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Volunteer Travel / Voluntourism / Japan Travel / Earthquakes / Disasters / → All Tags

Take a Four-Day Voluntourism Break in Japan to Help Locals Recover from the Tsunami

The TV cameras may be gone but that doesn't mean all is well in Japan. The country still needs support after the massive tsunami that hit in March and Inside Japan Tours has a way for you to help.

The tour company has created a 4-day volunteering tour to Tohoku where participants will work with RQ Citizens Disaster Relief Network Japan cleaning and restoring damaged houses and schools, shoveling rubble or clearing parks.

The package includes transportation from Tokyo, accommodations, meals, equipment and an English-speaking interpreter. Airfare is not included. Upcoming trips are scheduled to leave on July 7, July 21, August 4, and August 18. Packages start at $725. For more information visit InsideJapanTours.com.

[Photo: Tiryimyim.com]

Restaurant Weeks / Japan Travel / Disasters / Earthquake Travel / Tsunamis / Food Travel / New York City / New York Restaurants / → All Tags

Get a Great Meal in NYC, Give Greatly to the Red Cross in Japan

There's no reason in trying to disguise our love for New York restaurants or for Japan as we sure talk about both often enough, but rarely is it that these passions come together for anything other than excellent sushi; now, they're combining for charity. According to Crain's, restaurants around New York City have banded together to donate 5% of their total sales from March 23-30 and donate them to the Red Cross' efforts in Japan.

Participating restaurants are of all cuisines; there's the ramen restaurant Ippudo, trendy Mercer Kitchen in Soho, and French Rockefeller Center spot Brasserie Ruhlmann. The latter will be perfect for those who orchestrated this whole thing, because it's NBC Universal that's behind the warm-heartedness of it all. Maybe we'll see Jack Donaghy at the table next to us, hm?

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Dangerous Travel / Chernobyl / Japan Travel / Disasters / Tourists / Tourism / Tours / Science Travel / Nuclear Travel / Communism Travel / → All Tags

Chernobyl is So Hot Right Now: Nuclear Disasters Pique Tourist Interest

On April 26 this year, Ukraine will remember the 25th Anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. No one knows exactly how many died as result of the radioactive fallout and the story of what exactly happened to cause the plant's explosion is so riveting that we can easily get sucked into reading just the Wikipedia page and links for hours. Thus, it's no surprise that Ukraine has opened the Chernobyl site to tours; it's in our nature to be curious about such macabre places.

As it turns out, the recent tourist focus on Chernobyl couldn't have come at a better, if tragic, time. With the situation at Japan's earthquake- and tsunami-damaged nuclear plants (especially Fukushima) having reached frightening disaster status, the public is reading up on nuclear energy and the history thereof, including tragedies like experienced at Chernobyl.

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Volunteer Travel / American Red Cross / Disasters / Earthquakes / Tsunamis / AAdvantage / Japan Travel / American Airlines / Frequent Flyer Miles / → All Tags

Relief From the Sky: What the Airlines are Doing to Help Japan (and How You Can Join In)

They may be standing strong in the wake of both horrible earthquakes and the tsunami, but Japan does need our help, and badly. Think about all the enjoyment you've gotten from Japan—good sushi, awesome video games, breakthrough technology, superior customer service (for example)—and consider donating to relief efforts.

Cash is obviously the easiest way to contribute and it's the most in demand, since then charities can put it towards whatever is most needed. If you like the idea of getting a thanks for your donation, American Airlines, in partnership with the Red Cross, will kick you back AAdvantage miles for your donation:

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Disasters / Great Barrier Reef / Australia Travel / Queensland Travel / Environment / Green Travel / → All Tags

Tanker Collides Into Great Barrier Reef, Risks Environmental Catastrophe

Environmental and tourism authorities in Queensland went into full emergency mode over the weekend, when a giant Chinese tanker collided with the Barrier Reef and began leaking fuel into the surrounding pristine waters. Though it now seems like the worst-case disasters are going to be avoided—the Shen Neng 1 doesn't look like it's going to break in half, which was the initial fear—there's still a two-mile slick floating above one of the world's most important and delicate ecosystems.

The clean up began almost immediately, with planes dispatched to spray chemical dispersants into the water. The tanker was using a particularly cheap and viscous kind of fuel, increasing the danger it poses to the marine life below. Tug boats were sent to carefully stabilize the ship and get it out of the area, and they're hoping to start on that in the next few hours. In the meantime, the tanker is disabled and continues to grind against the reef, risking more breaches and an all-out catastrophe.

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Airline News / Disasters / Tragedy / Continental Airlines / Flight 3407 / → All Tags

We Finally Learn What Happened During The Colgan Air Crash

It’s been just about a year since a flight operated by Colgan Air under the Continental Airlines umbrella crashed outside Buffalo killing all aboard and one person on the ground. The NTSB has finally gotten all the appropriate signatures together and released its version of what went wrong and what happened that day.

The blame is falling squarely on the shoulders of the airplane’s captain. Officials believe that the pilot “inappropriately responded to the activation of the stick shaker, which led to an aerodynamic stall from which the airplane did not recover.” The report doesn’t make immediate connections regarding pilot fatigue, but officials have requested that airlines try to figure out how to eliminate the issue of pilots who are forced to travel by plane to work.

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Volunteer Travel / Haiti Travel / Earthquakes / Frequent Flyer Miles / Disasters / → All Tags

Relief From the Sky: What the Airlines are Doing to Help Haiti

As we reported last week, Spirit Airlines was giving away enough loyalty miles for a free flight to anyone who donates $5 to Haiti by Jan. 17. But, Spirit isn't the only airline getting involved in the relief efforts. Here's a look at a few other airlines and what they're doing to help:

· American Airlines: American is giving customers a chance to earn 250 bonus miles when they donate at least $50, or 500 bonus miles for a donation of $100 or more to the American Red Cross through Feb. 28, 2010. The airline, in conjunction with American Eagle, is also sending three flights to Haiti filled with 30,000 pounds of relief supplies, food and water.

· Continental Airlines: Continental has a program for OnePass members in which they can donate their miles to relief groups, including the Red Cross.

More airlines, after the jump

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Earthquakes / Haiti Travel / Disasters / Tragedies / American Airlines / Frequent Flyer Miles / → All Tags

American Offering Bonus Miles for Donations to Haiti Relief Efforts

If you're looking to donate to a Haiti earthquake relief charity but don't want to wait till George Clooney's MTV celebrity-filled telethon on Friday, American Airlines is offering an alternative through the American Red Cross.

Make a contribution to the American Red Cross and the airline will award your do-gooding with bonus AAdvantage miles. A minimum $50 donation will get you 250 miles and a pledge of $100 or more will earn you 500 miles.

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Earthquakes / Haiti Travel / Disasters / Tragedies / Spirit Airlines / Volunteer Travel / Frequent Flyer Miles / → All Tags

Donate $5 To Haiti Relief and Spirit Airlines Will Give You a Free Flight

All day today and yesterday, ways to do your part to help the victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti have been publicized on Twitter, Facebook, and on the news. Even celebrities are throwing their weight behind some of the text-to-donate schemes, but how can you be sure it's all legit?

Unless you really do the research, it's all a crapshoot with those texting charities and money boxes at gas stations, so we're throwing our weight behind the charity efforts of an airline, of course. Specifically Spirit Airlines, who will give you enough loyalty miles for a free flight if you donate only $5 to Haiti by January 17.

On their website, you can login or sign up for the Spirit Airlines frequent flyer program (Free Spririt) for free, and then choose who you'd like to donate to: The Red Cross, UNICEF, or Wyclef Jean's charity Yéle Haiti. After completing the donation form and sending at least $5 to the charities, Spirit will credit your account with 5,000 miles if you're among the first 200,000 to do so, which is enough for a roundtrip flight if you have the Spirit Mastercard, or half of a one-way flight if you don't. Granted, it'll take 6-8 weeks for the miles to drop into the account, but it's for a good cause. Go here to participate and donate.

Related Stories:
· HaitiRelief [Spirit Airlines]
· A Man with a Radio is all that's left of the airport in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti [Jaunted]
· Spirit Airlines News [Jaunted]

Tragedies / Haiti Travel / Earthquakes / Disasters / Airports / Airport News / → All Tags

A Man With A Radio Is All That's Left Of The Airport In Port-Au-Prince, Haiti

As medical air and media begins to flood into Haiti following the devastating 7.0 earthquake of two nights ago, we're hearing reports of complete destruction that is affecting 1/3 of the country's population, and inhibiting the arrival of more help.

Yesterday evening, rumors on Twitter did not help, when people circulated the false statements that UPS was allowing free shipping of packages to Haiti and that American Airlines and Jetblue were flying any volunteers and medical personnel to Haiti for free. The last thing the country needs right now are planeloads of people who might have goodwill in mind, but will only spill into the fray already occurring on the streets, without much organization. The airlines are only working with the UN and embassy to send selected medical professionals, so don't pack your bags yet.

Even if you could up and go to Haiti to help, the airport at Port-Au-Prince is barely functioning and is doing so dangerously.

After the jump, Anderson Cooper explains the situation at the airport

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Disaster Travel / Philippines / Philippines Travel / Disasters / → All Tags

Lava Spews From Mount Mayon in the Philippines

Already battered by typhoons in recent months, it doesn't appear that Mother Nature is easing up on the Philippines, a destination that holds a special place for those of us who have traveled there in recent years. On our last trip, we had the opportunity to trek up an active volcano on horseback, but even the most adventurous of tourists will have to abstain from getting close to Mount Mayon, which is currently spewing lava "half a kilometer downslope," according to a report from The Philippine Star.

Located on Luzon, the largest of the Philippines' 7,000-plus islands, Mayon's seismic activity has triggered "43 volcanic quakes" in recent days, says Business Mirror online. Suffice to say, now is not optimal for visiting the area, though the holidays are a particularly popular time of year for tourists and Philippine expats to travel there.

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Floods / Philippines Travel / Philippines / Disasters / Travel Warnings / → All Tags

Hope You Aren't Planning A Trip To The Philippines This Month

We hope not too many Jaunted readers were traveling through the Philippines over the weekend because it hasn't been pretty: a tropical storm hit the north of the country and caused the worst flooding Manila has seen for more than 50 years.

Almost half a million people have been displaced by the floods and sadly, at least 86 have been confirmed dead, with the final death toll expected to be a lot higher.

What this means for travelers: right now is clearly not a fantastic time to be landing in the northern Philippines. Apart from the fact that the locals are busy with more important things than entertaining tourists, with such widespread flooding there's also the danger of disease outbreaks. Postpone your trip if you can. When you do get there, remember we've also warned you to be wary of ferries, okay?

Related Stories:
· Storm Kills Dozens in the Philippines [NY Times]
· Note To Self: Avoid Ferries In The Philippines [Jaunted]

[Photo: Dan Saavedra]