Fashion conscious travelers head into the danger zone
There‘s a burgeoning phenomenon amongst travel buffs these days, perhaps you’ve noticed it; where once they’d smugly discuss a fortnight in Tuscany or Provence these days it seems as likely they’ll be raving about the hitherto undiscovered delights of Bhutan or some equally obscure far flung destination.
Indeed, there seems to be an emerging trend towards going somewhere “different” which inevitably ends up resulting in a kind of travel one-up-manship - the further off the beaten track your last jaunt the more superior you get to feel; it’s a bit like discovering a new band before any of your friends.
In many ways this isn’t surprising; as the whole globe becomes more accessible (and affordable) to every Tom, Dick and Harry the sort of people who like to think of themselves as holidaymaking trail blazers (dubbed ‘ego tourists’) are having to stray further and further from traditional tourist trail.
This global quest for travel unsullied by fellow tourists and, to use a word no doubt favored by ego tourists, “authentic” experiences is leading adventurous travellers to some surprising corners of the world. Amongst the destinations currently being tipped for increased popularity in 2008 are the previously off limits likes of Guatemala and Colombia. Clement Wong, travel and tourism manager at Euromonitor explained the phenomenon to After Hours magazine: "There's a definite trend for people wanting to visit areas that might be thought of as dangerous: Kosovo, Iran, Sierra Leone, Somalia and so on. Part of it is the desire to see, first hand, places that have such a reputation, and the opportunity to explore a tourist-free zone. Being able to visit Chernobyl, or having to take 10 bodyguards out with you are dangers that give some people a buzz and, of course, make for great stories."
So are we set to see spate of kidnappings involving middle class Guardian readers intent on discovering the real Bogota? Whilst the prospect is undoubtedly amusing there must surely be a very real chance that this trend will lead underprepared travellers into some genuinely dangerous situations.
For those intent on exploring more adventurous locales Forbes recently published a list of their top 10 dangerous destinations – be inspired!
- Somalia
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Haiti
- Pakistan
- Sudan
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Lebanon
- Zimbabwe
- Palestinian Territories
Do take precautions – I’d particularly urge intrepid travellers to seriously examine their travel insurance policy. I note for instance that Go Travel's travel insurance policy specifies “Travelling against Foreign Office advice or where it is deemed unsafe for you to travel” as a significant exclusion.
What’s on your must-do list? As well as sunbathing and slinking around in a safari-style cork hat, you’ll need to earn your keep. On Season Workers you’ll find dozens of opportunities, paid and otherwise, that will take you to the furthest corners of the globe. Will you teach footy to Brazilian kids, build an orangutan sanctuary, clean beaches in Costa Rica or run kids’ camps in America? Use this section or our sister website iGapyear.com to find out more.
Madagascar anyone? In the idyllic village of Andavdoaka, Blue Ventures volunteers work to contribute to the sustainable management of the region’s coastal resources. From the team’s basecamp on the edge of the village, volunteers use SCUBA-based research techniques to catalogue and monitor the areas’ uncharted coral reefs and coastal ecosystems. Working alongside an international group of coral reef ecologists and social scientists, volunteers receive intensive training in a variety of disciplines. In addition to PADI advanced SCUBA certification, volunteers are introduced to species identification, marine research methods and coastal ecology.