Title – Australia… it’s not Canada
Source – Metro
Date – 26th September 2008
Choosing your destination appropriately is an essential part of travel planning, get it right and it will be an experience you’ll remember for a life time for all the right reasons, get it wrong and it is a story you’ll want to forget. Sometimes getting it spectacularly wrong is something that takes you on an altogether new adventure, but there are some destinations that are simply unsafe and landing in one of these unprepared is no laughing matter.
When I was on a trip a few years ago on Christmas Island in Kiribati, made famous as the site of the British nuclear tests, I met a couple on the holiday of a life time. She had wanted to surprise her husband on their 25th wedding anniversary and having saved the not insignificant fare for many years; she had finally booked their tickets. Her husband had always dreamed of visiting Christmas Island and seeing the red crab ‘migration’, the magnificent sight of millions of red crabs moving from their homes in the inland forests to the beach to mate and lay their eggs, is truly one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife sights. But booking this trip is not straight forward, there is only a specific time they ‘migrate’ and this is related to the start of the monsoon season, so choosing the exact date involves a certain amount of detailed research.
The lady I met had done her research accurately; she had managed to hide the surprise from her husband and even managed to keep their final destination from him after getting onto the flight, a feat that anyone would be very proud of. There was however one small flaw in her plan. The famous Christmas Island of her husband’s dreams, lies in the waters between Australia and Indonesia and is not the Christmas Island we were on. This one was chosen as a nuclear test site because of its isolation in the middle of the pacific and is separated by some 5000 miles from its namesake made famous by the red crabs.
In fact there are some 5 islands that I know of going by the name Christmas Island scattered across the world. Having a sense of humour is an essential part of travel and the Canadian couple had plenty of that, it is a story that will keep them in dinner conversation for many years to come and they had a wonderful trip to an island rarely visited, where crabs regularly cross the one road, but not quite in the numbers of the famous migration.
There is more to your choosing your destination then getting the right one. Your level of experience should dictate where you go. First and foremost, it has to be both safe and stable and having the latest information is essential. Then choosing a destination where you’ll be welcomed is also a good idea. Finally if you intend to travel through a number of countries or if it is your first trip we always suggest (climate permitting) that you start with the easiest country first and gain experience and confidence before heading to more challenging destinations. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop (GYITSA) provides you with Destination Advice on your chosen destination(s) or can help you if you are undecided to choose suitable destinations that suit your experience level as well as you interests.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.
Source – Metro
Date – 26th September 2008
Choosing your destination appropriately is an essential part of travel planning, get it right and it will be an experience you’ll remember for a life time for all the right reasons, get it wrong and it is a story you’ll want to forget. Sometimes getting it spectacularly wrong is something that takes you on an altogether new adventure, but there are some destinations that are simply unsafe and landing in one of these unprepared is no laughing matter.
When I was on a trip a few years ago on Christmas Island in Kiribati, made famous as the site of the British nuclear tests, I met a couple on the holiday of a life time. She had wanted to surprise her husband on their 25th wedding anniversary and having saved the not insignificant fare for many years; she had finally booked their tickets. Her husband had always dreamed of visiting Christmas Island and seeing the red crab ‘migration’, the magnificent sight of millions of red crabs moving from their homes in the inland forests to the beach to mate and lay their eggs, is truly one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife sights. But booking this trip is not straight forward, there is only a specific time they ‘migrate’ and this is related to the start of the monsoon season, so choosing the exact date involves a certain amount of detailed research.
The lady I met had done her research accurately; she had managed to hide the surprise from her husband and even managed to keep their final destination from him after getting onto the flight, a feat that anyone would be very proud of. There was however one small flaw in her plan. The famous Christmas Island of her husband’s dreams, lies in the waters between Australia and Indonesia and is not the Christmas Island we were on. This one was chosen as a nuclear test site because of its isolation in the middle of the pacific and is separated by some 5000 miles from its namesake made famous by the red crabs.
In fact there are some 5 islands that I know of going by the name Christmas Island scattered across the world. Having a sense of humour is an essential part of travel and the Canadian couple had plenty of that, it is a story that will keep them in dinner conversation for many years to come and they had a wonderful trip to an island rarely visited, where crabs regularly cross the one road, but not quite in the numbers of the famous migration.
There is more to your choosing your destination then getting the right one. Your level of experience should dictate where you go. First and foremost, it has to be both safe and stable and having the latest information is essential. Then choosing a destination where you’ll be welcomed is also a good idea. Finally if you intend to travel through a number of countries or if it is your first trip we always suggest (climate permitting) that you start with the easiest country first and gain experience and confidence before heading to more challenging destinations. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop (GYITSA) provides you with Destination Advice on your chosen destination(s) or can help you if you are undecided to choose suitable destinations that suit your experience level as well as you interests.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.
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