Teresa Rodriguez Williamson’s World Worsts
Name Teresa Rodriguez Williamson
Who? Creator of TangoDiva.com, the online social network and travel magazine for women, and author of Fly Solo: The 50 Best Places on Earth for a Girl to Travel Alone. She serves as the travel expert on KTRB 860 AM and ABC News 10 in California, and her advice has appeared in such outlets as The Chicago Tribune, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, ELLE, Marie Claire, Allure, SELF, Real Simple and just about every major TV network in the US. A self-described jet-setter, her master plan, so to speak, is to connect and empower woman around the world with the wisdom gleaned from solo sojourns.
Age 40
Countries Visited Around 100
Titanic Nominations
1. Worst Ferry Ride Melbourne to Hobart, Tasmania. There is not enough Dramamine in the world to stop one from getting sick on this topsy-turvy boat ride through the crazy Bass Straits. They say it is “super-fast,” but nothing is super-fast enough when you are vomiting non-stop from 8 pm to 7 am.
2. Worst Café Café con Piernas, Santiago Chile. This is essentially a strip club for men that is packed – much like Starbucks – at 9 am. It is sexist, exploits women and is incredibly degrading. And I hear the coffee sucks too.
3. Worst Hotel for Solo Women Hotel Hana Maui. One of the best ways to make yourself disappear, or go crazy, is to spend a week at this remote hotel alone. The only life force you might encounter is the rude staff or a pair of honeymooners scrambling to get back to their hut. There is no socializing around the unheated pool, and remember: Hana is famous for its cold afternoon thunderstorms.
4. Worst Airline Meal United Emirates’ lamb curry dish. Imagine being stuck in a window seat in economy while the already-oppressive airplane air is thick with the putrid smell of boiled lamb and curry. And only 11 more hours until you arrive in Dubai!
5. Worst Destination for Solo Women Monte Carlo. Unless you are recognized royalty, this place is ridiculously expensive, rude and unaccommodating for women travelers who come alone. You’ll find young Russian blondes hanging off the arms of rich old men driving rented Ferraris. It is quite frightening.
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There is no ferry from Melbourne to Hobart.
The Spirit of Tasmania Ferry goes from Melbourne to Devonport.We can assume that is what was meant.
Presumably she was talking about the Spirit of Tasmania, but a rather big mistake for a ‘travel writer’. I’d have to view her recommendations with a pinch of salt.
@Marc
But if you get to Launceston you can catch the Spirit of Tassie to Melbourne every day or get to Devonport and you can get on the hovercraft to Port Welshpool.
It’s well known the Bass Strait is rough. Ask any Sydney to Hobart Yachtsman.
I’ve travelled the Straits 4 times between Melb and Devenport on the old Spirit of Tasmania and had no issues.
Although I heard that a trip shortly previouse to mine was 12 hours late due to weather, and even the crew was sick!
OH BTW: Marc…Launceston is inland, the ferries go from Devenport and the Hovercraft is no longer in action.
oops my mistake…change Spirit to ‘Able Tasman’
my apologies.
IN with Geordie Launceston is in the midddle of Tasmanania and the Hovercraft hasnt run for years. I do the trip with a group of bikers ever years and havent had an issue
The boat leaves Melbourne at nine pm and arrives at 6am in DEVENPORT.
Sure it can be rough take a dramamine and a glass of red and go to bed!
This woman is a just a spoilt little princess. None of her stories equate to anything actally horrible, she was just didn’t like the food on the plane.
“And I hear the coffee sucks too”
You ‘hear’ it sucks? So you’ve never actually been then? So how do you know it’s so bad? I certainly hope for your sake that you never travel to Amsterdam or even worse, Las Vegas! Exploitation of women is well and truly alive in these places, and that’s without even scratching the surface of Asia.
Also, the Spirit of Tasmania is world renowned for being a rough ride, you don’t loose 80m racing yachts down there just because it’s a bit breezy. I’m sure you would advise your own clients/readers to do their research before taking such a trip and anyone will tell you it’s usually bad.
Is it just me or is the comment about the ‘terrible’ lamb curry seem more a whinge about being stuck in economy (Oh noes!) with the ‘commoners’?
And I’m sure Monte Carlo would be a brilliant place for a single chick. At least there you’re not at risk of being kidnapped and sold as a sex slave, or just generally raped/groped or spat on for just being a woman. Frankly, I find the idea of a Russian tart bleeding money from wealthy from wealthy men far more attractive than one being blatantly raped in the middle of the street. If you don’t think this happens, you’re not very well travelled at all.
@Marc
Err, yeah there is. Guessing u dont live in Melbourne?
Of course the ferry runs between Melbourne and Devonport, not Hobart. Typical ‘travel writer’ ignorance. And complaining about rough seas too? Yes, at times it gets rough, and other times it’s virtually glass smooth. Why blame the boat for random weather? And what’s this “hovercraft” I keep reading about? Don’t you mean the SeaCat catamaran? No hovercraft would survive in those waters.
Sorry Ms Rodriguez, maybe you should have a vote for the most negative website with the least substantiated travel authority. It disturbs me that virtually anyone can set themselves with sites like this, with very little credibility.
She didn’t get the airline name right either. Some travel writers are a sham.
She is a sham, and her book is totally useless too, just a self promoting tool full of material she didn’t even write herself
Tango Diva holds absolutely no useful travel information. Just a bunch of fluff that she is trying to pass off. What kind of writer doesn’t know how to do research and pay attemtion to meaningful details. Ridiculous calling oneself an “expert”
I suppose she can win as the World’s Worst Travel Expert!
I think this article is sexist and ignorant. I mean, I haven’t actually read it, but that’s my opinion.
Wow, where did you find this woman?
Sincerely,
A self-described jet-setter