Karen from L.A found Bhutan to be interesting but a tad expensive. She says she had to pay $225 a day per person to stay in substandard hotels and eat substandard food. Although she feels it was not worth the money, she is glad that she did it.
All posts by The Beetle
Free Bradt Travel Guide!
Bradt Guides have offered to give away a Bradt Guide Book on Madagascar for the best travel story, tip or info. Contact Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk
Travel Scams – Zanzibar
The Beetle spent some time beetling around in Zanzibar last year and noted that unsuspecting travellers at the Dar es Salaam port were being told by unscrupulous individuals that they had to pay an additional $10 or $15 for port tax. This is completely untrue as port tax is included in the price of the ticket. You now know what to say to these vermin!
Be On T.V.! Don't Be Shy!
Emma needs you!!! Only 8 people have replied to Emma so far and she needs 90 contestants!!! If you live in the UK, are knowledgeable about travel and countries, and would like to be a contestant on the Geo Quiz – it goes out on the National Geographic Cable Channel, then contact Emma: thomase@meridiantv.com or call her on 02380 712 118.
Universal Language
During WWII, Frank of Alabama found himself in Samoa and even today, he can still speak some Samoan. He paid a visit back in 1999 to Samoa and surprised a lady who called him something rude by returning the compliment back in her own language! The woman’s 350 lb daughter was not amused, but the mother laughed and said that she would watch her language in future!
Travel Quiz – Tahiti
We have a Berghaus Freeflow 23 kindly donated by Mike of the YHA Shop in Ludgate Hill (10m from St Pauls Cathedral), London to give away to the person with the correct answer to:
1. Ruahatu is the Polynesian god of what?
2. Gauguin’s intended patron, King Pomare V, suddenly died, a victim of many years of excessive what?
3. What are known as “spat”?
4. What is the name of the International airport in Papeete?
5. What is the French abbreviation for the currency used in Tahiti?
Your email address:
Mutual Aid
Need help? Want a travelling buddy or advice about a place or country – want to share something with us – why not visit our Mutual Aid section of the Website: Mutual Aid
Who Knows Ischia?
Marilyn from the US was in Ischia 2 years ago and fell in love with the place. It is just a short ride from Naples, Capri and Almalfi. Marilyn asks if anyone has any information on living there? The Beetle will pass all info to Marilyn: Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk
Discounts to Globetrotter Members
Watch this space! We have a small but highly dedicated team investigating obtaining discounts for members of the Globetrotters Club. We’ll keep you up dated as deals are signed!
MEETING NEWS
Meeting news from our branches around the world.
Ontario:
Meetings are held onthe third Friday of January, March, May, September and November.Usually at the Woodsworth Co-op, Penthouse, 133, Wilton Street indowntown Toronto at 8.00 p.m.
Chocolate Corner…Paris
Maeve recommends Angelina's which can be found opposite Le Louvre for the most fabulous molten chocolate!! It comes in a jug complete with jugs of cream and milk to mix to taste. Yum yum!!
Want to tell us about your favourite coffee corner or watering hole? Then contact the Beetle: Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk
Do you have a brain the size of the planet? Be a contestant for a new TV quiz show
Be a contestant for a new TV quiz show
Does your knowledge span the globe? If you fancy yourself as a modern-day Marco Polo, and have the geographical, cultural and scientific knowledge it will take to get around the world, then Emma at Meridian TV wants to hear from you!
She is working on an exciting new quiz show and is scouring the planet for the person who knows most about our planet. Could it be you? The Beetle has already taken part in a pilot, and sadly has to report that she was not the winner – but it is a lot of fun and you get to meet some really interesting people – and the TV crew are quite nice too! It's a great opportunity!
If you have global general knowledge, think you could be the 8th wonder of the world, live in the UK and would like to take part, then please contact Emma by e-mail on thomase@meridiantv.com or call on 02380 712 118.
Stop Press: £1,000 Travel Award
Under 24? A member of Globetrotters Club? Interested in a £1,000 travel award?
Know someone who is? We have £1,000 to award each year for five years for the best submitted independent travel plan. Interested?
Then seeour legacy page on our Website, where you can apply with your plans for a totally independent travel trip and we'll take a look at it. Get those plans in!!
Fave Websites of the Month
Ever wondered where pastry chefs for the QE2 are recruited? Have a look at:http://www.hcareers.com/ This site shows jobs in the travel, tourism and leisure sector.
A late recommendation iswww.ktc.com/~blodwen which is run by the founder of the Globetrotters Club back in 1945. Norman now recommends people to take independent bicycle trips around the world. Have a look at his site! He is happy to give independent and impartial advice on bicycle trips.
Travel Tips
Frank from Alabama says that he uses Velcro on his trouser pockets.
He also carries a wallet in his back pocket. It contains two dollars, that is two one dollar bills, between them he has newspapers cut to same size everything in a plastic bag.
In the bag he has Swiss Blue, a chemical, when it comes into contact with hands etc. it turns a very bright blue/purple. It will ruin clothing and anything else that it touches.
Nothing too good for the thieves is his motto!
Got any travel tips for the Beetle? Then e-mail them to:Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk
Mutual Aid
Need help? Want a travelling buddy or advice about a place or country – want to share something with us – why not visit our Mutual Aid section of the Website:Mutual Aid
London:
Jason Lewis, spoke about his human powered journey to circumnavigate the globe, starting by pedalling across the Atlantic from the UK to Florida, in a specially designed boat, then across the USA, via roller blades and bicycle. TheX360 project is currently in Hawaii after pedalling across the Pacific whilst Jason raises sponsorship to continue the journey.
John Pilkington , radio presenter and broadcaster, spoke about his millennium journey, long planned, along the “Royal Road of the Incas”, which stretched 1,700 miles from Quito to Cuzco. John had many experiences along the way and made some surprising discoveries about both the Inca civilisation and modern Peru. (For talks, books and expedition updates visithttp://www.pilk.net
Next on May 5 it's Marion Bull, Into print – Images from Alaska to Zanzibar, Marion a freelance press photographer and travel writer will show a range of her pictures and Gina Corrigan, The Miau of South West China, Gina is a photographer/traveller who runs specialist textile tours to China.
Should be a good one!!
London meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month.
New York:
April's meeting was cancelled due to Passover and Easter.
Next, on May 5th, we have Bob Fisher.
He is a contributing Editor to both Arthur Frommer's Budget
Travel Online and Magazine and is a former Editor for Fodors. Bob is
also an expert on Japan and Hong Kong.
He will be speaking on both those topics and will be talking about
getting work as a travel writer. He should know, he takes seminars on
travel writing!
We're looking forward to it!
New York meetings are held at The Wings Theater, 154 Christopher Street (btw Greenwich St and Washington St), to the right of Crunch Fitness, in the Archive on the first Saturday of each month at 3.30pm.
You want to visit?..Sri Lanka
You need to allow yourself at least two weeks to do this whistle stop tour! Arrive into Colombo and take a bus north east to Kandy a 100km so not too far. Take time out to see the Temple of the Tooth, explore around the lake, visit the botanical gardens, the elephant orphanage etc.
Then another bus to Nuwara Eliya, some 80km away, up in the hill station region of Sri Lanka. Great hikes here, visit tea plantations etc. Then by bus again to Dambulla, Visit the cave temple of Dambulla there are 5 caves containing 150 images of the Buddha you are going to be Budda'd out by the time you finish this!! Fantastic views from the top of the temple.
Take a bus to nearby Sigiriya (19km north-east of Dambulla about half an hour) where there is an amazing fortress built into and on top of a mountain. It is quite steep and if you have problems with heights, you may not be able to go all the way up the Beetle couldn't. It started as a fortress, then turned into a monastery sort of retreat. There are fabulous frescos of dancing women inside the cave half way up.
From here, go back to Dambulla and continue north by bus to Polonnaruwa. This takes about three hours. Visit the ruins of the ancient civilisation and see the enormous seated Buddha. After Polonnaruwa, take a bus up to Anuradhapura, (about four hours), the site of another ancient city, and there is a sacred Bo tree.
You've done enough cultural stuff! So take the bus all the way back down to Colombo – about five hours. Don't hang around in Colombo – it's not a nice place, but if you have funds and want to go to the Maldives, try the big hotels and see if they have any special deals – they can be quite good value. From Colombo, take the train to Galle (around three hours) and a taxi to Unawatuna and relax on the beach before returning to Colombo by train.
If you are interested in surfing, stop off at Hikkaduwa, a real hippy and surf place on the south west coast.