Rapid Travel Chai: Opening Doors to Hidden Countries at Frequent Travelers University Seattle 2014

Opening Doors to Hidden Countries
Stefan Krasowski
Rapid Travel Chai

Before We Start
If you want to be an idiot…do it at home
…and don’t tear up visas at immigration
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Itinerary
Why
How
Where

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

Why Hidden Countries?

French Canada or France in Canada?
Photo by Gord McKenna ,flickr
St. Pierre & MiquelonMontreal, Quebec

How to Get to St. Pierre & Miquelon?
United or Air Canada to St. John’s, Newfoundland
Drive to Fortune and take the daily summer ferry

Tourist Hordes in Rome or Rome in Africa?
Photo by jimmyharris, flickr
Colosseum, Rome Colosseum, El-Jem, Tunisia

And While You’re in Tunisia

How to Get to Tunisia?
2 hour flight from Europe – easy for FTU-ers!
Inspired Star Wars Sandcrawler

Cons and Pros

Cons
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

Awards can do a lot, but not everything
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

Pros
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

Dominican Republic’s Tourist East
Photo by Marlene lls, flickr Photo by Larry Armstrong, flickr

Dominican Republic’s Quiet West

Tips

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

Second US Passports
Great for frequent travelers who need visas
Easy process
Only valid for two years
Longer validity in 2015?

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

Tech
Unlocked phone + local SIM card
T-Mobile – free data & text to 120+ countries
Encrypt – TrueCrypt
Get a VPN – WiTopia

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

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

Yellow Fever
Source: CDC Yellow Book 2014

Safety
Don’t be:
Drunk
Drugged
Debauched
Especially when you don’t
speak the language or
know the legal system
The Rapid Travel Chai ‘3 Ds’ of Travel Safety

Rapid Travel Chai
Guide to Culture in One Slide

Don’t Be These Guys
Aussie football fans
in Oman
Wearing
shorts
Flippantly
wearing
local hats
Their shirts at
least have
sleeves

Where to Start?

Where to Start?
Explore outside your social media bubble
Consider offbeat and offseason
Yamamoto’s Bunker,
East New Britain,
Papua New Guinea

UNESCO Sites
Bhimbetka Rock Shelters and Sanchi Buddhist Monuments,
Bhopal, India

Traveler’s Century Club
Anne of Green Gables & lobster suppers,
Prince Edward Island, Canada

Thorn Tree Forum for Destinations
Lonely Planet Thorn Tree forum

Miles and Points
Beyond Cathay J to Bali

British Airways Avios are Awesome
Redeem for short, expensive flights
Fill in gaps on itineraries
Africa, Canada, Pacific, South America flights

Check Non-Alliance Partners, Too
+

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

United Micronesia Island Hopper
Join missionaries, military, dignitaries, and islanders

Palau and Peleliu

Pohnpei

Air France KLM Caribbean Hopper
Visit Caribbean on the way to Europe
Avoid Delta: positioning flight to Miami to pick up Air France

Haiti

French Guiana and Suriname

Air Where the Awards Don’t Go

Air – Research
Wikipedia’s airport and airline pages

Air – Booking
Find flights on ITA Matrix
Locate booking options on Hipmunk

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

Air – Obscure Airlines
OneTravel for hard to ticket airlines
Get reservation record AND ticket number

Air – Passes
If you think awards are confusing and frustrating…
Passes come and go, often
Complicated booking
Gotchas abound

Hidden Countries

Americas

Moonscapes in Bolivia
La Paz

How to Get to Bolivia?
Avianca or LAN to La Paz
Santa Cruz has AA and more but no Uyuni flights
Overland from Peru at Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca

Bolivia Practicalities
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

Otherworldly Salar de Uyuni

Jesuits and Germans in Paraguay
Deserted UNESCO
Jesuit missions
German yerba
mate farmers
Itaipú Dam
+ +

How to Get to Paraguay?
AA nonstop from Miami, or Latin American airlines
Overland from Argentina (Iguazú Falls or Posadas)
American Airlines Miami – Asunción inaugural flight

Paraguay Practicalities
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

Europe

Divided Cyprus
4th-century BC Tombs of the Kings, Pafos

How to Get to Cyprus
Larnaca and Paphos served by many airlines
Turkish-controlled Ercan served mainly from Turkey
Onurair
Istanbul-Ercan

Cyprus Practicalities
No issue going in/out Turkish-controlled territory
Bringing rental cars across is difficult – rent on both sides
Divided Nicosia

Soviet Land in Transnistria
Batman Lenin

How to Get to Transnistria?
Fly to Chisinau, Moldova on Austrian, Tarom, Turkish
Bus to Terespol (avoid Russia through-trains)
Transnistria
border

Transnistria Practicalities
Moldova permits tourists to visit with no hassle
Visa on arrival process subject to whim
Extremely little English spoken
Wedding Party

Africa

Zimbabwe – Zambia – Botswana Triangle
Victoria Falls

How to Get to Victoria Falls?
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

Victoria Falls Practicalities
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

Bargain French & Lemurs in Madagascar
Luxury for $100/night

How to Get to Madagascar?
SkyTeam: great availability on Air France & Kenya Airways
Lemurs in
Andasibe

Madagascar Practicalities
Visa on arrival (free)
Road network is dreadful
Great value hotels and French cuisine
Countryside around TanaThe capital Tana

Middle East

Iran Loves Americans
At least the people do!

How to Get to Iran?
Europe and Middle East carriers fly to Tehran and more
Land entry from Turkey (US/UK may have issues)
Lake near Shiraz

Iran Practicalities
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

Iran Mosaic

Rising Iraq in Kurdistan
Gali Ali Beg Canyon, north of Erbil

How to Get to Iraqi Kurdistan?
Fly to Erbil or Sulaimaniyah on Austrian, Lufthansa, Turkish
and the Middle Eastern carriers – great award availability
No viable land borders
Boom town Erbil

Iraqi Kurdistan Practicalities
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

Is the Saudi Arabia Transit Visa Dead?
Transit visa (see UPGRD Matthew http://bit.ly/11uCx9K)
Matthew reports the transit visa may be dead – stay tuned

Where I Really Want to Go: Socotra, Yemen
Remote, safe island off the coast of Yemen
Photo by Konrad Chudzik,flickrPhoto by Martin Sojka,flickr

Asia Pacific

Serene Bhutan
Tiger’s Nest

How to Get to Bhutan?
Get to New Dehli, Kathmandu, Bangkok, Singapore
Connect on national carrier Druk Air
Druk Air

Bhutan Practicalities
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

Himalayan Idyll

Turkmenistan the Wacky ‘Stan
The Gates of Hell

How to Get to Turkmenistan?
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

Turkmenistan Practicalities
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

Edifice Complex

WWII Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
Mount Austen / Gifu

How to Get to Solomon Islands?
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

Solomon Islands Practicalities
No visa required
Transport to outer islands unreliable
Need clan permission for some sites – guide is useful
Honiara Hotel
children’s pool

Thin Red Line in Solomon Islands

North Korea
Victory Day Parade, 60th anniversary of Korean War Armistice

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
Mansudae Grand
Monument detail

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…
Air Koryo

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

What You See - Monuments

What You See - DMZ

What You See - Glimpses of Daily Life

What You See – Mass Games (next in 2015)

What You See – If It’s a Holiday

What You See – Party Time!

Thank You
stefan@rapidtravelchai.com
@rapidtravelchai
rapidtravelchai.com

Rapid Travel Chai: Opening Doors to Hidden Countries at Frequent Travelers University Seattle 2014

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Rapid Travel Chai: Opening Doors to Hidden Countries at Frequent Travelers University Seattle 2014