Fiji - to visit or not?

News just in from Fiji is that an Australian Navy helicopter has crashed off the coast of Fiji. Early reports say 1 person has been killed with another missing. Another tragic loss for the Navy.

Crisis talks between military commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama and Fiji PM Laisenia Qarase have ended without a resolution to the ongoing crisis in Fiji. This does little to ease tension in the country. It also makes it difficult for thousands of tourists that may have booked holidays to Fiji. If you are flying into Nadi and then holidaying away from Suva it is probably safe to continue with travel plans.

The Australian Government is still worried about the situation as they are likely to evacuate families of diplomatic staff posted in Suva. Is this an overreaction or do they have inside information about the events that will unfold in the coming days.

Remember when travelling it is a good idea to check the government websites that provide travel advice. Links to the major countries that offer this advice can be found here.

Cheap Flight to Beijing then explore

If you don't mind cold weather right now is a good time to visit Beijing, you will find that it is less crowded. You should be able to find a cheap flight to Beijing by doing some research. You should also be able to also get cheaper hotel rates at this time of year.

Winter is about to start in Beijing. Some things you could do include the must see visit of the Great Wall. Later in December you would be able to go ice skating on some of the lakes found within Beijing. Some of the venues include:
Beihai Park, Xicheng District
Summer Palace, Kunmin Lake, Haidan District
Purple Bamboo Park, 45 Baishiqiao Lu, Haidan District (this is a special place for my wife and I as we got engaged here)
The above parks are open from early in the morning until at least 6pm.

Other activities you may consider include a visit to Beijing Zoo or a night of Peking Opera. My wife says the best thing to do is go shopping. There are many modern shopping malls in Beijing. One of the main shopping districts is Wangfujing. If finding a bargain in a market is more your style you may enjoy a visit to the silk market which is located on the corner of Jianguomenwai and Dongdaqiao.

Fiji - will we ever have the coup

I first heard of a chance of a coup taking place in Fiji about this time last year. At the time I was about to go on a holiday to Fiji. My family went to the Shangri La resort which is on the Coral Coast. It was a great resort and we had a great time. No coup took place back then.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has on 26 November changed the travel advice for Fiji to reconsider travel to that country. That means you can still go there however it is a bit of a risk. The Australian Government has a Navy ship sitting off the coast of Fiji in case there is a need to evacuate Australian citizens. DFAT has also sent extra consular staff to help out if required. So far the staff are just sitting by the pool sipping Pina Colada's.

On my travel website http://www.cheapflightscruises.com I have links to other countries Foreign Office departments. It is useful to always see what government departments say about a country you may be thinking of visiting.