The Travel Independently Blog

Some of the most spectacular sights worldwide are religious buildings, shrines, or sculptures. Think of the spectacular cathedrals of Europe, the Temples at Angkor, the Buddhist wats in Thailand, Laos and Burma, the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist temples of India, the mosques of Morocco or Turkey. Everyone wants to get a beautiful shot of the sun rising or setting over a temple or a tiny exquisite detail of a sculpture or fresco. Most religious sites allow photography, though some places don’t allow flash photography, as it interferes with others’ experience of the site. Some don’t allow tripods, particularly if the site gets very crowded.

While cultural sensitivity is always important, special sensitivity is required at religious sites. Here are some ways to be a welcome photographer at religious sites:

Show respect for the site. Follow the traditional signs of respect, covering shoulders or your head, or taking off your shoes before entering temples or shrines. While you will want to read about these customs ahead of time, guidelines are generally posted at much-visited places. Photographing people making merit, praying, meditating, making offerings should be done carefully so as not to disrupt their experience.

Don’t raise your voice, don’t climb on things not meant for climbing (that is, anything but stairs). Don’t touch the surface of paintings, frescoes or statuary as they can be damaged by exposure to the oils on your skin. Don’t try to brush moss or lichen from the surface of stones, as you will damage the stone.

Don’t pose people with religious statuary. I’ve seen people who I thought were otherwise culturally sensitive posing with, say Hindu statues, trying to mimic the poses. Imagine what they would think of a tourist standing on an altar in a European cathedral mimicking the pose of Christ on the cross!

When we visited Sri Lanka in 2007, I had read that they no longer allowed photography in the Dambulla Cave Temples. There was an incident several years ago when a Japanese tourist had her photo taken sitting on the lap of one of the Buddha statues. As a result, they stopped photography for a time, and they re-consecrated and repainted the Buddha statue that was desecrated. They now allow photography (including flash and including using a tripod) but the signs say that you cannot take photos of people, only photos of the paintings and sculpture. I think that’s a good guideline in general at religious sites.

After all these “don’ts” there are plenty of “do’s.” Do have a great time visiting Buddhist sites and taking pictures. It’s really easy not to break any of these rules and maintain a respectful presence while taking pictures and enjoying the rich artistic and cultural offerings.

And, if you like, have some fun checking out the many wonderful photos of religious sites in Southeast Asia at Cheryl’s SE Asia Travel Photos.

Technorati Tags: buddhist sites photography, religious sites photography

So, you want to check your email and your bank accounts while you’re traveling but is it safe to do that? It is if you plan ahead and bring along the right tools.

Your Own Laptop – Best Solution

Having your own laptop with a personal VPN and your firewall turned on is by far the safest way to go. This is true for both Windows and Mac. I’m more familiar with Windows, both XP and Vista have a personal firewall that you should always have turned on when you are using it on an unsecured network to prevent others from coming in a using your laptop as a launching pad for such unsavory things as pornography, spamming or spreading viruses.

Personal VPN software

The personal VPN software I recommend is from Witopia. It currently runs 39.99/year which is very cheap for what it does. It’s very simple to use and quite dependable. You install it on your laptop and every time you are on an unsecured wireless connection, you double click on it and it creates the VPN tunnel within about 30 seconds. Actually, you can use it any time you turn on your laptop, even at home, and your IP will continually be different. If you don’t understand what an IP is, don’t worry! I initially purchased Witopia when I started spending more time working in coffee shops around Seattle. I now need not worry about someone in the area “sniffing” my network connections in plain text.

Many more reasons to install a personal VPN are explained here at the Witopia site. Witopia – Reasons to Install a Personal VPN

Here’s the one you’re most interested in while traveling, so I’m quoting it here:

“You use Wi-Fi Hotspots.

Although most don’t realize it, Wi-Fi Hotspots, whether paid or free, are horrifically insecure. You are literally broadcasting all of your data “in the clear” with typically no security whatsoever. This can include your e-mail, IM messages, web searches, and any other data sent or received over the wireless network.

It is shockingly easy for anyone to “sniff” and capture your data without your knowledge. Due to the ease of the crime, and the fact Wi-Fi Hotspots are typically frequented by folks with a little change in their pocket, a Wi-Fi Hotspot is a tantalizing place for bad guys to lurk.

One common tactic is something called the “evil twin” attack where the evildoer sets up a laptop as a seemingly legitimate Wi-Fi Hotspot. You connect to the Internet through “FREE Airport Wi-Fi” — or anything the bad guy wishes to name it — and although all seems fine you are actually sending all of your data through a hacker’s laptop.

Honestly, we’re not sure how often this happens, and it may even be pretty rare. Nevertheless, with data crimes, it usually only takes once to cause some pretty serious havoc in your life.

With WiTopia VPN service you could even connect through the hacker’s laptop and all they would be able to capture is a lot of encrypted gibberish they will never be able to crack.”

Public Computers

When you decide to use a public computer, even a computer at your hotel that you assume is safe, you’re taking a huge, repeat, HUGE risk. Even using an https address will not protect you from spyware and key logging programs or hardware. Always be very aware that when you choose to use a public computer, be it at the hotel or at an internet café, you are taking a huge risk of getting your passwords stolen if you type them in manually.

Bottom line, when you use a public computer, you should not log onto your bank accounts unless you are using some kind of password autofill program. Read more password autofill options below.

Password Autofill Software

I recommend password manager I use at home is RoboForm. For use while traveling, I’ve purchased Roboform2Go, which is a $20 add-on to the Roboform software. This will will provide you with everything you need to access your passwords securely while traveling using a USB drive. Be sure to purchase a U3 Smart USB drive, they have security built in. Bottom line, Roboform costs a relatively small amount for what it offers and I’ve gotten to where I can’t live without it now. It also does form filling for you.

If you’re looking for something free but not quite as robust as Roboform, check out Lastpass. It’s very simple software to use. All of your passwords are stored at LastPass (they use very secure 256 AES encryption). When you’re using an untrusted computer, you’ll log onto Lastpass using a one time password that you generated before you left (be sure to do this or you’ll be out of luck). Get this service before you leave, be sure to store all of your passwords that you’ll use on the road on it and then create about 50 one time passwords (or however many you think you’ll need to gain access to your password vault while on the road).

Other Opinions About Using Hotel or Other Non-Secured Computers

Quoted from CNET PCMag Article

“But really, you should do your best to avoid using nonsecure computers. Even if you keep a key¬logger from snagging your password, it might still take screenshots of key financial info. Your best bet is to implement a high degree of security on your laptop and resign yourself to lugging the darn thing along.”

What To Do Every Time You Finish Using a Public Computer

Clear the browser cache and cookies! Normally this is done by going to Tools – Internet Options.Don’t, I repeat, DO NOT leave any personal information on the computer.

In Conclusion

This isn’t about being paranoid, it’s about being smart. We’re beyond the days of leaving home and really being gone, but you can check your email and your bank accounts safely if you follow the recommendations shared in this article.

Bon Voyage!

About the Author
Cheryl is both a computer systems professional and as someone who travels frequently for both business and pleasure both here in the US and internationally.

Technorati Tags: computer fraud traveling, computer security traveling, password keeper programs, personal VPNs, travel laptops

When I am traveling, I check my bank and credit card accounts more frequently than I do at home. I want to know what exchange rate I am getting for foreign exchange on my credit cards or via an ATM. I also want to be vigilant about fraud, so I check all of the accounts I am using every couple of days while I am away.

When I am at home, my credit card company calls me if there is an unusual transaction on my credit card. When I am traveling, I need to check that for myself. If I were to find a fraudulent transaction, I have phone numbers I can call, collect, from anywhere in the world for each of my various accounts.

Of course with services such as billpay, you can pay your bills, transfer money, buy and sell stocks and mutual funds – effectively manage all of your money matters from thousands of miles away. Since I’m on vacation, I don’t want to spend a lot of time attending to these things, but I do want to know that my finances are running smoothly.

I have as many bills as possible sent electronically (utilities and credit cards) and have things like my mortgage paid automatically from my checking account. On most of my trips, I need to log on and pay my credit card bill or utilities.

With a few minutes every couple of days, I can keep tabs on my finances without interfering with my travel activities.

But there is one more thing to be concerned about as you pay bills and check your bank accounts: computer security while traveling. I’ve asked Cheryl, a computer expert to write about this important matter.

So, how do you plan to pay for things once you are at your destination?  We are so accustomed to using credit and debit cards that we often don’t even think about it.  But as you head off to a foreign country, you do need to think about it.

There are a number of things to think about as you consider using plastic in foreign countries:  fraud risks and protections, the cost of foreign exchange premiums, any miles or rebates you earn from your cards, and whether the merchant will give you a discount for paying in cash.

You will be able to use your Visa and MasterCard credit cards in many places in Asia.  In most countries, credit cards are accepted by hotels, many restaurants and many stores.  Street sellers typically don’t accept credit cards, nor do food stalls and such.  American Express cards are typically accepted at international hotels, but few other places.

Fraud protections and risks

First of all, there are differences between credit and debit cards.  A debit card subtracts your purchases from your checking account immediately.  A credit card bills you once a month.  But there are other differences as well.  If you pay with a credit card and there is a problem with your purchase, your credit card company can help you with it.  Not so for a debit card.

Also, if your card is lost or stolen a credit card company does not hold you liable for fraudulent use if you notify them promptly.  You do not need to pay any disputed amounts on your credit card. With a debit card, the money is subtracted from your account immediately, and if the use was fraudulent, you can dispute it, but the bank will take time before they re-deposit your funds in your account.  If your card is used fraudulently, the thief can empty your account and it may be some time before you get your money back.

Foreign Exchange premiums

Consider the foreign exchange premium on your cards.  Generally, the premium ranges from 1% – 3% of the amount charged.  Compare the foreign exchange premium with the premium you pay on ATM withdrawals.  This can help you make the most economical decisions about how to pay for things.  But the foreign exchange premium isn’t the only factor to consider as you choose how to pay for things.

Frequent flier miles, hotel points and rebates

Does your credit card earn you miles?  If so, that can change your computation about how to pay.  Generally frequent flier miles are considered to be worth 2 cents a mile. The miles may be worth more or less, depending on how you use your frequent flier miles.  Figure out how much each mile or hotel point is worth to you.

If you use your frequent flier miles for short domestic flight they are worth less than 2 cents a mile.  If you use your miles for premium tickets on international flights or upgrades on international flights, they are worth substantially more than 2 cents a mile.

Do you have a cash rebate card?  Consider that in your calculations as well.  My American Express card pays 1% on most purchases, but 2% on travel-related expenses such as hotels and 3% on restaurant meals.  Since the foreign exchange premium is currently 2.5%, it is worthwhile for me to use my card for hotels and restaurant meals.

Discounts for cash

You will find that many merchants will give you a discount for not using your credit card.  Such discounts are often in the 2% – 5% range.  Not all merchants will offer discounts and generally hotels and restaurants do not offer discounts.  If you are willing and able to pay cash for a purchase, it never hurts to ask for a discount.  Begin by presenting your credit card.  Sometimes the merchant will volunteer a discount if you pay cash, but if not, do ask.

Inform your financial institutions of your travel plans

For all cards – debit, credit and ATM cards – you must inform the issuer of when and where you are traveling so your card is not “turned off” for suspicion of fraud.  You should also have a phone number for every card issuer that you can call collect 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world in case there is a problem.

On occasion, you may find that a financial institution will not allow their cards to be used in a country that consider to be high risk for fraud.  Make sure you check on this long before your trip so you have the time to obtain a card you can use in your destination country.

What to do if your cards are lost or stolen

You want to inform the issuer of a lost or stolen card as soon as your realize the card is gone.  The 24-hour phone number mentioned above is the way to do this.  One way to make sure you have the 24-hour phone number as well as all of your card numbers is to email yourself an image for the front and back of each of the credit, debit and ATM cards you use.

Where you cannot use credit cards
No credit/debit cards can be used in Burma (Myanmar) and there are no ATMs.  If you are traveling to Burma, you may want to pre-pay any hotels that you can, often by using a booking service, as you generally cannot use credit/debit cards within the country.

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I’m amazed at how places don’t match up with our expectations.  To me that is always more interesting than a place that was exactly how one imagines it.

Back in the 1993, I took a trip to Greece and Egypt.  As an archaeology buff, it seemed to me to be the perfect combination – seeing two ancient cultures.

I found Greece shocking.  The ruins there were, well, ruined.  The Acropolis was mostly rubble.  Archaeological sites were overrun with school children on field trips, clamoring over fallen stones, causing them to shift.  They kicked at delicate carvings and chipped stones, all under the disinterested eyes of their teachers.  At the Acropolis Museum, the caryatids looked like they were dissolving before my eyes, they had spent so many years in the polluted air and acid rain before their move to the museum.  While I support repatriation of cultural materials, in spite of my belief, I found myself thinking that it was a good thing one caryatid and the Elgin marbles are in the British Museum!

Egypt, on the other hand was truly larger than life.  I’d been reading about Egypt since I was a child.  I feared that my first glimpses of the pyramids or of the Temple of  Karnak or Abu Simbel would be a disappointment.  Instead, I found the monuments stunning in their size and in their preservation.  To see the original polychrome on the temples like Abydos – 3000 year old colors – was amazing.  To step inside Tut’s tomb and see that the colors of the frescoes were “as fresh as if they were painted yesterday” just as Carter recounted!

I was surprised at how my reactions to Greece and Egypt, places we all know so well from our history books could be so different from each other.  People often say that places we know well from photos never live up to the photographer’s art and yet here were two places I seen thousands of photos of and one was so much less than the photos for me, one was so much more.

Technorati Tags: Abu Simbel, Acropolis, Acropolis Museum, Archaeology, British Museum, Elgin Marbles, Greece, Independent Travel, Parthenon

Photos are a wonderful reminder of the places I’ve been, the people I’ve met, the exotic experiences of travel.  But I find that there are a number of photos I didn’t take that stick with me as vividly as any I have in a photo album or on a CD.

Some photos are not taken because of technical issues, others because the camera was not available, still others because taking a photo would be intrusive.

On my second trip to Thailand, back in the late 1980s, we made a stop in Chiang Mai.  On the drive back to the hotel from the night market, we drove down a dark street. There were no streetlights, and the only illumination came from an old-fashioned phone booth – the kind where a light comes on when you close the door.  In the lighted phone booth were four novice monks, their saffron robes aglow.  Still adolescents, laughing together making a group phone call, they were the bridge between the secular world and the spiritual world.

In 1994, during my first trip to Nepal, we visited Changu Narayan, the oldest temple in Nepal, perched atop a ridge.  To get there, you must walk though a village on a stepped walkway.  When we visited, we were the only visitors there.  We arrived before mid-morning, and there was a meeting taking place outside the school – nearly everyone in the village was there.  We walked quietly up the stairs, and encountered a toddler playing on the steps… in a pair of his mother’s high heels.  The universality of the child trying on the parent’s clothing and the contrast of the high heels with the small, traditional rural village encapsulated the changing face of Nepal for me.

Technorati Tags: independent travel experiences, nepal, thailand, travel photos

It’s irresistible, isn’t it?  A new place to visit, so many things to see and do – I want to do it all!

Most people planning a trip have ideas about many more things they want to do than are possible in the allotted time.  Having more things I want to do in a place than I can do is an indicator to me that I’ve chosen well.  Frankly, I wouldn’t want to go somewhere I truly could “see it all” in a week or two or three.  That would mean there isn’t much “there” there.

One of the most important tricks in good travel planning is “editing.”  I remember when I first started researching my trip to Sri Lanka.  I listed the places I’d like to go, then immediately cut out half.  I did more research, more reading, calculated driving times, and cut out a few more.  I ended up with an itinerary that we really enjoyed.  We had enough time to explore new places, to absorb some of the atmosphere and enough time to relax – it was a vacation after all!

It takes time to get from one place to another – especially in Asia.  People forget how huge the continent is.  Flying time from Tokyo to Bangkok or Singapore is longer than flying time from New York to LA, for instance.  And driving times are long with winding roads, crowded with not just cars and trucks and buses, but also with motorbikes, bicycles, rickshaws, livestock, and agricultural equipment – either of the mechanical or animal variety.

While I can almost always fit in some activity or excursion on a transit day, I consider the things I do on transit days to be a bonus.  I don’t count transit days as days I spend in a place.  So if I want three days in a place, that means I need to spend four nights there.  Three nights means I only have two full days.

I’m currently in the process of planning our Burma trip.  This is a trip I’ve planned before but have never gotten to take.  I was recently looking at the original itinerary for a Burma trip from the early 1990s.  At that time you could only go as part of a tour group, and the maximum time you could stay was 7 days.  The itinerary put together by Thai Air  had 3 or 4 stops in that time!  My current itinerary has 10 or 11 days, and I plan to make three stops.  Still, I have to edit the things I want to do at each stop.  But the things I edit out this time will be the start for a new itinerary for the next time I visit.

Technorati Tags: independent travel itinerary, independent travel planning

Money Matters

When I first began traveling internationally, I had to send a foreign bank draft to reserve my hotel room. Some hotels accepted American Express to hold a hotel room, but neither Visa nor MasterCard allowed this. Now, I can hold or pay for hotel reservations almost anywhere in the world via credit card over the Internet. Back then, options for getting foreign cash were travelers checks, exchanging cash or ordering foreign currency at home.

Exchange windows at airports often offered poor rates, and there were surcharges for travelers checks that often added 5% or more to the cost of getting the currency. Of course, that was still less expensive that ordering currency from home which added at least 10% to the cost.

Managing money while traveling has become easier and more convenient than ever before. But there are now so many options, it can be more confusing as well. This is a series of articles on travel financial issues.

Part I: Getting local currency

Always have more than one way to get cash in a foreign country. For instance, I always have an ATM card and I carry several $100 bills I can exchange if needed. Some people have a few travelers checks as a back up. While you can get a cash advance on your credit card, this should always be the last resort as it is such an expensive way to obtain cash (see below).

People often worry about having the local currency when they arrive at their destination. In my experience, there is always an easy way to get local currency at the airport. At the very least, there is an exchange window and usually, there are a number of ATMs as well as exchange windows. Even if the rate at the airport is not the best (and it is often a good rate), it will be a better rate than you could get outside the country.

In addition to an ATM card, I always carry several US$100 bills as my “emergency” money to exchange when there is not an ATM readily available or it is out of cash. If you are unsure of using an ATM in your (typically) sleepless state as you arrive after a long flight, just exchange some cash – make sure to ask for some small bills to pay your taxi fare.

Exchange Rates

Bureau de Change: Exchange rates are readily available online. You may want to check both a general foreign exchange website like www.xe.com as well as the website of a local newspaper. In most parts of the world exchange windows have had to become competitive, so the differential in rates has become smaller and smaller. It’s easier than ever to get a fair exchange rate. Large bills, US$100 or 100 Euro or Pound notes get the best rates. Notes should be crisp and unmarked.

Travelers Checks

Some people like the security of using travelers checks. If they are lost or stolen, they can be replaced. Travelers checks incur a charge to cash them, sometimes a minor charge, sometimes more. Many places (stores, etc) will not cash them, so bank or exchange windows are often your only options. In some countries one type of travelers check is preferred, and I’ve even heard of people being entirely unable to cash certain types of travelers checks. So travelers checks are not as convenient as they once were.

ATMs

ATMs are the most convenient way to get local currency in a foreign country. Sometimes they are also the most economical. By using the ATM, you get the bank-to-bank exchange rate, which is the best available rate. However, the bank adds a premium to this, usually ranging from 1-3% of the amount exchanged. At 1%, you usually will match or even beat the beast rate available for exchanging cash; at 3%, you’ll get a better rate for cash so you are paying a bit for the convenience.

But there may be other charges as well. You bank may add a per use fee for using foreign ATMs. This typically ranges from $1 – $5. The foreign ATM may also charge a fee, up to $3 or $4 per use. Some banks reimburse any fees charged by the foreign ATM; others do not. So the worst-case scenario is that you might be charged $5 by your own bank, $4 by the foreign bank, plus 3% of the amount exchanged.

If you are only withdrawing US$100 worth of foreign currency, you’ve just paid $12 or 12% for the use of the ATM. On the other hand, if your bank does not charge for use of a foreign ATM and reimburses any charges by the foreign bank, and only charges a 1% premium on the amount exchanged, you are getting the best rate possible. Always know what your bank charges before using your card in an ATM!

Another pitfall to watch out for is to make sure you know what kind of transaction you are making at an ATM. Usually, we think of taking money out of an ATM as cash coming directly from a checking account or a savings account. But you can use a credit card to get a cash advance at an ATM. This is probably the most expensive way to obtain cash, as you are charged an immediate cash advance fee (often 4%), plus any ATM fees, plus a premium on foreign exchange (usually 3%) plus interest beginning the moment you make the withdrawal – at rates higher than your credit card rate, often in the 20-25% range!

Note: If you want to be able to use foreign ATMs, you MUST inform your bank of where and when you are traveling. Otherwise, your bank will likely turn off your ATM access when it sees a foreign transaction. Make sure you have a 24-hour phone number at which you can call your bank collect from a foreign country in case you have a problem getting cash form an ATM.

What about using US dollars in foreign countries?

Some people wonder whether they can’t just bring lots of US dollars and use those instead of exchanging their dollars for foreign currencies. Pause and think about this… does your grocery store accept Euros or Hong Kong dollars in payment? How happy would a taxi driver in Chicago be to accept Thai baht or Malaysian ringgit? While sometimes merchants in say, Vietnam, will accept US dollars in payment; remember that they incur the expense of exchanging the dollars.

A street merchant may be willing to accept the dollars or may even quote prices in dollars if it will get them a sale that would otherwise have walked away. But the merchants need the local currency to transact their own business. I consider it more respectful to use the local currency. Prices quoted in dollars in foreign counties are higher than what you would pay in the local currency.

There are several exceptions I know of in regard to using the local currency. Several central and South American countries have independently adopted the US dollar as their legal tender: Panama (used along with the Panamanian Balboa), Ecuador and El Salvador. Several Caribbean Islands and several islands in the south Pacific also use the dollar. East Timor also used the dollar.

In Cambodia, the US dollar is the preferred currency for everything except small purchases. For a traveler in Cambodia, probably the only Cambodian riel they will handle will be small change they receive for purchase made in US dollars.

There was a time when the US dollar was king. People in foreign countries, especially those with non-convertible currencies wanted US to protect the value of their savings. So it was often to your advantage to exchange money on the “black market” to get a better rate. Those US$100 bills became someone’s savings account. This is no longer the case.

Special note

Some currencies are not convertible: Vietnamese Dong, Lao Kip, Cambodian Riel, Nepal Rupees, Indonesian Rupiah for instance. This means that they cannot be exchanged for hard currencies at official exchanges outside the country, so are effectively worthless outside the country, Also, it means the currency is not officially obtainable outside the country. While you might run into a traveler willing to pay you for your leftover currency, plan to spend or donate it before you leave.

Technorati Tags: foreign atms, foreign currencies, foreign money exchange, Independent Travel, independent travel exchange rates

Influenzas:  Avian Flu, H1N1 (Swine flu) and other upper respiratory viral illnesses

Almost annually, there is a warning about a new flu strain that could impact on travelers. Often people forget that the seasonal influenza kills tens of thousands of people each year in North America.  So every year it is wise to get an influenza vaccine.

The vaccine used changes yearly based on the changes in the virus at the end of the previous flu season.  There are typically two attenuated (i.e.,dead) influenza viruses that are used in each vaccine.  The vaccine is an educated guess about the nature of the upcoming flu season.

Viruses mutate rapidly, so the vaccine effective for one year isn’t for the next.  And the flu viruses that infect people often trade genetic material with avian flu viruses and swine flu viruses.  Sometimes the mutations make the flu more serious either because so few people have any immunity so it sweeps through the population or because it is more severe and produces more serious secondary infections, such as pneumonia.

Contagion and prevention: Getting an annual flu vaccine can reduce your chances of catching the seasonal flu.  Influenzas are spread through person-to-person contact, most often via airborne droplets or touch.  While coughing and sneezing get the most attention, the virus is easily spread via the hands.  Thus, careful and frequent hand washing is an important preventive measure.  Be careful not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth, as all can be an entry point for viruses on your hands.  Remember that touching surfaces touched by someone who is ill is a direct transmission route.  Carry antiseptic hand wipes with you, but take time to wash your hands with soap and water frequently, especially before eating.

Airplanes, due to the dryness of the air and the fact that the air is re-circulated can make an airplane a prime environment for the transmission of viral illnesses.  There is little evidence that facemasks protect from airborne viruses.  However, if one has a cold or influenza, a facemask can help protect others.

So what can you do on an airplane to minimize your risk of contracting influenza?  Take along antiseptic hand wipes.   You may wish to clean the armrests, tray table and other surfaces by your seat.  Do use the hand wipes to clean your own hands especially before eating.  Stay well-hydrated.

So what about the avian flu, H1N1 (swine flu), etc?  What makes them different?  Why is the media inciting so much panic about them?

Influenza viruses vary in many ways, some are easy to transmit from one person to another, and some are very difficult to transmit.  Some are quite virulent, causing more severe symptoms and more severe complications.  So, for instance, the Avian flu is quite difficult to transmit person to person, the vast majority of cases have been transmitted via direct contact with sick or dead birds or their droppings.

But Avian flu is quite virulent, and most of the people we know of who contracted it died.  There may be more who lived, but the cases may not have been reported.  The Avian flu has been mostly confined to areas of southern China and parts of Vietnam.  There have not recently been reported cases of the Avian flu, but since we know that the virus is still active in various bird populations, it is expected that it or a variation of it will return.

The latest flu to worry people is a strain that was first detected in Mexico where it caused a number of deaths.  It was initially titled “swine flu” as it carries some genes from swine flu viruses, some avian flu genes and some human flu genes.  This flu has been of concern because it appears to be easily passed from person to person and there have been deaths among the young and healthy.

Seasonal influenzas, while causing deaths, mostly cause deaths among the elderly, infants and those who are already ill or have weakened immune systems.  Influenza that kills young and healthy people has the potential to cause pandemics.

The pandemic cited as the type that public health officials worry about is the 1917-18 influenza.  Millions died.  Indeed, more people died of the flu than died in combat in World War I, which was raging at the time.  This flu killed the young and healthy, and at times it killed within hours of the person falling ill.  Some researchers believe that the rapid deaths among the young and healthy were caused by an overwhelming response by the immune system that then caused collapse of the person’s immune system.  Usually flu deaths are related to complications such as pneumonia.

At present, it appears that the H1N1 flu is quite contagious but it does not appear to be very virulent.  So the Center for Disease Control and World Health Organization are both keeping a close eye on the spread of the virus and any changes in virulence.

The CDC website is an excellent source of information about the influenza outbreak.  It is updated frequently and it has links to the WHO pages on the outbreak.

Technorati Tags: H1N1 flu, Independent Travel, influenza, swine flu, travelers health

There are a number of travel forums on the Internet.  These are only as good as the people who post, and the editors/moderators who delete spam or inappropriate comments.

I love the Fodor’s Forum.  There are lots of well-traveled people who post reports on their trips and will answer questions about your planning.  The Fodor’s forums have become little travel communities, and people who post regularly have gotten to know each other.

Most of these posters travel independently, and many stay in higher-end accommodations.  There are “flashpackers” and budget travelers who post here as well.  There are occasional reports of group tours, but the regulars prefer independent travel and will “hold the hand” of a newbie trying to plan their first independent trip to Asia.

Lonely Planet has a forum called Thorntree.  More oriented toward backpackers and those who like to “rough it,” there are some posters who stay in upper-end accommodations.  There are many knowledgeable people who know about a destination that is rarely visited by travelers.  Those people are invaluable resources.  When I was planning my trip to Malaysian Borneo, I found a poster on the Thorntree who had written a long post on where to see orangutans in the wild.  Nowhere else did I find this kind of detailed information.

Trip Advisor is a useful site for hotel reviews in particular.  Many people love it, though I find it less user-friendly than some other sites.  I find the ceaseless advertisements distracting, but others have learned to tune it out.

Forum Etiquette

To get the most out of these wonderful resources, there is some forum etiquette that you should observe.

First, familiarize yourself with the site.  How is the site organized?  You’ll want to ask your questions in the right place.  There are usually separate boards for different areas of the world and some forums allow you to tag your question with a country tag, for instance.  Both Fodors and Thorntree have this capability.

Next, read some posts on your intended destination.  Learn how the search function works.  Try searching for an answer to your question before you ask.  Some boards, such as Thorntree, have FAQs (frequently asked questions) that can give you basic information you might be seeking.

Now, you are ready to formulate your question.  What do you need to know?  Take into consideration the research you’ve already done on your trip. Travel forums are great places to get a specific question answered.  In addition to travelers, there are often locals who post on these boards and can give you reports “from the ground” such as at times when there is civil unrest.

Dos and Don’ts

Don’t ask about the weather!  There are weather sites for historical information www.weatherbase.com is my favorite.  And if you need to know the weather today, there are sites for that, as well as the local newspapers being online.  Sometimes you need weather info that isn’t covered on weather sites.  For instance, people often ask about the rain patterns during monsoons – does it rain all day or for briefer periods?  Those are reasonable questions.  Also, even if you don’t mind rain during your beach vacation, you may want to know whether the sea will be too rough for swimming or the water too murky for snorkeling.

Don’t ask questions that are so general that someone would need to write a guidebook to answer the question.  For instance, “What should I do in Thailand?” is unlikely to elicit much helpful information.  But a specific questions such as, “Where can I do bird-watching in Thailand?” or “I’m looking for old house museums in Bangkok” will likely get you clear, specific answers.

Give people enough information that they can be helpful.  A post like “Looking for a hotel in Hong Kong” won’t get you much more than lots of questions.  Even “looking for a moderately priced hotel in Hong Kong” isn’t very specific – your moderately priced isn’t necessarily someone else’s moderately priced.  A post requesting “looking for a hotel in Hong Kong under US$250 a night that has a swimming pool” or “best business hotel on Hong Kong island, price unimportant” will get you responses and perhaps additional questions such as preferred location, dates of travel and such.  You don’t have to get it all in the first question, but do give enough information so people can begin to help you.

Come back and respond to your own post.  Follow up with specific information people wanted in order to be more helpful and thank posters for their advice.  It is always appreciated when someone returns to the forum after the trip to report their experiences, especially if no one had current information on the question you asked.  So if people only knew that there were no ATMS two years ago, coming back to say,  “Just returned from Pokara, Nepal. ATMs are now available there” will enhance the information available on the forum.

Don’t ask for lists:  “What are your five best places to visit in Asia?”  Or “What are your 10 must-see places in China?”  Both of these questions are too general to get useful information.

Don’t ask posters to plan your trip.  “I want to go to SE Asia.  What is a good route to follow to see as much as possible?”   Show that you did some homework before you posted.  “Angkor Wat is a must-see for me.  I have three weeks in SEA Asia, what are reasonable destinations to combine with Angkor?”  You’ve given people enough information to give you some ideas for your itinerary.

If you want recommendations on what to do, give your specific interests. So if you want to ask about shopping, tell people what you want to shop for and the places you’ll be.  “Going to Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore.  Where is the best place to buy silk yard goods?”

Give a title to your post that will let people know what you are asking.  Forums generally show titles only, so you want to make sure the right people are clicking on your post so you’ll get some good answers.  A thread titled “Travel help, please” won’t get the attention of the people who know the answer to your question, but “Looking for a Malaysian beach for November” will get the attention of people who know about Malaysian beaches.

Don’t ask people to research airline prices for you, that’s what airline sites are for.  It’s fine, though to say “I can find an airfare of US$1000 from Washington Dulles to Narita for October on ANA.  Is this a good airfare or should I wait to see if it will come down?”  While no one has a crystal ball, there will be travelers who fly this route regularly who can say – “It’s a great fare – grab it!” or “You should be able to get a sale fare for a $100 or so less if you wait another month or so.”

Do ask about hotel booking sites.  “Has anyone used charliesluxehotelsforless and are they reputable?”  or “How do you usually book your hotels in Singapore?”  If you’ve done your research, you can check and see if anyone has gotten a better price.  “Best price I can find for the Pen in Bangkok in October is US$200 per night including breakfast for two on the Pen’s website.  Has anyone found a better price?”

Interpersonal interactions

The posts on these forums are interpersonal interactions.  As such, they are prone to the complexities of any interaction between people.  But because they are internet interactions, you have much less information that you usually do in interacting with people.  Social scientists say that in face-to-face interactions, we get more than 90% of the communication not through words, but through body language, tone of voice, facial expression, etc.

Online you don’t have the luxury of all of that information.  Thus, it can be easy to have misunderstandings.  Also, this is the world wide web we are talking about.  Thus, there will be posters for whom English is not their first language, and posters who speak different kinds of English.  Australian English and British English have not only different spellings from North American English, but some different vocabulary and different shades of meaning for many words.

I remember a post on a board when someone had asked about traveling with children.  They had gotten many good responses about things to do with kids at their destination when a new poster arrived saying that she couldn’t believe how anti-children the posters on the board were – calling children baby goats.  Someone quickly clarified that “kids” is a term of endearment for children in the poster’s culture.

Attend to the tone of your post.  People who post with a friendly tone usually get friendly posts in return.  People who arrive with an agenda to be pushy rather than to offer or request information may not be treated kindly on travel boards.

Travel boards are emphatic about their no-advertising policies.  Spam from someone trying to disguise themselves as a traveler seldom gets by the regulars and the moderators of these forums.  You may see unfriendly responses from posters to such spam.  This will be deleted when the spam is reported to the editors.  Rarely, you will find a really nasty post from a “troll,” or someone who posts on the web just to stir things up.  Ignore any such posts, as they will soon be deleted by the editors.

So familiarize yourself with online travel forums.  You will gain some great information for planning your trip and you may make some online friends of the other travelers on these sites.

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