A CONTRIBUTION BY: AJANAKU When we say we are going on holiday, we picture trips to Spain, New York, Australia, even China. But what about those other unknown destinations, like Lagos, Nigeria. Is this a really dangerous destination and do only European businessmen end up here? What is the criteria a city needs to have to be considered the other holiday? How dangerous does it have to be? Would you go on ‘The Other Holiday?’
Have you ever been tempted to visit a risky location – what made you go?
The 4 Qualifications for The Other Holiday
What does a city/country need to be to be listed as ‘The Other Holiday’? Does it need to be on the no-travel list? Does it need to be in the middle of a civil war? Can you only reach it by local banana boat? What are its qualifications? Each one of us have different criteria, when it comes to our Other Holiday, but the 4 qualifications we’ll mention have to rank in the top of everyone’s criteria.
citizenM says:to explore is to go where no person has gone before.
Qualification 1. Ordered chaos
The first sign of ‘The Other Holiday’ is when you arrive at the airport and it seems like all the other passengers changed from adults to young girls at a Jonas Brothers Concert. People pushing and cutting the line through the passport control, then a free-for-all at the baggage collection. You might think they have no idea what they are doing, but there is more order in this chaos than at a careless stop light. Just go with the flow and you will see everything falls in its place.
Qualification 2. Me no speakie Englishie
We expect each country we visit to speak at least standard English. Being able to stop any person on the street and ask directions to the local tourist attraction. With ‘The Other Holiday’ the locals will most likely speak English, but just not the English we know. They would have made up their own words and thrown all known grammar out the window. If the locals don’t speak English at all, and all you can do to get by is using hand gestures and drawing pictures, then you have found yourself at the ultimate ‘Other Holiday.’
Qualification 3. Fear is a Good Thing
Tales of being kidnapped and robbed on every street corner, you must be on ‘The Other Holiday.’ Fear is part of everyday life in this city, it’s just how you go about with this unknown fear. The chances are small of something bad happening to you, but maybe a 5% more chance than walking down a street in NYC. If 90% of your friends are too afraid to visit because of these tales, then you know you have hit the jackpot.
Qualification 4. The People
Finally, the people of this city are the true qualification for ‘The Other Holiday’ destination. If they are used to seeing money hungry business men and not the person who is looking for inspiration in new places, then you are definitely on the right track. If the locals greet you with open arms and want to share their lives by welcoming you in their homes then you have found the crème-de-la-crème of ‘Other Holidays.’ Remember the people are the ones who make your experience complete.
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Advise against all travel to
Adventure is great, but we want to return alive and happy. Let’s surf the corners of the internet for some authority. How obvious: the do-not-go list of the United States authorities is much longer than the one applied in England, Australia and New Zealand. It’s clear that at least 5 countries are not very steady and peaceful right now: Somalia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Libya and Afghanistan.
The Other Hotel
citizenM is ‘The Other Hotel’ as far as we’re concerned. Surely not stretching out in risky countries. Our ambition is to roll out globally and offer Affordable Luxury to all mobile citizens in the world. In urban locations where mobile citizens feel at home. Glasgow up next!
TripAdvisor
We love TripAdvisor. Not only because citizenM Amsterdam has been named the ‘trendiest’ hotel in the world in 2010, chosen from some 15 million TripAdvisor users, but also because it’s the most interactive travel forum we know.
The Man in Seat Sixty-One
If you really like that the journey is part of the adventure, why not only travel by train or ship? The website The Man in Seat Sixty-One will tell you how to travel overland comfortably and affordably where you might think that air was the only option. And that means, travel on the ground to Iran, Sudan and Kazakhstan.
Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies: Compendium Monstrum
Sized for travel and meant to plan the Other Holiday supernatural Twilight style. Read this and identify all the evil creatures around you while traveling. Get lost in the mythology with old world styled maps, Gothic/Victorian style endpapers and a beautiful Transylvania travel section. Your Sightings Record Pages’ are for recording your own encounters. Potentially life-saving book worth reading.
