World Travel Watch

Burma (Myanmar): 1 Million Displaced, as Many as 100,000 Killed by Cyclone Nargis

Larry Habegger — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:45:39 +0000

Unless on a humanitarian mission with an official aid organization, now is not the time to go to Burma after the devastation wrought by Cyclone Nargis. Asia’s worst storm since 1991 pummeled the Irrawaddy Delta and Rangoon, killing at least 22,000 people with estimates as high as 100,000 and displacing at least 1 million. The government declared disaster areas in five central and southern regions: Rangoon, Irrawaddy, Bago, Mon, and Kayin. It is likely to take days to assess the full extent of the disaster and perhaps weeks to restore full power and other essential services even to Rangoon, the capital city. Aid officials fear widespread outbreaks of waterborne diseases in the Irrawaddy Delta.

Chile: Chaiten Volcano Eruption Causes Evacuations, Flight Cancellations

Larry Habegger — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:43:42 +0000

The long-dormant Chaiten volcano spewed lava and blasted ash some 20 miles high May 6, forcing the total evacuation of the provincial capital of Chaiten, six miles from the volcano, and causing most of the residents to evacuate the border town of Futaleufu, 75 miles east of Chaiten. More than 4,000 people had fled when the volcano began to erupt May 2. Ash covered a wide area of southern Chile and Argentina, blowing hundreds of miles across Patagonia to the Atlantic Ocean. About a half inch of ash covered the Argentine tourist town of Esquel. Flights to southern Argentina were canceled or delayed, especially to the cities of Bahia Blanca, Bariloche, Neuquen and Trelew.

China: Visa Rules Tightened for Olympics Period

Larry Habegger — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:41:44 +0000

The Foreign Ministry acknowledged that it has tightened visa rules after weeks of denials from immigration officials, now requiring invitation letters, hotel reservations and proof of roundtrip air tickets for some travelers. There have been reports of foreigners, especially students, being forced out of Beijing, and other travelers and foreign embassy officials having trouble getting visas to remain in China during the Olympics. Officials encourage visa applicants to apply in their country of citizenship rather than within China or in Hong Kong, a popular place for obtaining entry visas for China. Compounding the confusion, Hong Kong travel agents reported that the government visa office had declared that multiple-entry business visas would not be available from mid-April to mid-October, but a Foreign Ministry official denied that this was the case despite complaints from U.S. and European business leaders about visa denials and their affect on business.

India: Campaign for Gorkhaland May Disrupt Travel to Darjeeling

Larry Habegger — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:40:45 +0000

A campaign for a new state called Gorkhaland in the Darjeeling region caused a West Bengal minister to warn tourists not to travel to the area, stating that demonstrations would disrupt travel, create shortages of drinking water and cause power cuts. A spokesman for the political party behind the Gorkhaland campaign dismissed the warning as irresponsible because the whole region depends on tourism and vowed that any demonstrations will not affect tourists in any way. The truth is somewhere in between because there have been cases of travel disruption, but significant obstruction of tourism in Darjeeling is unlikely.

Kuwait: Talking on Mobile Phones while Driving Banned

Larry Habegger — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:39:09 +0000

As of May 1, talking on cell phones while driving is prohibited throughout Kuwait, and police are expected to be vigilant in the coming weeks in enforcing the new law. This edict has been added to a law already in effect that bans eating or drinking while driving. The fine for a violation is 15 Kuwait dinars (US$56).

Argentina: Farmers May Block Roads Again

Larry Habegger — Thu, 01 May 2008 05:10:47 +0000

For three weeks in March irate farmers blockaded roads and cut off meat and grain supplies to supermarkets in major cities, including Buenos Aires, but called off their protests when the government agreed to negotiate with them over the tax increase that spawned the protests. Little progress has been made and farmers vowed to set up roadblocks again when the deadline for the talks expired May 2. If the protests resume at the level they were in March and the government refuses to budge, as seems to be its position, food supplies could be cut short again and road travel could be disrupted.

Bolivia: “Highway of Death” Claims More Victims

Larry Habegger — Thu, 01 May 2008 05:09:24 +0000

Bolivia’s “Highway of Death” claimed its second tourist in a week April 24 when an SUV carrying 12 passengers hit a group of cyclists and then careered off the road and tumbled 100 feet down an embankment. A British cyclist and eight passengers in the vehicle were killed. The cyclists, who had just started their trip with a local tour company, were reportedly riding on the shoulder when the accident occurred. This incident follows the death of an American cyclist April 19 who lost control of his bicycle and plunged off a cliff. Descending the road that drops 11,800 feet over 40 miles from La Paz to the Amazon basin has become a popular challenge for cyclists, but at least 13 have died on the journey in the last ten years.

Brazil: Government to Require Special Permits to Visit the Amazon

Larry Habegger — Thu, 01 May 2008 05:07:55 +0000

The government intends to send Congress a bill within months that will require all foreign visitors to the Brazilian Amazon to obtain a permit to be there or face a whopping fine of 100,000 reals ($60,000). The bill will apply to all foreigners, whether tourists, businesspeople or employees of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Conservative politicians are behind the move which reflects suspicions that foreign NGOs are trying to wrest control of the Amazon’s riches from Brazil under the guise of helping indigenous people or saving the rain forest. The bill is expected to pass and if and when it does, some 60 percent of the country will fall under the new restrictions.

China and Tibet: Lockdown in Lhasa; Interpol Worries about Attacks in Beijing

Larry Habegger — Thu, 01 May 2008 05:06:46 +0000

The Chinese government announced a lockdown on the Tibetan capital of Lhasa from May 1 to June 20 to prevent any disruption of the Olympic torch parade through Tibet. Residents of surrounding counties have been ordered not to enter the city, including farmers who would normally come to Lhasa to sell their produce, and all Lhasa residents must register for a special pass. The Olympic torch is expected to pass through Lhasa on June 20. Foreign tourists are banned from Tibet until further notice. In related news, the head of the international police agency Interpol warned that there was a “real possibility” that the Beijing Olympics will be attacked by terrorists. The official’s warning was based on Chinese press reports that the government has already thwarted attacks, coupled with the recent unrest in Tibet and around the world in support of the Tibetan cause.

North Africa: Possible Terror Attacks

Larry Habegger — Thu, 01 May 2008 05:04:00 +0000

Algeria warned its neighbors that al-Qaeda is planning high-profile attacks aimed at industrial installations to destabilize local governments. Tunisia is believed to be a main target because of its friendly relations with the U.S. and its success against terrorists. Algeria’s oil installations in the Sahara are also considered vulnerable. The warning followed the Algerian army’s recent attacks on three hideouts where 10 suspected terrorists were killed. The most recent major terrorist attacks in the region took place in Algeria and Morocco.