|
|
Olalla, do not worry… travel is still a unique opportunity to get a pleasure. But no adventure is complete without small problems and concerns. Here we will speak about the risks, problems and difficulties encountered by all and sundry… All these misadventures seem to be such ones in the beginning. But once travel is finished there left only souvenirs and lots of stories to be told to friends and children for a few years…;)
Please, understand that our counsels are very limited. We can never claim that we know everything and our objective here is not to give you information, but rather to make you aware of the need of seeking information by yourself. To get an obvious push to visit necessary sites and to use different sources… The objective of this rubric is to share the experience of everyone and to sensitize you about the risks during any travel. We hope that our advices will help you to make your travel the best souvenir at the end…and if you have something to share, please, don’t hesitate to send us your story back…
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Asia and drugs traffic
Asia hides an enormous narcotics circulation. The main idea to be got after what occurs in these countries is to avoid crossing the way of these traffickers. But, if you found yourself there, it is necessary to know some means necessary to ensure your safety (to close the bags with locks, do not accept gifts, do not accept drinks offered by someone, and do not consume drugs end of all).
Drugs are transported along three principal routes, one of which is the “Silk route”, to reach Russia, then Western Europe (the main market) while passing by Balkans or Central Europe. The first country concerned is Tajikistan at the Afghan border, but also Kazakhstan the key area of the traffic being located at the south of Kirghizia in the area of Och and the valley of Ferghana
Some counsels :
• Prepare by yourself your luggage. Ensure that it is well-closed with the key and never leave it without observance.
• Keep your eye on the rucksacks, toys and play of your children. Someone may slip drugs into them without your seeing.
• Choose your traveling companions carefully. If they transport, consume or sell illegal drugs you are likely to be assumed in complicity. Ensure that they know your position towards drugs before leaving.
• Ask the local authorities, either a travel agent or someone in the hotel reception, which are the places to be avoided in the city where you are. You have risk to be attacked or stopped if you get close to traffickers which may mean that you can transport or sell drugs. Always have with you your identity carte.
• Do not pass parcels, gifts or luggage of anybody to the border or a customs house for any reason.
• Do not cross the border with a hitch-hiker or as a hitch-hiker: there is a risk to be likely assumed in complicity
• Do not touch drugs at all. Not to be thus one of numerous tourists who currently serve their sentences related to the drugs abroad.
see more details : drugs traffic routes in Asia
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Italy and drugs traffic
Nothing to be worried about as Italy remains a safe country. On the other hand, we cannot deny the famous drugs traffic in this country… Some stories reached us from travelers who were contacted by unknown people with ask to accept gifts (jackets…) to transport them through the borders… The rules remain the same as for the travel in Asia (see the previous paragraph).
Italy in particular is evoked here because it is easy to be confused by some Arabs who live permanently in Italy and unfortunately are part of these stories.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Prague and Exchange of money
In Czech Republic and in Prague especially, all the exchange offices or almost all bill the exchange without commission. The trap is in the small star in the bottom of the placard which adds a small note that the exemption from commission is related only to the operations of foreign currency sale (absolutely opposite of what you are going to do). At the same time while buying the local currency the rate of exchange becomes VERY high, and more, you get asked to buy a map of the city which is available everywhere for free. In short, the result is that you lose half of your money in a few seconds…
It is necessary to be vigilant, to read well what is written on the display boards and preferably to change small sums at the beginning before you find a bank or post office where you can change your money securely.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Africa and Asia: Malaria
Ah, malaria, your enemy number one during travel in a lot of parts of Africa, Southern and Eastern Asia. Paludism is transmitted to human by the female mosquitoes-bite. We speak about it here to attract your extreme attention to the danger of the diseases transmitted by the mosquitoes and particularly Paludism (if not the yellow fever, dengue, etc)
Malaria
Malaria kills one child every 30 seconds in Africa and between 1 and 3 million people per annum according to the study of WHO. Two billion or let’s say 40% of the world population are exposed and each year around 500 million of them have the clinical cases. The existing means of struggle are the antipaludic drugs (well-known chloroquine or quinine) and protection against the mosquitoes possible carriers of the Plasmodium parasite. But the situation becomes worst and worst with time. The parasites have developed resistances to the drugs and also to insecticides. There is no vaccine available today. Read more...
Prevention and treatments
treatments Several anti-palladiums molecules which can be used for disease prevention (prevention while traveling in endemic zone) or as therapeutic. The most famouse are chloroquine or quinine. Others, like méfloquine, are used in the areas where parasites resist to chloroquine. It is dangerous to leave to zone of intense Malaria transmission without regular preventive treatment before, especially for children and pregnant women who have an increased risk of serious case. The preventive treatment must be prescribed by a doctor. Doctor takes into account the destination zone (risks, resistance presence or absence), the duration of your presence in that zone and of course your personal characteristics: age, antecedents pathological, intolerance to antipaludic, possible medicinal interaction, pregnancy, etc. But anti-palladiums drugs do not guarantee absolute protection against the infection and it is also important to be protected from the mosquitos’ bites (mosquito nets, anti-mosquito products). No preventive means ensures you only a total protection and, even well taken, it is possible to get a crisis of Malaria, sometimes of the late stage. The first symptoms are often little alarming but Malaria can be mortal if the treatment is delayed. Also, in case of even light fever, nauseas, tiredness or ache, headaches during the stay or next month after return your doctor must be informed urgently. Analysis of blood is necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Any fever after return from tropics must be regarded a priori as a Malaria until proof of the opposite. Read more...
How to protect yourself
- The rule number 1 is to wear cloth covering the maximum of body surface: trousers and shirts tightened at the ends (style of jogging). No synthetic fabrics (mycosis risk). Preferably to wash all cloth a few days before your departure in a mosquito-repellent product (pyrethrinoid).
- During the travel use the mosquito-repellents like Insect Screen, 5/5Tropic, or Five out of Five… Avoid buying them during your trip (often they not efficient enough at the local market)
- Sleep only under impregnated insecticide mosquito net (pyrethrinoid). Be aware that it decreases the risk up to 90%, but does not make it disappear
Other rules can be followed well in order to increase chances of the secure travel (to choose a air-conditioned room, to use an electric diffuser in the room, etc)
N.B : read attentively the side effects of the anti-Palladium treatments before your departure…
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
South America false taxi
Particular danger of the traveling in South America is the false Taxis. Indeed, we know travelers who had misadventures following after acceptance to travel by a taxi to Chile without passing by the specialized agencies (aggressions, etc).
In fact, better to take only the radio operated taxis (there are indeed a lot of false taxis in the capitals and even in the provincial towns). Ensure that driver switched on the meter counter and be attentive with the currency that he returns to you at the race end…
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
China and hotels
Ah, China, this immense country is nevertheless safe and does not represent a particular danger. But we had responses about negative experience in the hotels especially of Beijing. Theft is very frequent and this defines the quality of your hotel. What concerns the ones of one, two stars or hostel, travelers saw robbers entering their rooms (closed with keys) when they were supposed to sleep deeply (from midnight till 6 a.m.). Therefore, remember good to lock your room well and to leave the key in the door inside blocking it during you’re sleeping. That can help to avoid nasty surprises. Besides, for the men traveling alone you are likely to have phone calls by night from the girls proposing “room massages”. Be aware, this is against the law in China, you risk to be even a prisoner…
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
India and liars
In India, it is necessary to understand only one thing: whatever people say to you they lie! (We do not speak about regular Indians, but about people who are all the time behind the tourists: in the airports, hotels, train stations, travel agencies, or even tourist streets: they come towards you). These people we speak about will do everything to tear off you one euro or likely more! Being already at the train station you’ll be told that ticket windows `for the tourists' are not in the train station but two kilometers from there! (The problem is that you will believe them as they are the real liars who are moreover professional actors). You’ll be told that the buses are full for tomorrow and there’s only one airline company serving your destination, that you are in the season of marriages which explains all high prices (of whatever), that what you see is true silk (99% it is not true: so wonder can you test it with fire as silk doesn’t burn, and you will laugh seeing their reaction :) ). And of all, know that your room is not the best, that you have not paid the true price, that there are trains all the time towards your destination, that several airline companies operate everywhere in India, that silk is not sold in the shops for tourists… Leave to India with a good guide-book (like Lonely planet) and never trust anybody, bit only your book…
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Thailand and food
Do not try to be the heroes even if you want to impress Sweden blonds that you have just met (the Scandinavians travel a lot in Asia). Do not eat just anything; do not eat like a local to show that you are a true traveler except if you know what you eat. More, ensure that it is clean, that it does not contain water from the tap. If you are courageous enough ask to have a look into the kitchen. If they refuse it means that you will not like what you can see. Do not hesitate to ask in the restaurants to boil the water which you are doing drink (in the juices, salads, etc). Crustaceans can also carry diseases… In brief, be aware before leaving about main sanitary rules and apply them as the guidelines. You have risk much more than one strong diarrhea, so be careful…
Read more :What is Beijing?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Xenophobia
As being an Arab and Moslem traveler you have a double party! Be careful before revealing your origins no matter whom. Be aware that in certain countries like Russia some groups of Skinhead even kill foreigners and the aggression is not rare towards none local (especially black). The Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) do not know so much the colored people and in the villages the color of your skin is likely to attract their attention… Passing the borders your passport will attract towards you all controls and authorized excavations (check your bag well and prepare yourself before for special “trip” between two countries…) In India, in certain regions, there are some tensions between various religions, and the Moslems are not always welcome… Go and be guarded as long as you do not know your interlocutors…
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Theft of documents in Russia
Olalla, the headache! Imagine that you lose your passport in your own country that will be the so big headache: months of waiting, evidence required and you pass. Then, if you lose your document abroad you can call it the hell! And if this country is a country known by the traffic of the false identity papers, of drugs traffic and the war by its borders with Moslems… Imagine :) The counsel is thus simple: Russia is known by a VERY big number of documents thefts from the tourists and your mission is not to lose your papers and to avoid spending holidays in the police office. Never leave your papers in the hotel (only if in the safety boxes), be aware of false police officers in Russia (a police officer must have a plate with his number on the level of his shoulders), do not give your passport to anybody (show a photocopy), separate documents and money (robbers always watch out your pockets)…
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Airline Companies from the black-lists
In certain countries you can appreciate the low tariffs of certain internal flights. If you want to know the answer to the question why these flights are not expensive, the answer can hide the risk which you don’t want to face! The general advice is to find out about the quality of the various airline companies at place. Local people or Internet sites will give you the answer.
Otherwise, here below you can see the airline companies from the European Black list:
Aeroflot - Russia
Africa Lines - Ivory Coast (prohibited in Belgium)
Air Algeria - Algeria
Air Koryo - North Korea (prohibited in France since April 2001)
Aeromexico - Mexico
Air Memphis - Egypt (prohibited in Belgium)
Air Mauritania - Mauritania (prohibited in Great Britain)
Air Mozambique - Mozambique (prohibited in France since 03/12/04)
Air Saint-Thomas - the United States (prohibited in France since the 19/03/04)
Air Universal - Sierra Leone (prohibited in Great Britain)
Air Van Airlines - Armenia (prohibited in Belgium)
Albanian Airlines - Albania (prohibited in Great Britain)
Alexandair - Greece (prohibited in Greece)
Cameroon Airlines - Cameroon (prohibited in France since the 15/09/05)
Exchange Air Express train - Republic of Congo (prohibited in Great Britain and Belgium)
Clouded Airlines - Taiwan
Clouded Southern Airlines - China
Clouded Northern Airlines - China
Continental Wings the Comoros Airlines - the Comoros
Cubana de Aviacion - Cuba
Crossair - Switzerland
Dniprovia - Ukraine (prohibited in Switzerland)
Egyptair - Egypt
Fly Air - Turkey (the passengers refuse to go up on board after several technical hitches)
Ghana Airways - Ghana
Girjet - Spain (prohibited in Switzerland)
GULF Air - Bahrain
Hemus Air - Bulgaria (prohibited in Switzerland)
I - C - T - T - P - W - Libya (prohibited in Belgium)
Iran Air - Iran
International Air Service - Liberia (prohibited in France since the 01/04/04)
International Air Turns - Nigeria (prohibited in Belgium)
Jonhsons Air - Ghana (prohibited in Belgium)
Jr Executive - Lebanon (prohibited in Switzerland)
Lion Air - Indonesia
Onur Air - Turkey (prohibited in Belgium)
Pakistan Airlines - Pakistan
Phoenix Aviation - Kyrgyzstan (prohibited in Great Britain)
Phuket Air - Thailand (prohibited in France since the 04/06/05)
Premium Air Shuttle - Nigeria (prohibited in Switzerland)
Saudi Arabian Airlines - Saudi Arabia
Sudan Airways - Sudan
Sibir Airlines - Russia
Silk Way - Azerbaijan (prohibited in Switzerland)
Silverback Freighter Cargo liner - Rwanda (prohibited in Belgium)
South Airlies - Ukraine (prohibited in Belgium)
Srilankan - Sri Lanka
Star Air - Sierra Leone (prohibited in Great Britain)
Tajikistan Airlines - Tajikistan (prohibited in Great Britain)
Tam - Brazil
Tame - Ecuador
Turkish Airlines - Turkey
Varig - Brazil
Vietnam Airlines - Vietnam
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
List of dangerous aircrafts
(source: http://www.le-guide-touristique.com) This non exhaustive list of the aircraft models being risky for the passengers was carried out from the database of the civil aviations of the whole world. It indexes by country all the companies and their apparatuses. This base is founded on criteria of age, because the probability of having an accident increases with the age of the aircraft. First, because they are not manufactured any more. Second, because the spares are sometimes not legal copies. And finally, because mechanics for specialized models with time become rare. Being not able to list all the countries of the world we concentrated ourselves on the preferred destinations of Europeans, in particular the Mediterranean basin. And as the result we found very decayed apparatuses here, just like in certain countries of South America, Africa and Eastern Europe.
Flying antiquities
DC 3 : it is the oldest plane and still in service. Certain apparatuses are 45 years old! Last delivery of these propeller planes was at the end of the fifties:
- Air Pony Express train, the United States
- Dried up, Viarco, Colombia
- Aerovanguardia, Colombia
- Fly LPI, Spain
Caravelles : last delivery in 1973 for the most recent model, Caravel 12. At least three of these “old men of the airs” still fly to Africa, in particular one to Angola, and another, of the Waltair company, to Rwanda.
Tupolev TU-134 : more than 350 of these twin-jet aircrafts still fly, primarily to Russia and in the countries of the old communist bloc, although the production stopped in 1984:
- Albanian Airlines, Albania
- Aeroflot Gift, Russia
- Northern Aeroflot, Russia
- AeroRent, Russia
- Airlines400, Russia
- I Alania Airline, Russia
- Antonov AN-24: first flight for this small size in 1960!
- Weasua Air Transport, Liberia
- Aviostart, Bulgaria
- Rubisair, Afghanistan
- Adygheya Avia, Russia
- Northern Aeroflot, Russia
- Marsland Aviation, Sudan
Boeing 707 : lthe first commercial flight took place in 1958 and the last delivery was with a civil company, in April 1978:
- Air Memphis, Egypt
- Tristar, Egypt
- Saha Air, Iran
- Ethiopian Airlines, Uganda
the planes nests the problem
Yakovlev Yak-40 : : between 1968 and 1981 1011 Yak 40 left Saratov for the majority destination of Aeroflot and for the export, mainly in the countries of the communist bloc or the ones in the process of development. In spite of the stop of the production of this plane, certainly considered as highly reliable and robust there is more than twenty years as 400 are still in service, in particular at:
- Weasua Air Transport, Liberia
- Aerobratsk, Russia
- Aero Rent, Russia
- Aist Mr. Airclub, Russia
- Albanian Airlines, Albania
- Hemus Air, Bulgaria
- Uzbekistan AW, Uzbekistan
Ilyushin II-62M : : long Russian mail accomplishes its first flight in March 1969 and enters in service in Aeroflot in January 1974. This version was a certain success exported among the companies of the communist bloc. Last delivery was in 1996:
-Airlines 400, Russie
Ilyushin II-86 : last delivery was in 1994 for this large transport aircraft brought into service in 1980 by Aeroflot:
-Aeroflof, Russia
Tupolev TU-154 : startup in 1984, production stopped:
- Albanian Airlines, Albania
-Bulgarian Air Charter, Bulgaria
- Aeroflot Gift, Russia
- Northern Aeroflot, Russia
- Aeroflot, Russia
- Aerokuzbass, Russia
- Airlines 400, Russia
- SibirAirlinés, Russia
Boeing 727-200 : last delivery in April 1983 :
-Iraqi AW, Irak
-Chanchangi Airlines, Nigeria
Boeing 737-200 : the last 737 of this second model of jet liner was the most sold in the world (5000 orders in October 2001) was delivered in 1971 and 1985 for its modernized version 200 C:
- AMC Airlines, Egypt
- Royal Air Morocco, Morocco
- Karthago Airlines, Tunisia
- Air Algeria, Algeria
- Tuninter, Tunisia
- Tunisair, Tunisia
- PhuketAirlines, Thailand
- Aerolineas Argentinas, Argentina
- American Falcon, Argentina
- Austral, Argentina
- LAM, Mozambique
- Bulgaria Air, Bulgaria
- AirGabon, Gabon
- VASP, Brazil
Fokker F28-1000 : last delivery with a civil customer for this twin-jet aircraft of 70 places was in February 1977 :
- East African Safari Air, Kenya
- American Falcon, Argentina
- Austral, Argentina
- Tans Airlines, Peru
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
General rules
* avoid the outward signs of wealth such as jewels and cloth of high value which attract attention or any pretensions;
* be particularly vigilant during operations with distributors of tickets both by day like by night;
* never exchange money with help of “changer” from the street;
* do not resist the attacker who uses cold steel or any other arms;
* do not carry with you big sums of money to give it in case of aggression;
* accept with prudence any new acquaintance or local friendship;
* keep always with you number of your consulate or the person to be prevented in case of urgency;
* Read the article : the most dangerous countries in the world
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
