Thanksgiving Weekend has arrived, and it's a top travel weekend, that means the road and the airlines will be busy! It's a good time to share again our tips for having a smooth flight.
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(IGJA Image)
A memorial in Sydney to the victims of the 2002 Bali Bombing
People are asking these questions again after the terrible terror attack in Paris on November 13th. If you travel long enough, eventually, you will ask yourself this question. Over the years we have been in Australia when Australians were targeted and killed in the 2002 Bali bombings, we have been in Istanbul to witness the start of the refugee tide from Syria, we've left Haiti days before a devastating earth quake, we've been holed up in a hotel room during hurricane in Florida. We know every time we travel, we take a risk that some act of terrorism, weather or other disruptive event can happen. The real threats are statistically low. (See Wendy Perrin's blog post with an excellent assessment of real risk here) Most of the travel providers and magazine editors are using the stats to encourage people not to put off travel. In general we agree, but because we don't have a business interest in selling travel, just a passion for it, we have a slightly different take.
We aren't automatons moving through life only doing things based on risk reward ratios, or we would never get into our cars or eat bacon! We are human beings who have loved ones we take with us or leave behind; they or we, may have anxieties and concerns that might affect our ability to enjoy travel during challenging times. If we will spend the whole trip looking over our shoulders or can't enjoy a hotel where the beach has been wiped out, we may NOT want to travel to that destination right now. Here are the things we consider before embarking on a trip that may include a destination facing a crisis.
To digress a minute- one thing we do is pay for trip insurance. Even if one can afford to take the loss of a last minute cancellation, or the policy doesn't cover some of these surprise events (check the policy) the insurance almost always comes with a toll free number to call for emergency assistance. Even if they can't make us whole financially, trip insurance is probably our best bet for getting straight information and medical evacuation services if we need them in a crisis. If visiting really hot spots, you can even buy insurance that will extract you, at your request, in an emergency.
A refugee crisis was just beginning in Istanbul during our late 2014 visit; here refugees seeking visas begin lining up at the Swiss Embassy before it opens.
1-Visiting Political Hot Spots: We have visited a few places where we might not agree with the government or political leaders or government is totalitarian. Right now much of Europe is seeing a tide of refugees from the Middle East. We ask if these places are politically stable. We ask ourselves how they treat guests. Are there real risks to outsiders, or are the risks largely to the populace? Is the government unstable, is it possible a coup or opposition groups could affect our trip? A lot of governments who treat their own people poorly, roll out the red carpet for tourists. Their governments are stable and crime is very low. In those cases, we may go because we believe in the importance of being present to see things for ourselves (understanding that some things may be manipulated for guests) We believe that interaction between regular people can allow both groups to learn something from each other that might help everyone change for the better. We also make sure to use a tour guide or travel provider that has extensive experience in the place. They will know if things start to change in an alarming way, and help ensure our safety. We've also had many good guides discreetly give us a greater understanding of the "official" story we might be given during a visit.
A measuring stick in Mohacs along the Danube River shows how high the flooding can get!
2-Weather or Natural Disaster Events: The river cruise internet message boards regularly field the "should we go" question when flooding affects the European rivers. If we have the opportunity to consider the event before leaving (sometimes it's a surprise!) we check our insurance policy, what is covered if we chose to cancel? Do we have to wait till our travel provider cancels to collect? We stay in contact with the travel provider and ask what changes they plan to make because of weather or natural phenomena. Can we reschedule to another time? If we have a choice, we usually opt not to go immediately after a natural disaster. The reason has less to do with the actual risk to our safety and more about the risk of having components of our trip affected or us becoming an added burden to the local officials trying to deal with the event.
After terrible things happen, places like NYC after 9/11 come together and and honor those lost in the tragedy. Visiting these places can be powerful and meaningful. Avoiding them won't change the risk of being caught in a terrorist act.
3-Terrorist Acts: We ask ourselves some of the same questions we ask about political hot spots. Usually though, acts of terrorism, by their nature are usually random and happen to civilians in normally "safe" environments. They can't really be predicted, and as Wendy Perrin points out in her blog, they are pretty rare. What we want to do about them politically is another discussion, but as for traveling, I don't let random, rare acts stop me from visiting places after an incident, so long as my visit won't burden a place that is still struggling to deal with the aftermath. Usually the people in stable places that have been affected by terrorism mourn losses, and pull together. There might be meaningful memorials to go see and pay our respects. We always take the good advice of travel pros to be aware of our surroundings. Sadly, this is true in all of our hometowns as well as in our travels. When traveling we often use a good local guide who will be well aware of what is happening locally and can keep us safer while touring.
We ask lots of questions and do lots of research before traveling anywhere, and we might change our choices based on who we are traveling with, for instance we had much lower tolerance for risk when traveling with our children than on our own. Also, while we try not to be overly anxious, if we know we won't be able to relax and enjoy a destination, we know we shouldn't go. But being prepared, working with good professionals and asking good questions has helped us see much of the world safely.
Don't get caught not knowing what to expect during shoulder season.
What is hiding in the sand?
I was supposed to have lunch with a friend this week. I was looking forward to hearing all about her late October trip to South Florida, an area I visit every winter and love! She texted me that she had a great time, got a great deal on the resort and had the beaches all to herself and her beloved. But she needed to cancel lunch because she had been bitten by sand fleas at that lonely beach and needed to consult her health care provider about how to treat it. I'm not sure she would have canceled her trip south, but she sure would have loved knowing ahead of time that sand fleas could be an issue at that time of year so she could have brought along some repellent!
I am a big fan of shoulder seasons. I have taken many trips on shoulder seasons that would have been unaffordable, or overly crowded, had we not enjoyed the area at the edges of their tourist season. We did a week in luxury safari camps in Botswana by planning the whole week before July 1st, when rates doubled! We booked 2 rooms in South Beach Miami hotel in June for the same price as one we have booked at the same property in February. We stayed in a 4 room penthouse of the an eco lodge in Costa Rica in June for a mere $75 dollars more than a regular room. And we enjoyed a nearly empty Disney World in early September, for a fraction of the winter or summer prices.
The South Beach boutique hotel pool is necessary in mid June, but a room there is half the price as it might be In January!
So what could possibly be the downside? The safari camps? There was little difference in the quality of the game, or service at the camps, but we had to be very flexible to fit a week in between the end of school and July 1st. That South Beach hotel- beautiful, but Miami was steaming hot in mid June! Costa Rica in June? It's a rain forest, and it's the rainy season, we expected and we got- lots of rain, but a lady on our tour who might not have done as much research bemoaned the fact that it "raining again?!" every morning. That quiet amusement park in September? It got really, really quiet when a hurricane blew through and the park closed down for the day! In our case, we were well aware of the downsides, as well as the upsides, of traveling to the places we went during the shoulder seasons, but it can be a real disappointment if you haven't been prepared for it.
So how to avoid shoulder season surprises? The way I prepare is to do some research into the area before deciding when to go. I do some reading of both user generated reviews as well as asking my specialist travel agent (one who knows the area well) about what to expect. I also follow Wendy Perrin of Trip Advisor who does a feature each month about the best places to travel in the next month. (see her Where to Go in December here) She always suggests good "shoulder season" locations. In December she recommends traveling to St Martin in the first two weeks. We have often traveled there during this period, and found what she says to be true; hurricane season is really winding down, the holiday and winter crowds have not arrived yet, and it's a delightful and affordable time to visit! I like Wendy's advice because she talks to experts who can warn about what to avoid and when! Rather than encounter a nasty surprise, a little research or good advice from those "in the know" can really prepare you for what to expect!
1. Weather: I ask myself if I can still enjoy the destination if the weather is not ideal? In the case of the amusement park during the hurricane, if the park is closed, I really can't enjoy it! But if it's raining more in the rain forest, I might get wet, but it wont change the wildlife and scenery I might see, in fact it might even enhance it! If it doesn't enhance it, can I tolerate it? A visit to New York City in February meant my little kids didn't need to wait in lines, but being hardy New Englanders, they weren't bothered by the wintry weather either!
The cold didn't bother us at the top of the Empire State Building in February, but we enjoyed the fact that there was no wait for the elevator!
2. Wildlife and Natural Phenomena: It's great to get a good deal on a shoulder or off season trip, but if your purpose for going is to see a certain phenomena or animal, be sure you'll still be able to see it during the time you plan to go! We hope to travel to Churchill to see polar bears one day, but I know the polar bears are only there for a short time in the late fall before the ice forms. The area is still wild and wonderful at other times of the year, but if we hope to see polar bears, we will have to pay full price and go during "peak" season.
There are also wildlife and phenomena to avoid too! Knowing if the beach you want to visit has a jelly fish season, beach seaweed (or sandfleas!) or the park has a hunting season that might limit your use of the area, and it is important to know that.
For birders, South Florida winters provide lots to see, but off season many migratory birds won't be there.
3. Crowds and Open Services: Shoulder seasons can be great for avoiding crowds, but be aware of what will be open at your destination and what won't be. In the peak seasons, every restaurant is open (maybe with a waiting line!), while off season, you might find fewer places open. An amusement park or tourist sight might have reduced hours. It's a good idea to know ahead of time what you'll face so you can make plans.
An less than full park is a treat, but expect the day to end early! (Magic Kingdom, FL)