Travel plan idea blog

Legionnaires' disease and travelers

This article suggests that hotels and resorts should do more to inform people about Legionnaires' disease, which apparently likes pools and spas. I don't really know how much we can do as travelers because I certainly don't want to skip the pools when i go to a resort or on a cruise or something.

Speaking of cruises, I have a coupon for a 2 person, 2 category upgrade coming my way thanks to my NCL card. It looks like I'll be trying out an NCL cruise at some point this summer and staying in either a balcony room or a suite...

Brushing up on cruise tipping etiquette, I think I found out how much the average person tips on cruises:

People who clean the cabin: $5/day
Waiters: $5/person/meal (this might be split by the waiters and bussers)
Bellhop: $1/bag

Does this sound about right?

Tibet travel warning

When tourists and locals need to be rescued from burning banks, schools, hospitals, and supermarkets, you know it's time for a travel warning. And despite international exposure due to the Beijing Olympics I think the Chinese will use excessive force as they try to stop the riots. How else can you stop a riot?

A few months ago Tibet got a mention as a place where people might want to avoid for moral reasons. Now there are safety reasons for the rest of us.

Cambodian bus ride

Apparently bus is not the safest or fastest way to travel in Cambodia, though it is the cheapest. By the way, the blog I link to here is from the author of this plan and this experience on my blog.

New rules for visiting Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean go into effect soon

Starting Jan. 31st, you need at least "a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's license) along with proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate)" to leave the US and enter Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean (also to return to the US).

Passports are required for flying between these countries but not yet for driving.

Who represents consumers when it comes to the future of the FAA?

Not long ago, I blogged a little about US air traffic control. Here's another article on the subject, focusing on how consumers are not really represented. Even if I had a vote though, no one knows how the new proposals will affect ticket prices. However if they make air travel safer / easier then I guess we have to be in favor of the new plan:

"Under the FAA's funding proposal, most ticket taxes and fees would disappear, replaced in large part by higher taxes on jet fuel and new fees assessed on commercial and private jets."

I love making private jets pay more. Why should my economy class ticket help pay for the air traffic control helping some rich person's private jet take off?

Will it be safe to travel to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup?

This report on South Africa, tourism, and the 2010 World Cup comes from a man who traveled to South Africa on business:

Here's a write up of my trip to South Africa so far, since I have some time to kill. I'll spare you hour by hour details, since I've mainly been in meetings and those are as banal in South Africa as they are in the States. Instead, here are a few notes on the country, and some interesting stories I've heard during my time here. No doubt, there are people wondering about the 2010 Worl Cup so I'll mention that as well.

The country is fascinating. We speak about developing countries - ones that are somewhere between first and third world - but until you are in one, you can't really understand the magnitude of that term: "developing countries." There are few places like this in the world: South Africa, Brazil, Egypt. Soon, Nigeria and Russia. And the dichotomy that exists between the rural, undeveloped parts and the booming metropolises of the country is remarkable.

On the one hand, you have luxury hotels, delicious restaurants and plush office buildings. Goldman Sachs and other firms of its ilk are stationed here. Google came down a few months ago to start scouting areas for its African offices. Stand in Mandela Square - at once the Wall Street of South Africa as well as its Time Square - and you feel as if you are in the States. There's a steak restaurant that boasts the finest wines and meats in the region. There's a mall with Gucci and Dolce and Gabbana; a Smith and Wollensky's; a McDonalds and a KFC; ATMs abound.

You'd feel no different than if you were in your mall back home. Go outside, and there are advertisements for Rent and the Lion King musical. Planned Parenthood is here, as is Toyota. So is ADT; every home seems to be guarded by them. It's globalization at its finest - the different areas of Johannesburg are called Brooklyn, Manhattan and Chelsea. And, above all, everything is safe. You can't walk around at night just yet, but during the day, there are no problems. The people are friendly and accommodating. Everyone speaks English, and all the signs in the country are in English, even though the most spoken language of the country is Zulu, the native tongue.

Then you head to the townships outside the city, and the atmosphere is drastically different. Gone are the investment firms, designer shops and commercial restaurants. Gone are buildings, entirely. Instead, you have huts, literally made of cardboard and metal scraps, where people live. The schools are in shambles. There seem to be no eateries - everyone eats at home, with whatever food they can come across.

It is the farthest thing from safe. The government just released its crime statistics, and the violence in the underdeveloped areas is undeniable. Most strikingly, these areas are just outside of Johannesburg, and will soon become part of the city, certainly by the 2010 World Cup. (Johannesburg is a sprawling city, and will soon become the largest in the world when it meets Pretoria, now a half hour drive away.)

Ah yes, the World Cup. The city is, of course, preparing for it. The transit system, which isn't safe or effective, is being completely revamped, and train lines are being constructed throughout the country. You can sense a feeling of anticipation amongst the locals—the World Cup will be their country's "coming out party." South Africa is arguably Africa's most prosperous economy at the moment, and though many companies are here, the country is widely ignored on the global stage. Frankly, the transition from the Apartheid government to the new one was not terribly smooth, and the country wasn't stable until around the turn of the century.

That it has made so much progress in less than seven years is truly remarkable, and it has happened so fast that the world has yet to catch up to it. The World Cup, then, is a new introduction to the world. And the World Cup in emblematic of the new South Africa: According to people of all races, soccer is played and followed mostly by the black Africans, while rugby is played by the white Africans.

But before the World Cup, progress must be made in the townships. It's a slow process, but there have already been improvements. For example, there is a private school voucher program that plucks bright kids out of the townships and sends them to elite prep schools in Johannesburg. This year, some of these students received full scholarships to the elite South African universities, such as the University of Cape Town, and American ones as well. Students from this program will be headed, on a full ride, to Amherst College, the University of Virginia, and others.

Other groups focus on black empowerment. Black Africans make up about 80% of the country's population, but in the financial sector, many of the businessmen are white expatriates and Afrikaners. This has begun to change as a result of these programs - in fact, all the major newspapers in Johannesburg are run by young, black men and women. But these are only two pieces of a much larger puzzle, and so much has yet to be done.

South Africa, is, on the whole, progressing toward a brighter future. However, it seems to be an anomaly amongst other African nations. Others, such as Mozambique, are still marred by corruption. An example: Mozambique is home to Limpopo National Park, a wildlife reserve. However, after a recent war, most of the wildlife in the region was killed. As the population of animals has been replenished, parts of Limpopo have been converted into a wildlife sanctuary, where humans can not live. As a result populations of people have been displaced to other regions, where the Mozambique government gave them land to live. (Mozambique's land use ordinates are considered highly progressive and revolutionary in theory. In practice, they are moot, as the government refuses to follow them.) However, the government then sold that land to a sugar company to build a factory there. The government happens to be partners in said company. The people were moved to another land, which was in turn sold to an American businessman who happens to be a fugitive from the U.S. government. Now, these people have been displaced from their original homes, and have no where to go. I have heard a plethora of stories just like this one in my time here. It's quite disheartening—it seems that for every step forward, countries such as Mozambique take one step back.

I am in Cape Town now. It is renowned as the most beautiful city in South Africa—the country's French Riviera, if you will. As my trip progresses, I'll write more. One final note: everything in the country is remarkably cheap. The Dollar hasn't been doing too well against other currencies recently, but against the Rand, South Africa's tender, it does remarkably well. It's about seven dollars to each rand. I went out to dinner with colleagues to a five-star restaurant (the equivalent of a Michelin three-star), and we ate three courses at about 30 dollars a person.

A little more on the World Cup: I've heard a lot of different views on how it will turn out. Some of the locals I've spoken with think it will be great for the country. The businessmen, who are, again, largely expatriates, think it will expose the flaws of the region. Almost all, though, think it will be South Africa's re-introduction to the world, for better or worse.

One family in Johannesburg warned me that "actually living here isn't as idyllic as a couple weeks of chilling out on the beach and picking up chicks who dig the Yankee accent." They think the World Cup is just as likely to end in total disaster. "You're gonna have a lot more rich European, South American and Asian tourists stumbling around what is still a very dangerous and largely lawless country." That's just their opinion, but it has to count for something.

One interesting note: Prostitution is illegal in S.A., but the government is considering making it legal for only the time directly before and directly after the World Cup. They feel it will happen regardless, and they don't want soccer fans in jail for picking up a hooker.

In conclusion, there is still plenty wrong with the region. But the signs of improvement are undeniable. However there's no way that the entire country will be safe for travel so you'll want to be smart about where you go and travel in groups.

Hurricane season in the Caribbean

I went to Punta Cana just in time to beat hurricane season it seems. It was purely luck. After I had booked everything, I read something about hurricane season being in August. Further research revealed that it really started in mid-August. Lucky me.

Hurricane Dean seems to have brought out the best in the airline industry:

Delta waived penalties for travel to many destinations, including Belize, Cancun, Merida, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Punta Cana and its Jamaica destinations for passengers traveling Aug. 17-22

Due to Hurricane Dean, Northwest Airlines has issued a weather waiver for passengers with confirmed tickets for travel August 17-22, 2007 to, from or through Cancun, Cozumel, Montego Bay, Punta Cana, San Juan and St. Maarten.

I wonder if it wouldn't be smarter for airlines to require travel insurance of people purchasing tickets during hurricane season.

One US couple got an up close view of Hurricane Dean on their honeymoon, but are now safely home:

They captured photos of water in the streets, downed trees, and power lines scattered across the resort town. It was not a typical honeymoon, but spending their first vacation together in the path of destruction may be a sign that these two will be just fine.

"I would say it was really an adventure, we got through it. It was a good first test of marriage," Rachel said.

Honeymoons aren't supposed to test your marriage, but I suppose you could avoid it by not going to the Caribbean during hurricane season.

Speaking of US newlyweds going to the Caribbean on their honeymoon, my sister should be cruising around there now. I wonder if her cruise is one of the 16 that had to change their itineraries...

People from Aberdeen also had trouble thanks to Hurricane Dean. I didn't search for more articles, but I imagine people from lots of places have similar stories.

I've been lucky and never really had a weather issue while traveling. I seem to get lucky with wether when I travel actually. Has anyone here experienced a hurricane or something in their travels?

Priceline.com customer service and fraud protection off to a very weak start

Yesterday I wrote about an apparent case of fraud involving fake reservations that were emailed to me (but were in my father's name) and I alerted Priceline.com via the form on their website.

I labeled the problem fraud, but the reply I got was from customer service, airline@cs.priceline.com. It was an entirely inadequate form letter that didn't address the fraud issue at all.

Dear Mr. Trotta,

Thank you for taking the time to send us an e-mail. We understand that
you feel that you did not make any reservation for a trip with Priceline
and it is fraudulent e-mail.

Our records indicate that you are neither an authorized contact nor a
reservation holder on the request.

In order to maintain the security of our customer records, you will need
to provide at least two of the following pieces of information before we
can answer specific questions regarding this request.

- Email address used to submit a request
- Last 4 digits of the credit/debit card used to place the request

If you can provide this information, we will address any specific
questions about the request; otherwise we will only be able to answer
general questions.

We thank you for understanding the security measures we have instituted
for your protection.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Sincerely,

Vimesh A.
Customer Service Specialist

Now how am I suppose to produce the email address used to submit the request or the last 4 digits of the credit/debit card used to place the request if I didn't place the request?

I suppose we have come to expect horrible customer service and supreme idiocy from large corporations like priceline.com but this is a bit crazy.

Now I have to try to track down a phone number for Priceline because something tells me that making myself understood by email will be too time consuming while I am on vacation.

Priceline.com spam / scam plus competition from cFares

So I recently got an official looking email from Priceline.com with flight reservations from Durham to Boston and then Boston to Baltimore. I was fairly surprised since I didn't make the reservations but I was even more surprised when I saw my father's name on the itinerary.

I figured it was probably something like all those Ebay scam emails where they tell you there's a problem with your account and give you a sign in link. Of course the link goes to a page that looks like Ebay but really isn't - just some scammers who want your password.

I did a search for Priceline.com spam, but got mostly people complaining about Priceline. A lot of people hate Priceline, but obviously many more still use them.

Then I did a news search for Priceline.com and found this thing on Cfares which is pretty interesting. It's supposed to be a wholesale club for travelers (like Costco you pay an annual membership). The author of this article seems to think it works pretty well.

Anyway, back to the email. I didn't find anything that sounded similar to my experience during my web searches so I went to Priceline.com (and typed it in myself instead of following a link from the possibly fake email) to alert them to problem.

I'll be keeping you updated as I learn more about this possible scam involving spammy emails pretending to be from Priceline.com.

JFK terrorist plot thwarted

I'm not even going to try to keep you up to date on this but how can I not at least mention the plot to blow up fuel tanks at JFK? There are hundreds of articles and you've all seen it on the news. I thought this article was pretty informative.

I'd like to know which law enforcement agencies deserve credit for preventing the attack. Somebody was doing their job very well.

Globe-trotting TB patient outrunning the US government

I'm not blaming anyone because who knows what really happened (did they really tell the guy he couldn't travel or is he telling the truth that no one told him explicitly?), but this story is making headlines all over.

I read somewhere that one person with TB gets 20 other people sick in a year. At least they say he wasn't too contagious...

Check with a doctor for necessary vaccines before you travel

Here's a quick reminder to get hepatitis and other vaccines before you leave on vacation. When you're going somewhere new they recommend seeing a doctor.

While you're travelling to unknown places, you may come into contact with unfamiliar viruses, too. "There are a lot of diseases out there and you need protection," says Dr. Elliot Mintz, a family physician and associate professor of family medicine at the University of British Columbia.

Keep your house safe while on vacation

Since homes are more likely to be broken into while the owners are on vacation, you may want to read this article on keeping your home safe. Parents might want to make sure there kids don't set up stupid traps like I did before going on a cruise when I was nine years old. When we got home I fell victim to one of my traps, an upturned nail on the floor (ouch).

Here's an article that makes a convincing argument to visit Panama (or somewhere in South America or the Caribbean) since Europe is expensive this summer. Or you could come to Korea like one of my friends will be doing. I should have a new Korean travel plan up in a few days.

Safe Summer Travel on Exotic Places

Summer is around the corner and many travelers plan to go to tropical countries to experience exotic attractions, get tanned at the beaches and explore sumptuous delicacies. But while it is sky's the limit for enjoyment, also be aware of everything else especially your health and safety.

Various forms of travel related stress such as long waiting time, change in climate and time zone and disruption of regular meal schedules impact your well-being and could affect the enjoyment of your vacation. Since these things are sometimes unavoidable during your trip, it's best to know your destination well in order to minimize such effects.

It's recommended to have a checklist of things before, during and after your trip to ensure everything is covered and you have not forgotten anything important.

Before Your Travel

1. Travel Type - Resort splurge, backpacking or business trip? Knowing the nature of your trip often helps to check what the necessary items to bring are. If you know the hygiene quality of your destination, you can decide whether bringing extra provision like bottled water or mosquito repellent is necessary.
2. Medical Problems - Consult your doctor and he/she will tell you what foods to avoid if you have any allergies or activities to refrain from doing during your travel. Vaccinations may be necessary against hepatitis A and B, typhoid fever (required under International Health Regulations if you visit certain countries in Africa and South America) and related ailments.
3. Travel Insurance - Since you are not covered by hospital services in most destinations, it's best to get a travel insurance for the entire duration of your trip. This normally includes accident and lost property coverage.

During Your Travel

1. Swimming - While swimming is definitely enjoyable, doing so in rivers and lakes may put you at risk to certain parasites that penetrate the skin and cause diseases. Do not swim in polluted bodies of water which are often causes of eye, ear and intestinal infections.
2. Animals - Exercise care when going to zoos or safaris. In areas where rabies is endemic, avoid touching or petting cats, dogs and avoid contact with wild animals like lions, monkeys and other potentially dangerous creatures.
3. Personal Hygiene - As always, practice personal hygiene by washing hands before and after meals. Drink bottled water or soft drink only from reputable companies. Eat only food that's thoroughly cooked; while some foods suit fine with the locals, they may not be acceptable in your digestive system.
4. Mosquito Borne-Diseases - Stay in places that are protected from mosquito such as screens or mosquito nets. Use mosquito repellent or wear long sleeves when going out on a mosquito-infested area.

After Your Travel

Immediately consult your doctor if:

1. You have fever, rashes or generally feeling unwell.
2. You were in contact with sick people during your travel
3. You were in a locality with reported incidence of infectious diseases

Hopefully, your travel goes well and provides wonderful memories.

Sinai Peninsula targeted again: Dahab

Sinai's seaside city of Dahab has suffered the latest terrorist on the Sinai Peninsula. Reports on the number of dead and wounded are conflicting but there are said to be at least 23 dead and possibly 100 wounded.

Dahab used to be a destination for Western and Israeli backpackers who came for scuba diving and cheap hotels (huts on the beach). Now there is a five-star Hilton and other resorts, but one has to wonder if tourists will continue supporting resorts in Dabab and other places on Sianai.