Damn Tourist Traps!

For all of you who want a "real" experience without the touristy aspect of a destination, there is an article written that can lend itself to that goal.

So many places that people think they must see can be a disappointment if everyone is there at the same time.

Some of these locations can be seen without the hustle-n-bustle of annoying tourists by visiting during off hours or off season.

Click Here to Stay Away from Tourist Traps

Northern California - Wow!

It is my plan for the summer of 2008 to take my family to Northern California to experience the sheer paradise of the Northern Coast. The narrow strip of land north of San Francisco has got the be one of the most beautiful places on the earth.

With the cool, windy Pacific to the west and the gargantuan coastal redwoods a few miles to the east, there is so much to experience in this literal neck of the woods.

For more information, you can visit one of the many Humboldt County websites, home of Eureka, CA.

The website address is: http://redwoods.info/

For Business Travelers

For all of you business travelers out there, here is a new site that will assist you in your quests for travel and destination information.

Boarding Area gives readers a first hand look at blogs by travel professionals and the media.

The site is: http://www.boardingarea.com/

Best Tour Company I've Seen

Having traveled in various countries with different tourist companies, I have come to the conclusion that I do not like being with a tour group.

The reasons are:

• The pace is hectic.
• The trip is more like a buffet than a fine meal. A lot of sampling, but not much savoring.
• Many tourists have very judgmental attitudes to the culture they are experiencing.

Therefore, there's not a lot of experiencing the culture at your own pace. However, there is a company that seems to alleviate the aforementioned annoyances.

The company is Tour Crafters.

Now, they are a Mediterranean (and some other European capitals) specialty tourist company, but they have researched the their locales to give you a true country's experience, but with the security of a tour (vouchers, reservations, travel tickets).

My wife and I went on the Italy By Train tour and had an excellent time. What was great about it was:

• All of our hotels were in walking distance from the train stations (Rome, Florence and Venice).
• We had no other tourists with us.
• No tour guides to keep us rushing.
• No daily itinerary. If we didn't want to go on a city tour, we didn't have to.
• All breakfasts in the hotel included (great European style cuisine, filled with fiber).
• Freedom to lolly gag if we so pleased.
  
• The only thing we had to do was show up at the train stations on time to travel to the next city to check into the next hotel.

Anyway, if traveling to a Mediterranean country, or even Prague, this is the company to use. It's independence with security.

There's also an article you can read from the magazine, Travel Agent.

Check out: http://tourcrafters.com/index.html

Travel Medicine and Health

Living in a developed Western country can have a lot of benefits when it comes to health care, but because we are so "clean", it doesn't give our bodies the chance to develop immunities to certain illnesses that others in Third World countries have developed in their younger years.

So, to aid in your quest in traveling without getting sick, here are some basic guidelines:

• Never drink tap water. It's better to buy bottled water, and make sure that it's sealed. Some merchants will try to pass off tap water as bottled.
  
• Don't use any ice, as it's usually frozen tap water.
• Brush your teeth with bottled water. Just a small amount can make you sick.
  
• If no bottled water is available, use iodine tablets, and/or boil the water for at least ten minutes.
• Do not eat street food. Instead, eat the food that's supplied by a reputable hotel or restaurant.
• Don't eat raw fruits/vegetables, unless it can be peeled (i.e., oranges, mangoes, etc).
• Stay away from animals. Many carry rabies.
• Wear mosquito repellent. In many countries, malaria is quite common. Plasmodium falciparum, an extremely potent and life threatening form of malaria is mainly seen in Africa. DEET can be sprayed on clothing, but many airlines will not let you take it on a plane, since it comes in an aerosol can.
• If your body can tolerate it, take an anti-malaria pill. Chloroquine has lost a lot of its defense because strains of malaria have mutated. The most powerful is Lariam (mefloquine hydroxide), but it has been known to cause adverse reactions such as tachycardia (extremely rapid heart rate), panic attacks, bodily flushing (hot flashes) and hallucinations. If you are not able to take that, the antibiotic doxycycline will work, but it must be taken twice a day.
• Most malaria medications require to be taken for two weeks before travel, during travel and for four weeks after.
• Acquire appropriate vaccinations and try to get a small prescription of a strong antibiotic that will help with stomach and intestinal illness (i.e., ciprofloxin). Don't take the antibiotic as a preventative measure. Only use if you get very sick.
  
• Bring along dry packets of an electrolyte that can be mixed with bottled water. Again, this is only if one gets sick.
• It's better not to use an anti-diarrheal medication like Imodium because it paralyzes the digestive system, thus disabling the body from getting rid of the harmful bacteria causing the illness. If you are traveling from one place to another, then you can take it, but try to avoid it. It should be taken for one day at the most. The dosage should be:
  

  "Take this medication by mouth, usually after each loose stool, or as directed by your doctor. Dosage is based on your condition and response to therapy. In children, dosage is also based on age and weight. Adults should not use more than 8 milligrams in 24 hours if self-treating, or 16 milligrams if under a doctor's direction."

Some helpful links are listed below:

• The International Society of Travel Medicine
• VaccinePlace.com
  
• Travel Medicine - Information & Products
• The CDC - Traveler's Health

Now I don't want you to be afraid of traveling. It's a grand world that should be experienced. Don't travel expecting to get sick. That attitude can lead to sickness. Think that you'll be fine.

Just go prepared.

Best Travel Publisher - Lonely Planet

Before traveling, I find it prudent to learn about a country, or even a city in my own land so as to truly enjoy it and understand the local lifestyle.

So many people travel in ignorance, which leads to confusion, bad perceptions and unfortunate confrontations.

The best book publisher by far, who's guides are updated yearly, is Lonely Planet. It's not just filled with pretty pictures, but has pertinent information as to travel options, accomodations, health issues, dining, local customs, etc. A map is printed of each city within a destination and there are plenty of professional photographs to catch one's eye.

Check them out, and you will travel armed with the proper knowledge needed to have a successful journey.

Their address is: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/

Traveling with an Open Mind

Many times when people travel, they want to visit another world locale without really leaving their home country.

I remember when I was 15 and visited Jamaica for the first time. Yes, we stayed in a resort, but that was only for sleeping and breakfast. Otherwise, we hired a driver for the week, an excellent guide named Stanford Marsh, to take us around the country. It was good to see the real people and the way they lived.

It was during this time that I realized that life in these locales is not "paradise" as the colorfully designed brochures would have you believe. I remember one of those days being taken from Ocho Rios to Kingston via the Blue Mountains. The roads were narrow and actually treacherous because if one veered just a little too much, it was about a two thousand foot drop off. It was that day that I first tried curried goat. Very good, but Jamaican food is hot, hot, hot.

Not to digress, but I'm sure most of the American visitors were not interested in seeing the country. Many think that sitting by the pool and sipping a fancy alcoholic beverage, only to venture to the hotel dance club and retire to a room with satellite television is visiting a country. Nothing could be further from the truth.

So, when traveling to another land, try to really get to know the locale, the people, the customs and the food. McDonalds in India is a travesty.

Also, when venturing to another land, especially in the Third World, do NOT expect all to run smoothly. Chaos is a part of life, and when it occurs, instead of getting upset about it, just think to yourself that it is an aspect of the country, which adds to the real experience. Now, I'm not advocating purposely putting your life in danger (i.e., traveling to a war torn country), things like delays and persistent street vendors are very common and should be viewed with curiosity instead of annoyance.

I would advise reading books from the Culture Shock Series. These books give excellent information regarding travel and living in many countries. A link to check out these publications is:

* http://www.expatriates.com/directory/books/cshockbooks/