Author: The Beetle
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Weekend away: Marseilles
Where is it? South of France, on the Med Why would I know it? The French Connection? The Count of Monte Cristo? Beautiful people in the south of France? How…
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William Speirs Bruce, Scottish Antartica Explorer
Who, you might ask? William Speirs Bruce, let’s call him Bruce, may not be as famous as other Antarctic explorers, such as Scott and Shackleton, but he certainly did his…
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Readers comments: best airport nominations
Koh Samui Airport, Thailand is good. No doors here! This has to be one of the prettiest airports around. Liz, England Koh Samui, The most tropical airport ever! The most…
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Buddha.s Teeth
You may have read recently about one of Buddha’s fingers being brought from Thailand to Taipei in Taiwan. This got the Beetle wondering about other parts of Buddha and where…
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Not to be Seen Dead In?
May 6th 2002, the United States has added Cuba, Libya and Syria to its “axis of evil” – nations it claims are deliberately seeking to obtain chemical or biological weapons.…
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Free London Museums: The V&A (Victoria and Albert) Museum
Also free, the nearest tube is: A visit here can be combined with a visit to the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum, but maybe not all on the…
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Chile Airpass
If you are thinking of travelling in Chile, it might make sense to investigate an air pass with LanChile and Ladeco flights. The pass is valid for 1 month and…
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New International Museum of Spy Museum Washington, DC
Washington DC is already known as a museum mecca, but in July later this year, the new International Museum of Spying will open. The museum has full official backing from…
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China Internet Cafes
According to press sources, the authorities in China’s second largest city, Shanghai, have closed down nearly 200 internet cafes. The move is reported to coincide with the launch by the…
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Visit the Qingzhou Buddhist sculptures, London
At the Royal Academy from 26 April—14 July. This exhibition shows 35 of the best-preserved figures, carved from limestone (around 550—577 AD) out of the 400 or more Buddhist sculptures…
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Animal Facts
The zebra is a member of the horse family and no two zebras have the same pattern. Stripes help confuse predators chasing the zebra, making them misjudge distances. Source: STA…
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Free Concerts in London
Cultural Co-operation are putting on free concerts featuring 300 musicians from 25 countries. The concerts are scheduled as follows: Kew Gdns on 29/30 June. Regents Park on 6/7 July Greenwich…
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Dakar and Dhaka!
Thomas from Munich wrote in to say that he read the Beetle’s story about the confusion between Oman and Amman. The same thing happened to an African friend of his…
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North Korea Encourages Tourism
Funded by the United Nations Development Programme, The Secretary General of the World Tourist Organisation, Francesco Frangialli, has signed agreements in North Korea, to help develop North Korea's tourism potential.…
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Sierra Leone
Voting has finished in Sierra Leone and political pundits believe that for the first time in 10 years, peace will ensue. Perhaps now, tourism will return to a country with…
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Bangladesh Ferry
Ferry accidents are very common in Bangladesh, a country criss-crossed by hundreds of rivers. Two large rivers dissect Bangladesh in two, east and west, the River Meghna and the River…
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Fave Websites of the Month
This web site provides links to a very wide range of information – everything you might need to plan a trip: links to the latest travel warnings for British, American,…
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New Bus Service for Central London
Plans for the first new bus service in central London for over a decade have been unveiled. The route to be known as Riverside 1 (RVS1) will link together more…
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Appeal for Sponsorship from Kiwisonbikes
Since December 2001 we have chosen to dedicate our overland bicycle expedition to help raising funds for the Gray Cancer Institute. Many people know of someone who has been affected…
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Space Tourist Returns!
South African millionaire Mark Shuttleworth has landed safely back on Earth after a 10-day journey into space. The Russian Soyuz space capsule carrying the South African millionaire and two crewmembers…