Travel with a Challenge web magazine

07/26/2024

** THINKING OF JASPER, ALBERTA IN THE MIDST OF WILDFIRES **
As I follow news of Jasper National Park and its beautiful mountain town of Jasper under siege from wildfire flames between July 24, 2024 and today, I am reminded of what an outstanding park that is in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. I am also reminded of a quite enchanting few days I spent exploring the inviting streets of Jasper (population 5,000) where unique adventures and welcoming local people were everywhere to be found, https://www.travelwithachallenge.com/?page_id=2728.
At present the entire park is closed, and Jasper residents and visitors are all safe, having made a hasty evacuation during this emergency phase. Damage assessments come later, I am sure whatever rebuilding is required will follow with determination. Be sure to visit when the invitation goes out once more!

07/26/2024

** ARE YOU A VACATION RENTAL FAN? **
It seems that a lot of other travelers are fans as well, with 2024 expecting clients to pay $100 million for vacation rentals worldwide, generating revenues of more than camping and cruising combined, https://stocklytics.com/content/vacation-rentals-to-become-a-100-billion-industry-this-year/. In the next five years, the income is projected to reach one billion dollars!!
The rise of platforms like Booking.com, Airbnb, and Vrbo has revolutionized the vacation rental market, providing easy access for property owners to list their rentals and connect faster with travelers. The mobile app versions of these platforms and their user-friendly interfaces only fueled the market growth, helping it to gross more revenue than ever.

06/14/2024

Here's a calm, rational article with good information on avoiding the unlikely possibility of a shark attack during your next beach vacation, https://www.smartertravel.com/shark-safety-tips/?source=91&u=3F57D16302&nltv=&nl_cs=54680812%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A&e_send_id=4890f3a6-f211-474a-8e3a-89285b75750d&emd5=fcde4752a856104e2599b769365c458f&esha256=95477f1eaa39c663bf6fa64bdff8e69af1ae87811761054a490d87ac910f6303. Before deciding to avoid a sea swim altogether though, be comforted that the odds of a shark attack of any kind are 1 in 4,332,817, and it is more likely to happen if you exhibit seal behavior!

Planning on a beach vacation this summer? Here’s everything you need to know about shark safety before you get in the water.

05/12/2024

This article from SmarterTravel absolutely confirms my thoughts on the safest floors to stay in at any multi-storey hotel, https://www.smartertravel.com/the-safest-hotel-floor-to-stay-on/?source=91&u=3F57D16302&nltv=&nl_cs=54620705%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A&e_send_id=07231101-3614-48fc-a67c-51a99d3296d0&emd5=fcde4752a856104e2599b769365c458f&esha256=95477f1eaa39c663bf6fa64bdff8e69af1ae87811761054a490d87ac910f6303. Read it and sleep well!!

Which floors should you request to stay on in a hotel?

03/27/2024

** THE MAGIC OF TRAVEL BY GULET **

Having now completed two coastal explorations aboard these admirable yacht-sized traditional vessels of mahogany and brass, I am surely something of an expert. So I am sharing my first-hand knowledge gained while exploring the Croatian Adriatic coast and its islands, and most recently in 2023 during an introduction to the nature and ancient cultural history of Turkey’s southwest coast https://www.rowadventures.com/blog/magic-travel-gulet. If you care to share your own thoughts on gulet travel, you are most welcome!

03/11/2024

** AVOID THE MOST OFFENSIVE THINGS YOU CAN DO ON A PLANE **
The SmarterTravel website has launched a 2024 timely list of the most offensive things fellow travelers do associated with plane travel. Compiled from thousands of replies, here are the top 10 most annoying things you can avoid doing. "The Most Offensive Things You Can Do on a Plane | SmarterTravel" https://www.smartertravel.com/the-most-offensive-things-you-can-do-on-a-plane/?source=91&u=3F57D16302&nltv=&nl_cs=54508302%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A&e_send_id=6cc1dcd2-af49-4e99-bf65-8004e64a3868&emd5=fcde4752a856104e2599b769365c458f&esha256=95477f1eaa39c663bf6fa64bdff8e69af1ae87811761054a490d87ac910f6303

Such simple courtesies are really not rocket science, but an occasional refresher can go a long way toward relieving the stresses of plane travel for everyone stuffed into that large metal cylinder for hours on end!

02/11/2024

** 10 MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES IN THE WORLD **
Each year, the highly-respected Economist magazine in Britain researches and reports on the 10 most expensive cities in the world in which to live. Naturally, this also affects their financial friendliness toward visitors when it comes to prices of just about everything from food to accommodation to transportation. Interestingly, three of the 10 are in the United States and two are in Switzerland. The other five are not ones you would necessarily name correctly,

Every year, The Economist publishes a ranking of the world’s most expensive cities. Can you guess which locale topped the list?

12/19/2023

** WHAT IS SKIPLAGGING AND WHY IS IT RISKY? **

“Skiplagging”, also known as hidden-city ticketing or throwaway ticketing, has been around for several decades, but it has been gaining both popularity and notoriety much more recently. Before you think about trying this way of saving money on your flights, read this surprisingly clear explanation of the benefits and pitfalls of “skiplagging” from SmarterTravel.com, https://www.smartertravel.com/skiplagging-is-it-legal/?source=91&u=3F57D16302&nltv=&nl_cs=54364508%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A&e_send_id=f8face45-7df7-4a97-bc79-2b205d6fc1e3&emd5=fcde4752a856104e2599b769365c458f&esha256=95477f1eaa39c663bf6fa64bdff8e69af1ae87811761054a490d87ac910f6303

The risks of skiplagging, or “hidden city ticketing”, explained.

10/21/2023

For friends, relatives and colleagues who knew that I was visiting the vast Wadi Rum desert and Petra in Jordan from the beginning of October, I returned to Canada yesterday afternoon having passed through four airports. This is not the first "war zone" recently in which I have unexpectedly found myself, but let it be known that except for some anti-war demonstrations in the capital city that threatened to disrupt my departure shuttle to the airport, Jordan was a peaceful, welcoming and culturally dazzling place to visit. More on that later!

09/14/2023

** GUESS THE WORLD’S 10 PHYSICALLY LARGEST AIRPORTS **

I just read an interesting article listing the world’s ten largest airports by physical size, always with a strategy in my mind as to how to avoid them if at all possible! https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-worlds-biggest-airports?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=091423WorldsLargestAirports&utm_term=Daily%20Wander%20Newsletter%20NEW. I'm not surprised that the United States has six of the ten largest, but definitely surprised that Saudi Arabia has the largest airport and that Turkey’s Istanbul airport comes in fourth in size. Also surprising that none of them are in Europe!

08/14/2023

** NEW VISAS FOR LIVING AND WORKING ABROAD **

Canada recently joined a growing list of countries—including Australia, Barbados, Germany, Italy, Norway, and Portugal, among more than two dozen others—in developing a visa program specifically aimed at remote workers. Canada's new short-term visa scheme is expected to be rolled out by the end of 2023.

Check out this article for details and how to apply,

The new short-term visa scheme is expected to be rolled out by the end of 2023.

07/30/2023

** 2023 TOP 10 MOST LIVEABLE CITIES IN THE WORLD JUST ANNOUNCED **

Economist Intelligence Unit's annual Global Livability Index has just highlighted the most liveable 173 cities in order around the world for 2023. This is based on factors including stability, healthcare, culture & environment, education and infrastructure. https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230725-the-worlds-most-liveable-cities-for-2023. Does livability matter when you are picking cities to visit on vacation? For a whole host of reasons, I believe in a currently uncertain world that it does help to predict the sanity factor of a potential city you are including on your itinerary. Here are the top most liveable cities in the world:

THE TOP 10 MOST LIVEABLE CITIES
Vienna, Austria
Copenhagen, Denmark
Melbourne, Australia
Sydney, Australia
Vancouver, Canada
Zurich, Switzerland
Calgary, Canada / Geneva, Switzerland
Toronto, Canada
Osaka, Japan / Auckland, New Zealand

We speak to residents in five of the highest-ranked cities to get the low-down what makes them so special.

05/24/2023

** CAMEL RIDES ON THE WAY OUT? **
Luxury travel operator Scott Dunn will stop selling tours and packages involving camel rides, https://www.travelmole.com/news/scott-dunn-scraps-camel-rides/. It says it is the first travel company to end tours using camels.

This comes after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) recently highlighted the conditions camels face in Egypt in the tourism industry as well as some tourism places in Jordan. PETA is the largest animal rights organization in the world.

Our Travel with a Challenge magazine has run stories about tour operators and organizations banning elephant rides, a move which is now widely accepted. However, this is the first time camel rides are under the microscope. Your comments are welcome.

05/04/2023

** GREAT TRADITIONAL YACHT CRUISING ALONG TURKEY’s TURQUOISE COAST **

A small-ship cruise along Turkey’s deeply historic and stunningly-beautiful Lycian coast has caught my eye for several reasons. https://www.rowadventures.com/adventure/turkey-yachting-adventure. It is an invitation to live aboard a beautifully-restored traditional Turkish sailing gulet while going ashore each day to explore the ruined history of four ancient empires, experience remote local villages and welcoming villagers, and to anchor by night in undisturbed coves, with turquoise waters, of course! If you’re free to travel for 11 days in mid-September 2023, I certainly recommend this Turkey Yachting Adventure.

Another reason, if you require one, is the outstanding US-based sustainable travel company, ROW Adventures, www.rowadventures.com, that has been offering this trip regularly since 1984 when the same owners were just starting out. WOW, folks ... that’s nearly 40 years ago! I traveled with this company myself 18 years ago on their Croatian Adriatic Coast cruise, also aboard a Turkish gulet, and that remains a highlight of my travels anywhere in the Mediterranean.

03/13/2023

** HAWAII PROPOSES TO IMPLEMENT A “GREEN FEE” **

On March 9, 2023, Conde Nast Traveler reported:
The pristine beaches, dramatic peaks, stunning waterfalls, and thriving wildlife that draw visitors to Hawaii are the exact elements that are impacted by tourism the most. So a bill currently going through the state's legislature is proposing a new Hawaii Green Fee: an annual $50 per person fee to visit the state’s natural wonders in order to help protect them for generations to come.

“For decades, Hawaii’s natural beauty has enchanted visitors, awakening their curiosity and sense of exploration,” Hawaii Green Fee project manager Carissa Cabrera says. “For this place we call home, that cost is the erosion of our natural and cultural resources. The Hawaii you see today is so different from the Hawaii of 10 years ago.”

Among the changes: coral reefs are waning, beaches are more polluted, and native plants and animals are vanishing. “The constant visitor traffic takes its toll,” she says. “We cannot keep taking from our resources without replenishing and protecting and caring for them in some way to ensure they do more than survive, but thrive.”

I recommend this Conde Nast article in full, https://www.cntraveler.com/story/hawaii-green-fee, which lays out some essential steps toward sustainable tourism instead of allowing overtourism to proceed unchecked. Then visit out our web magazine’s collection of 15 articles highlighting the sustainable tourism of six Hawaiian Islands, https://www.travelwithachallenge.com/?page_id=6769. There is so much worth protecting on this precious necklace of natural and cultural treasures!

02/14/2023

** SHOULD FLIGHT ATTENDANTS BE TIPPED? **
I have to admit this is not something that has ever crossed my mind, but I read an article today, https://www.cntraveler.com/story/tipping-flight-attendants, that makes me realize there may well be a case for doing so. Maybe not in cash, but certainly in the form of some small gift that recognizes just how much these skilled men and women do … not just the obvious service requests but also in terms of their crucial training to keep passengers safe in emergency situations like evacuations, health incidents and fellow passengers running amok on a flight! We welcome your comments.

01/13/2023

** WORLD’S LARGEST SAILING SHIP TO LAUNCH IN 2026 **

140 years after the launch of its first luxury trains, the Orient Express legend continues with the unveiling of the world's largest sailing ship, Orient Express Silenseas. This revolution in maritime history is an ambitious undertaking that will push the limits of cruising possibilities as it roams the world with a head-turning design that emphasizes quality not quantity. Check it out at https://group.accor.com/en/Actualites/2023/01/orient-express-silenseas-sailing-ship.

The Legendary Train Heads Out to Sea as the World’s Largest Sailing Ship Is Unveiled.

06/17/2022

** LONGITUDINAL WORLD CRUISES?? **

I never really thought about this before, but apparently most ocean cruise routes tend to be latitudinal or circular. Just unveiled by Viking Cruises, here are two new longitudinal routes offering 65 or 71 days (depending on which direction is selected), visits to nine countries and passage through the Panama Canal. The two ships dedicated to these routes accommodate 378 guests cruising between Antarctica and the Great Lakes of Canada and the US, or a similar route going from north to south. Do the math (price depending on choice of stateroom) and that is a pretty good deal.

All fares include flights to and from the ship, Wi-Fi, alcoholic beverages, 24-hour room service, and complimentary shore excursions at each port. Read the full story and check out these luxury vessels, https://www.vikingcruisescanada.com/expeditions.

05/03/2022

Does this make you want to make a Spring visit to the southernmost tip of Japan? Here at Kuju Flower Park, https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4772.html, the only word I can think of is "exquisite"!

Springtime in Kuju Flower Park ~ Japan 😍💘

Photo by: [IG]

04/21/2022

** INTREPID TRAVEL TOURS ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE **

Intrepid’s popular Real Food Adventures are back with 21 trips and 21 new plant-based experiences that are big on flavour and low on impact. https://www.intrepidtravel.com/ca/theme/food. Originally launched in 2013, the 2022 post-COVID relaunch is part of Intrepid’s ongoing effort to rebuild responsibly and encourage travelers to take simple but significant steps towards a climate-conscious future.

“Plant-based diets are a major opportunity for mitigating and adapting to climate change,” said Intrepid’s Global Environmental Impact Manager, Susanne Etti. “Plant-based foods generally have a much lower carbon footprint than animal-based foods. As Intrepid continues to innovate in ways that promote and support sustainability, including a delicious meal that showcases local fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds is just one way that we are investing in the health of our planet,” she added.

Intrepid Travel is the largest small group adventure travel company in the world.

03/19/2022

** TOP AIRPLANE PASSENGER ANNOYANCES **

After plenty of downtime not being able to explore the world in person, here we are getting serious about international and national travel again. This will likely include booking some plane flights.

A new survey conducted by travel website, Only Wanderlust, https://onlywanderlust.com/airline-passenger-annoyances-ranked, highlights the 20 most annoying things that you or your fellow passengers can do unnecessarily to increase each other’s misery squeezed in together at 30,000 to 40,000 feet above the planet. All can be avoided with a little consideration, and don’t we all need plenty more of that?

After you’ve reviewed the top 20 on the Only Wanderlust list, please share what is your biggest passenger-generated annoyance during the flying experience.

We surveyed over 1500 airline travelers and asked what annoys them the most about other passengers when flying.

12/10/2021

** DELICIOUSLY UNIQUE CRUISE EXPEDITION FOR ARCTIC CULINARY TRAVELERS **

Quark Expeditions has just launched "Tundra to Table," the expedition industry's first exclusive Inuit culinary experience available on select Arctic 2022 and 2023 voyages. https://www.quarkexpeditions.com/adventure-options/tundra-to-table-inuit-culinary-experience Having traveled to the Inuit homelands of Greenland and Canada’s Nunavut territory for 30 years, the company has developed deep, meaningful relationships in local communities, saying that “the ultimate purpose of this culinary experience is to support local chefs as they share the stories of their people through food."

Hosted by Inuit chefs who are experts in Indigenous cuisine, they will introduce guests to new flavors and dishes, whether it is seafood caught fresh from Arctic waters or free-roaming game that consume naturally organic grass and vegetation. Participants will also have the opportunity to accompany Inuit chefs as they forage for plants in the wild.

Our ground-breaking Tundra to Table experience offers guests a one-of-a-kind adventure into the culinary traditions of the Inuit in Greenland and Nunavut. Guests who participate in this on-ship Adventure Option will enjoy dishes from these Arctic regions prepared by Inuit chefs, and learn about loca...

12/05/2021

** IS IT SAFE YET FOR A FAMILY CRUISE VACATION? **

Major cruise lines are naturally courting family vacationers during the winter travel period, particularly in the Caribbean. Despite their increased measures to keep clients of all ages safe, what are the risks and is it worth taking a chance on some very tempting offers?

Afar Magazine has presented an excellent article, https://www.afar.com/magazine/is-it-safe-for-kids-to-cruise, balancing the pros and cons offered by medical experts that will help you decide, based on steps the cruise lines have taken. Recommended reading!

Pediatric infectious disease experts offer their advice for families eyeing a vacation at sea.

12/04/2021

** A GREAT CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR THE THOUGHTFUL TRAVELER! **
Sustainable Travel: The Essential Guide to Positive Impact Adventures by Holly Tuppen. Hot off the press in June 2021!

Sustainable Travel offers practical and achievable advice for those who want to make a difference in the way we experience the world. It is also eminently readable at 160 pages, and absolutely brimming with achievable ideas. It will help your trip to be a force for good with information on how to ask tour operators and accommodations the right questions, reduce your carbon footprint, embrace slow travel, pack responsibly and benefit the people, cultures and places visited.

Here are two ways to buy this highly rated new book and have it on the doorstep in time for Christmas:
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/books/sustainable-travel-the-essential-guide-to-positive-impact-adventures/9780711256019?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=12421%20GoodTravel&utm_content=Final&utm_term=Daily%20Wander%20%28Have%20opened%20newsletter%20before%29

Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Sustainable-Travel-essential-positive-adventurers/dp/0711256012

Sustainable Travel: The essential guide to positive impact adventures (Sustainable Living Series)

11/30/2021

Why You Should Visit Indian Country

By Rebecca Nagle for AFAR magazine, Feb 13, 2020

“Tourism is a huge source of economic development for Native communities, and it supports many of the more than 300,000 Native-owned companies in the United States. As tourism to reservations and Native-run destinations increases, tribes are developing distinctive experiences.”

“Since 2007, overseas tourism to Indian Country has increased 180 percent, reaching an all-time high in 2018. Germany is a top inbound market, and China and Canada are close behind. In 2018, nearly 5 percent of international visitors to the United States visited an American Indian community …” This is a really inspiring article, beautifully illustrated:
https://www.afar.com/magazine/in-indian-country-the-perks-and-perils-of-a-growing-tourism-industry?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=113021%20OmicronWhiskey&utm_term=Daily%20Wander%20%28Have%20opened%20newsletter%20before%29

The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association estimates 2.4 million overseas tourists will visit reservations and Native-run destinations in 2021.

11/24/2021

** EXPEDIA STOPS SELLING TICKETS TO DOLPHIN AND WHALE PERFORMANCES **

Online travel giant Expedia is ditching parks and attractions with performances of captive dolphins and whales. It will no longer sell tickets that include ‘interactions or performances’ but will sell tickets to ‘seaside sanctuaries that provide captive animals with a permanent seaside living environment.’ This will impact parks like SeaWorld in San Diego and Orlando. Expedia said it will have all relevant attractions removed from its sites by early 2022.

Did Expedia go far enough? Would you like to see other tourism-related animal attractions added to this list? For example, elephant riding in Thailand? Swimming with humpback whales and their calves in Tonga? Your comments are welcome!

11/15/2021

** UNDERWATER ACCOMMODATION OFFERS A FUN HOLIDAY PERSPECTIVE **

I want to share this delightful collection of eight underwater hotels or resorts assembled by SmarterTravel, https://www.smartertravel.com/underwater-hotels/?source=91&u=3F57D16302&nltv=&nl_cs=52989149%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A&e_send_id=46107a51-cc85-43f4-a222-87bb45cabde0.

Whether visiting the Maldives, Tanzania, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef or Florida, even Sweden, the style of each accommodation has a different vibe. It is worth checking out this creative collection as we all tentatively enter the planning stage of spreading our travel wings for 2022!

These underwater hotels are perfect for anyone looking for a truly unique hotel experience.

11/07/2021

** A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO **
Tis the season when a surprising number of our Travel with a Challenge readers explore the possibility of walking, cycling or even horseback riding across northern Spain’s Camino de Santiago (The Way of St James). Usually carried out between June and October, they may plan to do this either as a shorter segment or tackle the entire route through the French Pyrenees mountains to the ultimate pilgrimage destination of Santiago de Compostela in the northwest corner of Spain.

Over the 20 years since I did my own “segment” of 120 km in a small group tour in 2001, I have shared with readers a number of inspiring, informative books and articles about carrying out such a trip. This year, I am delighted to spotlight “The Way of the Gardener: Lost in the Weeds along the Camino de Santiago” by Lyndon Penner, published in early 2021. A professional gardener and garden educator by trade, this Canadian author writes a wonderfully humorous account of his 800 km walk with – not surprisingly – fine botanical sketches illustrating the text. It will entertain gardeners and non-gardeners alike.

Brimming with wry observations — of nature, himself and other pilgrims on the road — The Way of the Gardener reveals new insights on the human condition while underscoring the deeply fascinating nature of nature itself. With Christmas just around the corner, here is an original, inspirational gift for anyone on your list who has expressed an interest in undertaking this popular vacation idea in 2022. Visit Amazon for ordering a Kindle, hardback or paperback version, https://www.amazon.ca/Way-Gardener-Weeds.../dp/088977806X.

I also recommend our web magazine’s varied Camino article collection, https://www.travelwithachallenge.com/?page_id=7447 .

09/30/2021

** OWNERSHIP OF AUSTRALIA’S DAINTREE RAINFOREST RETURNED TO INDIGENOUS GROUP **

The Daintree Rainforest in the state of Queensland, Australia has just been returned by the Queensland government to the ownership and stewardship of a local Indigenous group, the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people. Stretching along the tropical northeast coast of Australia for 450 km, Daintree is a UNESCO World Heritage Site partly because it is the oldest rainforest on the planet, growing for 180 million years. See the full story at https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/australia-rainforest-1.6193327.

I remember Daintree vividly, not only because of its dazzling array of flora and fauna but because I got thoroughly lost while staying in one of a well-spaced collection of eco-cabins there. As I was trying to navigate from my outlying cabin to the restaurant along a series of narrow, raised boardwalks as dusk came on, with minimal lighting and me without the cabin flashlight, my relief was measurable when I heard the clink of dishes up ahead and dashed unceremoniously through the door into dinner. Returning to my cabin, I gladly accepted a bumpy ride in the golf cart!

The world's oldest tropical rainforest has been returned to its traditional owners, a local Indigenous group in Australia.