Notes when traveling abroad

Statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: Fodors Travel Guide

As tourism recovers from the pandemic, some of the challenges and downsides of destinations will not be communicated to visitors, so you should prepare well to have a complete vacation.

Disappointing Destinations

Famous for its powdery white sand and Atlantic Ocean waves, Camps Bay in Cape Town has been voted the best beach in South Africa. The Twelve Apostles mountain range is also part of Table Mountain National Park.

When surfing, visitors will feel the water is very cold due to the influence of the Antarctic currents. This will make you regret traveling to Cape Town because no one told you about this. The solution to this problem is to drive to the nearby town of Muizenberg, the water is a little warmer.

Turisme de Barcelona is one of the cities with the highest levels of pickpocketing in Spain. In the first six months of 2019, 67,637 non-violent robberies were recorded in the Catalan capital. The central Las Ramblas, with its wide, tree-lined pedestrian street, will help reduce the incidence of robberies.

Similarly, tourism chiefs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, have failed to mention a spate of robberies as hikers make their way to the Christ the Redeemer statue.

Although the chances of being attacked by armed youths are low, this is the most dangerous tourist destination in the world.

Thailand is known as the second most dangerous country to drive in (after South Africa) so visitors should think twice about renting a car or motorbike. When walking you should also be more vigilant about vehicles.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand does not release figures, but there were 21,052 accidents in 2020 and 11,138 in 2021. During the dangerous seven days of Thai New Year 2022 in April, 278 people died. Drunk driving, speeding and not wearing seat belts all contributed to the country’s record-high accident numbers.

Travel agents rarely tell tourists what the weather will be like at their destinations, so it’s a good idea to do some research before booking. Flights and hotel rates are often heavily discounted during low seasons to attract tourists.

The dry, sunny Mediterranean destination can be cold, wet and windy in winter. The calm, turquoise Caribbean gets a bit murkier during hurricane season, which runs from June to September. This is also the wettest time of year in much of Southeast Asia.

What you may not know is that the town of Machu Picchu in Peru is located in a rainforest. Entrance tickets and train tickets are only valid for one day, and if that day is wet or foggy, your vacation will be worse than ever.

Instead, visit from May to October, which are Peru's sunniest and driest months. Sundays can be crowded, as people from nearby Cusco get free entry.

The Egyptian pyramids are another notable destination. Few people realize until they arrive that a suburb of sandblasted, rundown apartments and fast food joints encroaches on the very edge of this world heritage site.

Hollywood (USA) is known for the glamour and romance of famous movies around the world, but when passing through Hollywood Boulevard, tourists will have to witness decadent and dirty images. The area is full of drug addicts. The streets smell of urine and are unsafe.

Book a room

Many people travel during the holiday season. However, this means you need to book your accommodation months in advance. The Rio Carnival in Brazil and the New Orleans Mardi Gras (USA) attract thousands of visitors.

Some tourists to the Grand Canyon (USA) are surprised to discover that overnight reservations at the Phantom Ranch Hotel, the only permanent accommodation at the base of the canyon, must be made at least six months in advance.

To climb Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia's highest peak, or hike New Zealand's Milford Trail, the world's most scenic hiking trail, visitors must also book six months in advance.

Restoration

One issue that needs attention is the restoration or repair of famous tourist attractions. Big Ben in London was repaired from 2017 to 11.2022, the Taj Mahal in India was also restored from 2015-2017 and continued to be repaired in 2019.

As Paris prepares to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, some of the French capital’s monuments are obscured by scaffolding, wooden fences and billboards. Renovations to landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral, which was destroyed by fire in 2019, have disappointed many visitors.

According to Zing