I was standing just a few feet away from this huge Silverback gorilla. The picture is not taken with a zoom lens- he could have reached out and punched me straight into the ground if he had wanted to. Nothing replaces real life, real time. You have to be there to know you have accomplished something extraordinary. To feel the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. To feel the ground actually tremble when this enormous animal starts to move. Watching a video on TV is nothing in comparison! Every one of us with physical limitations is afraid we will make the wrong decisions in unfamiliar situations.
Planning helps prevent such things. We worry we will embarrass ourselves or be too much trouble for others around us.
The truth is just the opposite: Each and every person you meet along the way in your travels appreciates in his or her own way what it takes for you to be in their world. They want you to succeed and will do all they can to see that you do.
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If you believe- truly believe- you can do a thing, the power to do it somehow comes as you are doing it. Read and use the information you will find in How to Plan a Trip and the chapters that follow it. If you want to learn more about Nancy and how we handled her disability, click here. To get into a village in the Hill Country of Northern Thailand, we had to cross a small creek.
As you can see, it would be Impossible to take a wheelchair over the narrow, makeshift bridge. An old elephant watched as a couple of the tribesmen voluntarily came over, lifted the wheelchair, and carried Nan across. They would not take any money for their service.
Accessible holidays guide
In their belief system, they are blessed if they help a stranger in need. They told us they were honored we should come so far from our home and country to be with them. To get to the Polar bears in the Canadian Arctic, we would have to fly in a small, four seater float plane because there are no roads in that part of the World. How could we get Nancy- who cannot walk- into this little aircraft? It was easy- once the pilot figured out the solution: It took an extra half hour, but he was totally pleased when the deed was accomplished.
- FRACHT (German Edition);
- Der Drache Tabor: Auf der Suche nach dem orangefarbenen Stein (German Edition).
- Bokveld binnekort (Afrikaans Edition).
He asked me for a copy of this photo so he could show all his friends. Wouldn't it be a shame for you to miss experiences because you think you can't do it - or it will be too hard? People everywhere have helped us get to every place on this site.
Lonely Planet's "Travelling with a Disability" Guide Now Available From ENAT
They will help you. We will help you. Getting on it is an adventure in itself- Hundreds of tourists, already on the Wall, their camera flash bulbs popping, video equipment recording, watched as our guide, driver, two Red Army officers and their rifles helped us achieve this travel dream. Read how we did it here. We spent several days tracking, then watching this daughter and her dad devour their kill while we were on safari in South Africa.
If you plan to join them for lunch or dinner, make sure leopards are in a good mood first. Also, don't complain there isn't much left at least not to the leopards. We visited several studios, even took part in a TV soap opera. Living it is even better! While on photo safari in Kenya, Nancy was having a glass of orange juice when this brash young fellow stuck his head in and "asked" her for some. All of us in the boat were amazed when one of the guides jumped into the water to swim, showing us piranha do not eat people - except under extreme circumstances.
The Accessible Tourism Directory. Organisation with Observer Status. This means planning your trip well: Unfortunately, most people with access issues — through disability, age or injury — have difficulty finding any information, let alone reliable information. Likewise, if you run a business that caters specifically for people who have special needs, let us know if you would like to be added to this list. As websites go down and web addresses change frequently, we intend to revisit and republish this resource every six months to make sure all links remain live and to add new ones.
All headings in the document are hyperlinked: The list is broken down into different sections. Lonely Planet prides itself on having its authors visit every region, establishment and activity we review. This is not the case with regard to the content of this document. We have gathered this information from personal and professional contacts, as well as from scouring the internet.
As such, we cannot vouch for the quality or currency of the information in any website, although we do offer an informed opinion in some cases. We especially absolve Lonely Planet of any responsibility for the quality of service provided by the listed travel agents and tour operators.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Lonely Planet and ENAT in July , the two organisations have committed to work together to promote accessible tourism for the benefit of visitors, tourism and travel suppliers and destinations around the world. Ok, so they have had the resources to adapt buildings for people with access needs, and so traditionally they are the first port of call for guests.
However, there is a whole world of accommodation out there that might suit your needs, from yurts to yachts, riverside cabins to riverboats. The more you ask them to cater for your needs, the more they will see how easy it can be to do so. Apart from the fact that, in the UK, wheelchair users account for only 4 percent of the accessible tourism market, that is never enough information.
Businesses need training and advice on catering for all access needs. See the Responsible Tourism page of this guide for more details. Accessible holidays guide This accessible holiday guide wears several different hats. An accessible holiday is It just has special trimmings.
An accessible holiday isn't Small ship cruise holidays Giant cruise ships have long been the quick and easy holiday option for people with access needs. Safaris Many safaris are making attempts to be more accessible, particularly in South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya. Accessible websites Making websites accessible is a great step in removing barriers and showing that all guests are welcome.
Facilities for all From pools to parking facilities, toilets to TVs, spas to sunbeds, having adapted and inclusive facilities makes all the difference between an OK holiday and a wonderfully welcoming one.
Hostility, not hospitality Tourists with access needs have too many sorry tales about their travels. Inaccurate descriptions It is not enough for a travel company to say that it is accessible. Multinational hotels Ok, so they have had the resources to adapt buildings for people with access needs, and so traditionally they are the first port of call for guests. Aivar Ruukel ] [A growing market: Brisbane City Council ] [Hostility, not hospitality: