Jaunted - Tag: Floods

Bangkok: There are Still Airplanes at Bangkok's Flooded Don Mueang Airport

JetSetCD — 2011-10-31T14:50:00-05:00

Thailand's really tragic flooding of the last few weeks has been all over the news, complete with shots of locals pushing their belongings on rafts, homes lost. The water has reached Bangkok, but luckily still not the very center. It has however reached one of the city's two airports—Don Mueang Domestic Airport—out of which we flew only a month ago.

Don Mueang (DMK) is a huge complex owing to its history as the former main international airport for Bangkok...until Suvarnabhumi opened. Now it's just a hub for a few domestic airlines and it was most recently the makeshift emergency flood operations center. You know it's serious when the flood operations center is itself flooded out.

The Early Stages of the Current Thailand Flooding: Photos from Ayutthaya

JetSetCD — 2011-10-24T17:28:36-05:00

It's as we feared would happen. The rising floodwaters of the Chao Phraya River near Bangkok, Thailand have reached the city's secondary airport, Don Mueang. DMK was the focus of one of our recent stories on great places to go plane spotting, owing to the existence of a golf course in between the airport runways.

Well, it's safe to say that the entire place is in danger of becoming one giant water trap.

Although central Bangkok and the main tourist areas remain high and dry, the UNESCO historical sites in nearby Ayutthaya can't say the same. Although we aren't there now to show you some of the damaging floods (thank god), we were there as recent as a few weeks ago, when the waters of the river had already begun seeping into the first floors of riverside homes.

Flash Floods in Central Europe Impact Tourist Destinations

Jennifer Kester — 2010-08-10T12:01:20-05:00

Muskauer Park suffered some flooding on these lovely grounds.

Flash floods have hit central Europe over the past several days, especially cities in Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland. While cleanup is under way, the floods have ravaged homes, caused evacuations and killed at at least 11 people. Several tourist attractions also were affected by the massive downpours.

Spa town Bad Muskau, which straddles the east Germany-Poland border, saw flooding in Muskauer Park, an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Luckily, no irreparable damage was done to the property's reconstructed castle, and the town saw little itself.

Rio de Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro Puts Christ On Ice Until Mudslides Subside

JetSetCD — 2010-04-14T12:05:21-05:00

These first few months of 2010 have welcomed everything but tourists it seems, as natural disasters like earthquakes, floods ands even volcanoes put a crimp in itineraries. And although we're hoping that the sun of summer will wipe the problems away, it looks like Mother Nature will have her last laugh...in shutting down the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

What they've got down there is a Machu Picchu-type flooding and mudslide emergency. Already the torrential rains and mudslides have killed 246 people, with almost another 200 still missing. And they're not risking more lives just so people can take a quick picture of themselves with one of the seven "new" wonders of the world.

Cusco: Machu Picchu Will Finally Reopen To Tourists on April 1

JetSetCD — 2010-03-11T09:03:59-05:00

It's already been almost two months since out of control flood waters washed away the main routes for accessing the remote Inca ruins site of Machu Picchu, in Peru. But today, the Peruvian Minister of Tourism has announced that the UNESCO World Heritage site will reopen to tourists on April 1, 2010, barring any other weather delays.

Since the heavy rainfall of January caused the nearby Vilcanota River to tumultuously overrun its banks and take out rail lines and roads, stranding thousands and thousands of tourists in the small town of Aguas Calientes for days before being evacuated by helicopter, tourism to the country has been severely impacted. Airlines that fly many visitors to Peru, like Delta, offered one-time ticket changes for people postponing trips, and many with booked package tours were issued refunds or change waivers.

Cuzco: How Long Will Machu Picchu Be Out of Reach For Tourists?

JetSetCD — 2010-02-01T14:25:10-05:00

For tourists to Peru's famed Machu PIcchu site, the nightmare of being trapped by raging flood waters in the nearby Vilcanota River has ended. The last trapped tourists were airlifted out of the remote area at the end of last week, but locals are already attempting to rebuild as the waters subside.

As the river gushed out of control, beginning back around January 25, over 3500 visitors found themselves stuck in the town of Aguas Calientes with the only transportation route back to the nearest city of Cuzco—the train—wiped out in the flooding and mudslides. As evacuation by helicopter progressed slowly and prices of basic things like food and water were jacked up in the small town, tourists became desperate, and a few even hiked back along the dangerous route.

So how long will Machu Picchu be out of the commission?

Venice: Venice Is Flooded Again; Everyone Go Wakeboarding!

JetSetCD — 2009-12-24T08:47:09-05:00

The terribly wintery weather currently hitting Europe right now is bringing the lagoon waters of Venice up into the piazzas and reminding us of one of our favorite quirky stories from last year: that of the guy who wakeboarded through a flooded St. Mark's Square. We've posted the video for you again above, and believe us that it's worth watching all two minutes because the Red Bull guy also wakeboards in a canal. This is what happens when you combine horrible weather, a sinking city, and an opportunist tourist on energy drink.

Each year, this high water, or Acqua Alta, hits the Italian city at its weakest time: when the tourists and locals are all in town to celebrate the holidays. It also doesn't help that the lowest (and therefore most affected) place in town is the visitor mecca of St. Mark's Square. When the waters get knee-high here, you'll see Venice become a network of raised platforms as sidewalks—here's a great picture to demonstrate. Come to think of it, we should add "leaving the rain boots behind" to our list of the Top Five Tourist Mistakes in Venice.