Richard Turen
Thank you for your indulgence as I continue with a few more personal observations and quick opinions instead of my usual "brilliantly argued" short essay. (Read part 1, "Quick shots across the bow." Here are some more shots across the bow:
Yes, the flight attendant knows if you actually paid for your ticket or if you used miles to earn a freebie.
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No college in America should ever grant a diploma to anyone who has not spent at least two weeks in India. There is travel, and there is travel to India.
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Travel consultants will be replaced by algorithms, robots and apps at about the same time that psychologists, physicians and engineers can no longer find work.
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Tripadvisor was perfectly comfortable naming The Shed at Dulwich as London's Top Restaurant until they learned, weeks later, that such a place did not exist.
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Travel with an address list and a set of your own cards and envelopes. Blogging about your trip is rude; write hand-written notes for those who matter, using local postage.
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The search for the most memorable and meaningful journey always ends in the same place: Africa. You will go for the animals but you will most remember the people.
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The price you are quoted online for an international flight is heavily influenced by data obtained from your online purchases and search profile. Your next-door neighbor may well be quoted a different price. That's the new reality.
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If there are no water shortages in your destination, always fill up the bathtub with cold water soon after entering your hotel room. It will help moisturize the room and make sleeping easier.
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The better travel consultants love the internet. It is a place to send children who actually think there are pies in the skies.
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Imagine the perfect hotel design with evening entertainment, sophisticated guests and Michelin-quality cuisine. And then imagine that your hotel has the amazing ability to float from place to place so you awaken, refreshed, in another country almost every morning. That is inclusive, luxe cruising.
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Don't order lobster aboard a cruise ship unless you happen to be within sight of Falmouth Harbor.
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If you really want to get an honest sense of place, avoid all guidebooks -- unless they happen to be written by Anthony Bourdain.
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There is one little fact they leave out of ads for Antarctica sailings. Penguins have some serious personal hygiene issues. The stench of their droppings and body odor is not all that big a deal; you'll get it out of your system (and clothes) about a month after your return.
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If a restaurant displays a menu translated into four languages along with a large window sticker endorsement from Tripadvisor ... keep walking.
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Always carry-on the travel size cans of Evian spray for needed hydration during flight.
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It would be a mistake to assume that the person cooking your hotel room service meal has ever studied the culinary arts or is actually located in the hotel.
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Secret travel sauce: Mix in some Slovenia and Slovakia.
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Never ask an American under 30 where you should go; only ask an American under 30 the best way to get there.
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People who travel for the purpose of getting Instagram shots are not travelers. They are narrow-minded "Look at me! Please, look at me!" image seekers.