foXnoMad » Travel

4 Ways To Track And Recover Your Stuff If It Gets Stolen When Traveling

Anil P. — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:00:50 +0000

We’re beginning a new era in the cycle of travel theft in favor of the victim despite the amount of coverage of what thieves can do to you with technology. Yet, our stuff that is so tempting to steal, is also getting smart enough to protect itself, fight back, and find its way home. You’re probably carrying smaller, more expensive electronics today than you ever have – two good reasons to prepare yourself in the craftiest ways possible.

1. All Around Laptop, Tablet, Mobile Phone Recovery: Project Prey

I am a huge fan of Project Prey and if there’s one solution you should use as part of a physical security plan for your gadgets, Project Prey is it. This free piece of software runs on your laptop (Windows, Mac, and Linux), mobile phone (iPhone and Android), and tablet (yes, iPad too); remaining hidden until you activate it. If your gadget gets stolen, you activate Project Prey remotely (through a free account on their website) and you can track it, get secret screenshots, steal passwords, and even get pictures of the crooks covertly with any built-in camera. Need more convincing? Project Prey helped Matthew recover his Macbook Pro in Panama.

Mac users can also take a look at iCloud (although it doesn’t work nearly as well).

2. Set A Decoy Wallet Trap To Surprise A Pickpocket

I’ve talked about decoy wallets before as part of a broader travel security plan to reduce your loses if you’re unfortunate enough to be pick-pocketed. Decoy wallets also make good dummy targets but if you want to add a small chance of catching the thief, be sure to leave an unused – but activated – credit card in yours. This won’t work in every country but if the pickpocket decides to use that credit card somewhere and you’ve reported it stolen, police can use surveillance footage from stores to track them. More criminals are caught this way than you might think. Plus your credit card company likely won’t hold you liable for unauthorized transactions.

You probably won’t get your wallet back but justice may still be served.

3. Find Lost Or Stolen Luggage With An Inexpensive GPS Tracking Unit

Although controversial, GPS tracking units are often used to follow the movements of criminal suspects in many countries around the world. These small-palm sized devices broadcast radio signals that can be used to track them from a computer. ~~Place~~ Hide one of these (the Winplus AC13268-72 Beacon GPS Tracker is $29 or the Telespial TrackStick $149) in your backpack or checked luggage to find out where it is when it’s not where it’s supposed to be.

4. Keep A Digital Eye On Your House With Your Desktop

There are plenty of uses for that clunky desktop when you’re traveling; one of which is to act as security guard. Both Yawcam (Windows) or iAlertu (Mac) can snap and email you photos when they detect any motion – especially useful when things should be motionless. A picture of a potential burglar may help you get your stolen things back. Plus, you’ll finally know if you’ve really trained your cat not to jump on tables when you’re at work.

In addition, iAlertu (and Laptop Alarm for Windows) can put some muscle on your laptop so it sounds a loud alarm if moved. Useful for those times you’ve just got to hop up for a napkin or your 6th cup of coffee in a cafe with your laptop just within visual range.

Hope For The Best But Plan For The Worst

No security is absolute – the first rule of security – and that’s why any plan without a backup is doomed to fail eventually. Remember, your data is more valuable than any piece of electronic equipment you own so don’t screw up your vacation by preparing for mini-disasters. Recruit your gadgets and technology to work on your side for protection and preparation just in case.

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What Is The Schengen Zone And How Do Schengen Area Visas Work?

Anil P. — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:00:52 +0000

Visas aren’t the most interesting subject to read about though they happen to be the most discussed topic on this blog. Much of the confusion that fuels the questions behind that forum revolves around the continent where 50.7% of all people (477 million) [PDF] travel per year – Europe. The Schengen Agreement and Area are both visa topics you should brush up on if you’re headed to Europe for more than 3 months in any given 12 month period so you don’t unwittingly break any rules.

That Europe, by the way isn’t just the European Union (EU) and in fact isn’t all of the EU anyway, here’s what you need to know.

Where Is The Schengen Area?

The Schengen Area currently consists of 26 countries in Europe including Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, and Greece. You can see the full list of current members here. Some notable exceptions are England and Ireland (both EU but not Schengen). Several countries you might not expect also part of the Schengen Area include Estonia, Latvia, and Malta. Bulgaria and Romania are likely to join the Schengen club later this year.

So Why Should You Care About This Funny Sounding Area?

Because in terms of travel and visas, Schengen member states are essentially the same country. Across the Schengen Area, those of you from countries who do not require visas (including the United States, South Korea, Australia, Canada, and Brazil) are permitted to stay 90 days out of every 180. That means the entire Schengen Area, not just the Schengen member country you’re visiting.

This is where most people get confused – you can only stay within the entire Schengen Area for 90 days out of every 180. So, if you spend 1 month in Germany, then fly to France for a month, go visit your friends back in Turkey (not Schengen) for 2 weeks, then head to Spain for 6 weeks you’ll officially be overstaying your Schengen welcome. Want to spend two months in Austria then hop a train to Slovenia for 2 months? Well, that’s a no-no too.

These rules are, of course, the general ones and apply to most people but not all. For instance, New Zealand citizens have visa-free travel for 90 days out of every 180 in each individual Schengen nation. (A rare exception.) Check with the appropriate embassy for the specifics given your circumstances – don’t just take my word for it as visas can be complex and laws change quickly.

Only 3 Months In 26 Countries? The Reasoning Behind The Ridiculousness

Yes, these are the same folks who came up with the bright idea of a single currency without a framework to support it but actually the Schengen rules are very convenient – especially for Schengen residents. Citizens of member states can travel and live in the others without visas. Plus border crossings are more efficient without constant passport checks. (Checks are optional for each country at their discretion so always bring your travel documents when crossing any border.)

Most people take vacations and trips much shorter than 3 months and the Schengen Agreement while driving up visa costs (for those who need them) has steadily increased tourism to Europe. The Schengen Area isn’t going anywhere but rather, will continue to grow.

How Can You Stay Longer Than 3 Months In The Schengen Zone?

Residents of most countries will need to fill out a long-stay visa application at the embassy of the specific country they’ll be arriving in first (e.g. Sweden). Generally, long-stay visas must be applied for from outside the Schengen Area.

Long-stay visas are only allowed for up to one year. Afterward, from your point of entry into the Schengen, you’ll be free to visit the members states within that time. The Schengen rules don’t allow you to travel for more than a year within the Area so if you really fall in love with a country and want to stay longer than 12 months, you’ll need to file for a residence permit with that specific country.

What Happens If You Overstay?

That’s a question I’ve covered in depth before but to sum it up for short overstays upon leaving the Schengen Area you may face a fine. For longer overstays a ban for a number of years is possible. An overstay of even 1 day (remember it is 90 days not 3 months out of every 180 days) can hit your pocketbook and cause you problems so don’t risk it if you don’t have to. Finally, if you are behind the Schengen borders and simply couldn’t pull yourself away on time, you’ll likely find it easier avoiding being caught at passport control if you leave from countries that aren’t as culturally diligent about timekeeping. (*cough* Greece, Spain *cough*)

The more punctual peoples of Europe (Germans are notorious for catching short over-stayers) could cause you problems but in the end it all depends on the person you come across at passport control. The only way to not have any problems is to know and follow the rules.

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My 2012 Travel And Technology Predictions

Anil P. — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:00:49 +0000

When we were looking back at your and my travel predictions for 2011 we were mostly on the money with our guesses. Not to sell our prophecies short, but we had a lot of help from the momentum of the trends we saw building in 2010. This year though, things are different. There’s uncertainty in the air – the kind that often leads to opportunity.

As for who picks up those favorable morsels, let’s have to look into my crystal iPad and see what the future may have in store for the present.

Airline Fees Drop And Disappear (Yay!) But Ticket Prices Go Up (Boo)

First of all, don’t get completely crazy and run off with the title – some airlines will drop minor fees throughout the coming year. They’ll do it in such a way that makes it seem like you’re saving but don’t forget airlines follow the Ferengi Rule of Acquisition, “once you have their money, never give it back.” Drink fees for example may go away with some baggage fees reduced, but watch those airfares creep up to compensate. [ED: I wrote this article before this news came out but I'll take it as a good omen for my predictions.]

Americans saw about a 6% increase in prices last year around peak travel times even though more people are now flying than ever. The problem is a combination of rising fuel costs, the use of online aggregators (e.g. Kayak), and prices that don’t reflect the real price of flying through the air in a heavy metal tube. So this year you’ll go (a bit) closer back to the golden days when there weren’t luggage fees or 8 dollar cans of Coke but instead plane tickets that cost 5-8% more.

Tablets Are Going To Kill The Kindle (Fire And All)

I’m a big fan of the smaller 7-inch tablet variety, especially the Nook Tablet and not-so-much the hastily-put-together Kindle Fire; but they’ve really paved the way for their own demise. I can’t see either device dominating that space in the current market. Those devices can’t move up into the larger screen, more expensive/versatile market where iPads and Samsung Galaxy 10.1s hang out. But the big boys can and will come down to bully the current 7-inch tablets off the digital playground.

Now that improved displays optimal for reading (nearly-at paper resolution) are falling in price, you’ll start to see iPads (as rumored) with retina-displays and watch the current iPad 2s drop about $100 (also rumored). One thing that’s definitely not going away are the smaller form tablets like the Nook and Kindle Fire, but they’re now occupying an ecological niche on an island just waiting for some feral 7-inch iPad mini-cats to be dropped off to wipe them out.

A Serious Skype Rival Emerges

The ever-useful Skype is one of several free programs you shouldn’t travel without. So while they’ve added 3-way video calls to the Mac (finally) and a few other features to the video chat client everyone loves (me included) I can’t help but feel that entire genre of software has been static too long. You might be thinking, “well, what more could they do?,” and well, I’ve got my hunches someone or some company is going to answer that question this year.

Countries On The Rise: Ruckus In The Caucus(es)

As I noted last week, Turkey has seen a healthy jump in tourism over the last year, aided by travelers scared off by the Arab Spring. Turkey this year will follow a trend that’s very common in national tourism – start cheap, people visit > get more expensive add more tourist offerings > cheaper bordering countries become new “low-cost” alternatives. (Think Thailand compared to Laos or Cambodia.) Istanbul is already in the expensive phase nearly all year round now – not without good reason – but people are going to begin discovering alternatives in the region during 2012.

The Eurovision contest in May might draw in some interest in Azerbaijan with both nearby Armenia and to a lesser extent Georgia seeing indirect spillover from Turkey’s tourism boom. I’ll stretch my prediction to include Iran as well. Finally, to get specific – Oman will see a 5-6% increase in tourism, Colombia 12%, and Chile 8%.

Dogs In The Skies (Yes, Cats Too)

As Amy mentioned in her prediction last year, there will be more restaurants, hotels, and generally pet-friendly options on the ground. In the skies…well, not-so-much though I’ll disagree a bit on this one. There won’t be any better options (pets not in the cabin are basically treated like cargo) but more people will take to the skies with their pets. (If you happen to be one of them check out The Ultimate Guide To Traveling With Your Pets or these 5 great pet travel sites.)

I would hope that more pets flying would cause the airlines to get creative with their offerings but since bankruptcy hasn’t done that I think we’re out of luck for 2012.

More Bloggers, Less Traveling

Wow, wow, wow, there are about a zillion travel blogs online now. Many are dead zombies, left quiet after their creators have finished a one-year RTW. Many more are born every day as travel journals or money-making hopefuls. The travel blog market though, generally, has become a static factory churning out top 10 things to do in Paris posts and photos of the day. This all said, the travel blogosphere is new and uncertain – like I said before – that’s an environment ripe with opportunity for something unique. You’ll see that this year my crystal iPad says (or this bottle of Jack Daniels, sometimes they sound alike.)

Without getting too deep into the world of blogging you’ll see many more bloggers slow down their travel pace. That will lead to an improvement of the quality of what they produce, whether it’s writing, photography, or video. I’ll also predict independent travel blogs will see some very strong competition from a large outside force.

Where Do You See 2012 Going?

End of the world? The year we finally find out the pyramids were built by aliens? Do we discover time travel is possible from a visitor who arrives from the future?

I’m ready to hear your travel predictions for 2012 large and small in the comments below. We’ll meet up here again in, say, a year from now to find out how we did. Taking bets optional.

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Low Budget Travel Tricks You Can Use To Overcome Big Budget Problems: Part 3

Anil P. — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:00:36 +0000

Now here you stand great traveler, with all of the power in your hands, expertly wielded with your mind. Nature was subdued in Part 1 and nicking nicked in Part 2. But with great power comes great temptation on the journey we travel. You’ll need to make new allies and rely on ancient texts to guide your quest as lord of the wings.

Upgrade Your Tech For Free From The Inside Out

I really wish I could send all of you a few thousand dollars to buy a bunch of new fancy gadgets but until I can, let’s talk about upgrading what you already have. Remember, gadgets are hardware and software – and software is often you can do something about right away. When it comes to unlocking your phone – Android, iPhone, or otherwise I’ve got you covered with my complete guide to unlocking mobiles. You can do things like add multi-tasking, games, and other apps not available directly for your version of phone. On top of that, you’ll get the added benefit of being able to choose any carrier you want around the world and at home.

Going Apple? – I’ve mentioned a few times before that several PC netbooks are compatible enough to run Mac OS X – with some modifications. If you’re up for creating a Hackintosh that’s one thing but when it comes to tablets it’s another.

Talking Tablets – iPads aren’t the only tablets on the market – Samsung’s Galaxy 10.1 is a nice competitor – but basically the same price. Rather, if you happened to get a Kindle Fire or (in my opinion superior device) Nook Tablet over New Year’s you can root either (Nook Guide – Kindle Guide) to access to the full Android store. A solid tablet for $250 less than you might pay otherwise. (On a side note, the next version of the iPad will be released by April this year and it’s rumored that the current iPad 2s will drop $100. So, if you can wait until spring, your wallet will likely thank you.)
Extend Your Battery Life And Wireless Range – Both are easier than you may believe.

Get Better Alarm Clocks Across Timezones – These 3 methods work across laptops, phones, and other portable devices if you’ve been oversleeping one too many times.

Take Better Photos With The Same Camera – Software can go a long way to improving your travel photos too.

Finally, if you’ve got a desktop at home, the office, or your parents house you can create your own mini cloud to backup, speed up downloads, and get around Internet censorship. Here’s how to make the most out of your desktop while traveling.

Airlines Beware Nerdy Ninjas Await

The airlines have money and can make metal tubes fly across oceans but you’ve got the world’s largest collection of knowledge at your disposal. First though, let’s go old school. Very, very, old school.

The Art Of War - Whether it’s literally (don’t fight uphill battles) or figuratively (don’t fight uphill battles) Sun Tzu’s timeless advice can help you win many battles at the ticket counter. (And elsewhere, it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read; I highly recommend it.)
Get More Frequent Flyer Miles – In 8 minutes for the reluctant of you out there.
Weave Yourself Around Airline Fees – For free you can fly with baggage without the fee.

Now let’s bring out the big guns. Here’s how to use the entire Internet to stand up to the airlines when you need to.

Beat The Bling, Fight Temptation, And Shave Your Hairy Budget

When you’re already off on vacation or traveling it’s easy to dismiss the impact ATM, foreign transaction, and other miscellaneous fees can have on your budget. Avoid wasting your funds unnecessarily (imagine how many beers you could buy) by choosing the right bank before going overseas. In case that’s too late or you’re just extremely diligent, for all its faults, Mint.com does a heck of a job notifying you of fees you’ve paid but could be avoiding. From credit cards to coupons, Mint will also automatically suggest improvements based on your spending. Why think when a technology can do it for you – focus those brain cells on beautiful sunsets or amazing views – it’s what travel is all about.

Miss Flights For Free – I have a tendency to never be on time and this is a skill I’ve perfected over a lifetime of being late and skipping college exams.
Exchange Cash The Star Trek Way – Need to borrow a few bucks from a friend or perhaps want to payback your friend Pat Stewart for all of those Romulan ales? Well, Paypal for one lets you bump phones to give and take cash. It’s one of many apps using Bump Technologies.

How much would a week in Indonesia cost you? Budget Your Trip knows the answer to that and many other destinations. Remember preparation and anticipation is what makes the difference between a guy who gets beat up and Batman.

The road is a long one for a traveler without shoes, stamina, or smarts. You are now not one of them, armed with the knowledge of Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.

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Low Budget Travel Tricks You Can Use To Overcome Big Budget Problems: Part 2

Anil P. — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:00:52 +0000

In Part 1 of Low Budget Travel Tricks you learned to tame mother nature and battle armies of microscopic vampires, you, our nomadic hero. Though your path is still wroth with bandits and ruthless dragons who control the skies, yet still, you will overcome them. Leverage and luck on your side you’ll defeat these foes, allowing you to go on the offensive, but first to today’s battles.

Fight Off Attackers, Pickpockets, And Hotel Thieves

Prevention, awareness, and contingency are the basic steps to a robust security plan, whether you’re looking out for hackers or simply want to be prepared in case of a mugging. When it comes to your personal safety, knowing the streets or parts of town you might want to avoid (or just avoid at night) can go a long way in keeping you from assault. Hotels, hostels, and Tripadvisor are all good resources that can lessen your chances of ending up at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Pocket Protection

Carry Only What You Need – I only carry a day pack if I’m hiking or looking for a cafe to get some work done. Otherwise, I leave my laptop and other valuables with wherever I’m staying. They’re safer there, no day pack often helps you blend in, plus it’s better for your back.
Distribute Your Money On Your Person – A little bit of cash in your pockets, socks, underwear, bra, etc. means if someone picks your pocket, you’re not losing everything. A decoy wallet with a small amount of cash and an expired credit card can also protect you by fooling pickpockets.
Catch The ~~Bastards~~ Crooks – One of 4 ways to be shadier than a thief is to set a credit card trap:

“Keep this card (with no money in the account) in your decoy wallet. If it’s stolen call the credit card company or bank right away to let them know. In most countries the companies will keep close track to see where and if that card is used. If there happens to be a camera at the first place the pickpocket tries to use the card you may be in luck.”

The digital equivalent of a credit card trap is to use the free Project Prey on your laptop, mobile phone, and tablet.

Hotel Hacking

Much like protecting the items on your person when you’re out and about – it’s a good idea to distribute your valuables. Make use of the safe in the room (no guarantee yet decent protection) but generally speaking, locking the zippers on your bags provides enough discouragement for opportunistic thieves. The first rule of security is that no security is absolute – you just need enough security to make a potential theft more risky than it’s worth to the thief.

Create A Backpack Security Plan – Remember the layers of clothing that keep you warm and make your mom happy in Part 1 of this series? Well, layers will insulate your most valuable items against theft.
Get Pacsafe Security Without A Pacsafe – That’s also much less conspicuous.

Overcome Physical Threats

Let’s start with an obvious one that’s easy to forget depending on where you’ve been traveling – keep your valuables out of sight. That means iPhones, which seem as common as grass these days, but don’t forget they’re a cool $600 that’s easily resold anywhere in the world. It’s tempting in taxis, buses, and while wandering the city streets to multi-task with a bit of texting or gloat to your friends (“I iz totally rockin Buenos Aires right now Jimmy”) but it’s not Jimmy that’s going to get jacked that way.

Treat Your Gadgets Like Real Actors, Not Reality Stars – Meaning be picky about when they make an appearance.

Uglify Your Things So They’re Not So Enticing – Wise Bread has an excellent guide on uglifying and some handy anecdotes from Brazil.

Bring A Safety Whistle – This is one personal safety tip from Legal Nomads I can’t get enough of and Jodi’s got 3 good reasons to carry a whistle.

When it comes to personal safety though whether you’ve got formal training or not, these 3 insightful rules by Sam Harris could help you avoid being harmed physically.

Tomorrow in the third and final part of this series you’ll take down a frequent foe and battle your own demons to become the one to rule them all.

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Low Budget Travel Tricks You Can Use To Overcome Big Budget Problems: Part 1

Anil P. — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:00:54 +0000

You, the sole traveler, wandering the world alone face hazardous weather, gigantic nefarious companies, wildlife that eats you alive at night – and that’s on a good day. Yet you, brave nomad, have one thing they don’t. It’s what allows short judo fighters to flip larger opponents through the sky and hobbits to become lord of rings. You, my friend have, have leverage.

Here’s how to wield yours to find cracks in large systems that aren’t nearly as maneuverable as you are to save money, comfort, and sometimes your own skin.

Change Temperatures From The Inside Out

Most of our intuition about temperatures are wrong because we base them on how we feel and rudimentary dichotomies (e.g. to make something hot use cold). The problem with that general logic is that we’re all running around in hot bodies (oh baby) that fight to keep their temperatures constant. Around many parts of the world where people don’t have the luxury of air conditioning or central heating they’ve stumbled upon some effective but counter-intuitive methods of controlling the air around them feels.

Eat Spicy Foods To Cool Off – You’ll notice in places like India, Thailand, and the Philippines that aren’t often cold, the cuisine is often peppered with spicy foods. Aside from being effective at preventing the growth of bacteria (especially important in hot, humid climates) spicy foods cause blood vessels on your skin to expand, dissipating heat and encouraging sweating. (On a side-note, antiperspirants don’t effect your body’s ability to cool down.)

Drink Hot Liquids To Beat The Heat – Again, you would think that a cold milkshake would work better than hot tea but cold drinks actually heat you up in the long run. Your stomach cools down in the first 15 minutes, but after that you’re back to normal temperature – then hotter. Digestion takes energy and often our bodies temporarily overcompensate to heat up that cold spot fast.

Hot drinks (without calories) on the other hand work much like spicy foods, causing you to sweat, and tea has the added benefit of being mostly water which helps replace the body’s natural coolant.

Pee To Feel Warm – No, I don’t mean pee on yourself to stay warm (because soon you’ll feel really cold anyway); but by not holding your urine in, your body won’t have to bother heating it up. You see, your body wastes energy keeping you – all of you – at the same core temperature. Peeing when you’ve got the urge (that means your bladder is about 25% full by the way) frees up heat that can go to your chilly little fingers.

As for beer and other alcohol, cold or otherwise, it’s not going to bring you relief from the heat since booze dehydrates you. Enough beer though and you’ll be drunk which may or may not improve your outlook on the weather. As for drinking vodka and other hard liquor to stay warm, it too actually does the opposite. Alcohol gets those blood vessels flowing to the skin – which makes you feel warmer – but causes your to lose body heat more rapidly. So, if you’re lost in the woods on winter’s day, lay off the booze, it could kill you. Layers, on the other hand, let you regulate your body temperature much easier and make moms happy all over the world.

Finally, this is an old trick from the ancient Egyptians I’ve talked about previously – spritzing your bed and pillow sheets with ice water before sleeping to cool you off at night.

Deter Common Pests

I thankfully haven’t come across bed bugs yet but they’re certainly a growing problem. On top of that, they’re a growing problem that can follow you home. If you suspect you’ve been feasted on and happen to be traveling in the summer or in warmer regions, a car trunk in the sun will get hot enough to rid your luggage of bed bugs. Leave your bags in a hot car trunk for about 4 hours and bed bugs – eggs and all – will be dead.

To defeat other organized insects you’re likely to come across:

Turn Your Smelly Feet Into Mosquito Traps – Combined with stinky socks, duct tape, and the right measurements.
Hang Bags Of Water To Deter Flies – A trick I picked up in the Philippines. Here’s what it looks like.
Use Baby Power, Coffee, Or Cayenne To Throw Ants Off Track – One they lose their scent trails, ants get lost and die, leaving your snacks alone (hopefully).

Unfortunately cockroaches are much more difficult to get rid of depending on the extent of their infiltration (I once stayed at a place in India that would make your nightmares bleed reminiscent of this X-Files episode). That said, apparently catnip is a good deterrent but I’m guessing you’re not carrying that in your handbag.

On Thursday in Part 2 I’ll show you how to fend off other big problems with a bit of actual judo, some old-school hacking, and cloud calculating that wouldn’t bust the most modest of travel budgets.

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A Look Back At Your And My 2011 Travel Predictions

Anil P. — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 07:00:05 +0000

At the beginning of 2011 I took a look back on my travel predictions for 2010 and all things considered, I wasn’t too far off the mark overall. When looking forward to the upcoming year that just was (aka. 2011) I invited you to join in the prediction game. Some of your predictions were bold and others more reserved but all were heading in the same general direction of more travel for more people.

Many of these trends we predicted were already in effect going into 2011 and many more will push right in to 2012 – here are the predictions you and I made and how they turned out toward the end of last year.

The Rise Of The Middle East And South America

A few of us cheated a bit here as these large regions of the world encompass enough countries that it’s easier to get right than wrong. Although complete 2011 statistics aren’t out for most places yet, early reports indicate a few countries in the Middle East saw strong increases in travelers. (I was one of them, spending much of early 2011 there.) Turkey was up about 9%, Israel 4%, but that’s likely from travelers already headed to the region changing their plans due to the Arab Spring (Egypt’s tourism industry was hit with a 60% drop last year with similar trends in Tunisia, Libya, and Syria which had 40% tourism jumps in 2009.)

As for South America, several countries on the continent saw healthy gains. Notably Colombia, as Ayngelina predicted, had 8.5% more visitors in 2011 than the previous year. One my 4 picks Chile, had something of a tourism boom in 2011. Interestingly enough, it’s not the increase in travelers to South America in 2011 (+13%), that’s as surprising; as how many more South Americans traveled beyond the continent themselves last year.

Prediction Check: So, while many countries in the Middle East saw increases of tourists, many others saw drops. It looks like more people weren’t going to the region but instead shifting where they visited in the area. We can count that prediction as one we got sort of right but when it came to South America, you were spot on.

See You In Iraq – Travel To “Dangerous Destinations”

Places like Iraq that probably aren’t on most people’s travel lists, many of you thought, would become 2011′s offbeat galore. Although the New York Times named northern Iraq one its 41 places to visit in 2011, not many more did. That said, the ‘tourism’ revenue in countries like Iraq, last year increased several times.

The reason? Budget travelers might seem more adventurous and brave than business types but nothing motivates like economic opportunity. Many developing countries and “dangerous” places like Afghanistan are focusing their tourism efforts on business travelers and luxury vacationers. They aren’t getting as many people but more revenue in this efficient approach.

Prediction Check: Yes and no. More travelers – not quite – but certainly more travel revenue from those who are visiting.

Longer Trips And Travel Blog Explosion

I think most of you reading this site probably have a hunch that longer trips and more unorthodox styles of travel will become more common in the near future. When I met up in London with David Betteridge and Paul Albert to participate in the Nokia documentary Teddy Bears And Talking Drums, they exposed me to a large world of location independent entrepreneurs and designers living around the world. The success and continued momentum of programs like Meet Plan Go show we’re moving toward the notion that extended travel isn’t absolutely crazy. (I think future generations will wonder how or why so many people of our era stayed at offices when we’ve got laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.)

We were also on the same page about travel blogging – yes, there’s been an explosion of the travel blogosphere in the past 12 months. That rapid expansion as Matt guessed has drawn the attention of large national tourism boards. Jordan, South Korea, and Spain where I attended Valencia’s F1 race are among those who’ve invited bloggers next to traditional journalists for events.

Prediction Check: You were all right on this one but I think the more difficult question is where do these two trends specifically go from here?

A Few More Prediction Checks And My Thoughts On 2012

Airline Fees, Fees, Fees – Yup, we had many more of those in 2011; mostly of the surcharge and baggage fee variety.
USAirways Adding Routes To South America – Nope, not one. But they did add several routes domestically in the US and a couple to east Asia and Europe.
Easing Of Visa Restrictions For Travelers From The Developing World – Several countries have made efforts on exchanging visa-free travel but in general citizens of the developing world still have access to about 55% less of the world. Last year, India, Thailand, and Brazil were all deemed “newly industrialized countries” by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Whether that status will result in equal travel rights around the world remains to be seen.

What Is In Store For 2012 – I Look Into My Crystal Ball Next Week

In the last two years we’ve seen rather gradual travel trends – and not to take away from our predicting prowess – but that made our guesses a bit easier coming into 2012. What do you think will be coming up in 2012? Next week I’ll share some of my thoughts on the year of the travel shift – with a few forecasts from and for you as well.

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The Best Comments Of December 2011 And LIVE CHAT! From Cruise Ships To Kabul With Long Term Traveler Wandering Earl

Anil P. — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:00:12 +0000

Welcome to the first live chat of the new year, we’ll be kicking off 2012 today with my guest, long-term traveler and travel blogger, Wandering Earl.

Click here to jump right into the chat happening for the next 3 hours!
The chat is only open from 1pm-4pm Bucharest; (11am-2pm GMT; 6am-9am US EST; 9pm-12am Sydney)

I’ll also highlight the best comments of the month and open up a lively discussion with Wandering Earl. Here’s a little about him in his own words:

Addicted to the first-hand education that world travel provides, I aim to prove that a life of constant travel is not some crazy fantasy but a very realistic lifestyle option instead. And whether I’m in Mexico City, Bucharest or the tribal regions of Pakistan, my focus is not on the sights to see, but on the human interactions that take place and the lessons I learn along the way.

I first met Earl in New York during the 2010 TBEX conference and 6 months later we traveled to northern Iraq. You may have missed our June talk in Vancouver about Iraq, have questions about Earl’s 12 years on the road, or simply want to hang out to break up a long day at the office. We’re both in Bucharest, Romania at Simbio Cafe and if you’re around drop by to say hi. I’ll buy the first 5 of you a beer – otherwise, we look forward to chatting with you wherever you are in the world! Click here to jump into the comments and join the chat!

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How To Stick To Your 2012 Travel Resolutions

Anil P. — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 07:00:45 +0000

“Live everyday as if it were your last because someday you’re going to be right.”
-Muhammad Ali

There’s a really big problem with New Year’s resolutions – namely, that most of us don’t keep them. And when it comes to travel, making plans in the middle of a holiday season that often involves being intoxicated doesn’t help get you anywhere in June. Fortunately for us, technology is much less forgetful than we are and our brains can be hacked to get the results we want from them.

Where do you want to go in 2012? Let’s get started:

Refine Your To-Do List (aka. Resolutions) So It’s Believable

The most common list problem is the easiest to solve and neglect at the same time – where to keep your list. The free site Remember The Milk lets you set specific lists (e.g. ’2012 Travel Resolutions’), prioritize them, and set schedules to make sure you stay on track. Remember The Milk also syncs with your iPad, iPhone, Android, and email accounts if you choose, as well as a few other online services you’re likely using.

Read Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity – I read this book several years ago and if you want to pounce procrastination plus learn to make powerful lists, this is the book for you.

There are 4 types of travel lists that won’t help you very much and you can avoid creating one by keeping your travel resolutions short, have well defined steps toward your final goal, and set rough timetables for each item.

Use The Winner Effect To Knock Out Resolutions

Don’t make the first resolutions you want to tackle be the most difficult. Rather, use the winner effect to improve your chances of accomplishing more difficult goals down the line by setting up easier victories now. It works for boxers, 3-point shooters in basketball, and can for you by modifying your physiology for increased confidence.

The winner effect in many studies was nullified for subjects not in their territory (think home-team advantage) so for added chances of success early on, set up your early travel resolutions in familiar surroundings. Rather than making your first goal “travel to Thailand and live for a year” set yourself up for smaller victories like “go to the bank and open a savings account”. (Here’s how to choose the right bank for international travel.)

Digitize Peer Pressure

An effective way to get around saying one thing and doing another (a form of cognitive dissonance) is to hold yourself accountable to others. You can do that by informing close friends of your plans (and the key steps in your resolution lists – the winner effect can encourage them to believe in you more). That makes it all the harder to ditch your travel resolutions.

A better way to keep the good variety of peer pressure gently nudging you out the travel door is to look online and use the free site Getupp (iPhone only for now). That site connects with other social networks you may be on so you can tell some of your online friends what your plans are with sufficient detail and ease. Getupp is location based and you’ll need to refine the goals you set there to ones that require you to actually go somewhere (like the bank to set up that savings account we were talking about).

Motivate Yourself By Visualizing

The biggest path to our memories is through our eyes and we tend to believe what we see. That effect goes beyond what our eyes see to what our minds can visualize. Imagine yourself accomplishing each of your travel resolutions and you’re much more likely to believe it’s possible, less risky, and rewarding. (For more on this bias check out How Risky Is It?)

We often spend much of our travel-motivational efforts externally, trying to convince our family and loved ones who might not be as supportive initially as we’d like. The real conflict happens when their doubt becomes contagious or rather, they highlight flaws in our overall plans. (Remember the first point in this post!) Be an efficient and powerful dream-to-reality converter by motivating the most important person who needs it – you.

The Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson is a great read for geeks for the technical tale it weaves; but also highlights what an incredible motivator the stubborn innovator he was. His 2005 Stanford commencement speech is both touching and powerful. A 15 minute dose of confidence and conviction for your travel resolutions and other passions in life.

The Hardest Steps Are The Ones You Haven’t Taken Yet

Traveling means many things to many people and there is no one way to go. Whether you want to take one trip to a nearby city once a year or go on a one-year RTW, define your goals for you. Once you know where you want to be, it’s up to you to get there. You can get from your desk to all the places you want to travel. Your craziest dreams are only crazy until you believe in them. Your biggest obstacle is yourself. I believe in you. Believe in yourself. Now go make those crazy dreams come true.

Happy New Year,
-Anil

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10 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Porto’s Bridges That Are More Interesting Than You May Have Guessed

Anil P. — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 07:00:34 +0000

Bridges aren’t the most interesting thing to read (or write) about for most people but Porto, Portugal‘s 6 famous structures are loaded with dignified drama that’s just as juicy today as it was decades prior. The 6 bridges hanging over the Douro River would have great drunken stories to tell over bottles of port wine but since they can’t, I’ll help by ~~drinking~~ telling them for you.

1. Porto Is The Only City In Europe With 6 Bridges

This is only partially true as there is one other city in Europe with 6 bridges – and it happens to be right across the Douro River.

2. Vila Nova de Gaia Is The Only City In Europe With 6 Bridges

Porto, the city famous for having 6 bridges, shares this distinction with the neighboring city of Vila Nova de Gaia (or Gaia for short). The bridges start in Porto and end up in Gaia, or in reverse, depending on your perspective.

3. Wait, I Thought You Said Porto Was The Only City With 6 Bridges

Well, technically speaking, it’s one of two cities (Gaia being the other) that share and disavow claim to this distinction. The problem often arises when maintenance and other work is required for the bridges – and whose taxes are going to pay for it. Suddenly, then, it’s not so important to lay claim to the 6 bridges title completely.

4. The Maria Pia Bridge Was Designed By Gustave Eiffel In 1877

This bridge was actually the last project Eiffel worked on before overseeing the construction of his famous Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. You can see him refining his signature technique in the Maria Pia Bridge and the nearby Luis I Bridge he began 9 years prior with his student Teophile Seyrig.

5. Eiffel Left The Luis I Bridge Project Because He Didn’t Want To Share

…Eiffel didn’t want to share credit or creative control over the project where his and Seyrig’s opinions in some details of the design differed. (Mostly Seyrig wanted – and did – create a more imposing structure rather than the minimalist idea Eiffel had.) Still, it wasn’t until Eiffel became less interested in sharing the revenue from the bridge did his relationship with Seyrig and the project fall apart. (Here’s how the history of these rivals began and ended.)

6. The Luis I Bridge Was Named And Renamed After A King Who Never Showed Up

The actual named of the Luis I Bridge was the Dom Luis I Bridge, named after then King Luis I. That translates something into the “gift for King Luis I” but when the bridge was inaugurated in his honor in 1886, the king never showed up. So, the locals dropped the “Dom” – a sign of respect given many other nobles in structures built throughout the city – and ended up with Luis I Bridge. Why the king never showed up isn’t certain, but he largely despised being a leader (which he wasn’t very good at) and ignored many of his royal duties until his death 3 years later.

7. At The Time, The Luis I Bridge Was The Longest Metal Arch Bridge In The World

That was back in 1886, now the Luis I Bridge isn’t even in the top 50. That distinction, longest metal arch bridge, goes to the Chaotianmen Bridge in Chongqing, China which was built in 2009. (China, by the way, have 7 of the top 10 longest bridges in that category, all completed after 2003.)

8. The Infante D. Henrique Bridge Is The Longest Concrete Arch Bridge In The World

Completed in 2003 this bridge has the distinction of being the longest, concrete, single arch bridge in the world and is Porto’s newest bridge. (And Gaia’s too.)

9. Porto Had A 7th Bridge Briefly

You can actually see the remains of this suspension bridge that was replaced by the Luis I Bridge sitting on the banks of the Douro River, right by its replacement. The Ponte D. Maria II (or Ponte Pensil) Bridge was in use between 1843 and 1887.

10. Porto Is Known As The City Of Bridges

I’m guessing at this point how Porto earned this nickname is fairly clear – it was evident enough before I spent a few days with Visit Portugal and ATTTurismo. However, you might not see the connection with the nickname Porto’s citizens share – “tripe eaters” – but that’s another story I’ll share with you in the coming weeks.

[storm trooper photo by Kalexanderson]

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