The Coca-Cola London Eye is Totally Worth the Lines and Money – Voluntourist Review

Coca-Cola London Eye- London is one of my all-time favorite cities to visit. I’ve probably been 12-13 times now, and I can’t wait to go back when I have the chance.

I have a list of things to do there, like have tea at the Shard, shop at Fenwick department store on Bond St. and Top Shop at Oxford Circus, and about a million other things including the Coco-Cola London Eye.

While it’s not something you have to do every time you’re in the city, it’s absolutely something you should do at least once.

It’s a spectacular and cool way to see breathtaking views of London. Located on the South Bank of the River Thames, the Coco-Cola London Eye was launched in 2000 and is the world’s largest cantilevered observation wheel, which means it’s supported by an A-frame on only one side.

As someone who has a fear of heights and gets motion sickness easily, I haven’t freaked out once yet, and I’ve been on the London Eye a few times. The capsule moves slowly and takes about 30 minutes to go completely around. And while there are other people with you, they surprisingly don’t pack the capsule too full, so you’ll get a great view and not feel overly crowded.

Heather Newgen with her nephew Austin

Here’s some fun facts about London’s most iconic attraction:

– Kate Moss has been on the Coco-Cola London Eye 25 times, which is the record for a U.K. celebrity.

– More than 3.5 million visitors ride the Eye every year.

– There are 32 capsules, one for each borough of the city. However, they’re numbered from 1-33 because there isn’t a number 13. It skips from 12 to 14 for superstitious reasons.

– A ride takes 30 minutes to go around completely, and travels at a speed of 0.6 miles.

– More than 5,000 people have gotten engaged on the Eye.

Since it’s one of the most popular things to do, the lines to get on the ride are out of control.

So I suggest you get there early or book your tickets online in advance, and consider the fast track option. There is always an insane amount of people waiting in line, so to avoid spending hours here, pay a little more to jump the queues (roughly $42). It’s worth it!

Also check out the other cool options like the champagne or chocolate experience, or booking a private capsule. In addition, there are fun events like yoga on the Coca-Cola London Eye, a ballet inspired workout class or story time for kids.

There’s usually deals online, so check out their website before you purchase tickets.

To read about all of the cool things you can do with the London Pass click here.

To see my experience in London click here.

AirAsia Took my Boyfriend’s Passport and Detained him for NO Reason at Manila Airport–Missed Flights as a Result

By: Jenna Carr

The most bizarre and frustrating situation just occurred at the Manila airport. My boyfriend is flying home from Bali to Portugal, using three individually booked flights with different airlines. The first was an AirAsia flight from Bali to Manila, which he boarded in time and arrived in Manila at 3:30am this morning.

He’s pretty sensible and all of his flights had huge gaps in between in case any disaster occurred. His next flight Manila to London with Philippines airways was at 13:00–10 hours after he landed in Manila. At immigration they asked where he was going and he explained he had another flight to London in 10 hours, and he was going to wait in the airport. At this point they informed AirAsia staff who came and directed him to a “transfer room” and took his passport.

He explained the next flight wasn’t with AirAsia, it was with Philippines Airways, but they told him he could rest in the transfer room and they would wake him when it was time to transfer to the other terminal for check in of the London bound flight. He wakes at 10am and no one has talked to him or woke him up as promised. He tries to leave to find someone to speak with and security stop him saying he needs to stay in the transfer room as he can’t cross immigration without his passport.

He asks for them to get the AirAsia staff member and they keep saying “ok they are coming soon”… by 10:30 he is getting nervous – a staff member finally came and told him to wait longer as the transfer wasn’t ready. When he asked for his passport back they said they will keep it until the transfer. 11am comes and knowing the flight departs in two hours he starts asking more questions – every time he is told to wait a while longer, and told he couldn’t have his passport until he was transferred.

It was 12:00 when they finally came and said he needed to rush as the transfer wasn’t coming and he needed to pay 500 pesos for a taxi, as well as paying for the taxis journey back to terminal 3 (where he had been kept). By the time this had all happened and the taxi conned him out of his money, check in had closed and he wasn’t allowed to board the flight.

Now bear in mind he arrived at Manila airport at 3am, and he has missed a flight 10 hours later. We don’t have a lot of money, this trip has really rinsed us dry. So paying for another flight isn’t possible without having to ask family for money. He will now miss his flight to Faro, we need to work out how to buy him another flight to London which is going to be ridiculously expensive, and then another to Faro.

Why was he put into the transfer room in the first place? Why did they take his passport? I have never experienced this in my life and I travel often. They wouldn’t take any responsibility for the missed flight and wouldn’t even write him a letter to show to his travel insurance company. As he tried to complain they asked him for more ID, which they kept for another two hours – then eventually said the supervisor wasn’t available and they couldn’t help with another flight as they are only a point to point carrier…

What sort of rights does he have in this situation? I’m still in Bali unable to help, it’s his first time travelling and now he is stuck in Manila without money. I can transfer him a bit but his bank takes a few days so that is no use right now. He’d only taken enough Peso to pay the airport fee to leave – and the con man taxi took most of that.

AirAsia support on Twitter aren’t helping and I don’t know where else to turn.

**Update

My boyfriend has boarded a very expensive and long flight back home paid for by my very kind brother. That doesn’t change the fact we have been screwed over and no help as been offered by anyone. We have no explanation as to why they kept him in the room, why they took his passport, and why they kept him right up until the last minute when it became too late to board his flight. No apology, no explanation, no compensation for the huge amount of money and time we’ve lost…

I had a flight to Amsterdam Saturday morning at 6:30am which I had to pay $250.00 to change to 6:00pm since I now wouldn’t be getting to London until 11:00am. But hey….. I was finally getting there so I’m gonna have a drink to celebrate that all hope wasn’t lost. Never Fly Norwegian Airlines!

Wrong again.

Around 6:00pm as we waited to check in, the two people from Norwegian (yes only two) tell us our options:

Get a refund or wait another 24 hours to go on a Delta flight. Never Fly Norwegian Airlines!

There was 15 other things that went wrong from then until right now but instead of writing more I’ll just say that I am devastated. This trip was me being there for my friend to go celebrate her divorce and then, it was my first opportunity to solo travel Europe the last days of the week. I am crushed. And also enraged at how awful we were all treated.

Paris Metro-Great Public Transportation, but Throw your Ticket Away and You Will be Fined!

This review is from a girl I know who would prefer to remain anonymous. The information she gives is correct and insightful for anyone traveling in Paris who isn’t familiar with their public transportation. 

My friend and I just spent some time in Paris and our main source of transport was METRO. If you’re not familiar, this is how the metro in Paris works. You purchase a ticket. You slide the ticket through a machine and the doors open for you. You don’t need the ticket for any part of your journey afterwards.

Eiffel Tower in Paris, France

Photo by: Heather Newgen

So basically you can’t get on a metro if you don’t purchase a ticket unless you go out of your way to jump over a door. When we hopped off at the Eiffel Tower station yesterday (busiest tourist metro stop), three people in uniform very aggressively demanded to see our ticket – which we unknowingly threw away as soon as we got through the doors. We said sorry we threw them away, we had no way to know that you have to keep them.

They got so angry and up in our faces. At first we weren’t sure if it was a scam because they seemed really shady and we have been using the metro for days and never saw this happen. A guy took our ID and went to put it in his back pocket and I tried to grab them back and he rudely snatched it out of my hand.

They told us it was a 50€ charge each for not having a ticket. We each had purchased two tickets at a time so we tried to show them the new unused ticket and they said we can’t do that but it would bring the fine down to 35€ each. We asked how should we know to keep the ticket because you don’t need use it past the doors…there response was “you should just know.” “You need to ask people” and “it says it on a public tourist map” which we didn’t have. This rule is not stated anywhere else. Anyway after a time of them completely interrogating us, we decided it wasn’t a scam and paid the fine.

My friend gave them her card, and after the transaction the woman held onto it and looked as if she was sneakily trying to memorize the numbers. So my friend took the card back and the woman absolutely lost her mind and was screaming in her face. It was crazy.

We got our ID and cards back but it was such a deflating feeling and put a damper on the rest of the day. They were really rude awful people and loved the fact that they could interrogate us. On our way back we passed them again and saw they had gotten a tourist family of five with no tickets either. That’s 50€ each for them. They were just pulling tourists up left right and center, so don’t throw away your ticket.

Frontier Airlines: Why Isn’t Worth the Cheap Fare – User Review

By: Emily Rosas

I want to share a recent experience I had with Frontier.

I had booked a one way flight from PDX to RDU back home for $212 but my flight from PDX to a connecting stop in Denver was delayed and I was not able to fly home at my original scheduled time.

Frontier told me I could be refunded the FULL amount or take the next available flight back on Wednesday, July 4th but that was not an option for me. I had to be back on the 2nd for work.

I chose to be refunded my amount after 30+ mins with the representatives. One Frontier representative did not fully refund me and did not give me a printed confirmation. I asked and waited until I had that confirmation only for the supervisor to call her out in front of me and asked why she only refunded me HALF of my ticket and did it wrong.

PLEASE make sure you confirm these things in these situations because this rep did not apologize and gave me a bad attitude throughout this process.

The supervisor was kind and patient with me but the entire experience with me has caused me to no longer want to book with Frontier. I had to rebook with Delta to get me back home at a higher price.

Just be aware that this can happen to you and cause a delay in returning home if need to be back ASAP. I now know not to fly this cheap…

Just thought I would share this experience with you and give you a warning when considering booking a flight with Frontier.

Happy and safe travels ❤

Travellers Egypt Tour Company is Amazing and Professional

Despite what you may hear, Cairo is safe. Of course you should stay informed and updated on the news, but you should do that with any city or country you visit.

The Sphinx

Photo by: Heather Newgen

Travellers Egypt – It’s true that certain regions of Egypt, like the North Sinai, should be avoided, but there are dangerous areas in every country. That said, I finally pushed aside my concerns and went to Cairo, Giza and Memphis and had the perfect dream vacation. Since I was a single female traveling alone, which can be frowned upon in Egypt and will elicit unwanted attention, I hired a tour company to help eliminate any issues and I’m happy I did.

Heather Newgen at the Pyramids of Giza

Travellers Egypt arranged my entire trip from flights to ground transportation, hotel and private tours. In addition, a representative from the company was with me at all times, so I didn’t worry about anything.

Pyramids of Giza Photo by: Heather Newgen

Travellers Egypt will create your itinerary so just let them know what you want to see and do and they take care of it. They will also give you ideas on where to go and will be there every step of your journey. Someone will pick you up from the airport, help with your luggage and will go to the airport to check you in on your return flight home.

Heather Newgen at Pyramids of Giza

Every morning I was promptly picked up from the Le Méridien Pyramids Hotel & Spa, where I stayed and  had an unforgettable new daily adventure. It was the best way to experience Egypt because I did nothing but have fun. I didn’t stress about figuring out public transportation, worry about if I was charged too much when I shopped because they bargained for me and most importantly I was never concerned for my safety.

Osama Hakin was my guide and what I loved about him is that he’s also an Egyptologist–someone who specializes in ancient Egyptian history and culture, so he could read hieroglyphics, which was cool. He was really fun to be around, was really sweet and exceptionally knowledgable about Egypt. And Osama is the guy you want if you go to the Egyptian Museum because he knows everything about every artifact there. It was amazing!

Egyptian Museum

Photo by: Heather Newgen

While it probably is cheaper to do Egypt on your own, I’m all about tours and convenience while on holiday. In addition, Egypt does require a higher level of diligence, and it can be a bit intimidating depending on your traveling skills, to wander on your own in many areas due to the amount of attention you’re likely to generate as a tourist.

At the very least, hire a professional guide from Travellers Egypt for the reasons mentioned above.

Prices for services vary. For reference I was in Cairo for four nights and three full days. I tipped $100 to the driver, $100 to Osama and $70 to another guy who was with me when Osama wasn’t. But since I mostly did tours and spent the majority of my time with Osama I gave him more. However, tipping isn’t required and it’s at your discretion, but it is always appreciated.

Tour Company: Travellers Egypt

Travellers Egypt – Price: Varies depending on service

By: Heather Newgen

Lufthansa is an airline I’ve been consistently traveling with for several years. As a loyal customer I’ve been a member of their frequent flyer program Miles and More since 2014, which makes this situation that much more upsetting and unacceptable.

Note: Jenny Karakaya is a freelance photographer and producer who was on a Voluntourist shoot and this was her personal experience. 

By: Jenny Karakaya

If you have been to Morocco, you will know and agree that it’s nothing short of an adventure, especially when you are producing a travel shoot cross country from Marrakech to the desert. Was it a challenge? Yes! Was it exciting? Hell, yes! Was it an easy and smooth ride? No, and that’s not because of the strenuous walk through the hot desert and sand-storms, nor long car rides through flash-floods. That part we managed just fine – it was not having my bag and all of our necessities, for the duration of our travel shoot, that nearly ruined our journey.

Marrakech

Photo by: Jenny Karakaya

RELATED: Air Asia Took my Boyfriend’s Passport and Detained Him

Lufthansa has become notorious for losing baggage, among other things. Many of my friends have complained about losing their bags on a Lufthansa flight and judging by the long queues at the service desks, this has been an ongoing issue for a long time now. It is one thing to lose your luggage and retrieve it in a few days, but another thing to be left stranded for your entire trip! This is how it went down for me. Not only did Lufthansa lose my luggage, but they also failed to retrieve it from their massive pile of lost bags in Frankfurt and deliver it to me within the 10 days I was in Morocco! That’s 10 days and my entire journey/shoot in an emerging country without my bare essentials, clothes, certain production necessities, talent make-up and more.

My missing backpack that I didn’t have for the full 10 days I was in Morocco.

Photo by: Jenny Karakaya

I had a couple of hours upon landing in Marrakech to run through the overwhelmingly packed medina to pick up whatever I could find, before heading cross country to our desert trek. It beyond stressful to find what I needed and even more so, getting receipt. And yes, I called and emailed Lufthansa, but received absolutely no help nor a response until my return to Germany. Too little, too late.

Jenny Karakaya in the Sahara Desert wearing the same clothes for 10 days

Photo by: Jenny Karakaya

The ONLY reason I didn’t allow Lufthansa to ruin my travels, is because I chose to remain positive (that’s all you can do under the circumstances) and hopeful of receiving my bag for at least half of my Moroccan shoot. That never happened. My bag finally arrived on my departure date, so I basically picked up my bag at the airport, just to check in back in again. Complete waste of money and time on check-in baggage fees, items I had to purchase and dealing with this whole escapade (while trying to work!) Furthermore, thanks to our delayed flight (an often occurrence with Lufthansa), we missed our connection and got stranded in another city. In total, it took us over 24 hrs to return home to Berlin from Morocco. (And exhale.)

So in lieu of all that I’ve experienced thus far, here is my advice to all those traveling with Lufthansa:

– Travel with a bag that doesn’t need to be checked-in
– If you absolutely have to check in a big bag , then carry on another bag with a change of clothes, some undergarments, the essential toiletries and anything else you may need, especially for work
– Always arrive early enough to the airport, so that there is enough time to get your bag from the check-in point to the airplane
– Research the airline’s reputation to see if any complaints have been made online
– Research your luggage insurance options – often travel focused credit cards offer some reimbursements
– Submit a claim with the airline, although I’m not sure how helpful this is, as the Lufthansa service desk attendant advised me that I should expect to wait 3-6 month for a reply

As for me, well I’ll be fighting for my reimbursement, without holding my breath. I will also cancel my Miles and More Lufthansa credit card and explore a more reliable airline to support and travel with.

Plan-It Morocco offers speciality and venturesome experiences that give an authentic look into the country’s captivating culture. For over a decade, the tourism company has delivered unconventional and customizable adventures to clients and they’ve become my go to tour operator in Morocco.

By: Heather Newgen

Marrakech is one of those places that’s been popping up in travel guides nonstop and making the “must see” list on every blogger’s site for awhile now. So on my third trip to Morocco I finally made it to the charming, but somewhat chaotic city. Over the years, Marrakech has grown to become one of the hottest destinations for travelers, partly thanks to the historic medina, which is a Unesco World Heritage site. There you will find everything from great restaurants, cultural sites, vendors selling anything you can imagine and randomness like snake charmers.

Photo by: Jenny Karakaya

RELATED: How to see Rabat, Fez and Chefchaouen in Three Days

Morocco is such a magical magnificent country, however, it can also be challenging and puzzling to navigate, which is why I prefer to take tours. To fully enjoy its vibrant uniqueness I had two private guides from Plan-It Morocco, a company I’ve used before in Chefchaouen and Fez, show me around.

Marrakech Medina

Photo By: Jenny Karakaya

Their professionalism, attention to detail and customer service prompted me to contact them again when I knew I was going to Marrakesh. Plan-It Morocco has created a reputation for delivering creative excursions, events and tours to visitors by teaming up with quality guides and drivers who deliver unforgettable experiences, so I knew I was in for an incredible experience.

Marrakech Medina

My first Plan-It Morocco tour on this trip was to the Marrakech medina, which I recommend everyone do. While it’s safe for tourists and women to wander around the donkey trodden narrow alleys, it’s full on sensory overload, a bit overwhelming and there’s no way you won’t get lost. Yassine, my Plan-It Morocco guide, met me at the riad where I was staying and walked me through the confusing winding streets to the medina. Once we arrived, he effortlessly whipped his way around, taking us to places we never would have known about or found on our own.

Heater Newgen with Plant-It-Morroco guide Yassine Photo at the Bahia Palace in Marrakech by:  Jenny Karakaya

Not only did Yassine lead us to cool vendors and beautiful landmarks like the Bahia Palace, he was really insightful and knowledgeable about the historical significance of the city. We had so much fun that I wanted to take another Plan-It Morocco tour with him, but unfortunately the timing didn’t work out. However, I know who to call the next time I’m in Marrakech!

Photo By: Jenny Karakaya

Marrakech Medina

Heather Newgen and Plant-It-Morocco Guide Yassine

Photo By: Jenny Karakaya

For my second tour, Plan-It Morocco suggested I see Marrakech in a less traditional way. So they set me up for their design tour, which was the perfect balance to the medina tour. Ibrahim Mouhib, the founder and designer of Fez-based accessories brand Mouhib was my fabulous guide, who I adored. He graciously spent an afternoon taking me to the city’s most stylish spots where I saw a completely different side to Marrakech that’s embraced a modern vibe.

Heather Newgen and Ibrahim Mouhibi in Marrakech at famed SOUFIANE ZARIB showroom

Photo By: Jenny Karakaya

We began the tour at Yahya’s private office where we learned more about the internationally famed decorative objects and lighting designer. It was amazing to see his designs, which maintain a traditional Moroccan flare, but have a contemporary edge, up close. His stunning high end products are featured and brilliantly displayed at palaces and upscale hotels like the Royal Mansour, that you have to visit.

Yahya Design

Photo By: Jenny Karakya

Next up, we went to the chic, yet affordable Kaftan Queen boutique, which is owned by Sarah Buchan, Yahya’s wife. She’s a colorful and sophisticated designer in her own right with an amazing talent for fashion. Her Moroccan brand uses,  “traditional skills to produce modern pieces that can bring everything into the future a little bit,” she revealed. Her collections consist of eye-popping pieces that you can wear daily and dress up for evening events. “I think Marrakech in particular is one of the most creative places in the world. Everywhere you go, you see things that are made by people, not necessarily in Marrakech, but in the region, the carpets to the nearly everything you see is handmade. That doesn’t really exist in too many places in the world,” she said.

After exploring art galleries and other great shops, my Plan-It Morocco design tour ended at the Soufiane Zarib showroom, which is one of the most beautiful places in the city.

Heather Newgen at Soufiane Zarub’s showroom in Marakech

Photo By: Jenny Karakya

Known for the outstanding craftsmanship on his Moroccan carpets, Zarib offers countless creative and vivid designs that are so stunning you can’t just buy one. This is the place to purchase a carpet and it’s where people like Ralph Lauren shop for the carpet of their dreams. Anyone is welcome to stop by the showroom, but you will need an appointment, so call in advance. In addition to the carpets, you can check out Mouhib’s accessories, which include the greatest throw rugs.

SOUFIANE ZARIB showroom

Photo By: Jenny Karakya

Plan-It Morocco once again made my North African holiday especially memorable and just when I thought I was done with Morocco, I now want to go back to experience more.

For additional information on Plan-It Morocco visit http://plan-it-morocco.com/

Wadi Rum Luxury Camp in Jordan is a wonderful time, but there are a few things to be aware of.

By: Heather Newgen

The Wadi Rum Luxury Camp in Jordan is an unforgettable adventure that every traveler must experience, but be prepared for a few issues. Known for its bubble style accommodations, that have a clear ceiling so you can fall asleep watching the stars, theWadi Rum Luxury Camp is located in the perfect location that offers the most beautiful views of the desert.

Bubble accommodations

Photo By: Heather Newgen

Reservations for the bubbles at the Wadi Rum Luxury Camp were booked for the night I was there, but I stayed in one of the tents, which was much bigger than I expected. It was equipped with air, heat and its own bathroom. However, the incredibly small shower leaked water all over the floor, so I had to lay towels down. But it wasn’t a big deal and didn’t bother me too much. Just know this could happen ahead of time. The tent was really clean, the beds were really comfortable and I loved the decor.

Glamping in Wadi Rum Desert

Photo By: Heather Newgen

Inside the tent where I stayed

Photo by: Heather Newgen

After traveling in Israel for a week, I went to Jordan just for the Wadi Rum Luxury Camp and it was quite a journey to get there. I had a driver waiting for me at the Jordanian border and he drove me to a meeting point where another driver, who worked at the camp, took me the rest of the way. By that time it was was pitch black outside and I was a little nervous, but trusted my travel agent, Erez Yarkon Travel, who arranged everything, so I knew I was in good hands.

However, on the way to there our truck broke down and there was no cell phone service. So we waited hoping another driver from the Wadi Rum Luxury Camp would pass by to pick other guests and one eventually did. I was beyond exhausted when I finally arrived and looked forward to exploring the area, but when I checked in my name wasn’t on the list. They didn’t have a record of me staying so I had to call my travel agent who explained to them he made a reservation. After an hour of sitting in the office, the situation was finally sorted and things were great, but I wasn’t the only one having check in issues.

Heather Newgen with camels on jeep tour

Another person who reserved a bubble room at the Wadi Rum Luxury Camp on Booking.com had a similar problem. They  were able to give him a tent, but not the bubble like he said he originally reserved and paid for. That was the case with a couple of guests so maybe it’s best to call them directly or book through their site.

At any rate, the Wadi Rum Luxury Camp itself was amazing and I enjoyed my time there. At night there’s a separate tent where guests can gather to hang out. Inside people can dance, sip mint tea or smoke hooka. The buffet dinner and breakfast I thought was good and I loved how friendly the chefs and staff were.

A stop we did on the jeep tour

The next day I took a jeep tour of the desert, but not with the Wadi Rum Luxury Camp. I went with a different company and loved it. It’s the best way to see the area and I highly recommend if you’re going to visit Wadi Rum, do the jeep tour.

Heather Newgen and friend on jeep your

I did enjoy the Wadi Rum Luxury Camp once we got past the issues. I would stay again, but this time would try to arrive earlier in the day so I have more time there. And I would have my travel agent make sure there was no problems with reservations beforehand.