Interested in a £1,000 travel award? A member of Globetrotters Club?
Know someone who is? We have £1,000 to award each year for five years for the best submitted independent travel plan. Interested?
Then see our 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!!
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that the government had decided to give the go-ahead for two casinos on Marina Bay and on Sentosa resort island. Despite 30,000 people signing a petition against the idea, Mr Lee said the casinos were necessary to help Singapore attract more tourists. The casinos, which will be operational by 2009, are central to Singapore’s goal of doubling the number of tourists to 17 million a year. A casino is believed to help Singapore recover much of the $180m a year it is estimated that Singaporeans spend each year in neighbouring Malaysian casinos.
Two new bus services linking Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir for Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir. The new service has been hailed as a major boost to India and Pakistan’s developing peace process. The inaugural service on 7 April was the first in nearly 60 years. Before you get too excited, it is still dangerous to visit this region and there is heavy security all along the route including decoy buses, escorted by the police and parafamilies forces. The historic bus services has been welcomed by most Kashmiris, many of whom have been divided by the decades-long conflict. Many of them have defied the militants’ call to avoid boarding the bus. “The desire to meet separated relatives is proving stronger than the fear of death,” a trader in Srinagar, Zaffar Ahmed, told the BBC News.
This is the latest advice from the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office on Thailand: there is a high threat from terrorism throughout Thailand, particularly in the far southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla. We recommend against all but essential travel to these four provinces where, since January 2004, there have been regular attacks including bombings and shootings. On 3 April, three bombs exploded in Songkhla Province, one at Hat Yai International Airport, one at a hotel and one in a shopping centre. Further attacks against places frequented by foreigners, including tourist resorts, could occur at any time.
Watch out for crimes of opportunity. Theft of passports and credit cards is a problem. Passport fraud is high and penalties are severe.
Penalties for possession, distribution or manufacture of drugs are severe and can include the death penalty.
There has been an increase since January 2005 in the number of reported cases of Dengue Fever, in particular in Southern Thailand and the area near the border with Malaysia. In a very small number of cases, Dengue Fever can be fatal if left untreated. If you suffer from a fever whilst (or shortly after) visiting Thailand, you should consult a doctor.
Spotted by Mac, a new travel website: http://www.travelpost.com/
Thousands of toads in an area of northern Germany are exploding. Seriously, this is not a late April Fool’s joke. Scientists do not yet know why the toads are exploding, but they are contracting some type of disease that causes their body to expand to three and a half times their normal body size – to bursting point. The BBC news report that the toads’ entrails are being propelled up to a metre (3.2ft), in scenes that have been likened to science fiction.
Need to convert currency?
Take a look at The Globetrotters Currency Converter – get the exchange rates for 164 currencies The Globetrotters Currency Cheat Sheet – create and print a currency converter table for your next trip.
Last year China’s first person in space disappointed the nation when he said he could not see the Great Wall of China from space. However, photographs taken from space appear to confirm that China’s Great Wall can be spotted by the naked eye after all. So China’s schoolchildren who are taught that the Great Wall is one of the only man-made structures you can see can breathe easy again.
So You Think You’re Well Travelled?
Here’s a little Beetle quiz based on capital cities. See how many you get right! Go on, have a guess!
What is the capital city of the following countries:
For the answers, see at the end of the eNewsletter.
We’ve all heard horror stories about the deadly Australian funnel-web spiders. A new report in the Lancet shows that deaths from spider bites are extremely rare. Only 26 deaths from spiders have been recorded in Australia in the past century. In comparison, there were 1,183 motor vehicle deaths in 2001 in Australia.
Funnel webs are only found in eastern Australia and there are at least 40 species. They are medium to large spiders, varying from 1-5 cm body length. They like to burrow in moist, cool, sheltered habitats – under rocks, in and under rotting logs, crevices, rot and borer holes in rough-barked trees. In gardens, they prefer rockeries and dense shrubberies, and are rarely found in more open situations like lawns.
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
The 2005 World Airport Awards have voted for the 5th consecutive year Hong Kong International Airport as the world's Best Airport, in the largest customer survey of airport standards. Singapore's Changi Airport takes the Silver Award as runner-up, in what proved to be a close finish to the Survey. The two airports achieved more than 130,000 votes each, with the final margin between 1st and 2nd position being less than 500 votes.
The World's Top 10 Airports are as follows (2005)
Need to convert currency?
Take a look at The Globetrotters Currency Converter – get the exchange rates for 164 currencies The Globetrotters Currency Cheat Sheet – create and print a currency converter table for your next trip.
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all travel to the west African country of Togo. They say: following the death of President Eyadema on 5 February 2005, the internal situation in Togo is very uncertain. The capital city, Lome is calm but tense in most areas. Demonstrations in the central south of the city have led to clashes between the opposition and police, and resulted in some fatalities. Further demonstrations are possible. The situation could flare up without warning. Borders have now reopened but restrictions at entry and exit points could be re-imposed without warning. We advise against all travel to Togo until the situation clarifies.
The sea front area in Lome, particularly around the Hotel Sarakawa is dangerous and you should avoid this area as far as possible. Walking is not advisable in this area. Pick-pocketing and theft are common, especially along the beach and in the market areas of Lome. Some taxis are poorly maintained, and you should take particular care when seeking to use one. Attacks on pedestrians happen in broad daylight as well as at night. You should enter and exit public places such as restaurants in groups rather than individually.
Be prepared for checks of passport/identity papers and possible vehicle checks by the local Police and Military. There have been reports of people being killed when attempting to resist car-jackings. It is generally better not to resist armed attack.
If it is necessary to travel by car at night you should do so in a convoy of at least two cars. You should stop at all control points on request, turn on interior vehicle lights and only continue when permission has been given to do so.
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
Monique is looking for people to share a jeep from beginning September to middle September for a trip down the Rift Valley lakes and into the southwest tribal areas. Cost is 120 USD per day, no matter how many people to the jeep – I will arrive in Addis on Sept 2nd and would prefer to leave the 3rd or 4th of September for a 15-18 days trip (flexible because of market days and so on). Monique can be contacted by e-mail: moniquejansen66@hotmail.com or monique.jansen@chello.be. She says that she is a freelance photographer, so her main goal is: people, villages, markets, less wildlife, birds. If this interests you, why not drop Monique a line.
Here's a little Beetle quiz based on capital cities. See how many you get right! Go on, have a guess!
What is the capital city of the following countries:
For the answers, see at the end of the e-newsletter.
We have developed a malaria information website (www.preventing-malaria.info) and also have a pharmacy website (www.stratford-pharmacy.co.uk) where people can browse and order medication if they require it. Customers can order from us safe in the knowledge that we are a UK registered pharmacy which is both regulated by and subject to inspection by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. Orders are placed over the internet via our Pharmacy website or when internet access is not available, we can take telephone orders. Our website is very user-friendly, and clearly states whether the medication being ordered requires a prescription or not. Our credentials can be checked at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, and we would be happy to discuss any matter of concern at any time.
If you have a travellers tale that your aching to tell. Then why not visit the “Travel Sized Bites” section of the Website and share it with the world. Travel Sized Bites
From the end of March until May, Keukenhof gardens, Holland's most famous spring gardens, will burst into a kaleidoscope of colour as spring comes to life in a stunning display of breathtaking beauty. Millions of tulips and other bulb flowers will burst in bloom, a fantastic experience for everyone and a wonderful spectacle to photograph. Keukenhof is situated on the west coast of Holland, in the Holland Rijnland area, with its flower fields, the beaches of Noordwijk and Katwijk, beautiful villages and the historical city of Leiden. Click here for more information on Keukenhof Gardens.
Whilst the value of the Rand has strengthened, the number of non-African visitors to South Africa dropped 2 percent in November 2004, to 198,605 people. French arrivals fell by 23 percent, to 13,142, and the number of German tourists fell 4.3 percent, to 33,495.
I'm a writer for Win & Go magazine, we specialise in true-life holiday stories. At the moment, we're putting together a feature looking at gap years for all ages – from the teens and twenties, to the mid-thirty's-forties and post-retirement. I was just wondering if any of your members have taken a year out to travel and would be wiling to share their experiences. We're going to include safety tips, practicalities and case-studies. Anyone who wishes to talk to us, will of course receive payment and we will include details of this website. Kerry Win & Go Magazine. Kerry can be contacted by e-mail: kerry.sutch@bauer.co.uk