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ZIMBABWE WEEK: “The Cloud that Thunders”

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SECOND IN A SERIES

Victoria Falls, Zambia | © Francois Etienne Du Plessis/Dreamstime.com

Zimbabwe’s greatest natural attraction also happens to be arguably the world’s greatest waterfall.

When the Africa Travel Association convenes its annual congress this Friday in Zimbabwe, it will be located outside perhaps the greatest waterfall in the world, Victoria Falls.

The venue was not a casual choice.

Victoria Falls is more than a mile wide. Combined with its height of more than 350 feet, it produces the largest single sheet of falling water anywhere on Earth.

The beauty doesn’t stop once the Zambezi pours over the edge. The water is merely descending into the first of five gorges. It also is the hub that connects a half-dozen of Zimbabwe’s 11 national parks.

Victoria Falls is so big, one country isn’t enough to hold it. Zimbabwe actually shares the falls with neighboring Zambia. It is the dominant feature along the great Zambezi River in southern Africa, a natural wonder in its own right.

Small wonder that this was the first-ever destination on CBS’ The Amazing Race.

The Scottish explorer David Livingstone “discovered” the falls as far as the Western world is concerned; he was the one who named it after Queen Victoria. However, archeologists have found artifacts showing that humans had been there since the Stone Age, and maybe earlier.

Those first local inhabitants had their own more descriptive — and for my money, more accurate — name for the falls:

“Mosi-oa-Tunya.”

The cloud that thunders.

Foreign and local tourists have been coming here since the early 1900s. Periodic episodes of political strife and civil war sometimes pushed down the numbers dramatically, but could never completely stop the flow of people.

Mother Nature at her most powerful always pulls a crowd.

Those people who prefer to do rather than just see have got lots of options — horseback riding, bungee jumping, whitewater rafting, kayaking. I’m told you can also do some pretty serious sport fishing in the Zambezi.

If all you want is to soak in some of the world’s most spectacular scenery, you can cruise the river or take a scenic flight over the falls itself.

But maybe one of the best things you can do while at Victoria Falls is get a chance to meet and interact with the Zimbabwean people, who go to the falls as sightseers, just as you would. Indeed, more locals visit the falls than foreigners, something not typical of many of Africa’s attractions.

As far as accommodations go, Victoria Falls is one of the more highly developed tourist attractions in all of Africa, which can be both a blessing and a curse. At one point, the development was so out of hand that the United Nations was seriously considering revoking its status as a World Heritage Site.

Moreover, poachers, mostly driven by economic hardship, plague the surrounding national parks. The falls has its own anti-poaching patrol.

None of that, however, should stop you from traveling to see one of the most spectacular water shows in the world.

IF YOU GO
You’ve got multiple options for getting to Victoria Falls:

At this time, there are no direct flights from the United States to any point in Zimbabwe. Once in the country, you can fly to Victoria Falls via the national airline, Air Zimbabwe, as well as British Airways and South African Airways. However, the flights can be hideously expensive.

You might be better off financially seeking a package tour to the falls out of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana or Zambia.

For railfans, South Africa has two luxury trains that include stops at the falls, Rovos Rail and the Shongololo Express. There’s also a 1920s steam train that makes the run to Victoria Falls from the city of Bulawayo.

Bus transportation also is available from Harare and Bulawayo.

The falls also is home to the century-old and world-class Victoria Falls Hotel, a colonial-era showpiece, with prices to match. Many more economical tour packages, including stays at lodges near or overlooking the falls, are available.

Timing your visit may be the tricky bit.

Between January and April, the water volume going over the falls is at its height, but that thundering cloud of which the native peoples first spoke may be so thick that you can’t see much. Come September and October, you can see everything clearly, but the water flow is down to a comparative trickle, especially on the Zambian side of the falls.

Around October and November, Zimbabwe gets the lion’s share of the Zambezi waters, so if you’ve come for the spectacular, you’re better off then.

NEXT: A steady stream of wonders

ALSO CHECK OUT:
ZIMBABWE WEEK on IBIT
ZIMBABWE: Revealing “a World of Wonders”

Edited by P.A.Rice

ZIMBABWE WEEK on IBIT

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FIRST IN A SERIES

We kick off the biggest annual event in African tourism with a week-long look at a country making a major comeback on the world travel scene — Zimbabwe.

Next Friday, the Africa Travel Association will convene its annual congress at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Government tourism ministers, private tourism organizers and tour providers from across the Mother Continent will be there.

Every year, this five-day congress is the single most important event for African tourism held on the continent itself, and 2012 figures to be no exception.

But even more than that, this year’s congress represents the re-emergence of Zimbabwe as a major travel destination in Africa, a journey that began when Zimbabwe renewed its ATA membership last summer.

So to celebrate, this week is going to be ZIMBABWE WEEK on “I’m Black and I Travel.”

Each day this week, IBIT will show you one of the reasons why Zimbabwe needs to be on your African travel radar, including attractions that have nothing to do with wildlife.

Don’t get it twisted. Zimbabwe is one of Africa’s great havens of flora and fauna, which make it an ideal safari destination. But there is so much more to Africa than just safaris.

So this week, IBIT will give you a peek at some of what Zimbabwe has to offer in both natural and urban attractions. And believe me, it’s only a peek, only a taste. If we were to get encyclopedic about this, it would take a lot longer than a week.

We’ll be looking at the country’s abundant cultural life, its role in African history, and get into some of the nuts and bolts of creating your own Zimbabwean visit.

So come with IBIT on a week-long journey to the land known as the “World of Wonders.” Zimbabwe.

Edited by P.A.Rice

VISAS: The traveler’s hall pass

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Obtaining visas for international travel can be more of a pain than getting a passport, and you’ll do it a lot more often. Luckily, there are folks who will help you — for a fee, naturally.

The most important travel document you’ll ever own is your passport. Number Two may well be those visa stamps imprinted in it.

A visa is essentially your hall pass to enter someone else’s country, so it stands to reason that governments would be careful in issuing them, especially in a post-9/11 world. Still, obtaining visas in advance of a trip can be a time-consuming, expensive headache, especially when dealing directly with foreign embassies.

I’ve heard some real horror stories from travelers trying to obtain simple tourist visas.

There are passport agencies, usually government offices, that can help you get your passport within a matter of several weeks — or for an extra charge, even faster. There also are privately-run passport expediters which, for an additional fee, can get your passport for you in a week or even less.

But you only have to go through the hassle of obtaining a new passport every ten years. You could need two, three or more visas in a single year. Wouldn’t it be great if there were services to help you cut through the aggravation of acquiring a visa?

Well, I just discovered that there are. They’re known as visa service agencies, and there are scores of them, if not hundreds, across the United States. A few examples include:

(NOTE: I pulled these outfits at random as examples of what’s available. Their listing here in no way represents an endorsement by IBIT.)

Some agencies provide visas for virtually any country requiring one from US visitors. Others specialize in certain countries or regions of the world. Several offer to expedite your passport, as well as visas, some in as little as 24 hours.

They may offer other services, too, such as notary public and/or power of attorney services to authenticate documents for legal use in other countries. They also may translate your legal documents from English into other languages.

A few things to bear in mind:

  1. Due diligence is the watchword here. Check out these agencies with the Better Business Bureau, travel trade organizations with codes of ethics, such as the American Society of Travel Agents, the US Tour Operators Association, the Global Business Travel Association, and anyone else you can think of. You are entrusting important personal documents to the care of strangers, so it behooves you to make sure that the agency itself is trustworthy.
  2. Being private, for-profit enterprises, the visa service agencies will be charging you a fee on top of what the government charges for the visa itself. The faster the service, the higher the fee.
  3. Each agency has its own way of doing things. Once you’ve chosen an agency to help you with your visa, make yourself familiar with their procedures beforehand, preferably by talking to a live human being who can explain the steps.
  4. In terms of the documentation required, applying for a visa is almost identical to applying for a passport. You’ll need proof of identity, proof of citizenship, and a couple of passport-sized photos of yourself.
  5. Unless there’s an agency in your town, you will have to mail the agency your passport or other required personal documents for processing. This makes some folks nervous but there’s no way around it — and in truth, passports move this way all the time, almost without incident.

One last thing, which could end up saving you money as well as time.

If you’re taking a package tour to a country that requires a visa, your tour providers may offer to obtain your visa for you (for a fee, of course). Check with a visa service agency to see if they can do it cheaper.

Bear in mind that you’ll have to pay the agency fee, the mailing costs and the visa application fee charged by the country you plan to visit. Even so, if you act early enough, you just might find that going through the agency for your visa is cheaper than the tour operator.

Remember too that he who hesitates pays more. There may be emergencies that suddenly crop up that leave you no choice, but that’s not most of us, most of the time. Don’t let procrastination cost you money that you could’ve brought with you on your trip.

THE ENTRY FEE AMBUSH
Even with your prepaid visa affixed to your passport, you still may have to crack open your wallet one more time before being admitted into the country you want to visit.

Many countries around the world charge entry fees just to enter the airport as a foreign visitor. These fees can range from a few bucks to well in access of $100 — per person.

It’s retaliation, and it has everything to do with 9/11.

After the World Trade Center attacks, the US government needed ways to fund its newly created Department of Homeland Security. One was to start charging entry fees to a wide range of foreign visitors, most of them from countries with no history of terrorism against the United States.

Most of the countries whose citizens were stung by these new fees answered with entry fees of their own, strictly for Americans. And like seemingly everything else in life, they have been creeping upward ever since.

Edited by P.A. Rice

the IBIT TRAVEL DIGEST 4.22.12

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The good, bad and bizarre from the world’s best travel media. ​

©James Vallee | Dreamstime.com

​AIR
AIRPORT APP
You’re at the airport, with hours to kill before boarding, but your laptop’s battery is running low. Ever wish there were a smartphone app that could not just tell you, but show you where the electric outlets are in your particular airport terminal?

Well, according to the folks at TNOOZ, there is one — or soon will be. It’s called AirportPlugs.

It’s stil in beta test mode, and so far, it’s only set for five airports in the western United States, but you’ve got to love the concept. Can’t wait to see how it looks — and performs — once it’s ready to go.

DON’T TEXT AND FLY
It was bound to happen: An Australian airliner blew a final approach into Singapore’s Changi airport recently. The reason: Instrument interference from the pilot’s cell phone, which he later said he’d forgotten to turn off.

It forced the crew to declare a “missed approach” and go around for a second landing attempt, which is serious business at any airport and led to an official inquiry.

They’re lucky Alec Baldwin wasn’t in the cockpit; the plane might’ve crashed.

CHARGING FOR CARRY-ONS
Allegiant Airlines has become the second air carrier in the United States to charge passengers for stowing carry-on luggage in the overhead bins.

Spirit Airlines, not the most passenger-friendly carrier in the industry, started this nonsense back in 2010. Two years later, Allegiant has seen fit to follow suit. Allegiant president Andrew Levy calls this latest add-on fee part of “an ongoing effort to develop an innovative, new approach to travel.”

I have my own terms for this kind of “innovation,” but I try not to use that kind of language here on IBIT.

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from the New York Times
Take advantage of the federal government’s express check-in programs to speed past security lines. You’ll have to pay for them, but the time saved — and aggravation avoided — just might be worth it.

from the Washington Post
Even as those federal express check-in programs take hold, however, one of them may already be on shaky ground. And wouldn’t you know it, it’s from the TSA. What a surprise…

from USA Today
For the airline business, rising fuel costs are becoming like Jason in all those Friday the 13th horror movies, a killer that won’t go away.

​from msnbc
A TSA inspector at Dallas-Fort Worth airport finds an envelope with $9,500 in cash inside…and not only turns it in, but tracks down its owner and returns it to him. There may be hope for this outfit yet.

from CNNgo
Is airline code-sharing dead? The head of an up-and-coming low-fare Asian airline says yes, among other things.

​LAND ​
RENT THY NEIGHBOR’S RIDE?
It was Airbnb that really launched the idea of couch-surfing, travelers saving money by renting rooms in private residences instead of more expensive hotels or even hostels. Now, there’s a new site called Getaround that’s trying to do the same with cars.

It’s still in beta, but it’s a beta worth looking at.

Basically, Getaround connects people looking to rent a set of wheels with individuals willing to rent out their own vehicles by the day or even the hour. It claims to screen the renters, and even provides insurance. The renter gets cheap local transportation. The car owner gets paid.

Couch-surfing…say hello to car-surfing.

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from the New York Times
With travelers able to hunt for bargains and book their own trips online, travel agents looked to be headed for extinction, but it’s not panning out that way.

from USA Today
Five smartphone apps that literally could save your life when traveling overseas.

from CNN Travel
Climate change is gradually turning Greenland into a tourist hotspot. Why? Because so much of its ice has melted that you can actually see the place.

SEA ​
ANOTHER CRUISE FAIL
The cruise industry has taken yet another hit with reports that the cruise ship Star Princess ignored a drifting fishing boat desperately signaling for help, even after passengers pointed out the stricken boat to a member of the cruise ship’s staff.

By the time help finally reached the boat, two of the three men on board were already dead from hunger and dehydration. In its subsequent apology, Princess said word of the crippled boat never reached the captain nor the officer of the watch.

Do you buy that? Modern cruise ships have powerful radars to detect surface traffic, and bridge officers with binoculars whose job is to scan the waters around them. It shouldn’t even have been necessary for someone to tell the bridge crew about the fishing boat and its frantically waving victims.

When your passengers are more conscientious than your crew, you’ve got a problem.

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​from USA Today
If you’re leaving from Seattle on a cruise and need a place to stay before you embark, these hotels come with a “cruise concierge” to help you out.

from USA Today
What do you get when you subject a 15-year-old cruise ship to a $54 million makeover? In the case of Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas, you get a virtually new ship.

from msnbc
With the cruise lines trying to shore up sales in the midst of a problematic year, this might be a good time to score some serious bargains on cruises to the Bahamas.

​AFRICA ​
CRUISING INTO THE FUTURE?
Quiet as it’s kept, the coast of West Africa has enormous potential as a cruise venue, and some folks are positioning themselves to make the most of it.

Already there’s an outfit called G Adventures offering 27-day all-inclusive cruises between Cape Town, South Africa and Dakar, Senegal.

In both time and money, the G Adventures cruises are out of reach for a lot of travelers for now, but they show what’s possible once more competition and more West African ports enter this market.

It’s not hard to envision a great circle trip from the United States — a flight to Cape Town, a cruise with stops along the West African coast, then a flight home from Cameroon, Nigeria or Ghana, perhaps.

It’s going to happen. You watch.

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from IOL Travel
In South Africa, the Protea Hotel Ranch Resort will let you walk with a pride of what it calls “disciplined and well-trained” lions, including three rare white lions. The lions will even let you hold their tails while you walk with them. Am I the only one who finds this disturbing?

from Eyewitness News (South Africa)
South Africa has some of the world’s best surfing. Unfortunately, it also has some of the world’s most dangerous sharks.

from The Star (Kenya) via allAfrica.com
The government is urging Kenyans to embrace wildlife conservation as a way of boosting the country’s tourism.

from ​The New Times (Rwanda) via allAfrica.com
Another sign that tourism in Central Africa is on the rise: Expedia is expanding its presence in Rwanda.

AMERICAS/CARIBBEAN
AGRITOURISM: A GROWING ATTRACTION IN HAWAII
There’s always been more to Hawaii than pristine beaches, towering waterfalls, volcanoes and big waves. Even the most casual tourist can’t help but notice everything from pineapples to poinsettias, coconuts to coffee beans, just growing wild along the sides of the roads.

It’s as if the islands were a giant collection of farmers markets.

Now, the phenomenon known as agritourism is turning Hawaii’s agriculture into a growing tourist draw in its own right. Farmers markets. Ranch tours on horseback.

And the souvenirs are delicious.

A NEW MONUMENT
Near Monterey on the central California coast — one of the most gorgeous stretches of the Golden State — more than 14,000 acres of federal land that once belonged to the Army’s Fort Ord installation have been designated by the Obama administration as a national monument.

If hiking, mountain biking and camping on rolling hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean sound like your idea of a good time, you’re going to love this place. The fact that you can take one of the world’s most scenic highways to get there — California’s famed Highway 1 — doesn’t hurt, either.

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from the New York Times
Need a reason to visit Bend, OR? If you love lots of good, locally-crafted beers, you’ve already got one.

from USA Today
For those who don’t find the Las Vegas Strip exciting enough, a zipline is being planned between the Luxor and Excalibur resorts, apparently high enough and close enough to McCarran airport that the FAA had to sign off on it first.

ASIA/PACIFIC ​
REAL LIFE, CHINESE STYLE
If you’re like me, you don’t just want to see “the sights” when you visit a different country. You want to get a feel for what real life looks like — or used to look like — before modernization swept over everything.

If you’re in Beijing, China’s sprawling capital, that means you’ve got to check out a hutong, a traditional Chinese neighborhood.

Many have been torn down to make way for high-rise apartments and office towers, while others are runddown, but a relative handful survive as well-maintained communities and are open to visitors. This slideshow from CNTV lists some of the best to visit in Beijing.

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​from CNNgo
At the Bamboo Nest guesthouse in the mountains of Chiang Rai in Thailand, bamboo is everything. and I do mean everything. SLIDESHOW

from CNNgo
Want to play soldier? Then put down the remote, put on your cammo gear and head for the jungles of Thailand, where the Royal Thai Army will put you behind the trigger of an M-16 assault rifle or the controls of a tank. As real as it gets, including the insects you’ll be eating for dinner.

EUROPE ​
CATALUNYA: VISITORS UNWELCOME?
Spotted this on the TypicallySpanish.com site. Check out what this commenter has to say about Catalunya, a semi-autonomous region where people have a reputation for being fiercely proud of their Catalan heritage:

“…here, not only do most of those involved with tourists refuse to speak English (apologies but it is recognised as the ‘World’ language) – most insist on not speaking Spanish!!! It’s a case of ‘if you can’t be bothered to speak Catalonian, then I can’t be bothered with you, wherever you happen to be from!’ “

If this is true, it’s a real problem for Catalunya and for Spain in general. This is the kind of word-of-mouth advertising no country can afford, especially one in the midst of an economic crisis.

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from The Telegraph (London UK)
Speaking of Spain, an extensive guide to the Andalucia region sponsored by the Spanish tourism folks. Extensive and potentially useful.

from The Guardian (London UK)
The tiny Greek island of Kalymnos is carving out a niche for itself as a destination for climbers and cavers.

from The Guardian (London UK)
Europe has a vibrant, diverse music scene, and that extends to its summer music festivals.

Edited by P.A.Rice

AFRICA: In a different light

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Downtown Nairobi, capital of Kenya — ©Vladimir Kindrachov | Dreamstime.com

How is it that you can get a fuller picture of African realities today from Chinese television or al Jazeera than you can from American mainstream media?

I just watched a brilliantly produced 30-minute documentary on the fashion scene in Kenya, focusing on a single young Kenyan fashion designer, John Kaveke.

How much can you learn in 30 minutes?

I learned that Nairobi has one hell of a vibrant urban scene. Mr. Kaveke calls it “a small New York” and it’s not hard to see why. The rhythms you see pulsing on those streets require no translation from anyone who’s spent even one day in Manhattan — or London, for that matter.

I learned that Africa’s fashion scene is as diverse as the Mother Continent herself. If you approach African fashion with the “Africa is a country” attitude, you’ve already lost the plot.

I learned too that there are economic, social and even political implications that play in the background of things like fashion.

Kenya may have energetic, creative designers like Mr. Kaveke, but he finds himself up against with a mountainous second-hand clothing industry.

Tons of used clothing from the United States and other Western countries are imported wholesale into Kenya for buyers eager to emulate the styles they see in Western magazines and on television. Local buyers snap up the best to re-sell in their small shops, which do a thriving business serving Kenyans looking for fashionable, affordable threads.

Even middle-class professionals who can comfortably pay for high fashion buy the second-hand stuff, known as “mitumba,” for the quality of its manufacture…and the knowledge that they’re unlikely to run into someone else on the street wearing the exact same thing.

How does this encourage local creativity, pride in Kenyan design? To the dismay of designers like Mr. Kaveke, it really doesn’t. As a result, you see him being invited to high-profile fashion shows in London, but getting not nearly as much love in Nairobi.

The prophet, it seems, is not the only one dishonored in his own land.

Another thing I learned: Kenya grows its own cotton and once produced a lot of its own unique textiles. These days, though, Kenyan cotton producers are suffering and the country imports most of its fabrics from elsewhere, fabrics that don’t reflect Kenyan tradition or creative spirit.

A lot of good, eye-opening stuff, huh? So where did I see all this? On one of the regular television networks? On CNN, MSNBC, Fox News?

No. It was on a program entitled “Talk Africa” from CCTV. China Central Television.

I wish I could say this is a shocking new development, but the reality is that news outlets like CCTV, al Jazeera, the BBC and France 24 all do a much better job of reporting on Africa than any US mainstream news outlet.

It helps to explain the discouraging degree of American ignorance about Africa that persists even into the so-called Information Age.

When it comes to Africa, what we tend to get from American mainstream media is largely misinformation, disinformation or no information at all.

Say what you will about the large Chinese presence in Africa and the motives behind it; I certainly do. But they at least seem to be making an effort to portray Africa in a broader light, one that reaches beyond the latest war, famine or coup d’etat.

That kind of light eventually destroys stereotypes and clichés. Captured in such a light is an Africa that has a lot more going for it than safaris. An Africa that a lot more Americans and other Westerners might love to visit, if only they knew it were there.

the IBIT TRAVEL DIGEST 4.9.12

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The good, bad and bizarre from the world’s best travel media. ​

With this edition of the IBIT Travel Digest, we’re trying a slightly different format. Let me know if you prefer this approach or you’d rather keep it “old school.” Because unlike other social media (*cough* Facebook! *cough!*), IBIT prefers not to force changes down your throat.

​And now, here’s this week’s Digest:

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AIR

RYANAIR…AGAIN
Ryanair, Ireland’s low-fare airline will try anything to to lighten its airplanes to cut fuel costs — lighter on-board magazines, less ice in passengers’ drinks. At one point, they even considered removing armrests from seats and imposing a “fat tax” on passengers.

Now, Ryanair is after their female flight crew to watch their weight.

You can’t make this stuff up — and here’s the proof, courtesy of London’s Daily Telegraph.

from msnbc
Flying while (extremely) pregnant — a risk worth taking?

from Smarter Travel
JetBlue and Hawaiian Airlines are hooking up to make it easier for Americans back East to head for the islands.

fromUSA Today via DearSkySteward
Looks like Delta has found a formula to beat rising fuel costs: Higher airfares and fewer seats. Meanwhile…

from the New York Times
Delta actually may be looking to buy its own oil refinery. Genius or madness? You decide.

from OutOfTown
IBIT readers absolutely adore gleaming new Asian airports like Changi (SIN) in Singapore and Seoul Incheon International (ICN) in South Korea. An abundance of Internet-friendly facilities is one reason. Changi’s extra effort to make the airport a pleasant experience is another.

from msnbc
Five of the world’s best airlines and the lengths to which they go to earn their reputations.

LAND ​

TAX SHELTER, OF SORTS
Federal income taxes this year are due April 17, and there’s a New York hotel that’s offering you a different kind of tax break.

According to USA Today, if you check into the Andaz Wall Street, A Hyatt property, between now and April 15, they will have their “Accountant in Residence” file your taxes for you — free.

All the hotel needs is your tax information and 72 hours’ notice. So get those receipts together.

from GOOD
Where in America do people walk and bike the most? Probably not where you think they do.

from Eater.com
Want to reserve a table at one of these 11 ultra-exclusive restaurants? It won’t be easy.

from National Geographic
NatGeo’s nominees for the world’s ten best food markets. Most are in Europe, a couple in Asia, a few more in Latin America and the Caribbean. But their top choice is in Canada.

​from Wandering Educators
Can’t visit the world’s great art museums because your bored children make it a miserable experience? The art of getting kids to appreciate art.

SEA ​
COSTA ON THE COMEBACK?
Travel Weekly is reporting that Italy’s Costa Cruises is showing its Easter cruise bookings for 2012 up from 2011.

If so, it represents a nice rebound for a catastrophic first quarter following the Costa Concordia disaster and an engine-room fire that knocked another of their ships, the Costa Allegra, out of service.

But if everything is coming up so rosy now for Costa, why is it — as TW also reports — that Costa is making these upbeat pronouncements solely to Italian media? You’d think the company would want the whole world to know, yes? Curious, to say the least.

from National Geographic
The stream of tsunami debris from the 2011 Japan earthquake/tsunami disaster has tourists paying to see — and literally dive into — the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

from Vacation Cruises Info
A review of the new cruise ship Celebrity Eclipse. Half-acre on-board lawn? Check. Glass-blowing studio? Check. World-class dining? Well…

from CNN Travel
What is about the Titanic that people find so endlessly fascinating? A full century after she went down, people are still bringing her up.

from the Toronto Star (Canada)
New York to Toronto…by cruise ship? Welcome to the world of small-ship and inland waterway cruising.
​
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AFRICA ​
EDITORIAL
It’s been a turbulent week or so for the Mother Continent. A tense presidential runoff election in Senegal. A military coup coupled with a Taureg revolt in Mali. A dispute over presidential succession in Malawi after the incumbent succumbed to a heart attack.

Enough to make most Westerners shrug. Just business as usual in Africa, right? Not really.

In the Senegal presidential runoff, the challenger swamped the incumbent, who gracefully bowed out. In Malawi, politicians obeyed their own constitution and elevated the country’s female vice-president to the top job. And Mali’s neighbors imposed their own sanctions to force the coup plotters to return the country to civilian rule.

Imagine that. West African nations handling their business through diplomatic channels and democratic means. It’s a sign not just of political stability, but maturity. It’s an example for the rest of the continent.
— Greg Gross, IBIT

from The Witness (South Africa)
Soldiers posted in Kruger National Park may not be having much luck stopping poachers, but they’re great at terrorizing lost tourists. Who trains these guys, the TSA?

from the New York Times
A year after its revolution launched the Arab Spring, Tunisia is once again beautiful, serene, historic — and peaceful. It might be a good time to visit, before the tourist hordes come back.

from The Nambian via allAfrica.com
Namibia is trying to become the first African country ever to host the Adventure Travel World Summit, in 2013.
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AMERICAS/CARIBBEAN

from Gizmodo
For those who’ve forgotten how incredibly beautiful Yosemite National Park is, this time-lapse video will remind you.

from The Guardian (London UK)
Easter is every weekend at the Tierra Santa (Holy Land in Spanish) religious theme park in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

from the Toronto Star (Canada)
You know Francis Ford Coppola for his movies. Get to know him for his California wines.

from the Washington Post
On location in the Big Easy: A two-hour tour of New Orleans sites used as film backdrops.

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ASIA/PACIFIC ​

CAN ANCIENT CHINESE MEDICINE HELP MODERN TRAVELERS?
After China opened itself to the world in the 1970s, we started learning about traditional Chinese healing techniques such as acupuncture, the use of delicate needles to relieve pain by manipulating pressure points in the body.

Not quite as well known is acupressure, which works on the same principles, but without the scary-looking needles.

Could acupressure work on some of the aches and pains common to travelers? There’s a small story on the CNNgo site that suggest the answer could be “yes.”

As always, CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR FIRST.

from Travel With A Mate
Ten cool things to do in the South Korean capital, Seoul, on a budget.

from We Blog the World
Speaking of overlooked destinations in Asia, Manila almost never comes to mind. Maybe it should.

from Agence France Presse via France 24
Got a road-rage fantasy? Want to unleash your inner Patton? A company in Christchurch, New Zealand will put you at the controls of a main battle tank…and let you run over cars with it.

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EUROPE ​

from About.com/Eastern Europe Travel
Croatia is not your typical European destination — and that can be a good thing.

from The Guardian (London UK)
Speaking of Croatia, the Balkans may still be a politically fractured and fragile region, but these days, it’s also one ruggedly beautiful landscape that’s welcoming visitors.

from Go World Travel Guide
Cheap flights to Europe are only half the battle. Tips for saving money once you get there.

from Agence France Presse via France 24
In the Black Sea resort town of Batumi, they’re building a tower with a fountain at the top. Once a week, the fountain will flow not with water but with chacha — also known as “grape vodka.” And you get to taste. Pray that your tour bus has a designated driver.

the IBIT TRAVEL DIGEST 4.4.2012

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The good, the bad and the bizarre from the world’s best travel media. ​

Bicycle parking lot, Amsterdam | ©IBIT G. Gross

TOURISTS: A BILLION SERVED?
Some of you out there (and you KNOW who you are) are old enough to remember when McDonald’s fast-food joints started running those “1 million served” slogans on the marquees they mounted in front of their trademark golden arches. The count has long since run into the billions, of course.

Well, it looks as if the world’s tourism industry may be catching up.

If the UN World Tourism Organization is right, some time this year, someone will step off a plane or a train or a cruise ship to become something the world has never seen before:

The One Billionth Tourist. That’s one billion in 2012 alone.

There’s a reason why tourism is one of the largest industries on Earth. Nothing, it seems, stops the world from traveling. Not recession, wars, or flight crews losing their minds.

If you’re interested in the breakdown by region, the Adventure Travel Trade Association has it for you here.

And now, here’s this week’s Digest:

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AIR
from Travel Daily News
The world’s largest airline alliance broadens its reach in the East. Star Alliance agrees to accept Taiwan’s Eva Air as a new member by mid-2013. China’s Shenzen Airlines joins Star this year. That will give Star eight airlines in the Asia-Pacific market.

from Travel Weekly
Pinnacle Airlines files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Never heard of them? There’s a good chance you’ve flown with them without knowing it. That regional shuttle or “puddle-jumper” flight you took with Delta, United or US Airways? In reality, it was these guys.
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from Travel Weekly
The bad news: Southwest Airlines quietly raises its airfares. The worse news: Five of its rivals match Southwest increase for increase. You didn’t have to do that, guys. No, really, you didn’t.

LAND
from Smarter Travel
Truth or Consequences is one thing but — Elephant Butte, NM? Rabbit Hash? Leg O’Mutton? Crapstone? Some of wackiest town names you can find — including one Colorado town whose name is No Name. SLIDESHOW

from The Economist (United Kingdom)
Airlines aren’t the only ones looking to bypass online travel agencies like Expedia and Travelocity. A half-dozen hotel chains have joined forces to do the same thing.

from Smarter Travel
Shoes that fold up. Shirts that don’t smell. Jackets that double as pillows or even carry-ons. Clothing for the road warriors among you.

from Ethical Traveler
The world’s most ethical travel destinations among the world’s developing nations.

SEA
from the New York Times For every style of music, it seems, you can find a cruise for it, and rock-themed cruises are among the most popular.

from USA Today Another week, another cruise ship runs into mechanical troubles on the high seas. This time, it’s the Azamara Quest. Another engine room fire. Everyone’s safe.

from Der Spiegel (Germany)
Was the Costa Concordia disaster a tragedy waiting to happen? Der Spiegel talks to maritime experts who say yes, and say why.

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AFRICA
from Vanguard News (Nigeria) via allAfrica.com
A diplomatic showdown may be coming between the Nigerian government and British airlines over complaints that Nigerian passengers are being overcharged compared with passengers from other West African countries. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are the carriers most often cited by officials inthe capital, Abuja.

from The Star (Kenya) via allAfrica.com
Government urged to combat child sex tourism in Kenya. The laws forbidding it are not being enforced.

from The Star (Kenya) via allAfrica.com
Tourism investors in northern Kenya appeal to the media to start reporting more of the region’s positive aspects, including its track record as a film location.

from The New Vision (Uganda) via allAfrica.com
Should Uganda use the controversial Kony 2012 video to lure tourists to the country? These guys say yes. EDITORIAL

from Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Unlike many African countries, Uganda doesn’t have a national airline — and odd as it might sound, the country might have a better chance of boosting its tourism without one. EDITORIAL

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AMERICAS/CARIBBEAN
from theNew York Times
In New Orleans, they’re re-imagining the hotel bar. It’s not just for tourists anymore. Updated drinks, better food and good music are earning once-stodgy hotel bars a local following.

from the Los Angeles Times
Downtown (Las) Vegas, baby. The part of town that first made southern Nevada a major destination is renewing itself.
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from the Los Angeles Times
Oakland is moving up in class as a destination. Yes, that Oakland.

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ASIA/PACIFIC
​from Japan Australia
Like the idea of traveling Japan by train and want to save money, but you’re an expat, not a tourist? The Japan Rail Kanto Area Pass may be just your ticket.

from The Telegraph (London UK)
I’ve said it before: China likes to do big things. The world’s tallest bridge connecting two mountain tunnels? I’d say that qualifies. It’s 355 meters high. That’s 1,165 feet. You could fly a jumbo jet under that.

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EUROPE
from Rick Steves via SFGate.com
Europe’s not just about cathedrals and vineyards. If you’re into adventure travel, the Old World is ready to satisfy your need for an adrenaline rush.

from the New York Times
History may be the biggest draw in Cologne, the oldest city in Germany, but fresh shops, restaurants and hotels have Cologne thriving in the present.

from VisitBritain Shop
Better than a hall pass, especially in London — a Pub Pass. Pretty cheap for what you get, and good for a year.

from Hotel Chatter
How’s this for a memorable summer: Commute to the 2012 London Olympics…from Paris.

Edited by P.A.Rice

SENEGAL: Standing tall

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Voters line up at a Senegal polling station in 2012 presidential runoff.

Voters line up at a Senegal polling station — © Smandy | Dreamstime.com

The Senegalese people peacefully and overwhelmingly vote out an incumbent who was seeking to become a president-for-life. It’s a shining moment, and one with huge implications for West African travel.

There’s a good chance you scarcely read, heard or saw anything in the mainstream media about Senegal’s recently concluded runoff election to choose the country’s next president.

And that might be the greatest mark of its success.

Abdoulaye Wade is at least 85 years old; the safe bet is that he’s even older. He was trying to win a third presidential term. Senegal’s constitution allows only two.

It had all the earmarks of yet another African leader installing himself as a president-for-life.

There was just one problem: The Senegalese people were not havin’ it.

A whole host of challengers arose, even legendary Senegalese entertainer Youssou N’Dour.

When the results of the initial vote forced a runoff between Wade and former prime minister Macky Sall, much of the outside world nervously looked on.

Would Wade somehow try to steal the election — and how would the opposition, and the populace, react if he did? If Wade did lose, would his followers accept it, or would they turn the country upside down? Anything could’ve happened.

Here’s what did happen:

  • The opposition united behind Macky Sall.
  • Sunday’s runoff ballot was smooth, clean and fair.
  • Sall won in a landslide, with nearly 66 percent of the vote, even swamping Wade in Wade’s own district.
  • Wade called Sall to acknowledge his win and concede the election.

Macky Sall may now be Senegal’s president-elect, but the real winner is Senegal itself.

Since gaining independence from France in 1960, it has never suffered a civil war or a coup d’etat, never put up with a dictatorship. Outsiders who doubted its commitment to democracy prior to Sunday’s runoff can doubt it no longer. It shows a political maturity and sophistication that much of Africa — indeed, much of the world — can only envy.

(The now-outgoing President Wade deserves applause for graciously accepting the results. In the end, he put his country ahead of his personal ambitions. In doing so, he may have salvaged his legacy — and saved his country.)

All this has huge implications for Senegal and the rest of West Africa, especially when it comes to travel. The region is positioned to become a gateway to the Mother Continent, especially from the Americas. It has a staggering array of potential attractions, natural and urban, cultural and historical.

It also is home to perhaps the most well-organized and forward-looking regional economic bloc on the Mother Continent — ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States.

What’s more, West Africa has something going for it that its landlocked Central African neighbors can only dream of, hundred of miles of Atlantic coastline, much of it in pristine condition. Some of the world’s cruise lines have been eyeing this part of Africa for some time and big things may be in the offing.

Most of the ECOWAS countries either have a track record of stability, like Cameroon, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. Others have already emerged from past turmoil, like Nigeria, Liberia and the Cote d’Ivoire, which we know as the Ivory Coast.

And when Tuareg rebels recently launched an armed coup to overthrow the government in Mali, ECOWAS gave the coup plotters 72 hours to return the government to civilian control or face harsh sanctions, including closing the borders of all ECOWAS nations to Mali.

The outcome in Mali remains uncertain, but the swiftness of the ECOWAS action was eye-catching. Could you picture the Arab League acting that decisively against, say, Syria?

So West Africa has a lot going for it. Still, so much of the region’s future, especially when it comes to tourism, hinged on what would happen in last week’s runoff race.

Senegal gave the world its answer with one of the more impressive displays of democracy in action the Mother Continent has ever witnessed. Senegal stood tall.

And because it did, West Africa’s future today looks a little brighter than it did a week earlier.

Edited by P.A. Rice

the IBIT TRAVEL DIGEST 3.26.2012

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A roundup of the good, the bad and the bizarre from the world’s best travel media. ​

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

© Radkol | Dreamstime.com

TINGO ALL OVER
A new hotel reservation site has made its debut on the Web. It’s called Tingo, and its main calling card comes into play after you make your hotel reservation.

The folks at Tingo say they will keep an eye on your pre-paid reservation. If your room price drops after you’ve reserved it, Tingo will arrange a refund of the difference, automatically.

You can read more about Tingo in this msnbc.com story here.

BRIDGING THE WORLD
In my next life, I might be an engineer, because I love bridges. Admiring them. Photographing them. Sailing under them. Or best of all, walking over them.

I still have fantasies about riding the elevator that runs up the inside of each of the two towers of the Golden Gate Bridge, with my trusty little Canon G12 camera in hand, to take pics from the very top.

That probably explains why I got such a kick out of Cristina Puscas’ list of 13 famous bridges that you can walk or climb. It’s on the BootsnAll Web site, which specializes in independent travel.

With this list as a guide, bridge-hopping can take you around the world.

INDIA, NORTH and SOUTH
The New York Times devotes its Sunday travel section this week to Asia, starting with a sizable story on India that features three possible itineraries based on time — one, two or three weeks.

The piece itself is informative enough, but some of the comments below it are just as insightful, especially those that suggest a possible bias on the part of travel writers toward northern India.

AMELIA EARHART WOULD BE PROUD
Finally, the folks at Air France are making a point of showing off one of their crews on a recent Flight 438, a Boeing 777 from Paris (CDG) to Mexico City (MEX).

Three pilots, 13 flight attendants. All women.

The airline put up its own video to mark the occasion.

I’m not sure how the macho Mexican male passengers on the flight reacted when they found out about the all-female flight crew, but I’ll bet the mujeres on board were diggin’ it.

And now, here’s this week’s Digest:

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AIR
from Gadling
When’s the best time to shop for your airfare? These guys say six weeks in advance.

from Budget Travel
What happens when your airline reservation magically disappears. One travel editor’s experience.

from AirSafe
On any given day, ten people will come to a US airport to board an airplane with a weapon in their possession — and seven of them will get past airport security. One of several statistical bits about the TSA, arrayed in the form of a vertical graphic.

from USA Today
How to keep European transportation strikes from blowing up your travel plans.

LAND
from Smarter Travel
Traveling to Europe this year? Bringing your iPhone with you? From restaurant guides and subway maps to currency converters and translators, these apps are custom-made to help the European traveler, and most of them are free.

from Woman Seeks World
One traveler’s list of the ten most popular countries to emigrate to. If you get the impression it’s a somewhat Eurocentric list, I wouldn’t argue.

from Lonely Planet
The LP crew offers up its list of the world’s ten best cycling routes. Saddle up.

SEA
from Fodors
Looking for a cruise that gets you off the familiar itineraries? One of these might feed your need for something different at sea.

from USA Today
Another old, familiar name in cruise ships is going away…sort of. Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas, whose wrap-around smokestack-mounted lounge created an iconic silhouette among Caribbean cruisers, is being transferred out of the fleet.

from USA Today
The river cruise business is heating up bigtime, especially in Europe. The Viking line christens four new European river cruisers…on the same day.

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AFRICA
from Nature
Private developers are scrambling to buy up vast tracts of African land. Is this land grab holding back progress on the continent?

from eTurbo News
Perhaps none too soon, given the above developments, Tanzania plans to host the first-ever pan-African conference by the UN World Tourism Organization on sustainable tourism management in national parks and protected areas.

from University of Oxford
Did you know that Africa has as many cities of 1 million people or more as Europe? These guys see that as one of six reasons why investing in Africa is a good idea.

from NewsDay (Zimbabwe)
Think Americans are the only people in the world who are into reality television? Zimbabwe has its own reality TV show in the works, this one focused on the country’s tourist attractions. And yes, they plan to market this show globally.

from Wolfganghthome
Rwanda is hooking up with Google Maps to digitally mark its major tourist destinations, a first for the Mother Continent, according to this blogger.

from Travel Travel (United Kingdom)
A sample of the kind of cheap Africa vacation packages available from Europe. This one just happens to include a stay at the hotel where I stayed in the Gambia.
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AMERICAS/CARIBBEAN
from Frommer’s Travel
Five ways for Americans to legally visit Cuba. SLIDESHOW

from USA Today
America’s capital is loaded with history, charm, great eateries, great watering holes — and it’s table-flat. Sound like a great weekend bike ride? Now, you can rent your wheels in Washington DC.

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ASIA/PACIFIC
​from the New York Times
Myanmar, the country that many of us still think of as Burma, is emerging as a new travel destination for the early 21st century. A primer on how to get there and what you’ll find.

from the New York Times
A generation ago, Laos was the site of the Southeast Asian war your parents didn’t know about. Today, it’s the exotic, fascinating travel destination that you may not know about.

from Gadling
When it comes to visiting India’s famed Taj Mahal, timing is everything, especially if you want that great pic.

from msnbc.com
Poor Las Vegas. First, they had to contend with casinos on Indian reservations siphoning off visitors. Now, they have to deal with Singapore.

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EUROPE
from The Quirky Traveller
The quirky side of Britain’s Lake District.

​from Mo Travels
A black American expat in Amsterdam shares her all-girl getaway near Lake Garda in Italy.

from The Guardian (London UK)
​Reader tips on where and what to eat in Turkey. If all you’re expecting is kebabs, prepare to be pleasantly surprised.

from USA Today
International airports have been built on artificial islands before, but never at the mouth of one of the world’s busiest rivers, like the Thames in England. The mayor of London thinks that’s a fine idea.

from The Guardian (London UK)
Okay, this is just strange: Camel wrestling in Turkey? If your travel tastes run toward the bizarre, see this ancient Aegean custom — before the Turkish government finds a reason to ban it.

Posted in Air travel, Cruise travel, Independent Travel, Rail Travel, Readers' Tips, See the World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Reply

ZIMBABWE: Revealing “a World of Wonders”

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Zimbabwe sunset

© Outdoorsman | Dreamstime.com

The convening of the Africa Travel Association’s annual congress at Victoria Falls signals the rise of a new player on the African travel scene, and it’s one you might not expect.

When you think of African travel and tourism, you probably don’t think of more than a handful of the 54 countries that officially comprise the Mother Continent. The odds are equally good that Zimbabwe won’t be one of them.

Zimbabwe would like very much to change that.

If you heard anything at all about Zimbabwe over the last several years, it probably revolved around political wrangling within the country, staggering inflation and criticism from Western countries over the seizure of lands, sometimes violently, from former colonial settlers and farmers.

Since then, a political power-sharing agreement has reduced the turmoil and the country has its inflation under control — in part by pegging the national currency to the US dollar.

Now, the country is looking outward — and inviting travelers — including Americans — to come in.

It’s an effort that appears to have official blessings on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Earlier this year, the Africa Travel Association, which holds its annual congress in an African country, announced that this year’s congress would return this May to Zimbabwe for the first time since 1988.

The gathering annually brings together government tourism ministers from across Africa, as well as industry professionals, tourism providers, scholars, travel trade media and leaders from the African Diaspora.

Charles Ray, U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe, has been enthusiastic about ATA’s return:

“Zimbabwe offers a ‘World of Wonders’ to tickle the fancy and sense of adventure of the full array of international travelers…Your visit to Zimbabwe will bring a smile to your face for a lifetime.  I applaud ATA’s vision in…opening the world’s eyes to what Zimbabwe has to offer.”

It’s no accident that the ATA gathering is being held not in the capital city, Harare, but on the Zambezi River at Victoria Falls, which is believed to be the largest waterfall in the world.

(Zimbabwe actually shares Victoria Falls with neighboring Zambia.)

Nor is it an accident that high-ranking members of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority are in the United States in the run-up to the ATA congress. At a news conference hosted by the association, Tesa Chikaponya, the authority’s executive director for destination marketing, spelled out some of the multiple directions the country is taking:

  • Adventure tourism
  • Eco-tourism
  • Cultural tourism
  • African diasporan/heritage tourism
  • MICE tourism — Meetings, incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions

An ambitious agenda, to say the least. But in the increasingly fierce competition for African tourism, Zimbabwe has some good cards to play, as Ms. Chikaponya pointed out:

“We have a lot to offer as a destination, starting with the resort town of Victoria Falls, which boasts of being the adventure capital of Zimbabwe. It’s an experience to be on the Zambezi River. There is a pristine wildlife habitat, the Eastern Highlands…Lake Kariba (the world’s largest man-made reservoir). There is a rich history and heritage that we want to share.

“Zimbabweans are a wonderful people, sharing smiles every day of our lives, looking to give a helping hand to anyone.”

The country’s decision to tie their economy to the dollar also has a major fringe benefit for US travelers: No need to change money. Touch down there with the dollars you’d normally have in your wallet and you’re ready to roll.

In fact, just about any Western currency will work just fine, according to Ms. Chikaponya. “Bring your euros, bring your pounds, bring your US dollars. You can buy in Zimbabwe.”

And like many African countries, Zimbabwe is looking for foreign investors as well as foreign visitors, she said.

It’s not all about generating money, however. Ms. Chikaponya explained that Zimbabwe wants to use tourism as a vehicle for preserving its heritage.

Given the damage that mass tourism can sometimes do to a culture, that almost seems counter-intuitive, but they’re serious about it.

There, too, Zimbabwe has some precious assets, several historical sites, the most important of which may be Great Zimbabwe, the ruins of the original Kingdom of Zimbabwe, built with such skill and sophistication that generations of white colonists refused to accept that black Africans had actually built it.

“We’re focusing on our national shrines. We have many places that for a long time have not been looked at,” said Ms. Chikaponya. “We know that cultural tourism is very important and we need to preserve our culture for future generations. We are setting up cultural villages to preserve our folklore.”

Naturally, all this has got me wondering about the nation, whose nickname is “World of Wonders.” If Zimbabwe wasn’t on my list before, it is now.

IF YOU GO
Zimbabwe is a landlocked nation roughly the size of Montana in southeastern Africa, bordered by four countries — Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana.

The country’s population is approximately 12 million people, about the same as the city of Mumbai. Nearly a quarter of all Zimbabweans live in or near the capital city of Harare. The national climate is tropical. It sits mostly on two high plateaus, with mountains to the east.

In its days as a British colony, it was known as Southern Rhodesia. It was known for 15 years as Rhodesia when whites, led by Ian Smith, broke away from Britain rather than accept the colony’s conversion to a black-majority-ruled independent state. After much turmoil, its independence as Zimbabwe was formally recognized in 1980.

As is the case with most of Africa, there are no nonstop flights between the United States and Zimbabwe, nor are there any US-based airlines flying there. Likewise, the country’s national airline, Air Zimbabwe, does not fly to the United States.

African airlines that serve Zimbabwe include EgyptAir, South African Airways, Kenya Airways, TAAG Angola Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines, as does Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East.

Non-African airlines that serve Harare include British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM and Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East.

All but Emirates are members of airline alliances that enable US airlines to book flights to Zimbabwe on a code-share basis.

US visitors to Zimbabwe need to obtain a visa from the Zimbabwean Embassy in Washington DC or upon arrival.

Edited by P.A. Rice