Petty Gripes
Our guide puts his finger to his lips. We mustn’t disturb them in case they run for it. “They’re very sensitive to intrusion,” he says. “The slightest disruption can make them squawk in anguished pain. And if the herd starts stampeding, they can start lashing out wildly without any rhyme or reason.” We’re huddled behind [...]
Continue reading about On safari in Jordan: The world’s new wildlife-spotting hotspot
I’m sceptical about hotels that try to claim green credentials at the best of times, but some of the “environmentally-friendly” claptrap rang particularly hollow on my recent trip to the States. Just about every hotel does it these days – puts the sign up in the bathroom asking you to re-use the towels as constantly [...]
Florida road-trip My recent jaunt around Florida has been something of an eye-opener. I don’t think I’ve ever been anywhere else where I’ve enjoyed so much of what I’ve done without actually liking the place itself. Key West is an honourable, brilliant exception to this, but I found the feel of the state as a [...]
Continue reading about The percentage game: Florida’s tipping trickery
Misery at Orlando Airport Last Saturday afternoon, I touched down at Orlando International Airport. Two hours and fifteen minutes later, I was still on the plane. We weren’t allowed off because the immigration hall was full. Eventually, we were allowed in for the privilege of standing in the snaking queue for another hour and fifteen [...]
One-on-one tour On the e-mail, the words I secretly dread appeared. “We can offer you a guide for three hours,” it said. My heart sank. In many ways, having a personal, one-on-one guided tour around a city should be the ideal way to discover it. They can show you the best bits, explain the history [...]
Continue reading about Why private tours don’t work (for me)
An approach… I want to share an e-mail I received last night with you all. It went as follows (with the odd bit of evidence blanked out): “Sorry for the unannounced email. The reason I am contacting you is because we are running a competition for [redacted product aimed at 16 to 25 year [...]
Continue reading about How not to promote your product on travel sites and blogs
Tapped in the head? I spent last weekend in Chester – nice city, great zoo – and stayed at the Abode hotel. Whilst there, I again encountered something that I find rather perplexing. In the bathroom, there were two unmarked taps, with no indication as to which was hot and which was cold. No little [...]
Ask the concierge? Having spent the last week travelling around Switzerland and openly weeping at the cost of, well, absolutely everything, I’ve made unusually frequent encounters with people I don’t usually trust. Common consensus has it that hotel concierges are an excellent source of knowledge about the city they work in. They know where the [...]
The right brand name The right brand name is undeniably important, and some companies spend millions on picking the right one. It is, therefore, probably quite annoying when people spell that brand name incorrectly. I should know – my surname seems to take on numerous variations when people try to spell it, and this really [...]
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Must have breakfast… There is a mystifying tribe of people roaming this planet for whom not being able to eat breakfast at their hotel is an absolute deal-breaker. These are the people who will insist on booking on a bed and breakfast basis, even though it’s basically the same as the room-only rate with another [...]
Continue reading about The strange fantasy world of hotel breakfast pricing