7/5 (Sat.) Planning a backpacking trip (Host: Robert Chao)

回覆文章
頭像
Robert Chao
YOYO member
文章: 32
註冊時間: 週四 4月 23, 2009 11:17 pm

7/5 (Sat.) Planning a backpacking trip (Host: Robert Chao)

文章 Robert Chao »

Hello, everyone! Welcome to join this Saturday's meeting and discuss the travelling issue: "Planning a backpacking trip & Assuring your safety." Hope you will enjoy this topic in such beautiful summer afternoon!!

Top 10 Cheap Backpacking Tips

Here is a list of some good backpacking tips if you are on a budget. And let’s face it, what college student is not on a budget these days? Just because you are pinching pennies doesn’t mean you can’t have a fun backpacking trip. It does mean being smart, finding ways to cut corners, and having a little extra left over at the end of your trip. With these tips below you will be having a great trip in no time and worry free with your money. Not sure where you are going yet? Check out the New FarePlay and let us help you find cheap flights to top destinations around the world.

1.Pack light


The key to backpacking is ‘less is more’. Stick to this rule of thumb and you will be all set. Sometimes students love to go overboard and bring six swimsuits and ten pairs of jeans. Well guess what, this is not the way to effectively backpack a place. If you are being boggled down by too much stuff then you will miss out some great opportunities like seeing more things and catching that last minute train. You will also save money with airlines for not paying extra for overweight luggage or checked bags.

2.Leave valuables at home


There is really no need to bring your favorite ring you got for graduation or those earrings Dad gave you for your birthday. When backpacking the idea is to only have the basics on hand. Keep this in mind; only have things on you that you don’t mind too much to replace. Not to say it isn’t a bummer to have to get new clothing if your bag gets swiped, but it is a whole lot easier than something you will really miss not having.

3.Let someone know


Often people make the mistake of taking off on a trip and not telling family or friends. Even if you don’t want Mom and Dad breathing down your back, it’s a really good idea to let someone back home have a general idea of where you are going and how long you will be gone. Also have a way of getting in touch with you. The last thing you want is for some emergency on your end or at home and having no means of communication.

4.Get a hostel with a kitchen


When you are booking a hostel check to see if they have a communal kitchen or complimentary breakfast. Often there is a kitchen available for use with some utensils and cooking items. Making a couple meals at your hostel will save you and your friends a lot of money in the long run.


5.Buy a train pass


If you know you will be backpacking in one area, such as Northern Europe, Southern Europe, or Asia, then you can pre-purchase a train pass that allows you to travel within certain countries for a set amount of time. This elevates the stress of waiting in long lines at train stations. Plus you will end up saving money because you bought in bulk. Just be sure to.

6.Be careful of pickpockets and scam artists


Many countries, even the most cosmopolitan, have some form of pickpockets or scam artists. These people are trained to feed on tourists. They know right away that you are not a local and that they can take advantage of you. The best way to save money when backpacking is to keep your money close to you. The fastest way to lose money when traveling is having it stolen.

7.Buy alcohol at a store


Bars and clubs love charging tourists for drinks. In major cities especially they know when you are coming and where to get you. For instance, around major tourist sites bars will charge more for beers then in other places knowing that you aren’t going to stray too far. If you buy your alcohol at a store then you can pregame at your hostel and buy less drinks when you go out. Many cities also allow public drinking. So check the guide books first for this.

8.Bring your own snacks


Bringing some energy bars or granola bars with you during the day can help fight off hunger cravings in between meals. Snacks during the day can easily add up to just as much money as a meal. With bars in hand you won’t be spending your money on unnecessary snacks and can save it for other things.


9.Walk instead of taking a cab


It may feel easier to hop a cab and head to a destination. But don’t do it! Between the mileage cost, tipping, and of course the added secret tourist fee (many cab drivers charge tourists more than locals because they don’t disclose rates) you are looking at a hefty bill. Walking a little extra is good for your body and then environment not to mention your wallet. If something is really out of walking range then take a bus or metro. They tend to run less than $2 in most cities around the world.

10.Watch your drink cards at clubs


In a lot of European countries clubs require drink cards at the door. Clubs hand them out, you get them punched each time you order a drink, and then when you leave you cash out. There are many instances of drunk club goers getting extra punches and not taking notice so they get charged double. Also if you loose your card, good luck. The fees for a lost card can be astronomical. So just make sure you keep track of your drink card and who is punch them.

(Cited from http://www.studentuniverse.com/travel-guides)





India Scrambles to Reassure Tourists Shaken by Recent Attacks on Women


MUMBAI, India — Dheeraj Dixit used to make $2 a day snapping photographs of the tourists milling around the Gateway of India, the imposing monument at the southern tip of Mumbai. But a recent series of well-publicized attacks on women in India, and the international outcry over them, have Mr. Dixit worried.


“India’s image is spoiled when incidents like this happen,” Mr. Dixit, 38, said ruefully while hustling for customers on a recent evening. “It’s unfortunate, and it isn’t good for business.”


Visits to India by female tourists dropped 35 percent in the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year, according to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India. That three-month period came after the fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old student in New Delhi in December, which brought protesters to the streets and shined a spotlight on the harassment and intimidation women face every day in India.


Although the per capita rate of rapes reported to the police in India is below that of many developed nations, some experts believe that many sexual attacks go unreported and that the actual number is far higher. The public outrage over the December attack led to the passage of a new sexual offense law in March that imposes stronger penalties for violence against women and criminalizes actions like stalking and voyeurism.


But attacks on women have continued with an alarming regularity. While Indian women are most often the targets, foreign tourists have been victims as well. A 30-year-old American woman reported being gang-raped in a northern resort town last week. She picked three men out of a lineup, and on Friday the accused were presented before a magistrate and sent to judicial custody for 14 days.


On March 15, a group of men raped a 39-year-old Swiss tourist in Madhya Pradesh and attacked her husband. Four days later, a 25-year-old British tourist jumped off the balcony of her hotel room in Agra, fearing that the hotel owner was planning to sexually assault her.


“With the most recent gang rape in Delhi on the forefront of my mind, I travel to India with more anxiety than I’m used to when traveling to a foreign country,” said Corinne Aparis, 24, of San Francisco, who is currently in the western Indian city of Udaipur as an international program coordinator with the Foundation for Sustainable Development. “It scares me to think that there’s that type of deep hatred toward women — that just being a woman is enough of a target and reason for some men to inflict such violence on me.”


India can ill afford to lose the foreign currency that tourists inject into the economy. Economic growth has slipped to 5 percent in 2012 from more than 9 percent annually in 2010, and the government needs foreign currency to offset huge payments for imported oil and coal, which cannot be paid in rupees.


A total of 6.4 million foreign tourists traveled to India last year, a smaller number than in some much smaller countries, like France, or even in cities like New York. But such visitors make an essential contribution to the country’s flagging economy, and are vital to the survival of millions of one-man operators like Mr. Dixit.


Tourism over all accounts for 6 percent of India’s gross domestic product and is responsible for about 10 percent of organized employment in the country, or some 20 million jobs. An estimated 60 million to 70 million more people, like Mr. Dixit, make their living off foreigners in an “unorganized” way. Foreign tourism specifically contributes about $18 billion, or approximately 20 percent of India’s current account deficit, according to official figures.


Mr. Dixit is not alone in his worries about India’s image among women. The Indian government and the tourism industry are scrambling to reassure would-be visitors. Indian states are forming tourism police forces, hotels have created exclusive areas for women only, and tour groups are adding features like women’s-only tours and cellphones for all customers.


For some foreign tourists, the increased fears mean extra precautions.


“When I said I was traveling to India, my friends and family asked me to be careful and were more worried about me than if I was traveling to any other foreign country,” said Nadine Herwiejer, 26, while sitting in the shade of a tree at the Gateway of India.


Ms. Herwiejer, from Foorburg in the Netherlands, said that she was “traveling in a group and would not feel comfortable traveling alone in India because of safety reasons.”


In April, the Tourism Ministry asked all state governments to create police forces just for tourist spots. Such forces are already present in the states of Goa, Rajasthan, and Jammu and Kashmir, where they wear special armbands to identify themselves.


The Tourism Ministry is also setting up a multilingual toll-free help line that will be answered by women and act as a concierge service, but will also provide telephone numbers for all the police stations in India, officials said.


Thomas Cook India has started exclusive tours for women and offers additional services, like free cellphones along with emergency contact numbers for police stations, hospitals and help-line numbers. The Imperial, a luxury hotel in New Delhi, has created a “single lady corridor” of 12 rooms, each with a security camera on the door, staffed by an all-female staff. Even the airport pickup contact is a woman.


Along with improving security, though, tourism industry officials say that India also needs to carefully rebuild its image.


“We need to tell the world that Indian cities are as safe or unsafe as any other metropolitan cities,” said Arun Varma, the chief executive at Prime Travels, a tour operator.

(Cited from http://www.nytimes.com)

Questions:


Session I:
1. Have you ever made a backpacking trip? Where did you go (abroad or in Taiwan)?
2. If no, would you like to try backpacking trips once in your life?
3. Is there anything you can add on, except the top 10 tips?
4. Would couch surfing be your choice for backpacking trips?

Session II:
1. What makes the rapes in India worse?
2. After reading the news, do you dare go as a backpacker to India or South-east Asia countries, such as Malaysia,
Vietnam, and the Philippines, where the individual safety might be a big concern?
3. Have you ever seen the movie “Taken” (即刻救援), in which a father saves his daughter from the human smuggling
syndicate (人蛇集團) because his beautiful daughter is kidnapped while travelling in France with another best female
friend? As a girl, would you dare go travelling individually or even with several friends?

********************************************************************************************************************************************
Agenda:
3:45 ~ 4:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
4:00 ~ 4:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
4:10 ~ 4:50pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
4:50 ~ 5:10pm Summarization (20 mins)
5:10 ~ 5:15pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Taking a 10 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
5:15 ~ 5:55pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
6:00 ~ 6:20pm Summarization (20 mins)
6:20 ~ 6:30pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements ********************************************************************************************************************************************
聚會日期:列於該貼文主題內
聚會時間:請準時 4:00 pm 到 ~ 約 6:30 pm 左右結束
星期六聚會地點:丹堤濟南店
地址、電話:台北市濟南路三段25號 地圖 (02) 2740-2350
捷運站:板南線 忠孝新生站 3 號出口
走法:出忠孝新生站 3 號出口後,沿著巷子(忠孝東路三段10巷)走約 2 分鐘,到了濟南路口,左轉走約 2 分鐘即可看到。
最低消費: 80 元


注意事項:
1. 文章是否需要列印請自行斟酌,但與會者請務必自行列印 Questions for discussion。
2. 與會者請先閱讀過文章,並仔細想過所有的問題,謝謝合作!


給新朋友的話:
1. 請事先準備2~3分鐘的英語自我介紹;會議結束前可能會請你發表1~2分鐘的感想。
2. 請事先閱讀文章以及主持人所提的討論問題,並事先寫下自己所欲發表意見的英文。
3. 全程以英語進行,參加者應具備中等英語會話能力,對任一討論問題,能夠以5到10句英文表達個人見解。
4. 在正式加入之前,可以先來觀摩三次,觀摩者亦須參與討論。正式加入需繳交終身會費 NT$1,000。
回覆文章