Double trouble for travelers: baggage thieves and cellphone crooks

It's a good thing travel is so enjoyable because, frankly, there are things to worry about when you take a trip. Things such as whether your baggage will be waiting for you at the end of a flight and whether someone might be tapping into your cellphone.
Let's talk about luggage first. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, mishandled baggage complaints, including theft, rank second only to flight problems as the most common consumer complaint. Although  actual baggage theft from luggage carousels and other pilferage may account for a small percent of mishandled bags in the U.S., it is still prevalent in some parts of the world.  In fact, the U.S. State Department, in its  Country Specific pages, provides destination information on international airports where pilferage may be a problem.

The US Travel Insurance Association, through its  TRIP  web site, offers the following tips to lessen the chance that your bags will vanish:
* Use hard-sided luggage.
* Pack valuables in your carry-on
*Avoid luggage that looks expensive.
* Pack only items that are easily replaced or those you can live without.
* Use a TSA-approved lock or plastic cable ties to secure your bags.
* Make your bags conspicuous by choosing eye-catching colors or distinctively colored straps.
For more details and additional tips, visit www.trip.ustia.org.

Now about those cellphones.  AVG Technologies, an online security specialist, warns that cyber crooks are increasingly targeting mobile users with fake apps that steal data or trick users into accepting fraudulent charges. Here's how travelers can help protect themselves:
*Any mobile device should be equipped with security software. Not surprisingly, AVG Technologies recommends AVG Mobilation.
* Be careful when downloading apps for your phone. Pay special attention to their names. If you want Free Wi-Fi Finder, then make sure it's Free Wi-Fi Finder and not Free Wi-Fi Finding.
* Do not "jailbreak" your device to get around limitations set by your carrier or manufacturer. Doing so will remove protections built into the device.
* Check your phone bills. Many carriers now allow you to check your usage and charges online. Report any suspicious activity quickly.
* Exercise the same caution as you would on your computer. Most people have no idea their cellphones can be attacked. And that is one reason why cyber crooks are going after them.


Trivial question
What is the highest mountain in Canada? (Answer somewhere below.)

Hey, Tweeters, you could win a Hawaiian stay

To mark its 30th anniversary, the oceanfront Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa,on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii Island,has launched a photo caption contest via Twitter.  The monthlong  contest (#WaikoloaMarriott30) will give entrants the opportunity to win a five-night stay in a Royal Suite at Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, overlooking ancient Hawaiian fishponds and the white-sand ‘Anaeho‘omalu Bay. @MarriottHawaii will post one photo of Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa each weekday for 30 days. People can enter by replying on Twitter with a caption that best describes the photo. Entries must include the hashtag #WaikoloaMarriott30. Of the 30 daily qualifiers, Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa will randomly select one contest winner the week of Aug.22 For all the rules, visit  www.marriotthawaii.com/waikoloamarriott30.

Fascinating fact

West Virginia is the only state in the Union without a natural lake.

Coming up at Disney World: Royal Guest Rooms

Opening early next spring, the Royal Guest Rooms at Walt Disney World's Port Orleans Resort-Riverside allow princes and princesses of all ages to stay where Disney royalty have stayed. Guests find regal touches left behind by some of their favorite Disney characters --  fiber-optic special effects above ornately decorated beds, gold and crystal accents, custom linens and drapes, and in-room art and details including Princely banners and well-known Princess friends. The 512 Royal Guest Rooms will start at $189 per night.

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Worth quoting

"To put it rather bluntly, I am not the type who wants to go back to the land; I am the type who wants to go back to the hotel." -- Fran Lebowitz

Trivial answer

Canada's highest mountain is mount Logan in the Yukon. At 19,551 feet, Logan is the second-highest mountain in North America, after Mount McKinley, which is 20,320 feet.

 Cathedral windows in Setubal, Portugal

The top 10 things you can do mostly for free in Portugal

Flying to and staying in Portugal are relative bargains. And once you get there, you'll find plenty of free -- or nearly free -- activities to further cut costs. Here are the country's top 10 freebies:

1) Castles.  There are more per capita than in any other nation, and most are free. For example, the Castle of Guimarães, overlooking the Campo de São Mamede, played a role the foundation of the country and its struggles for independence.

2)  Cathedrals. – Hundreds of historic churches and cathedrals across Portugal are free, although some may charge to see the cloisters or sacristy. Here you can see a thousand years of architecture with  gold and silver, intricate woodwork and sculpture, and the tombs of priests, warriors, kings, and everyday people.

3) Festivals. From Lisbon’s Popular Marches, to Coimbra’s celebration of the Saint Queen Isabel in July, to the Sao Pedro Festival, late spring to fall, these ancient festivals and celebrations are free to all. Attending a traditional festival (festa) is a great way for any visitor to absorb some Portugese popular culture and get to know the locals.

4) City parks.  From the sweeping vistas of the Sao Pedro de Alcantara Park in Lisbon, to the stylish paths of the ancient Mata de Santa Cruz in Coimbra, to the   Garden of the Episcopal Palace in Castelo Branco,  Portugal’s hundreds of city parks rich in heritage and monuments, cost nothing to visit.

 5) Beaches. With more than 500 miles of  Atlantic coast, Portuguese beaches are great for swimming, surfing, and sun. The country boasts has more than 300 miles of sandy beaches, and some of the best weather in Europe.

6) The Cacilheiro. OK, these cost 95 cents, but the orange boats go from Lisbon to Cacilhas   and offer grand views of Lisbon from the river.

7) Museums on Sunday and holidays until 2 p.m.   Here are just a few that are free during that time period, but check out this site  (which, alas, appears to be in Portuguese only) for a full list. Plus, at other times children under 14 years old free and there is a 50 percent discount for seniors.

8) Lisbon’s historic Trolley 28. Trolley 28 runs through historic Lisbon beginning in Graça then  to the river. Cost is just  2 1/2 euros (or buy a one day Carris/metro ticket for 3.95 euros) and you pay the fare directly to the driver.  The 28 trolley crosses the city from east to west, climbing away from the center through the narrow cobbled streets and steep gradients of the Bairro Alto, Baixa, and Alfama districts.

9) Running of the bulls on Terceira. Part of life since the 16th century, the “touradas à corda” (literally “bullfights by rope”) are held by local Terceira villagers from April/May to late September. In these events, similar to the “Running of the Bulls,"  a bull is let loose from the town’s square (or other open space) with a very long rope around its neck. Courageous people then attempt to get close tothe animal while avoiding being gored. The animal is eventually retrieved and a festival begins.

10) Levadas on Madeira. The Levada "Walks" are walking trails along the maintenance paths beside the Levadas. Although the Levadas were constructed primarily for agricultural/industrial use, they offer an opportunity for tourists and localsto have outdoor adventures at places inaccessible by car.

Search Amazon.com for Portugal 

Trivial question

What is the only continent where you won't find glaciers? (Answer somewhere below.)

A batch of new guides for the traveler

DK Eyewitness Travel and Rough Guides has released a slew of new guidebooks this month and will issue more in April. The books, and their list prices, are Back Roads: Germany, Back Roads, Australia, Chile & Easter Island (all $25), Top 10: Italian Lakes ($14), Top 10: England's Lake District ($14, coming in April), Pocket Rough Guides: Amsterdam; Athens; Lisbon; Venice (all $14, coming in April). All have lots of details, photos, maps, and the sleek look that DK guides are known for.

Worth quoting

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends." -- well said by Maya Angelou.


Lighthouses, lobsters and lots more for $1,685
Atlantic Canada is one of my favorite places in the world in summer, and one way to get a taste of it is via the the one-week Maritime Sampler program from The Great Canadian Travel Company, which visits New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Priced from $1,685 per person, the  package includes six nights’ accommodation (based on double occupancy), transportation throughout,  most meals including a traditional Prince Edward Island lobster supper, a welcome reception and visits to Peggy’s Cove with its famous lighthouse, Lunenburg, Grand Pre National Historic Site, Hopewell Rocks, Anne of Green Gables Heritage Place and Prince Edward Island National Park.  There are 15 departures  between May 28 and Oct. 1. For more info and reservations, click here.

Fascinating fact

Only about 3 percent of the Earth's water is fresh water.

A $399 inn-to-inn summer sampler in N.H.

The Rosewood Country Inn and the Candlelite Inn in Bradford, N.H., are offering an Inn to Inn Summer Sampler for visitors to explore central New Hampshire. Available June 26 to 30 and July 17 to 21, the four-night package includes two nights at each inn, and a self-guided tour with admissions to some of the Sunapee region's most popular and scenic attractions. The package includes two nights at Candlelite Inn, two nights at Rosewood Country Inn, four breakfasts, to dinners, a picnic supper, admissions to Fuller Gardens, St. Gaudens, and The Fells, and tickets for Lake Sunapee Cruise. To book the package, which begins at $399, call the Candlelite Inn at 888-812-5571 or email  candlelite@conknet.com.

Trivial answer

Australia contains no glaciers.