TravBuddy Blog

One of the US's iconic hiking spots, Yosemite National Park's striking yet comparatively crowded Half Dome, is fast becoming a hot news item, with newfound restrictions causing controversy amongst those who say the restrictions will ruin the experience, as well as other groups who say that they don't go anything like far enough. A new report has opened the classic hike - considered all but unclimbable to non-professionals only a few decades ago - up to a range of options to restrict the number of hikers climbing in this part of Yosemite, which recently peaked at a daily visitor count of 1,200 plus. The site was once an isolated spot reserved for serious hikers, but a growing reputation and aids to the climb have made even the 45 degree final assent accessible to anyone reasonably fit and mobile.

that 45 degree ascent seems likely to be the target of any adjustments, with many more-experienced hikers and locals backing the report's suggestion that the ropes assisting with that final segment be removed, meaning that only those with plenty of technical aptitude can safely scale the peak to the very top (we can’t help seeing a huge potential risk here…). The argument centres around the idea that using the man-made assistance in reaching the peak takes away from the wilderness experience altogether, rendering it too accessible and removing the original appeal. The Californian Park and its regulars are frustrated with the ease of the experience, and the inauthentic feel that they claim it now holds.

Airlines are a somewhat essential part of travel. Well, unless you prefer the overland route, which has plenty of benefits but the obvious drawback of taking a comparatively excessive amount of time. Which I, for one, don't have the finances to spare. Many airlines, though, can ramble on about customer service as much as they like, but for many of us, the hours we spend waiting for, stuck in or departing a small metal tube are amongst the worst of a trip. It's not entirely the airline’s fault, of course, and there's been plenty in the way of development by airlines over the past few decades, not least when it comes to entertainment. There's a depressing sense, though, that most of the problems with airlines are self-inflicted, cost-saving measures that - while we might like the results price wise - account for a pathetically small saving in real terms. Here are the ones that particularly irritate, and how we’d like the airlines to deal with them:

Take responsibility. Pretty much every other business in the world has to accept responsibility when they're unable to provide a service that they've sold, and that includes all reasonable expenses. Trying to avoid them, as so often happens, is really not the passenger's problem. If you know who's responsible, write that into their contract. It doesn't take away from your responsibility to the passenger. If it's the weather, or an 'act of God', that's part of your business risk. You still haven't fulfilled your contract with the passenger, and so you're still responsible. UPS, for example, who also rely on the weather for on-time deliveries, certainly couldn't get away with 'it got a bit too windy'.

Price transparency is important. Nobody's impressed by the advertising of cheap prices which turn out to be completely false once you've added on fees for EU charges, fuel, credit cards, hefty taxes and anything else you can think of excluding from the original pricing system. In fact, we're nothing but irritated. It makes sense to break things down into the cost for various quantities of luggage, for example, but there's a right and wrong way to do that. Aer Lingus have the right idea (see below), by delivering a transparent system. Not showing the full price, including all unavoidable fees on the first search is just unacceptable.

Recently, there has been a trend to shine a spotlight on television and real life episodes that allow people to experience life in less than ideal situations. From “a day in the life” television series like Undercover Bosses to hidden cameras shows that follow skinny people made up in a “fat suit”.

As a regular traveler, I obviously see a lot of disabled people or families with young children at nearly every airport. I often think “oh lucky them” as they pre-board long before Business Class or Elite members, having time to get settled in and their pick of overhead baggage space.

This weekend, I got to experience life as a disabled traveler for 36 hours, and it was an incredibly eye-opening one – I will never ever say “lucky them” again.

When people speak of Thailand, they invariably point to the extremities. Sure, there's plenty to love about Bangkok, but the rave reviews are usually reserved for the stunning beaches of the southern extension, or for the thick jungle regions of the far north. Fantastic experiences they are, too, whether you're in it for the wildlife, the relaxation, the parties or even - dare we say it - the cultural experience. That last one, though, is best served by heading to somewhere just a little bit more reserved. Sure, we can't deny that the old moated capital of Ayutthaya appears prominently in the pages of pretty much every guide book, but what they often fail to portray is just how magical this place can really be.

Once upon a time, Ayutthaya was the centre of the empire of Siam, and amongst the biggest cities in the world. The heart of the city is now split into two parts: the small town centre end of the island (which is nicely enclosed in that charming rectangular river flowing around it as a moat), and the untouched, mountainous array of crumbling old buildings at the other. Most of the stone buildings are temples, ranging from huge, creeper-coated bell monuments to soaring, phallic red-brick structures each dating back three hundred years or more. Walking around, you'll stumble across hundreds of the things, most of them entirely open to the public (most seem to climb up on the monuments, but taking a little responsibility for these spectacular monuments and staying off them is certainly preferable). In amongst all the temples, purple-clad monks dress the Buddha statues in gold robes and meditate quietly under trees. Even the grassland is a bit special, with 10cm centipedes distracting from the temples themselves. The town's only weakness, perhaps, is how little the museum does to explain the place.

I have a strained relationship with credit cards. They have a dreadful tendency to defy all basic common sense and give the user a belief that they have more money to play with than they actually do, and the ludicrous mentality that comes with them has got me in a little financial difficulty more than once. The fact is, though, if you're the type that can use credit cards sensibly, paying off in full each month, and not allowing yourself to forget that you're always operating a month out of sync financially, you can build up airmiles by the bucket load and travel for nearly nothing. Building up airmiles without actually setting foot on an airplane cannot be a bad thing! Here are a few cards that offer either free travel or free airmiles in exchange for what we would consider to be reasonable, normal use. As an added bonus, when you're travelling, credit cards generally provide substantially better protection in terms of fraud issues than debit cards.

Ryanair Credit Card. If you use Ryanair, you're probably in it for the cheap flights rather than service, but why not avoid paying for flights at all? Just by signing up for this card and using it once, you'll get a free return flight within Europe (selected routes, but they're fairly extensive), and for every 2000 Euro spent on it inside a quarter you'll get another one, as well as a bonus flight for every five you book on the card within a block of either the first or last six months of the year. That could add up to a lot of free flights - seems a no brainer to me. Then again, I do live in Ryanair central... (link)

American Airlines Credit Card. Grab up to 40,000 American Airlines miles simply through sign up bonuses (spending required), and loads more from normal spending, which can then be converted into a major flight reduction. This particular card is heavily recommended by one blogger who managed to spend nine months travelling in nine countries and 15 different cities for just $418, as being the best one he used to get deals. The credit conditions could be better, but then again, you're going to pay it off in full every month anyway, right?(link).