The Beetle has just come back from a diving expedition to Bermuda and can share all the do’s and don’ts. Bermuda is without doubt a beautiful green and lush island in the Atlantic, some 775 miles off New York. It is very pretty with some great caves, lovely secluded little sandy bays, nice walks (although walking anywhere other than the beach and the disused railway tracks is very much discouraged – there are very few pavements) and lots of history.

First off, tourists are not allowed to hire cars. To get around, you have two options. You can pay $36 for a 7 day bus pass (which includes the use of the ferry) or you can hire a scooter for about $175 a week. The buses are clean and the network is reasonably extensive, but don’t rely on them at night. Taxis are expensive – very expensive. Scooters, on the other hand are just plain dangerous. The roads in Bermuda are for the most part narrow, hilly and windy – and don’t forget, they drive on the left! Scooter accidents are frequent. The speed limit is 35 kph, but you cannot tell how fast you are going because all of the speedos are disconnected – for obvious reasons!

If you are planning to sit by the sea and sun and swim, it is advisable to stay somewhere on the north coast because the sea is calm enough to swim without any worry on this side of the island. The sea has large waves that sometimes preclude swimming on the south coast.

Bermuda is very expensive in terms of accommodation and eating out. Both are poor value for money. In fact, it is cheaper to both eat and stay in New York, comparing like for like. Take some basic essentials with you, like ground coffee for your coffee maker, cookies etc.

The diving, quite frankly, is very mediocre. This is a great pity as there are over 400 documented shipwrecks off the coast of Bermuda. The dive boats resemble cattle trucks with up to 20 divers on them and the wrecks are disappointing. It is also not possible to dive to depths greater than 10 metres because the bottom of the ocean around the reef of Bermuda is seldom deeper than 10 metres.

It is not a destination the Beetle would whole heartedly recommend to anyone when there are so many other places in the world with similar activities on offer at a fraction of the price with considerably less hassle. A final warning, if you plan on staying at a certain guesthouse in Salt Kettle – do not turnover your valuables for safekeeping. Somehow, somewhere on the way, the Beetle’s wallet was $20 lighter.

If anyone would like to comment on an over rated travel destination or share a disappointing experience – e-mail the Beetle on: Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk

Attempt no 1: booked seat on tourist bus departing Pokara for the border at 6.30 am last Sat 24 Mar. Woke at 3 am with violent diarrhoea and vomiting so no way could I even leave the hotel, so attempt no 1 aborted.

Attempt no 2: felt better on Sunday so booked seat on tourist bus leaving 6.30 am Monday as last time. No bus at 6.30 as only 60% full, but we were not told this until the 7.30 bus arrived which was only 60% full. Result 120% people for 100% seats, but I had a seat and I wasn’t moving for anybody.

Ensuing argument caused an hours delay, so effectively I was 2 hours late. The bus left at 8.30 with everybody frazzled. One hour out of Pokara, the driver attempted to overtake another vehicle on a narrow road, the offside wheels dug into the soft verge and the driver lost control.

The bus rolled sideways down a 30 metre embankment, turning over three times, and ended up sideways in a river. My side was in the water, and I was up to my neck in water. My first instinct was to get out as I didn’t know how deep the river was, and as I was opposite the door this was fairly easy. Then others and myself not injured helped the rest get out and up the embankment. Incredibly only four were injured, and only one could have been other than broken limbs (since found out it was internal injury to the liver with internal bleeding). The local villagers were great in helping us get people to the top of the bank and rescuing our waterlogged luggage. I was not injured except for bruises and scratches all over. But all my belongings were under water for some time, so all books (including LP guides), papers, photos, etc. were a mess, and everything was totally wet. I lost my distance glasses and a pair of reading glasses, and of course my camera, plus a few other comparatively minor items. Looking back, we were incredibly lucky, as there were banana trees growing on the bank that broke the fall of the bus, and the bank was only 30 metres high. The road winds through the mountains, with some vertical drops of 100’s of metres. After the police had arrived and the ambulances had departed, I got a local bus back to the hotel in Pokara, to get all my clothes laundered and clean up myself.

Attempt no 3. After enquiring about flying and finding out the cost and little saving in time, I booked on a local express (i.e. limited stops) bus departing 9.30 am on Tuesday. The travel agent put me in a taxi and told the driver where to go, but somehow I was put down in the wrong place to catch the bus, which left without me!

Attempt no 4. Back to the travel agent, who personally conducted me to and put me on the next bus at 11 am, and so I left Pokara eventually. The journey to the border was good and getting through Nepali and Indian Immigration was easy and quick. The trip on the Indian bus from the border to Ghoraphur railway station was like all trips on Indian buses – a rattling boneshaker, radio full blast with Indian music, the man next to me raving on about how India had beaten Australia in the cricket etc. So to Ghorakphur, where I managed to get a second class sleeper to Delhi on the train leaving at midnight. But the train was 2 hours late, so I sat on my backpack on the platform with two other travellers until the train arrived at 2 am. Train eventually arrived in Delhi 5 hours late at 7 pm Wednesday night. All a bit of a test of stamina, but then that’s Asia.

Next month: Tibet and how Harry Potter caused a stir at the Indian/Nepal border by Kevin Brackley! Also, part 2 of David’s adventure to be continued.

If you would like to get in touch with David, who is currently studying Italian in Perugia and has several other stories we will be including in future editions of the E-Newsletter, please contact Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk

The idea behind courier flights is that they are cheap economy (coach) class flight tickets because the person flying has to accompany a parcel, letter or some other item to hand over at the particular destination. Why do courier flights exist? Many companies will send a courier because it is cheaper than shipping freight by air cargo and also quicker as there are fewer customs delays. What is sent as freight? Often the items that are accompanied are time sensitive items such as weekly magazines or newspapers. Courier companies have overnight shipments to cities such as London, Rome, Hong Kong, Sydney, Tokyo, Singapore, Caracas, Stockholm, Jamaica, Madrid, Bangkok, Milan, Frankfurt, Rio De Janeiro, Paris, Melbourne, and several other locations in Europe, Asia, South America, and Australia.

How does it work? The courier company buys an economy (coach) class airfare. They then resell the ticket to you and, in exchange for your luggage space, give you a discount on the airfare. The courier company uses your luggage space for the material it is shipping. A representative from the courier company will meet you at the departing airport. They will give you the manifest and all the shipping instructions. On arrival at your destination, another courier representative will meet you. You have to give them the manifest and that’s it! You are not usually allowed to have contact with the luggage and may not actually see the packages they are shipping.

They can be used by budget travellers as a cheap way of getting from A to B. You are treated as a normal passenger on the plane and there is no special designation that marks you out. You must be over 18 at the time of travel to take advantage of a courier flight. There are often restrictions on the amount of luggage you may take with you on your journey, as the courier company usually uses your allocated luggage space to pack their goods in, so it is best to ask. It is usually not possible to arrange a courier flight with a friend, as courier flights tend to be one off events on a given plane.

You can book several months in advance or, if you are flexible in your destination, you can leave it quite late when deals will be cheaper. Your length of stay is determined by the day of departure however, most tickets are for at least 7 days. Others allow 10 days, 14 days, 21 days, and up to 6 months – you must ask.

The pros? Well, you can get make substantial savings on the cost of air tickets and you can go to a wide range of destinations. The cons: you must usually travel alone, you are often restricted in the amount of luggage you can take and can also be restricted in the amount of time you can spend in your arrival destination. There are a number of websites advocating courier flights. The majority sells courier flight information or listings for anything between $5 and $10. Useful websites include:

• http://www.aircourier.org/
• http://beatthemonkey.com/cheaptickets/
• http://www.courierlist.com/

If anyone has experience – good or bad using courier flights, then please write in and tell the Beetle: Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk

New Zealand is such a fantastic (nuclear free) country, with some of the friendliest people on this earth, wonderful outdoor life, good wine, glaciers, fjords, beaches, lakes, caves, geysers, mountains, you can ski, trek, hike, white water rafting, bungee jumping, diving, surfing and ?;?;?;?;.Get the idea! The first to thing to understand about New Zealand is that there are two islands connected by ferry and air and Auckland, Wellington (the capital) and Christchurch are the three largest cities. If New Zealand takes Beetles, this is where a Beetle would retire to!

The following itinerary is a very general route and aimed at “taking in” the best of both islands in a relatively short time from Auckland to Christchurch. It is incredibly easy to travel around New Zealand. The Beetle used the bus, which are plentiful and comfortable and there’s also a rail network. You can buy discounted books of tickets and hop on-hop off, or you can do it in an organized way on something like the Kiwi Experience if you are under 25, can get by on 3 hours of sleep a night and enjoy partying or you can hire a car. It would be a total waste of time to pay for a package tour to visit New Zealand, and anyone thinking of doing this must report immediately to the Beetle!

Arrive in Auckland – there is lots of accommodation ranging from the ubiquitous 5 stars, to boutique hotels to hostels. Do any shopping you may need, there are several excellent outdoor shops selling waterproofs, sleeping bags, stoves, sleeping bags etc. If you have plenty of time, head north up to Kohukohu and stay at the Tree House Lodge – a truly wonderful place, go walking, fishing, relax and chill out. From here you can continue north still to Kaitaia where you can take trips to 90 mile beach, do the 9 km Kaitaia Walkway, then head east to Russell which has to be one of the world’s prettiest spots by the sea. Divers can dive the Rainbow Warrior from Pahaia or you can swim with the dolphins.

If you have time, detour to Waitomo Caves (amazing!) en route to Rotorua via Hamilton. They are slightly south and west of Rotorua and then on to Rotorua where you must visit the geysers and boiling mud pools and inhale the malodorous school lab smells of hydrogen sulphide. Lake Taupo is a short bus ride away – there’s lots to do and see here, the lake itself, Huka Falls where you can take a speed boat and experience death defying handbrake type turns under the Falls, another several other infrequently visited geothermal park called Craters of the Moon and Orakei Korako. Don’t forget a night time Maori concert – amazing!

Then head south for Wellington (not called the windy City for nothing!), enjoy the cafes, see the sights: take the cable car, visit the botanical gardens and the zoo, go mountain biking, check out the talent rollerblading on the waterfront, the museums and when you are through, take the ferry to Picton on the south island. ON both sides, there is a free bus service to the bus and railway stations as they are a way out of town. From here you really should explore the Abel Tasman National Park. You can walk the 58 km long Abel Tasman Track, or do part of it, or you can take organized sea kayaking tours of the Marlborough Sounds.

Bring your rain coat – it always seems to rain on the south island – and head south and west and stop at Punakaiki and rest, walk through the beautiful forests or admire the rock foundations on the beaches, then head down the west coast to the two glaciers, Franz Josef and Fox. You can take helicopter rides and land on the top, or you can climb up part of them or you can stand and admire them at their base. Continue down to Milford and take a boat trip on the Sound and see the beautiful glaciated valleys and if you are a hiker, do the four day Milford Track. If you are into all things that make the adrenalin pump, head straight up to Queenstown and enlist in bungee jumping or whatever is your thing. Otherwise, head south to the small lake town of Te Anau, known for its beauty and calm. Do visit the caves with a glow worm grotto – mystical! It’s time to head back, so either head form Queenstown and stay at Wanaka, just north of Queenstown, a gorgeous small town with vineyards by the lake and head back to Christchurch. Or alternatively, from Te Anau, head east to Dunedin and then back to Christchurch.

Next month: the best of Argentina and surrounds.

Please contact Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk for your suggested country itinerary

Sir Richard Francis Burton was born in 1821 in the UK and studied Arabic at Oxford University. He joined the British Indian Army where he mastered many more languages. He has been described variously as “brilliant and eccentric” but also as “one of those men who could never do wrong”. His major claim to fame lay in the controversy surrounding his involvement with the quest for the source of the Nile and also translating the 16 volumes of “The Tales of the Arabian Nights” and the Kama Sutra.

He was an explorer, an excellent linguist – said to speak over 29 languages, a writer, soldier and an excellent swordsman. He also loved travelling in disguise and in 1853 he entered the forbidden cities of Medina and Mecca, disguised as an Arab pilgrim. No account of Burton would be complete without a quick discussion of John Hanning Speke. In contrast to Burton, Speke was not very good at languages, and by all accounts, not terribly bright. Speke’s great passion was big game hunting and this was one of his motivating reasons for joining an expedition to seek the source of the Nile and also open up hitherto unexplored parts of Africa.

In 1856 the British Royal Geographical Society invited Burton to lead an expedition in search of the source of the Nile. Speke was part of the expedition. The two found Lake Tanganyika but both were too ill to explore the lake. Burton’s legs were paralysed through malaria and Speke was almost blind as a result of a beetle getting into his ear. They both returned to Tabora and whilst Burton was recovering, Speke made a trip north to Lake Victoria and guessed that this was the source of the White Nile – an inspired guess that was not confirmed by Livingstone and Stanley many years later. This started the disagreement between Burton and Speke. Burton was too ill to travel back to England, so Speke arrived back in London first. When Burton returned, he discovered that Speke had taken most of the credit for the discovery of Lake Tanganyika and that Speke had upstaged him.

Burton and Speke remained bitter public rivals. Mysteriously, Speke died after meeting with Burton the night before Speke was going to give a public talk about finding the source of the White Nile. About 14 years later, Burton was appointed British Consul to Trieste where he wrote around 43 books and translated many other texts. Queen Victoria knighted Burton in February 1886 and he died on Oct. 20, 1890, in Trieste.