Trusting Tripadvisor

I have a love hate relationship with Tripadvisor.

I love the idea (a place where real people give their honest opinion of their accommodation provider) – I hate the result (Fake reviews and hotels sabotaging others credibility).

Saying that, I have never booked a hotel and not consulted Tripadvisor, before I send off my credit card details I always take time to scroll through the comments, skimming the positive ones and closely reading the complaints.

But all of what I read is taken with a large shaking of sea salt. Too many negative comments and I swiftly dismiss the hotel, but too many positive ones and I begin to get suspicious.

The ASA Advertising Standards Authority started to investigate the website in September for fake reviews and the investigation has led the website to change their global slogan from “Reviews you can Trust” to “Reviews from our Community.”

There are thousands of fake reviews on the site, whether or not they can be easily spotted by those administrating the site is not for me to know. But there are there and you need to be weary of them.

Hotels need good reviews, their business depends on them. But in my opinion they need bad reviews too – just so we know they are real.

There are thousands of tourists (note: tourists not travellers) who exaggerate everything, who expect five star standards in a minus two hostel, who don't enjoy their holiday so blame the hotel, who didn't like the food, the texture of the bed linen, the view from their window or the foreign language on the TV ... bad reviews like these help me choose my hotel.

Room with a view in Greece

Tripadvisor has over 45 million reviews with 23 new opinions every minute (I, myself am a senior contributor) and although there are some great tips for travllers hidden among the reviews, obviously with this level of traffic you will find many which are untrue.

Travel Guide giant Fodor are collaborating with Tripadvisor, from 2012 their guidebooks will include hotel reviews alongside professional accommodation recommendations – so their value is still seen as worthy.

As a result of complaints Tripadvisor have set up new customer phone liens to help eliminate “untrue” reviews – but who are they to trust – the hotel owners?

Www.ihatetripadvisor.co.uk is a website set up by accommodation providers who are boycotting the site. Of course I understand that any bad review can damage their business but the site was not set up to just publish “good” reviews – that defeats the purpose.

Are you looking for a plush hotel or a traditional cottage?
Melbravo Resort Fiji (c) fifiheavey

Here are my tips for using Tripadvisor:

• Decide what you want the hotel to excel in. If you want to party, night time noise won't be a problem, if you want to relax a lack of entertainment will suit you fine, if you have no kids you don't need a clean kiddies pool etc.

• Skim the positive reviews, yes friendly, clean, helpful, blah blah - if there are no negative reviews in the top 20, book with extreme caution.

• What was the negative comment about? (my pillow was soft ... the lighting was dim) Do you care? Would that thing bother you?
• Where is the reviewer from? Have you read any previous reviews from this person?

• The main words to seek out are: food poisoning, bed bugs, double booking, no locks on door, money/ jewellery stolen, prisoner of war camp – if you see these it would be wise to reconsider your option!

Too much trust in tour guides

Depending on location, situation and age we all have different expectations from tours and tour guides, but there should be one quality that we all agree on: Tour guides should be unbiased.

Stopping for a picture below a watch tower in Bethlehem October 2011
(c) fifiheavey

Everywhere in the world, at some time has experienced conflict, political, religious, cultural or racial disturbances. And one thing that we are sure of: there is always two sides (maybe even three, four, five – but definitely two) sides to the story.

When I visit a place which has or currently is experiencing some sort of conflict I like to walk away from there with a rounded understanding to all the facts, opinions and ideas that surround the situation – not the propaganda I can get from staying at home.

Recently I stopped off in Israel and Palestine for three days, with a severe shortage on time, the best and only way to see, hear and touch the places I wanted, was to go on a tour.

Israel has intrigued me for a long time, as a Roman Catholic I have grown up hearing stories from the Bible, tracking the life of Jesus Christ, the places he visited and the miracles and lessons he conducted. Place names in Israel have been embedded into my mind from the repetition of these tales.

Israel and Palestine have been glaring at me from my TV set for years and although very removed from the situation, the topic is a lively one in Ireland.

Days before we set off on our cruise to the Holy Land the question of UN statehood for Palestine had dominated pages of Irish newspapers, as our Tanaiste openly stated he would back Palestine in the vote.

A common sign outside Holy places in Israel
(c) fifiheavey

But I had a limited knowledge on the background, history, divides, opinions etc. I had done some research but the more I read the more confused I got. So I left the research and instead placed all my trust in the tour I had booked.

We had booked the Christian tour, I wanted to know about all the religious places in Israel, but again time was limited, so we had decided it was best to start where we at least had some previous knowledge.

On our first day in Israel we visited Nazareth and Galilee, our tour guide was a born Israeli Jew. Although he left hardly no time for photos at destinations and moved super quickly through the landmarks, his information was second to none. He really knew his stuff, he had charts, photos and so much background information that a migraine was inevitable at the end of the day. He was a liberal man who had traveled throughout Europe, experienced other cultures and came back to his home nation with an open mind.

He was exactly the tour guide we needed for day two: Jerusalem and Palestine. But on that day we got a different tour guide, an American who had met the love of his life un Israel and converted to Judaism. His speech was clear, he was easy to listen to, did not rush through important places and did not produce any migraines.

But he was biased, he really was an American Israeli and as we set off towards Palestine (or the West Bank as he called it) we were left in no doubt who was right and wrong in the current conflict, who he was backing and how the one sided situation came about.

My friend and I were the only Europeans on the bus full of Middle Americans, so political questions seeking a little more info were sort of taboo.

Posters about the UN vote and deceased Palestine Leader Yasser Arafat on the streets of Bethlehem
(c) fifiheavey

Although annoyed, we accepted this as we knew we were getting a Palestine tour guide as we crossed the (undefined) border – but he was even worse. He stuck rigidly to the Christian religious side of the tour, there was no mention of any border, conflict or even slight disagreement. With a limited English vocabulary, questions once again were off limit.

On the third day we were once again returned to our original tour guide, but we had moved on from Palestine. We did get to ask him some questions and did come home with a much better understanding of the situation, but our disappointment with the transparency of the guides is hard to forget.

Slap on the wrists for leaving the responsibility of my education to the tour guides. 

My bad experience has given me the resolve to read up on the conflict and return to the Holy and contentious land.

Do we place too much trust in tour guides? 

Leave the real world behind: Go Cruising

"Watch you don't catch the menopause” was one of the nicer comments I received from peers when I informed them of this year's big holiday: A Cruise to the Holy Land.

(c)fifiheavey

The Holy Land is not really your regular vacation destination and for good reason – it certainly is anything but regular! But that is worth a few posts of explanation!

Cruising is quite a stereotypical holiday, not usually associated with those looking for adventure, youth, excitement or culture. Middle aged Americans are the typical clients, large families gather to celebrate a big occasion and some honeymooners have been starting to hop on board – but what can it offer to the rest of us?

Everything, Anything and more!

Vision of the Seas docked in Istanbul (c)fifiheavey

As usual, this year's holiday was supposed to be a cheap sun holiday firstly because of budget restraints but also because I just wanted to relax and not rush around trying to fit every single thing of cultural and historical interest into my itinerary But that was soon scraped and next thing we found ourselves booked on to a 10 night Royal Caribbean Cruise to the Holy Land: relaxation with a dash of culture and spirituality, history, conflict and context!

It was me who had the apprehension about the cruise, the clientèle, the lack of things to do, the somber night life, the monotony ...

And how wrong I was.

 It was like entering a different world, one of luxury, relaxation, stress and hassle free. No money carried on board, no luggage to be tolerated from place to place, no tough decision over places to eat and drink, no language barrier .... total bliss!

Open deck

The cruise ship was amazing (despite being 13 years old) glamorous and spacious with fabulous outdoor and indoor pools, jacuzzis, sun bathing space, bars, a casino, lounges, creative open spaces, a spa, a gym, a shopping mall, theater and some fine dining rooms.

Even our cheapo last minute room was superb. Small but adequate, with loads of storage and wardrobe space, a TV and the option to turn off all the on ship announcements! (And enough room to host some parties!)

Yes the majority of people on board are over 60 and are American, but there is everyone and anyone mingling around the ship. The young and old from all over world mix, eat, drink and dance in perfect harmony.

We were not a few hours on board getting to know our surroundings when we had met fabulous people we became best friends with for the next ten days (and hopefully longer!)

Dining room mates, pool side pals, stool bar buddies, disco divas, theater companions and on shore excursion travellers formed our whole new world.

Showboat room

The destinations (Istanbul, Haifa, Jerusalem, Athens, Kusadasi) were obviously a huge part of the cruise, but even on all day cruising periods it is impossible to get bored. There is so much to do, that relaxation even takes back seat. The night life is of course what you make it – if you stay within your group of friends or couple well then you will be missing out. Everyone is so open, everyone wants to talk and have fun, to learn about different countries and cultures without ever getting off the ship.

The food was excellent, buffet or formal there was so much choice. There were two formal nights on board which allowed us all to dress up and pretend we were on Titanic (without the iceberg and drama ...) I loved that everyone joined in, donned their best and enjoyed the fine life.

Take off - leaving Istanbul behind (c) fifiheavey

No you don't need to win the lotto to go on a cruise, it is actually quite cheap keep a look out for deals on line. And yes you can bet your American dollar (the currency used on board) that I will be going on a cruise again ... soon!

Cruising is a stereotypical holiday for those looking for an unconventional good time!

Cruising to the Holy Land

Sorry for the lack of posts in the two weeks I was living the high life cruising to the Holy Land!
It was quite the experience, and one I will be delighted to tell you all about.

Here was the schedule:
Details to follow .....


Itinerary Information:

Date	Port	Arrival	Departure
30 Nov (Tuesday)	ISTANBUL, TURKEY
08 Oct (Saturday)	ISTANBUL, TURKEY		14:00
09 Oct (Sunday)	CRUISING	-	-
10 Oct (Monday)	HAIFA, ISRAEL	09:00	23:59
11 Oct (Tuesday)	JERUSALEM (ASHDOD), ISRAEL	07:00
12 Oct (Wednesday)	JERUSALEM (ASHDOD), ISRAEL		19:00
13 Oct (Thursday)	CRUISING	-	-
14 Oct (Friday)	ATHENS (PIRAEUS), GREECE	07:00	18:00
15 Oct (Saturday)	EPHESUS (KUSADASI), TURKEY	09:00	19:00
16 Oct (Sunday)	CRUISING	-	-
17 Oct (Monday)	ISTANBUL, TURKEY	05:00

No photography allowed

You have waited in line for a few hours in line, saved for years, sacrificed your social life, left your loved ones behind and travelled over seas and continents to see (insert landmark, painting, iconic, historic item etc) only to be greeted with the “no photography allowed” sign.

What do you do?

Option 1: “Yeah fair enough, I suppose the (*insert item*) is a really big deal and I don't want to disrespect the (Gods/ ancient tribe/ locals/ museum management) by taking a picture. The memory of seeing this (*insert*) will last forever, the feeling of being here, of standing it it's presence – nothing can take that from me, the pictures in my mind will be 100 times better than any measly effort to try and capture the essence of this (*insert*).

Option 2: “What?!? – no F**ing way – I don't care I am going to take a sneaky photo anyway.”

In my case, both of the options have applied in different circumstances.

My illegal photo of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Rome
(c) fifiheavey

I understand that flash photography can ruin ancient manuscripts and I can also understand that museums and such places need people to come and see their items instead of just looking at a photo. They also don't want any crap blurry shots circulating around the globe ruining their reputation.

And I respect their ideals.

Skulls from Kutna Hora, Sedlec Ossuary, Prague
(c) fifiheavey 

But sometimes, it just doesn't cut it with me, as I have described above there were times when I sacrificed and put in a hell of a lot of effort to go and see items and therefore feel I deserve to take back a picture.

Right of wrong (probably wrong) I know I am not alone, everyone does it. And with sophisticated camera phones now, looking inauspicious has become a lot easier. Photos are taken and nobody knows – no one gets hurt.

Check out http://www.strictlynophotography.com for all the illegal photos of things you are not allowed to photograph!

As I said I do respect the ideal of no photography and a lot of the time I obey it, but it depends on my frame of mind and the amount of respect I hold for the place or item (or how scared I am of the security people!)

Sometimes it is better to reflect on the memory of the visit, than to stare at an illegitimate photo or video footage – it gives it more meaning.

No photography allowed inside the passage tomb at Newgrange.(c) fifiheavey

So what do you think let me know do you obey the no photography sign?

Better than the real thing

Sometimes the lead up to an event is better than the actual occasion, the excitement, preparation, the day dreams, the factor of the unknown.

But this year I am not going to let this happen – I want my holiday to be so much better than anything I could imagine, so I have stopped – stopped googling, reading reviews, staring at beautiful digitally enhanced photos, slumping over the itinerary for hours ...

A hectic work life situation has played a huge part in this, but just as I started to panic last week that I have not done enough for my impending trip, I stopped and thought “No.”

This year it will be different, this year I will go on a relaxing holiday, I will go with the flow, chill, unwind and untimely enjoy myself.

Of course I am keeping an eye on the world news for my holiday destinations, especially Israel which is hotting up just in time for my arrival. But that is it.

I do not know what one Israeli Shekel can get me, I have no idea what the Dead Sea looks like, the hotels in Istanbul could have blown up by now and haven't a notion what kind of people will be on the cruise ship.

Israel currency

This year I want to be surprised, I don't want to compare photos of the Athens Acropolis to pictures online and I will be open to all suggestions for things to see and do.

Usually I know my destination inside out, I have a definitive list of things that I must see and do, I know exactly how much the taxi will cost from the airport to the hotel, and in all the planning I usually forget to relax (unless I have a specific time allowed for such!).

Obviously I have an idea of some of the things to see and do, we even have some tours booked for Israel, but for the majority of the days there is no schedule, no plan of action, no timescale ...

(As I write this I am starting to imagine mayhem ...)

Day dreams of sunbathing on a cruise liner are helping me get through the dreary busy work hours, but these are general images, nothing specific because when I get there I want to be wowed.

The week before is exciting, but it will not be the best part of my epic holiday.

Have you been let down after an unbelievable lead up?

Knowing me and knowing Ski

When you travel you learn about places, people and things from all over the world, but you also learn about yourself. Months on the road, by yourself, with people in good places and bad you come to terms with who you really are.

You learn things about yourself that you never knew. Some good, some bad.

I have always known that I am organised, efficient, and at my worst: scheduled, but what I didn't know was my issue with control – more exactly my fear of not being in control.

Learning to let go on The Remarkables, New Zealand (c)fifiheavey

Of course on the road, you plan things and more often than not they do not go according to plan and despite some dismay at this (maybe a few hissy fits) I grew accustomed to things steering off course. I quickly adapted, and put a plan B, C or even Z into place. But even when things don't go as planned, you can stay in control, you can re-direct the troops and carry on, re-focused.

Concentrating (c) fifiheavey

“Let go”

“Relax”

“Stop Thinking”

“Go with the flow”

On top of a snow covered mountain in New Zealand, hurtling towards the bottom at what must be record speeds with no plan, no idea, no alternative to my disposal, my nightmare was realised.

My ski instructor told me I had “control issues.”

You see skiing is fun, or at least it is supposed to be, you the skis, a snowcapped mountain and the fresh air. In this game however you have to submit your control, you have to go with the mountain, the skis, ignore your instinct thoughts ... relax ... glide ... smile ... stop.

I wanted to have fun, I wanted to have so much fun with everyone else and enjoy skiing. I wanted to excel through my beginners group to intermediate with my boyfriend, I wanted to show that I was better than some seven year old brat - so I concentrated really hard to get all the moves, to learn how to sweep from side to side and stop before I feel off the edge.

Ski lifts on The Remarkables (c) fifiheavey

The ski instructor told me I was trying too much, I needed to let go.

This concept was alien to me.

In the videos I look rigid, stiff, my turns are forced, my feet locked into a “wedge” shape. I wore the bruises from the ski lifts for weeks, the trauma of having to hurtle my body forward seconds before I fell to my death across a cliff took longer to disappear. But the effects of not being able to “let go” have never left me.

Over and over, I recall children diving to get out of my way, ski couples huddling in fear, and teenagers gasping in shock as I fly my way down an intermediate slope and throw myself to the ground, as my boyfriend laughs himself into a hoop.

Snowboarding as the morning sun breaks out.
(c) fifiheavey

Sometimes having fun can be hard work – I knew I should have picked snow boarding!