Posts Tagged ‘travel warning’

United Arab Emirates is tough on British holidaymakers

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

A recently released report by the Foreign office suggests that UK holidaymakers have a better chance of being arrested in the UAE than in any other country in the world.

The report compares the number of British residents to the number of arrests made. The UAE only arrested 294 Brits between March 2008 and April 2009, but when you compare that to the number of Britons that live there as well as visit, the percentage is the highest of anywhere else.

The UAE, being a Muslim country, has very strict laws regarding sexual contact, drugs, and liquor that many Britons are unfamiliar with. Approximately 16% of the Britons arrested were involved with drugs.

Chris Bryant, of the Foreign Office, advises: “Researching the local laws and customs before you travel could avoid time in a foreign jail.”

Britons have recently come under fire all over the world for their bad behavior abroad. The mayor of Riga is an outspoken critic of “Brits abroad” because of incidents envolving urinating on a national monument. A British tourist in Greece was set on fire by a woman in a bar allegedly because he exposed himself.

If you just look at the raw number of UK holidaymakers that are arrested throughout the world, then Spain comes in way out front with 2,290 arrested. The United States arrested the second highest number of UK citizens with 1,534. Thailand, that has the reputation of being very lenient when it comes to tourists, managed to arrest 202 unfortunate Brits.

Thanks to www.telegraph.co.uk for the above quote. For more information on this article please visit their website.

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British holidaymakers robbed in Venezuela

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

Paul Sparrow and Valerie Roberts of Bridport, Dorset were attacked by a gang of knife wielding thieves on the beach near the resort where they were staying on the Venezuelan island of Isla Margarita.

Mr. Sparrow was brutally stabbed in the back and hands several times. The gang initially jumped the couple and tied a noose around the man’s head. Sparrow fought back and that’s when the stabbing occurred.

During the attack, Miss Roberts was also attacked and stabbed repeatedly suffering wounds over most of her body.

“It was 10am and we had gone about 150 yards along the beach and sat on some low level rocks looking at the view when it happened. Before I knew it somebody tied a rope around my neck and held a knife to my throat. ” recounted Mr. Sparrow.

Robbery was the motive of the attackers and the couple’s camera and bag was taken from them.

Miraculously the couple was able to fight off the attackers who eventually ran away. Sparrow and Roberts then managed to limp their way back to the LTI Costa Caribe Beach Hotel where they were staying. They were then taken to a hospital where medical attention was given to their wounds.

Besides being robbed while staying at the resort, they both contracted food poisoning and were confined to their rooms for days.

The couple has hired an attorney and is seeking compensation from First Choice Travel, the British operator who arranged the holiday.

Thanks to www.telegraph.co.uk for the above quote. For more information on this article please visit their website.

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Hornets terrorize holidaymakers in France

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

Colonies of Asian hornets have made their way to southern France and are terrorizing tourists and residents alike. At least 7 people went to the hospital last weekend after being attacked by the same swarm.

Holidaymakers in France are being warned to steer clear of the insects.
The attacks happened in southwestern France where the hornets are most predominating. The swarm attacked two tourists from Holland who were just riding through the area on bicycles. Besides the Dutch, the wasps attacked a mother and daughter strolling along the same section of road and three other people who were passing by during the incident.

The wasps made it into the country hidden unknown in a shipment of Chinese pottery back in 2004. The scientific name for the yellow-footed wasp is “vespa velutina” and they are natural predators of honey bees. They have almost wiped out France’s honey bee population and now they’ve become more aggressive and are turning on tourists.

“From one nest discovered in 2004, there were 2,000 in the Bordeaux area in 2007. Today there are probably several thousand in surrounding departments. According to our studies, they are able to settle in 50 per cent of the country,” explained Denis Thiery who is one of the foremost experts on the subject.

French authorities are warning people not to approach the nests, but to call police for help. The wasps reportedly attack in large swarms whenever they sense a threat.

Thanks to www.telegraph.co.uk for the above quote. For more information on this article please visit their website.

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British teenager attacked in Majorca

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

In another blow to tourism in the troubled Island of Majorca, Alex Hughes, a British teenager on holiday, was attacked by a gang of youths and severely beaten. The sixteen-year-old lad has been hospitalized and is currently listed as being in critical condition.

The beating took place outside of a nightclub in Port d’Andratx where Hughes and some other British youngsters were celebrating. The altercation was apparently provoked by an incident that happened inside of the club involving some local girls and their jealous boyfriends. The Brits were attacked after they left the club.

According to the boy’s grandfather, Les Sims, “They had been out for the evening and a car drove up behind them and youths got out and attacked them. He went to get over a wall with his friend and they hit him over the head with a bottle. He managed to get to his friend’s apartment and his mother and father were there and he actually collapsed there and they got him to hospital straight away.”

Majorca was the scene of a terrorist bombing less than two weeks ago that left two people dead and several injured. The British Foreign Office issued a travel warning after that occurrence. The terrorist attack and the beating are considered to be unrelated, but both have had a negative impact on Majorca’s tourist industry.

So far, no arrests have been made as the Spanish police continue to investigate.

Thanks to www.dailymail.co.uk for the above quote. For more information on this article please visit their website.

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Heavily armed thieves raid cruise ship in Peru

Friday, August 7th, 2009

A cruise ship operated by Aqua Expeditions sailing out of Iquitos, Peru on its way to the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve was raided by gunmen carrying hand grenades yesterday. Several British holidaymakers were among the twenty passengers who were robbed.

The surprise attack happened at dawn during a heavy rainstorm that hampered visibility as the nine-member gang approached the ship. At least two police officers were onboard at the time but they were immediately overrun by the gunmen.

Once onboard, the robbers tied up passengers and made off with jewelry, cameras, money, clothes, and other valuables. A shootout with police occurred as the gunman were fleeing the scene.

Police were able to track the gang into the jungle to the site of their base camp, but the robbers had already fled that scene as well. Some of the stolen goods were recovered from the camp. Police and National Guard troops that ordinarily patrol the area for drug smugglers are in pursuit.

“National Police operations are continuing in the area with reinforcements from anti-drugs officers. We are confident we can capture these criminals in the next few hours.” commented General Miguel Hidalgo chief of National Police.

A similar raid happened earlier this month and the perpetrators remain at large.

Thanks to www.telegraph.co.uk for the above quote. For more information on this article please visit their website.

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French beaches closed because of toxic fumes

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

Rotting seaweed is causing a buildup of toxic fumes along beaches in Brittany in the north of France. Saint-Michel-en-Greve beach has been completely shut down as result.

The fumes are highly toxic to animals and at least one horse has died from inhaling them while its rider was knocked unconscious by the gas.

British Holidaymakers are advised to avoid the beaches in Brittany as at least five of them are unstable at this time.

It’s been determined that the gas is hydrogen sulfide that is produced by the seaweed as it rots. The sun causes the top layer of the seaweed to dry and become brittle trapping the fumes underneath. When the top layer cracks large amounts of the gas are released. The gas is said to be as powerful as cyanide.

“We would advise people to avoid the beaches in this area as the seaweed can give off hydrogen sulphide fumes. This is all a result of a problem with agriculture. Nitrates have got into the water and polluted it,” commented Gilles Youenou from the French Institute for Sea Research and Exploitation.

It was reported that several people have had to be treated at the local hospital in Brittany as a result of being exposed to the fumes.

Thanks to www.telegraph.co.uk for the above quote. For more information on this article please visit their website.

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British tourists attacked on Tobago Island

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

A man 65 years old and his wife of 59 have been hospitalized as a result of a grisly machete attack that happened yesterday in Bacelot on the island of Tobago.

Peter Green and his wife Miriam, both of the UK, had been long-time visitors to the island and actually own a holiday home there. The couple had just arrived back on the island a week ago.

Police are investigating the incident but there are no suspects as of yet. Reportedly the machete that was used in the attack has been recovered. A motive for the attack has not been established and actual details of the crime are sketchy at this point.

The country’s National Security Ministry commented, “The police are doing everything possible to find the attackers.”

The Greens had to be airlifted to a regional hospital shortly after the crime was discovered by a passer-by who saw Mrs. Green lying in the street. Mr. Green is in critical condition. His wife is listed as stable at this time.

This is not the first time that there has been violent assault on tourists on this island. Last year couple from Sweden was stabbed to death and the perpetrator was never caught. Police are saying that the two attacks are similar in nature.

Thanks to www.telegraph.co.uk for the above quote. For more information on this article please visit their website.

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Pneumonic plague threatens China

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

Health authorities from Qinghai province in northwest China have reported an outbreak of the highly infectious disease pneumonic plague.

So far there has been one confirmed death attributed to the disease. A herdsman from the Tibetan area of Ziketan has died. The time of death remains unclear. Besides the herdsman, eleven others from the man’s family are reported to have pneumonic plague, but they have been hospitalized and are recovering.

Chinese authorities are taking no chances and have ordered the entire 1000 square mile area with a population of approximately 10,000 quarantined. A medical team of experts are traveling into the region to monitor the outbreak.

Pneumonic plague is an air born disease that is transmitted between humans by coughing.  It is related to the infamous bubonic plague of the Middle Ages that killed millions. Both deseases originate from the same family of bacteria.

Modern antibiotics can easily treat the old bubonic plague, but pneumonic plague, as found in China, is very difficult to treat and is deadly in many cases. The World Health Organization warns that this particular strain can cause death in as little as 24 hours in most humans.

This is the second occurrence of the disease in China this year. The last case also struck in the Tibetan area and two people died.

Thanks to www.telegraph.co.uk for the above quote. For more information on this article please visit their website.

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Bomb blast rocks Majorca

Friday, July 31st, 2009

A powerful car bomb exploded yesterday in front of a police station in the popular tourist destination of Majorca killing two people. The bombing comes just a day after a similar bombing at a police barracks in Burgos in northern Spain which left sixty officers injured. Police suspect that the Basque separatist organization ETA is responsible

The police station is located right down the street from a popular hotel where British holiday makers were staying. Right after the explosion, that hotel was roped off along with others. The blast was heard a half mile away at the beach.

Immediately following the bombing, sea ports were shut down and the airport was closed in an attempt to prevent the escape of the perpetrators. So far no one has been caught.

In spite of the bombing, Spanish authorities are claiming that the island is safe and are urging holidaymakers not to over react. “We are emphasising that the areas that are popular with tourists are safe. The target of these attacks has never been holidaymakers but the Guardia Civil. Majorca has always been a safe destination to visit and we do not envisage that these attacks will happen again in Majorca” commented a spokesperson from the Spanish Tourist office.

The British Foreign Office, on the other hand, considers the area to have a high threat of terrorist attack.

Thanks to www.telegraph.co.uk for the above quote. For more information on this article please visit their website.

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Scam Alert! Beware of phony Villa Rentals

Monday, July 13th, 2009

www.timesonline.co.uk

Holiday travelers should be on the alert when trying to book high end villas in foreign countries. A bogus website has been exposed that duped consumers out of more than £1 million over the past few months.  The website, morairaway.com, booked villa rentals in Spain and took deposits from would-be holiday makers. (more…)

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