Category Archives: archive

Where is the US’ 2nd Oldest Tourist Attraction?

If you had to guess: where and what do you think is the US’ second oldest tourist attraction after the Niagara Falls?

Answer, Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. It is not only a world heritage site, but the longest cave in the world with more than 360 miles (580 kilometres) of connected tunnels.

Guided tours have run here since 1816 and 4,000 year old mummies have been found in the cave, and you can still see petroglyphs of snakes and humans on the walls.

The cave was discovered at the end of the 18th century when a man shot and wounded a bear then followed it into the entrance that is still used today. The mummies became travelling shows. Today, you can take a Violet City Lantern Tour, a three-hour, 3-mile (4.8-kilometre) hike without electric lights. Hikers use kerosene lamps to light the cave’s steep, dark paths, just as visitors did 150 years ago.

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Meeting News from Ontario

For information on Ontario meetings, please contact Svatka Hermanek: shermanek@schulich.yorku.ca or Bruce Weber: tel. 416-203-0911 or Paul Webb: tel. 416-694-8259.

Meetings are held on the third Friday of January, March, May, September and November. Usually at the Woodsworth Co-op, Penthouse, 133, Wilton Street in downtown Toronto at 8.00 p.m.

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Travel Foundation Charity

Holidaymakers are supporting the Travel Foundation, a new charity that is trying to help manage the travel industry more sustainably.

Since the charity’s launch in November 2003, more than three-quarters of holidaymakers who booked a winter or summer holiday with UK operator First Choice have agreed to pay a voluntary donation to the charity.

The Travel Foundation is aiming to raise £1 million a year by 2006, which it says it will spend on projects that help tourism make a positive contribution to holiday destinations.

First Choice is asking its customers to donate 10 pence per adult, and 5 pence per child per holiday booking. Other UK operators, including The Adventure Company (formerly Travelbag Adventures) and Hidden Greece, will soon be providing similar fundraising schemes. Sunvil Holidays is already asking its customers to match its own donation of 50 pence per booking.

The Travel Foundation has already supported sustainable tourism projects in The Gambia and in Cyprus, where all the main tour operators are now offering excursions to the less well-known rural areas to help contribute to the livelihoods of local people. It plans to support similar tourism-related projects in other popular holiday destinations, including Mexico and Tobago, to help tourism make a greater contribution to the local people, environment and economy.

Further information, see thetravelfoundation.org.uk or telephone 0117 9273049.

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PNG Part 2

The Beetle visited Papua New Guinea (PNG) last Christmas and here is an account of Port Moresby.

Getting to PNG the first time was not straightforward, although I have since learned that it is much easier to fly from London to Singapore – about 12 hours, and then take a 6 ½ hour Air Niugini flight (twice a week) from Singapore to Port Moresby. Because last year I intended to spend some time in Australia on the return leg back to London, I flew into Brisbane, transferred up to Cairns, a short hop, and then a 1 ½ hour flight from Cairns to Port Moresby. The international airport at Port Moresby is modern, has a shiny floor, a tourist office that I never saw open (on the 4 occasions I went through it) and is a great place to people watch! Whilst waiting for my diving buddies, a week into my trip, I met and chatted (in pidgin) with a charming man from the highlands who was (seriously) wearing his full traditional costume, which consisted of a lot of feathers, not much in the way of clothing and painted marks on the face, arms and torso. He looked both dignified and quite splendid. He was the type of figure you might expect to see on a postcard, only I met him for real!

Finding a budget place to stay for a weeks’ diving proved a little difficult. I would have liked to have stayed at the Loloata resort – primarily a place for divers, but it was way out of my budget. Eventually, John and Chrissie at PNG Dive recommended the Magila Motel to me. OK, it was a little basic, a concrete based room, but it was clean, safe and had a bed and a shower – perfectly adequate – and was well run by a determined Scottish lady, her two dogs, husband and local and Philippino staff. What really made the Magila motel welcoming to me, and I was there alone, was that it has an outside area with tables and benches and a telephone. I ate all my meals outside in the shade of the umbrellas, and struck up conversations with anyone else eating at the same time – I was impressed by how incredibly friendly people were.

The telephone was the focal point of the place and attracted good natured queues. (None of the international mobile telephone companies are willing to establish a network in PNG, so no cell phones work, with the result that public telephones are well used facilities – remember those times?) As people waited, they sat at the table, drank a beer or two and started conversations with anyone around, and I was no exception, being something of a curiosity, a white English female, all alone for a week and only present from late afternoons onwards. After a week, I think I must have met every single person staying in the Magila, a mix of transient one night stays by people coming to town from the highlands for business and returning the next day, to a former member of the government who had won a scholarship to study for a business degree in Australia, and was in Port Moresby for a business appointment, the leader of the opposition, very jolly, who seemed to be largely revered because he had won a huge amount of money gambling… an Australian expat and local wife staying for a month or so on a budget, “doing a deal” on a timber plantation his parents used to own and lots of people who just dropped in for a beer and a rest.

Most expats I met were Australian – makes sense at it is so close. One regular visitor to the Magila, a wiry hardy man, originally from Cornwall, but a naturalised PNG citizen (on account of having stayed there for over 30 years) popped in from where he was working across the road to have a beer and meet up with his mates, introduced to me as local gold dealers and various bigwigs discussing all manner of business ideas and opportunities. He and his various friends were great company and told me lots of stories on how life really is, about rascals – a favourite topic of conversation, coupled with the amount and latest tales of bribery and corruption – some of it really quite shocking and a lot of it chuckle type common sense. While I was there last year, the local press ran stories about a large and prominent building in the centre that was started three times. The first two times, the building contract was awarded to a construction firm which ran off and stole all of the money before the work was even started!

A lot of bad news is written about Port Moresby, but I can honestly say that I did not at any time feel threatened, at risk or in danger. I had a great time and felt as if I had had the chance to talk with a lot of people, all of whom were fascinating (to me, with their different stories) and at the same time generous, kind and sincere. It’s the kind of place where people come down from the highlands or the coastal areas, looking for work; unemployment is massive, so, there are a lot of people with nothing much to do. This type of problem is not exclusive to PNG, and of course, as a visitor, you have to be streetwise.

There are some things for a tourist to see in Port Moresby, and my favourite by far is PNG Arts. It is an enormous warehouse, just crammed full of all types of handicraft, ranging from phallic shaped salt and pepper shakers to masks, ceremonial daggers to picture boards to tables, carved 2 metre long wooden crocodiles and more. All of the items are made by local people, from the Triobriand Islands (highly prized) to the Highlands, many of them are produced by co-operatives, so at least you know you are supporting the local economy. All of it was eminently affordable, although there were some quite pricey, beautifully carved and intricate pieces. I spent over than half a day just browsing around the dusty objects for sale and could quite happily have sent much more time there.

It is quite a magnet for the expats who come to buy presents to take back when they go home. I got chatting to one of the men who worked there. He was a fascinating Canadian man who has been in PNG for over 30 years, who went there as a bet, from his native Canada, back in the 1960s. He wryly told me about the bet, how all his friends should have gone with him, but one by one, they all dropped out, so he came alone, and has stayed ever since, dabbling in gold mining, timber and coconut plantation management and ended up at PNG Art. I couldn’t resist it, but I bought a whole load of souvenirs from PNG Art and had them crated up and shipped home. My friends (Padmassana included!) were extremely sceptical and joked that I would never see them. But 5 months later, 2 large wooden crates arrived by parcel post, incredulously delivered by a man who said he’d never handled anything from PNG before! It’s a great place, and sadly, it was very difficult to find souvenirs in Rabaul or Kavieng, so I was glad that I had made the visit there and had something to show and give to my friends from PNG.

Other things to do in Port Moresby include a trip to see the Houses of Parliament, there’s some botanical gardens, although I did not visit them, some WW2 remains.

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Travel Quiz: Tibet

The winner of last month’s guidebook on the Azores is: Joan Haladay, congratulations!

This month, win a Trailblazer guidebook on Tibet Overland. See www.trailblazerguides.com for info on Trailblazer Guidebooks.

Some people have said the quiz is difficult, we say do some research: try google.com or Ask Jeeves, if you need help with the answers.

1. What is the more usual name for the mountain known in the Tibetan language as Quomolangma?

2. In which city would you find the Potala Palace?

3. What religion is predominantly practiced in Tibet?

4. Which religious leader is exiled in Dharamsala?

5. The Yangtse runs through Tibet – true or false?

Your Name:

Your e-mail address:

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Planet Reunited

When travelling, it’s hard enough to remember where you were yesterday, let alone the phone number of that fabulous girl you met in Hong Kong, or the postal address of your Uncle Bertie.

But now there’s no excuse for losing touch, with Planet Reunited a website with the ambitious aim of keeping travellers connected,. With as many as 4 out of 10 backpackers losing their address books or diaries while travelling, it’s the ultimate travel accessory to keep in touch with old and new friends.

Meeting News from Texas

The Texas branch has both good news and bad news. The bad news is the cancellation of the April meeting on the 10th. The good news is the speaker for the May 8 meeting has been confirmed.

The Texas branch meets at the New Braunfels Public Library every second Saturday of the month at 2 p.m. There is no charge for the wonderful meeting room and all a/v equipment is provided. The location is convenient for Globetrotters Club members and all travellers in south central Texas. The room is being used by AARP to help folks do their taxes on April 10. So, no meeting.

We have our room back on May 8, with an exciting presentation: we will be hearing about Servas, a wonderful program for travellers who care about World Peace. If you like to travel and care about World Peace, this is a must attend event. Wayne Thomas will be the speaker. I guarantee you life will be enhanced after meeting him.

So, no meeting in April and an exciting one in May. See you then.

For more information about the Texas Branch: please contact texas@globetrotters.co.uk or register for email updates at our website (click here) or call Christina at 830-620-5482

If anybody would like to enquire about meetings or help Christina, please contact her on: texas@globetrotters.co.uk

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Boston, US to the Azores

Azores Express has announced expanded Spring and Summer service from Boston Logan Airport to Portugal beginning in June 2004. Azores Express will offer direct flights to São Miguel, the main island in the Azores archipelago, on Wednesdays (starts June 23rd), Tuesdays, and Fridays. A Saturday flight is offered from Providence, Rhode Island starting June 12, 2004.

The Azores Islands, an autonomous region of Portugal, are the closest point in Europe to the United States, just four hours east by plane from Boston.

Situated 2,000 nautical miles from New England, the archipelago of the Azores was discovered during the first half of the 15th-century by Portuguese navigators. Today, gothic churches and majestic baroque manor homes mingle with sapphire blue and emerald green lakes, rolling prairies, volcanic cones and craters, and colourful hydrangeas and azaleas to enchant visitors. This inviting land enjoys year-round mild temperatures (between 57°F and 71°F).

A direct service from Boston to the historic island of Terceira will be offered on Sundays starting June 13th with a return flight every Tuesday. Non-stop flights to Portugal’s capital of Lisbon will be available every Thursday (starts June 24) and Sunday (starts June 6). Connecting flights to Madeira, Lisbon and Porto are also available from São Miguel. Inter-island flights are offered to each of the nine islands in the Azores. Roundtrip airfares start at just $579. Upgrades to business-class are just $150 each way to the Azores, and $200 each way to Lisbon. For more information and reservations, contact your travel agent, or Azores Express at 800-762-9995, www.Azores-Express.com.

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Bilharziasis, Snail fever, Schistosomiasis

What is it:Schistosomiasis, also called bilharzia (bill-HAR-zi-a), is a disease caused by parasitic worms. They currently infect over 200m people each year, and the number of people infected increases.

Where am I most likely to catch Bilharzia? Africa: Southern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Lake Malawi, the Nile River valley in Egypt, Latin America: Brazil, Suriname, Venezuela, Antigua, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Caribbean: Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia (risk is low), Middle East: Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, Yemen, Southern China, Southeast Asia: Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Japan, central Indonesia, and the Mekong delta.

How do I get it: by paddling, swimming, washing or drinking fresh water. Fresh water becomes contaminated by Schistosoma eggs when infected people urinate or defecate in the water. The eggs hatch, and if certain types of snails are present in the water, the parasites grow and develop inside the snails. The parasite leaves the snail and enters the water where it can survive for about 48 hours. The schistosoma parasites can penetrate the skin of persons who have contact with the water.

What happens next: within several weeks, worms grow inside the blood vessels of the body and produce eggs. Some of these eggs travel to the bladder or intestines and are passed into the urine or stool.

What are the symptoms: symptoms of schistosomiasis are caused by the body’s reaction to the eggs produced by worms, not by the worms themselves. Within days after becoming infected, you may develop a rash or itchy skin. Fever, chills, cough, and muscle aches can begin within 1-2 months of infection. Most people have no symptoms at this early phase of infection.

How do I cure it: your doctor will ask you to provide stool or urine samples to see if you have the parasite. A blood test has been developed and is available but for accurate results, you must wait 6-8 weeks after your last exposure to contaminated water before the blood sample is taken. Safe and effective drugs are available for the treatment of schistosomiasis. You will be given pills to take for 1-2 days.

How can I prevent getting Bilharzia:

  • Don’t swim in infected water
  • For washing or bathing, use water that has been heated to 50oC or more for at least 5 minutes or water chemical disinfected.

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The Daily Telegraph Adventure Travel & Sports Show, London Olympia (16th-18th January, 2004) by Silja

So, what was it like? Well here is ‘the tour’ of the good, the bad and the best.

The exhibition was on three floors, dominated by trade stands selling pretty much what you’d expect, like holidays, trips, equipment, and activities for hot places, cold places, anywhere you care to mention. “Have a Go’s” included scuba diving in a large paddling pool, but there was nothing to see except blue walls and the instructors legs, and they weren’t worth getting wet for. The glider simulator was popular as was the polystyrene ‘ice’ wall. You got to wear all the gear, ice boots, picks, helmet the lot. I saw quite a few nervous women being coaxed up by young and handsome instructors. I’m pretty sure the same women went back three or four times! Kids had their own climbing wall and were all over it like demented squirrels.

Good bits were free calendars from National Geographic and an excellent photo gallery. Poor bits were coffee at £1.60 a cup and no decent end of show bargains. There was a distinct lack of ‘chill out’ space. In fact the Globetrotters stand was the only place with table and chairs where I felt you could sit, relax and chat to fellow travellers, like Dick, Iona and Matt.

There were six talk rooms and a colossal 82 were scheduled over the weekend. I was truly spoilt for choice, but concurrent sessions meant hard choices. I managed 15 talks and that was going it some. Many were ”what to see“ and “where to go”, places like Peru, Japan and others were more about the journey on two or four wheels or on foot (or with a mule) and even longer RTW on a kite or a horse. The practical talks on photography, health, travel writing, survival, gap years and volunteering were standing room only.

Overall the talks were excellent but some stood out for other reasons. One speaker sat with his back square to the audience. I was tempted to usher out the audience – he would not have noticed. Timekeeping wasn’t special either. I made a mental note to write to the organisers and ask them to brief speakers on the basics, or better still pay me to give them a lesson.

Best in show? The talk titled ‘Near Death’ by Benedict Allen, the explorer. He sported a pale blue shirt and beige trousers, the ‘relaxed, crinkled’ look. Launching straight in, without notes, he recounted anecdotes from his many expeditions. Stunning images of people, animals, scenery, claustrophobic and desolate by turn, flicked upon the screen. We lived with him being shot at, learning jungle skills from children, taking part in rituals, struggling with stubborn camels and making difficult decisions. Like having to eat his dog to stay alive. ‘He was my friend’ He added quietly. I wondered how desperate I’d have to be to eat mine and couldn’t help a huge surge of sadness.

Scary, funny, sad shocking, exciting and much more. He, in his kind and easy manner, guided and supported us through a world of experience and emotion. At the end I couldn’t work out why my eyes felt peculiar, dry, sort of. Then I realized. I hadn’t blinked.

I came away brimming with ideas, copious notes and lots of inspiration. I couldn’t ask for more than that.

Travel to the USA

Globetrotter Tracey asked the Beetle to pass on the following information about the change in visa/passport for travel to the USA. She says: “I’m sure most Globies will know this but a lot of folks have been asking me about it and are quite confused by what they’ve heard in the press. So thought this would be a good thing to put in the newsletter with the relevant websites”.

The increased awareness and perception in the US of the terrorist threat has led to new security rules – causing a flurry of recent press coverage. Potential problems for travellers will not arise until 26 October this year. From that date travellers with passports issued on or after the 26th October 2004 who were previously eligible to enter the USA under the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) will require a visa.

The exception WOULD be those individuals holding a Machine-Readable Passport (MRP) containing ‘biometric identification data’ but these will not become available until at least June 2005 in the UK.

It is therefore recommended that anyone who is likely to need a new passport in that period of time i.e. between this October and the middle to end of 2005 – should apply for a new passport before October this year. The UK authorities are willing to do this for anyone who has up to nine month’s validity on their existing passport. And, this would be less challenging than having to apply for a US Visa. ABTA is suggesting this course as being easier and cheaper than applying for a US visa. Full details about Visa requirements are contained on the US Embassy web site – US Visa Requirements

Visas are expensive; £65 and individuals have to apply in person, to either the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square, London or Belfast. You can make an appointment by writing in or phoning a premium phone line. The American Authorities are being particularly selective, as they have always been, about whom they accept. Anyone who has ever been arrested will not be accepted – without a letter from the Police explaining why, and for any reasons to then be considered acceptable.

Traveller’s Diseases: Cholera

What is it: cholera is an acute, diarrhoea illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae via contaminated drink or shellfish. Transmission happens through contaminated water and food.

How do I get it: cholera often occurs in epidemic areas where there is poor sanitation and occurs regularly after natural disasters and war. Outbreaks are known to occur along the Ganges river and in Bangladesh.

What happens if I get it: around 90% of cases are mild to moderate and hard to distinguish from the usual sort of traveller’s diarrhoea. In more sever cases, cholera is characterised by profuse watery diarrhoea, vomiting, leg cramps, rapid loss of body fluids, dehydration, shock. Without treatment, death can occur within hours.

Diagnosis and treatment: a stool sample will show whether you have cholera. It can be simply and successfully treated by immediate replacement of the fluid and salts lost through diarrhoea. Patients can be treated with oral rehydration solution, a pre-packaged mixture of sugar and salts to be mixed with water and drunk in large amounts. This solution is commonly used to treat diarrhoea. Severe cases may also require an intravenous drip with fluid replacement. With prompt rehydration, less than 1% of cholera patients die. A 6 day course of the antibiotic tetracycline can clear things up very quickly, although rehydration is the more important course of action.

How can I avoid contracting cholera: the usual advice as per traveller’s diarrhoea – drink water that you have boiled or treated with chlorine or iodine, avoid ice, eat food that has been thoroughly cooked and is still hot, only eat fruit that you have peeled yourself, avoid undercooked or raw fish or shellfish. Avoid salads and be careful with foods and beverages from street vendors. There is a vaccine, but this is no longer available in the UK because health authorities believe that it is ineffective.

Jetmagic Gone Bust

Around 400 air passengers are thought to have been stranded abroad after Irish low-cost airline Jetmagic announced it is to cease trading. Jetmagic launched in April 2003 and flew to destinations throughout Europe including Alicante, Barcelona, Nice, Nantes and Milan. It has reportedly lost £7.5 million and more than 100 workers are facing redundancy. On the company’s website www.jetmagic.com all booking facilities have been replaced with a statement explaining that the company is no longer in operation.

Travellers who have booked tickets with Jetmagic can obtain a refund from:
Jetmagic
Refunds Department
5100 Airport Business Park
Cork Ireland.

Father Christmas Returns to Mikindani, Tanzania by Len Coleman

On a particularly warm and humid Christmas Eve Santa Claus came back to Mikindani for the third year running. Returning volunteer to the Trade Aid project Matt Maddocks once again donned the red robe, festive hat and fake beard to bring some excitement to the children of Mikindani. This time around, the Bedford army truck was adapted to become his sleigh by the decorative efforts of Emmanuel at the Boma. As we set off for an afternoon tour of the village, everything seemed quiet… was about to change.

The sleigh ride was accompanied by the sound of cheesy Tanzanian pop music and, having rented the most powerful sound system south of Dar, children all over heard us coming and came running. There were handfuls of sweets for the children, who followed the sleigh as it made its way around Mikindani and then headed on into Mtwara. Many of them broke into spontaneous dance-mode when we approached. As we made our way down to the far end of town I saw a large woman wade through the throng of children like a massive battering ram, take off her headscarf and try to use it as a net to catch all of the sweets. We tried to avoid her reach to get some sweets to the little ones, but she clearly had to satisfy her sugar fix and blighted our generosity for a few minutes. The atmosphere was jubilant and everyone was waving and laughing. Matt was relishing the role and the sight of him dancing on the back of the truck in front of hundreds of people is one I will not soon forget. When he then turned his back and proceeded to shake his derriere in true African style there were screams of delight and laughter from the crowd.

We went up the main road towards the boatyard, before looping round to Jangwani Street by the fish market. In this densely populated area the number of kids swelled and we had more than six hundred people following the sleigh. We then made our way towards the market and veered off to Haikata, where we were briefly attacked by a swarm of bees (not from the Boma hive!) before returning to Bomani Street. We passed the Trade Aid house and made our way in to Mtwara from there. Apart from subsequently breaking down in Mtwara whilst dressed like a bunch of prats, the event was a complete success. It was great PR, although, it being in Mikindani with a majority Muslim population, I did hear people asking each other what the significance of a ‘fat red bloke with a beard’ was. Matt was the star of the show and he pulled off a great performance; one that, dancing in front of so many people, most of us pusillanimous souls could only muster after three triple whiskeys and a jug of Stella. It was a great day for all and no doubt the children of Mikindani will look forward to the event next year…

For more information about Trade Aid, volunteers and their work, please visit their website: www.mikindani.com

Our Friends Ryanair

Ryanair have added nine new routes to its service across Europe. Four of the routes will operate from London’s Stansted Airport: to Linz in Austria, Bari in Italy, Erfurt in Germany and Jerez in southern Spain. Two will link Stockholm with Rome and Milan, two will fly from Frankfurt to Reus, near Barcelona, and Tampere in Finland, and one will link Brussels with the Spanish city of Valladolid. This will take Ryanair’s total number of routes to 146 from 11 bases in Europe, the airline said in a statement. Only a month ago, Ryanair was Europe’s biggest airline by market value, now this title goes to German airline Lufthansa.

Ryanair has been ordered to repay £3million – about a third of the £9million ‘discount’ it was given from 2001 to encourage it to fly to Charleroi after complaints that Brussels Charleroi Airport made life easier for Ryanair by offering cheap fees and subsidies that were not on offer to competitors. Belgium’s Walloon region gave Ryanair EUR3.8 million euros (USD$4.8 million) in 2002 for publicity and to subsidise a few very low cost, highly publicised fares for a few seats on selected flights. The ruling stemmed from a complaint by Britair, a subsidiary of French national carrier Air France, which said it was forced to cancel its London-Strasbourg link as a result of unfair financial aid to Ryanair. Ryanair had suspended the service in September pending the outcome of the appeal.

Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s chief executive, threatened to axe any loss-making routes. The airline said fares would rise by up to £12 because of the ruling. With the average Ryanair one-way ticket costing around £25, Mr O’Leary threatened: “This could double loads of fares.”’

And Ryanair’s latest initiative, just when you thought the service could get no worse… Ryanair has confirmed it is taking “no-frills” flying a stage further by ordering a fleet of planes without headrests, no seat pockets, reclining seats or window blinds. This would allow potential savings of more than £1.3m a year by removing all remaining “non-essential” items. They are also said to be looking at the possibility of asking passengers to carry on their luggage, cutting baggage handling fees.

MEETING NEWS

Meeting news from our branches around the world.

Fave Website

icelandexpress.com/ is a low cost airline that flies to Iceland, and goodness knows, Iceland is expensive, so the more you can save by getting there cheaply, the more there is to spend.

2004 Travel Photographer Competition

The 2004 Travel Photographer of the Year competition opens for entries on February 22.

Following a successful first year in 2003, in which photographers from 34 countries submitted just under 10,000 images, this annual competition for amateur and professional photographers now features: four portfolio categories covering every aspect of travel photography; a Single Image category; a special Young Travel Photographer category; Student Awards and a remarkable £60,000 prize package.

Prizes include some travel and the very latest photographic equipment and software.

The photographer who demonstrates the greatest skill, diversity and creativity in two different portfolio categories will follow in the footsteps of 2003 winner Peter Adams, and earn the prestigious title of Travel Photographer of the Year and the satisfaction of being judged the very best travel photographer in 2004.

The winner and a companion will be able to take the photographic trip of a lifetime with their choice of a pair of round the world air tickets or two Business Class tickets to any one destination served by the Star Alliance network, the global network that brings together 14 of the world’s finest airlines. Added to this a £2,000 spending spree in a Calumet photographic store, plus Adobe CS Collection Premium and Video Collection software, to optimise the images they shoot on their travels.

Photographers aged 16 and under can submit four images on the theme ‘My World, My View’ which show what travel means to them. It’s free to enter and the prizes are fantastic. The winner receives a top of the range HP Pavilion Photosmart PC with integrated camera docking station and 6-1 memory card reader, plus a top-spec HP Photosmart digital camera, photo centric scanner and photo printer, a unique photography masterclass with renowned landscape photographer Charlie Waite, courtesy of Light & Land, and Adobe CS Collection Premium software.

The new 2004 competition categories are:

Peoples and Cultures Portfolio

This portfolio celebrates humanity in all its many guises, and the diversity that different cultures bring to the travel experience. Prize: the brand new, state-of-the-art Fujifilm S3 Pro digital camera and lens, a 22-day overland adventure for two through Kenya and Tanzania with Guerba, and Adobe CS Collection Standard software.

Essence of Travel Portfolio

This encompasses places, festivals, leisure, architecture, food, transport, tourism and history. Prize: the highly desirable new Hasselblad XPan II Pro panoramic camera; a 12-day fly/drive adventure for two people to explore Sweden with Discover the World, and Adobe CS Collection Standard software.

Spirit of Adventure Portfolio

This category allows entrants to capture the thrill of adventure – however large or small – that challenges the traveller. Prize: a once in a lifetime expedition for two people with Land Rover’s global conservation partner Biosphere Expeditions to the Tatra mountains in Slovakia; a custom-built website from web wizards Resolutions, and Adobe CS Collection Standard software. To prepare them for their expedition, the winner will also spend a day at one of Land Rover’s off-road driving centres.

Living Planet Portfolio

This encompasses landscape, the environment, and wildlife. Prize: the top-of-the-range Wacom Cintiq 18SX Interactive Pen Display with TFT monitor; a tour for two people around the stunning Galapagos Islands on board a motor yacht with G.A.P Adventures, and Adobe CS Collection Standard software.

‘Celebration’ – The Single Image Category

Entrants can submit one beautiful, uplifting image that captures the theme of ‘Celebration’ within the context of travel. Prize: a 10-day holiday for two to the photogenic Islands of the Bahamas, plus Adobe CS Collection Standard software.

Special Awards

Awards will be presented for the best three portfolio entries by students in full-time education, with the winners receiving leather print books from Plastic Sandwich, made in their choice of size and format and personalised with their names.

In addition, a number of special awards from Avery and Tribes Travel will be given for individual images nominated by the TPOTY panel of expert judges and the general public visiting the 2005 TPOTY exhibitions. Details will be announced later this year.

A chance to give something back

Another new element for TPOTY 2004 is the option to make a £1 charitable donation with the entry fee. The funds raised will be split between Tourism Concern and The Tribes Foundation. Tourism Concern is dedicated to campaigning for change in the world’s biggest industry – working to ensure holidays are as good for the people living in our holiday destinations as they are for us. The Tribes Foundation helps indigenous communities, preserves cultural heritage and ecological biodiversity in areas impacted by tourism outside the UK and encourages education in global cultural diversity within the UK.

Entry fees and closing dates

Photographers can enter as many categories as they like, as many times as they like. To compete for the title of Travel Photographer of the Year 2004 they must enter at least two different portfolio categories. The fee structure has been revised for 2004, making it more cost-effective to enter. Entry costs from just £5 for one portfolio category or up to four entries in the Single Image category, is completely free for under-17s and there is a discounted flat rate fee of £5 for students.

Entries are now open, and close on September 17, 2004. Full information and entry forms are available from www.tpoty.com or by sending a stamped addressed envelope to PO Box 2716, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 7ZN, England.

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