Word Travels Forum Round-Up #35

Time for another Word Travels forum round-up! These are the hot travel topics on our forum, with some great insights for anyone about to set off on their dream vacation!

Avoiding dysentary in India

Do cruise passengers need transit visas?

Safety in Brazil

Using Couchsurfing website

If you have some questions you're itching to ask, sign up at the travel forum today and get stared! It's free, and our well-travelled and knowledgeable experts are waiting to help you!

Image from here.

5 Controversial Kinds of Travel

Most of us travel for the same reasons: to see a new place, relax and unwind, or do something that we enjoy. But in the 21st century, with any worldwide destination no more than a day's journey away, people are travelling for entirely new reasons. Some of these are quite controversial, and come under fire from various groups.

We've compiled a list of five controversial kinds of travel that for the most part didn't exist last century. Here they are:

Medical Tourism - Sure, buses of pensioners head from the US to Canada to get cheaper medicine, but would you go abroad for a major procedure? One of the most popular kinds of medical tourism is plastic surgery: those with the cash can hop on a plane, spend a month relaxing in a resort, and come home with a tan and a new nose!

Controversy: It's hard to gauge the quality of facilities in other countries, and there are horror stories floating around of scam artists in back-alley clinics using unsafe equipment and techniques.

Medical tourism destinations: Belgium, South Africa, Mexico

Dark Tourism - Also called 'black' tourism or grief tourism, Dark Tourism involves travel to places that are associated with death and suffering. Well-known examples include former Nazi concentration camps, Chernobyl, and gruesome attractions like the London Dungeons.

Controversy: While most people agree that it is important to remember atrocities and genocides in order to ensure they never happen again, some argue that promoting them as tourism destinations glamorises violence.

Dark tourism destinations: Germany, Ukraine, Cambodia, Rwanda

Voluntourism - While many of us choose to use our vacation time to relax or visit family, some are opting to donate their time to charity and volunteer with charities or non-profits as they holiday in exotic destinations. Volunteers pay their own way, but spend part or all of their holiday working with conservation groups or aid organisations.

Controversy: While there is a definite 'feel good' aspect to voluntourism, many argue that a steady stream of unskilled volunteer labour denies jobs to locals and benefits poor communities less than funding skilled, long-term workers.

Voluntourism destinations: Brazil, Tanzania, Malaysia

Suicide Tourism - In most countries euthanasia is illegal, so some people with terminal illnesses opt to travel to countries that allow the practise to end their lives legally and painlessly. While there are infamous places that attract high numbers of suicides (the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Aokigahara Forest in Japan, for example), suicide tourism is focused on assisted suicide.

Controversy: The controversy over the practise of assisted suicide is hotly debated in many countries.

Suicide tourism destinations: Switzerland, Belgium, Cambodia, Oregon

Antitourism - Some people just don't like to be told where they can't go. In fact, a small number of travellers find a thrill in going to places that they shouldn't, that no one else will visit. The State Department's Travel Warning list reads like a bucket list to these adventurers. Also known as 'macho' tourism, antitourists purposefully seek out dangerous destinations for unique experiences and bragging rights.

Controversy: There's an obvious danger factor, and many consider antitourism unnecessarily reckless. Adventurous travellers who get into trouble cost government money and resources to assist.

Antitourism destinations: North Korea, Bahrain, Iran

Travel Movie: Rio

Blu is a domesticated Macaw that never learned to fly. Now his owners are taking him from his home in Minnesota to the exotic city of Rio de Janeiro to mate him with the last female of his species.

You can bet that they'll bicker and fight for most of the movie while getting into trouble and learning about themselves through a series of wacky adventures. They'll also meet a colourful bunch of animal friends. I'd hate to spoil the ending so I won't tell you if they end up falling in love or not (what do you think).

More in the vein of Madagascar and Ice Age than Toy Story and The Incredibles, Rio is a fairly predictable children's film with a bunch of adult jokes and pop culture references thrown in to entertain parents.

Verdict: Rent it

Win a trip to Rio de Janeiro!

You could be jetting off to a free holiday in Brazil with roundtrip airfare to Rio de Janeiro courtesy of Ipanema Canada!

Open to Canadian residents. Contest details here.

Top 5 Places to Travel in March

You've got some vacation days saved up, and it's time to use it. What are the best places to travel in March? We've found them for you:

Colorado - One of the best times to go skiing in Colorado is March when most of the tourists have left for the season. The prices are significantly reduced, not only in hotels and lodges, but also ski lifts, food and even shopping. With heavy snowfall, blue skies and moderate temperatures, carving through the silky powder down soft white slopes is enough to make any traveller weak at the knees. From Telluride and Steamboat to Aspen and Vail, there are plenty of resorts to enjoy some spring time snow.

Rio de Janeiro - Always a party destination, Rio de Janeiro kicks things into high gear in March with the famous (or infamous) Rio Carnival. Dazzling bright colours, hot samba music, elaborate costume balls and thousands of people having a great time are the order of the day. You can also enjoy Rio's other attractions, like Ipanema beach, the iconic Christ the Redeemerstatue, and a trip to Iguaçu Falls.

Cambodia - Cambodia’s dry season is by far the best time to visit this land off the beaten track. From majestic ruins in Angkor to temples in Phnom Penh and beautiful beaches and islands, Cambodia is a treasure trove of delights just waiting to be discovered. Spend a few days cruising the Mekong River from Phnom Penh taking in the Cambodian landscape along the way. Pass through Kompong Chhnang to visit the market and pottery village, marvel at Southeast Asia’s largest lake, Tonle Sap, and shop at the largest floating village at Kompong Luong before descending on Siem Reap and the World Heritage Site of the Temples of Angkor.

Thailand - While Thailand is a popular travel destination at any time of the year, March hits the sweet spot of low season and you'll benefit from the smaller crowds and lower prices. March can be warm, but not as warm as April and May. Take advantage of the ideal weather by sunning on a beach in Phuket, exploring the nightlife of Bangkok, and soaking up the culture of Chiang Mai.

Ireland - When one thinks of Ireland, there’s only one month that springs to mind: March 17th is St Patrick’s Day, which has become synonymous the world over with all things Irish. Although the weather may not be the best, the atmosphere and energy is electric with much revelry, Guinness and craic surrounding the annual St Patrick’s Day celebrations. Dublin is always heaving in March when the biggest and best St Patrick’s Day Festival sees thousands of visitors flocking to the Irish capital. For a 100% authentic Irish experience, head to Galway or Cork to enjoy some traditional dancing, a single malt whiskey and a hearty meal.

4 Islands You Wouldn't Want to Visit

We tend to concentrate on places that sound fantastic to visit, but there are a few islands that don't sound great for romantic getaways. Here are four islands you wouldn't want to visit:

Poveglia Island

Located between Venice and Lido in Italy, Poveglia island has a dark and gruesome history. It was traditionally the place where plague sufferers were exiled (and sometimes murdered), and in the 20th century was reportedly used as a mental asylum. Rumours and myth are hard to distinguish, but no one seems to want to live there and it is still uninhabited today.

Ilha de Queimada Grande

While tropical islands come at a premium and developers fight over building rights for luxury resorts, no one is fighting over the lovely Ilha de Queimada Grande in Brazil, or even trying to go. That's because there's an estimated 4-5 snakes per square metre there. And we're not talking harmless garden snakes, but huge poisonous golden lanceheads.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Not so much an island as a nightmare, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (also known as the Pacific Trash Vortex) is a mass the size of Texas floating somewhere in the central Pacific Ocean. It is made up entirely of trash brought to a specific point by ocean currents. Heart-breaking images have surfaced of turtles, birds and fish who have died from ingesting the plastic debris.

Izu Islands

Residents of several islands in the Izu archipelago of Japan are required to carry gas masks with them wherever they go. Why? The ever-present volcanic emissions, which give the island the pervading stench of rotten eggs.

Top 5 Local Drinks You Have to Try

Everyone knows that in Mexico you drink tequila, in Japan you drink sake, in Greece you drink ouzo, and in Ireland you drink Guinness. But there are other, really interesting drinks that you'll only find in certain places all over the world. Here's our global pub crawl, and top five local drinks you have to try:

Palm Wine (Nigeria)

Made famous by the Fela Kuti song, palm wine (or palm toddy) is made from the sap of various palm trees, which is then fermented. It tastes light and sweet, more like a weak cider (4%) than a wine.

Feni (India)

Popular at trance parties in Goa, feni is a liquor distilled from cashews or coconuts, sometimes with lime or lemon infused. It's a strong drink (42%), with a powerful aroma. Be careful to buy it somewhere reputable.

Lao-Lao (Laos)

This Laotian rice whisky is often called Snake Whiskey or Scorpion Whiskey, depending on which creepy-crawly is inserted into the bottles sold to tourists. It's strong (40-45%), but has a mild vanilla-like flavour that mixes well with fruit juice.

Cachaça (Brazil)

The most popular drink in Brazil, which consumes over 1.5 billion litres annually. Distilled from fermented sugarcane, it has a rum-like flavour and a strong kick (up to 54%). It's most popular as a traditional part of the famous caipirinha cocktail.

Palinka (Hungary)

A traditional Hungarian brandy, Palinka is made from a variety of fruits including plums, pears, apricots, apples, and cherries. The strength varies from 40-80%. Locals say it is best drunk as a shot at a temperature warm enough to smell the fruit.

Top 5 Cities for New Year’s Eve Parties

For many people, the New Year's Eve celebrations in New York City are the beginning and end of the story. But there are a number of cities around the world that give the Big Apple a run for her money when ringing in the new year. Here are some of our favourite New Year's Eve parties worldwide:

Rio de Janeiro

Brazilians know how to party, and Rio's New Year (Reveillon) celebrations are ranked among the world's biggest extravaganzas. Over two million people head to Copacabana Beach, where revellers in white throw flowers into the sea to mark the passing of the year. There are massive fireworks displays, music concerts, dancing and parties everywhere you look.

Goa

Goa’s beachfront trance parties are somewhat legendary in the worldwide party community. Dancers with a lot of stamina groove to psychedelic music under the stars, and may catch a glimpse of famous Bollywood stars as well. Try a glass a fenny, an alcoholic drink made from guava, coconut or cashew nuts.

Prague

Prague's Christmas celebrations continue full-tilt into the new year, with Christmas markets in Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square serving up hot food and drinks. You can choose between the elegant New Year's Eve gala ball at the Prague State Opera, or the more rowdy parties in any of the city's bars and pubs. Don't forget to watch the spectacular fireworks displays from Charles Bridge.

Reykjavik

Known to some as the 'party capital of the north', Reykjavik really lets loose on New Year's Eve. Icelandic fireworks laws are relaxed for a few days, meaning anyone can set off their own display and the skies are constantly lit up with bright-coloured light flowers, against a backdrop of the spectacular Northern Lights. Other than that, you may encounter friendly bonfires where stories are told, songs are sung, and drinks are shared.

Cape Town

Thousands of minstrels take to the streets in a dazzling display of colourful satin uniforms, shiny parasols, painted faces and foot-tapping banjo tunes that accompany the traditional Cape Malay folk songs. The Cape Town Minstrel Carnival begins in the new year and the festivities continue into January with extravagant street parades; singing, dancing, costume competitions and marches through the streets from the central city area of District Six.

Salvador da Bahia

As the Northern Hemisphere is pounded with snow and ice and the mercury dips ridiculously low, you can't help but dream of a tropical getaway. .. and the only thing wrong with the excellent beaches in Salvador da Bahia is that visitors are spoilt for choice. The range extends from calm coves (ideal for swimming, sailing and underwater fishing, such as Porto da Barra beach) to wild beaches facing the Atlantic Ocean, such as Aleluia beach, which attracts surfers. Some beaches are surrounded by coral reefs, forming natural swimming pools that are ideal for children. The beaches are the location for many of Salvador's great festivals, including the New Year festivities, which include performances and an impressive fireworks display.

The spicy atmosphere of this delightfully decadent city in Brazil is best soaked up on foot, within the narrow streets and in the markets, the best of which is the Mercado Modelo arts and crafts market. Most churches are open to the public and many have been turned into museums. One of the city's more unusual experiences is to ride the Elevador Lacerda, an Art Deco structure housing old electric elevators that carry passengers between the port and the old historic part of the town, on the hill.

Read more about Salvador here.