Four fatal shark attacks in 2006

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Title – Four fatal shark attacks in 2006
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 15th July 2007

At Beyond The Blue our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop examines the facts and not the myths. This approach allows you to make decisions on your safety based on sound judgement rather then at the whim of a Hollywood movie that still haunts the average swimmer in the worlds shark infested seas, 30 years after it was first released.

For many people the fear of sharks keeps them permanently out of the water, for some it keeps them from enjoying some of the worlds wonders like the Great Barrier Reef off the Australian coast or surfing in California.

The facts are simple though with the 100’s of millions of people all over the world heading into the sea for a swim each year, only 4 people worldwide are killed by sharks. In actual fact the danger of getting to the water front (crossing the road, being attacked by another human or even buying a soft drink from a vending machine) is statistically more dangerous then sharks and the risks are substantially higher then sharing water with the so called “killer” sharks.

We have firsthand experience of diving with sharks, we have ourselves sought out some of the so called most dangerous sharks and watched them go into a feeding frenzy. This may seem to some to be insane, but the shark is a beautiful creature, there is no doubt that they are potentially life threatening, but most human encounters with sharks have one of two result; the first is a thrill to those who are privileged enough to witness a shark in it’s natural environment and admire evolution at its best; the second is the disgraceful habit of over fishing it, especially the practise of fining that kills millions of sharks each year, simply to harvest the fins before throwing the rest of the (often still alive) shark back into the water.

The issue of sharks is a simple one, understand your destination, seek local advice, avoid high risk areas where it is actually dangerous to swim due to the number and species of shark present and when an area is 'safe' enjoy the water. Remember sharks really do have a lot more to fear from humans then humans have from them.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

3000 types of mozzie

Title – 3000 types of mozzie
Source – The Evening Standard
Date – 8th August 2007

Mosquitoes can arguably be considered as the single most dangerous animal to humans on earth. They are involved in the transmission of malaria that kills over a million people a year and are also responsible for the transmission of other fatal diseases in many different parts of the world.

Mosquitoes are also here to stay. In certain parts of the world there have been exceptionally successful eradication programmes and programmes that have been designed to reduce or eliminate the breeding grounds that can lead to prolific population growth amongst mosquitoes. Singapore for example does not have a significant malaria problem, thanks to their continued hard work in reducing and eradicating mosquitoes. But freeing Singapore, a tiny and immensely rich nation with almost no naturally wild areas, is relatively straight forward in comparison to some parts of the world that do not have these luxuries, Africa and many of Singapore’s South East Asian neighbours suffer terribly from the diseases that are spread by mosquitoes and even in countries we generally consider safe from malaria such as the USA, mosquitoes carry other hidden dangers such as encephalitis.

We know the dangers and annoyance that mosquitoes can cause travellers as well as the local population. We know how to manage and minimise these risks when travelling to countries where diseases are spread by mosquitoes. During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop we identify many areas of Travel Health and consider the problems mosquitoes can cause by first looking at where in the world precautions should be taken, where precautions and prophylactic drugs should be used and fundamentally how to avoid being bitten in the first place. By understanding the mosquito’s behaviour and therefore putting measures into place to make sure you’re protected effectively when mosquitoes are at their most active, the risks can be reduced to acceptable and manageable levels.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Now parents want gap years as well

Title – Now parents want gap years as well
Source – Metro
Date – 2nd July 2007

It’s been a growing phenomenon; 'Gappers' are getting older and older. A generation ago, taking a year out of your career was almost unheard of, let alone for something as frivolous as world travel. But increasingly older people and people with established careers are taking the time out to travel the world and to be as adventurous as their young counterparts.

Where once the beaches of Australia and the jungle temples of Cambodia were the almost exclusive domain of the young Gap Year Student, they now find themselves joined by an ever increasing number of independent older travellers. People who change careers are seeing it as the perfect opportunity to take a year off, to go and experience first hand the places where 20 years ago only serious adventurous dared go, but are now open to an ever more sophisticated tourism industry. Others find themselves working for the growing number of far-sighted employers who have career break schemes set up, to allow their valued employees to take time off without the need to worry about their job, which will be waiting for them when they return.

But with this latest survey suggesting the 35% of 45 – 54 year olds are seriously considering taking a Gap Year the number of 'older' Gappers is set to reach new highs. It is a prospect that can only be good for all concerned, as the travel mentality is a great leveller and allows individuals whose paths would not normally cross, to find and share the common ground. 18 or 54, travel tips as you arrive at a new destination will be the same; where a good place to stay is, are there any cheap and good places to eat, what is the best way to get to the local attraction and can you recommend a good guide, are questions where the age gap has no impact.

At Beyond The Blue our courses are designed to suit all ages, the perils that individuals face when on their travels are the same no matter how old you are. A mosquito does not decide on its 'victim' by age and a conman sees everyone as a walking wallet, greying hair or bright pink hair they will find an angle. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop was designed with all ages in mind; we find the common ground and resolve it.

We particularly steered away from simply calling it a 'gap year course', as the concept of a 'gap year' is still one that most people see as the young school / university leaver, but that is no longer the case. Independent Travel is now open to everyone and we are ready to help everyone achieve their goals safely and with renewed confidence.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Is a one-dose malaria vaccine around the corner

Title – Is a one-dose malaria vaccine around the corner
Source – Telegraph Magazine
Date – July 2007

It’s one of the holy grails which the best scientists around the world are looking for; a cure that will save thousands and in the case of malaria, millions of lives. Malaria is one of the blights on the world and kills a million people every year, including the young and frail, who can’t fight off the symptoms of the disease. Most of these victims live in sub-Saharan Africa where they don’t have access to the medications and simple protective measures such as mosquito nets, which travellers from the UK do and should not take for granted.

During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop we examine what measures individuals should take when travelling across the world to areas affected by malaria and other diseases. Despite the availability of drugs and protective measures such as repellents and mosquito nets, many travellers still don’t take the basic precautions seriously and in 2006, 1386 people in the UK were diagnosed with the deadliest strain of the disease. Of those affected 81% had not taken prophylactic drugs to protect themselves against the disease, even the most sceptical travellers must understand the ramifications of that statistic.

Malaria is treatable, but it is not straight forward and is a highly debilitating disease to those affected causing weeks and months of an illness that can reoccur years later and throughout a lifetime. It’s certainly not something to be taken lightly or to consider a risk worth taking. Anyone who has the opportunity to protect themselves in any way from malaria should take it. We provide all the information you will need to do this effectively, with the help of equipment and medical advice from your physician.

We run workshops for individuals of all ages and all experience levels, we help you prepare for all your travel needs, to enable you to prepare everything in advance and give you an advantage when you arrive in-country.


Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

EU bans all Indonesian airlines

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Title – EU bans all Indonesian airlines
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 28th June 2007

Just a few years ago Garuda (Indonesia’s national airline) was one of the favoured choices of the budget traveller looking for a cheap round-the-world ticket. But things have changed rapidly in the airline industry and this week all of Indonesia’s 51 airlines were added to the EU’s list of carriers banned from the EU for safety reasons.

But Indonesia is not the only area affected; it is just the headline grabber, as ALL its carriers were added to the list. Other countries were also affected including Bulgaria, Ukraine and other former Soviet Republics as well as many African carriers.

We examine Transport Options as part of our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop. We look at the options available to you and their individual merits, including cost, safety and environmental impact.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

The inconvenient truth about the carbon offset industry

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Title – The inconvenient truth about the carbon offset industry
Source – The Guardian
Date – 16th June 2007

We should all be concerned about our carbon footprint and the damage that our individual activities have on our increasingly fragile planet, but how can we consolidate the impact we have with our natural curiosity and desire to travel to the far corners of the globe with an increasing number of airlines offering cheaper and cheaper fares?

Carbon offsetting is one of the buzzwords of the day. The theory is you can do anything with a clear conscience if you just pay someone else, to either not to use their carbon entitlement or fund one of the ever growing number of schemes designed to cut emissions through funding carbon reducing projects. But like any new industry and any new scheme there have been flaws and there have been scams; so how do you know, in a very unregulated market place, what scheme is actually going to repair the damage of the flight to your chosen travel destination and the activities you partake in when you get there and how you can help prevent climate change.

There are a growing number of schemes to offset carbon, which are being shown not to have the desired effect or to be misleading. Planting trees for example, was a very popular way of offsetting carbon emissions in the early years, but these have largely been discredited, this is primarily because the calculations were either incorrect or calculated on the lifespan of the tree (in other words if for example there was a single tree that could be planted to offset your carbon emissions for your flight to Australia, that tree would have to grow for 100 years to offset the carbon emissions you use tomorrow…. Do we have 100 years to spare before we actually need to offset the carbon emissions of today?)

We examine the environmental and cultural impact of your travel in our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop. We look at carbon offset programmes that have achieved the gold standard, currently the only real indication that an offsetting scheme is actually scientifically proven. Just as importantly we examine ways you can avoid having a negative cultural impact on the locations and communities you visit in the course of your travels. This positive approach allows you to better explore and understand the places you visit and inherently increases your personal safety, while on your travels. At Beyond The Blue we believe in travel, but we understand that there is a price to pay and the many different ways in which you have to pay it.


Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Britons ‘complacent over malaria’

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Title – Britons ‘complacent over malaria’
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 15th May 2007

Malaria is one of the blights on the human populations of the world. Primarily a major cause of death in countries that can least afford to protect themselves, it is the responsibility of all of us that are afforded the luxury of modern medication and expensive equipment to ensure we do everything not to burden the health services of the countries we visit or our own when we return by protecting ourselves effectively. Not using the medication available to protect yourself from Malaria is not only socially irresponsible; it places you in danger of contracting a very serious disease. Some people believe that even if they contract Malaria, it is treatable on your return and generally results in death only in countries where primary medication is unavailable.

These myths place individuals at great risk, Malaria can certainly be treated, but it also kills up to 1 million people every year, so no one should take it for granted. If that is not enough of a warning then consider that people contracting Malaria even if they can be cured often remain chronic carriers and suffer from flares in the disease again in later life. Ask yourself the question if you decide to travel to an area of the world where Malaria is endemic; would you rather pop a pill once or twice a day for the period of your trip and up to one month afterwards or spend 3 months recovering from malaria, another 3 month rehabilitating yourself and spend the rest of your life worrying when you are going to suffer another bout and wipe out another year of your life.

We offer Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshops for anyone travelling for the first time or wishing to review their skills and gain the latest information about their destination. The workshop covers many of the major disease threats you might face on your travels and the best way to protect yourself. Prophylactic (anti-malaria medication) are just the first step in protection and not 100% effective, avoiding the bite in the first place and knowing what equipment to pack will help reduce the risk to a minimum and give you the peace of mind to travel in confidence.

Please visit our website at

www.safegapyear.com

Spiritual leap of faith

Title – Spiritual leap of faith
Source – Sport
Date – 13th April 2007

Some cultural events are still sacred, some you can join in with, others you may be barred from altogether; always see any inclusion as an honour and a privilege. Getting an insight into the traditional way of life is not always for the faint hearted, sometimes the events are bizarre, sometimes they are private; but many times travellers can get a feel for them and it would not be unique to see a traveller who has visited New Zealand returning with a small Maori tattoo, less likely however is for a traveller to come home with their face tattooed as might be tradition in many of the Pacific islands and is often related to a right of passage ceremony.

The same can be said for the land diving ceremonies of Vanuatu, incredible as they are and spectacular in their danger and sheer insanity, this is a right of passage reserved purely for the islanders and not something any traveller, tourist or visitor should in any way get involved with. The closest they should get is the other side of a camera lens.

There is not an insurance company in the world who will pay out a claim when you seriously injure yourself having climbed a bamboo structure 70 feet off the ground and tied a natural vine to your ankles (that has the elasticity of climbing rope) and thrown yourself off knowing that the nearest hospital is several hundred miles away on a different island…

But if your culture relies on this activity to demonstrate your standing in your community and the Yam harvest is counting on your actions, there might just be a good enough reason to get up there and throw yourself off. But this dangerous and brave activity should never be mocked, injuries and deaths are not uncommon, this is still a very important ritual on Pentecost island. Tourist are now invited to come and watch, but this is no spectacle put on for tourists and outsiders can watch but not take part.

If you want to get a real insight into this sensation, then when you are in Australia (the usual starting point for a visit to Vanuatu) head for one of the many modern day vine jumping locations, more commonly called Bungee Jumps. But even Bungee carries risks, so make sure your insurance covers you for these activities.

At Beyond The Blue we look at the questions you need to ask when looking for travel insurance, make sure that the area you are visiting is covered, as well as the activities you intend to take part in. Insurance choices should be based on much more then cost alone; the cheapest here is certainly not always the best. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop does not recommend specific insurance or companies, but helps you to make sure you ask all the right questions and get appropriate cover for your trip.


Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Tourists face ban from Galapagos Islands

Title – Tourists face ban from Galapagos Islands
Source – The Metro
Date – 12th April 2007

The Galapagos Islands are just one of the worlds top travel destinations. Whether you travel there for the amazing scenes above water on the islands that inspired Charles Darwin in much of his theorising on evolution or head for an under water world that is unmatched anywhere in the world, you will have in impact on the environment.

'Eco Tourism' is certainly an attractive marketing tool, but your own actions are going to determine exactly how much of an impact you actually have. Your research should go further then your tour operators website, look behind the glossy brochure and find out exactly how green they are.

You can already start to reduce the impact you have by following some simple rules, not only will you be helping to protect the planet, but you will also be helping the local populations you visit and setting and example that may help local populations help themselves.

During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop we examine ways you can reduce the environmental impact you have when you travel. Following these simple rules will help you ingratiate yourself with the local population and not be a burden to them. This in turn will earn you respect and by default provide you with more security.

At Beyond The Blue we believe that travel is a privilege and to visit another community should not be seen as a right, but rather as a generous invitation. If you treat your travel in this way, you will create a positive impact on locals that can outweigh the natural impact any kind of travel will have.

There are many organisations who share our beliefs and there are pressure groups emerging to help individuals make the right choices. One such group is Tourism Concern and we would urge you to visit their website; www.tourismconcern.org.uk

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Swiss man jailed for Thai insult

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Title – Swiss man jailed for Thai insult
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 28th March 2007

Walk along a road in London and deface a portrait or symbol of the Queen and the most punishment you are likely to face is a charge of criminal damage, usually resulting in no more then a caution or a fine. However in other countries the ridiculing of monarchs, politicians or religious figures can carry much more serious penalties.

An example in Thailand where the king is revered, left this man from Switzerland facing a gaol term of 10 years after spray painting posters depicting the king’s image. This sentence may seem unduly harsh, but in reality it was reduced from an original sentence of 20 year and could have been worse with up to 75 years term having been a possibility.

Very few people would find themselves in this situation, but this Swiss man will not be the first or the last to commit a 'stupid' crime when intoxicated after a night of drinking. But in Thailand even criticising the king can land you in very hot water. More importantly many of the Thai people will find it very insulting for you to make derogatory comments about their monarch and your input may be very unwelcome.

Generally it is a bad idea to talk about politics in foreign countries and certainly try and avoid starting these conversations yourself. One important factor is not to assume that the way of life back home is the right and only way for countries to be governed. Cultural difference across the world often dictate how countries are governed and work well in some countries and less well in others.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop enables individuals to travel with the knowledge of how to behave in the countries they visit, to avoid causing offence leading potentially to further problems. During the workshop we examine cultural differences in the different destinations where your travels will take you.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com