Posted by Viola Woolcott

SCARY STORIES!!

I’m sure that we all have a story or two to tell about a ‘scary’ take off or landing.

Remember a little bit of those horrible turbulences?…
… the horrendous smack down on the runway?…
… or how about the truly harrowing experience taking off?…

Well, I am sure its all open to the individuals interpretation.

In the most recent research, the 10 scariest runways in the world are:

In alphabetical order:

1. Barra Airport, Barra, Scotland
2.Gibraltar Airport, Gibraltar
3. JFK, New York
4. Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, Saba, Netherlands Antilles
5. Madeira Airport, Funchal, Portugal
6. Matekane Air Strip, Lesotho
7. Paro Airport, Bhutan
8. Princess Juliana International Airport, St. Maarten
9. Reagan National, Washington, D.C.
10. Toncontin Airport, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Personally I’ve flown into 7 of the above airports, but none of them are on my list of ‘scary’ runway stories.

How about you? Do you have a story to tell?

Posted by Viola Woolcott

Definitely a very different kind of life. You either love it or you hate it!

Nimbin became the alternative lifestyle capital of Australia back in the early seventies. Even today, many of the original communes are still set up. Hard to believe, but Nimbin has become infamous for it’s yearly Mardi Grass festival, which celebrates the use of marijuana.

Neil Pike is one of the original hippies to arrive in Nimbin in the 70’s. Neil is living in the hills which are surrounded by lush forest, where he produces music and multimedia artwork. You will see, he has a great little home studio.

Being one of the early activists who helped save the forests around Nimbin from logging, Neil states that his was his greatest achievement. These early actions eventually lead to National Park classification.

Overlander.tv - Nimbin, Australia’s Alternative Capital

Submitted by Kyler Horris

Without proper planning travelling with your pet by car can spell disaster.

Here are some tips that will make it easier during a car trip for you and your cat.

First I must say that all animals should be kept in a confined space during travel by car. The easiest way to transport a cat is in a plastic or wire pet carrier. There are also cardboard carriers, but they can be chewed through in no time. So my advice would be to use a proper carrier, especially on those longer trips. You will find that in the long run it is a good investment.

Don’t be driven by guilt knowing that your ‘friend’ is in a carrier until you reached the destination. From past experience I know that cats who are on the loose in cars may crawl under the seats or even under the foot pedals and don’t forget their heads can get caught in the window trying to escape. Your safest bet is to leave him/her in a pet carrier.

Car noises are scary, so try avoiding to put the carrier on the floor. If at all possible, place the pet carrier on the passenger seat next to you. A slanted seat can easily be levelled (maybe with a rolled towel) in order to get the cat as comfortable as possible. The radio should be on low or even turned off.

Most cars have air-conditioning these days. If the air vents point in the cats direction for the cat to get some cool air, make sure it is not blasting with cold air. And remember not to leave the cat in the carrier in the sun.

Make sure that your cat has his/her own cat food and plenty of water. It is best keep the situation as familiar as possible, so that your cat is less bewildered.

Just a thought, maybe it’s a good idea to feed your cat at the end of your journey, rather than at the beginning.

Don’t forget litter, pan, scoop and disposable bags. Even if you are visiting someone with cats, bring your own cat’s litter. Cats can be very temperamental about having their own.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
NEVER LEAVE ANY ANIMAL IN AN UNATTENDED VEHICLE - ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER MONTHS - ANIMALS MAY OVERHEAT, WHICH OFTEN RESULTS IN DEATH!

Just to give you an idea of carriers. Click on the links below:
www.www.zoo plus.co.uk
www.thepetextraordinarium.co.uk/
www.www.cat-alog.com

Posted by Viola Woolcott

Are you seeking a more meaningful travel experience and want to give back to the communities you visit? Are you looking to make a genuine connection with locals? Do you want to meet like-minded travellers and build your skills?

International volunteering can open up all these opportunities for you. “Lonely Planet‘s” volunteering handbook offers insights, all the advice and also practical, invaluable information you need to get you there. It’s full of full colour inspiration and is much more than just a resource directory. Perfect for short OR long-term volunteer stay anywhere you heart desires in the world. What is it you fancy? Monitoring sea life in Greece? Setting up a handicraft business in Ghana? Building a community center in Guatemala? Start your own grass roots charity?

Volunteer inspires and motivates the reader to explore a unique kind of travel experience from formal, long- or short-term placements with volunteer organisations. It provides information on how to plan, raise funds and implement your own volunteer experiences.

Volunteer can point you in the direction of more meaningful travel. Or it will lead you well and truly off the beaten track.

For more information click on the book link below:

Submitted by Kyler Horris

I thought that could be quite interesting!

Become A Time Traveller With Google Earth ! - video powered by Metacafe

Posted by Viola Woolcott

This is a brilliant video of a Student project promoting tourism in Brazil. It has been developed by international students (from Brazil!) which are enrolled in US classroom.

What a BEAUTIFUL country. You just got to watch it! It’s AWESOME!

Brazil by Leo and Arthur

Posted by Viola Woolcott

“La Hosteria” is run exclusively by Errant Surf Holidays. It is located in the village of Loredo and is perfectly located just a short walk from the ocean, the bars as well as the restaurants.

If you like cycling, you could also jump on your bike and explore the beautiful area, which is backed by the impressive mountain range “Pico’s de Europe”. You will be impressed by the endless green fields that roll down the foothills and meet the diverse and bountiful coastline of Northern Spain.

If you are looking for a truly great surfing holiday, this is an ideal place for it. This is an ideal place if you are looking at trading in the modern day life in exchange for a relaxing, invigorating and surf-filled holiday.

Surfing Holidays in Spain - La Hosteria - Errant Surf Holida

For more detailed information click here - Errant Surf Holidays

Passports and Visas

Posted by Viola Woolcott

This information only applies to British Citizen’s who are holding a UK Passport which has been issued in the UK. For clarification Non-British Citizen passport holders or British Citizen who are holding a UK Passport which has been issued abroad are kindly asked to contact the appropriate consulate or embassy.

As regulations can change, you should always (well in advance) check with your travel agent or maybe the relevant embassy that the passport and visa regulations have not been changed. Give yourself plenty of time to do so, as it sometimes takes some time to obtain a visa.

It is YOUR responsibility to make sure that your passport is valid and acceptable, and it is also YOUR responsibility to make sure that you have the documentation and maybe visa for your travel. If you haven’t got the right and correct documentation, you may be refused travel and entry into another country. When you are refused entry into another country, it may mean that you have to be responsible for any occurring costs such as:

= fines
= financial penalties
= surcharges
= other costs (even your immediate return ticket)
= sums of any description

These would have to be paid and settled immediately. No compensation, refund or other sum will be paid.

It is essential for your passport to be valid in order to travel abroad. Even though your passport has been issued for 10 years (it is 5 years for children), be aware that some countries overseas have immigration requirements. For example:

= validity for a minimum period after the date of entry into another country, which is usually 6 months.
= before travelling I would advice you to check if your passport is in its final year of validity and before you make your final travel plans, check the requirements and ‘rules’ of your final destination.

Make sure you apply for your passport early if you haven’t got one, or if it is about to expire. If you are 16 years of age and you never had your own passport, you need to apply for one even earlier. Before using your passport, your identity has to be confirmed and approved by the UK passport service. To protect your identity you may have to attend an interview. For more information visit: www.ips.gov.uk

It will make things easier if you, at the time of booking make sure that you give your first name and surname as stated on your passport. It will reduce confusion as the details will show on your tickets and have to match. If the details are different from that on your passport, it will cause problems not only with checking in, also with insurance details and you may not be able to travel.

Weather and Natural Disasters

Posted by Viola Woolcott

There are some holiday destinations that may be affected by certain weather patterns. For example:

=> tropical storms
=> monsoons
=> hurricanes
=> typhoons,
=> flooding
=> seismic activity which could lead to earthquakes and tidal waves

To give you an example, in general between June and November is ‘hurricane’ season. The affected areas are:

** Atlantic
** Caribbean Sea
** Gulf of Mexico

As weather patterns are always changing, it could also happen at different times of the year. Be aware that weather advice can on many occasions vary.

Storms as well as natural disasters can disrupt your travel arrangements significantly, but it is very difficult to predict the actual path, duration or even the effects of severe weather condition and seismic activities accurately. Natural disasters are beyond our control.

Recommendation:
Check the latest FCO Travel Advice for your destination. For information visit: www.fco.gov.uk/travel

Posted by Viola Wolcott

Founded in 1997, VacationVillas.net / FeWo-direkt.de is said to be the most popular and most visited vacation rental index on the German-speaking Internet.

No less than 660,000 potential holiday makers browse through the VacationVillas.net network, with the figures constantly rising every months.

Property owners are able to present their accommodations under fair conditions and to administer their presentation themselves. Every listing has a detailed description, which includes colour pictures, a map of the region and detailed descriptions as well as an availability calendar.

9,000 private holiday homes and vacation rentals are available worldwide.

For more information click here: Vacation Villas