| Jun 28, 2011 |
| Travelers Ask: Is it safe to travel to Greece? |
 |
| In the face of protests over the looming Austerity Bill that has been deemed "harsh" and "ineffective" by Greek citizens, many travelers are asking themselves whether it is safe to travel to Greece. And while some are deciding the answer is “no”, even more are going ahead with their travel plans. Indeed, Thomas Cook reported last week that summer bookings for Greece are 13% higher than a year ago. |
(click to enlarge) |
There is no pretending that the images and video footage coming out of Athens right now aren’t disturbing, even frightening. The Guardian published a series of photos today that put the violent protests on full display to a global audience hungry for these sorts of sensational images. As someone whose city was very recently in the glare of the global spotlight for all the wrong reasons, I have seen how quickly media outlets will jump on a bad news story, and how slow they are to reassure the public that violent images do not tell the whole truth.
Residents of Athens are speaking up through various social media channels, including the TripAdvisor Message Boards, trying to tell the story the traditional media is not: “After the protests by that small group of approximately 100 troublemakers (out of thousands upon thousands of people who had gathered peacefully, as they have for the past month), were initially broken up, the peaceful protesters returned, and they will be back again, peacefully, tomorrow… You can choose to believe TV images which have been selected and filtered before being broadcast, or you can believe what the locals and many visitors have been saying again and again over the past months: that Athens...and all of Greece...are safe to visit.”
The U.S. State Department has no travel warnings or alerts regarding Greece, but it did issue a warden message last week advising travelers to be wary of protests in Athens and Thessaloniki.
"U.S. citizens are urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations, and if they find themselves within the vicinity of protests, they should exercise extreme caution and depart the area as quickly as possible," the message reads.
It is important to note that the protests are limited to Athens’ famous Syntagma Square – historically the scene of civil demonstrations. The rest of Athens remains quiet and the Greek Islands, a popular summer destination, "remain as peaceful as ever," according to travel expert Pauline Frommer of Frommer Guidebooks, who also says “I don't think you can write off the entire country because of problems in the capital."
Bargains galore await travelers who are still heading to Greece this summer. Tourism accounts for one in five jobs and almost 18% of the nation’s GDP, so the socialist government has given the sector special emphasis in the hope that it will help resuscitate the battered Greek economy. Ferry tickets are now cheaper, as the administration abolished costly levies. There are no longer landing and take-off fees at airports outside Athens, reducing the cost of air travel. VAT for hotel stays has been lowered from 11% to 6.5% to make accommodation prices more competitive.
The lower prices have not gone unnoticed by travelers. According to Expedia, the world's largest online travel agency, Greek holiday reservations have been made for as late as November for the first time ever. Hopefully international travelers will monitor the situation in Athens, but continue to make their way to this beautiful but recently beleaguered nation to spend their travel dollars where they will make a real difference to locals severely affected by the nation’s economic downturn. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Jun 27, 2011 |
| Reasons to Visit South Africa, the Rainbow Nation |
|
| Do you have a country you’ve always dreamed of visiting? Someplace that’s maybe a bit hard to get to, or expensive, or far away – or all three! – but a dream you hold onto, nonetheless? I know I do. |
(click to enlarge) |
My dream is South Africa.
When I was working on my undergraduate degree, I took a post-colonial literature course taught by a South African woman from Johannesburg. She used literature and lectures to enlighten a classroom of Canadian students about the socio-political situation in her country, which seemed a world away to all of us.
There’s something about getting to know a country through its literature that makes me want to travel there. Reading a local’s insights and imaginings really gets me under the skin of a place and makes me more intrigued about life in that country. In the case of South Africa, the stories of injustice, violence, forgiveness, rebirth and renewal are so potent and complex that I want to go and uncover more stories in person.
It doesn’t hurt that South Africa is also widely known as one of the most beautiful and diverse nations on earth. It’s a “rainbow nation” in more ways than one! There’s the dramatic coastal setting of Cape town, which I’ve heard rivals Vancouver in the “world’s most beautiful cities” category. There are the lush vineyards of the Stellenbosch region, the magnificent peaks and valleys of the Drakensberg escarpment, and the tribal culture of Zululand. I’d like to see the scars and rejuvenation happening in Soweto, Jo-burg’s history-laden township. Of course South Africa’s most famous tourist attraction is Kruger National Park, where visitors can spot the “big five” in a wildlife reserve the size of Israel.
Have I convinced you that you want to go too? If so, and if you’ve got the means to turn this dream into a reality (something I’m still working on!), our local South African Guides, would love to show you around. Just make sure to tell me all about it when you get back. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Jun 26, 2011 |
| Alternative Accommodations (or "Hotel Rooms are not for Everyone!") |
|
| We all have different budgets when it comes to travel, and different areas where we are prepared to scrimp or splurge for the best possible travel experience. Generally, the cost of a trip can be split into four key spending areas: transportation, meals, accommodation and activities. |
(click to enlarge) |
Personally, I don’t care how narrow or wide my airplane seat is, so long as I’ve paid the least possible money for it. But once I’ve arrived at my destination, I don’t like to scrimp on my meals, or miss out on a great activity because I didn’t budget for it. The one area where my spending is inconsistent is accommodation. There are times when I’m lured into paying for the romance of a boutique hotel, and other times when a simple hostel bed suits my needs the best. While I’ve heard some people say their hotel bed is just that – a place to sleep – and no sleep should be lost over choosing it, I’ve found that wherever I choose to stay does become a part of the adventure.
A recent trip to New York City saw me spending an inordinate amount of time choosing accommodation. My travel partner and I had saved up for this trip and were prepared to spend four days sampling the city’s incredible array of restaurants, museums, shopping and nightlife. I didn’t want a $300/night hotel room to take away from our fun money! But I also didn’t want to stay far from the action, with a train ride out to Jersey as the culmination of every day.
Just as I was about to book a room at the not-terribly-imaginative-but-centrally-located-and-affordable-YMCA, I stumbled upon an accommodation site I’d never seen before: www.airbnb.com.
A warning: for those of you, like me, who are mildly addicted to trip planning and hotel research, this will only feed your addiction. Airbnb opens a door to a whole new world of accommodation options. Offering places to sleep in 165 countries, Airbnb lets you stay as a local in a new city, by acting as a conduit between people with apartments to let and travelers looking for an alternative to the standard hotel room.
Suddenly, I was no longer confined to picking a hotel in a tourist-oriented neighbourhood. I could stay in the East Village, in Park Slope, the Lower East Side, Greenwich Village...for less than the cost of a room in a hostel. I ended up picking a studio apartment near St. Mark’s Place in the East Village, and my partner and I felt like bona fide New Yorkers as we walked up the steps to our brownstone at the end of every day. It sure beat a commute to New Jersey. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Jun 24, 2011 |
| Tax Free Shopping in Rome |
|
| Today Stephen, one of our local guides in Rome, shares some useful tips on how to save money on taxes while shopping in Italy. |
(click to enlarge) |
How it works
Tax Free shopping is an opportunity to purchase great things in Rome without paying Value Added Tax (VAT). Thus, if your home country is outside the EU (European Union) and you are making a purchase that exceeds 155 Euro; don't forget to ask a shop assistant for a Tax Free cheque. This will give you the possibility to reclaim 15% of the total price of your purchases on your way home. Almost all shops in the city centre take part in one of the VAT refund systems, but if you decide to have a walk in a less central area check for the Tax Free signs on shop windows.
To get the refund, you need to get an export validation stamp on your Tax Free cheques at the Customs office, showing the goods purchased. If you’re traveling by plane you can put refund-eligible goods either in the luggage that you’ll check-in or in the hand luggage.
• Checked–in luggage: 1) Get your boarding pass first without checking in the bag with the tax free goods 2) have your Tax Free cheque stamped in the lounge, and 3) go back to the front of the check-in queue and check in the bag with the tax-free goods.
• Hand luggage: 1) Check in normally 2) get the Tax Free cheque stamped after passport control.
In both cases allow time for the line. You can get the refund in cash or have it transferred onto your credit card in one of the VAT refund offices. There are several companies that specialise in Tax Free refunds, the biggest being Global Refund and Premier Tax Free. They both have offices at the airport and in some partner banks abroad. Check tax-refund company websites to understand the best way of getting your money back.
Tips
Don’t forget that all of the goods listed in your Cheque need to be shown at Customs, so don’t put them too far down in your luggage. Also, all Tax Free buys have to be new, so don’t take off any labels or tags. If you travel in company we suggest collective shopping, this way you will easily reach the 155 Euro sum necessary for a Tax Free refund.
Thanks for the money-saving tips, Stephen! To start a conversation with Stephen on shopping in Rome – or dining, sightseeing and all around exploring – visit him here: Stephen’s private tours of Rome. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home
Blog home
Submit an item
Archives
May 2013 (6)
April 2013 (9)
March 2013 (8)
February 2013 (8)
January 2013 (8)
December 2012 (7)
November 2012 (7)
October 2012 (9)
September 2012 (8)
August 2012 (6)
July 2012 (9)
June 2012 (11)
May 2012 (11)
April 2012 (12)
March 2012 (11)
February 2012 (13)
January 2012 (12)
December 2011 (12)
November 2011 (13)
October 2011 (14)
September 2011 (12)
August 2011 (14)
July 2011 (16)
June 2011 (16)
May 2011 (17)
April 2011 (16)
March 2011 (16)
|