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Bolivia: “Highway of Death” Claims U.S. Mountain Biker

Date: April 23rd, 2008 |

The North Yungas Road leading from La Paz to Coroico in the Amazon basin has been called “the most dangerous road in the world” and the “highway of death” because of its precipitous drop from the highlands to the Amazon jungle hugging cliffs for most of its 40-mile descent. But for all its danger, which [read more]

Australia: Crocodile Awareness Needed in the Northern Territory

Date: April 17th, 2008 |

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Three near-misses with crocodiles in as many weeks in the “Top End” of the Northern Territory prompted a crocodile conservationist to call for a territory-wide public awareness campaign about the ancient beasts for locals and tourists alike. Crocodiles are a big tourist draw in Darwin and surrounding areas but they are also very dangerous. Their [read more]

European Union: Fingerprinting of Foreigners Traveling through Europe

Date: February 14th, 2008 |

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The Washington Post reported that on Feb. 13 the European Commission would propose fingerprinting of all travelers entering and leaving Europe, and if the European Parliament approves, the plan will be implemented but not for at least a year. The U.S. and Japan currently require foreigners to be photographed and digitally fingerprinted when they enter. [read more]

Costa Rica: Crime Down Thoughout Country

Date: January 2nd, 2008 |

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A year after a new tourist police force took to the streets, crime has come down in areas of the country frequented by foreigners. Reported crimes against tourists in 2007 compared to 2006 were down 36 percent in San Jose province, almost 34 percent in Guanacaste, and 33 percent in Limon. Other areas that saw [read more]

Marshall Islands: Bikini Atoll May Close to Divers Because of Bankrupt Airline

Date: December 19th, 2007 |

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The top tourist attraction in the islands may be forced to close because there may no longer be an efficient way to get there. Bikini Atoll, home to a sunken World War II navy fleet, site of 23 atmospheric atomic bomb tests from 1946 through 1958 and a popular dive site, may have to shut [read more]

Cambodia: Flotilla of Beggars Troubles Officials in Chong Kneas

Date: April 23rd, 2008 |

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A visit to the floating village of Chong Kneas is a popular side trip from Siem Reap, the jumping off point for Angkor Wat, but its popularity has created perhaps predictable consequences. Local fishermen have found begging to be more lucrative than fishing and they now swarm around the tourist boats in vessels with outboard [read more]

India: Agra Opens Police Web Site for Complaints

Date: March 6th, 2008 |

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Travelers who feel harassed in Agra can now register complaints on a police web site at www.cybercellagra.com. Whether complaints registered there do more than alert police to problems remains to be seen, but the move suggests that authorities are serious about aiding victims of petty crime while visiting the [read more]

Mexico: “Women Only” Buses Now Running in Mexico City

Date: January 24th, 2008 |

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A “women only” bus service is now in place in Mexico City to give women using the city’s transit system a break from abusive men. The special buses with large pink signs are operating on two lines and will expand to 15 more routes by April. The first three cars in all subway trains are [read more]

United States: New Airline Restrictions on Lithium Batteries

Date: December 26th, 2007 |

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Beginning Jan. 1, lithium batteries will be prohibited from checked baggage on all flights. The U.S. Department of Transportation requires that spare lithium batteries be packed in carry-on bags with their terminals covered as a precaution against short-circuiting that could spark a fire. Loose batteries should be isolated from each other and should not be [read more]

Tibet: Funding Planned to Upgrade Lhasa Toilets

Date: December 19th, 2007 |

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Tourism to Tibet has increased dramatically since the opening of the rail link to Lhasa in 2006, with more than a million visitors this year to the Potala Palace, the former residence of the Dalai Lama, and some 4 million tourists overall. With that influx comes pressure on facilities of all sorts, so Chinese tourism [read more]