Mosquitoes are old sweats at detection

Mosquitoes bites are more than just an irritation when travelling, they carry everything from malaria to dengue and from yellow fever to Japanese encephalitis; well worth avoiding.


Protection against these diseases involves a combination of prophylactic drugs, vaccinations and bite avoidance. All of these measures must be taken together, as alone they are not 100% effective.


Bite avoidance is a very important part of this prevention strategy, as not getting bitten in the first place means you don’t have to rely on the pharmaceutical barriers to do their job.


During our workshop we provide a list of methods for avoiding bites, they add up to provide a high level of protection, each layer adding to the protection provided.


If mosquitoes are proven to be attracted to sweat, then taking an extra shower may be another way of reducing the risk; be careful though, mosquitoes are also attracted to the scents in some shampoos and deodorants, so you may be replacing one attractant with another…


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.


Source – Evening Standard
Date – 4th February 2010

A prickly moment

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Title – A prickly moment
Source – Metro
Date – 3rd February 2010


Sometimes I see images which I think are worth sharing.


Travel opens us up to the most amazing places the world has to offer and allows us to experience ‘you had to be there’ moments; these can sometimes be shared by photographs.


Biting off more than you can chew is a good analogy for a lot of what we teach on day 1 of our Independent Travel Safety and Cultural Awareness Workshop. Our aim is to teach participants how to avoid confrontation and put proactive measures into place resolve conflict when it is encountered.


As this young leopard found out, those we encounter on our travels may pose a threat we are not familiar with and unknown threats are better avoided than confronted.


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.

Over 1000 Britons are jailed over drugs abroad

Title – Over 1000 Britons are jailed over drugs abroad – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 3rd February 2010


Title – British smuggler is told of his death sentence in final visit by his cousin – The Times
Date – 29th December 2010


It comes as no surprise that a high percentage of Britons locked up in foreign prisons are there for crimes relating to illegal drugs and I would suggest the number ‘passing through’ these facilities each year is even higher.


It is not just getting involved in drug dealing which lands people ‘inside’ many are imprisoned for drug use and drug possession and even for being associated with people using drugs.


It amazes us how misunderstood the situation relating to drug use is by some travellers. I have sat in hostels across the world and overheard conversations about how ‘authorities turn a blind-eye’ or how ‘drugs are effectively decriminalised’; this is simply not the case.


The ‘hippie’ destinations of the late 70’s are now destinations of mass tourism, with mass tourism comes money and with money comes the need to protect the investments which have been made. Tourism is the life blood of many countries and they realise that they have to protect their reputations and their local communities from the ravages of the drugs trade.


There are plenty of countries where the death penalty stands for drug dealing and where the judicial system is not what we might believe to be entirely free and fair. There are also many places where the police and the authorities have realised there is an additional ‘income’ to be made from enforcing drug laws to the letter and beyond.


Our message is simple, don’t fall for the ‘marketing strategies’ of the drug dealers who will tell you it is ‘safe’ and de-criminalised, they do not have your welfare at heart and when the police come knocking at your door, they will be long gone.


Travelling is a privilege and provides enough natural highs not to require chemical ones.


Avoid illegal drugs when you are travelling, steer clear of ‘friends’ who get themselves involved in drugs and walk away from anyone who talks about drug use during travel as ‘part of the experience’; it isn’t.


Drugs are illegal in every country in the world, the only difference is sentences are generally much more severe and foreign prisons are often more dangerous than the streets outside them; don’t become a statistic.


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.com.uk/.

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

Tales of the hostage negotiators

The good news (if there is such a thing as good news when talking about kidnapping) is that the type of kidnapping discussed in this article concentrates on ‘high value’ targets.


‘High value targets’ are generally people travelling for business and linked to a company likely to pay a ransom or have an insurance policy which will pay out.


Kidnap for ‘demanded ransom’ of independent travellers is still relatively rare and avoiding the very high risk areas where kidnap for political reasons is carried out, reduces the risk considerably.


However there has been a significant increase of ‘express kidnapping’, especially in South America. The methodology here is to get the traveller to pay a ‘ransom’ themselves through theft of possessions and by emptying bank accounts and ‘maxing out’ credit cards.


Generally ‘express kidnapping’ targets couples, it allows the kidnappers to use the threat of harm against one member of the group to force the other(s) to concur with demands.


The advice we give to avoid express kidnapping involves understanding the way these groups operate. If you are unfortunate enough to become a victim then co-operation is your only option; don’t provide the kidnappers with an excuse to prove how serious they are about their threats.


Victims of express kidnapping are generally ‘chosen’ rather than an unlucky casualty of opportunists. Like much of our advice geared at avoiding crime, blending-in, being alert, not displaying signs of wealth and not disclosing your plans in detail to strangers, are all steps which reduce the risk.


We also like to idea mentioned in this article that taking the 2nd taxi in line avoids you getting in a vehicle which is targeting you directly; if this embarrasses you, then just wait a few minutes until someone else comes along and takes the first taxi in line or let the person behind you jump the queue.


Statistics can scare, but some are reassuring. Over 95% of kidnap victims are released and the figure is higher where the motivation is financial gain rather than political. So although kidnap is a traumatic and expensive experience, ‘getting home safe’ which is the ultimate goal, is normally achieved.


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 – FT
Date – 21st January 2010

Dubai – Woman who reported rape is charged with ‘illegal sex’

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Title – Dubai – Woman who reported rape is charged with ‘illegal sex’
Source – The Times
Date – 11th January 2010

This incident shows the thinly veiled façade in which effective marketing has painted Dubai and UAE as ‘westernised’ destinations.

The very high profile nature of the expensive marketing campaigns used to attract tourists and expats alike seem to indicate that a paradise awaits; little or no mention is made of local laws and most people are unaware of them when they step off the plane in Dubai.

So are these campaigns a lie?

Not really, they show the country as it is on the face of it. They accurately represent the gleaming towers, the luxurious almost decadent nature of the facilities available, the modern infrastructure, the warm welcome given to the tourist dollar and foreign investment, the beautiful beaches and turquoise sea; all are there waiting for visitors.

The problem is more with the visitors themselves, taking marketing at face value and looking no further than that. Even those who do understand some of the laws of the country routinely dismiss them.

Ask an expat in Dubai or someone who has visited about the laws surrounding alcohol consumption, ‘nudity’, relationships outside of marriage and few will know exactly how strict the emirates are on these subjects; but almost without exception those who do will then use the phrases ‘they turn a blind eye to expats and foreigners’ or ‘it’s legal in foreign hotels’ or some other such line.

So is this true, do they turn a blind eye to foreigners?

There is undoubtedly a certain amount of acceptance that these activities happen in foreign hotels and in foreign compounds, but that does not make them legal. Even in hotels and bars where alcohol is licensed and can be consumed, it does not change the fact that as soon as you step out of the door to go home you are once again breaking the very strict laws of being ‘intoxicated outside of a licensed premises’.

The fact is not much has really changed in these countries since the influx of debt and expats built these cities on the sand. Whatever we think of the laws and rules in comparison to the laws we have in the UK, these are the laws of the country and must be obeyed when you are in-country, otherwise you should stay at home.

This disturbing case demonstrates exactly how far Dubai will go to protect its image and again shows that expats are subject to the laws of the country. This is an image which will no doubt be even more strictly guarded following the recent humiliation of the financial crisis and the subsequent bail-out which amongst other things forced a change of name upon the world’s new tallest building, the impressive Burj Dubai; it had to be renamed the Burj Khalifa in honour of Dubai’s benefactor.

This story about an attack on a foreigner does not fit into Dubai’s multi-million dollar marketing plan; this attack is not symptomatic of Dubai, in general it is a very safe country to visit. However as this case shows the authorities are never shy to use their laws to the full extent against foreigners, in this case clearly to detract from the original crime, no doubt in the hope the case will be dropped and disappear from the ‘media’s radar’.

In the same edition of this paper were two other Dubai stories, one featured prominently the base jump from the top of the Burj Khalifa; the other the acquittal of a member of the ruling family accused of torture. The acquittal suggested he had been ‘drugged and therefore had no idea what he was doing…’; the video of the alleged incident is I warn you very disturbing.

The point is not to have a go at Dubai, they are only acting the way they have acted for hundreds of years, their laws are different, their way of life is different and it’s not for me to say (in the context of travel safety) if it is right or wrong.

The point is, when we travel, like it or not, we must respect our hosts, their laws and their way of life. When you plan for safe travel don’t just accept the marketing campaigns and pretty pictures, understand the culture and look past the gloss. Always show respect for your hosts and don’t assume you can behave as you behave in the UK; in many countries some of the behaviour we ‘accept’ and ‘tolerate’ here is considered very disrespectful and even illegal.

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.com.uk/.

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

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.