TRAVEL
Home & Away with Robert Walshe
Living
Fingerprint boarding passes and eye-scanning passport control may seem futuristic but a report suggests it is only eight years away. By 2020, all airports will be paperless and bags will be electronically tagged, according to the From Chaos to Collaboration report released by technology expert Amadeus. It predicts that technological innovation will take the stress out of travel so that passengers will have nothing to remember and can track the exact location of their bag at any time. Automated identification systems will use fingerprints to check in; avoiding the lengthy queues and delays in manual check-in. Travelers will cruise through customs and immigration with just a scan of their retina. Passengers will be able to use virtual tour guides - through the same principles as gaming on smart phones and computers - enabling them to visit sites of interest.
craftsmen weaving, carving and painting. Home of the Dar es Salaam Horticultural Society, the Botanical Gardens feature a wonderful selection of indigenous plants, including purple bougainvillea, blue jacaranda, scarlet flame trees and red hibiscus as well as the coco-de-mer palm tree, native to Seychelles. Those in search of sandy beaches to sun worship will do well n 2012 Cruis Dar es Salam to head to Oyster Bayor take es. n Hyatt Kilimanjaro Hotel the ferry to Bongoyo Island, Tanzania. while Kigamboni on the south coast has picturesque beaches that will enchant and meet the needs of all travecaptivate. There’s plenty of accom- lers and if you’re lucky enough to be nary cruise on modation in Dar es Salaam, ranging staying on the Regency Club™ level 30April with private cooking from centrally-based modern hotels you can enjoy deluxe in-room ameni- demonstrations, 6* luxury butler to stylish boutique guesthouses and ties as well as complimentary daily service and fine dining throughout, more and more travelers are choos- continental breakfast, all-day tea and from €3,695 in staying a Vista Suite. ing to spend more than one night in coffee, and evening cocktails. www. The Baltic’s and Norwegian fjords Holiday Hotspot. Dar to experience the vibe of this fas- hyatt.com Coastal Airways developed feature strongly among the cruise Meaning ‘Haven of Peace’ in Arabic, cinating city. The Hyatt Kilimanjaro the “Scheduled Flying Safari”, offer- options covering Northern Europe, Dar es Salaam began as a small fish- Hotel is centrally located in the busi- ing the opportunity, to small parties and include 15 nights along the ing village and has become a melting ness district where it enjoys superior and single persons, to join into an ad- North Cape from 19 May from €2,769. pot of cultures, encompassing Afri- views over the city port and harbour. venture which would otherwise have Those seeking warmer climes can can, Arabic and South Asian flavours. The hotel is strategically located prohibitive costs. The operation of- bask in the South Caribbean, taking But this city is anything but peaceful. within easy reach of government fers air charter services in East Africa in such exotic havens as the Virgins A bustling metropolis of east Africa offices, embassies and shops. The and flying safaris to various destina- Isles, Dominica, Grenada and Aruba and largest city of the exotic land of “Kili” as its affectionately known is tions in Tanzania. Numerous airlines over 12 days from €1,769, departing Tanzania, Dar es Salaam is a major famous across the African continent fly into the countries capital city Dar 16 April. Orfor something different, port, which straddles some of the having played host to Michael Jack- es Salam and onward connections tour the Hubbard Glacier in Alaska world’s most important sea routes. son and Nelson Mandela. While stay- are easily organised www.coastal.cc and maybe catch a 100-pound haliWith German, Asian, Swahili and ing at Hyatt Regency Dar es Salaam, but at Ketchikan before heading to British architecture to appreciate, guests can look forward to delicious Weekly Best Buy the comforts of Vancouver? The visitors will find no shortage of at- dining in the hotel’s restaurants, in2012 is shaping up to be another 9-day Hubbard Glacier Cruise is from tractions to busy themselves with cluding “ The Oriental”, where an in- big year for cruises and the range €1,899 departing 13 May. Equally while on holiday in Dar es Salaam. ternational team of chefs offer a wide of offerings from Thomas Cook has exotic options from Thomas Cook The city also has a few interesting choice from fresh sushi and sashimi been expanded accordingly. The op- Cruise include the Panama Canal, museums, including the National Mu- to other Asian classics! The dining ex- erator is now representing Cunard the Antarctic, the Amazon, Gulf of seum. Located next to the Botanical perience here was exceptional. The and P&O, meaning Irish cruise lovers Arabia, Korea and Japan, Dubai and Gardens, it was opened in 1940 in the 180 spacious rooms and suites, will can now enjoy the services of two of India and Australia/New Zealand. King George V Memorial the most famous names in New for 2012 is a once in a lifetime Museum. A new wing the business. Highlights trip to the Galapagos Islands, takwas built in 1963 and include an iconic transat- ing in an expedition to the ruins of King George V’s car can lantic voyage on the Queen Machu Picchu in Peru and the sacred be viewed here. Another Mary 2 – a cruise experi- valley of the Incas. An unforgettable popular tourist attracence like no other -from 14 days is from €6,899 in an ocean tion, the Makumbusho just €1,829, departing 27 view stateroom. Prices are approxiVillage Museum displays April with a night’s stay in mate, include flights from Dublin, traditional Tanzanian New York. There are no and are based on 2 persons sharing traditional homes, reprefewer than 33 ways to ex- an interior room, unless otherwise senting 18 ethnic tribes. plore the Mediterranean in stated. www.thomascookcruise.ie Visitors can be taken the new cruise brochure, on a tour through local starting from just €799 per Robert Walshe is a freelance homes, which include person. Among them is contributor / broadcaster and furnished huts, meeting a12-day Greece and Holy guest travel writer for River places and cattle pens, land cruise from €949 on Media newspaper titles across n Skyline over Dar es Salam Tanzania. and can view artists and 4 May, and a one-off culi- the island of Ireland
Pet’s Corner...
Home and Away Extra Galway’s Pillo Hotel & Spa has been chosen by an Irish customer experience company for trials of their latest new product ‘Instant Opinion’. This innovative, textbased service lets hotel guests give instant feedback during their stay via mobile phone; simply by sending a freetext or email, which the Hotel receives instantly allowing them to resolve any issues immediately. Instant Opinion gives organisations the ability to collect customer feedback in real-time, while the customer is still experiencing the service or product. Pillo Hotel & Spa is to be commended for the vision it has shown in being one of the first hotels in the west of Ireland to implement Instant Opinion So if you’re planning to stay at Pillo Hotel & Spa, attending an event or just popping in for lunch and would like give some feedback on your visit, make sure you try out ‘Instant Opinion’ for yourself.
with Kathleen Murray
How should dogs play together? Not all dogs get along and older dogs do not appreciate an unmannerly pup jumping all over them. As dogs need dogs in their lives, and dogs are great for using up each others energy, it is always good to make sure that you socialise your dog from a very early age. If a puppy hasn’t been around other dogs from the time it leaves it’s mother (8weeks) until it is several months old then it will have forgotten a lot about how to be a dog. As it will have been with humans it will not know how to play and may be a little too rough or a little too nervous in the presence of other dogs. If it has had a bad experience when it was very young (attacked by a strange dog) then it may become ag-
gressive towards other dogs when it comes up to about 1 year old. Dogs that have not been around other dog enough when they were young can often not recognise other dogs as their own species when they reach adulthood and can end up attacking other dogs as if they were a cat or rabbit. Socialisation is very important. What is also very important is how it is done. A puppy should never be introduced or left with dogs that are “not stable” or haven’t got any experience with pups. It is always good to introduce dogs to each other in controlled circumstances. If you know someone with a pup then you could go to visit each other and let the pups get used to each other, on
leads at first and then just playing together on their own. An alternative is to bring them to my training class where introductions and playtime are supervised. Always keep them in sight as one pup may become a little too over excited or bite the other pup too hard. This is normal when pups play (they won’t injure each other) but how you handle it is very important. Do not pick up the underdog and make a fuss of it or sympathise with it in a human way. Slow the other pup down by distracting it or holding it beside you for a little bit until it becomes calm again... then let them resume. Just deal with the enthusiasm in this way until they learn to mellow the play. Never let it get
out of hand as growling and defending comes into the play then and that is not what you want. A leader would not allow any high jinks between young dogs as this would be seen as a challenge to his leadership further down the line. This is worth paying good attention to. When you step in to break it up or calm it down then the pups (and adult dogs) need to pay attention to that. You need to be seen as an authority... not as a Playmate or a Mammy. Playing is a very important part of a dog’s life. They learn valuable lessons from it and it keeps them sociable. If you have a dog that is nervous around other dogs or ag-
gressive then this needs to be dealt with. This should not be done by the owner unless they have been given clear instructions by a professional first as they may make the situation worse instead of better. People often take advice from “a man down the road” or a neighbour. This is not good as they may not diagnose the dogs problem properly therefore the treatment may cause more problems than what was there to start with.