The Year in Review
2017 was a relatively quiet year for me travel-wise. I only made one trip overseas: a press trip to Thailand, but it did provide some interesting content for my blog, including several hotel and restaurant reviews. I still do have a few outstanding restaurant reviews to write!
In addition to eating at some great restaurants, I also took a very enjoyable cooking class, and I went on a very interesting reality show style tour of Old Town, which led to an amusing misunderstanding.
If I didn’t do much as much traveling as I did in 2016 or 2015, however, I did explore some provocative travel themes in my blog, such as Hong Kong’s successful bid to host the 2022 Gay Games, plans to redevelop a historic village in China, and the planned banning of street food vendors in Thailand.
I took an in-depth look at China’s hotel industry and United Airlines’ PR blunder when a passenger was violently dragged off an airplane.
I shared recipes from a cooking class I took in Bangkok, information on Thailand’s top 10 cleanest beaches, and what happens if an airline cancels your flight because of circumstances beyond its control.
It happened to me when a typhoon hit the Philippines the year before. I researched what you’re entitled to in the event something similar happens to you. I was surprised to learn, for example, that an airline does not have to pay for accommodation if the cancellation was the result of inclimate weather.
You’re on your own, which is one of the reasons it’s advisable to carry travel insurance.
Finally, there was that controversial issue when a fashion blogger cried foul when she was asked to remove her crying baby from First Class. Other passengers complained about the noise, and she was asked to move – with her baby – to the back of the plane. Did the airline do the right thing?
- Cooking Class: Blue Elephant Royal Thai Cuisine, Bangkok, Thailand – November 24, 2017
- Hong Kong Wins Bid to Host 2022 Gay Games! – November 2, 2017
- Historic Chinese Village Chikan to Get a Facelift – September 11, 2017
- Thailand’s Top 10 Cleanest Beaches – August 28, 2017
- Bangkok Sightseeing: Reality TV Show Tour of Old Town – August 16, 2017
- China’s Hotel Industry Faces Challenges and Opportunities – May 1, 2017
- Banning Street Vendors How (Not) to Beautify Bangkok – April 24, 2017
- United Airlines – PR Disaster or Business as Usual in the Unfriendly Skies? – April 11, 2017
- What Are Travelers Entitled to When Flights Are Canceled Beyond an Airline’s Control? – January 9, 2017
- Fashion Blogger Cries Foul When Asked to Remove Crying Baby from First Class – January 6, 2017
Looking forward, I’ve got two trips planned for 2018 – so far. I will visit Thailand – one of my favourite travel destinations – in February. I’ve got three stops planned: Pattaya, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai.
I’m headed to the United States in June to celebrate a milestone birthday. I’m hoping to travel Across America in 70 Days, starting and ending my trip in California, where I grew up.
My port of entry will be San Francisco. I will return by way of Los Angeles. I have yet to finalize my plans, but I’m thinking about taking a train ride at least part way across the country.
Some of the cities I hope to visit include San Francisco, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Nashville, New Orleans, and Los Angeles.
I’m particularly looking forward to visiting Oakland, my hometown, to see how it has changed (hopefully for the better) since my last visit there more than 15 years ago.
Will I make any other trips this year? That will depend on a variety of factors. As a travel blogger, I sometimes consider staying home as a vacation.