By Don Nadeau, on June 20, 2009, in Travel
Why the areas impacted by malaria have increased so much remains in dispute. Some say global warming. Others say the ban on DDT. The truth may be a combination of factors.
In any case, travelers have more to worry about than a few years ago.
In an era when people make travel decisions online, most online maps do not display up-to-date malaria locations. This is dangerous.
In South Africa, travelers used to be concerned about malaria solely in areas near Mozambique, such as Kruger National Park and the St. Lucia Marine Reserve. Now, the infected area has spread nearly to Johannesburg and threatens to impact Durban, a key 2010 World Cup venue.
Nairobi used to sit safely above the malaria zone. Now the risk completely surrounds Nairobi.
What can you do?
First, use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta for up-to-date information. The maps on its site pinpoint where you need protection. You’ll also find valuable and trustworthy information about malaria and other diseases you may encounter.
Second, if you’re going to or near an area with malaria, you’ll need to see a doctor about it and probably other potential illnesses.
Depend on a doctor who has up-to-date information about preventing malaria and other diseases that impact travelers. Just because malaria has been reported in an area does not mean that you’ll necessarily be advised to take precautions, if the risk is not great.
I am not a medical professional. Do not depend on me or other laypersons you may find in forums or other areas of the Internet. You need professional advice when traveling to the so-called third world.
You may not have a tropical medicine clinic in your area, but you probably have a church like the Latter Day Saints or business that regularly sends people to impacted areas. Ask these for doctor referrals, if needed.
The medicines used to prevent malaria depend on the region and on the person. Some travelers may need to start taking medicine prior to their trips; others may not.
Doxycycline, an inexpensive anti-malaria medicine, may significantly increase your chance of sunburn. If you are to take Doxycycline, ask your doctor if you can take it later during the day to lessen the chance of burn.
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By Don Nadeau, on June 16, 2009, in Travel
Many Americans know very little about South Africa and let places like Darfur cloud their vision of it and the entire continent. There are concerns about traveling to South Africa, which we will discuss, but your decision should be based on facts, not myths.
Two university professors who escorted a group to South Africa earlier this year told me how difficult it was to convince some students and their parents that conditions would not be too harsh in such a “primitive” land.
That is a real shame, because in so many ways South Africa, one of the most beautiful and interesting countries in the world, is as “modern” as any country.
For example, South Africa’s national health care system benefits travelers.
The people you interact with do not tend to have untreated illnesses, unlike in many countries. The persons who farm, prepare, and serve your food do not tend to have health conditions that impact you.
Wholesome food and water
You can dine in any regular restaurant or fast food place in South Africa with no more concern than doing so in the United States—even salads. You can also drink from any city or town water system in the country with no more worry than doing so in North America.
South Africans enjoy more freshly sourced food than is common in the Canada and the United States. Fresh fruits and vegetables are abundant in the diet and delicious. Real whole grain breads are available nearly everywhere. Eggs are from free-range chickens.
In South Africa, unlike in so many countries, you never encounter persons suffering from noticeable malnutrition.
Modern transportation
The transportation infrastructure is modern and convenient.
Four-lane and frequently limited-access divided highways connect all major cities. At times, you may forget that you are not in the U.S.
Overall, South Africans enjoy a national highway system as good as those in Australia and Canada and better than in New Zealand. Of course, you may encounter considerable road construction in preparation for World Cup 2010.
You can drive or use one of the extensive national or regional bus services. However, other than deluxe options like the Blue Train, be cautious about taking trains in South Africa.
You can also use very well run budget airlines like Mango that take you cheaply and usually reliably between large cities.
And, don’t forget to walk in this remarkable country. Hikes include everything from scenic ones to waterfalls in the Drakensberg mountain range to stalking rhinos on foot, with an armed ranger.
There is an extraordinarily emotional walk on Robbins Island, where Nelson Mandela spent much of his 27 years in prison.
A former prisoner at the time of Mandela guides you into the prison and to the cell that held Mandela, as well as to the prison yard, where he crushed rock in the harsh sun. On the way to the prison, you’ll stop at the quarry where the first president of a free South Africa performed hard labor for many years.
Clean washrooms
I mention this topic because the condition of restrooms concerns so many Americans while traveling.
On my most recent four-week trip, with one exception, public toilets were spotless during the entire time there.
How unfavorably the U.S. compares to this. In the U.S., how little employee time seems devoted to this.
Accommodation
Hotels and guesthouses are as modern as found anywhere. The extremely favorable exchange rate makes these remarkably affordable. Hostels abound in tourist areas.
Perhaps as a legacy of the boycotts during apartheid, you won’t find as many international chain hotels as in North America.
Shopping
You’ll find shopping malls throughout the country, including some very upscale ones. You’ll also come across many supermarkets in cities and a few “big box” stores.
On the other hand, you may prefer the traditional “African markets” to the malls.
Precautions
What I am saying here is that South Africa for the tourist is not a third world country.
You do have to be concerned about crime, especially if you are not traveling on an escorted tour. South Africa has the dubious distinction of having higher rates for some types of crime than the United States (although lower in others).
You’ll want to avoid streets in cities that have few people especially at night. In cities, try to walk in groups at night. Do not display valuables or carry items easy to grab. You’ll want a small pocket camera, instead of a large one that you cannot hide. You may also wish to carry food and other inexpensive items in a transparent plastic bag that clearly displays what you have.
You must take precautions against malaria if you visit the subtropical eastern region of the country, which doesn’t include Cape Town, Johannesburg, or Pretoria, but does include Kruger National Park. I’ll talk more about malaria in a later post.
Although it may be declining, South Africa has a high HIV rate among both men and women. The Medical Research Council of South Africa believes the number of deaths caused at least in part by HIV virus may be massively underreported because of misclassifications. Behave accordingly.
As with being in public anywhere, you’ll want to avoid rubbing your eyes and putting your hand or fingers in or on your nostrils or month. Sadly, South Africa has such things as ticks, so avoid walking in tall grass or brushing against vegetation, especially if your arms and legs are not covered.
Go for It
Other than these types of cautions and the ones you use for common sense travel anywhere, you do not have to be concerned.
Not traveling to South Africa because you believe that it will be uncomfortable and primitive would be a sad mistake.
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By Don Nadeau, on June 9, 2009, in Travel
If visiting Sydney—and I believe that you should definitely visit Sydney this year with airfares so low and with such a favorable U.S. dollar exchange rate—seriously consider buying a Sydney Pass.
With the Sydney Pass, you can explore all of the main sightseeing attractions of Sydney in a convenient way.
The pass includes
• All Sydney buses, including routes to as far away as Palm Beach, one of the nicest in Australia
• CityRail trains within Sydney and its close in suburbs
• All Sydney Harbour ferry services to reach places like famed Manley Beach
• Airport Link roundtrip rail transfers to and from either the main domestic or the international terminal of Sydney Airport. Your transfer from the airport to a CityRail station in the city center or Kings Cross can take place prior to starting the validity of your pass. The return transfer from one of these same stations can happen anytime within two months from the date you first use your pass.
Perhaps best of all, your Sydney Pass includes unlimited rides on Sydney Explorer and Bondi Explorer tour buses. These offer a hop on, hop off service between all major Sydney attractions, with commentary. On the Bondi ones, you’ll travel along some of Sydney’s most scenic shoreline.
With your pass, you won’t have to worry about having correct change and you’ll have access to express buses that do not take cash.
Moreover, you need not have a frenzy of activity to make the pass worthwhile. You can buy 3-, 5-, or 7-day versions valid anytime within an 8-day period (not counting the longer validity of the airport transfers).
There are adult, children, and family (two adults plus any number of kids from same family) passes available.
Check current prices in Australian dollars. You can buy upon arrival at the airport or at other locations around Sydney.
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By Don Nadeau, on June 6, 2009, in Hotel Tips, Travel
President Obama’s implication that you can’t have a serious business conference in places like Las Vegas and Orlando has severely hurt Las Vegas convention business. This has caused meetings to be moved to other cities, often significantly more expensive ones, because CEOs want to avoid potential criticism.
These cancellations mean that Las Vegas first class and deluxe hotels–especially those near the convention center such as the Las Vegas Hilton–are hurting for business. That means incrediable potential values for you.
Actually, the number of visitors to Las Vegas remains rather stable per the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, with fewer arriving by air but more by car, yet without the convention business, the prices they are paying are incredibly low.
Using a link like Last-Minute Hotel Deals at Expedia.com, check weeknight prices at the Las Vegas Hilton and others. Last I checked, $39 plus tax per night for the Hilton–and this is not even a “name your own price” rate.
The Convention Center area puts you close to most Las Vegas attractions and has two stations on the monorail at the Convention Center and at the Las Vegas Hilton.
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By Don Nadeau, on June 6, 2009, in Hotel Tips, Travel
Merely choosing a hotel on the Las Vegas Strip is not sufficient. How much you enjoy your time in Las Vegas may depend heavily on exactly where you position yourself on the Strip.
The Strip varies greatly by location.
If you’re “naming your own price” for a 4- or 5-star hotel in either the north or south Strip areas, you’ll be in a good location. However, if you’re bidding on a lower-star hotel, you’re more likely be satisfied with what you win on the South Strip.
Generally, the blocks between Steve Wynn’s Encore and the Mandalay Bay are considered best. The Encore and Wynn Las Vegas, both great hotels, banked on the area south of these to be quickly redeveloped, which hasn’t happened.
Walking between the Encore and the venerable Sahara Hotel and Casino may make some feel uncomfortable especially at night. Much of this area has been cleared for condo and other projects halted by the economic downturn, but what remains is often quite seedy.
Hotels in this “no person land” include the Circus Circus, Riviera Hotel Casino, and Hilton Grand Vacations, not to be confused with the Las Vegas Hilton. The aptly named Stratosphere, just south of these, exists among seediness, but the crowds that jam the Strip around it bring comfort.
The Sahara, where Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack once partied, transcends its location by having a direct connection to the Las Vegas Monorail. Its retro vibe and usually cheap rates bring repeat business, in spite of its seen better days rooms.
The Strip isn’t your only choice. Off-Strip places like the Hard Rock and Palms (one of my favorites) pull in the party hardy, and the Green Valley Resort offers some of the best rooms I’ve seen in Las Vegas and presents these at a moderate price.
Use this link to find Las Vegas hotel neighborhoods discussed in detail.
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By Don Nadeau, on June 5, 2009, in Travel
Was thrilled to visit Santa Barbara once again several days ago.
In spite of fires, Santa Barbara remains, without question in my opinion, the most beautiful large city in California—and one of the most enjoyable to experience in the United States.
Although the Jesusita fire during May, one of many to hit California, destroyed some 80 homes plus other structures, burnt 8,733 acres in the mountains directly in back of Santa Barbara, and swept down canyons into the upper reaches of the city itself, the many signs posted in yards and on businesses thanking firefighters are the sole indictors of the fire that you will probably notice.
The one exception is the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, which was severely impacted by the fire. Its main section remains open and undamaged (with the cacti all in bloom), but you’re surrounded by burnt vegetation and the strong smell of a recent fire. It’s frankly heartbreaking.
Happily, most of the trees in the garden that lost their leaves due to heat are expected to survive. Because this garden features plants native to California, much other vegetation is also expected to snap back quickly. Heavy rains that create flash floods next winter are the main threat now.
Otherwise, Santa Barbara remains Santa Barbara. Its beaches, its wonderful Mediterranean-style downtown, the mission area, and flowers and trees seemingly everywhere in bloom are all exactly as they were before.
Once again on this trip, I drove most of Santa Barbara’s famed marked scenic drive along the beaches and through the city’s beautiful residential areas. Except for one section perhaps closed for fire restoration, this drive too is as before.
How was Santa Barbara before? Absolutely awesome!
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By Don Nadeau, on May 21, 2009, in Travel
You’ll get awesome advice from the Lonely Planet Sydney City Guide in part because of the great urban walks it suggests.
Exploring the historic predominately residential neighborhoods of Erskineville, Glebe, and Newtown in Sydney last December was especially enjoyable. These are off the usual tourist circuit, but provide a fascinating glimpse into Australian lives.
Newtown, one of the most vibrant urban neighborhoods imaginable, in particular caught my attention.
Made fun of by a few Sydney residents in the way some Americans make fun of Californians, Newtown delivers a rich urban experience in a way Venice Beach does in Los Angeles. By this, I do not mean that Newtown’s appearance will remind you of Venice Beach, just that its residents live and think differently from the norm.
Imagine a somewhat multicultural neighborhood populated by interesting and lively mostly younger people just back from a G8 Summit protest and you have Newtown.
Walking along Newtown’s King Street shopping district, I found just one store vacant, in contrast to many Sydney neighborhoods impacted by malls. “Big box” stores may not be welcome in Newtown, but small box ones are doing fine. People walk in Newtown, and King Street was jammed.
Newtown’s shopping and dining choices are phenomenal. Its restaurants must serve as a focal point for Sydney’s vegans and vegetarian community.
The Lonely Planet route takes you through one of Australia’s most historic cemeteries filled with graves of the British who first settled here.
You’ll also pass though the University of Sydney campus and Victoria Park, which has an attractive outdoor Olympic-sized swimming pool. In good weather, you may want to be prepared for this. The campus has some attractive areas, but several of its buildings, such as its chemistry one, are the least appealing university structures I’ve ever seen.
The Glebe is also interesting and a bit more upscale than the others.
You can easily access this Lonely Planet walk via Sydney CityRail’s Erskineville Station. Check CityRail schedules, as its service to Erskineville is not as frequent as expected this close to the city center.
At the end of your walk in the Glebe, hop on any bus that says “Railway Square,” a major bus hub adjacent to CityRail’s Central Station hub, or other downtown destination. Buses run frequently toward Railway Square and the center city.
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By Don Nadeau, on May 21, 2009, in Travel
There is much to like about Sydney, but best of all is its natural setting, which makes walking within the city a joy.
The most spectacular hike within Sydney takes you from Bondi Beach southward along the rugged coast. Being on the Sydney Explorer “on and off” tour bus route, as well as on regular city bus routes, this walk is also one of the most convenient to access.
Unlike the Sydney Harbour walk described earlier, the surf is very rough here, which creates wonderful photo opportunities.
Start your walk at Bondi Beach, Australia’s most famous. Go around the swimming pool at its south end, and then take the paved walkway next to the mostly rugged shoreline. This should be a fairly easy walk for most fitness levels. Lonely Planet’s Sydney City Guide describes the walk in detail.
At the halfway point, Bronte Beach, or at the end of the walk at Coogee Beach, you can access the Sydney Explorer or regular city buses to reach the city center.
On the other hand, you may wish to hike back to Bondi. The views are worth it.
In contrast to Bondi with all its tourists, pleasant Coogee Beach is “in” with seemingly locals only. I enjoyed its atmosphere very much and returned several times.
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By Don Nadeau, on May 17, 2009, in Airfares, Travel
Couples flying off on their honeymoons have often faced the hassle of the lady’s last name on the reservation not matching the last name still on her government-issued photo id.
Effective immediately, we all will have to be more careful about the names we use. TSR airport security now requires us to use the full name on our government id for airline reservations. That means the exact first name (Judith not Judy) and FULL middle name, as well as the same last name.
Then effective August 15, 2009, we will also need to give our date of birth and gender when making air reservations. These changes stem from recommendations by the 9/11 Commission.
For more information, see TSA’s Secure Flight Enters First Public Phase
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By Don Nadeau, on May 15, 2009, in Airfares, Travel
Subject to final government approvals, Lufthansa Airlines becomes the new owner of Austrian Airlines.
Austrian has been a feisty little airline that served places other airlines did not wish to go–in some cases perhaps feared to go–such as the Kurd area of northern Iraq.
We’re sorry to see airlines like Austrian lose their independence, but its competitive position was too very difficult.
An airline like KLM can thrive in a small country like the Netherlands by booking connections, but Austrian’s Vienna hub involved too much backtracking to countries in the western portion of Europe for this strategy to be successful.
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