Newlyweds stranded after fall

If ever there was a story to reaffirm the point I made in my recent news blog entry (Warning tourists of the dangers of ‘Balconing’) here it is.


Now I’m not suggesting that this incident in Corfu was anything other than an accident, but it does once again demonstrate two things; balconies are dangerous places and more importantly the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) scheme is no substitute for comprehensive Travel Insurance.


The EHIC will only get you the same treatment as local people. In some parts of Europe this treatment will be better than in the UK, but in others it will be less good. The point is most people who suffer illness or accident want to be treated in the UK and want access to the specialist treatment we are all automatically entitled to.


More to the point an accident like the one suffered by Carrie-Anne Dudbridge can result in injuries which require months of hospital treatment and rehabilitation, people need the support of friends and family at these difficult times and for that you need to be at home.


The EHIC will not cover repatriation costs, which if you cannot leave hospital and board an aeroplane in the normal manner can cost upwards of £15,000 even from Europe; and significantly more from other parts of the world. In addition to this travel partners and friends will also need to fund their ‘extended’ stay.


The EHIC is a good additional measure to take when travelling in Europe, but it is the BACK-UP to travel insurance, not the substitute.


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.


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Source – The Evening Standard
Date – 19th August 2010
Submitted by – Peter Mayhew

Warning tourists of the dangers of ‘Balconing’

I was contacted by Sky News last week and asked to provide comment live on a news feature they were running on the dangers of ‘Balconing’. It’s a new craze which is sweeping through the Balearic islands and has already led to 4 deaths in young people this summer; amongst a total of 15 deaths recorded as ‘accidental falls from balconies’


Unfortunately the feature Sky News were planning was pulled shortly before it was due as there were further developments with the devastating floods in Pakistan. Having prepared and researched the item I thought I would share it with visitors to our website.


This story came to light following the tragic accident involving a young British tourist Ryan Ellery, who fell from a balcony in Ibiza and suffered very serious injuries.


Balconies have long been dangerous places for tourists with many deaths from balcony falls reported every year, the majority of which involve people intoxicated through drink or drugs.


‘Balconing’ is the practice of either jumping from one balcony to another or from a hotel balcony into a pool. Balcony jumping (from one to another) is said to often be done in order to gain access to girl’s rooms; something which adds a whole other set of concerns.


The practice of jumping from a second, third or fourth floor balcony (or in some cases the roof) into a pool presents what most would see as obvious dangers; miscalculating the distance and clipping the concrete edge of a pool, missing the pool entirely or jumping into a pool which is not sufficiently deep (a 10m jump into salt water requires at the very minimum 5m water depth, swimming pools which are fresh water are even less buoyant) and hitting the bottom; not to mention the potential of colliding with other people using the pool.


It is these dangers which have not only led to the fatalities, but to countless (we have seen reports on between 30 and close to 100) injuries, of which some have been very serious indeed; as in the case of Ryan Elley.


‘Balconing’ is an extension of the practise commonly referred to as ‘Tombstoning’ in the UK and which was recently the subject of a renewed warning from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).


‘Tombstoning is the practice of jumping from height (usually rocks, cliffs, piers, sea walls, jetties etc) into the sea and has led to many fatalities and injuries as a result of miscalculation, hidden rocks, other obstacles under the water, strong currents, shock from the water temperature and due to the significant changes in the depth of water due to the tide.


In the last 5 years there have been 139 accidents from ‘Tombstoning’ in the UK which required an emergency response by the RNLI and 12 which resulted in fatalities. Many of the accidents involved serious life-changing spinal injuries.


The RNLI are so concerned about this practice they have produced a Short Campaign Film highlighting the dangers; it’s a film anyone thinking about taking part in ‘Balconing’ should think about watching before they take the leap.


Preventing these ‘accidents’ can only be done through understanding the causes and educating those taking part. The first thing is to find out who they are; typically they are young men, but I have seen videos of young girls taking part in ‘Balconing’ and recently a 75 year old man was hospitalised in Dorset after a ‘Tombstoning’ incident…


Let’s not castigate young people in search of ‘adventure’, certainly I would not condone ‘Balconing’ on any level, but peer pressure has led young people to take irresponsible actions for generations. Peer pressure usually means doing something as ‘impressive’ or more ‘impressive’ than those that have gone before. Twenty years ago this was relatively straight forward and only involved a small group of friends ‘competing’, in this ‘YouTube generation’ there is a whole world to compete with; it means those prone to risk taking feel pressure to take even greater risks.


There is also an element of not realising the benefits of the health & safety standards we enjoy in the UK; the RNLI is a great example of this, a voluntary service we should be rightly proud of.


The fact is if I decide to pick a fight with a grizzly bear with my back to the edge of the white cliffs of Dover, on the assumption I somehow survive, I will be rescued and I will receive treatment. This is a great privilege and unique to the UK, in much of the rest of the world it is money or insurance which will get you help and the standard of that help will vary very considerably.


If we can remember this then it should make us take more care to avoid requiring assistance when we are abroad. Climbing onto the railings of a third floor balcony with the intention of throwing yourself off into the pool below, is in this context is a very very bad idea.


This brings me on to the subject of travel insurance, you should never travel anywhere without it. Even the ‘simplest’ medical procedures can carry considerable cost; if you go to A&E in the UK the cost will not cross your mind, but it can cost thousands of pounds to the tax payer and in the rest of the world they will charge you. If you require medical evacuation, the cost can be as high as £10,000 to £30,000 in extreme reported cases costs have been in excess of £100,000.


So travel insurance is vital, however if the reason for your injury is that you were drunk and decided to jump into a pool from the second floor balcony, the chances of your insurance company paying out are somewhere between limited and zero. Drink or dugs alone usually invalidate insurance, as do voluntary acts of recklessness.


I spoke to a senior FCO official on this matter and they are genuinely worried about the ‘craze’ of ‘Balconing’ and the minister responsible is considering releasing a statement on the issue. They re-enforced our concerns about the invalidation of travel insurance through such activities.


Alcohol and drugs play a significant part in these activities, the levels of intoxication turns ‘Balconing’ from irresponsible and dangerous to suicidal. Think about it if you are not fit to drive a car…


The fact is that binge drinking has become a problem in the UK, with people drinking to excess and the nature of the drink being high abv drinks and spirits. Many of those who travel on these types of holiday take that one or two day a week binging habit and spread it throughout the week.


The problem is people are not aware of the number of units they consume but rather count their consumption in the number of drinks they have. Because they are on holiday they often consume even more and the volume of spirits measures in particular can mean that a standard shot of spirits (typically 25ml in the UK) contains twice as much alcohol as they are used to (a standard measure in most continental holiday locations will be 50ml).


The consequence of this is that holidaymakers binge twice as much as usual, without realising it. Because the body can only eliminates about 1 unit an hour, many of those binging in these resorts can find themselves never sobering up and so actually getting drunker and drunker as the week goes on; by the way you can’t sleep off alcohol, the rate of sobering changes little awake or asleep.


Ask around British tourists on the Balearic islands and it will not take you long to find one who has consumed 30+ units the night before. So let’s use this example of a tourist who has consumed 30 units in one night; when they wake up they might still have some 20 units in their system. Even if they don’t drink until the evening, when they sit down for dinner and drink their first glass of sangria they may well still have 10 units in their system… the point is they will often be starting a ‘new’ night from a position of significant intoxication.


This scenario is a problem at the best of times, with a mix of peer pressure, YouTube, a feeling of invincibility, a lack of life experiences which provide a natural risk aversion and potentially other chemical stimulants playing their part, it provides a dangerous ‘cocktail’.


What can you do:


• Tell people of the dangers; show people the RNLI Video
• Talk to those who might take part in such activities with respect; explain to them that if peer pressure means it is more difficult to say no than to jump, surely saying no is actually a braver thing to do…
• Don’t encourage other people (when someone is drunk even shouting at them to stop may just add to the sense of encouragement, silence can be deafening), walk away and get other to walk away; few will jump without an audience; avoid being guilty by association.
• Tell someone at the hotel or the police; you might be saving a life.
• Drink in moderation and take it in turns to stay sober to watch over your friends.
• Be a leader not a follower.


If you’re a thrill seeker or an adrenaline junkie there are hundreds of safer ways to get the shot of adrenaline and the kudos you are looking 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.


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Source – Sky News
Date – 13th August 2010
Submitted by – Peter Mayhew

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.

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Source – Times

Date – 10th December 2009

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.

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.

Here come the hoards

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Title – Here come the hoards
Source – The Independent
Date – 29th April 2009

I found this article very interesting and a good example of the difficulty I have sometimes within myself in deciding where to travel next. It made me examine my motivations and reminded me that every individual has unique criteria for the travel and how everyone has to make those choices which are right for them.

I struggle with my choices sometimes because I am naturally drawn to more remote locations, the less other travellers the better. It is a bit of a selfish approach, but I never begrudge other travellers I bump into when I’m there; why would I, after all they have just made the same choices I have, so they can’t be bad people….

Where I would feel guilt is if I ever reached the point where I tried to stop tourism for any but the best reasons, such as; the fragility of the environment, for justifiable political motives (such as Burma) or where the impact on the local communities are actually detrimental or unwelcome.

Where tourism has an unsustainable environmental impact, we have to protect those areas. Where possible this should be done through limiting sustainable numbers, a practise which normally results in higher costs to visitors, but one which must be accepted for the greater good. These practices can already be seen in places like Galapagos and Machu Picchu, although some might argue they don’t yet go far enough.

A similar principle can be seen where local people have chosen to limit tourism to avoid either harming their traditional way of life or eroding their society. Bhutan for example has limited the number of visitors through a quota system and charges a US$200 a day tax on visitors used to support this very resource poor / culture rich country. Other communities have shunned tourism completely and banned it from their shores, including some islands in the Indian Ocean or towns and villages within countries that have decided to keep themselves to themselves; I was lucky enough to be invited into one such village in Vanuatu and experienced a fascinating festival of music and dance.

The key point in all of this is that visitors should realise the privilege it is to visit another country, meet local people, to view the incredible natural and man-made sights. Even somewhere like Angkor Wat with it’s 2 million visitors; it is not our right to visit, it is our privilege to be invited to visit by the Cambodian people.

I will not pretend that I would not rather visit Angkor with only a handful of other visitors about, but I will never begrudge the Cambodian people the opportunity to generate an income to better their lives by encouraging as many people as possible to this most magnificent monument to human endeavour.

Too often I hear travellers from the UK complain that tourism is ruining local culture; people visiting Angkor and complaining of the crowds; visitors stating that money is making local people unhappy because they can’t continue with their traditional way of life; very very rarely do I hear these same people ask genuine locals those same questions. After all what if a visitor from Papua New Guinea to London complained about the crowds at the Tower of London and commented on how our way of life had been ruined by money, preventing us from living our ‘traditional way of life’ or their disappointment not to see Morris Dancing on every street corner…

The ‘traditional way of life’ we all strive to see on our travels is often very tough. We ‘dip’ in and out of it and think it quaint, but we would never accept poor health care, poor sanitation, lower life expectancy, toiling for 12 hours a day in basic subsistence farming which leaves you open to famine and flood or the lack of education and opportunity for the next generation; why should anyone else?

People often ask me where they should go and what they should see. Angkor is certainly one of those sights near the top of my list. The next question they ask is ‘has it not been ruined by the hoards of people visiting?’ I visited Angkor before the 2 million visitors of today, it was a much more serene place than today, there was more of an ‘Indiana Jones’ feeling to it and I loved that. Stories I tell of having to bribe soldiers and forestry officials in order to visit the ‘River of 1000 Lingas’ and uncovering whole ‘Reclining Buddha’ statues under banks of mud are among my favourites; these days I hear they do guided tours and many of the carvings have been damaged, stolen or removed. I may not be helping my own argument here….

My point is this; yes things change, maybe it is for the worse for some travellers, but it is for the better for many who may never have had the opportunity before (or known the right person to bribe…). It is better for local people who can now make an income from tourism, there are more jobs available for guides, wardens and the compulsory hawkers who I am sure now work that area as well.

Would it ruin it for me now visiting Angkor? Certainly not, if I were going for the first time, I can guarantee when I first laid eyes on Angkor I would still be speechless; it is the most magnificent of human achievements. It would be a different experience now, but experiences by their very nature are individual and today’s experience will be totally different from the one five or ten years from now. Not better or worse just different and individual. You haven’t missed the boat by not having visited before, you are just on a different type of boat.

It is very easy to get selfish when travelling, we all do it. Try and really think local, buy local and stay local; that way your travel fulfils your need for adventure and discovery, helps those places you visit meet their need for sustainability and helps to improve their lives the way they want.

At

Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Ethical and Responsible Travel, alongside sessions on Travel Safety, Travel Health, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more. Travel is one of life’s great privileges and as with any privilege it should be appreciated and respected.

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.

Just how cheap are those no-frills flights once the hidden extras are taken on board?

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Title – Just how cheap are those no-frills flights once the hidden extras are taken on board?Source – The Independent
Date – 8th March 2009

I recently commented on this blog about

Ryanair threatening to charge for the use of toilets on it’s flights and I then came across this article highlighting the ‘real’ costs of ‘budget flights’.

Before we look at all the add-ons to the advertised cost of these flights I should point out that with the advent of the ‘budget airline’ the options for the independent traveller have substantially increased and they continue to grow. The launch of an Air Asia service from Stansted to Kuala Lumpur and beyond have added a whole new dimension to the possibilities for independent travel.

Traditional travel agents who always used to be the best option for multi-stop long-haul flights, now have real competition. Anyone wishing to take a trip to South East Asia or even Australia can find cheaper alternatives on-line. But be warned there are positive and negative sides to this change.

But back to the short-haul budget flights….

The table in this article gives you some idea of the extras; but be warned they are likely to continue changing on a regular basis, so make sure you check all the booking conditions before you hand over your credit card (yes there is a charge for that too…)

Remember also to factor in all the other costs as well. It is all very well getting a cheaper flight with a low cost airline, but make sure the airport they are flying from and to do not mean that the increase in cost of getting to / from (or parking at) the airport outweigh the benefits; make sure you clear the cookies on your computer before you book (yes they track your activity and it can increase the cost); take your own food and drink as it saves buying overpriced food and drink on board and it will taste better; make sure you book as early as possible as this will generally make it cheaper (I even know of people who book multiple flights many months in advance as they are unsure of their dates, but know that even if they discard most of their flights in the end it will still be cheaper then booking at the last minute.

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, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more. The options for the Independent Traveller seem to get greater and greater each and every year, but it is almost getting to the point where the options are so great that it has become confusing and getting the best deals means a lot of research or finding someone you can really trust; many will claim to offer you the best and ‘only’ option, but this is rarely the case. We can help you reduce the number of options you need to investigate and direct you to those which will best suit your plans.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us our Facebook Page and our Facebook Group. 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.

Ryanair puts travellers in holding pattern with ‘pay a pound to spend a penny’ plan

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Title – Ryanair puts travellers in holding pattern with ‘pay a pound to spend a penny’ plan
Source – The Times
Date – 28th February 2009

The hidden charges of ‘budget’ airlines are generally well known and although new regulation has been brought in to stop airlines from advertising flights at rock bottom prices and ignoring the taxes, this has not stopped them reducing prices for advertising purposes. Adding on ‘extras’ which they do not need to advertise, but which many travellers would consider an fundamental part of the ‘ticket’ they are buying, is now common practice.

Ryanair are the ‘leaders’ in this practise and this is just the next step of that process. The question is where will it end and how much loose change will passengers need to start carrying before the fuel used to carry that loose change cost more than the additional profit made by Ryanair…

Don’t get me wrong, I welcome cheap airlines, they have revolutionised travel, but they are not without their issues. They need to be more honest with passengers, we understand that £20 to fly from London to Milan (they say Milan, maybe ‘near Milan’ would be more appropriate) is cheap, we would think £21 for the same flight was cheap and as such would accept the extra pound on the fare. However I think most people would rather pay £21 and have a flight with toilets rather than the thought of seeing how long they can hold it in, before 250 people rush off the flight on landing and head for the nearest toilet.

The bigger question for me is this; if I am on a 1 hour flight to continental Europe, I can plan my ‘pit stops’ appropriately. But lets be honest there are occasions when people get it wrong. So imagine the situation, you are trying to save that £1 and think to yourself that you only have to hold it in for another 15 minutes…. No problem… the seatbelt sign comes on as you start the descent, but then the flight is put into a holding pattern, but the seatbelt sign will stay on…. 15 minutes has just become 30 minutes…. Then 45 minutes…. Sound familiar? Now the question is do you get up in contravention of the seatbelt sign and do you approach the airhostess for change for a fiver? The point I make is would people not prefer to pay an additional £1 and not have to think about how many people have not managed to hold it in on the seat you are sitting on?

Ok I know it’s a little over the top, but I am allowed to have a little fun with this after all Michael O’Leary of Ryanair has been having a little fun with us…. The serious point is this. ‘budget airlines’ are a real viable alternative to more traditional means of independent travel in almost every corner of the world. But make sure you read past the home page and factor in all your requirements before you buy; don’t forget, before you book, clear down your ‘cookies’ to get the best price.

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, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more. Deciding on your means of transport will be determined by price, availability, convenience and personal preferences. We present you with all the alternatives before you decide. There are also considerations of environmental impact that should influence your decision making.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us our Facebook Page and our Facebook Group. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

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Miracle as passengers escapes plane disaster / British student shot in Ecuador

Title – Miracle as passengers escapes plane disaster / British student shot in EcuadorSource – London Lite
Date – 25th February 2009

It does sometimes seem that airline accidents come in threes, with the miraculous escape of those on the flight which landed on the Hudson River in New York and the tragic accident in Buffalo this Turkish airlines accident in Holland is the third.

Now I should point out that this is far from an exact science or even a statistical reality, but rather just an observation.

Actually the point of me including this article is not really anything to do with airline safety, because we have little control over this beyond the choice of airline we make and all the airlines involved in these three accidents have perfectly acceptable safety records.

The key for me was simply to point out that despite any loss of life being a tragedy it is amazing how many people survived two out of three of these accidents; we generally assume that the chances of surviving an aircraft accident are minimal. We all remember the miracle of the plane that landed on the Hudson River with no loss of life where the potential for fatalities on the ground and the plane were substantial. In this case in Amsterdam (despite what this early report suggests) nine people sadly died, but notably 125 people survived. It demonstrates the incredible safety record flying has when compared to other means of transport, thanks to technology and the remarkable courage and training of the crews.

Sadly on the same day we picked up on an article highlighting the dangers of travel and living in parts of the world where guns play every day part in communities. Trespassing in the UK is likely to result in at most an angry exchange and a reprimand; in many part of the world the threat to landowners from extreme violence perpetrated by ‘attackers’ means they protect themselves with firearms and the results can be deadly.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety and Transport Options alongside sessions on Travel Health, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more. Some of the dangers we face when travelling independently are difficult for us to influence, but they should be put into the context of the dangers we face in our everyday lives; others we can manage and resolve to reduce the risks independent travel presents.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us our Facebook Page and our Facebook Group. 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.

Tourists are blitzed by a shop bomber

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Title – Tourists are blitzed by a shop bomberSource – The Sun
Date – 23rd February 2009

Egypt has suffered at the hands of terrorists before, sadly this is far from an isolated incident and is actually turning into a rather predictable annual event.

Egypt relies on its tourist industry; both those visiting the unique archaeological sites, the pyramids, the sphinx and other world heritage sites and the those who flock to the Red Sea to relax, soak up the sun and enjoy world class diving in the purpose built resorts.

With such a reliance on tourism, the Egyptian government makes great efforts to protect the tourists that visit. However, precisely for this reason and the high profile nature of the tourist industry, it has become a regular target for terrorists who have enjoyed some ‘success’.

Unlike some parts of the world where independent travellers unwittingly get caught up in terrorism, in Egypt there can be no doubt that they are the target.

The FCO does not currently advice against travel to Egypt; it should be remembered that 13 million tourists visit Egypt every year, most have an amazing time and experience no problems, but extra care should be taken and sensible travel safety strategies followed, when visiting the country.

The hazards in Egypt are not limited to terrorist attacks, travel can also be dangerous and Egypt has high rates of road accident fatalities (see blog entry

Belgians die in Egypt coach crash). This is unlikely to be the last attack on tourists in Egypt and independent travellers must be aware of the potential risks to tourists in the country and manage the risks effectively.

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, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice and more. The only way to completely eliminate the risks involved in travel to Egypt is not to travel. However nowhere else in the world can you match the magnificence of the pyramids; travel always has to be a personal choice and a balancing act.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us our Facebook Page and our Facebook Group. 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.

This is your pilot slurring…

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Title – This is your pilot slurring…
Source – The Independent
Date – 4th February 2009

What comment can I make on this story? How can I find a purpose or a lesson we can learn from it?

Maybe the only thing it makes us really aware of is the rise and fall of standards both in companies and countries. It reminds us that things change quickly and having access to the latest information is key to

Safe Travel.

During the cold war information was not always easy to come by and was closely controlled in a propaganda war. With the fall of the Berlin wall came the fall in economic fortunes of many of the eastern bloc counties, the ‘new’ Russia included.

For a decade Russia struggled economically, infrastructure crumbled, public servants went unpaid and the gloss came off the former Soviet grandeur. Along with this there was much talk of Aeroflot failing to maintain its fleet and sadly even if they didn’t quite match the image that many painted of planes falling from the sky, there were too many accidents involving Aeroflot aircraft for it to be a coincidence.

But as countries fall so new ones rise and for the past decade Russia has rebuilt itself, helped by the high oil and gas prices it now relies so heavily on and through strong (many think too ‘strong’) leadership has become a rich and powerful nation once again. More obvious is that a ‘super-class’ of oligarchs have arisen as the ‘mega-rich’ who control many of the key industries in Russia. This includes Aeroflot and it has benefitted from renewed investment and rebuilt in some people’s eyes its reputation to some degree.

It would be flippant of me to compare this incident to the current economic downturn, which with such low oil prices is hurting Russia more than most. This may be well be a one off; a PR disaster; a bad joke; an over reported incident; but in a country that as times get tougher seems to be turning inwards in some respects, such a press freedom and openness, any information is worth consideration.

If we take it as a one-off, then it is an example of how we should stand up (literally and figuratively), when the alarm bells start ringing and follow our instincts. Don’t be a sheep and follow the crowd for fear of what it will look like, stand up, in this case get off and then watch how many people thank you for taking the lead as they follow.

That they tried to explain off what some perceived as a drunk pilot as a mild stroke or suggest that the pilot has little to do except press a button is absurd. Ask Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, the pilot nicknamed ‘the Hero of the Hudson’ if he could have performed his remarkable feat when drunk or after a mild stroke?

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, Travel Equipment, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice and more. Flying is one of the safest transport options we can make, but there are still some checks we should make to protect us from the rogues out there who cut corners and compromise safety.

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.

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

India couple’s kiss ‘not obscene’

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Title – India couple’s kiss ‘not obscene’
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 3rd February 2009

I add these types of stories into this blog for good reason; if we can understand how countries expect their own citizens to behave, to meet the ‘moral code’ of the country, then we can learn how to behave when we visit.

Many will argue that foreign tourists would not face a similar sanction for similar ‘offences’ and they may well be right, but they are missing the point somewhat.

The boundaries of behaviour when we travel, should not only be dictated by the law of the country we visit, certainly we must always follow local laws, but we must also be aware of differences in culture and acceptable practices. In India, as in much of South and South East Asia and the Middle East, people frown upon public signs of affection such as kissing and in some cases even holding hands. In the strictest countries such public demonstrations of affection are not only frowned upon, but illegal and can carry heavy sanction; especially when participants are not married.

In this case the judge seems to have taken a ‘sensible’ stance and thrown the case out, but the fact is these were Indian Nationals in their own country. When we visit new countries we must always remember we are guests and have no right to dictate behavioural standards or transfer our morals and values onto others; we have to conform with the standards expected in that country and if we don’t like them, we shouldn’t visit. We always work by the principle that travel to another country is a privilege not a right.

What we find acceptable is wholly unacceptable in other countries and what is unacceptable here is acceptable in other countries. For example how would we feel if a group of Afghani tourist took their horses onto Richmond park and started playing Buzkashi, which can very loosely be compared to polo, but where the ball is substituted with a headless goats carcass? For most of us that would be completely unacceptable, but in Afghanistan it is the national sport. It may be a silly analogy, but you get the idea;

Cultural Awareness is very important when you travel.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Cultural Awareness as well as Ethical and Responsible Travel alongside sessions on Travel Safety, Travel Equipment, Travel Health, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice and more. Travellers have in the past often fallen foul of local laws and customs (Briton faces jail for sex on Dubai beach / Kiss warning to Malaysia tourists) and there is no substitute for doing your research before you set off.

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.

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

‘Yom Kippur riot’ in Israeli city

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Title – ‘Yom Kippur riot’ in Israeli citySource – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 9th October 2008

It would be wrong of me to write in this blog that the riot that started with someone driving a car on the Yom Kippur religious holiday in Israel was simply the result of a cultural faux pas. There are clearly very serious tensions and deep rooted problems in this part of the world and the fact that it was a person of Arab origin driving on a Jewish religious holiday undoubtedly contributed in a very substantial way to the resulting riots.

But this situation illustrates in the strongest way how cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity play a very important role in safe travel.

Learning about other cultures should be one of the main reasons for travel and accepting the cultures of the countries you visit is imperative. You don’t have to agree with local cultures, but when you visit another country you have to respect them or go home. You simply can not expect to force your own culture on your hosts and far too often I see tourists trying to ‘impose’ on their hosts the ‘right way’ to do things or how to think. I use the word ‘impose’ rather than ‘teach’ because they tend not to suggest their way is right so much as tell their host that the host’s way is wrong.

There is nothing wrong with having an open discussion about cultural differences, many people across the world want to talk to you about how things are in the UK, but be sensitive to their beliefs and their way of doing things and do not assume that what we think ‘works’ at home should work around the world, because that is simply not true. I personally believe that if all the world followed the British model, the world would be a much much poorer and less interesting place.

At Beyond The Blue we run Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshops (GYITSA) for those planning travel to any part of the world. We provide not only practical advice such as guidance on Travel Equipment, but also Cultural Awareness to give candidates an introduction to the culture of the countries they intend to visit so they can travel pre-warned and prepared and enjoy all the positive experiences that independent travel has to offer without, so many of the pitfalls.

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.

Tourists beware: if it’s fun, Italy has a law against it

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Title – Tourists beware: if it’s fun, Italy has a law against it
Source – The Independent
Date – 17th August 2008

This headline is a little harsh; they have not really banned fun, they are merely controlling the excesses of their society to protect it. After all, three people sitting on a bench in Novara could easily turn from simple harmless fun into a riot…. Thinking about it, they may actually be creating fun; I can’t believe there are not people wandering round looking for couples sitting peacefully together on park benches and sitting next to them, thus plunging the couple into the criminal underworld; or groups of friends playing stand-up sit-down, where they have to avoid any two people being seated at any one time by someone else having to jump up… As for building sandcastles, I wonder if the law extends to other structures made of sand or is simply designated to eliminate sand ‘castles’… I have a vision of domes, articulated lorries and all manner of sand structures taking the place of the more traditional castle…

But on a slightly more serious note, understanding local laws and culture will go a long way to ensuring you have a event free trip. Never assume that what goes at home, goes abroad. It’s fair to say that breaching any of these strange local laws will probably not see you deported from Italy, but you may well find yourself with an unwanted fine to pay.

In other parts of the world something as simple as wearing revealing clothing such as swim wear may land you in substantially deeper water and many activities we take for granted at home can lead to serious difficulty, unnecessary danger, large fines and even larger prison terms. Ignorance or claiming you are a foreigner will simply not wash as an excuse.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop will prepare you for any destination you choose to visit. We will provide you with personal safety and cultural awareness advice for the countries you are visiting. By providing you with the tools to allow you to prepare effectively for your travels, you will gain the confidence that will allow you to make the most of your travel experiences.

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.