Would a driverless taxi know the way through San Jose?

A Navya Autonom driverless vehicle. (navya.tech)

It appears inevitable that self-driving vehicles will be appearing on roads around the world within the next few years.

The technology is improving by the day, with lots of big money behind it. However, significant questions remain about our these vehicles’ suitability to share the roads with human-piloted cars and with passengers’ willingness to use them.

Continue reading Would a driverless taxi know the way through San Jose?

How maps sometimes make travel more difficult

Maybe I’m not wired like everybody else, but I sometimes have difficulty following maps, whether they be old-fashioned printed ones or on websites and apps.

From @newscientist on Twitter

Take this map posted on Twitter by New Scientist magazine to demonstrate some early form of tourism — the evolution and movement of different hominids who existed before modern humans.

Continue reading How maps sometimes make travel more difficult

Liveable or not liveable?

I’m a big fan of Melbourne — indeed, I have friends there and I often advise people planning a trip to Australia to include it on their itinerary.

Brisbane: didn’t crack the top 10

But I can’t say that I’m convinced that it is the world’s “most liveable city”, as it has been declared by The Economist for six years running. (Will it make seven? Wait until August to find out.)

Continue reading Liveable or not liveable?

Belgrade: a city of contrasts


I don’t normally take package holidays, but I got a great deal from Abu Dhabi to Belgrade on Air Serbia, booking via Etihad, that took me to the Serbian capital for five nights in a four-star hotel for around US$1000.

Here are a few sights I saw along the way. Much of the city betrays austerity and the ravages of war, but if you’re interested in the murals and funky cafes, head for the Bohemian Quarter.

Continue reading Belgrade: a city of contrasts

The Sea World debate

SeaWorld in the United States has come under a lot of pressure from animal activists recently over its treatment of ocean mammals.

(seaworld.com.au)

The criticism has led to drop in attendance, some changes in practices at its parks in Orlando and San Diego, and a commitment that the company’s new park in the UAE would focus on education, rescue and rehabilitation.

But in Australia, the public mood seems quite different.

Continue reading The Sea World debate

How fast can a train go?

As some in the transport industry want to revive supersonic air travel, others are looking at ways of making rail travel faster.

Bullet train (www.acprail.com/)

And, as with flight, some of the claims of speeds achieved, and reduced times from point to point, are difficult to get your head around.

Continue reading How fast can a train go?

Bold and beautiful break

Among the first was Family Ties, then (albeit in the realm of animation) came The Simpsons, then Oprah, and Ellen, then Modern Family. Now another American television show is to have some “special” episodes set in Australia.

(cbs.com)

And if the names Brooke, Eric, Ivy, Quinn and Ridge ring a bell with you, you’ll know which one I’m talking about.

Continue reading Bold and beautiful break

Tourist court is a win-win

Nobody wins when a tourist gets arrested in a foreign place for doing something they didn’t even know was illegal.

Abu Dhabi

Of course, ignorance of the law is no excuse anywhere, but some places have a reputation for making things excessively difficult for people — often naive young people — who break the law.

So, it’s good to see that one popular destination is doing something about it.

Continue reading Tourist court is a win-win

Phones on a plane!

Some of us get nervous if we’re not connected to our mobile devices. Others dream of an escape to a place where there are no phones and no internet.

The phone has come a long way since 1926. (Wikipedia)

If you’re in the latter category, you know that 30,000 feet above the ground is no longer one of those places. And it’s going to get worse.

Continue reading Phones on a plane!

Hotel hygiene 101

It continues to amaze me that so many people who work in the hospitality industry don’t understand the basic rules of hygiene I learned as a child.

And how, despite millennia of experience in creating public buildings, and decades of public-health research, many restrooms (bathrooms, toilets, WCs … call them what you will) are still badly designed from a hygiene point of view.

Continue reading Hotel hygiene 101

Cruise ship mind games

“Understanding the psychographic … of our current and future guests is the key – acknowledging and realising what they want from a holiday and then providing it for them.”

(P&O)

That’s a quote from P&O Cruises senior vice president Paul Ludlow talking about the thinking behind the design of the company’s newest ship.

Continue reading Cruise ship mind games

Cruising solo with no supplement

Despite the fact that more and more people remain, or become, single well into their adult years, most travel deals are still offered on a per-person, twin-share basis.

(fredolsencruises.com)

Quite often, that fact is buried deep into the fine print on the brochure or website, and many people have begun the booking process to find that that bargain journey is only going to be a bargain if they can find a friend.

Continue reading Cruising solo with no supplement

A smarter way to fly

Smart gates at airports — designed to allow passengers to get out into the arrivals hall as quickly as possible by self-scanning their passports rather than queuing to see an immigration official — may seem like new technology. But the fact is that Australia already has plans to phase them out.

(border.gov.au)

Don’t panic. It’s all good. They will be replaced by even newer tech that promises to make life easier for frequent travellers.

Continue reading A smarter way to fly

Christmas is all around

Christmas markets, Christmas lunches, Christmas shopping … it’s all happening, and not just in traditionally Christian countries.

From Kakadu, Shanghai

Not long after I moved to Abu Dhabi, somebody sneered on social media about  “politically correct” Britain, where some councils had (allegedly) banned Christmas, and then added for good measure: “I bet you’re not allowed to celebrate it in the UAE, either.”

Continue reading Christmas is all around