You’ve no head for mixing drinks and skiing, Britons told

People who travel to the mountains in the winter generally do so for two reasons ski (yes I know… and snowboard) and après-ski. Inevitably the après-ski involves a degree of alcohol consumption, it is the level of this consumption which can lead to problems and the fact that increasingly British travellers are not observing the ‘après’ part of the concept but rather partaking in ‘pendant-ski’ (or during ski).

I’m not preaching about alcohol consumption, that is not our role; however we do feel that it is important to point out facts and to let people make sensible choices based on these facts.

At altitude alcohol does have more a pronounced affect and as a rule the measures alcohol is served abroad are significantly bigger than in the UK; a dangerous combination.

It is a myth that a shot of brandy is a good cure for cold or hypothermia, it may lessen the symptoms and therefore reassure the victim, but it can actually exasperate the causes; drawing warmth away from vital organs, where the body’s natural defences concentrate core body temperature. The picture of a Saint Bernard with a barrel of brandy round the neck comes from a tourist brochure…

With this in mind, people who are drunk not only don’t realise how cold they are getting, but their body will not react in the usual way to the cold and protect itself; this make drunk people much more susceptible to hypothermia.

Sadly every year too many people find out the hard way that, whereas in the UK falling asleep in a doorway on your way home is an embarrassing incident or at worst results in a night at the pleasure of her majesty, at altitude in winter the consequences can be much more severe.

Remember that being intoxicated can invalidate your insurance and an accident on the slopes for someone who is uninsured and requires repatriation to the UK, can cost in excess of £15,000.

Our advice; think about the first glass of wine with your lunch, reflect more carefully about your second and after your third take the chairlift down. Look after each other; don’t let people walk home alone at night; keep your mobile phone charged; carry a small torch and whistle to signal for help; tell people where you are going; and send a quick text message to tell someone you have got home safely.

Taking a little extra care does not have to be boring, look around and see how many French people get drunk on the slopes or for that matter in public. By all means enjoy a drink but don’t ruin it by getting drunk; after all the adrenaline rush should be saved for the slopes.

At Safe Gap Year our Independent Travel Safety & Cultural Awareness Workshop considers issues of Travel Safety, alongside sessions on Cultural Awareness, Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.

Please visit our website at http://www.safegapyear.co.uk/.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

To view the original article Click Here

Source – Times

Date – 10th December 2009

FCO releases 2008-09 incident figures

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Title – FCO releases 2008-09 incident figures
Source – FCO
Date – 25th August 2009

These statistics must be taken in the context that they are purely those incidents which the FCO have been made aware of (needless to say ‘incidents’ for which British citizens must contact the embassy such as loss of passport are accurate and representative) and do not include those ‘incidents’ which are not reported and we must assume are significantly higher.

What we can assume however is that as a percentage these figures are representative and as such the most ‘dangerous’ countries highlighted are accurate.

The number of ‘assists’ that FCO staff deal with is staggering and certainly reflects the excellent work and the significant workload that the FCO puts in to protecting British citizens and assisting them when they are abroad. 2.1 million consular enquiries in a year is a significant number.

Travellers must however remember that the British embassy staff are limited in the assistance they can offer and being a UK citizen is not a ‘get out of jail free card’. You are always subject to the laws of the country you are visiting and must have enough funds to support yourself, pay any expenses you incur and get home.

The FCO is through initiatives such as the ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign, trying to get travellers to plan more effectively and prepare better for foreign travel to reduce the number getting into difficulty.

Effective preparation is important for any type of travel, however it is fair to say that people taking a short holiday to Spain who encounter an ‘incident’ (5430 excluding lost/stolen passports sought consular assistance in Spain in the year ending March 2009) should find it easier to deal with than those travelling to Mongolia where any form of assistance is limited. The traveller to Mongolia must take as much care as possible to be self sufficient and avoid any ‘incident’ from taking place; the complication of visiting such a remote country can make even normally innocuous ‘incidents’ very serious.

Preparing for a 2 week trip to Greece is relatively straight forward and advice from the FCO ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign should be sufficient. Those planning travel to more remote, developing countries over an extended period should seek more specific and detailed advice such as our Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop.

I have picked some of the more ‘interesting’ statistics from this report (the full report is available on the link at the top of this page). The report reflects the year ending March 2009:

· Britons were most likely to be arrested in UAE (294), followed by Thailand (202) and the USA (1534).
· One in seven of all arrests of Britons worldwide were for drug related offences. 991 people were arrested for drug offences.
· 19 British nationals are currently facing capital charges (those which carry the death penalty) worldwide.
· Britons were most likely to be hospitalised in Thailand followed by Greece, Egypt and India. Many of these hospitalisations were the result of alcohol related incidents and moped/motorbike accidents.
· 29,774 passports were lost or stolen worldwide. 3228 in USA, 2446 in Australia, 826 in China, 871 in South Africa
· 270 rapes & sexual Assaults were reported worldwide

If we consider those unreported incidents, these numbers are very significant. These situations are made much worse when you are stuck a very long way away from home, family, friends and support. What may be ‘relatively’ insignificant at home is magnified many times when you are stuck in a country where everything is very different, standards vary and often language barriers mean that you will not understand what is happening.

We help independent travellers understand and prepare for every instance to reduce the number and seriousness of ‘incidents’ which happen and to know what to do if they do.

Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) is a travel partner of the FCO Know Before You Go Campaign.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Independent Travel Safety & Cultural Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety, alongside sessions on Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Wounded elephant kills 11 – including a worshipper

Wild animals pose a serious threat to humans and the situation gets worse every year as man encroaches slowly on the last remaining natural habitats available to them.


Elephants alone kill over 200 people around the world every year, generally when on drunken rampages after eating fruit which has dropped from trees and fermented.


While it is certainly worth being aware of the dangerous animals living in the environments you may be visiting during travel, this should in no way put you off travel or cause you great concern while you are travelling.


Following local guidance and understanding the danger each animal poses and therefore how to protect yourself from them, will significantly reduce any risk you face.


Wild animals pose little danger to travellers who take care; on the rare occasion that travellers do come to harm, it is generally because they have been reckless.


By way of example snakes which scare many people, kill very few people in Australia (despite it having many of the world’s deadliest species); yet snakes in South East Asia kill thousands every year. The difference is millions of people in Asia work in paddy fields, barefoot and a favourite habitat of snakes. So the reason people in Australia don’t suffer as badly (apart from the availability of anti-venom) is simple; shoes.


At Safe Gap Year our Independent Travel Safety and Cultural Awareness Workshop considers issues of Travel Safety, alongside sessions on Cultural Awareness, Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.


Please visit our website at http://www.safegapyear.co.uk/.


For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.


To view the original article Click Here
Source – The Times
Date – 10th December 2009

Crocodile bagged by hungry hippos

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Title – Crocodile bagged by hungry hippos
Source – The Times
Date – 17th November 2009

If ever proof were needed that Hippos along with other animals pose a danger to humans and travellers who are unfamiliar with these dangers, than this is it.

Ok I know that even the most foolhardy and unprepared traveller is not going to try running the gauntlet over the backs of a group of Hippos, but this does not take away from the fact that Hippos remain the most dangerous animal in Africa.

Taking a few simple steps can offer significant protection from these 2 - 3 tonne mammals. During our workshop we examine the various natural dangers faced by travellers who may be unfamiliar with their new surroundings, dispel the myths and reinforce the facts.

At

Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety, alongside sessions on Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

One in four gap year students ditch ‘hedonistic’ tradition and invite parents along

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Title – One in four gap year students ditch ‘hedonistic’ tradition and invite parents along
Source – The Daily Mail
Date – 7th November 2009

I struggle with this story, for me it defeats the point of a Gap Year to some degree. We long ago started seeing ‘Gappers’ meet with family members at some point in their trip, but not generally for the whole trip...

On the other hand, that a Teddy Bear is packed comes as little surprise, people want some form of comfort and for some the Teddy is just that. There is nothing wrong with this, but we do always warn people that they should leave their valuables and items with sentimental value at home.

Anything you carry with you adds to the burden and while it may not seem that way while you drive to the airport, 2 months later you’ll be looking at any way of shedding every ounce of weight you can, as your pack starts to feel like a ball & chain. The gap year trail is littered with valuable travel equipment which has been dumped only a short time into a journey.

Teddys apart, taking your parents along does seem like a slightly excessive way of dealing with pre departure jitters…

There has been a steady increase in older independent travellers taking off round the world or undertaking volunteering after retirement or as a

Career Break, but let’s not blur the line; the rite of passage which is ‘the gap year’, provides experience, builds confidence, adds skills and develops independence in young people. With the right research or undertaking a workshop like ours, the risks can be reduced considerably, something which taking parents along does not necessarily do.

Everyone who enjoys travel, should travel. It opens eyes and transforms opinions in people from 5 to 95 years old.

What is very outdated is the concept that Gap Years are mindless hedonistic experiences. The press should credit young people with more maturity and respect the value they add to communities they visit. Hedonism is very rarely the objective of travel for ‘Gappers’; volunteering projects, cultural experiences, environmental adventures and sporting activities are almost always the primary objective. If the odd party occurs along the way, is that so terrible? We should let young people have a bit of fun….

In the UK we tend to demonise and criticise young people rather than guiding them and allowing them to explore for themselves. We should celebrate the many achievements young people on Gap Years achieve and the many communities they help along the way; not steel their thunder…

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety, alongside sessions on Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Coyote attack victim was rising folk star

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Title – Coyote attack victim was rising folk star
Source – The Times
Date – 30th October 2009

This is very much a ‘freak’ occurrence, coyotes are not generally considered a particular threat to humans. This tragic incident shows that we must always be on our guard against a variety of dangers when out hiking in different parts of the world.

In North America, we would generally see Bears as the main threat to humans. However the reintroduction and dramatic increase in wolf numbers in some areas has elevated the threat from them and the danger from other animals including snakes and hoofed animals such a Bison, Moose (and even large Elk) cannot be ignored. Some parts of the USA also face dangers from smaller animals such as scorpions and the diseases transmitted by ticks and mosquitoes.

I sometimes think that this blog will make people paranoid, as we try and pick up on the wide variety of dangers people may face when visiting other parts of the world, which is not my purpose. We are not trying to scare people off travel, but rather make them aware of the many dangers so they can take often small measures which will offer protection against such incidents. After all you are statistically in substantially less danger from a fatal coyote attack in Canada then from a road traffic accident if you don’t travel and stay at home in the UK.

All I am saying is that we all know that getting in a car we fasten our seatbelts and obey the rules of the road we are taught during our driving test; how many of us know how to protect against animals when hiking in the Rockies? A little knowledge can go a long way…

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety, alongside sessions on Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.

Please visit our website at http://www.safegapyear.com/. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Two men jailed for raping backpacker

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Title – Two men jailed for raping backpacker
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 23rd October 2009

I wanted to put this article into the blog because it sometimes feels like I write about all the dangers independent travellers face all over the world as if somehow we live in a perfect country and are surrounded by cotton wool where nothing bad ever happens.

The world can be a dangerous place and through Our Workshop we look to provide ways to reduce the risk where ever you find yourself. However just as there are unfamiliar dangers when you travel abroad, there are equal dangers for those visiting our shores.

This devastating experience for a New Zealand backpacker visiting London sadly reflects on the most vile element of our society and should humiliate our country where a visitor has faced such a depraved attack.

Dangers can occur anywhere in the world but it should never stop us travelling and expanding our horizons and we have to emphasise that the majority of independent travellers experience no serious incidents during travel.

Taking precautions does not mean that you are immune from danger, but taking risk reduction measures does just that; it reduces the risks through awareness, proactive actions and positive decision making.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety, alongside sessions on Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Lip gloss test that spots if your drink is spiked with rape drugs

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Title – Lip gloss test that spots if your drink is spiked with rape drugs
Source – Evening Standard
Date – 16th October 2009

‘Date Rape’ or ‘Drug Assisted Rape / Sexual Assault’ is a serious issue for independent travellers, unfortunately the reality is often not well understood.

Anything which helps reduce the risks faced from ‘drug assisted rape’ should be welcomed and this lip gloss / testing strip can be one line of defence. There are some problems; how many strips are provided in comparison with the number of drinks which might be consumed? How co-ordinated will an alcohol consumer be after a few drinks to remember or even be able to complete the fiddly test? However something is always better than nothing.

What is much more important is understanding the nature of the problem and dispelling the myths.

‘Drink spiking’ is a very different problem in the UK to other parts of the world. In the UK the majority of ‘drink spiking’ cases are linked to sexual assaults and although not exclusively directed at women the majority of victims are women.

In other parts of the world ‘spiking’ is more commonly used as a means of facilitating theft or even kidnap; this means that both men and women are targeted. That should not take away that drink spiking is still used to facilitate sexual assault and rape.

So for independent travellers the strategies to protecting against being drugged need to be more deliberate and proactive. In the UK we generally consider drinks to be the usual vector for ‘spiking’, in many part of the world ‘food spiking’ is even more common.

The substances used also vary; in the UK alcohol is by far the most used drug in ‘date rape’ and abroad this may still be the case for ‘drug assisted rape’ (no figures are available, but independent travellers should be aware that other travellers are often the perpetrators of this crime), but in ‘drug assisted theft / kidnapping’ it is overwhelmingly ‘illegal drug’ which are used; adding the additional danger posed to victims health from consuming the drug itself.

Understanding ‘drink / food spiking’ and is the most important step in prevention and should go some way to helping people protect themselves from the real dangers. Being cautious of strangers behaviour or accepting food / drinks from them and in some cases the use of testing kits is a start. Having friends you trust to look after you, who are loyal, unlikely to disappear half way through the night and who will ensure you get home safely is the most effective protection.

At

Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety, alongside sessions on Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Hundreds feared dead in freak flood; It feels as though we are in a war; Hunt for survivors as tsunami death toll nears 200; British boy aged 2 lost..

Title – Hundreds feared dead in freak flood – 28th September 2009 (The Times)
Title – It feels as though we are in a war – 2nd October 2009 (The Times)
Title – Hunt for survivors as tsunami death toll nears 200 – 2nd October 2009 (The Times)
Title – British boy aged 2 lost in tsunami – 30th September 2009 (London Lite)

It has been a terrible few days; we have once again been reminded that for all our technological advances, the earth’s power is still something we can not control, predict accurately or defend ourselves against.

Several hundred dead in the South Pacific following a devastating tsunami; hundreds dead in the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos after tropical storm Ketsana wrought havoc and flooding across the region; and destruction on an unimaginable scale in Sumatra from an earthquake which destroyed most of Pedang and the surrounding region, killing a yet to be determined number of people, but a number which will undoubtedly end up being in the thousands.

These are the headlines which have greeted us over the last week and in each case tourists have found themselves amongst the casualties.

These three instances have been so devastating that floods in India which killed over 80 people, landslides in Italy which killed over 50 and drought in East Africa which threatens hundreds of thousands and is destroying wildlife at a rate unseen in many years, have hardly featured.

There are three reasons why I have decided to include these articles in this blog;

The first is that having visited Sumatra and the Philippines as well as much of the Pacific, I can never help but feel a connection with these places and the people who live there. I think that it is undoubtedly true when you travel, you leave a little bit of yourself behind at each place you visit. So when something terrible happens, your sadness for those people who suffer as a result of these occurrences is that much more personal.

The second is that it is obviously important to understand more about the dangers of travel for people going for the first time. During our workshop we discuss the different types of natural disasters which occur and strategies for avoiding those which are ‘predictable’. In the UK we are ‘lucky’ to have a stable climate, not always the climate we would like, but even the most violent storm rarely cause the widespread destruction seen in Southeast Asia. We do not have to deal with earthquakes or the resulting tsunamis, it can make us very complacent to the sheer power of natural disasters such as these and the consequences. They can be seen as a photo opportunity rather than life threatening dangers which can quickly turn from ‘interesting’ to deadly.

The third is that travel undoubtedly generates ‘green-house gasses’ which play a role in the weather patterns which lead to storms, floods, droughts and climate change. I have never been an advocate of stopping people from travelling because of climate change, but the effects of travel need to be reduced to a minimum and where feasible ‘reparation’ measures taken to replace the carbon emissions our travel generates.

These disasters have a devastating effect on local communities, they need help but they don’t need tourists adding to the burden. Tourists should be aware of potential disasters and be able to act in a manner to protect themselves and to avoid adding to the local burden which when these occurrences happen are stretched to breaking point as it is. Often the best intentions of tourist trying to help (when they are not specialist aid or disaster recovery teams) are unwelcome and slow the rescue and recovery effort rather than helping them.

I have never seen disaster on this scale, but I have been in floods, earthquakes and witnessed minor volcanic activity as well as experiencing a tropical storm on one of the most isolated islands in the world and the tail of a cyclone while on a boat in the Philippines. None of these experiences would I care to repeat and none even come close to these recent disasters. I go out of my way to avoid any repeats and I wince when I hear stories of people who think it is heroic to get through such experiences; not avoiding these situations when you have the opportunity to is not brave it is stupid, dangerous and irresponsible. As travellers we often have the opportunity to avoid the worst effects of local disasters, whenever that opportunity presents itself we have a duty to take it. If you want to help… send a cheque.

These disaster areas need our help. While we argue at home about banker bonuses and if we should restrict the many billions they pay themselves to just a few billion, these places just need a fraction of that money; you can help by visiting www.dec.org.uk.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety, alongside sessions on Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Two Britons die on Vietnam boat; Drowned Britons were on a world bicycle ride.

Title – Two Britons die on Vietnam boat – 28th September 2009 (www.bbc.co.uk)
Title – Drowned Britons were on a world bicycle ride – 29th September 2009 (Metro)

It is another reminder, if one was needed, that the adventures we all take part in on our travels are not without risk.

There is no indication that this was anymore than a freak accident resulting in tragedy. However it remains the case that accidents in or on the water is one of the top two reasons for death overseas from accidents; alongside road traffic accidents.

All too often boats can be overloaded, safety precautions inadequate or completely ignored and equipment old, ineffective or wholly absent.

Two of the greatest threats to young travellers in developing countries using boats as a means of travel are inexperience and peer pressure.

Inexperience leads to naivety or an assumption that what is a very safe form of transport in the developed world carries little danger in less developed countries or that local boat operators experience will keep them safe. The latter is often certainly an important factor, but in countries where many people live on or below the poverty line, profit is often the winner in the battle between investment in safety equipment & maintenance or squeezing an extra few (or hundred) passengers on board and safety.

Peer pressure, is one of those problems that is very difficult to eradicate completely. Not wanting to be the one in a group who seems over-cautious or who speaks up when something doesn’t seem quite right, but rather taking the ‘fingers crossed’ approach, has led to many accidents that were avoidable. On boats, not paying attention to safety briefings is common (I know when I was working as a Dive Master in Thailand, it sometimes seemed like I was talking to myself) and not wearing life vest when available is endemic; are you really going to be the only one sitting there in an old torn bright orange ‘waist coat’?

As I say peer pressure is the most difficult ‘problem’ to fix. What we do during Our Workshops is to find ways round the peer pressure or at least somewhere comfortable in the middle. If you don’t want to wear the life jacket and be the odd one out, why not ask for one you can sit on as a cushion? That way you don’t stand out, but if disaster strikes, you will at least have a life vest to hand in the few minutes it can take for a boat to go down.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety, alongside sessions on Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

BA: now it’s £60 to pick a seat

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Title – BA: now it’s £60 to pick a seat
Source – The Sunday Times Travel
Date – 28th September 2009

I feel a rant coming on…. I will try and avoid the worst of it…

So it seems that British Airways are trying to slowly change their business model to compete with the ‘low-cost’ airlines.

The problem for me is you can’t have the best of both worlds. If you want to be a low cost airline then offer those silly low prices and charge for everything else, while providing a level of service which ‘reflects’ the price. If you want to be a scheduled (traditional) airline who can charge a ‘premium’ for flights without the mad scramble, then do that. I’m not sure a hybrid works where you pay the ‘premium rate’ and then have to pay for everything else.

The question is what is next, are they going to follow Ryanair and Easyjet and charge for every stage of the process? I’m in no doubt that other airlines will follow suit and in time we will get used to it, but I know what to expect if I am booking ‘low-cost’ and I know what I expect when I am willing to pay that little more for a carrier like BA. If the differential is no longer there, then cost alone will be the factor which decides my future airline choice… can BA really compete?

It used to be straight forward to calculate your flight costs into you overall travel budget, but independent travellers need to be careful these days not to be caught out by the many additional charges and baggage restrictions etc.

Be very careful especially with your baggage allowance, I have been with several carriers who have ignored my excess on the way out (skis, diving equipment etc) and when I have been on the other side of the world ready to return home have suddenly decided to follow the small print to the letter and charge me many hundreds of pounds in excess baggage… to date with no success, but more through luck, long arguments and stubborn persistence, then any magical formula.

So rant over… hopefully most passengers will object like I do to paying extra and leave the task of choosing their seat until the last 24 hours when it is free; that way everyone has a fair crack of the whip in getting a decent seat. Sadly it does seem the lottery of the emergency exit seat is a thing of the past; let’s just hope the people with the money to burn are also fit enough to open the emergency exit if required…

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Transport Options alongside sessions on Travel Safety, Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

‘Out of control’ thrill firms put UK gapers in danger

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Title – ‘Out of control’ thrill firms put UK gapers in danger
Source – The Sunday Times Travel
Date – 28th September 2009

This is a story we first commented on in April 2008:

· Tour group admits errors over river-boarding death
· Family blames daughter’s death on the pursuit of most extreme sports

In my previous blog entry I included some simple ways you can take your own precautions when choosing a company whose hands you intend to put your life.

The good news is that the New Zealand government have realised that their good reputation has been dented and they need to do something to restore it and flashy advertising is no substitute for real control of the ‘adventure sports’ companies.

As always the responsible companies will welcome regulation, those who complain about it, are the ones to steer clear of.

Being safe does not take the edge off these activities and seeking out a reputable company and asking appropriate safety questions should not be something you are embarrassed to do. Reputable operators will welcome your questions and give you reasonable answers or proof of qualifications and safety / quality certificates.

Standing on the ledge of bridge with a rope tied around your legs should be enough of a thrill for anyone; knowing that the bungee rope is of the right length and in good condition should not add to the ‘excitement’.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety, alongside sessions on Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Barcelona ‘is a steal’

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Title – Barcelona ‘is a steal’
Source – Metro
Date – 25th September 2009

Who said you need to travel to far flung corners of the world to be in ‘danger’ when you travel?

This latest survey suggests that for pickpockets at least destinations closer to home pose a serious risk; to our pockets at least.

Anyone who has visited Barcelona will be able to tell you that Las Ramblas while being a great place to spend a few hours, is also somewhere a money belt becomes a very worthwhile investment. But it is as much how you use your money belt as the investment itself which counts.

Money belts are not an alternative to a wallet, or to a reputable hotel safe; money belts are an additional layer of protection. Accessing your money belt in public is arguably putting you in greater danger than not using one at all; as it displays where you have probably ‘hidden’ all your valuables and could result in you being targeted for a more violent theft.

The key is to have a variety of different methods of protecting your valuables, both to give you peace of mind and confidence, as well as to protect the bulk of your cash, valuables and documents from the prevalent thieves who prowl Barcelona, Rome, Prague and Madrid and especially the well known hotspots such as Las Ramblas, train stations, busy markets and tourist hot spots.

During

Our Workshop we examine many different strategies for protecting yourself and your property from pickpockets and others who would seek to harm you and steal from you.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety, alongside sessions on Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Try to be a help not a hindrance

Title – Try to be a help not a hindrance
Source – Metro
Date – 15th September 2009

There are always two key issues which stand out when choosing volunteering companies which promote gap year travel and volunteering projects.

The first is the value of the project for the host community, is it designed to meet their requirements or yours?

The second is are you provided with any real additional protection in the country you will be visiting or is more of your fee spent on fancy marketing than systems designed to assist you when you most need it?

We have often said that you need to choose carefully, there are many excellent companies out there providing excellent services and ethical and responsible volunteering projects, there are also a lot of cowboys… What frustrates me most and tends to ring my alarm bells are companies which portray themselves as charities rather than commercial companies (not to be confused with those genuine charities who tend on the whole to be more focussed on the work they undertake).

Even the big companies often have very limited information or inductions for volunteers. Choosing to go with a company rather than solo is no substitute for doing your own extensive research into your destination and learning ways to reduce the risks you may face in the country you are visiting.
Tourism Concern have indicated that their research demonstrates that one in three companies are so profit driven they don’t even meet candidates before they travel and one in four fail to offer any kind of pre-departure induction at all; where exactly is all your money going and what exactly are you paying for?

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety alongside sessions on Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Tour group admits errors over riverboarding death

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Tour group admits errors over riverboarding death
Source – The Times
Date – 25th August 2009

This is a story we first commented on in April 2008:

·

Family blames daughter’s death on the pursuit of most extreme sports

This conclusion of the associated court case shows the guilt accepted by the company involved and serves as a reminder that ‘extreme sports’ are not without their dangers. The very concept is to get the adrenaline going and to ‘face our fears’ and there are many excellent companies who allow you to do this in the relative risk managed safety.

However where there are good companies there are also inevitably less good ones. In such competitive businesses, standards are often reflected in the prices charged in the battle to win customers. Independent travellers are often guided by price in their choices, in an attempt to try and squeeze the most out of a tight budget, but price alone should never be the only factor.

Let me give an example from my own experience.

As a very keen diver many of the places I visit offer more than one dive operator to choose from. Out of habit I effectively risk assess them all before I choose. ‘Risk assessing’ often sounds like a dull, formal, boring and over cautious approach, but we are not talking about boring forms or meetings with health and safety managers, rather just a sensible approach to making the right choices. The fact is during this process I also find out more about where each company dives, what their approach is to protecting their environments and which dive masters / crew seem the nicest; all very important in making the most out of what is an expensive activity.

My risk assessment roughly looks at the following factors:

· How clean, tidy and organised is the dive shop?
· How well maintained does the hire equipment look (even if I am using my own equipment)?
· How new does the equipment look (are the BCD’s faded by the sun, ripped, ragged etc)
· How do the staff approach my enquiry (do they ask to see my diving qualification, log book or enquire about my level of experience)?
· What type of boat do they use and what condition is it in?
· What are their emergency procedures?
· How knowledgeable are staff about the local area / environment; are they going to make my dive more interesting or just functional?
· What experience do the Dive Masters / Instructors have, who registers the dive centre and to what grade?
· I will ask other divers who have already dived for a recommendation or their experiences?

This seems like a long list and a hassle, but all this can be achieved through casual conversation when you visit the dive shop and while you are checking out the area. You will very quickly find which dive operation you are most comfortable with and which one is likely to give you the best experience. Like many ‘extreme sports’ safety must be at the top of your list of concerns when you are planning a dive; otherwise you’ll be uncomfortable and will not enjoy the experience…. And what is the point of that?

You may not be an expert, but common sense and a few well placed questions can go a long way to reducing risk. The behaviour, safety equipment, approach to safety and making that extra effort to make your experience one to remember, will certainly be a first step to avoiding accidents.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety, alongside sessions on Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.