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Who are we?

We are two Belgian entrepreneurs who love to spend time in the ocean and spread the salty vibe

What do we do?

At Fixx travel, we’re not just a place to stay; we’re your gateway to tailor-made adventures. Throughout the year, we unveil special packages brimming with bonding activities for families and groups of friends, ensuring stress-free vacations like no other. Your journey begins here!” .

How to book

Directly trough the calendar or contact us trough email, phone or web form

What do we do ?

Introduction.

F.I.XX travel is proud to present you the first edition of ‘Villa roque’ in Corralejo, Fuerteventura; 

A friends and family hostel where you can enjoy the customized holiday you want. Get some sea-xperience, great getaway with the kids or friends, catch the salty vibe and ride along with us. 

Get to know us by an intake conversation online and see if we match your expectations. We are happy to take time to introduce ourselves and our services so you can have a stress-free holiday.

      - Breakfast included

      -  Exclusive dining guided by private chef  (*)

      -  Airport shuttle (*)

      -  late night cinema in the garden (*)

      -  Guided hikes to vulcano’s and Los Lobos (*)

      -  Nautic activities such as Kite, Sailing, Boat riding, snorkling, surf (*)

      -  Babysit or kids activities on request. (*)

(*) not included in the price, except when agreed otherwise

Fuerteventura

Discover the perfect blend of adventure, waves, golden sands, and unforgettable hostel vibes.

Problem with a trip you booked through a portal? Here's what you should do

The holiday season usually brings flight delays and cancellations. Also, if you're traveling through regions with snow, the chances of weather affecting your travel add a layer of uncertainty.

Along with bringing extra patience when traveling, knowing what to do if something goes wrong can also help you find a solution.

Unfortunately, that can be easier said than done. We receive emails regularly asking for help. They usually read something like this: "I booked a trip through my credit card's online travel portal. The flight was canceled, so the airline told me to contact the portal and the portal told me to contact the airline. No one is helping."

If you have problems with a booking made with an online travel agent (OTA) or a claim related to your credit card's benefits, what should you expect during this process of delays or cancellations? Also, if things aren't working, what can you do to improve the situation when it's impossible to contact the online travel agency where you originally made your booking?

Here are our best tips to get your trip back on track and help you move claims forward if you need to submit one.

What is an online travel agent/online travel agency?

Before we start, I want to ensure we're all talking about the same thing. When you book a flight directly with an airline or a hotel, you know who to talk to if your trip is canceled or delayed.

Conversely, there can be advantages and disadvantages to using a travel agent or aggregator websites like Expedia.com, Booking.com or the travel portal from your credit card issuer. These websites function as an intermediary, selling travel reservations to you, but they aren't the ones operating the flight, hotel or cruise.

This can add a layer of complexity when things go wrong during your trip, and some of these websites have better track records than others when it comes to helping you sort out your trip during schedule changes.

There are other considerations for whether you should use an online travel agent/online travel agency (OTA), and we have several articles you can reference on that topic:

• 9 things to consider when choosing to book via a portal vs. booking directly
• These cancellation horror stories show why you should think twice before booking through an OTA
• Why this reader says he'll avoid booking through OTAs from now on
• 6 reasons to avoid booking through an online travel agency
• 4 reasons to consider booking your next hotel stay through an online travel agency

For today's purposes, let's assume you already have a reservation made through an OTA. Our goal is to help you navigate changes and cancellations to your trip and problems with any related claims when something goes wrong. This includes asking American Express, Capital One, Chase and Citi what people should do if there are problems with bookings made in their portals. Some of their tips are included below.

A trip change or cancellation before travel

The first set of issues you might encounter is a schedule change or cancellation before you depart. Depending on how drastically your trip is affected, you should receive options for alternate flights or accommodation, or possibly an option to cancel altogether for a refund.

Before your trip and checking in online, the OTA still owns your reservation. It's worth knowing that you will need to deal with the online travel agency for any changes before your trip. Contacting the airline or hotel directly will likely end with you being told to contact the portal's customer service team.

Making changes before your trip

If you receive an email saying that there was a change to your trip (or if you decide you want to make a change), the best thing to do is understand the change clearly and then see what your options are.

In addition to the options presented in the email, search online to see what else is available. Is there another flight to your destination at a time that works for you? If you can no longer stay at your hotel, did you find something nearby from the same brand?

Knowing other options available from the same company or its partners can help you know what our options are. There are probably more options than just the one or two presented in the email you received to tell you about a change to your trip. If you know what exists, you can advocate for yourself when rebooking.

That said, if you want a travel plan that wasn't immediately presented to you in an email or when managing your reservation online, you may need to call. Unfortunately, hold times on the phone are one of the major complaints related to bookings from an online travel agent. See the section below for tips on reaching customer service quickly.

With cruises, the cruise line should communicate changes with you before your trip, and what happens next will vary by how soon you're sailing and how significant the change will be. The cruise line may offer you a discount on a future sailing or onboard credit during your sailing if you choose to keep your booking. Significant changes may come with an offer for a refund. Changing to a different cruise with that same company may be an option if there are significant changes to the sailing you reserved, so ask about this if you're interested.

Refunds for cancellations

Assuming a trip was canceled and you should receive a refund, refunds for cash payments and refunds when you paid with points function differently.

Assuming you booked a hotel and won't be staying there, a Hotels.com cancellation or Booking.com cancellation should be refunded to the credit card used during your booking. Double-check your booking terms to see how long the refund will take. The same applies when you book a flight or cruise through an online travel agency and paid by credit card.

Related: If your flight is canceled, here's what to know about securing a seat assignment on your new flight

However, if you paid with points from a bank's travel portal, this will work differently. If you paid with points and your trip is canceled by the provider (such as an airline), American Express will process your refund as a statement credit.

However, according to a spokesperson for American Express, you can call the number on the back of your Amex card to ask for your refund to be converted to points. Conversely, Capital One will refund you in the way that you paid: credit card, miles or a mix of the two.

A Trip change and cancellation during travel

We'll consider the "you've started traveling" period to begin when you check in online for a flight.

Once you check in for a flight, the airline takes over your reservation. At that point, the airline becomes responsible for any changes — whether that's due to a canceled flight or because you decide you want to make a change.

"This limits a booking agent's ability to resolve an issue if one comes up," according to a spokesperson for American Express Travel. "If a change or cancellation is needed, contact your booking agent before you check in to avoid being bounced between customer service teams and potential fees."

A spokesperson for Chase mentioned a larger grace period but reiterated the same issue: "Chase Travel may no longer be able to make changes on the customer's behalf and only the airline can assist" within two hours of departure.

If you've checked in already or if you miss a flight, you should deal directly with the airline — not the website where you made your booking. The airline should help you make new arrangements. If the airline insists that you contact your booking portal, ask the airline to add notes to your reservation stating this.

Senior credit cards editor Matt Moffitt dealt with this problem during a flight cancellation. He had the airline put a note on his reservation saying that they approved the OTA to make changes to help him avoid back-and-forth when trying to change his flight.

Related: Your flight is canceled or delayed – here's what you should do next

For problems with hotels, most hotel programs have some sort of room guarantee . If you show up at a hotel and it's closed or they can't honor your confirmed reservation, the hotel should find a new place for you to stay. This should not be your responsibility.

For more details, you can read the reservation guarantee policies for Hilton , Hyatt , IHG and Marriott . You may even receive compensation if your original hotel booking cannot be honored.

Related: 3 things to do if your flight is delayed

Cruises are very different. It's important to read the fine print and check the terms of your cruise contract. Many of these contracts indicate that a cruise itinerary can be changed and that the cruise line does not have to refund you.

Itinerary changes can happen due to mechanical failures, disasters at the port of call or other issues beyond the cruise line's control. If there is a change, the cruise line may offer you some type of perk (typically onboard credit). However, moving you to a different cruise — in the way you could change to a different flight due to schedule changes — probably isn't an option unless you choose to buy a ticket for that other cruise.

How to reach customer service quickly

Let's say that plans have gone sideways, and you need to talk to customer service to rebook or cancel your trip. Hold times can be long with any airline or hotel program and travel portals are no better. For example, consider that "impossible to contact Expedia" has a high search volume on Google.

If you need to reach someone quickly, consider contact methods like a direct message on Twitter, calling a number outside the U.S. where wait times may be shorter or even choosing an option for a different language from the customer support menu. For more tips on how to quickly reach customer service, consult the following:

• How to quickly reach an airline customer service agent
• Here's how the TPG staff is beating long hold times and getting airline support quickly
• Last resort: Stuck on hold trying to reach your airline? Head to the airport

It's worth noting that a spokesperson for Capital One Travel says their team is committed to reducing wait times on hold or redundancy created by transferring you to a different department after you call for help with an existing booking. Each agent is trained to handle any type of travel request, according to this spokesperson, to help customers reach a solution without excessive wait times.

How to use credit card protections and submit a claim

If you're having problems with a claim related to your credit card's benefits, such as rental car protections or trip delay insurance, calling the number on the back of your credit card won't help, unfortunately. That's because many of these benefits are managed by independent insurance companies.

Related: What you can ask from an airline after a delayed or canceled flight

In order to help your claim move through the claims process as efficiently as possible, there are a few things you can do. First, ensure you keep all receipts related to your claim and submit legible copies of these and any other documents you send to the claims agent.

Additionally, you should ask for documentation from your travel provider regarding any issues. If there is a cancellation, delay or accident, ask for this in writing. You may need this paper trail for claims like trip delay reimbursement or proving that expenses related to your claim were unavoidable.

Related: Flight delayed? Remember these 4 things if you want trip delay reimbursement from your credit card

What if the claims process isn't working as it should? Unfortunately, contacting the credit card issuer won't help, because you will be told to contact the benefit provider. While the benefit is attached to your credit card, it's usually offered by an outside company.

If you're having issues with a claim — such as no response to questions you send or being asked to send the same documents repeatedly — you'll still have to work with the benefits administrator to solve these issues. For American Express protections, you can find details in your complete guide to travel protections on American Express cards .

For Visa and Mastercard credit cards, many of these benefits are administered by eclaimsnline.com. We asked how to resolve some of these issues but did not receive a response at the time of writing.

Related: 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed

Suppose you continue encountering problems and cannot get help with your claim. In that case, you may need to consult places like the Better Business Bureau or the attorney general covering the area where your claims administrator is located. For advice on these legal issues and your rights surrounding them, seek legal advice from a lawyer.

Bottom line

Our goal is to help you be as prepared as possible. In this way, you can know what to do if there's a schedule change, cancellation or mishap along the way.

Get familiar with your credit card benefits and how to use them. Know who to contact if something goes wrong and how to resolve your issue as quickly as possible. In this way, you can move forward with your trip and reduce delays.

Reducing delays should help you reduce stress and get back to what you really want: enjoying your trip.

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We are Bene & Guilly, a French Australian couple who’ve been traveling together for over 10 years, and, to feed our travel addiction, we quit everything to set off around the world in July 2019 for almost 3 years. ( Read our story )

Welcome to NomadsFix , another travel website. “Same same, but different!” as we feed your travel addiction with no fluff travel tips, itineraries, guides, and more.

We like to report on our travels as authentically as possible. What we see is what you see : no unrealistic travel itineraries, no ridiculous outfits you would never bring on a road trip, no photoshopped photos, therefore, no disappointment.

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We are Bene & Guilly ( read our story ) and on NomadsFix , we feed your travel addiction with no fluff travel tips, itineraries, guides, and more.

What we see is what you see : no unrealistic travel itineraries, no ridiculous outfits you would never bring on a road trip, no photoshopped photos, therefore, no disappointment.

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Vice President Kamala Harris to travel to Tucson

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News)—Vice President Harris will travel to Tucson on Friday, April 12.

Last month, the Vice President visited Phoenix, AZ, to highlight how extremists in states across the country have proposed and enacted abortion bans that threaten women’s health, force them to travel out of state to receive care, and criminalize doctors.

This trip was part of her nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour that included stops in Wisconsin, California, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, and Minnesota.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade , Vice President Harris has held more than 80 convenings in 20 states while bringing together elected officials, health care providers, students, and advocates who are on the frontlines of the fight for reproductive freedom.

Be sure to subscribe to the 13 News YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@13newskold

Copyright 2024 13 News. All rights reserved.

SpaceX launches again Saturday night

Man dies following fall at Dove Mountain construction site

Popular discount chain closing all 371 locations

Buy groceries at Walmart recently? You could get up to $500 as part of a class action settlement

Wife admits to poisoning coffee of Airman husband

Latest news.

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Phoenix housing development fire being investigated as possible arson

Ford recalls nearly 43,000 SUVs due to gas leaks that can cause fires, but remedy won’t fix leaks

DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling nearly 43,000 small SUVs because gasoline can leak from the fuel injectors onto hot engine surfaces, increasing the risk of fires. But the recall remedy does not include repairing the fuel leaks.

The recall  covers certain Bronco Sport SUVs from the 2022 and 2023 model years, as well as Escape SUVs from 2022.  All have 1.5-liter engines.

Ford says in  documents filed with U.S. safety regulators  that fuel injectors can crack, and gasoline or vapor can accumulate near ignition sources, possibly touching off fires.

Dealers will install a tube to let gasoline flow away from hot surfaces to the ground below the vehicle. They’ll also update engine control software to detect a pressure drop in the fuel injection system. If that happens, the software will disable the high pressure fuel pump, reduce engine power and cut temperatures in the engine compartment, according to documents posted Wednesday on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.

Owners were to be notified by letter starting April 1.

The company says in documents it has reports of five under-hood fires and 14 warranty replacements of fuel injectors, but no reports of crashes or injuries.

In an email, Ford said it is not replacing fuel injectors because it is confident the recall repairs “will prevent the failure from occurring and protect the customer.” The new software also will trigger a dashboard warning light and allow customers to drive to a safe location, stop the vehicle and arrange for service, the company said. NHTSA documents filed by Ford say the problem happens only in about 1% of the SUVs.

The company also said it will extend warranty coverage for cracked fuel injectors, so owners who experience the problem will get replacements. Ford said repairs are already available, and details of the extended warranty will be available in June.

Ford said the recall is an extension of a 2022 recall for the same problem. The repair has already been tested on vehicles involved in the previous recall, and Ford said it’s not aware of any problems.

The company also said it isn’t recommending that the SUVs be parked only outdoors because there’s no evidence that fires happen when vehicles are parked and the engines are off.

Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, called Ford’s remedy for the fuel leaks a “Band-aid type recall” and said the company is trying to avoid the cost of repairing the fuel injectors.

A 1% failure rate, he said, is high, and even with the repairs, drivers still could be forced to exit a freeway at a low speed, placing them at risk of a crash.

NHTSA, he said, should do more to make sure recalls fix the root causes of vehicle problems rather than making less-costly repairs.

In the past, NHTSA has said it does not have legal authority to pre-approve recall fixes. But in a statement Wednesday, the agency said it will “closely track their performance using field data.” The agency said owners who have questions should contact their dealership or Ford.

Brooks said Congress should change the law so the agency can “require something more than the rubber stamp that NHTSA is currently deploying” on recalls.

The agency, he said, has been more aggressive of late in investigating recall fixes. “That is a post-remedy inquiry that won’t make the fixes better, and further stretches out the process and leaves consumers in limbo,” he said.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Police locate a child reported missing in Springfield; parents arrested

Passenger dies from injuries in crash in Springfield, Mo.

Arkansas governor issues state of emergency due to travel impacts for Great American Eclipse

FIRST ALERT WEATHER: Soggy midweek weather

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Groceries, gas still squeezing consumers

Amber Alert issued for 3-year-old who could be traveling through several states

'Flying feels different': Here's how air travel has changed recently

If you haven't flown in a while, fasten your seat belts. I've got good news – and bad news.

You've probably already heard the bad news because it travels faster than the speed of sound. Airfares are up. So are luggage fees. And we seem to have a problem with in-flight violence again. 

But there's more to the story, and if you're an occasional air traveler, you'll want to get the big picture. You might be surprised by what you find.

Check out   Elliott Confidential , the newsletter the travel industry doesn't want you to read. Each issue is filled with breaking news, deep insights, and exclusive strategies for becoming a better traveler. But don't tell anyone!

First, the bad news about air travel in 2024

Some of the changes have not been for the better. For example:

• Airfares are climbing. Cheap pandemic airfares are history. Average domestic round-trip fares fell to a low of $186 in May 2020 . But they were back up to $261 by the beginning of this year – and they continue to climb.
• Checked-baggage fees are soaring. All of the major airlines have recently raised their baggage fees. On domestic flights, a checked bag may cost as much as $35 (more if you wait until the last minute or your bag is overweight). 
• Air rage is back. In-flight air rage hit record highs in 2021, mostly because of masking requirements. But the number of violent in-flight incidents remains high – this time, a combination of fuller flights and a continuing decline of civility. We're on track to exceed 2020's unruly-passenger incidents.

But don't despair. The air travel experience is changing in small ways – and, potentially, in big ways.

What's it like to fly now?

Let's start with the air travel experience itself. Flights are fuller and space is tighter than ever. In fact, if you're flying somewhere this spring or summer, you should congratulate yourself. You're probably part of the busiest year in the history of air travel.

"Air travel has rebounded," said Jason Block, CEO of WorldVia Travel Group . That puts a squeeze on regular passengers. If you've booked a no-frills economy ticket, you may face a higher risk of being bumped from your flight. So if you have a little extra money, Block suggests buying a more flexible ticket. You're still not bump-proof, but at least you'll move up the list.

▶ Smile for the TSA . The passenger screening experience is different but not necessarily better. The Transportation Security Administration has new scanners that take your picture to verify your identity. New technology might allow you to keep all your belongings in your bag and speed up screening – "might" being the operative word. 

"The process is more inconsistent than ever," said Andy Abramson, a frequent traveler and a communications consultant from Las Vegas. "Procedures change from airport to airport. In some cases, all you need is your boarding pass. In others, you need your ID, and in others, nothing but your facial scan."

Air travel smells worse than ever. Here's how to fix it.

Pay less to fly: New strategies for finding cheap airfares now

Speaking of technology, many air travelers have raved about new onboard Wi-Fi capabilities. Airlines like Air New Zealand, Emirates and JetBlue include the price of Wi-Fi in their tickets, and the connections have just gotten better since the pandemic. 

▶ Your face is your boarding pass . The TSA isn't the only one using facial scans. Some U.S. airlines have started using facial scans instead of boarding passes. It's a bit of an adjustment for passengers. 

"I stood awkwardly in front of a camera, feeling like a contestant in a dystopian game show," said Chris McGuire, a real estate broker from Birmingham, Ala.

A few months ago, Frankfurt became the first airport in Europe to fully adopt facial recognition . Other airports, including Tokyo and Dubai, also have face-scanning technology. If you haven't flown in a while, you may not have to fumble for your boarding pass before you get on the plane. 

I've used face-scanning technology on many occasions, and it usually works, but it can be slow. Getting through customs in Santiago, Chile, took a while, and the agent kept apologizing for the technology. So don't forget to pack your patience.

▶ No more ticket change fees . Airline ticket change fees disappeared during the pandemic on U.S. airlines. So if you have to change your flight, you won't have to pay a $250 fee on top of any fare difference.

"That's one of the most significant changes," said frequent air traveler Bob Bacheler, managing director of Flying Angels , a medical transport service. "Airlines introduced more flexible booking and cancellation policies, allowing passengers to change or cancel flights without heavy penalties."

Bacheler believes the fees will return eventually, and he's right. If they do, airlines will call them something else – maybe a "convenience" fee?

▶ You may board your flight differently . "Some airlines are implementing new boarding procedures," said Andy Palacios, vice president of growth and strategic partnerships for App in the Air . The most significant is United Airlines, which last fall began boarding economy passengers with window seats before those with middle and aisle seats.

Palacios recommends avoiding the general boarding mayhem by getting a credit card or earning elite status. Anything that gets you into the first boarding group can save you from having to gate-check your carry-on or just getting stuck in a crowd.

▶ You have new rights, too . If something goes wrong on your flight, you may find that your airline will do more for you. That's because the Department of Transportation, which regulates airlines, has been applying steady pressure on domestic airlines to improve customer service. (After all, taxpayers bailed out the airlines during the pandemic.)

Airlines now offer guaranteed meals, accommodations and ground transportation to and from a hotel when they're at fault for a cancellation. (You can find out about all your rights on the Transportation Department's Fly Rights website.)

The federal government is working on carving out more rights for air travelers, dealing with everything from more straightforward and honest pricing to minimum seat size. But it's a work in progress.

Air travel may be about to get better. Here's what it means for your next flight.

Passengers want to get off the plane first. Here's how you can do it.

Flying 'feels different' now

Passengers say it feels as if something has shifted in air travel.

"Flying feels different," said Robert Khachatryan, a frequent flyer and founder of a freight forwarding service in La Crescenta, Calif. 

He's correct. It's not just that customers have a few new rights or that the technology is getting an upgrade – or even that boarding is a little different. 

There's a sense that something big lies just ahead. With people like Elon Musk teasing a Tesla that can fly and personal flying vehicles making headlines almost every day, there's a feeling that flying is about to evolve in a significant way.

Air travelers have become disenchanted with commercial air travel, with its high fares, fees, long lines and terrible customer service. And the relief may not come from new rules to protect the rights of air travelers but from a fundamental change in the way we fly. 

So if flying feels different to you now, just wait. You ain't seen nothing yet.

This is the first of a two-part series on the future of air travel. Next week: Flying cars. Yeah, we're going to go there.

Christopher Elliott  is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded  Elliott Advocacy , a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes  Elliott Confidential , a travel newsletter, and the  Elliott Report , a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can  reach him here  or email him at  [email protected] .

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Easy fix to huge travel mistake Aussies keep making

A recent overseas holiday revealed one big mistake many Aussie travellers are making right now – but there is an easy fix.

Wild details inside $32k-a-night hotel room

‘People were weeping’: Tourist ferry on fire

Aussies warned amid Japan’s new tourist ban

I found the hordes of tourists frequently overwhelming while sightseeing around Kyoto during a recent trip to Japan.

Every restaurant with good Google reviews had one-hour waits as tourists shivered in the cold outside; many of the city’s main tourist attractions.

Thinking I could outsmart the crowds, I planned a Monday morning excursion to a must-see spot just outside the city – the “peaceful” Bamboo Forest of Arashiyama.

As my bus pulled up, I realised there would be no peaceful Monday morning forest stroll. The crowds were music festival-level as I joined the throng for a slow march through the forest, everyone with their phones out trying to crop out the rest of the tourist rabble.

So much for outsmarting the crowd: I was the crowd.

Overtourism is a real problem in Japan right now , as tourists from all over the world – especially Aussies – flock to the country (there’s even talk that Japan has now overtaken Bali as Australia’s favourite overseas holiday destination).

But – at least for now – it’s a problem with a relatively easy fix. Take it from a recent visitor: if you’re visiting the country anytime soon and you don’t want to be stuck in a crowd of fellow tourists, you need to think outside the box a little. But you needn’t look too far afield to escape the tourist trail

One such area is the Shizuoka prefecture, encompassing the coast south of Mount Fuji, around an hour from central Tokyo by shinkansen.

Spending a few days in the area in the middle of a recent 10-day trip to Japan was a revelation: gone were the tourists, but the beauty and spectacular sights remained.

What’s more, visiting an area not overrun with tourists gave me breathing space to actually immerse myself in Japanese culture – surely the goal for any curious traveller.

Hands-on cultural experiences

My first day in the area begins with a visit to Ihachi farm for a tea tasting (Shizuoka produces 40 per cent of the tea in Japan). Our taxi winds further and further up a steep mountain road, until we emerge in the farm’s mountaintop teafields, with spectacular views of the city and ocean below.

Farmer Takuya pours us samples of green and black teas, plus genmaicha, made from green tea mixed with roasted popped brown rice. As we sip, he tells us he’s the 15th generation of the same family to farm these fields – a family tradition that we soon find is common among various professions in Shizuoka.

After a hearty Bento box lunch, we make our way back down to the mountain for another very special look into an ancient art form: a lesson with Japanese calligraphy expert Shoran . She learned the art from her grandfather and, eager to ignite interest in calligraphy among younger people, she’s come up with a novel new spin on the form: Matcha calligraphy, using distinctive (and aromatic) green matcha powder to make her ink.

Calligraphy is a serious discipline in Japan – those who study it at university can spend weeks practising a single brushstroke of a character. My one-hour crash course is thankfully less exhausting, and ends with me having created my own souvenir to take home – even if the strokes in my attempt at the character for “tea” look slightly more … gherkiny than the ones in Shoran’s guide.

Our first day ends in the picturesque town of Mishima, staying in the plush Tokyu Hotel , open since 2020 and home to a top-floor onsen with perfect views to Mount Fuji (when those pesky clouds part – Fuji has a habit of hiding her glory; travellers need to be patient).

After four days bumping into my bed and suitcase in Kyoto, the large hotel room is heaven – even better is the stunning sight, a short walk away, of the Sakuragawa river, which flows crystal clear water from a nearby spring through the centre of town.

Hiking an ancient trail

On day two, we meet with tour guide Tony Everitt – a Kiwi who’s lived in Japan for 16 years – to hike the Hakone Hachiri . Tony’s a magnetic guide, delving into the stories of Japan’s history as we walk a 12km section of the old Tokkaido, the ‘pacific coast highway’ between Tokyo and Kyoto that still exists as a walking trail.

We start out journey with sweet tea and snacks at the Amasake Tea House , run by Satoshi, the 13th generation owner. Aside from a few souvenir stands, little has changed in the past few hundred years: The floors are dirt, the seats are logs and the heat comes from an open wood fire. The tea we drink – a fermented rice concoction called Amasake – is the same recipe that was served to weary travellers on this route since the time of theShogun.

As we bid Satoshi farewell and set off on our hike, we pass the southernmost edge of Lake Ashi, and the bizarre sight of a Disney-esque pirate ship heading across the waters.

We’re close to another of those overrun tourist hotspots: the town of Hakone, a top result for anyone googling the top places to visit in Japan outside of the major cities.

Tony had taken an insistent tour group to the town yesterday: “It was like being on the Tokyo subway,” he sighs.

But as we turn away from the lake and head back into the forest, something remarkable happens: We don’t see another soul for the remaining six km of our walk. We pass through ancient pine forests, and visit shrines and signposts of huge historical significance, all with the time and space to really take them in.

Our walk concludes at Yamanaka Castle Ruins, the remnants of a 1500s mountain fort. As we climb a hill to take in the view, the clouds clear and Mount Fuji is before us … and we have her all to ourselves.

A once-in-a-lifetime treat

On our final night, we stay in the sort of digs that will be a very unique experience for most travellers: Arai Ryokan , a traditional guesthouse in the onsen spa town of Shuzenji.

To stay here is to immerse oneself in Japanese traditions: I’m given a traditional robe and slippers to change into on entry, and find my room, while huge, is next-level minimalist: Barely more a matted floor and a table where both breakfast and dinner are served.

Service here is to a level most Australians wouldn’t have experienced before: At one point, our waitress – or ‘nakai’ – apologises profusely when a strawberry on the artfully arranged dessert plate falls over as she serves it.

At morning I rise shortly after dawn to brave the cold air with an onsen before breakfast – this time at an open-air bath surrounded by beautiful gardens in the far corner of the property. Small birds sing their morning chorus on branches around us as I enter the steamy bath … I feel like Snow White; I’m sure the birds don’t agree.

After checkout, we embark on a guided walking tour of Shuzenji, and again I see for myself how different an experience one can have in Japan when they avoid the over-touristed trails.

We visit the town’s stunning, giant temple – and feel genuinely serene, having the place almost to ourselves. At a local shop I sample possibly the most surprisingly delicious thing I eat on the entire trip – soft serve with wasabi – without having to battle hordes of influencers doin’ it for the ‘Gram.

And before we leave, I even get an Arashiyama do-over: Shuzenji has a Bamboo Forest Path of its own, a place of peace and contemplation for locals, without a tourist in sight (well, apart from me).

After two days and nights in this prefecture, barely seeing another foreign tourist, it’s time to leave. Boarding the Shinkansen from Mishima to Tokyo, in around 45 minutes I’ll be spat out at the famous Shinjuku train station for my next stop.

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Spoiler alert: After this glorious respite, Shinjuku is immediate sensory overload, and as I battle my way through the crowds I struggle to even find the correct exit from the massive station to head in the direction of my next hotel. At one point I consider admitting defeat and unpacking my suitcase in a quiet corner of the station like Tom Hanks in Terminal.

It’s then I make a vow to myself: Next time I visit Japan, ‘off the tourist path’ will be the rule, rather than the exception.

The writer visited Shizuoka as a guest of Explore Shizuoka.

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If this hotel looks familiar, that’s because it served as the backdrop to a few Aussie reality TV feuds in recent times.

Terrifying footage shows the moment a fire broke out on a ferry in Thailand – forcing tourists to jump into the sea.

Aussies heading to Japan are warned to be aware of a new tourist ban in one of Kyoto’s most popular sightseeing spots.

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Eastbound I-496 ramp to northbound US-127 closed for bridge repair Wednesday in Ingham County

April 09, 2024

LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will close the eastbound I-496 ramp to northbound US-127/Homer Avenue/Kalamazoo Street for bridge repairs.

This work is part of the $205 million investment to rebuild US-127/I-496 from I-96 to I-496 that will address safety concerns, improve roadway geometrics, and improve vehicular movement. In addition, this work is expected to improve and rebuild bridges through this segment and update drainage, signs, and pavement markings in Ingham County.

For project news and updates, visit www.Michigan.gov/127Corridor , and/or contact [email protected] .

County: Ingham

Highways: US-127/I-496

Closest cities: Lansing East Lansing

Start date: 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Estimated end date: Noon Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Overall project end date: December 2025

Traffic restrictions: This bridge repair will require closing the eastbound ramp to northbound US-127/Homer Avenue/Kalamazoo Street. Please follow the posted detour. Motorists should expect delays and are advised to seek alternate routes.

Jobs numbers: Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to directly and indirectly support 2,911 jobs.

Safety benefit: This work will increase the service life of this structure. Closing roads during this type of work is necessary to provide the safest work area possible for crews and motorists.

Media Contact:

Aaron Jenkins

MDOT University Region Media Representative

[email protected]

517-243-9075

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Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Maintenance and Repair of Patrol and Access Roads on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lands in California

Final Environmental Assessment and Draft Finding of No Significant Impact for the Maintenance and Repair of Patrol and Access Roads on Bureau of Land Management Lands in California (March 2024)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announces the availability of the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Proposed Maintenance and Repair of Patrol and Access Roads on Bureau of Land Management Lands in California. The proposed action would occur in the San Diego Station, El Centro Station, and Yuma Station Areas of Responsibility of the U.S. Border Patrol. The Final EA considers the comments received during the public comment period (November 19 - December 20, 2021) of the Draft EA, which analyzed the potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts associated with the improvement of approximately 33 miles of existing road segments on BLM-administered lands near the U.S./Mexico international border. Road maintenance and repair on BLM-administered public lands would be done to facilitate USBP patrol interdiction and emergency response along the border to deter and prevent illegal cross-border activity.  

CBP Publication Number

SDC-PMOD-2021-01