Australia… it’s not Canada

Title – Australia… it’s not Canada
Source – Metro
Date – 26th September 2008

Choosing your destination appropriately is an essential part of travel planning, get it right and it will be an experience you’ll remember for a life time for all the right reasons, get it wrong and it is a story you’ll want to forget. Sometimes getting it spectacularly wrong is something that takes you on an altogether new adventure, but there are some destinations that are simply unsafe and landing in one of these unprepared is no laughing matter.

When I was on a trip a few years ago on Christmas Island in Kiribati, made famous as the site of the British nuclear tests, I met a couple on the holiday of a life time. She had wanted to surprise her husband on their 25th wedding anniversary and having saved the not insignificant fare for many years; she had finally booked their tickets. Her husband had always dreamed of visiting Christmas Island and seeing the red crab ‘migration’, the magnificent sight of millions of red crabs moving from their homes in the inland forests to the beach to mate and lay their eggs, is truly one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife sights. But booking this trip is not straight forward, there is only a specific time they ‘migrate’ and this is related to the start of the monsoon season, so choosing the exact date involves a certain amount of detailed research.

The lady I met had done her research accurately; she had managed to hide the surprise from her husband and even managed to keep their final destination from him after getting onto the flight, a feat that anyone would be very proud of. There was however one small flaw in her plan. The famous Christmas Island of her husband’s dreams, lies in the waters between Australia and Indonesia and is not the Christmas Island we were on. This one was chosen as a nuclear test site because of its isolation in the middle of the pacific and is separated by some 5000 miles from its namesake made famous by the red crabs.

In fact there are some 5 islands that I know of going by the name Christmas Island scattered across the world. Having a sense of humour is an essential part of travel and the Canadian couple had plenty of that, it is a story that will keep them in dinner conversation for many years to come and they had a wonderful trip to an island rarely visited, where crabs regularly cross the one road, but not quite in the numbers of the famous migration.

There is more to your choosing your destination then getting the right one. Your level of experience should dictate where you go. First and foremost, it has to be both safe and stable and having the latest information is essential. Then choosing a destination where you’ll be welcomed is also a good idea. Finally if you intend to travel through a number of countries or if it is your first trip we always suggest (climate permitting) that you start with the easiest country first and gain experience and confidence before heading to more challenging destinations. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop (GYITSA) provides you with Destination Advice on your chosen destination(s) or can help you if you are undecided to choose suitable destinations that suit your experience level as well as you interests.

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.

Sahara tourists are held captive after being seized by ‘band of gangsters’

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Title – Sahara tourists are held captive after being seized by ‘band of gangsters’
Source – The Times
Date – 23rd September 2008

Egypt has a history of sporadic terrorist attacks, generally these are centred on the tourist hotspots for maximum impact and it should not be understated that these attacks are sporadic with the Egyptian government taking ‘strong’ steps to secure these areas.

The Egyptian government tightened up security on those classic tourist attractions, the pyramids, temples and other famous monuments. They tightened it up to the point where some tourists actually found it oppressive. In more recent year terrorists have tended to favour the ‘softer’ targets of the red sea resorts; now we are in the era of the suicide bomber; anywhere is a potential terrorist target.

Travellers to Egypt will remain in the terrorist crosshairs for the foreseeable future; that does not however mean that travellers should not visit. Millions of people visit Egypt every year and there are many other dangers that should be considered before terrorism. Egypt suffers one of the world’s worst road fatality rates and recent events highlighted this when 9 tourists died and 28 were injured in a road accident in May 2008.

In this case it does seem that the kidnappers were not terrorists so much as ‘bandits’ kidnapping for ransom; a threat that was not without precedent, but equally is not a common problem in Egypt.

Egypt’s location in the world should be considered when travelling outside of the areas that are well ‘policed’ by the Egyptian authorities. To the west lies Libya, once a sponsor of terrorism, now a ‘friend’ of the west but with growing internal instability; To the south Sudan and the lawless Darfur region with all its well documented problems; just south of Sudan lies Somalia a country that should be used as an example to all anarchists demonstrating exactly what happens when there is no effective government for the best part of 20 years. Run by warlords, piracy, murder, extrajudicial killings and terrorism are rife in Somalia.

Choosing your destination well is the first step to Safe Travel. This tour group did have an armed guard with them, but this was no match for the well armed bandits that roam these regions. Borders simply are not controlled and the rule of law is almost impossible to enforce. Fortunately this group have all subsequently been released / freed (depending on whose account you believe) but this is generally an area that can not and certainly should not be explored independently.

At Beyond The Blue we run Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshops (GYITSA) for anyone planning independent travel, a gap year or a Career Break. During our workshop we provide Destination Advice and examine personal safety skills as well as practical advice for travellers ranging from Travel Health to Transport Option and from Women Travellers to Travel Equipment. By the time you leave you will have the skills and knowledge to plan and execute your travel more safely and with greater confidence.

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.

Six Britons hurt in hotel blast

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Title – Six Britons hurt in hotel blast
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 21st September 2008

Choosing the appropriate destination is certainly a primary concern when planning travel and for now Pakistan should be one you consider very carefully before setting off. The risk of terrorist attack is rising as I write and for independent UK travellers a great deal of research should be undertaken and advice sought prior to departure. But the situation in countries can change dramatically both for worse and also for better.

In one of the recent contributions to our ‘Your Experiences’ section on our website entitled ‘ Two girls about Islamabad’ the Marriot hotel is recommended as a ‘safe-haven’ for travellers in Islamabad, but with the caveat that it also remained ‘a major target for anti western militants’ and so it sadly turned-out.

53 people died in the terrible explosion outside the Marriot hotel in Islamabad in what was one of the most fortified hotels in the city and would have been recommended by many specialist travels safety consultants dealing with ‘conflict zones’. It demonstrates how ultimately in some parts of the world no one can ensure your safety. There are many places where such atrocities are less likely, we will recommend people consider the alternatives to ‘high risk’ destination, where the rewards of unrestricted travel can be so much greater, the stress of travel so much lower and the worry of friends and family substantially reduced.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop (GYITSA) provides Destination Advice and Travel Safety advice to candidates planning travel. We can provide specific advice on your destination(s) or if you are after inspiration then we can help you decide an appropriate destination(s) that will meet your personal safety requirements as well help you find a destination that meets your interests and ambitions.

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.

Penguins and golf in Burma’s hidden capital

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Title – Penguins and golf in Burma’s hidden capitalSource – The Independent
Date – 19th September 2008

There are many countries in the world run by despicable leaders or ‘dictators’. Some would say we don’t actually have to look that far to find them, but much as we may chastise our own leaders in comparison to other parts of the world, they could be seen as veritable saints. Countries such as Singapore and the Maldives, Saudi Arabia and the even Singapore may not be top of the list when you ask about ‘dictatorships’ but look at their democratic credentials and you will soon see that they do not fall far short of the definition of a dictatorship. But for none of these countries would we advise people do not travel, because with a little foresight you can ensure that your trip has a positive impact on the country.

Burma is a different case and I strongly believe that visiting Burma at this stage is a bad idea and benefits only the corrupt, violent and abhorrent military regime, which has ruled that country without mandate for the past 45 years.

What worries me is that the situation in Burma is not well understood by the public at large, by travellers to South East Asia or seemingly to the world as a whole. Or maybe it is understood, but people choose to ignore it. The Burmese military regime certainly understand this and uses it to their advantage. When pressure is exerted on them they do sometimes give way, but they only ever give with one hand while they take away with the other and rather than loosening their grip on the country they use every opportunity to tighten their grip, including the devastating cyclone of 2007.

Recently the Burmese regime made a fuss about releasing thousands of prisoners, what they failed to disclose in their press release was the number of people they arrested the same day, many of them political prisoners. They also failed to point out that many of those released were innocent people who had been arrested a year earlier for taking part in the peaceful democracy marches of September 2007 which were brutally repressed by the army killing (according to some sources) hundreds of innocent people, including untold numbers of monks and imprisoning thousands.

The military government is frightening not just because of its brutality and nonchalance at using extreme force to stay in power, but because it’s actions are not those of a sane responsible government. The building of the new capital on the say of a soothsayer is just one example of their lunacy; it is the equivalent of Gordon Brown enslaving thousands of civilians and through their forced labour rebuilding London on the Shetland Islands on the advice of Mystic Meg. But it is no joke!

At Beyond The Blue we do not believe in telling people where they should or should not go. Our freedom to choose is something we take for granted, but should never forget is not something the rest of the world’s population does not. But we believe strongly that at this time visiting Burma is impossible without funding and legitimising the illegal brutal military regime and should therefore be avoided and discouraged. In this respect we will not provide advice on Burma in our workshops but will happily discuss the real situation in Burma and provide our compelling reasons why we have adopted our position. Candidates can then decide for themselves if they should travel to Burma or not; anyone who hears the real truth as to the situation in Burma will we believe choose not to go until the brutal military regime is defeated or die off in their make believe world in Naypyidaw. We urge all visitors to visit

http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/ for further information.

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.

Make it a year to brag about

Title – Make it a year to brag about
Source – Metro
Date – 2nd September 2009

There is a lot to think about when planning a Gap Year and there are a lot of things to think about when you are on your Gap Year. Everyone has an opinion and there are challenges at every turn. You need to be made aware of the real issues you face rather than the thousands of things that could happen, but in reality are very unlikely to.

Most gapers do not need to consider courses which teach you how to avoid kidnap, because the chances of kidnap in at most destinations is low; but they do need to know which destinations carry an increased risk of kidnap.

Most gapers should however be aware of Travel Health issues that are real where ever you travel to.

We dispel the myths and provide straight forward honest advice to help you travel more safely where ever it is you intend to visit.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety, Travel Equipment, Travel Health, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice and the many more considerations you have before deciding where to travel to and what activities to undertake.

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.

Help or Hindrance?

Title – Help or Hindrance?
Source – Metro
Date – 2nd September 2008

It’s a question we have discussed before on this blog, is the Gap Year volunteering on projects round the world a positive benefit or not?

There is no simple answer;

In the worst cases it costs thousands of pounds, is disruptive to the host community, destructive to the local environment, embitters local communities and the volunteer themselves who return disillusioned, disappointed and reluctant to travel more extensively and further broaden their horizons.

In the best cases, volunteers provide essential life changing improvements to local communities which they would never be able to afford or have the ability to complete on their own. It helps volunteers develop skills and knowledge that they could not gain anywhere else and opens them to cultures that broaden their horizons and literally change their lives for the better.

The trick is to make sure you get the right outcome from your experience.

The two ways to achieve this are; to get a recommendation from someone you trust (not only from someone provided by the company you choose, they are employees often with a different motivation for ‘recruiting’ you) or to do your own research.

The first step is to know what interests you and what motivates you, volunteering is a very personal thing and you must really want to take an active part in the activity you choose. Avoid peer pressure, avoid the feeling that one project holds more ‘merit’ than another. Is it morally better to spend time teaching in a school or looking after elephants? There is no moral judgement to be made here; if teaching will inspire you, then teach; if elephants inspire you, help them; it has to be your personal choice.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Working and Volunteering Abroad as part of a gap year. We examine issues of Travel Safety, Travel Equipment and Travel Health and which must be serious considerations when you are deciding where to travel to and what activities to undertake.

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.

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.

Walking tall with no footprint

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Title – Walking tall with no footprintSource – The Guardian
Date – 16th August 2008

Responsible and ethical travel is an industry buzz word at the moment; but how different is a ‘buzz word’ from a ‘marketing tool’?

Environmental destruction and global warming are a reality even to the greatest sceptics and we all have to play our part in reducing carbon emissions and reducing our impact on our environments. This is even more important when we travel; what right do we have to damage the environment of the countries and communities we visit?

So on the assumption that we can not rely on all of the many commercialised gap year organisations (they prefer to call themselves organisations rather than companies, many even seem to portray themselves as charities…) to distinguish between the ‘green’ merits of their various voluntary projects; how do we make those choices?

The key as always is to do your own research and be very aware that these companies are employing the latest marketing tools to attract you, marketing tools that are expensive and have one purpose; to ‘recruit you’.

Don’t misunderstand me, they are not all bad or ‘money grabbing’ most do an excellent job and some are doing incredibly valuable work which benefits local communities, the environment and the volunteers. It is fighting through the crowd who try and blind you with clever ‘glossy’ marketing and to get through to these good companies, which is sometimes difficult.

Many urge you to talk to previous volunteers to ask about their experiences, be aware these are people who are either employed or hand-picked to pass on the company’s message.

But more than this if you do consider your impact on the environment to be important then think carefully about what you intend to do on your travels, where you intend to go and what you can do to reduce your impact. This article offers some solutions.

I am not one of those people who believe that we should look to wholesale changes to our way of life, for example I don’t believe we should all give up flying, but I do think we should alter our lifestyles where we can, think about changes that will not affect us badly but will positively affect our environment. I think also we must change attitudes so that wasteful activities are exposed for what they are. However calculating our impact is such a complicated process and until a simplified calculator is easily accessible, it will be difficult for us to realise out individual impact.

For example this weekend a popular newspaper gave away a free energy efficient bulb to every reader. On the surface a good thing. They did it for one reason, to increase circulation; increased circulation equals increased environmental impact. Add to this that to claim your light bulb you had to visit a branch of a national DIY chain; how many people jumped in their cars or took a detour to collect their bulb? Add all this together and it is possible that this offer actually had a very negative impact on the environment.

The same goes for some volunteering projects. If you are going to plant trees in China to help combat global warming for two weeks, would you not be leaving a large carbon footprint overall? Maybe you can plant trees closer to home? However equally importantly the trees which you plant may also be protecting biodiversity, soil erosion and the micro climate, add to this your personal experience working with local communities and it may be worthwhile after all. If the alternative is you taking a two week holiday on the beach in Thailand it makes the balance between your potential carbon footprints even more complicated. Ultimately it is only you who can decide and that decision can only be made if you research all the information available.

Be sensible and decide for yourself whether your trip or volunteering is worth it and what impact it will have, but if at first you feel it is not worth it, look again there are many many honest worthwhile organisations out there and you will find one that suits your needs, your interests and your motivation.

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 Equipment, Travel Health, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice and more. Taking a gap year, career break or volunteering can be the experience of a lifetime, it need not carry any guilt in fact it should make you very proud, choose wisely and you’ll have a positive impact on yourself, those you meet and your environment.

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.

British arrests soar 32% in Spain

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Title – British arrests soar 32% in Spain
Source – www.bbc.co.uk & The Independent
Date – 12th August 2008

That over 2000 people were arrested in Spain out of 17 million visitors is hardly a headline, if anything the headline should be how few people are arrested and how tolerant the Spanish authorities are towards us Brits…

Now I know this opinion is generalising a little and based on the extremes we seem to champion on our less subtle cable TV channels and ‘reality’ programmes, anyone who has spent any time in one of those Spanish resorts that attract the millions of visitors can surely be under no illusion that there are many more people that go unarrested who probably should count themselves lucky.

More importantly and less attractive as a press headline are some of the other statistics. Visitors to Indonesia have a 1 in 100 chance of having a serious incident, be that robbery, drugs related or accident; in Thailand we have long warned of the high incidence of traffic accidents involving Britons on motorbikes and scooters, these latest figures show the high degree of hospital admissions and deaths from such accidents; UAE we recently highlighted as a country where not understanding the local culture and law could land you in very hot water indeed and this again is reflected in these latest figures.

The warnings are there and plain to see. Take out comprehensive travel insurance and don’t take part in activities that would render this insurance invalid; research your destination and learn something of the culture and laws of the country you are visiting; have respect for your hosts and don’t think you you will be granted special dispensation because you are a foreigner, those days are over and if anything today foreigners are made an example of; seek comprehensive travel health advice at least 8 weeks before you leave; act responsibly.

We can help you in all of these areas. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop helps to prepare you thoroughly for your planned travels where ever in the world they may take you. Day one covers aspects of conflict resolution which will give you the skills to avoid conflict in all its forms and personal safety techniques that enable you to free yourself from aggressive or violent situations without the need to use force. Day two covers all practical aspects of travel including Cultural Awareness, Destination Advice, Travel Health, Transport Options, Travel Equipment and Travel Insurance.

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.

Off into the unknown

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Title – Off into the unknown
Source – The Independent
Date – 11th August 2008

This is a very balanced article and one which echo’s much of what I write in this blog; there are many dangers out there but if you maintain perspective they are not as great as they may seem. One of the problems is that when a tragedy occurs especially to a young ‘gapper’, the stories are sensationalised and magnified because of the sadness felt, that someone (often a young adult) with such a spirit of adventure has been the unfortunate victim of crime or tragic accident.

But the article is right, statistically taking a Gap Year may not be much more dangerous than our every day lives, however the two points it omits are ones that anyone travelling should consider.

The first is that when travelling even minor situations are exaggerated because we are often so far away and in such unfamiliar locations, that situations we would handle almost as second nature at home are difficult for us to resolve. The second is that most travellers will take risks when travelling, which they simply would not take at home.

Let me give you some examples. In 2002 I travelled to

Mongolia, this vast and beautiful country is really only fully accessible on horseback. At home riding a horse is inherently dangerous, but helmets and other safety equipment is mandatory and we at least have good medical facilities to come to our assistance in the case of an accident. Back in Mongolia I never saw a helmet and the saddles and other equipment were very rudimentary. The horses themselves were semi-wild and certainly not familiar with the frame of a well fed European. But the thing which struck me most when I was 5 days into my adventure on horseback, was what would happen if I fell off and hurt myself? I am not even thinking of a serious accident, something as simple as a broken ankle which considering the mountain, swamp, river crossings etc. was not unimaginable. In itself not a life threatening injury, but when the nearest medical assistance is five days horse ride (on the assumption I could cover the same ground with a broken ankle as I could without) away, followed by a flight (twice weekly); what state would my ankle be in by the time I reached the modest medical facilities available even in the Mongolian capitol Ulaanbaatar?

The additional risks we seem willing to take when travelling are as a result of the euphoric effect of travel itself. We need to do what is possible to temper this over-confidence without taking anything away from the travel experience itself. Once we have assessed these risks we need to actively control them and manage them as effectively as possible; most of us would not even consider cycling in the UK without a helmet these days, yet we will happily drive a motorbike we have rented on some of the worlds most dangerous roads when we travel. It does not make a great deal of sense, yet the willingness to take additional risk, where that risk is exaggerated by our location, somehow seems overwhelming.

At Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety, we help you evaluate the risks, show you the consequences and allow you to travel with more confidence in yourself to make the right choices when it comes to managing the risk involved in your travel. We look at issues such as Travel Equipment, Travel Health, Travel Insurance, Destination Advice which you have to consider before you travel and when you travel. To make sure you can make the most of your Gap Year we will help you prepare for every eventuality so that you can not just benefit on your return but make the most of every experience while you travel.

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.