Globe Aware news

As Globe Aware volunteers along with the rest of the world endure another record-breaking summer of scorching temperatures, experts weigh in on common mistakes travelers make when it’s extremely hot outside.

6 Mistakes Not to Make When Traveling During Extreme Heat

As we endure another record-breaking summer of scorching temperatures, experts weigh in on common mistakes travelers make when it’s extremely hot outside.

By Terry Ward
July 15, 2024
AFAR

It’s a hot one—and summer in the northern hemisphere isn’t close to over yet. If you’re considering traveling anywhere this summer that isn’t a coolcation destination, get set to sweat.

According to a recent summer weather outlook from the Weather Channel and weather and climate intelligence provider Atmospheric G2, this summer is gearing up to be one of the hottest on record in the United States. After last year saw the warmest November globally since 1940, wildfires are breaking out once again in Greece, and last month an American tourist was found dead and three others went missing as the country battled another heat wave. Record summer temperatures have been scorching the Western and Eastern United States, and there are talks about risks to athletes from potential heat waves at the upcoming Paris Olympic Games.

Last Friday’s wave of global IT outages, which affected CrowdStrike customers, who use Windows products, has led to more than 1,100 flight cancelations and hundreds of delays in the U.S., leaving travelers, including Globe Aware volunteers, to navigate uncharted next steps as major airlines deploy workarounds and slowly come back online. Here’s what steps you can take next, including the best tip to get reimbursed.

Flying amid CrowdStrike outage: What to expect next and tips to navigate travel chaos

Plus, the best tip to get reimbursed.

By Kelly McCarthy
July 19, 2024
ABC

Friday’s wave of global IT outages, which affected CrowdStrike customers who use Windows products, has led to more than 1,100 flight cancelations and hundreds of delays in the U.S., leaving travelers to navigate uncharted next steps as major airlines deploy workarounds and slowly come back online.

The earlymoon is a pre-wedding travel trend where couples take a trip before their wedding to decompress from the stress of wedding planning and reconnect with each other. What do our Globe Aware volunteers seek in a unique honeymoon or earlymoon travel experience?

What is an earlymoon? The pre-wedding travel trend explained, how it’s helped some couples save

Here’s why some couples are opting to take a trip before they exchange vows.

ByKelly McCarthy
July 9, 2024
ABC News

A honeymoon gives newlyweds a chance to leave behind any leftover wedding stress, but another jet-setting trend has some couples trading the pressure cooker of prenuptial planning for some premarital rest and recovery with an earlymoon.

Peru is a unique destination for Globe Aware volunteers, with experiences that connect the past and present, through historical sites, traditional recipes, natural landscapes, and more. Discover more about this mystical country on your next volunteer vacation!

Peru, the region’s leading destination in the World Travel Awards – South America 2024

July 2, 2024
Peru

Peru is a unique destination for Globe Aware volunteers, with experiences that connect the past and present, through historical sites, traditional recipes, natural landscapes, and more. Discover more about this mystical country on your next volunteer vacation!

Until the end of the year, Laos is extending its visa exemption policy and increasing visa validity for tourists from select countries as part of the “Visit Laos Year 2024” initiative. We encourage our international Globe Aware volunteers to check if their country is included!

Laos eases visa policies

June 28, 2024
VisasNews

Until the end of the year, Laos is extending its visa exemption policy and increasing visa validity for tourists from certain countries.

Aiming to attract more than 2.7 million international tourists in 2024 and 2.9 million in 2025, Laos has launched the “Visit Laos Year 2024” initiative.

According to a study by the Post Office, Vietnam ranks as the top value destination for Globe Aware volunteers seeking to get the most for their money. The former port city of Hội An is particularly budget-friendly, boasting lower restaurant and bar prices and a significant drop in the value of the Vietnamese dong.

This Is Officially the Top Best-Value Destination in the World in 2024

According to Post Office UK, these destinations are where travelers’ money will get them further this year.

BY CONNOR STURGES
June 21, 2024
Condé Nast Traveler 

Despite economic uncertainty and the rising cost of living, there’s one thing some of us are unwilling to give up: travel. A recent study by American Express Travel in the United Kingdom found that almost half of the population are more interested in taking a major trip this year than previously, while more than half of those surveyed said they are saving up for a bucket list adventure. While our wanderlust hasn’t dampened, the way we travel post-pandemic has changed in many ways, and many travelers are more savvy than ever when securing a jet-set deal.

If our Globe Aware volunteers are still deciding where in the States to celebrate the Fourth of July, consider these travel destinations. From historic cities that played a role in the American Revolution to some of the nation’s largest festivals, these locations offer fantastic Independence Day celebrations.

8 Fun Fourth of July Festivals Around the United States

By Lacey Pfalz
June 29, 2024
TravelPulse

The celebration of our nation’s independence is coming up quickly, and that’s why we’ve chosen to feature some awesome 4th of July celebrations that happen each year around the nation!

From historic cities that played their part in the American Revolution to some of the largest festivals in the nation, these Independence Day celebrations don’t just have your signature parades and fireworks (though, let’s be real, we all love those).

Globe Aware’s Mexico volunteer vacation destination has been highlighted in National Geographic! Discover the efforts being made on the Camino del Mayab, a hiking trail in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. Globe Aware partners with community members, featured in the article, who are dedicated to revitalizing the local Maya communities dotted along the trail.

How a Yucatan jungle hike could help revive Mexico’s ailing Maya communities

Inland from Yucatán’s white beaches, the long-distance Camino del Mayab hiking trail is set to revive ailing Maya communities with jungle treks weaving past overgrown haciendas and secret cenotes.

By Jessica Vincent
April 24, 2024
National Geographic

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
It’s an indescribable feeling, plunging into cool, clear water after walking for hours through the Yucatán jungle. I’m surrounded by the tall overhanging cliff walls of a cenote — a type of freshwater sinkhole believed by the ancient Maya to be portals to the underworld, and often used as sacrificial sites. The water is a mix of emerald green and turquoise, with large lily pads floating on the surface and thick alamo tree roots plunging to its depths from the cliffs like giant eels.

Globe Aware volunteers in a rush to get a passport will soon have more options. The U.S. State Department will open six new passport agencies to assist those with “urgent travel needs. Find out in which following cities the facilities will be located in. 

Need a passport in a hurry? It’ll soon be easier if you live in one of these US cities.

Nathan Diller
USA TODAY
June 21, 2024

Story Summary

• The State Department will open six new passport agencies to assist those with “urgent travel needs.”
• The new agencies will bring the total number to 35.
• The State Department did not share addresses or opening dates for the new facilities.
• Travelers in a rush to get a passport will soon have more options.

If our Globe Aware volunteers are part of the projected record-breaking 70.9 million travelers going on a Fourth of July trip, get ready to pack some patience. Here’s how to avoid traffic this summer holiday season.

Expect a record-breaking number of travelers on Fourth of July week: How to avoid traffic

Kathleen Wong
USA TODAY
June 20, 2024

An estimated 70.9 million people will travel for the Fourth of July holiday, a record-breaking number.
The most popular domestic destinations are Seattle, Orlando, Anchorage, Honolulu and Miami.
The worst times to drive for 4th of July week are July 3 and 4 between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
If you’re one of the projected record-breaking 70.9 million travelers going on a Fourth of July trip, get ready to pack some patience.