Travel

Check out this page for great travel stories and links to suppliers of travel services for those with mobility issues!

Travel Links

Access-Able Travel Source, http://access-able.com/graphical_index.html

Scootaround, Rental wheelchairs and scooters for travel

Wheelchair in a bag, Lightweight wheelchair for travel

Accessible Journeys, travel tips

http://emerginghorizons.com

Airport secutiry info: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/specialneeds/editorial_1371.shtm

Free Family Getaway: Barren Heights, Christian Retreat Center, Scottsville, KY Contact: Joe Rose, Executive Director @ 502-327-9495 (Offered Fridays-Sundays by appointment, handicapped accessible)Access a referral packet and additional information from the Spinal Cord Institute of Kentucky Website

Wheelchair-accessible spots in Barcelona

Spain - Antoni Gaudi's Casa Batllo. It has a tiny elevator, but the staff has a loaner wheelchair small enough to fit in it so disabled visitors can enjoy all the floors in the highly ornamented masterpiece of the master architect.
La Sagrada Familia. Gaudi's sacred masterpiece and surely the most famous unfinished building site in the world. Gaudi started this church - noted for its Gothic towers, parabolic arches and high ornamentation - in 1882 and work will go on for decades before it is completed. Many areas are wheelchair-accessible. Read More!

AFRICA: The Safari of A Lifetime

By: Carol Randall

I couldn't believe that I was actually going on a safari, me - a power wheelchair user who can't walk or even stand. Bill (my husband) and I were the last of our group to be picked up at our hotel in Johannesburg for the drive to Kruger National Park where we would spend our first few days game viewing and camping. We had already spent a few days in Capetown and were excited about going on our very first African Safari. (Be sure to check out this month's What's New's Page for information about Capetown)

Our group consisted of a couple from Capetown, three gals from England, one a chair user and one who couldn't climb steps and a friend. There was also a gal from Ireland who was a chair user and traveling alone. Last but definitely not least was Alfie Smith who, with his wife Sabine, run Epic Adventures along with assistant JB, who did a little of everything and was always there to lend a hand to anyone who might need it.

They pulled up to our hotel in what appeared to be a very large truck with the top and back being solid and a chairlift on the passenger side. Once inside, it took on a whole different appearance. Along the rear there was a full row of highback cushioned seats and near the front with a step-down and more seats leaving most of the center area for chairs. The sides were roll up windows that were made of clear vinyl and canvas that zipped close for out trip over but were rolled up for our game viewing drives and sightseeing. It was great giving the chair users the same opportunity to move around for the best viewing when game was spotted. I actually felt sorry for others who used traditional game viewing vehicles. Our height allowed us to see into the bush better.

It took us about seven hours to get to our first campsite with time for a picnic on our way. It was a smaller camp site just inside one of the entrances to Kruger National Park. There are 23 campgrounds in Kruger offering a variety of facilities from tent camping sites to high wall safari tents and small bungalows sleeping two or three with twin beds and a full bath to multi-bedroom guest houses. At our first overnight Bill and I got one of the bungalows while some of our group slept in safari tents which did have real twin beds lights and a fan. The main difference is that we had our own bath with a roll-in shower and it was air-conditioned, a fact that I didn't bring up at dinner. There was a separate public restroom for travelers with disabilities with a roll-in shower. In fact, I was surprised to learn that at many of Kruger's campgrounds, there are facilities for those with disabilities and the maps of the park even show which ones have them.

After getting settled in, it was time for our first game drive and we weren't disappointed. We only went a few hundred feet from the campground and spotted a couple of giraffes and a zebra grazing just off the road. Later we saw several hippos soaking in the river. I was surprised to learn that they soak pretty much from morning until night and then come out to feed. They do things a little different in the park. The animals roam free on all 4,800,000 acres and the people are fenced in at the campgrounds and they tell you what time that you have to be back to your cage by and you better not be late. No, they won't feed you to the animals, but you can get a hefty fine.

Back at camp Alfie, right, and J.B. fixed us a chicken dinner, cooked on the grill and served us under the stars. By dinner we felt more like a group of friends sitting around a campfire instead of the bunch of strangers that met just a few hours earlier.

We were up and on our way for our first morning game drive by 5:30 after having coffee or tea and what Bill described as a tasty swayback that dunking brought out the flavor and made them more chewable. As for me, my stomach doesn't want anything to eat that early. After our morning game drive we stopped at a picnic area to prepare breakfast. You are only allowed to get out of your vehicle at these designated areas and campgrounds for safety reasons. Next we continued through Kruger to our next campground where we would stay in bungalows and use as our base for game drives and exploring for the next several days.

It was here where Corine and Hans who are from The Netherlands met up with the safari. They both work for an organization that plans trips for groups with disabilities, she as a trip planner and he as an accountant. They had come to see if it was an appropriate trip to bring one of their groups on and it passed with flying colors. They are now planning to bring a group in November.

Our last full day in Kruger was spent game viewing and traveling to our next stopover just outside one of the park entrances. It was a private campground that had a few safari tents where you could see game just over a nearby fence. Two of the units had ramps making them accessible and Alfie carried portable ramps making a third accessible. Each had two twin beds, lights, a fan, and a small refrigerator. There were public restrooms nearby with a separate one for those with disabilities, complete with a roll-in shower. A few of us slept in and didn't go on the morning game drive. Everyone has the option of not going most days, but since we all were having such a great time none of us wanted to miss anything. However, it was time to give my body some extra rest.

After breakfast we headed out for the Tshukudu Game Reserve where we would spend the rest of our trip. On our way we had a stop at the Hoedspruit Research and Breeding Center for Endangered Species. It was initially established as a breeding program for the then endangered cheetah, but following the enormous success of the cheetah breeding program, it has evolved into a legitimate breeding program for other endangered African animal species. The ultimate objective of the Center is to return endangered African species to the wild once their numbers have increased to such an extent that they can be released. They are now also working with the Cape Hunting Dog and studying the vulture with a bone area they call the "Vulture Cafeteria". After a film about their work we had a ninety-minute tour of the project and it was time to make our way to the Tshukudu Game Reserve.

The Tshukudu Game Reserve was started some twenty years ago by Lolly Sussens and has turned into a regular family affair. The older son, Ian, along with his wife, Sylvia, run an educational and environmental trail for school groups and also accommodates guests in the self-catering bush camp. The younger son, Chris, is involved in the running of the lodge and is licensed as a professional hunter. Sonja, his wife, runs a curio shop and occasionally helps at the lodge.

The bush camp was our home base for the next few days. We had a stand-alone unit with two twin beds and private bath with a shower stall. Thanks to Alfie who had a rolling shower chair we made out fine. He carries all sort of specialized equipment in case someone needs it. He also told us that the camp would be adding a roll-in shower to its facilities in the near future. I guess it's like anywhere, they don't build it so you will come, they see that you do exist and want to come - then build accessible facilities. Read More!

For more about booking your own trip on an Epic Enabled adventure contact: (U.S. Representative) Eco-Adventure International Phone: 888 710-WILD Fax: 920 563-9162 Email: info@eaiadventure.com
(Anywhere else) Epic Enabled 14 Clovelly Road Fish Hoek 7975 South Africa Tel.: ++27 21 - 782 95 75 Fax: ++27 21 - 782 95 76 E-mail: info@epic-enabled.com

About the Author: Carol Randall is co-founder of Access-Able Travel Source and lives in Colorado with partner and husband, Bill. Carol has MS and uses a wheelchair or scooter but loves to travel. Her first hand experiences, both good and bad, have opened up doors and opportunities for others who would otherwise not travel. That's why Access-Able Travel Source was started, to share information and help fellow travelers.

THAILAND: Travel 'Team' Conquers the Ancient and Beautiful

It was really happening, I was going to Thailand as part of the first Thailand Accessibility Fam Trip put together by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Since I don't actually work in the travel industry, I didn't know what to expect on a Fam trip, let alone an Accessibility Fam trip. The good news was that most of them had been on one or both of these type of trips to other parts of the world. That left only few of us who had no idea what to expect or what the promoters expected of us. Fam Trips have been going on for many years. They are the way that destinations have used to help travel professional to become familiar with what an area has to offer. Thus the name Fam trip came about. Now an Accessibility Fam Trip is something that is relatively new. It is the same type of trip, but is usually put on by an area that is not known for its accessibility. These areas are becoming more accessible, want their access to be inspected for input on what they have done, and suggestions on what else they should do. They want the business of travelers with disabilities. That is why we all weren't travel professionals. The ones that were, also had extensive backgrounds with dealings with this market and the ones that weren't, were considered expert in the field of travel for persons with disabilities. We all also had developed creditability with this consumer group.

There were some things about the trip that lowered my anxiety about going on this trip. The first was that I already had met all but one member of the team and most of them I had known for years. All had a great deal of knowledge about the needs of travelers with disabilities and some were travel professionals who were experienced with trip planing for persons with disabilities. Another source of comfort was I knew several people who reside in Thailand. Each happened to live in a different of the cities that we would be visiting and were a great help with the planning I felt that I had to do make sure that items that I required to manage the trip with my disability could be provided. They were also very helpful with general information about what to expect while in Thailand. Once I received the itinerary they were able to give me specific information about the hotels that we would be staying in as well as the attractions we would be visiting.

It would not be possible to express my gratitude to these friends for their help and I had never actually met two of them. They played a key role in not only my getting through this trip, but enjoying the trip as well.

It was time to start our adventure, it was just before 3 AM in Denver and we were up and getting ready for our journey. Getting to Thailand was not a part of the trip that I was looking forward to. It involved two plane changes and 20 hours in the air. The nine members of group that would be traveling that day were starting from different cities through out the U.S. and one from Canada, we would meet up with them along the way.

I have to say that the Tourist Authority of Thailand with the help of Northwest Airlines did a great job getting us all together by the time we reached Tokyo, Japan for the final leg of the journey the flight to Bangkok, Thailand. Since I was the only one of the nine that was traveling with assistive devices, a manual wheelchair and my scooter, I have to say that Northwest demonstrated that they want the business of travelers with disabilities. The tenth person and other wheelchair user was already there. Northwest appears to have taken steps to provide these travelers with the services them need. I had assistance waiting at every plane change, my wheelchair, which we checked with our baggage and my scooter, which I gate checked at every leg of the journey, arrived in Thailand and back home with no damage.

Finally, we were in Bangkok, in no time we were through the airport, which had an accessible rest room, and out to our waiting vans. They were not accessible, but thanks to information from my friends, I wasn’t expecting them to be. It was also my first real experience with how friendly and genuinely helpful the Thai people are. I would like to say it was the first of many such experiences throughout the trip.

It was well after midnight when we checked into our hotel and were told to be ready to start the tour functions by 9 A.M. I realized that it wasn’t going to take long for me to understand what both a Fam trip and an Accessibility Fam trip were all about.

I’m not going to go through the itinerary day by day, but I want share with you what we did the first day to give you an idea of tempo of Fam trips and how much can be successfully pack in. We started out with a trip to one of the most beautiful and popular tourist attraction in Bangkok, The Grand Palace. We saw some of the unique and beautiful parts including a visit to and in the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. As for access they had some ramps to make it easier to get around and an accessible restroom. Also scheduled that day were visits to Wat Pho, The Temple of Dawn and a canal tour. Scheduled in the afternoon was a meeting with Governor of Tourism Authority of Thailand to discuss access and related issues and dinner at the Seafood Market to finish the day. The meeting was the first of six scheduled throughout the trip with government officials and two less formal meetings, one was dinner with the Minister of Tourism & Sport and a meeting with destination tour operators based in Bangkok.

Bangkok was a very interesting city and even though the three days we were there were packed with activities, I suspect we only experienced a small part of what it had to offer. There of course is the central business district very much like you would see in many cities around the world. Go a few blocks in any direction and you’ll be in the middle of one of many specialty markets that are in Bangkok like the Flower Market. What it consists of is stores for several blocks, each selling a variety of flowers. Much of their product is displayed along the front of each store by or on the walkway. It can present some challenges if you are a wheelchair user, but it’s worth it.

It was time to head out to our next destination, Pattaya, a beach resort about 100 miles from Bangkok on the east coast of Thailand. Our last day in Bangkok, we had an accessible motorcoach which would have be available for our use for our three days there and the trip back to the Bangkok airport to catch our flight to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.

Pattaya is a much smaller city than Bangkok and offers a very different experience. They have an accessible boardwalk that runs for blocks in town along the public beaches. In Pattaya I got to experience some of the things that I personally had hoped to. One of the sights we visited was Suan Nong Nooch a sprawling recreation area in typical Thai settings. There are groups of Thai houses and gardens of different flowering plants dotted around the beautiful landscaped site. The biggest attraction is the daily cultural and elephants shows, which are accessible. My favorite part was after the show visitors had an opportunity to interact up close and personal with some of the wild animals that one associates with a country such as Thailand. There were a tiger, orangutans, snakes and a leopard. The tiger was the most friendly.

The Pattaya region is a great location for fishing and water sports such as diving. A couple members of our group went diving for a day with an outfit that also is experienced with divers with disabilities. There were even several divers with on that very trip.

A surprising and very accessible place we got to see was the Redemptorist Center that is located at the same compound as the Redemptorist Vocational School for the Disabled. The school is a boarding school that offers education and training in electronics and computer skills. For the graduates the education and training while living at the nurturing environment of the school is a life changing experience. When they leave the school they are prepared to go out in the world and become productive members of society. Read More!

About the Author: Carol Randall is co-founder of Access-Able Travel Source and lives in Colorado with partner and husband, Bill. Carol has MS and uses a wheelchair or scooter but loves to travel. Her first hand experiences, both good and bad, have opened up doors and opportunities for others who would otherwise not travel. That's why Access-Able Travel Source was started, to share information and help fellow travelers.

RESOURCES

Tourism Authority of Thailand, Phone: (212) 219-7447, Email: tatny@aol.com, Web site: www.tourismthailand.com
Barbara Jacobson, Flying Wheels Travel, Phone: (507) 451-5005, http://www.flyingwheelstravel.com/
Howard McCoy, Accessible Journeys, Phone: 1 800 TINGLES, http://www.disabilitytravel.com/
Ed Rymut, Eco-Adventure International, Phone: (888) 710-WILD, http://www.eaiadventure.com/default.asp
Welcome to Pattaya, Thailand, http://www.access2thai.com/
Adventures Holidays Thailand, http://www.adventure-holidays-thailand.com/
Baan Khun Daeng
Accessible house Chang Mai, Thailand, http://members.ams.chello.nl/danblokker/index.html

SOUTH AMERICA: Rolling through 3 South American countries: the wheelchair diaries

Julia Malone writes of her travels with friend Pat...

When I set off on a three-country tour of South America with my friend Pat, I didn't know exactly what to expect, and the travel agent was downright discouraging. That's because Pat is in a wheelchair.
"Consider yourself lucky" just to find a handicapped-adapted hotel room "in that part of the world," our agent e-mailed us not once but twice before our departure. We had reasons not to take his warnings very seriously. In the years since a car crash left her paraplegic, Pat has traveled the globe alone and visited places —including the jungles of Cambodia...Read More!