That familiar feeling: staying with brand-name hotels

The bed may look familiar, but it’s comfortable and clean.

“Hello Sir, good to see you again.” So said the doorman at the Ibis Soi 4 Sukhumvit hotel, a modest, comfortable and popular hotel in central Bangkok where I’ve stayed on three occasions in the past 18 months.

Yes, it’s part of the global Accor chain, but last week’s greeting (which came before I proffered any identifying paperwork) disproved the accepted wisdom that these places lack warmth and personal service.

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Cruise ships are microcosms of life, and death

The Royal Princess became a crime scene. (Image: princess.com)

Updated on November 19 due to new information

When a 52-year-old American woman plummeted from the lido deck of the Royal Princess onto a lifeboat several decks below during a Caribbean cruise, it shocked her fellow passengers, the crew and cruise-lovers in general.

The woman died and a man, who was arrested by police when the boat docked at the island of Aruba, now stands accused of murder. It is alleged that he strangled her and threw her overboard.

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Would you sign up to be a responsible tourist?

(tiakinewzealand.com)

Tourism is big business for a lot of countries. But opening your beaches, forests and city streets to thousands of outsiders can put a big strain on infrastructure, and the environment.

Some countries have successfully throttled tourist numbers in sensitive natural areas, with the Philipines and Thailand both recently closing beach resorts to allow them to rehabilitate after “overtouristing”.

New Zealand is trying a different approach.

Continue reading Would you sign up to be a responsible tourist?

A matter of life, death and racial profiling at 30,000 feet

If you were suffering a medical emergency on a flight and a doctor came to your aid, you’d almost certainly welcome their attention.

But what if airline crew tried to stop the doctor from helping you? That’s not a hypothetical situation; it actually happened.

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Thailand national park bans plastic bags and styrofoam

(Samet National Park video)

Is more sustainable tourism in sight? Well it may just be for me, because right now I am staying on the mainland opposite the Thai resort island of Koh Samet.

And Samet, in common with other tourist destinations around the world, has announced that it is striving to eliminate styrofoam and plastic bags from the ecosystem.

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You want travel rewards? Computer says No

David Walliams as Carol in Little Britain. (BBC)

Sometimes when I sit at my laptop I feel like I’m in one of those Little Britain sketches where a relatively simple operation is thwarted because the “computer says No”.

It’s happened to me on so many occasions that I reckon I’m wasting my time even reading those tempting travel-related offers that come via my inbox

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A ‘bad guy’ goes to Pattaya

Updated October 12 (see footnote)

“Come on in. You will not regret it.” That was the greeting I got from Grace (pictured), the waitress at Kings Cafe not far along along Pattaya’s infamous Walking Street.

I didn’t. The pork ribs were delicious, and the beer was very refreshing.

You could be forgiven if you thought that story was going somewhere else, given the reputation of Pattaya, the former fishing village now mega beach resort about 90 minutes’ drive south of Bangkok.

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Price discrimination: a challenge for travellers

In much of the world, discrimination is illegal. And rightly so.

But if you are a traveller, you’ve probably been the serial victim of one form of discrimination that is generally legal and extremely common — before you’ve even left home.

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Are ‘not hot to visit’ lists accurate and fair?

Hot or not? Angkor Wat. (angkorenterprise.gov.kh)

I’ve written before that people have to make up their own minds about whether, for ethical or other reasons, they are prepared to visit certain destinations. 

And I note that some governments have acted responsibly to close off areas to tourists to allow rehabilitation. Maya Bay in Thailand, famous location of the film The Beach, is one such spot. Boracay in the Philippines, is another.

But what about a a travel company issuing a “not hot list” that steers people away from certain sites and countries? 

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Thailand visitors told: don’t ‘tip’ Immigration officers

Clouds over Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Updated:  October 8

A well-travelled friend once told me that the most blatant form of corruption he had ever seen was at an airport in India.

An immigration official simply put his hand out and refused to let my friend, who had all the necessary documents, through until a bribe was proffered.

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Take care when you travel, the world can be ugly

US State Department advisory map (static version, follow link  for current map).

While I generally like to accentuate the positive, it has to be conceded that travel is not without its dangers.

I was reminded of this by a bizarre and frightening story from Mexico, about people in a popular resort town being beaten, stripped naked and tied to lamposts. 

Continue reading Take care when you travel, the world can be ugly

Where the action is: hotels with Hollywood connections

Spinal Tap (Image: Polydor) 

I once stayed at the Hyatt (now Andaz) hotel on Sunset in West Hollywood where, apart from seeing Axl Rose in the foyer, I visited the rooftop pool that featured in the cult film This is Spinal Tap. The so-called “riot hotel” was also the scene of many real band-behaving-badly moments back in the day.  

I didn’t seek out this rock’n’roll experience (it came as part of a deal secured by a friend), but there are plenty of people who do want to stay in hotels with connections to the rich and famous.

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Be prepared to have your digital devices searched

A surprise may await you on arrival at your destination next time you travel.

All travellers know, or ought to know, that they must abide by the laws of the country they are in, or are about to enter.

But laws keep on changing and it’s hard to keep up. So you may not know that some countries now can require you to take what is inelegantly described as a “digital strip search”.

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Sydney first, but don’t forget the rest of Australasia

Sydney Opera House. (Wikicommons)

Former Australian prime minister Paul Keating once famously said: “If you don’t live in Sydney, you’re just camping out.” It would seem that many agree with him.

The New South Wales capital was named “Australasia’s leading destination” at the 25th Annual World Travel Awards held in September 2018.

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Mixing business with pleasure

Fancy taking a photography class on the beach? 

Walking along a beach in Thailand, I stumbled along what I took to be a photography class being conducted with a dozen or so very eager students and two models.

And it got me thinking about holidays that involve the opportunity to learn a new skill.

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Why travel when you can fake it?

In the backyard or in India?

I’ve been bombarded lately with advertisements for a product that can save me all the expense and inconvenience associated with travel.

Sadly, it’s not a golden ticket valid for lifetime first-class journeys by plane, train, automobile and cruise ship, but a piece of software that promises to edit my digital photos allowing me to insert myself into any scene I like.

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Airports aren’t what they used to be, thank goodness

Brisbane Airport in the 1960s. (Photo: Arthur Debritz)

A recent Twitter exchange about long stopovers reminded me of one thing that has absolutely improved about travel over the years I’ve been doing it: the standard of airport terminals.

Although some may complain that the departure area has been taken over by duty-free booze and perfume outlets, not to mention all-too-familiar fast-food franchises, it’s a far cry from what was on offer not so long ago.

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Tourists deserve a little respect, too


A screen grab showing Svenska Nyheter host Jesper Rönndahl . (YouTube)

I’ve written quite a lot about the importance of showing respect for your destination and its people when you travel. But, of course, it’s a two-way street.

Your hosts should also respect you. And that means that they probably shouldn’t poke fun of you on national television.

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Titanic auction is a sign of an ongoing fascination

More than 100 years after the “unsinkable” RMS Titanic sank, a collection of over 5,500 items salvaged from its wreckage is about to go under the hammer.

That there are many bidders, private and public, for the collection speaks a lot about our fascination with grand ocean liners in general and the Titanic in particular.

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What expats say, and what they really mean

The food is really healthy here …

I’ve spent most of the past decade, and a few scattered years before then, as an expatriate or itinerant traveller.

And anyone who’s been in my shoes knows that, for the most part, the experience is wonderful. But for some people, especially those on low wages or in retirement, living abroad can be a matter of making the best of a not-ideal situation.

Continue reading What expats say, and what they really mean