World airpports top 10
| Rank | Country Name | Airports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 14,720 |
| 2 | Brazil | 3,264 |
| 3 | Russia | 2,743 |
| 4 | Mexico | 1,848 |
| 5 | Canada | 1,417 |
| 6 | Argentina | 1,359 |
| 7 | Bolivia | 1,093 |
| 8 | Colombia | 1,091 |
| 9 | Paraguay | 915 |
| 10 | South Africa | 741 |
Source:
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The town of Knysna in the western Cape of South Africa lies a scenic 500km east of Cape Town along the Garden Route. There is the option to drive all the way into town, but a far more interesting way is to take the Outeniqua choo-Tjoe train that departs from George. If you are lucky your train will be pulled by a steam engine. Once you have left George’s shanty towns behind the scenery is wonderful, sweeping curves where if you peer out of the window you can see the engine going round the bend ahead. At Sedgefield the line passes over a scenic bridge, under which flows an inlet from the Indian Ocean on your right. The train takes a couple of hours and costs approximately 120 rand.
Knysna itself has much to offer including trips into the surrounding countryside where you can hike, abseil and go mountain biking amongst others. At the waterfront area there are lots of touristy shops and restaurants to while away some time. From a jetty at the waterfront it is well worth taking a trip out to the Knysna Heads. Knysna itself is in a lagoon protected from the ocean by a narrow inlet where the surrounding hills almost meet. The trip out is on one of the worlds most advanced ferries, even though it does have the appearance of a bathtub!
The boat actually has three legs that can be put down on the sea floor so that it is lifted up like an oil platform. This can be used in rescues and also to drop passengers off at places where there is no jetty. The “Heads” are a raging torrent even on a semi calm day, they have claimed hundreds of ships and thousands of lives over the centuries, so much so that if you intend to take a vessel through them you have to inform the shipping insurers Lloyds of London. The boat staff keep up an interesting flow of information as you cruise, not only about their very interesting boat, but also about the nearby nature reserve and about what you are seeing.
After all this activity it is hard to beat a meal at “Bosuns” a pub come restaurant, which does excellent bar and sit down food for around 80 Rand, including a drink.
East of Knysna is the Tsitsikama National Park, which is located right next to the ocean. From the beach you can follow a lovely boardwalk through the forest called the “Mouth Trail”, which eventually comes out at the spectacular Hangbrug suspension bridge, from where you can gaze onto the crashing Indian Ocean waves. On the way back to town you can take in the adrenaline junkies Mecca of the Bloukrans bungy jump, this is currently the world’s highest bungy with a drop of 216 metres, reputed to be the longest seven seconds of your life as you free fall, are there any Globies out there who can confirm this, as this one has no intention of finding out!
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Ask me which Pacific island has the most to offer hikers and I’ll probably answer Easter Island. Here on an island 11 km wide and 23 km long you’ll find nearly a thousand ancient Polynesian statues strewn along a powerfully beautiful coastline or littering the slopes of an extinct volcano. Getting there is easy as Easter Island can be included in Oneworld’s round-the-world Explorer airpass, and a fine selection of inexpensive places to stay and eat awaits you.
The legends of Easter Island have been recounted many times. What’s less known is that the island’s assorted wonders are easily accessible on foot from the comfort of the only settlement, Hanga Roa. Before setting out see the sights, however, visit the excellent archaeological museum next to Ahu Tahai on the north side of town (the term “ahu” refers to an ancient stone platform). Aside from the exhibits, the museum has maps which can help you plan your trip.
The first morning after arrival, I suggest
you climb Easter Island’s most spectacular volcano, Rano
Kau, where Orongo, a major archaeological site, sits on the
crater’s rim. But rather than marching straight up the main
road to the crater, look for the unmarked shortcut trail
off a driveway to the right just past the forestry station
south of town. It takes under two hours to cover the six km
from Hanga Roa to Orongo, but bring along a picnic lunch
and make a day of it. (If climbing a 316-meter hill sounds
daunting, you can take a taxi to the summit for around US$6
and easily walk back later in the day.) Once on top, you’ll
find hiking down into the colourful crater presents no
difficulty. It may also look easy to go right around the
crater rim, but only do so if you’re a very experienced
hiker and have a companion along as shear 250-meter cliffs
drop into the sea from the ridge.
Another day, rise early and take a taxi to lovely
Anakena Beach at the end of the paved road on the north
side of the island (you should pay under US$10 for the 20
km). A few of the famous Easter Island statues have been
restored at Anakena and you could go for a swim, although
the main reason you’ve come is the chance to trek back to
Hanga Roa around the road-free northwest corner of the
island. You’ll pass numerous abandoned statues lying
facedown where they fell, and the only living creatures
you’re unlikely to encounter are the small brown hawks
which will watch you intently from perches on nearby rocks.
If you keep moving, you’ll arrive back in town in five or
six hours (but take adequate food, water, and sunscreen).
This is probably the finest coastal walk in the South
Pacific.
Almost as good is the hike along the south coast, although you’re bound to run into other tourists here as a paved highway follows the shore. Begin early and catch a taxi to Rano Raraku, the stone quarry where all of the island’s statues were born. This is easily the island’s most spectacular sight with 397 statues in various stages of completion lying scattered around the crater. And each day large tour groups come to Rano Raraku to sightsee and have lunch. However, if you arrive before 9 am, you’ll have the site to yourself for a few hours. When you see the first tour buses headed your way, hike down to Ahu Tongariki on the coast, where 15 massive statues were re-erected in 1994. From here, just start walking back toward Hanga Roa (20 km) along the south coast. You’ll pass many fallen statues and enjoy some superb scenery. Whenever you get tired, simply go up onto the highway and stick out your thumb and you’ll be back in town in a jiffy.
An outstanding 13-km walk begins at the museum and follows the west coast five km north to Ahu Tepeu. As elsewhere, keep your eyes pealed for banana trees growing out of the barren rocks as these often indicate caves you can explore. Inland from Ahu Tepeu is one of the island’s most photographed sites, Ahu Akivi, with seven statues restored in 1960. From here an interior farm road runs straight back to town (study the maps at the museum carefully, as you’ll go far out of your way if you choose the wrong road here).
A shorter hike takes you up Puna Pau, a smaller crater which provided stone for the red topknots that originally crowned the island’s statues. There’s a great view of Hanga Roa from the three crosses on an adjacent hill and you can easily do it all in half a day. A different walk takes you right around the 3,353- meter airport runway, which crosses the island just south of town. Near the east end of the runway is Ahu Vinapu with perfectly fitted monolithic stonework bearing an uncanny resemblance to similar constructions in Peru.
Easter Island’s moderate climate and scant
vegetation make for easy cross country hiking, and you
won’t find yourself blocked by fences and private property
signs very often. You could also tour the island by
mountain bike, available from several locations at US$10 a
day. If you surf or scuba dive, there are many
opportunities here. A minimum of five days are needed to
see the main sights of Easter Island, and two weeks would
be far better. The variety of things to see and do will
surprise you, and you’ll be blessed with some unforgettable
memories.
David Stanley is the author of Moon Handbooks Tahiti: Including the Cook Islands http://www.southpacific.org/tahiti.html which also contains a full chapter on Easter Island. His online guide to Easter Island may be perused at http://www.southpacific.org/text/finding_easter.html
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If you enjoy writing, enjoy travelling, why not write for the free monthly Globetrotters e-newsletter! The Beetle would love to hear from you: your travel stories, anecdotes, jokes, questions, hints and tips, or your hometown or somewhere of special interest to you. Over 8,000 people currently subscribe to the Globetrotters e-news.
To see your story in cyber print, e-mail the Beetle with your travel experiences, hints and tips or questions up to 750 words, together with a couple of sentences about yourself and a contact e-mail address to Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk
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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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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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The March meeting has been cancelled as Laurie, the New York Chair will be away on business in LA. If anyone would like to help Laurie or stand in as Deputy, please e-mail her on: newyork@globetrotters.co.uk
For details of forthcoming meetings email newyork@globetrotters.co.uk or register for email updates, click here at our website.
New York meetings are held at The Wings Theatre, 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 4 pm .
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Meeting News from London
This month our first speaker was Anthony Lambert, who talked to us about “Railways on the wild side”. Anthony took us on journey around the globe starting in Patagonia. In Peru we saw trains that travel at altitudes where oxygen is carried on board for the passengers. The train across South Africa’s Garden route may not be that wild, but is certainly beautiful, Padmassana was there at Christmas. The Hejaz railway in the Middle East is certainly wild and until a few years ago a bit lawless. Anthony showed us trains of India serving remote tea plantations and probably the wildest of them all in Pakistan up the Khyber Pass.
Our second speaker was Globetrotters own resident Aussie, Jacqui Trotter. This was part two of Jacqui’s year long trip around South America, where she travelled for the most part with a group by overland truck. This time she showed us Argentina, firstly in Buenos Aires, where she visited Eva Peron’s tomb and explored the colourful Boca area, famous as Maradona’s birthplace. She was lucky enough to visit the fabulous Iguaçu Falls from both the Brazilian and Argentine sides, before visiting a very non descript Brasilia. Jacqui showed us Rio de Janeiro, the Sugar Loaf mountain, Christ statue and the Rio carnival where she partied until 3am with the locals. Her journey continued through Brazil and finally into Venezuela from where she flew back to reality and the Globetrotters committee!
Next month, on Saturday 3rd April, John Douglas will be talking on Norway’s Arctic Highway, followed by Karen Neale after the break talking about an artist’s journey through World Heritage cities and a 5 month Churchill scholarship on drawing and painting.
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. There is no London meeting in August, but we will be back in September. For more information, you can contact the Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk
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Meeting news from our branches around the world.
How did you do at our little Beetle quiz based on capital cities. See how many you got right!
0 out of 5 – you need to get out more!
1-3 – not bad
4 – Very good! You are a Globetrotter!
5 – Are you sure you didn’t sneak a look?
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
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.
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.
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.
Delta will start two flights from JFK to Denver and San Juan, Puerto Rico, in April, to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in June, and to San Diego in July. In addition, Delta will start new commuter service to Charleston, Savannah and Greensboro and increase frequencies to some other Midwest cities. The regional flights will be operated by Chautauqua Airlines under the Delta Connection brand.
Delta, which has some of the highest costs in the industry, launched a low-fare subsidiary, Song, last year to compete with lower-cost rivals. Song will start two flights from JFK to Fort Myers, Florida, in May.
WIZZ Air, the Anglo-Hungarian latest addition to Europe’s growing fleet of low cost airlines, plans to start operations in May 2004, to coincide with EU accession. It will start flying from its base in Katowice, southern Poland, but also plans to fly out of Budapest later in May. WIZZ will operate on a multibase principle and will focus on Central and Eastern European markets, expanding rapidly to five bases.
Thai Airway International’s own low cost airline, Nok Air said on Thursday it would launch in June, heating up competition in Thailand’s low-cost market. Nok Air — Nok means “bird” in the Thai language — would initially fly to six destinations in Thailand. “The pie is very big. There’s 65 million people in Thailand and only five million fly” said an official. Two other discount airlines, Thai Air Asia and One-Two-Go, are currently operating in Thailand with cut-price fares at roughly a third of regular prices.
Singapore Airlines plans to set up a low cost airline, Tiger Airways, with the people we just love to hate, Ryanair. ValuAir also plans to launch a similar carrier this year.
Uk budget airline easyJet have announced that they are to add seven new routes, including three to Hungary, the CzechRepublic and Slovenia, bringing its total to 135 routes. The latest expansion follows confirmation last November of a new base in Berlin, from which it would fly to six countries. Passengers will be able to fly to Basel in Switzerland and Ljubljana airport in Slovenia from Stansted in Essex. LutonAirport in Bedfordshire is to offer new flights to Budapest in Hungary. Other new routes, to Naples, Ibiza, Faro and Prague will depart from Gatwick.
Giant holiday company Thomson is to start a new low-fare airline operating from Coventry airport at the end of March 2004. The new carrier, to be called Thomsonfly.com, will fly to 10 European destinations: Palma, Valencia, Rome, Naples, Nice, Malaga, Venice, Pisa, Ibiza, Marseilles and Jersey. Prices will start from £3.99 one way. Visit www.thomsonfly.com for more information.
Southwest Airlines has launched a service that allows some passengers to print their own boarding passes via the Internet before heading to the airport. The service is aimed at increasing efficiency for the carrier and convenience for customers while cutting down on the work load of gate agents. Southwest customers with an electronic, ticketless reservation can print their boarding pass for the first leg of travel on the day of travel. Once at the airport, those without bags to check who printed their own boarding passes can go directly to security screening.
Silk Air, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, is ending flights to Bangladesh after less than two years of operation, a company official said on Thursday.
Pacific Blue Airlines, the New Zealand arm of discount Australian airline Virgin Blue, announced it would start flying between Wellington and Sydney from March 10.
Dragonair, Hong Kong’s second-largest airline, said it will begin flights to Tokyo in April, heating up competition with rival Cathay Pacific Airways.
Singapore Airlines are set to enter the record books with the world’s longest non-stop service when it flies to Los Angeles on February 3. Both the New York service and the 16-hour flight to Los Angeles are targeted at business travellers and will cut up to six hours from its current flight time, and up to two hours for Los Angeles.
Karrimor are pleased to announce to all Globetrotters Club members (please note, club members only) a 25% discount through their factory shop (– not available on sales goods). They offer a mail order service and all products can be found on their website www.karrimor.com
Further details of this and all other discounts avalible to members are available in Globe or our online member’s area.
A 2 km long oil spill, blamed on sabotage is threatening Milford Sound’s nature reserve. Milford Sound, one of New Zealand’s most spectacular fjords is home to a number of dolphins, seals and penguins Most of the oil spill is expected to disperse naturally, but some will line the nearby harbour and shores. Teams of people are involved in trying to clean up the area.
The United States recently disclosed that it may soon allow US citizens to visit Libya using American passports and to spend money there, reflecting Libya’s decision to give up weapons of mass destruction.
The International Maritime Bureau says that more than 20 sailors were killed by pirates in 2003 – twice as many as the previous year. Seventy are missing, presumed dead. The Malaysian based organisation says piracy is increasingly becoming an Asian problem, with Indonesia the most dangerous area.
South and East Asia recorded twice as many as the rest of the world put together. More than a quarter of the world’s piracy took place in Indonesian waters, and without action from the Indonesian Government, the figures will not drop, the board said. Bangladesh is also a piracy hot spot where incidents almost doubled last year over 2002. Nigeria, Vietnam and India all have serious problems.
Other trends are also emerging: ships are now less likely to be hijacked for their cargo; attackers, possibly from militant groups, are seizing ships and ransoming their crew. Another concern is that oil tankers have become a common target and security experts fear a tanker could be used as a floating bomb to attack a city.
An eagle eyed Globetrotter wrote in to say: I just found out that starting March 1st, US citizens will be required to have a passport to enter Barbados. Perhaps this will set a precedence for other Caribbean islands.