Anger as tourist performs striptease on top of Uluru

I have written before on the subject of whether or not tourists should climb Ayres Rock / Uluru or not; this is going a step too far.


The ignorance and arrogance of some tourist is truly staggering, this French lady has not only stepped over the mark but her subsequent defence just goes to demonstrate the stupidity of some western tourists.


The act of climbing Uluru is already insulting to some Aboriginal people in Australia, who ask tourists not to climb the rock which they consider to be sacred; to then add to this by stripping on the summit seems unbelievably insensitive.


It strikes me that if you have made this kind of fundamental error of judgement the only thing to do is apologise, be humble and keep your mouth shut.


Alizee Sery seems to have decided that rather than accepting she had behaved very badly, she would compound her mistake by trying to excuse it away saying “I am aware that Uluru is sacred. What we need to remember is that, traditionally, the Aboriginal people were living naked”; I feel embarrassed for her as I write this…


When I talk about Cultural Awareness I try and explain things in a way they might better understand them; I often use examples from the point of view of where they were brought up and educated.


Imagine if Alizee were in Paris and visiting the popular tourist attraction of the Notre Dame Cathedral. People are free to view the Cathedral and walk around it, but you are not allowed to behind the altar. How do you think people would react if Alizee walked behind the altar and then stripped to her bikini?


So in our fictitious situation how would she argue her case? Maybe she would say “what we need to remember is that Adam & Eve came into the world naked…”.


The point is no one would see this scenario as acceptable, so why when the scenario at Uluru would equally offend some Aboriginal people, would that be acceptable; the simple answer is, it is not.


The argument surrounding the climbing of Uluru is a different one and has been examined by me in this blog before (Click Here); local people’s feeling should always be considered in these types of situations.


When you travel you are a guest in the country you are visiting and your behaviour should reflect this.


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, 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 – Northern Territories News
Date – 28th June 2010
Submitted by – Peter Mayhew

Watch Your Drink

Drink spiking and food spiking can be a real danger during travel with each area of the world having its ‘preferred’ methodology.


In the UK we generally assume that the purpose if ‘drink spiking’ is drug assisted sexual assault or rape, sometimes referred to as ‘date rape’.


In much of the rest of the world the drugging of food and drink is more often used for the purpose of theft.


In India for example the instances of drugged food on trains is on the increase, its primary purpose being for theft. Imagine waking up in very unfamiliar surroundings and every possession is gone; it is at this point that plan Z needs to kick-in. Only through effective planning will you have a plan Z in place, a plan for when things really go wrong.


Cosmopolitan magazine picked up on some of these issues and contacted us for expert opinion. We discussed with them the various ways to avoid drugged food and drink and highlighted the fact that it is just as important to understand that drink spiking is also done using alcohol; rather than controlled drugs, such as GLB, Ketamine, Rohypnol etc.


There is always safety in numbers and one member of your group abstaining from alcohol or a gift of food is one way to look after each other, the other is simply not to accept food & drinks from strangers and remain vigilant.


Make sure you don’t underestimate the size of alcohol measures abroad in comparison to the UK and the effects of other factors such as food, prescription drugs, altitude etc. on the rate of alcohol absorption.


Moderating your behaviour to avoid sending the wrong messages will also reduce the risks; in some countries even innocuous actions such as drinking alone, smoking and dancing can be misinterpreted.


During Our Workshops we discuss the dangers from drink / food spiking and further ways you can protect yourself.


Our expert advice is available to journalist and media outlets; please visit the Press & Media Enquiries page of our website for further details.


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, 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 (to follow)
Source – Cosmopolitan
Date – July 2010

Revellers hurt in Thailand tourist speed boat collision

Sometimes when we are teaching people how to be safe when they travel, it does rather feel that we can use the example of the ‘Full Moon’ party on Koh Pah Ngan as an example for all of the dangers and challenges faced by independent travellers across the world; the ‘full moon party’ has them all.


It is sad to see yet another tragedy unfold and more young people seriously injured when they were relying on the actions of others to keep them safe while they enjoyed all Thailand offers.


What we continually try and reinforce through our website and during our workshops is that you must not rely on others to keep you safe, but be self-reliant.


The ‘Full Moon Party’ need not be avoided at all costs, if it is something which attracts you, then by all means go, but do take extra care; by that I mean really plan ahead for every eventuality because the dangers are significant:


• Theft – Both from the person and from rooms; spend a little more for a descent room in a more secure location and make use of any additional safety facilities available. Don’t turn up thinking you’ll party through and don’t need accommodation, if nothing else have somewhere to securely leave you things; sleeping on the beach may seem a ‘romantic’ notion to you, the Thai authorities view it differently and waking up having been robbed will ruin your trip…

• Drugs – Avoid them and look after your drink, as drink spiking is common. The police patrol the beach and even holding a ‘joint’ can see you locked up with two options; a very heavy ‘fine’ or deportation.

• Sexual Assault – Sexual assaults are not uncommon and often ‘drug-assisted’ either through drink / food spiking or self induced alcohol / drug consumption.

• Medical care – Tropical disease risk is not significant, the island is not generally associated with a high risk of Malaria or many of the other diseases you vaccinate yourself against before travel. Dengue fever can occur and is on the rise in Thailand generally. You should always visit your GP or Travel Clinic before travel. Protection against sexually transmitted diseases should be a consideration.

There are regularly casualties from the party; dehydration, heat exhaustion, alcohol related conditions, accidents, injury from violence and many of the other common travel related syndromes. Make sure your Medical Insurance covers you and that your activities do not invalidate it. There are medical facilities on the island, but more serious cases need to be transferred to Koh Samui; medical facilities on Koh Pha Ngan are often overwhelmed during the Full Moon parties.

• Traffic accident – Is one of the major dangers when travelling but it is reduced in this case because there is little traffic on the island due to its size. Some people still choose to hire scooters and motorbikes (this always seems a little odd when everywhere is within walking distance…) and these present the usual dangers; injuries from accidents usually because of lack of protective clothing / equipment / lack of experience and / or drink driving.

• Transport – This is the danger highlighted in this latest accident. There is only one way of getting to the island and that is by boat, but it is the choice of boat which will dictate your level of risk.


As a general rule I would much rather get on the slow ferry rather than the ‘speed boats’, they strike me as more regulated, more robust and there is an element of safety in the regular schedules which would allow rescue to have a much better idea of where to start looking.


The speedboats are much more haphazard, often waiting till they are ‘full’ before leaving. The drive for profit is often at the expense of safety. There has undoubtedly been an improvement in the regulation surrounding these speedboats in the past 15 years, but how strong the enforcement of these regulation is remains in some doubt.


The trip from Koh Samui to Koh Pha Ngan is not long enough for the additional risk of speedboats to be worth the time saved.


On any boat journey there are factors to consider:


• The seaworthiness of the vessel and reputation of the company
• The capacity – is it overloaded
• The safety equipment – life rafts, life jackets, communication equipment, pre-departure drills etc.
• The weather
• Visibility


In this case some people do seem to have been wearing lifejackets, which is a start. The two points from this report which would worry me most would be the weather conditions which seems to have been far from ideal and travelling at night which is something to be avoided on all but the best equipped vessels (such as those which cross the English Channel).


Maybe more facts will come out from this particular accident in time, although it seems for now that the two boat drivers have disappeared, which would be a worrying sign.


It would be remiss of us to make assumptions in such a case, especially when people have been seriously hurt in an accident; however from personal experience of this region, I have seen boat drivers, showing off, racing each other and using vessels they clearly know are unsuitable or not in perfect working order.


Few would be surprised to hear that corners are cut in an effort to increase profit and to get those tourists who arrive late, across the water and to the party, even in the middle of the night; trust me, the full moon party is not that good that it is worth risking you life for.


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, 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 – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 27th June 2010

One Hell of a Hole

Tropical Storm Agatha has caused havoc across Central America resulting in hundreds of deaths, devastating communities and reminding us of the massive destructive force of nature.


When travelling we have to factor in the climatic conditions, try and avoid those areas susceptible to hurricanes, cyclones and tropical storms (during the season).


These areas do not need to be boycotted completely, but as much as reducing risk, it’s also not much fun unless you happen to be a ‘storm chaser’.


An element of planning to avoid areas during the worst seasons is a start, but planning for the worst case scenario should factor in all travel plans.


When I visited Bikini Atoll (in the Marshall Islands) one of the most remote islands on earth, I felt reasonably safe from the worst weather patterns (despite having been diverted some 10,000 miles on my flight there thanks to a hurricane over Guam).


Bikini is generally considered to be too far north to be affected by tropical storms, although now from personal experience I can tell you this is not the case; even if the one we made it through was the first one anybody could remember.


In our case the eight people who were on the island at the time could not rely on anyone else to help us out and we were acutely aware that the destruction caused could well have isolated us for weeks; not an appealing prospect on an island where most of the natural resources are still too radioactive from the US Atomic Testing programme to be consumed…


The point is (and the appearance of this sinkhole in Guatemala proves it beyond any doubt), we can reduce risk from natural disasters to a point, but we can never eliminate them; some planning should be made to deal with the challenges of weather when they are encountered.


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, 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 – Metro
Date – 2nd June 2010