Travel Movie: The Beach

The Beach (2000), with Leonardo Dicaprio and an array of impressive supporting actors (Robert Carlyle, Tilda Swinton), directed by the famous Danny Boyle, suffered serious criticism on a number of counts but its status as a classic travel movie has never been disputed. The Thailand locations had armchair travellers the world over slavering in ecstasy, and the desire for freedom and escape encapsulated in the movie appealed to generations of backpackers keen to travel off the beaten track.

The film was shot largely on Ko Phi Phi Leh, an island near Phuket, Thailand, and the famous beach is actually called Hat Maya. The beautiful waterfall featured in the movie is not on the island; it is Haeo Suwat Falls and can be found in Thailand’s  Khao Yai National Park.

Haeo Suwat Falls

The great controversy of the filmmaking process, and a serious gripe for eco-warriors, was the apparent necessity to make the Hat Maya Beach more ‘perfect’ by bulldozing parts of it to make it flatter, and planting imported palm trees. This modification actually led to a number of court cases. Extra mountains were also added digitally in post-production to make the scenery more dramatic.

Hat Maya Beach

Any superficial damage the film may have done to this Thai paradise was swamped by the devastation of the 2004 Tsunami. The island has thankfully recovered fully since then and is once again a popular tourist excursion. Although at the time it came out Thailand’s authorities threatened to ban the film – because they thought it portrayed their country unfairly as a drug haven – it has since been noted that The Beach substantially increased tourism to the region.

The actual beach is not remote and inaccessible and you can reach it without swimming long distances in open ocean, sneaking through marijuana plantations, and leaping off waterfalls. There is a daily ferry from Phuket Pier and Krabi which will get you there in about 90 minutes.

The bay of Ko Phi Phi Leh

The film has survived in pop culture mainly because its locations so captured the collective imagination. It was a great disappointment to fans of Alex Garland’s eponymous book which had a far more complex plot. It was a book, however, which begged for a movie version and although it met with serious complaints from reviewers you will struggle to find a film more visually enticing.

Verdict: rent it

5 Tips for Using Technology While You Travel

5 Tips for Using Technology While You Travel

Twitter

While many people still consider Twitter a place to post pictures of their lunch and hear from their favourite celebrities, the site has become an invaluable tool for communicating with large companies who keep a close eye on any negative PR. The best examples are airlines, who are often faster in responding to tweets than via phone or even in person! If your flight gets cancelled or you have problems with online check-in, don't be afraid to voice your complaint.

Facebook

Heading to Cape Town to take in the view from Table Mountain? Did you know you can win free tickets on their Facebook page? How about the Minnesota State Fair, who's page offers giveaways for the nightly concerts? Check out your destinations and events before you go, and even if you can't score free stuff, you'll get the heads up on anything new and exciting and have the chance to ask questions.

Groupon

You've probably used Groupon (or similar group-buying sites) at home, but have you considered using it while you're on vacation? Sign up for email alerts for the cities you plan to visit, and you may come out with a half-price dinner or discounted amusement park ticket. Best to do this a few months in advance, but look carefully at terms and conditions... especially expiration dates!

Skype

Skype has always been a great tool for communicating with people halfway around the world, and with the rise of smartphones and tablets it's become even more convenient. Take advantage of the free wifi offered in many coffeeshops, bars, and other places to say hi to loved ones, or check in at the office.

Apps

We've done several posts on terrific travel apps, but the best ones are often specific to your location. Have a connection Amsterdam Schiphol? Download their free app to check your departure gate and flight status. There are also great nightlife and event apps available for most major cities, and even tour guides for museums and historical sites. It pays to check out the attraction's website (or contact them on Facebook) to find out if they have one... it can be a great freebie!

Travel Movie: Out of Africa

 “I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills…” starts the iconic film Out of Africa, accompanied by sweeping vistas of African savannah. The film has become famous for its beautiful scenery, capturing the feel of a colonial farm in Africa at the beginning of the 20^th century.

Aside from a few scenes that supposedly take place in Denmark but were really shot in Surrey, the movie was shot on location in Kenya, at the foot of the Ngong Hills. The hills are of course still there today, easily accessible by just a short car ride and full of many luxury wildlife resorts. The famous hair-washing scene was shot in the foothills with the actors surrounded by assistants, ready to chase away lions with high-pressure fire extinguishers.

While the farm house in the movie was made to look as believable as possible, it wasn’t the original. By 1985, when the movie was shot, Karen Blixen’s farmhouse had turned into a government college of nutrition and wasn’t available for use. However, close by there was an abandoned house that had belonged to the first Kenyan president’s wife. Set builders worked hard to turn the crumbling house into a close approximation of Karen Blixen’s original house, including adding an extra wing.

In response to the movie and its success, the Kenyan government turned the house into a museum in 1986, and named the district (now a part of Nairobi) Karen. Travellers who happen to be big fans of the film can today visit the original house.

Set designers had local women help them out by building traditional thatched huts to use for the movie's village scenes. The local women built the huts much more quickly than the workers transforming the main farmhouse, and by the time filming could start, locals had moved into the set's thatch hut village, giving the village an authentic, lived-in look.

Aside from Karen’s house, the only other building that plays much of a role in the film is the Muthaiga Country Club, where Karen first meets Denys. While the original country club visited by Karen Blixen did still exist and does to this day, set designers built a replica across from the house chosen as Karen Blixen’s. Visitors can today go to the original Muthaiga Country Club, although women won’t be allowed in the members’ bar – Karen Blixen is, to this day, the only woman who has been allowed a drink there.

Travel Movie: Amelie

Amelie is a quirky romantic comedy by French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and in his distinctive style he paints an intimate picture of Paris and its eccentric residents.

The fanciful world of Amelie may appear to be anything but reality, but the locations featured in the sweet film are all real places in Paris.

Visitors to Paris can't help but travel on the Metro, and you can visit Abbesses Station (where she first sees Nino) and Lamarck-Caulaincourt (where she leaves the blind man).

Amelie works in the Cafe des Deux Moulins (Two Windmills), located at 15 rue Lepic, and the infamous fruit stand she lives above is Le Marche de la Butte, at 56 rue de Trois Freres.

A pivotal scene in the movie, when Amelie leads Nino on a wild goose chase through a park, is set in the park below Sacre Coeur, and visitors can take a look through the coin-operated binoculars or have a ride on the carousel.

Verdict: Rent it

Electronic Music Cruises

It may be the next big thing in cruising... party cruises are taking over the market for the new generation of cruise-goers.

The Holy Ship! cruise launches from Fort Lauderdale on Friday, promising top acts like Fatboy Slim, Skrillex, Laidback Luke, Diplo, Rusko, A-Trak, and DJ Aero with Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee. The cruise will also feature activities like DJ-led poker and yoga classes.

But Holy Ship! isn't the first of its kind. The annual Rock the Boat cruise is a popular event on the South African calendar, sailing between Durban and Mozambique each December and featuring more than a dozen electronic and rock acts along with comedians, movie theatres, a casino and other activities.

Paul Oakenfold hosted another electronic music cruise in 2010 called Perfecto at Sea. While electronic music cruises are still a minor part of the cruise market, they represent the rapid expansion for mainstream dance music, which has largely been restricted to nightclubs and electronic music festivals.

Is this the future of cruises? Less shuffleboard and more 'Everyday I'm Shuffling'? What do you think? Tell us in the comments!

Image from NME.com

5 Most Disappointing Attractions in Europe

There are world-famous attractions that people dream of seeing their whole lives, but many of them don't (or can't) live up to that amount of hype. In fact, there's a whole phenomenon (Paris Syndrome) that occurs in extreme cases when the reality just doesn't match up with the fantasy.

Here are our top five most disappointing attractions in Europe:

Manneken Pis (Belgium) - Can you spot the world-famous attraction in the picture above? A little difficult, isn't it? Unfortunately the Manneken Pis, a cheeky fountain of a naked little boy peeing from atop a pedestal, is a quirky attraction that has been completely overwhelmed by the hordes that come to photograph it. To top it off, the city of Brussels often insists on dressing the poor lad in outlandish seasonal costumes that completely obscure it.

Photo by Henry Sivonen

Eiffel Tower (Paris) - Now before you get upset with me, I'm not saying you shouldn't see the Eiffel Tower... you most definitely should. What I'm suggesting is that the rather nice view from the top is not worth spending three hours of your Paris holiday in a queue. There are other lovely places to get panoramic views of Paris from, like La Tour Montparnasse or La Sacre Coeur in Montmarte.

Photo by Andrew Crump

Loch Ness (Scotland) - See that pretty, tranquil, and rather mundane lake pictured above? That's Loch Ness. Yup, that's it. Looks like most lakes you've seen right? Now you can stop kidding yourself that you'll be the person to finally spot the fabled Loch Ness Monster and admit that the only thing waiting for you there is overpriced plush seamonsters. Granted, there are some nice castles nearby, but whether that's worth taking the trip out is another matter.

Photo by Dave Conner

Mona Lisa (Paris) - Of all the thousands of priceless works of art in the Louvre Museum, the Mona Lisa is the one everyone makes a beeline for. One of the most well-known paintings in the world, the subtle beauty and timeless mystery of the masterpiece are best enjoyed at home with a detailed picture, as this is likely to be the best view you get (unless you're exceptionally pushy).

Photo by Leandro Neumann Ciuffo

Gondola Rides (Venice) - It's a romantic image: two people sitting cosily in a gondola while their gondolier serenades them with Verdi operettas as he glides them through the Grand Canals of Venice . Unfortunately the smooth ride resembles Friday afternoon gridlock, with boatloads of tourists snapping pictures of each other as they squeeze past each other. The rides are also prohibitively expensive, starting at €80 for 40 minutes and getting even pricier after dark.

Photo by NH53

Word Travels Forum Round-Up #36

Welcome to Monday at the WT Blog! You may have noticed we look a little different this week. We're trying out a new design with a fresh feel to give you a better idea of what's been happening in the world of travel. Let us know in the comments what you think!

In the meantime, we're keeping it consistent with the usual Monday forum round-up. Here are a few of the hottest topics on our forum boards:

Honeymoon in Cuba

Safe to swim in Cape Town?

Schengen visa expiry

Port El Kantaoui

If you've got a question, you can ask it yourself by signing up for the Word Travels forum! It's free to join, and you'll get access to our local experts and tour operators who are waiting to assist you in planning your dream holiday!

Image from here.