steppes travel blog

• Galapagos Islands
• South Africa
• Spitsbergen
• Tiger Safaris
• Gorilla Trekking
• Food and Wine
• River Cruises
• Private Charters
• Galapagos Cruises
• Polar Cruises
• Rail Journeys
• 4×4 Adventures
• European Touring
• Family Holidays
• Positive Impact Travel
• The European Nature Trust (TENT)
• Expert-Led Cruises
• Expert-Led Groups
• Why Steppes?
• Sustainability
• Booking with Steppes
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Sustainability - Positive Impact Travel

Where each step builds on over 30 years of supporting local communities, cultures and environments.

Our goal is to inspire, guide and enable you as a traveller to have deeper, richer and more connected experiences on your journeys with us.

We aim to create travel experiences that foster a sense of passion and care for the world’s threatened communities, wildlife and habitat. By showing you the world as it really is and by putting you in touch with people on the frontline of conservation, we hope you take on the mantle and become an advocate for change.

Solid Foundations

Building on over three decades of commitment to the positive influence of travel, we launched the Steppes Fund for Change in 2019 that saw Steppes Travel create a forest regeneration scheme in Brigg, support vital research into nuclear fusion energy and partner with 20 projects across the globe.

With the arrival of COVID-19 and global travel being put on pause, we took the time to redefine what Positive Impact Travel means. We worked with e-collective, the travel industry’s carbon calculating experts, and aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals; we are striving to make a measurable and positive impact on the world.

Our Carbon Quest

We fully acknowledge that travelling around the world creates harmful carbon emissions, however we believe the benefits of positive impact travel are far reaching. With careful curation, the sum of a holiday’s parts can outweigh the negative impact of its carbon footprint. Carbon is far more complex than just offsetting flight emissions and our work with e-collective, has helped broaden our understanding of where we can best reduce and mitigate our carbon footprint.

Our commitment to measuring, improving and adapting is applied to all areas of our business, from reducing the footprint of our office right up to carefully assessing individual hotels in our portfolio. Have a read about our ‘net positive’ approach below.

What is ‘net positive’ travel?

We are working on establishing a carbon baseline for our most popular destinations. This figure will be based on the bookings we made in 2022, measuring the emissions associated with accommodation, transport and excursions. We work with organisations such as The Long Run and Weeva to help us prioritise the use of accommodation that promotes conservation and community alongside practical carbon reduction initiatives. While there is no universally recognised system of measuring the positive impact of tourism, we believe the above approach, in conjunction with our philanthropic giving and carbon offsetting, are significant steps towards creating net positive holidays.

Measuring, Reducing & Mitigating

What can’t be measured can’t be improved which is why we measure the carbon emissions of flights. We offset the carbon emissions of international and domestic flights for all of our holidays, based on economy class, whether or not you book your flights through us.

The carbon footprint of flying in premier class is up to four times that of economy which is why we strongly encourage our clients to pay the difference in the offset if they decide to fly in a higher class. Our offsetting is done through World Land Trust’s forest protection and restoration projects, which simultaneously capture excess carbon and help regenerate threatened ecosystems. These projects are all approved by the UN’s REDD+ program.

How your carbon offset makes a difference

UN Sustainable Development Goals

We have chosen to align our vision of Positive Impact Travel with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Not only do these goals offer a comprehensive guide to solving the challenges facing our world, but they act as a focal point around which we can all rally. We have made a commitment to ensure every holiday you book with Steppes Travel supports at least three of these goals.

Explore UN Sustainable Development Goals

Conservation, Community, Carbon

Whilst our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals is all encompassing, we believe sustainable travel can have the biggest impact through the promotion of conservation, community-led initiatives and carbon mitigation. We look to these three pillars of sustainability when choosing our partners on the ground and the charitable partnerships we support each year. Each booking that a client makes with us goes on to support one of our chosen charitable partners that is working with passion and commitment towards these goals.

Our Core Goals

We're now B Corp Certified

We’re delighted to share that Steppes Travel are now (Aug 2022) a Certified B Corporation and a member of the Travel by B Cor p group!

But what does that mean? B Corp is a global community of businesses, recognised for their high standards of social and environmental impact. Other businesses certified include the likes of Patagonia, Innocent Drinks, Emma Bridgewater, Abel & Cole, Sipsmith and teapigs.

We believe that the wellbeing of the natural world is closely aligned with the wellbeing of the people who inhabit it. Making a difference and ensuring our holidays have a positive impact underpins our ethos and drives what we do at Steppes. You can see our profile on B Corp here.

Profit with a Purpose

Between September 2021 and September 2022, we have supported organisations and projects who focus on biodiversity, conservation and community outreach – Practical Action, Room to Read, World Land Trust and our own afforestation project in Brigg. Over £85,000 has been donated to these fantastic causes. In the next 12 months we are partnering with causes a little closer to home – The Long Table in Stroud , Seawilding in Scotland and our reforestation project in Brigg. In 2023, we aim to join 1% For The Planet , a global network of businesses addressing the world’s most pressing environmental issues.

What This Means For You

We have one simple goal in mind: to create holidays that have a positive impact now, so we can continue to travel in the future.

We want to measure carbon emissions while also demonstrating the social, environmental and economic benefits of the holidays we create for you. By working with our partners on the ground, we will strive to create ‘net positive’ travel; holidays that are not only fulfilling, fun and transformational for you but are of tangible benefit to the places you visit, the people you meet and the wildlife you encounter.

Travelling with Us

Our Partnerships

We are signatories of the Tourism Declares A Climate Emergency and Glasgow Declaration (Nov 2021) recognising our role as an industry in the fight against climate change.

As travel partners of The Long Run , we are part of a community driving positive change for the health of the planet and the well-being of people through a commitment to the 4Cs — Conservation, Community, Culture and Commerce. Collectively, The Long Run members safeguard over 23 million acres of ecosystems, protect more than 400 endangered species, and improve the lives of 750,000 people.

Read our 2022 Positive Impact Travel Report

At Steppes Travel, we are committed to reporting publicly on the progress we have made and the actions we have taken in fulfilling our commitment to people, planet and profit. In 2022, we have been working to enhance the sustainability of our business and augment the positive impact of our holidays.

Positive Impact Travel Report – 2022

Positive Impact Goals for 2023

• The financial support we give to carbon, conservation and community-based initiatives will be at least 1% of our total revenue.
• At least 20 of our most popular destinations will have a carbon emissions baseline figure that reflects all components of the holiday (flights, accommodation, transport, excursions etc.)
• We will measure the number of bookings where our clients have offset the difference between economy and higher-cabin seats on their flights and look for means of incentivising this action.
• 50% of the hotels/lodges we book in 2023 in our most popular destinations will be from our short-list of ‘positive impact properties.’
• 50% of the Holiday Ideas on our website will articulate how the holiday contributes to at least three UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Steppes Traveller Magazine

At Steppes, we are taking strides to consider and minimise our impact on the environment, protecting our planet for generations to come. For this reason, we are delighted to say that the production of the 2023 issue of our Steppes Traveller magazine is carbon neutral.

Our printer has produced this magazine working alongside the World Land Trust, ensuring it is recyclable and the paper used in production has been carbon balanced. They have used vegetable-based inks and hold the ISO 14001 environmental accreditation.

Read our latest issue here

From the blog

Thoughts. Opinions. Experiences

Why Choose Steppes?

Our knowledge, curiosity and expertise set us apart, driving us to create remarkable holidays and Beautiful Adventures tailored perfectly to you, carefully curated to help protect and conserve our planet.

Are you ready to Discover Extraordinary?

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We love Steppes Teravel

We love Steppes Travel, they offer adventurous luxury travel. We find them attentive, efficient and top. notch!

Date of experience : April 12, 2024

Reply from Steppes Travel

Hi Jane, thank you for your kind words. We're so glad to hear that you're pleased with the service we offer. We look forward to helping you create many more Beautiful Adventures in the future.

Fantastic Support on a Variety of Trips!

I have used Steppes a number of times over the years for visits to Africa (Botswana, Namibia, and then Tanzania) as well as Iceland. The experience each time was excellent. Last year, I used a different travel firm (recommended by a friend as having speciality with the area we were visiting) to help me with a trip to Italy and found myself hugely disappointed with their support. I have returned to Steppes and will use them so long as they work in the areas where I want to go! My most recent experience concluded just last week. My husband and I traveled to Singapore and Steppes was incredibly helpful with (1) Our Singapore arrangements (hotel opinions/reservations, trips to and from the airport, and a fantastic walking tour guide); and (2) Suggestion of an Indonesian island excursion to Bawah Reserve, which was OUTSTANDING. We had the perfect mix of a city experience followed by a luxurious beach/nature excursion. I cannot say enough good things about this trip. It really has revived my interest in international travel and reaffirmed my belief in Steppes as a great partner for that travel.

Date of experience : March 15, 2024

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wonderful experience. We’re delighted to hear that your recent trip to Singapore exceeded your expectations and we’re thrilled to have been able to revive your interest in international travel. We look forward to helping you create many more unforgettable adventures in the future.

Excellent support with our South Africa trip

Steppes helped our family with a special trip to South Africa. Illona was a constant guide, knowledgeable about the area and came up with some great suggestions. The places we stayed were superb and the organisation was seamless. I would not hesitate to recommend Illona for anyone looking for a trip to the Cape.

Date of experience : January 19, 2024

Hi Colin, we're delighted to hear how Illona created you a special trip to South Africa. We hope to help you with your Beautiful Adventures again in the future.

Trustworthy agency

Rachael looked after us beyond belief. We had been scammed out of a very expensive holiday by another agency . Rachael on behalf of Steppes absolutely saved the day in actually a day!! 24 hours exactly !! She calmed my anxiety and gave me 3 options for an even better holiday resort... We were to fly out 3 days later and I was really in a panic. The resort she recommended was fabulous and Steppes contacted the director of the resort ( Anantara veli) who looked after us handsomely. The resort organised my sons wedding in less then a week. !! For a smooth , trustworthy travel agency with wonderful service and quality destinations I would highly advise a phone call to Steppes ( Uk) ..

Date of experience : January 15, 2024

Hi Mary, we're thrilled to hear how Rachael took care of you. We're delighted to have played a part in making your holiday and son's wedding unforgettable. Your recommendation is truly appreciated. Thank you for choosing Steppes and we hope to help you create your next Beautiful Adventure in the future.

Christmas in Tanzania …

Christmas in Tanzania & we had no idea which lodges to choose, but Steppes knew exactly what we’d like ( we’ve traveled with them several times before ) It had to amuse an active 15yr old chap & two oldies and Steppes fulfilled our brief amazingly. Two heavenly safaris in utterly different styles of lodges, one more old fashioned ( Selous) and the other super new & chic ( Rufigi) Wouldn’t travel with anyone else

Date of experience : December 30, 2022

Great First trip with Steppes

We travelled to India for the first time with Steppes. Charlie Lawton, an India expert, arranged the perfect holiday for us, she listened to what we wanted to do and see and tailor made the trip for us. We had a very good experience from the moment we were met off the plane and whisked through immigration and customs to our guide in Delhi. We had excellent accommodation at all the places we visited. Great guides and drivers. We were never hassled on the streets. We saw and experienced a good window on both urban and country life Our only problem was that we had greater expectations for the game drives we went on but we still had a wonderful experience, and no tummy problems. Charlie answered all our rather niggly doubts and gave us very good advice. We would not hesitate to recommend Steppes to tailor making the perfect holiday for you.

Date of experience : November 20, 2023

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We're so pleased to hear that Charlie created the perfect holiday for you and that you wouldn't hesitate to recommend us. We hope to help you create your next Beautiful Adventure soon.

Excellent service and knowledgeable travel advice

This summer we had the most perfect holiday thanks to Steppes Travel. It had been a dream of many years to take the family on Safari but I had no idea where to start. From my first phone call, Illona and her team understood exactly what would work for us and put together a brilliantly planned itinerary within budget. Every aspect of the holiday was perfect and the company Steppes work with in Tanzania were equally professional, knowledgeable and excellent to be on Safari with. Thank you Steppes, you made a dream come true.

Date of experience : August 19, 2023

Hi Marishelle, thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience with us. We're so pleased to hear that Illona helped you to create your dream safari. We look forward to helping you design your next Beautiful Adventure in the future.

A truly memorable trip from start to finish

Charlotte at Steppes put together a wonderful 10 day trip to India for us. She had thought of everything and provided us with excellent pre-departure advice - took on board that my husband was slightly nervous of picking up a tummy bug and came up with a bespoke adventure. All the hotels were top class, dinners were delicious and all the guides and our driver spoke excellent English and ensured that we had an unforgettable experience. Nothing prepares you for the beauty of the Taj at sunset and sunrise.

Date of experience : November 01, 2023

Hi Linda, thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experience with us. We're incredibly happy to hear that Charlotte created a wonderful India trip for you. We hope to speak with you again soon.

Highly professional travel advisors providing tailored advice

I really cannot say enough good about Steppes. Their travel experts are highly knowledgable and able to talk about their destinations and recommendations through having visited and experienced the location/property. They work hard to understand what their clients are looking for and aim to tailor the vacation to meet those goals. They are full of interesting ideas for vacations.I have now used them on five occasions visiting different parts of the world. I have been extremely happy with each of these vacations. They always take to time after getting back to discuss the experience and to understand what worked and whether there were areas that could have been improved. I will continue to use them in the future.

Date of experience : November 09, 2023

Hi Phil, thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience. It's incredible to hear that you've been happy with each of your holidays with us. We look forward to helping you realise your future travel plans.

Every time I book a 'Big Trip' I always use Steppes

Every time I book a 'Big Trip' I always go back to Steppes. Their service, knowledge and care is always exemplary and something I've rarely found elsewhere. My plans are always slightly mad so their advice on what's sensible and possible has always been valued (especially in hindsight!) and their ability to save the day on the odd occasion things have gone wrong is another reason to use them. Brilliant across the board - This last trip to Svalbard on the Polar Pioneer was one of the greatest things I've ever done.

Date of experience : June 25, 2023

Excellent holiday to Dubai

Steppes helped us plan and prepare the most amazing trip to Dubai. Their customer service was excellent. They listened to our requirements, factored in our budget and took care of all the extra details to ensure it went so smoothly. The hotel selected was perfect our group and we had a fabulous holiday - thanks Steppes.

Date of experience : January 22, 2023

First class recommendations and service throughout

Friends recommended Steppes to us and they couldn’t have been more helpful arranging our family holiday to Australia. We were visiting family in Sydney and Clare recommended exploring the south of the country which wasn’t our original plan. We are so pleased she persuaded us. Kangaroo island was incredible and camping out under the stars in the flinders ranges a definite highlight for us all. It was a magical holiday and we will definitely seek the help of Steppes when planning our next adventure.

Date of experience : June 30, 2023

Unforgettable trip to Costa Rica

John and the team at Steppes went out of their way to curate an unforgettable trip to Costa Rica for our family. From the rainforest to seeing the turtles in Tortuguero, every detail was expertly planned. I look forward to travelling again with you soon.

Date of experience : March 18, 2023

Steppes Travel provided a unique and memorable holiday

Steppes Travel provided a unique and totally amazing holiday experience for us, their attention to detail was excellent & everything ran smoothly and efficiently. The hotels and trips were outstanding. They listened to what holiday experience we wanted and they most certainly delivered we didn't waste a minute on the holiday it was packed full of fun & wonderful photo opportunities. They made our dreams come true.

Date of experience : May 15, 2023

Great Service & Communication

We had alot of questions and tasks to take care of before our travels. Illona and her team were always there to answer in a most timely manner. We have a wonderful trip. One small problem was completely taken care of with the utmost urgency. Highly recommend Steppes.

Date of experience : June 21, 2023

The best travel company we have ever used

We have used Steppes Travel on a number of occasions and once again they have come up trumps with a great itinerary for our trip to Chile, Easter Island and New Zealand. Their staff are all very friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable about their destinations. Their attention to detail is excellent ensuring that your trip is tailor made to your own requirements. I have no hesitation in recommending them, you wont regret it!

Date of experience : August 23, 2023

Good quality service with excellent itineraries.

Steppes travel provide good quality service and are excellent at listening and tailoring itineraries to the client’s needs. Would thoroughly recommend them.

Date of experience : February 22, 2024

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We're so glad to hear we've provided a high quality service for you and that you'd recommend us.

We haven’t been yet

We haven’t been yet! However to date we could not have had a better experience with planning our holiday and all our many holidays through Steppes have been organised brilliantly with great attention to detail !

Date of experience : August 31, 2023

The travel agent helped us identify…

The travel agent helped us identify where to travel at the time we had vacation and arranged in-country accommodations, guides and transfers. The level of service is incredible and made for one of the best vacations we've had

Date of experience : November 24, 2022

How Steppes Travel treated a loyal customer

I booked the Brazil - Jaguar and Maned Wolf Conservation group tour on 25th September 2019. I was not kept fully informed of new dates and cancellations by other clients during Pandemic postponements. On 16th June 2022 I paid the balance to travel on 6th September 2022. On the 27th July an agent phoned and said there was no one to share. My single room request was missed, so I must pay £1250 by 10th August, I was not offered an alternative. An invoice was emailed and I replied, ‘I am not best pleased’ and cancelled an unrequested tour, then received an invoice for £1200. Meanwhile I researched and emailed asking for my money back with a link to ABTA. She phoned immediately and repeatedly refused my requests for a refund. I confirmed my request via email and stated Steppes must not phone as I felt intimidated by the call. The following day I received an invoice with the charge removed, I replied asking for a full refund. This was followed by another unpleasant call. A manger emailed repeatedly saying I was not entitled to a refund as they were not charging me for anything but I could cancel and lose my money. Steppes continued to call, then I received numerous calls in just over an hour from an unknown mobile. After blocking that number, a director emailed and said he had been phoning re my booking made in MAY 2021, my booking was made 20 months earlier. Apparently, I am not entitled to a full refund as under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, they are not allowed to impose the charge for a single supplement as it is not a significant change and the charge was a mistake. I was advised that it was a significant change and as it was more than 10% of the cost I was entitled to a full refund. To safeguard most of my money, I accepted a refund minus £725 for their expenses. I have lost money on car parking, insurance etc. If in doubt check the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 and Steppes Terms and Conditions, then book with their competitors.

Date of experience : August 14, 2022

• Galapagos Islands
• South Africa
• Spitsbergen
• Tiger Safaris
• Gorilla Trekking
• Food and Wine
• River Cruises
• Private Charters
• Galapagos Cruises
• Polar Cruises
• Rail Journeys
• 4×4 Adventures
• European Touring
• Family Holidays
• Positive Impact Travel
• The European Nature Trust (TENT)
• Expert-Led Cruises
• Expert-Led Groups
• Why Steppes?
• Sustainability
• Booking with Steppes
• Magazines and Brochures
• Booking Conditions
• Financial Protection
• Travel Insurance
• Travel with Confidence
• Our month to month guide
• Wildlife Viewing Calendar

Albania is one of the most fascinating countries emerging from within the Balkan Peninsula. Discover the ancient city of Butrint with archaeological remains spanning 2,500 years and the Ottoman cities of Gjirokastra and Berat.

• Holiday Ideas

Experiences

• Places to Stay
• Our Experts

Albania is an immensely diverse country with a multitude of options for a holiday. Archaeology enthusiasts can spend hours in the complex sites of Butrint and Byllis, while history lovers have plenty of ancient castles, Ottoman fortresses and museums in places such as Berati and Gjirokastra.

Art connoisseurs should visit the little-known medieval churches, with their beautiful frescoes, and the icon collections in Tirana, Korca and Berati. All of these towns and cities have a backdrop of mountains that cover 70% of the country. Cliched though it may be to say it, it is the friendliness and humour of the Albanian people that will remain with you.

Why we like Albania

We think that Albania is emerging as one of the most fascinating countries within the Balkan Peninsula. Far from being the stereotyped socialist satellite that one might expect, today Albania is more culturally allied to Greece and Turkey than it is to Russia. There is no denying Albania has a long way to go, but if you thrive on being one of the first, then we urge you to explore it now.

What to expect on your holiday or tour to Albania

The essence of Albania is to stay in small family-run hotels or guest houses in idyllic little mountain villages where delicious lamb, fresh vegetables and excellent Albanian wine are always on the menu.

The Essence of Albania

Albania is a short-haul destination that is emerging as one of the most fascinating countries within Europe. It is an eighth of the size of the UK, and the entirety of the country is accessible by road, enabling easy exploration.

from £2,950 pp

View holiday details

What do you really love doing? We curate your itinerary especially for you.

Explore Gjirokastra and Berat

Discover these Ottoman cities, with their unique domestic architecture and their imposing hilltop castles.

Rozafa Castle

Built before the Roman conquest, Rozafa Castle was last used for military purposes as recently as 1913.

Visit Kruja

Discover the family seat of Albania’s 15th-century hero, Skanderbeg.

Visit Butrint

Don’t miss the ancient city of Butrint, with archaeological remains spanning 2,500 years.

Explore Albania

• Gjirokastra

When to travel

Albania in may, recommended reads.

Spring Flowers, Spring Frost

The Accursed Mountains: Journeys in Albania

Meet our experts.

A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.

Paul Craven

Paul is the Conde Nast Traveller chosen Specialist for Central Asia and the Silk Route.

Being from a family with Army connections I can from an early age remember travelling. From camping in Europe and then later being sent to boarding school when we lived in Germany at the age of eight, complete with shorts, long socks, a cap and my suitcase. In appearance not too dissimilar to the children evacuated to the countryside during the blitz.

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Frequently asked questions about albania, what is the time zone in albania.

Albania is one hour ahead of GMT. It observes daylight saving time.

Why Choose Steppes?

Our knowledge, curiosity and expertise set us apart, driving us to create remarkable holidays and Beautiful Adventures tailored perfectly to you, carefully curated to help protect and conserve our planet.

Are you ready to Discover Extraordinary?

More about Steppes

Featured in the press

• Galapagos Islands
• South Africa
• Spitsbergen
• Tiger Safaris
• Gorilla Trekking
• Food and Wine
• River Cruises
• Private Charters
• Galapagos Cruises
• Polar Cruises
• Rail Journeys
• 4×4 Adventures
• European Touring
• Family Holidays
• Positive Impact Travel
• The European Nature Trust (TENT)
• Expert-Led Cruises
• Expert-Led Groups
• Why Steppes?
• Sustainability
• Booking with Steppes
• Magazines and Brochures
• Booking Conditions
• Financial Protection
• Travel Insurance
• Travel with Confidence
• Our month to month guide
• Wildlife Viewing Calendar

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Why Choose Steppes?

Our knowledge, curiosity and expertise set us apart, driving us to create remarkable holidays and Beautiful Adventures tailored perfectly to you, carefully curated to help protect and conserve our planet.

Are you ready to Discover Extraordinary?

More about Steppes

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Rick Steves’ Travel Blog

Here you can browse through my blog posts prior to February 2022. Currently I'm sharing my travel experiences, candid opinions, and what's on my mind solely on my Facebook page . — Rick

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Comrades No More: Thoughts on Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Today is a profoundly sad day. Russia’s aggressive action is heartbreaking for the death, suffering, and economic turmoil it will cause in Ukraine and, indirectly at least, beyond. Here at Rick Steves’ Europe, we hope that a diplomatic solution can be found and peace will return to that fragile and long-suffering part of our world.

Our mission at RSE is to help Americans better know and understand our neighbors through travel. But when we bring travelers to another country, we also bring their dollars — dollars that would support Putin’s aggression. Therefore, as of today, we have canceled all 2022 tours that include a stop in Russia.

Of course, we will keep a close eye on unfolding events and monitor any travel impacts through the rest of Europe. But it is important to keep geographic realities in mind and remember that a war in Ukraine is as far from our European vacation dreams as a war in Guatemala would be from Texas or Florida. For 40 years now, we have lived, worked, and traveled through many periods of tragic warfare in lands far from where we lead our tours (and some closer). And at this time, we see no reason to change the rest of our travel and touring plans.

The tragic reality unfolding in Ukraine only reminds me how important it is for Americans to keep on traveling and to do so in a way that makes us better and more engaged citizens of our world. I’m flying to Europe next month for a 40-day trip through a dozen great cities from London to Athens — and I’m proud that thousands of my fellow travelers will experience the European trip of their dreams while having rich learning experiences far from home on a 2022 Rick Steves tour.

In the meantime, let’s be thankful for our blessings, support our nation’s leaders as they do their best to navigate this crisis, and keep the troubled corners of our world (Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, and more) in our thoughts and prayers.

The Tour du Mont Blanc: Some Tips I Learned Along the Way

At 66, I felt a bit like the father of the hiking community when I hiked around Mont Blanc earlier this fall. But the Tour du Mont Blanc is doable for any reasonably fit hiker, and there were plenty of people on the trail who were older than me.

For total novices like Shelley and me, it’s wise to be proactive about health and safety. Here are some tips I learned along the way:

Good boots, liner socks, slippery powder, and moleskin for tender skin are essential. We kind of became gear geeks — investing in good day bags (Osprey), woolen clothes (socks, underwear, shirts), and great hiking shoes. I was never so thankful for a wool cap in Europe.

I was skeptical about a lot of “good ideas,” but two things I eventually appreciated were a daily baggie of trail mix and my metal water bottle. (I complained about its steep $40 price tag…but soon came to recognize it was a great value).

I must say, if the weather turned bad and it rained hard, I think much of the trail would become no fun at all. In fact, it would be dangerous. Hiking poles are essential, and even in perfect weather, I would have been worried about a stumble without my own trusty set.

Eat a solid breakfast. The one day we had breakfast with no protein, climbing was tougher.

Put on sunscreen, even if the weather’s bad.

After learning my lesson on other long hikes, I decided to be religious about stretching on the Tour du Mont Blanc from the start. I had a routine of six stretches and spent time throughout the day making sure I didn’t tighten up. Very important!

Don’t be a hero. If skin is getting hot, wrap it up. I did the entire TMB hike without a blister — and then just got one on purpose in the last two hours.

Good gear, smart and proactive ways to stay healthy, stretching, and taking it easy… it all worked just great.

I’ll be sharing more photos, stories, and tips from Mont Blanc on the Nov. 29 edition of Monday Night Travel. Want to come along?  Register now  for this fun — and free! — event.

Taking it Easy on the Tour du Mont Blanc

While the Tour du Mont Blanc is demanding, it’s not a particularly difficult hike. It’s just long, with lots of altitude gain and loss, and always scenic. On my recent trek around the mountain with three friends, it seemed each of us had a weak spot: knees, toes, or lungs. For some, the challenge was the uphill part, and for others (with weak knees), it was going downhill. We just took it easy, with lots of little breaks.

For long climbs, steady, smaller steps are best. The trail could be really rocky, and I can’t imagine doing it without hiking poles. The trail signs were great, and apps made staying on the trail easy: Just follow the blue dot. And I got good use out of a top-quality printed map. (I’d spend time the night before reading up on the hike and familiarizing myself with the trail on the map.)

While the weather forecast looked threatening, we hiked six days (in September, during the last week of the season) and, thankfully, had only one hour of rain. Still, each day we’d pack rain gear, and we’d add on and take off layers as we gained and lost altitude. After four days, we had it sorted out, and it occurred to us rank beginners, “We’re getting good at this.”

As we were hiking in a big circle around a big clump of mountains and sleeping in charming towns each night, every day seemed to be up and over a daunting mountain pass. A nightly treat was a stroll under a milky blanket of stars.

I’ll be sharing more photos, stories, and tips from Mont Blanc on the Nov. 29 edition of Monday Night Travel. Want to come along? Register now for this fun — and free! — event. 

The Mont Blanc Esprit de Corps

Hiking Europe’s Tour du Mont Blanc was a totally different slice of European culture for me: Coming upon a remote farmhouse-turned-thriving-cafe serving wonderful lunches…flowers and cows (with classic bells) scenically sprinkled throughout…and an esprit de corps where everyone is like family.

As nearly everyone hikes in the same direction (counter-clockwise), you become friends with fellow hikers. It seemed like half the people on the trail were from the US, and I met lots of Seattleites.

And in the interest of hiking light, lunches were very simple — just a sandwich from the hotel, maybe a carrot, a piece of fruit, and water. But upon reaching the mid-day summit, lunch was a marmot’s banquet. (Speaking of marmots, we saw no wildlife except a couple of mice that had been squished under hiking boots on the trail.)

The Best Hike of my Life: The Tour du Mont Blanc

Earlier this fall, four of us — total novices at long-distance treks — hiked around Europe’s highest mountain. (On the first day, big birds of prey circled high overhead. My hunch: They were vultures just waiting for one of us to drop.)

The Tour du Mont Blanc is a 100-mile, ten-day hike — but we cheated a bit, hiking the best 60 miles in six days from mountain lodge to mountain lodge, catching local buses through the less exciting parts, and letting a “sherpa service” shuttle our bags each day through France, Italy, and Switzerland, from Chamonix to Chamonix.

This was the first time I’d enjoyed a slice of Europe with my girlfriend Shelley, and we were joined by Sue and David from Minnesota. (I’ve worked with David Preston for 20 years at TPT – Twin Cities PBS . In the public television world, he’s considered the “pledge drive guru.”)

Each day, we’d hike what the trail signs said would be a five-hour hike — that took us six or seven.  Our mantra: “Take our time. This is why we’re here.” Generally, the day would start at a 3,000-foot climb to a pass (or “col”) 8,000 feet above sea level. Each col was a little triumph, with its cairn of rocks arranged in a pile, dramatic weather blowing across, commanding views, and congratulatory selfies.

Part of our pre-trip training was taking steep hikes closer to home. As a typical day’s climb on the TMB is a thousand meters (or roughly 3,000 feet), I’d recommend choosing a practice hike with a 3,000-foot elevation gain so you can use it as a reference point. Ours in Washington State was the Mount Si trail. We even had a term for a 3,000-foot altitude gain: “a Mount Si.”

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Automatic Refunds and No More Hidden Fees: D.O.T. Sets New Rules for Airlines

The Transportation Department issued new requirements on refunds when flights are canceled or delayed and on revealing “junk” fees before booking. Here’s what passengers can expect.

By Christine Chung

The Transportation Department on Wednesday announced new rules taking aim at two of the most difficult and annoying issues in air travel: obtaining refunds and encountering surprise fees late in the booking process.

“Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them — without having to ask,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement, adding that the changes would not only save passengers “time and money,” but also prevent headaches.

The department’s new rules, Mr. Buttigieg said, will hold airlines to clear and consistent standards when they cancel, delay or substantially change flights, and require automatic refunds to be issued within weeks. They will also require them to reveal all fees before a ticket is purchased.

Airlines for America , a trade group representing the country’s largest air carriers, said in a statement that its airlines “abide by and frequently exceed” D.O.T. consumer protection regulations.

Passenger advocates welcomed the new steps.

Tomasz Pawliszyn, the chief executive of AirHelp, a Berlin-based company that assists passengers with airline claims, called it a “massive step forward and huge improvement in consumer rights and protection” that brings the United States closer to global standards in passenger rights.

Here’s what we know about the D.O.T.’s new rules, which will begin to go into effect in October.

There’s now one definition for a “significant” delay.

Until now, airlines have been allowed to set their own definition for a “significant” delay and compensation has varied by carrier . Now, according to the D.O.T., there will be one standard: when departure or arrival is delayed by three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights.

Passengers will get prompt refunds for cancellations or significant changes for flights and delayed bags, for any reason.

When things go wrong, getting compensation from an airline has often required establishing a cumbersome paper trail or spending untold hours on the phone. Under the new rules, refunds will be automatic, without passengers having to request them. Refunds will be made in full, excepting the value of any transportation already used. Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in the original form of payment, whether by cash, credit card or airline miles. Refunds are due within seven days for credit card purchases and within 20 days for other payments.

Passengers with other flight disruptions, such as being downgraded to a lower service class, are also entitled to refunds.

The list of significant changes for which passengers can get their money back also includes: departure or arrival from an airport different from the one booked; connections at different airports or flights on planes that are less accessible to a person with a disability; an increase in the number of scheduled connections. Also, passengers who pay for services like Wi-Fi or seat selection that are then unavailable will be refunded any fees.

Airlines must give travel vouchers or credits to ticketed passengers unable to fly because of government restrictions or a doctor’s orders.

The vouchers or credits will be transferable and can be used for at least five years after the date they were issued.

Fees for checked baggage and modifying a reservation must be disclosed upfront.

Airlines and ticket agents are now required to display any extra fees for things like checking bags or seat selection clearly and individually before a ticket purchase. They will also need to outline the airline’s policies on baggage, cancellations and changing flights before a customer purchases a ticket.

The rules, which apply to all flights on domestic airlines and flights to and from the United States operated by foreign airlines, have varying start dates.

For example, automatic refunds must be instituted by the airlines within six months. But carriers have a year before they’re required to issue travel vouchers and credits for passengers advised by a medical professional not to fly.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Christine Chung is a Times reporter covering airlines and consumer travel. More about Christine Chung

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

Microsoft Joins Thorn and All Tech Is Human to enact strong child safety commitments for generative AI

Apr 23, 2024 | Courtney Gregoire - Chief Digital Safety Officer

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While millions of people use AI to supercharge their productivity and expression, there is the risk that these technologies are abused. Building on our longstanding commitment to online safety, Microsoft has joined Thorn, All Tech is Human, and other leading companies in their effort to prevent the misuse of generative AI technologies to perpetrate, proliferate, and further sexual harms against children. Today, Microsoft is committing to implementing preventative and proactive principles into our generative AI technologies and products.

This initiative, led by Thorn , a nonprofit dedicated to defending children from sexual abuse, and All Tech Is Human , an organization dedicated to collectively tackling tech and society’s complex problems, aims to mitigate the risks generative AI poses to children. The principles also align to and build upon Microsoft’s approach to addressing abusive AI-generated content . That includes the need for a strong safety architecture grounded in safety by design, to safeguard our services from abusive content and conduct, and for robust collaboration across industry and with governments and civil society. We have a longstanding commitment to combating child sexual exploitation and abuse, including through critical and longstanding partnerships such as the  National Center for Missing and Exploited Children ,  the Internet Watch Foundation ,  the Tech Coalition , and the WeProtect Global Alliance . We also provide support to  INHOPE , recognizing the need for international efforts to support reporting. These principles will support us as we take forward our comprehensive approach.

As a part of this Safety by Design effort, Microsoft commits to take action on these principles and transparently share progress regularly. Full details on the commitments can be found on Thorn’s website here and below, but in summary, we will:

• DEVELOP : Develop, build and train generative AI models to proactively address child safety risks
• DEPLOY: Release and distribute generative AI models after they have been trained and evaluated for child safety, providing protections throughout the process .

MAINTAIN: Maintain model and platform safety by continuing to actively understand and respond to child safety risks

Today’s commitment marks a significant step forward in preventing the misuse of AI technologies to create or spread child sexual abuse material (AIG-CSAM) and other forms of sexual harm against children. This collective action underscores the tech industry’s approach to child safety, demonstrating a shared commitment to ethical innovation and the well-being of the most vulnerable members of society.

We will also continue to engage with policymakers on the legal and policy conditions to help support safety and innovation. This includes building a shared understanding of the AI tech stack and the application of existing laws, as well as on ways to modernize law to ensure companies have the appropriate legal frameworks to support red-teaming efforts and the development of tools to help detect potential CSAM.

We look forward to partnering across industry, civil society, and governments to take forward these commitments and advance safety across different elements of the AI tech stack. Information-sharing on emerging best practices will be critical, including through work led by the new AI Safety Institute and elsewhere.

Our full commitment

Develop: develop, build, and train generative ai models that proactively address child safety risks.

• Responsibly source our training datasets, and safeguard them from child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) : This is essential to helping prevent generative models from producing AI generated child sexual abuse material (AIG-CSAM) and CSEM. The presence of CSAM and CSEM in training datasets for generative models is one avenue in which these models are able to reproduce this type of abusive content. For some models, their compositional generalization capabilities further allow them to combine concepts (e.g. adult sexual content and non-sexual depictions of children) to then produce AIG-CSAM. We are committed to avoiding or mitigating training data with a known risk of containing CSAM and CSEM. We are committed to detecting and removing CSAM and CSEM from our training data, and reporting any confirmed CSAM to the relevant authorities. We are committed to addressing the risk of creating AIG-CSAM that is posed by having depictions of children alongside adult sexual content in our video, images and audio generation training datasets.
• Incorporate feedback loops and iterative stress-testing strategies in our development process : Continuous learning and testing to understand a model’s capabilities to produce abusive content is key in effectively combating the adversarial misuse of these models downstream. If we don’t stress test our models for these capabilities, bad actors will do so regardless. We are committed to conducting structured, scalable and consistent stress testing of our models throughout the development process for their capability to produce AIG-CSAM and CSEM within the bounds of law, and integrating these findings back into model training and development to improve safety assurance for our generative AI products and systems.
• Employ content provenance with adversarial misuse in mind : Bad actors use generative AI to create AIG-CSAM. This content is photorealistic, and can be produced at scale. Victim identification is already a needle in the haystack problem for law enforcement: sifting through huge amounts of content to find the child in active harm’s way. The expanding prevalence of AIG-CSAM is growing that haystack even further. Content provenance solutions that can be used to reliably discern whether content is AI-generated will be crucial to effectively respond to AIG-CSAM. We are committed to developing state of the art media provenance or detection solutions for our tools that generate images and videos. We are committed to deploying solutions to address adversarial misuse, such as considering incorporating watermarking or other techniques that embed signals imperceptibly in the content as part of the image and video generation process, as technically feasible.

DEPLOY: Release and distribute generative AI models after they have been trained and evaluated for child safety, providing protections throughout the process

• Safeguard our generative AI products and services from abusive content and conduct: Our generative AI products and services empower our users to create and explore new horizons. These same users deserve to have that space of creation be free from fraud and abuse. We are committed to combating and responding to abusive content (CSAM, AIG-CSAM, and CSEM) throughout our generative AI systems, and incorporating prevention efforts. Our users’ voices are key, and we are committed to incorporating user reporting or feedback options to empower these users to build freely on our platforms.
• Responsibly host models: As our models continue to achieve new capabilities and creative heights, a wide variety of deployment mechanisms manifests both opportunity and risk. Safety by design must encompass not just how our model is trained, but how our model is hosted. We are committed to responsible hosting of our first-party generative models, assessing them e.g. via red teaming or phased deployment for their potential to generate AIG-CSAM and CSEM, and implementing mitigations before hosting. We are also committed to responsibly hosting third-party models in a way that minimizes the hosting of models that generate AIG-CSAM. We will ensure we have clear rules and policies around the prohibition of models that generate child safety violative content.
• Encourage developer ownership in safety by design : Developer creativity is the lifeblood of progress. This progress must come paired with a culture of ownership and responsibility. We encourage developer ownership in safety by design. We will endeavor to provide information about our models, including a child safety section detailing steps taken to avoid the downstream misuse of the model to further sexual harms against children. We are committed to supporting the developer ecosystem in their efforts to address child safety risks.
• Prevent our services from scaling access to harmful tools: Bad actors have built models specifically to produce AIG-CSAM, in some cases targeting specific children to produce AIG-CSAM depicting their likeness. They also have built services that are used to “nudify” content of children, creating new AIG-CSAM. This is a severe violation of children’s rights. We are committed to removing from our platforms and search results these models and services.
• Invest in research and future technology solutions : Combating child sexual abuse online is an ever-evolving threat, as bad actors adopt new technologies in their efforts. Effectively combating the misuse of generative AI to further child sexual abuse will require continued research to stay up to date with new harm vectors and threats. For example, new technology to protect user content from AI manipulation will be important to protecting children from online sexual abuse and exploitation. We are committed to investing in relevant research and technology development to address the use of generative AI for online child sexual abuse and exploitation. We will continuously seek to understand how our platforms, products and models are potentially being abused by bad actors. We are committed to maintaining the quality of our mitigations to meet and overcome the new avenues of misuse that may materialize.
• Fight CSAM, AIG-CSAM and CSEM on our platforms : We are committed to fighting CSAM online and preventing our platforms from being used to create, store, solicit or distribute this material. As new threat vectors emerge, we are committed to meeting this moment. We are committed to detecting and removing child safety violative content on our platforms. We are committed to disallowing and combating CSAM, AIG-CSAM and CSEM on our platforms, and combating fraudulent uses of generative AI to sexually harm children.

Tags: child online protection , deepfakes , generative ai , Online Safety , Thorn

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