Travel Warnings
Cambodia: Khmer Rouge Hideout to Become Tourist Attraction
Wed, 10 Mar 2010
The final stronghold of the Khmer Rouge will become a tourist site now that the government has approved developing Anlong Veng in northern Cambodia. The tourism ministry has picked out some three dozen sites in the isolated region, including the fenced-off area where Pol Pot was kept under house arrest during his final months and the spot where he was unceremoniously cremated beneath a junk pile. Prime Minister Hun Sen also asked officials to produce a guidebook to the region that explains his policy to defeat the Khmer Rouge. No date has yet been set for completion of the site that is now visited by roughly 500 foreign tourists a month.
Fiji: Typhoid Outbreak Causes Health Ministry to Advise Against Kava Ceremonies
Wed, 10 Mar 2010
An outbreak of typhoid fever is occurring throughout the islands and Fiji’s health ministry advised visitors to villages and settlements to be especially careful with local water supplies, preferably bringing their own water unless they can be sure the local water has been boiled. At least 113 cases have been diagnosed with the severity of the disease dependent on how long the patient goes without treatment. Typhoid vaccinations are not 100 percent effective and the best prevention is to be careful with personal hygiene and food safety. The health ministry has even advised tourists not to take part in traditional kava drinking ceremonies unless the tour operator can be certain that the ministry’s health guidelines are being followed.
Finland and Sweden: Baltic Sea Ice Grabs Vessels, Disrupts Ferry Service
Wed, 10 Mar 2010
Some 50 vessels were trapped by ice in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden March 4, including passenger ferries carrying more than 1,000 people. All vessels were rescued by ice breakers, but maritime authorities advised shipping companies to avoid the icy patches north of the Stockholm Archipelago. Freezing winds blew ice caps near the coastline, impeding the ferry passage and creating the worst ice cover since 1996. These conditions could continue to disrupt travel in the region.
Tanzania: Zanzibar Power Blackout Ends after 3 Months
Wed, 10 Mar 2010
After three months without electrical power, the archipelago of Zanzibar finally got its supply restored so hotels, restaurants, factories and other businesses are able to operate again without running generators. The lights went off Dec. 10 when the undersea cable that brings power from the mainland failed. Local authorities are hoping that this repair will last, because such power failures have happened before, including a four-week blackout in 2008.
Thailand: $10,000 Free Travel Insurance Offered to Keep Tourists Coming
Wed, 10 Mar 2010
Facing new demonstrations over long-simmering political tensions, Thailand continues to offer tourists free insurance coverage up to $10,000 for anyone harmed in protests or delayed because of political unrest. Compensation for delays is $100 per day and for injuries, $1,000 per day of hospitalization and free medical care. The insurance coverage will remain in place until the end of the year, and all visa fees have been waived until March 2011. These measures were enacted in late 2008 after protesters seized Bangkok’s two airports and hobbled Thailand’s tourism industry.
Chile: Country Recovering from Massive Earthquake
Wed, 03 Mar 2010
The massive earthquake that struck near Concepcion in central Chile Feb. 27 was a catastrophe, creating challenges for the country to restore basic services to the affected zones and find housing for the hundreds of thousands left homeless. Significant damage occurred in the cities of Concepcion, Talcahuano and Temuco. But Chile is also a long, narrow country, some 2700 miles north-to-south, a distance roughly equivalent to the stretch from Alaska to Mexico, so much of the country was unharmed. Some of the top tourist sites suffered no damage, including the Atacama Desert and Chilean Patagonia. The primary issue for travelers is transport. Santiago’s international airport was not expected to be operating around the clock until March 6, and even then still out of temporary facilities. And strong aftershocks are possible for several weeks.
Czech Republic: One Site to Close, Another to Open in Prague Castle Complex
Wed, 03 Mar 2010
Authorities will close one of the Prague Castle complex’s most popular sites May 1 for a year to complete necessary repairs. The Golden Lane, named for the goldsmiths who once lived and worked there, is a narrow alley lined with one-room 16th-century houses, and, perhaps most notably, where Franz Kafka lived in 1916-17. But as one attraction closes, another opens: the Rosenberg Palace, another 16th-century structure with a frescoed chapel and Renaissance hall, will open to the public for the first time April 6.
Indonesia: Bali to Close March 16 for Nyepi, Day of Silence
Wed, 03 Mar 2010
The island of Bali will effectively shut down March 16 to observe the Hindu holiday of Nyepi, a day of silence and reflection when virtually no one goes outside, no music is played, no work is done, no travel occurs, no fires are lit and lights must be kept low. Many people fast and say nothing all day. The holiday runs 24 hours beginning at 6 a.m. All airports, seaports and public roadways will be officially closed, and it will be impossible to arrive on or depart from the island. Throughout the rest of Indonesia, however, the day is simply a national holiday and all services and facilities will be open on a holiday schedule.
Israel: Clashes on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount and in Hebron
Wed, 03 Mar 2010
Palestinian youths clashed with police at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount Feb. 28 after the youths hurled objects at tourists. The unrest spilled into the narrow lanes of the Old City but no injuries were reported. Palestinian religious authorities said the youths were defending the site after rumors spread that Jewish extremists would take it over. The site is sacred to both Jews and Muslims and such conflicts occur periodically, most recently last October. A week of clashes also occurred in Hebron at another site sacred to both faiths after the government decided on Feb. 21 to place the Tomb of the Patriarchs on a list of Jewish heritage sites.
Thailand: Red Shirts to Protest in Bangkok Mid March
Wed, 03 Mar 2010
“Red Shirt” protesters who support ousted and exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra plan to stage massive rallies in Bangkok beginning in mid March in an ongoing effort to bring down the government. The Supreme Court ruled Feb. 26 to confiscate $1.4 billion of Thaksin’s $2.3 billion fortune because it was obtained through corruption, but the Red Shirts intended to protest regardless of the court decision. Organizers plan the rallies to last a week and hope to draw hundreds of thousands of protesters to the capital. Given their success last April, when they shut down an Asian summit meeting and rioted in Bangkok with some 100,000 demonstrators, such numbers may be possible. Expect tensions, police presence, and possible delays if in Bangkok when the rallies begin.