Safe vs. Unsafe Tourist Attractions

In a society like ours in the U.S. where litigation is almost a certainty for the smallest thing, you can be sure that most of the places we visit are designed with safety in mind. It's not the case with many of the places you can visit and experience in other countries. SmarterTravel's article, Tourist Attractions That Would Never Exist In America covers several of them.

We have walked trails and edged our way on a cliff or two that had no rails or hand holds or other restraints that would probably be a necessity if they were in the U.S. Most of those places like the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland have polite signs that ask visitors to stay behind a certain point. Of course some tourists will ignore the warning and, in the case of the Irish cliffs, can get blown off the edge with a strong gust of wind.

It's a given that the running of the bulls would just not happen in the States and the plank walk in China that is mentioned--a narrow walkway suspended 5,000 feet up on the side of a mountain would be very questionable even though now you are required to wear a harness. Apparently no one polices it though.

In St. Martin on Maho Beach you can sit in the sand and watch the huge jets come in low over your head. When we were there, a smaller jet spewed a sandstorm when it turned to race down the runway for take off. We were far enough away that it didn't affect us so much but people who were closer and not expecting it were sandblasted. I can only imagine what it would be like with a larger commercial jet.

While visiting the Grand Canyon I was surprised at there being no rails around the edge even in some of the places that were quite accessible to people who would leave the trail. And of course we saw death defying stunts like the girl who struck a one legged yoga pose right on the edge of the cliff. I'm surprised more don't fall over the edge.

The standards for safety vary in the places you may visit. Be careful. Better safe than litigated.

The Places We Haven't Been

Alimatha Island Resort

People often ask us, "Is there some place you haven't been?" The answer: Oh, yes. Many. It's a great big world. Unfortunately we only have one lifetime to explore it and there's lots more for us to cover. That fact came to light when I scrolled through a list of 25 top hotels in a Smarter Travel.com article.

The Maldives popped up several times on their list. It is a place we've overlooked and perhaps need to take a look at for a future excursion. The Maldives is an island country located in the Indian Ocean southwest of India and Sri Lanka in the Laccadive Sea.

According to TripAdvisor, the number one thing do do in the Maldives is scuba and snorkeling. That fits quite well with our interests. There are plenty of leisure activities as well. The second thing on the  TA to-do list is a stay at Alimatha Island. Beaches, fishing, and I would guess more of that snorkeling would make for some fun times. From the reviews it appears there is lots of marine life to see even from the shore.

Then I found a place called Manta Point. From May to November there is a burst of plankton in the water in that area and it attracts the giant mantas in to feed. We have dived with the mantas in Papua New Guinea and it was one of the most awesome experiences we have had. I'm in! No need to look further. Put it on the bucket list.

Where Fiction Comes Alive

A UK site called Just The Flight has designed an infographic that lists many of the places inspired by fictional stories. We found Hobbiton in Matamata, NZ, fascinating but that's only one of several places in NZ that were used for the Hobbit or Lord Of The Ring movies. There are so many more spots to visit for some of your other favorite stories.


I've always been a fan of Superman. My voracious reading habit was fueled early by comic books. Wish I had known back then they'd be collectible. I could have financed a lot of travel with them. The list includes Smallville and points to Topeka, KS. Of course most equate NYC with Gotham City and Batman or with Metropolis for Superman.

While we are on comics and animation, a fjord in Norway is said to have inspired Disney's Frozen.

The popular Winnie The Pooh, by A.A. Milne, is said to have been inspired by Ashdown Forest in England. It is 30 miles south of London in the county of East Sussex. So if you're looking for a stroll through the Hundred Acre Wood, that would be the place to go.

 Jurassic Park or Lost fan? Travel to Hawaii for the places where those were filmed.

Check it out. There are 50 locations noted for movies, books, even video games. Maybe it will inspire a travel adventure.