More Related Content More from rapidtravelchai (9) Rapid Travel Chai: Opening Doors to Hidden Countries at Frequent Travelers University Seattle 20142. Before We Start
If you want to be an idiot…do it at home
…and don’t tear up visas at immigration
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4. Who am I?
I lived in China for 8 years
I work in international business
I plan obsessively
I travel fast
I come back exhausted
My wife is the opposite
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6. French Canada or France in Canada?
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Photo by Gord McKenna ,flickr
St. Pierre & MiquelonMontreal, Quebec
7. How to Get to St. Pierre & Miquelon?
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United or Air Canada to St. John’s, Newfoundland
Drive to Fortune and take the daily summer ferry
8. Tourist Hordes in Rome or Rome in Africa?
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Photo by jimmyharris, flickr
Colosseum, Rome Colosseum, El-Jem, Tunisia
10. How to Get to Tunisia?
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2 hour flight from Europe – easy for FTU-ers!
Inspired Star Wars Sandcrawler
12. Cons
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Red tape (visas) can be a hassle
Some destinations unavoidably expensive
Standards vary…a lot, especially at hotels
Stress…especially with companions
Andaman Islands, India
13. Awards can do a lot, but not everything
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Delta or United award to Saipan or Guam
Freedom Air to Tinian $84 - $261
Rental SUV $50
= Driving North Field, B-29 Superfortress Base
Enola Gay Loading PitAir Ops BuildingFreedom Air
14. Pros
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Every day is off-peak
Enjoy breathtaking sights without crowds
No tourist industry = few tourist scams
Authentic interaction with locals
Make a difference with your dollars
Learn
“You went where?” bar stories to tell
Kyrgyzstan
18. US Passports
Get the large passport book
Get a passport card for land & sea & backup ID
Enroll in Global Entry/NEXUS/SENTRI and
add to airline profiles for TSA PreCheck
Have scans and copies
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19. Second US Passports
Great for frequent travelers who need visas
Easy process
Only valid for two years
Longer validity in 2015?
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20. Visas for US Citizens
travel.state.gov is reliable
Land borders – may not have visa on arrival or allow foreigners
Specialist visa agents vs big generalists like CIBT
10-year India and 3-year Russia tourist visas
Must pay Argentina reciprocity fee online in advance
Yes, you need a visa for Australia
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21. Tech
Unlocked phone + local SIM card
T-Mobile – free data & text to 120+ countries
Encrypt – TrueCrypt
Get a VPN – WiTopia
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22. Insurance
Insure yourself, your trip, or
your stuff?
Annual or per trip?
Credit cards often insure
your trip and your stuff
I insure myself – GeoBlue
Trekker Choice annual plan
insubuy.com,
travelinsurancecenter.com
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23. Health
CDC Yellow Book cdc.gov/travel
Know scientific names of your meds
(aspirin = acetylsalicylic acid)
Plan ahead for vaccines
Malaria pills pros and cons
International Certificate of Vaccination
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27. Don’t Be These Guys
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Aussie football fans
in Oman
Wearing
shorts
Flippantly
wearing
local hats
Their shirts at
least have
sleeves
29. Where to Start?
Explore outside your social media bubble
Consider offbeat and offseason
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Yamamoto’s Bunker,
East New Britain,
Papua New Guinea
32. Thorn Tree Forum for Destinations
Lonely Planet Thorn Tree forum
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34. British Airways Avios are Awesome
Redeem for short, expensive flights
Fill in gaps on itineraries
Africa, Canada, Pacific, South America flights
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36. Some offbeat flight awards
Star Alliance:
Copa in Central America (with United complementary upgrades)
Ethiopian from Washington D.C. for Africa
Turkish flies 100+ countries
OneWorld:
Avios, Avios, Avios
SkyTeam:
AeroMexico for Central America and even Europe and Asia
China Eastern + China Southern for trips around Asia
Delta seasonal JFK flight to Prince Edward Island, Canada
Tarom for Eastern Europe
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37. United Micronesia Island Hopper
Join missionaries, military, dignitaries, and islanders
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40. Air France KLM Caribbean Hopper
Visit Caribbean on the way to Europe
Avoid Delta: positioning flight to Miami to pick up Air France
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43. Air Where the Awards Don’t Go
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45. Air – Booking
Find flights on ITA Matrix
Locate booking options on Hipmunk
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46. Air – Budget Airlines
skyscanner.com and
whichbudget.com
Price all the extras
Know the airport –
where in ‘London’?
Know the terminal –
Malaysian remote LCCTs
Air Asia is awesome
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47. Air – Obscure Airlines
OneTravel for hard to ticket airlines
Get reservation record AND ticket number
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48. Air – Passes
If you think awards are confusing and frustrating…
Passes come and go, often
Complicated booking
Gotchas abound
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52. How to Get to Bolivia?
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Avianca or LAN to La Paz
Santa Cruz has AA and more but no Uyuni flights
Overland from Peru at Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca
53. Bolivia Practicalities
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Visa on arrival at all points of entry ($135)
Land transport is very rough – fly to Uyuni
Uyuni tour is high altitude and physically difficult
La Paz – Uyuni
bus breakdown
55. Jesuits and Germans in Paraguay
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Deserted UNESCO
Jesuit missions
German yerba
mate farmers
Itaipú Dam
+ +
56. How to Get to Paraguay?
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AA nonstop from Miami, or Latin American airlines
Overland from Argentina (Iguazú Falls or Posadas)
American Airlines Miami – Asunción inaugural flight
57. Paraguay Practicalities
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Visa required – on arrival for air only ($160)
Major cities have safety issues – stay in German towns
Need land transport – only domestic flight is Asunción
to Ciudad del Este (Brazil border)
Asunción Airport
60. How to Get to Cyprus
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Larnaca and Paphos served by many airlines
Turkish-controlled Ercan served mainly from Turkey
Onurair
Istanbul-Ercan
62. Soviet Land in Transnistria
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Batman Lenin
63. How to Get to Transnistria?
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Fly to Chisinau, Moldova on Austrian, Tarom, Turkish
Bus to Terespol (avoid Russia through-trains)
Transnistria
border
66. Zimbabwe – Zambia – Botswana Triangle
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Victoria Falls
67. How to Get to Victoria Falls?
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BA Avios to Victoria Falls or Livingstone from Johannesburg
Star Alliance: South African or Ethiopian
Day tour to Botswana’s Chobe National Park
Everything but
the lions
68. Victoria Falls Practicalities
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Zimbabwe’s tourist industry is fine, despite the economy
Visa on arrival for Zambia & Zimbabwe, free for Botswana
Colonial Victoria Falls Hotel & Royal Livingstone
Victoria Falls Hotel
69. Bargain French & Lemurs in Madagascar
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Luxury for $100/night
70. How to Get to Madagascar?
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SkyTeam: great availability on Air France & Kenya Airways
Lemurs in
Andasibe
74. How to Get to Iran?
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Europe and Middle East carriers fly to Tehran and more
Land entry from Turkey (US/UK may have issues)
Lake near Shiraz
75. Iran Practicalities
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US/UK citizens must book agency tour with guide
Expect 2-3 month visa process, apply at Pakistan Embassy
Iranians are cosmopolitan and very friendly to Americans
Watch Rick Steves Iran Lecture: http://bit.ly/1lgelmT
Home decoration expo
78. Rising Iraq in Kurdistan
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Gali Ali Beg Canyon, north of Erbil
79. How to Get to Iraqi Kurdistan?
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Fly to Erbil or Sulaimaniyah on Austrian, Lufthansa, Turkish
and the Middle Eastern carriers – great award availability
No viable land borders
Boom town Erbil
80. Iraqi Kurdistan Practicalities
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Visa on arrival, not valid for travel to rest of Iraq (free)
Very safe, but still Iraq, so be alert
Cash economy, don’t rely on ATMs or credit cards
Entrance to many buildings
81. Is the Saudi Arabia Transit Visa Dead?
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Transit visa (see UPGRD Matthew http://bit.ly/11uCx9K)
Matthew reports the transit visa may be dead – stay tuned
82. Where I Really Want to Go: Socotra, Yemen
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Remote, safe island off the coast of Yemen
Photo by Konrad Chudzik,flickrPhoto by Martin Sojka,flickr
85. How to Get to Bhutan?
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Get to New Dehli, Kathmandu, Bangkok, Singapore
Connect on national carrier Druk Air
Druk Air
86. Bhutan Practicalities
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Must book with tour agent who arranges visa on arrival
Government all-inclusive rates based on group size
Peak months single person tour US$290/day
Last (departure) day free
Guides in required
traditional dress
89. How to Get to Turkmenistan?
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Star Alliance Lufthansa and Turkish; OneWorld S7
SkyTeam China Southern from Ürümqi for Silk Road trips
Azerbaijan by ferry, Uzbekistan by land
Neighborhood
MiG in Mary
90. Turkmenistan Practicalities
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Tourist visa requires guided tour and long process
Transit visa is guide-fee but lots of restrictions
Average summer temperatures 100⁰F+
My guide in 130⁰F+ heat in non-AC Soviet jeep to Gonur
93. How to Get to Solomon Islands?
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Virgin Australia from Brisbane, Australia
Combine with Great Barrier Reef Trip
Award via Delta, Virgin America/Atlantic or Singapore
VA retired DJ flight codes in Jan ‘13 so all flights now
bookable for Delta
Edson’s Bloody Ridge
94. Solomon Islands Practicalities
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No visa required
Transport to outer islands unreliable
Need clan permission for some sites – guide is useful
Honiara Hotel
children’s pool
95. Thin Red Line in Solomon Islands
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97. Can You Go?
Yes, it is legal
Now open year-round
Agency handles visa and does not need your passport
What if something happens? Call Swedish Embassy,
Jimmy Carter or Dennis Rodman
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Mansudae Grand
Monument detail
98. How to Get to North Korea?
Typically must get yourself to Beijing:
2-entry visa if train or visit other Chinese cities
72-hour stopover if international flights only
Train entry/exit for US citizens still an issue
Koryo Air is cheaper and the full experience
Air China is Star Alliance,
I’ve never seen awards to FNJ…
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Air Koryo
99. Agencies
Must book with an approved agency:
Koryo Tours: the pioneer with lots of options
big bus tours or $$$ small group
Uri Tours: new player, more boutique
smaller groups
Consider private tour for more local interaction
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100. What You See - Monuments
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101. What You See - DMZ
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102. What You See - Glimpses of Daily Life
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103. What You See – Mass Games (next in 2015)
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104. What You See – If It’s a Holiday
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105. What You See – Party Time!
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