Tour Detroit’s “good, bad, and hopeful” sides

by Katie Hammel on

Detroit gets a bad rap. So bad, it was voted the “Least Favorite” city in a recent TripAdvisor poll. But one local is trying to help both visitors and residents get a better understanding of the city, to see that maybe it’s not the punch line everyone thinks it is.

Linda Yellin, the creator of Feet on the Street Tours, runs walking, bike, and bus tours of the city for individuals and tour groups. One of the most popular tours is called “The Good, the Bad, and the Hopeful – You Be the Judge”. It’s held the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month and costs $25 per person. Says Yellin, “We created the city sightseeing bus tour . . . because we wanted people to see and decide for themselves – not just assume what they hear or read is correct. We guarantee that people will get a new view of [Detroit].”

As the title of the tour implies, the goal is to show all sides of Detroit. Instead of glossing over the city’s blight, the tour will take you past plenty of crumbling buildings and abandoned lots, and explain the circumstances that led to the city’s current condition. It will also show you the institutions that have stood strong in the city for years and the rich history surrounding them. The tour will take you past the “hopeful” too – the signs of life being breathed into the city in the form of new shops and restaurants and a burgeoning local art scene.

Tours can be customized to focus on Detroit’s history, architecture, music, culture, food, or art, or to concentrate on a certain neighborhood of the city. Learning about the history of Motown Records in Detroit, exploring the festive neighborhood of Greektown, gallery-hopping to see works from the city’s up and coming artists, or sampling fresh produce and local specialties from the vendors at Eastern Market are among a few of the options.

Slum tours in Jakarta now operating

by Stephen Greenwood on

An Indonesian tour operator, is now offering tourists the chance to see the ‘other’ side of Jakarta – a side tucked away from the sprawling shopping malls and 5-star hotels.

Jakarta Hidden Tours is advertising 3 different separate routes through the slums, allowing you to “explore Jakarta with a local and see how the majority of people live, work and raise their kids”.

“Poverty tourism” has come into the spotlight since the release of Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire.

Robert Finlayson, from Volunteering for International Development from Australia, helps run the tours and believes that the tours help social understanding. “Guilt is like pity, it stops you from seeing people as they actually are,” Finlayson was reported as saying. “What we wanted to say is…People are the same all over the world.”

Head of the Jakarta Urban Poor Consortium advocacy group, Wardah Hafidz, disagrees. “”It creates more problems for us than it helps,” Ms Hafidz said. “If you come with money then it’s a complete language of money. It doesn’t develop the understanding that they (the slum dwellers) are powerful, that they can help themselves.”

What do you think? Should tourists support this type of travel?
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[via AFP]

One-day sale at Abercrombie & Kent on Thursday

by Alison Brick on

Abercrombie & Kent is about to do it again–it’s going to lower the cost of its luxury travel tours by 60% over six hours during the Once in a Lifetime Savings promotion. The question is: will you be ready?

Thursday, May 14th is the day that you’ll want to be prepared. Call in from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (PDT), when prices will start at 5% off, then drop every 30 minutes until they finally reach 60% off.

All sales are first-come, first-served and limited to availability. You could cross your fingers that a spot will still be available on your chosen trip at 12:30 p.m. for 60% off, but you’ll be taking a risk of not being able to book at all.

Destinations include India, East Africa, China, Galapagos, and Antarctica. With original prices between $6,000 to $20,000, 60% off is a significant chunk of change.

For more information about the terms of the promotion, check the FAQs.

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[Thanks, LATimes.com Travel]

Germans still coming to U.S., but not as much

by Tom Johansmeyer on

German bookings to the United States were strong through the end of last year, even as overall action from outside the country dipped in the fourth quarter. Data from the U.S. Department of Commerce shows that nearly 1.8 million Germans came across the Atlantic Ocean, an increase of 17 percent from 2007.

Fourth quarter arrivals from German last year reached 420,285, a gain of more than 9 percent from the same period in 2007. In October alone, 177,167 German tourists came to the United States – up 16 percent from October 2007. The pace slowed in November and December, which were up only 5 percent and 2 percent year-over-year.

And, 2009 looks good.

More than 20 percent of tour operators in Germany have reported that bookings to the United States for the first quarter of 2009 are likely to be consistent with the same period in 2008. Another 43 percent expect increases.

Of course, German travel isn’t recession-proof. The second quarter looks less favorable, with bookings down from 2007. Nearly 64 percent of German tour operators expect the pace to slow.

Royal Rajasthan on Wheels

by Scott Carmichael on

Back in 2007, Willy wrote about the luxurious Rajasthan Palace on Wheels, which takes passengers on a 7 day tour of India on an upscale train.

Another Indian tour company took that concept, added far more luxury, and named it Royal Rajasthan on Wheels“.

You really have to see the photo gallery to get a feeling of the experience offered on this train, it makes the famous Orient Express look like a Holiday Inn Express.

Of course, with more luxury, comes higher prices – the train Willy wrote about cost about $2000 for an 8 day trip, the new Royal palace on wheels costs between $800 and $2000 per night! That price does include all meals and sightseeing tours, but if you need a cheaper option, check out this article about the Indian Heritage on Wheels posted by Abha earlier this year.