UK were diagnosed with the deadliest strain of the disease. Of those affected 81% had not taken prophylactic drugs to protect themselves against the disease, even the most sceptical travellers must understand the ramifications of that statistic.

Malaria is treatable, but it is not straight forward and is a highly debilitating disease to those affected causing weeks and months of an illness that can reoccur years later and throughout a lifetime. It’s certainly not something to be taken lightly or to consider a risk worth taking. Anyone who has the opportunity to protect themselves in any way from malaria should take it. We provide all the information you will need to do this effectively, with the help of equipment and medical advice from your physician.

We run workshops for individuals of all ages and all experience levels, we help you prepare for all your travel needs, to enable you to prepare everything in advance and give you an advantage when you arrive in-country.


Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

EU bans all Indonesian airlines

To view the original article Click Here

Title – EU bans all Indonesian airlines
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 28th June 2007

Just a few years ago Garuda (Indonesia’s national airline) was one of the favoured choices of the budget traveller looking for a cheap round-the-world ticket. But things have changed rapidly in the airline industry and this week all of Indonesia’s 51 airlines were added to the EU’s list of carriers banned from the EU for safety reasons.

But Indonesia is not the only area affected; it is just the headline grabber, as ALL its carriers were added to the list. Other countries were also affected including Bulgaria, Ukraine and other former Soviet Republics as well as many African carriers.

We examine Transport Options as part of our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop. We look at the options available to you and their individual merits, including cost, safety and environmental impact.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

The inconvenient truth about the carbon offset industry

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Title – The inconvenient truth about the carbon offset industry
Source – The Guardian
Date – 16th June 2007

We should all be concerned about our carbon footprint and the damage that our individual activities have on our increasingly fragile planet, but how can we consolidate the impact we have with our natural curiosity and desire to travel to the far corners of the globe with an increasing number of airlines offering cheaper and cheaper fares?

Carbon offsetting is one of the buzzwords of the day. The theory is you can do anything with a clear conscience if you just pay someone else, to either not to use their carbon entitlement or fund one of the ever growing number of schemes designed to cut emissions through funding carbon reducing projects. But like any new industry and any new scheme there have been flaws and there have been scams; so how do you know, in a very unregulated market place, what scheme is actually going to repair the damage of the flight to your chosen travel destination and the activities you partake in when you get there and how you can help prevent climate change.

There are a growing number of schemes to offset carbon, which are being shown not to have the desired effect or to be misleading. Planting trees for example, was a very popular way of offsetting carbon emissions in the early years, but these have largely been discredited, this is primarily because the calculations were either incorrect or calculated on the lifespan of the tree (in other words if for example there was a single tree that could be planted to offset your carbon emissions for your flight to Australia, that tree would have to grow for 100 years to offset the carbon emissions you use tomorrow…. Do we have 100 years to spare before we actually need to offset the carbon emissions of today?)

We examine the environmental and cultural impact of your travel in our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop. We look at carbon offset programmes that have achieved the gold standard, currently the only real indication that an offsetting scheme is actually scientifically proven. Just as importantly we examine ways you can avoid having a negative cultural impact on the locations and communities you visit in the course of your travels. This positive approach allows you to better explore and understand the places you visit and inherently increases your personal safety, while on your travels. At Beyond The Blue we believe in travel, but we understand that there is a price to pay and the many different ways in which you have to pay it.


Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Britons ‘complacent over malaria’

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Title – Britons ‘complacent over malaria’
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 15th May 2007

Malaria is one of the blights on the human populations of the world. Primarily a major cause of death in countries that can least afford to protect themselves, it is the responsibility of all of us that are afforded the luxury of modern medication and expensive equipment to ensure we do everything not to burden the health services of the countries we visit or our own when we return by protecting ourselves effectively. Not using the medication available to protect yourself from Malaria is not only socially irresponsible; it places you in danger of contracting a very serious disease. Some people believe that even if they contract Malaria, it is treatable on your return and generally results in death only in countries where primary medication is unavailable.

These myths place individuals at great risk, Malaria can certainly be treated, but it also kills up to 1 million people every year, so no one should take it for granted. If that is not enough of a warning then consider that people contracting Malaria even if they can be cured often remain chronic carriers and suffer from flares in the disease again in later life. Ask yourself the question if you decide to travel to an area of the world where Malaria is endemic; would you rather pop a pill once or twice a day for the period of your trip and up to one month afterwards or spend 3 months recovering from malaria, another 3 month rehabilitating yourself and spend the rest of your life worrying when you are going to suffer another bout and wipe out another year of your life.

We offer Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshops for anyone travelling for the first time or wishing to review their skills and gain the latest information about their destination. The workshop covers many of the major disease threats you might face on your travels and the best way to protect yourself. Prophylactic (anti-malaria medication) are just the first step in protection and not 100% effective, avoiding the bite in the first place and knowing what equipment to pack will help reduce the risk to a minimum and give you the peace of mind to travel in confidence.

Please visit our website at

www.safegapyear.com

Spiritual leap of faith

Title – Spiritual leap of faith
Source – Sport
Date – 13th April 2007

Some cultural events are still sacred, some you can join in with, others you may be barred from altogether; always see any inclusion as an honour and a privilege. Getting an insight into the traditional way of life is not always for the faint hearted, sometimes the events are bizarre, sometimes they are private; but many times travellers can get a feel for them and it would not be unique to see a traveller who has visited New Zealand returning with a small Maori tattoo, less likely however is for a traveller to come home with their face tattooed as might be tradition in many of the Pacific islands and is often related to a right of passage ceremony.

The same can be said for the land diving ceremonies of Vanuatu, incredible as they are and spectacular in their danger and sheer insanity, this is a right of passage reserved purely for the islanders and not something any traveller, tourist or visitor should in any way get involved with. The closest they should get is the other side of a camera lens.

There is not an insurance company in the world who will pay out a claim when you seriously injure yourself having climbed a bamboo structure 70 feet off the ground and tied a natural vine to your ankles (that has the elasticity of climbing rope) and thrown yourself off knowing that the nearest hospital is several hundred miles away on a different island…

But if your culture relies on this activity to demonstrate your standing in your community and the Yam harvest is counting on your actions, there might just be a good enough reason to get up there and throw yourself off. But this dangerous and brave activity should never be mocked, injuries and deaths are not uncommon, this is still a very important ritual on Pentecost island. Tourist are now invited to come and watch, but this is no spectacle put on for tourists and outsiders can watch but not take part.

If you want to get a real insight into this sensation, then when you are in Australia (the usual starting point for a visit to Vanuatu) head for one of the many modern day vine jumping locations, more commonly called Bungee Jumps. But even Bungee carries risks, so make sure your insurance covers you for these activities.

At Beyond The Blue we look at the questions you need to ask when looking for travel insurance, make sure that the area you are visiting is covered, as well as the activities you intend to take part in. Insurance choices should be based on much more then cost alone; the cheapest here is certainly not always the best. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop does not recommend specific insurance or companies, but helps you to make sure you ask all the right questions and get appropriate cover for your trip.


Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Tourists face ban from Galapagos Islands

Title – Tourists face ban from Galapagos Islands
Source – The Metro
Date – 12th April 2007

The Galapagos Islands are just one of the worlds top travel destinations. Whether you travel there for the amazing scenes above water on the islands that inspired Charles Darwin in much of his theorising on evolution or head for an under water world that is unmatched anywhere in the world, you will have in impact on the environment.

'Eco Tourism' is certainly an attractive marketing tool, but your own actions are going to determine exactly how much of an impact you actually have. Your research should go further then your tour operators website, look behind the glossy brochure and find out exactly how green they are.

You can already start to reduce the impact you have by following some simple rules, not only will you be helping to protect the planet, but you will also be helping the local populations you visit and setting and example that may help local populations help themselves.

During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop we examine ways you can reduce the environmental impact you have when you travel. Following these simple rules will help you ingratiate yourself with the local population and not be a burden to them. This in turn will earn you respect and by default provide you with more security.

At Beyond The Blue we believe that travel is a privilege and to visit another community should not be seen as a right, but rather as a generous invitation. If you treat your travel in this way, you will create a positive impact on locals that can outweigh the natural impact any kind of travel will have.

There are many organisations who share our beliefs and there are pressure groups emerging to help individuals make the right choices. One such group is Tourism Concern and we would urge you to visit their website; www.tourismconcern.org.uk

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Swiss man jailed for Thai insult

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Title – Swiss man jailed for Thai insult
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 28th March 2007

Walk along a road in London and deface a portrait or symbol of the Queen and the most punishment you are likely to face is a charge of criminal damage, usually resulting in no more then a caution or a fine. However in other countries the ridiculing of monarchs, politicians or religious figures can carry much more serious penalties.

An example in Thailand where the king is revered, left this man from Switzerland facing a gaol term of 10 years after spray painting posters depicting the king’s image. This sentence may seem unduly harsh, but in reality it was reduced from an original sentence of 20 year and could have been worse with up to 75 years term having been a possibility.

Very few people would find themselves in this situation, but this Swiss man will not be the first or the last to commit a 'stupid' crime when intoxicated after a night of drinking. But in Thailand even criticising the king can land you in very hot water. More importantly many of the Thai people will find it very insulting for you to make derogatory comments about their monarch and your input may be very unwelcome.

Generally it is a bad idea to talk about politics in foreign countries and certainly try and avoid starting these conversations yourself. One important factor is not to assume that the way of life back home is the right and only way for countries to be governed. Cultural difference across the world often dictate how countries are governed and work well in some countries and less well in others.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop enables individuals to travel with the knowledge of how to behave in the countries they visit, to avoid causing offence leading potentially to further problems. During the workshop we examine cultural differences in the different destinations where your travels will take you.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com