World News

With the Arctic Circle a far cry from most peoples' reach of places to visit, it may come as a surprise that another great place to catch nature's very own theatrical performance is along the northern reaches of Scotland. Bunk Campers, Scotland's largest campervan rental company, offer a practical and budget alternative for enthusiasts wanting to experience the Northern Lights.

With transport and accommodation in one, a campervan is an alternative to car hire & B&B and gives customers freedom to move around and photograph the Northern Lights as they appear from one location to the next. All Bunk Campers campervans & motorhomes for hire can be taken on ferries to the Scottish Islands, meaning enthusiasts are within easy reach of even the most isolated locations and the best views of the Aurora Borealis.

With on-board camper heating, customers can stay warm even in the coldest winter nights and enjoy all the perks of home; including comfortable beds, cooking facilities, dining area and electric hook up (shower and toilet in larger models).

Bunk Campers offer a wide range of 2-6 berth vehicles to suit all tastes and budgets from their Scotland depot located close to Edinburgh airport. Rental rates during the winter period start from only £45 per day with additional long rental discounts of up to 10% available for those wishing to take an extended trip.

To inspire enthusiasts, Bunk Campers have put together 5 tips to chase the Northern Lights in Scotland on a budget.

The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association announced today that Fabrice Houdart, Human Rights Officer at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in New York, will be among the keynote speakers at the association’s 35th anniversary convention at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto (9-12 May 2018).

Houdart works on the Free & Equal campaign, an unprecedented United Nations global public education campaign for LGBTQ equality. He also leads the UN global Standards of Conduct for Business, which were launched in September and address LGBTI discrimination.

“In his role with the UN, Fabrice calls upon companies worldwide to stand up against discrimination in the workplace and respect the human rights of LGBTI employees, customers and community members,” said John Tanzella IGLTA President/CEO. “This aligns perfectly with IGLTA’s membership of global tourism businesses, which are committed to providing a welcoming experience for all travelers.”

IGLTA’s Annual Global Convention is the premier educational and networking event for the LGBTQ tourism industry, and includes an appointment-driven buyer/supplier marketplace with hosted buyer program, a networking session with global media outlets, and a roundtable for small business owners. The educational programming focuses on the latest LGBTQ travel trends and marketing strategies, as well as issues impacting tourism businesses. All general session content will be presented in Spanish as well as English.

Travelers interested in exploring the rich cultural history of the French-Creole Caribbean nation of Haiti are being wooed by one of its distinguished hotels.

Located in the capital, Port-au-Prince, the 60 year-old Le Plaza Hotel, a boutique 95-room property, wants travelers in North America, Europe and beyond to experience the diverse offerings of the country which, along with the Dominican Republic, is part of the island of Hispaniola.

"We are increasing our marketing activity to show travelers what makes us unique and special in the Caribbean," said Marc Pierre-Louis, General Manager of Le Plaza Hotel.

At Le Plaza Hotel, guests can bask in warm Haitian hospitality, exceptionally high levels of guest service and organic ambience. The family-run hotel offers comfort and convenience with an outdoor pool, fitness room, business center and internet access in all rooms and public areas.

The property, which hosts a live twoubadou band on Sunday nights, is gearing up for a strong winter season with special offers to celebrate the holidays, including entertainment and festivities for everyone.

"Le Plaza is continually revitalizing our hospitality product and experience to showcase our rich history and culture, including the incredible artistic repertoire of the Haitian people," Pierre-Louis reported, noting that today's discerning travelers are looking for more than sun, sand and sea.

The hotel is just a few minutes' drive from the iconic Mupanah (Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien), the National Museum of Art and Marché de Fer (a public market dating back to 1889), which guests are encouraged to visit.

In addition to learning about Haiti's history, visitors can get a taste of authentic Haitian Creole cuisine at Le Plaza. "We offer a holistic travel experience and we look forward to welcoming many more travelers from around the world, including members of our vast Haitian Diaspora," Pierre-Louis stated.

Citizens of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique now have an opportunity to add to the legacy of the Underwater Sculpture Park. The Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) in collaboration with the Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park Management Inc. (GUSMI) have launched a sculpture design competition. The initiative invites Grenadian nationals to submit designs for new sculptures that will be added to the park over the next five years as part of a strategic development plan.

Speaking at the launch of the design competition member of the Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park Management Inc. Phil Saye underscored the importance of the attraction to the country’s tourism product. He said, “ We are happy that Jason DeCaires Taylor chose Grenada for his first sculpture park and since then we have become world famous for this attraction. Over the years, we have added to the park, but this is an opportunity for us to keep the attraction exciting.”

Saye was high in praise of the public/private partnership with the GTA and noted that the park has enhanced the marine eco system by supporting coral reef regeneration.

Providing an overview of the design competition was GTA Product Development Manager Kirl Hoschtialek. She urged citizens to showcase their talent to produce extraordinary designs that, “are unique and representative of Grenadian folklore, history, culture or the environment.”

There is no limit to the number of entries per person or school and the competition is open to all age groups. The submission must include a short description (1-2 paragraphs) and a drawing or rendering of the design. It must also be easily reproduced by the sculptor in concrete and stand between 6 – 9 feet tall. All entries should be jpeg/pdf format and should not exceed 1MB in size.  All submissions must be the original work of the participant.

The competition offers attractive prizes. The first place prize is EC$ 5000, second place EC$ 3000 and 3^rd place EC$ 2000. If a student wins, then the prizes will be split between the winner and the school. The deadline for submissions is January 20,2017 and the winner shall be announced by January 30, 2017.

Entries must be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Entry forms and competition rules can be downloaded from the GTA’s Tourism Awareness Campaign microsite at www.puregrenada.com/tacampaign.

A Jamaican farmer who had a life-threatening case of leptospirosis is thankful for healing, following a pioneering intervention by doctors at Health City Cayman Islands.

Clester Christie came to Grand Cayman for work but fell seriously ill a few days after his arrival. Fortunately for the 31-year old, Dr. Nelson Iheonunekwu, an Internal Medicine and Nephrology Specialist at the Health Services Authority (HSA), recognized Christie's vitals were falling fast and quickly referred him to the East End, Grand Cayman facility.

At Health City, doctors confirmed the HSA's diagnosis that Christie was suffering from a complication of the zoonotic bacterial infection Leptospirosis, called Leptospirosis Pulmonary Hemorrhagic Syndrome, which is a rare bacterial disease that forms blood clots in the lungs of the afflicted.

Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil, Chief Cardiac Surgeon and Senior Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon at Health City, accepted the emergency case from Dr. Iheonunekwu.

"He came here [and at] that time he was in a very critical stage. I would say his oxygen level, his saturation level was in the 50s, so if he stayed like that a few more hours he would have arrested ... within half an hour we took him to the operating room," Dr. Chattuparambil said.

The Health City team hooked Christie up to an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine via the venovenous route to support his lungs, marking the first time Health City doctors had used ECMO in this manner. For previous patients, ECMO had been used to support both the heart and lungs.

A ground-breaking coral reef experiment, likened to the world's biggest IVF procedure, could be the answer to a healthy future for the Great Barrier Reef, which, at 70 million football fields in size, is the world's largest living organism and a natural asset valued at $56billion.

Professor Peter Harrison, the marine scientist who co-discovered coral spawning 35 years ago, conducted the oversized “fertility treatment”, at the Heron Island Research Station, with help from the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

The experiment was first trialled in November 2016 when millions of microscopic sperm and eggs were harvested from last year's annual coral spawning event, and placed into giant tanks for fertilisation. The subsequent coral larvae were then planted back onto the Reef.

Based on the learnings from the 2016 trial, Professor Harrison this month captured and reared more larvae, taken from the November 8-9, 2017 spawning event, in a larger-scale study that has already shown signs of successful larval settlement.

This time around, mesh tents were used to veil the planted larvae to prevent them from floating to the surface, which Professor Harrison says assists the larvae to attach and settle onto the Reef and form juvenile colonies.

“This is the first large-scale study of its kind and our research shows that we can help corals reproduce successfully by increasing larvae settling on the Great Barrier Reef and allowing them to develop into juvenile corals,” said Professor Harrison.

“From our previous studies, we know that microscopic larvae, once settled, can grow into dinner plate size corals in just three years and become sexually reproductive.”

“The success of this project on Heron Island could increase the scale of coral restoration on the Great Barrier Reef in future; if we can fast track coral growth and regeneration and apply this to other areas of the Reef, we hope to see larger areas of healthy coral that can be enjoyed by generations to come.”

The success of the larval reseeding project at Heron Island is a marker of hope for restoring areas of the Great Barrier Reef previously affected by coral bleaching.

Like any parent-to-be, Professor Harrison will continue to anxiously monitor the growth of both coral colonies and refine techniques for future application to other areas of the Great Barrier Reef.

Great Barrier Reef Foundation Managing Director Anna Marsden said Heron Island, once rated by Jacques Cousteau as one of the Top 10 dive sites in the world, was well qualified for pioneering reef studies.

“It's not only tourists who come from all over the world to experience the sheer magic of the Great Barrier Reef at Heron Island, marine scientists also flock to the island to access one of the best reef research laboratories in the world, the University of Queensland Research Station,” said Anna.

“Researchers on the island are looking at innovations like larval reseeding to help coral reefs rebuild and adapt so they can live through everything the world is throwing at them and to survive into the future.”

After a couple of challenging years for the health of the Great Barrier Reef, the staff on Heron Island are also looking forward to sharing a message of hope with their guests.

The resort's Marine and Activities Manager, Alison Cross, said that travellers to Heron Island come for the technicoloured underwater marine world just footsteps from the resort rooms.

“We get divers, snorkelers and first time marine enthusiasts and most are aware of the challenges facing the Great Barrier Reef so they are fascinated to learn that studies are being done right here to protect its future,” said Alison.

“The Great Barrier Reef is Australia's greatest treasure and once guests see its beauty, they fall in love and become passionate advocates for its protection.”

Professor Harrison and the team at the Heron Island Research Centre worked alongside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authorityhe project, which was made possible through a donation by Stephen Fitzgerald, the former chairman of Goldman Sachs Australia and New Zealand.

Colourful culture has long been part of the tradition of the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba but for those who think this just refers to its annual carnival extravaganza, think again.

The island has a vibrant arts scene, with studios dotted around the island producing amazing work, from glass and ceramics to driftwood creations. And all welcome visitors, whether it is to browse, buy or take part!

For example, Vela Aruba, based on Palm Beach in front of the Marriott Resort, is a hip water sports company which has branched into offering a driftwood workshop one evening a month.  Artist Maja Lepsanovic hosts the workshop under the stars on the beach, where locals and visitors learn to paint on driftwood, turning the salvaged, weathered pieces into colourful artwork—a truly authentic piece of Aruba to take home! www.velaaruba.co

Husband-and-wife duo Ciro and Marian Abath launched Terrafuse in 2008 as a non-profit organization promoting glass art, ceramic art, and other art forms on Aruba. Terrafuse is located at Ciro and Marian's property along the road to Alto Vista, the village at the western end of the island.

Behind their quaint traditional 'cunucu' house are three studios. Ciro and Marian appreciate the special spot they have created and enjoy sharing it with the local community and visitors, who are encouraged to participate in glassblowing, bead-making, and ceramics workshops on the grounds. www.terrafusearuba.com

Meanwhile, Cosecha Store & Creative Centre is located in the heart of Aruba's southern 'Sunrise City' of San Nicolas. It is a platform for local artists and craftspeople to exhibit and sell their work. All arts and crafts sold here are certified by the national seal of craftsmanship, Seyo Nacional pa Artesania, established by the government of Aruba through the Department of Culture.

The centre also offers workshops featuring hands-on experiences in a variety of art disciplines presented by local artisans, including the occasional sip-and-paint wine and art concept, as well as workshops for children.  www.arubacosecha.com

Also in San Nicholas, the up and coming art hub of the Caribbean, Espacio Azul is a space positioned as an intersection of artists and craftspeople from the Caribbean and Latin America. More than 100 Aruban, Caribbean, and Latin American artists are featured here.  Workshops and sip-and-paint events are also held here.  www.espacioazularuba.com

Neo pop artist Elisa Lejuez wows with colour, mixed media, and silkscreen printing.  Her works have been featured in exhibits throughout the Dutch Caribbean, Miami, New York City, and Amsterdam, and have been bought by private collectors, international resort chains, and various Aruban restaurants and businesses. Elisa hosts workshops and sip-and-paint classes (by appointment) for groups at Atelier Elisa Lejuez in Noord, in the western area of the island, opposite the entrance to the Tierra Del Sol golf course. www.elisalejuez.co

The WOW Cyclothon is in its 6th year amidst breath-taking surroundings

From 26 – 30 June 2018, WOW air is once again hosting the perfect summer challenge, the WOW Cyclothon 2018. Iceland's biggest cycling event attracts cyclists from around the world for the endurance race, with participants set the task of completing the route in under 72 hours.

The Ring Road route of 1,358 kilometres scours around the entirety of Iceland and hundreds of competitors will pedal spoke-tacularly to lay claim to the title of the fastest team, while also raising funds for a good cause.

Setting off under the summer midnight sun, the non-stop relay race is one of a kind in Iceland. Last year, 144 teams took part, with 1,300 individuals taking to the Nordic roads.  Teams can consist of four or ten cyclists who must cycle in relay style non-stop over the whole route (with a support vehicle).

The B-category offers the shortest distance per person for 10 riders and means less experienced cyclists can take part too. Many corporate participants join for team building purposes and the route offers captivating landscapes to traverse. The solo category is available for ultra-cyclists looking to take on the challenge of a lifetime in unpredictable circumstances.

The race begins in Reykjavik, gliding past glaciers, waterfalls, coastline, fjords, national parks and volcanos in nothing short of stunning fashion. On the eastern side of the route, for 29km, a gravel section requires a mountain bike, adding another string to the endurance challenge's bow.

Keen cyclist and founder/CEO of low-cost airline WOW air, Skúli Mogensen, began the WOW Cyclothon in 2012. He competes each year along with co-founder Magnús Ragnarsson, even finishing in the second placed team in 2012.

Skúli Mogensen said: “Cycling is one of the most exciting ways to experience a country, especially one with such awe-inspiring scenery and terrain as Iceland. The WOW Cyclothon has continued to be well received and has grown every year. The solo finishers continue to impress me, but most importantly everyone who joins in contributes to a great cause. We look forward to welcoming many more entries for another successful year.”

As the main race sponsor, WOW air awards flight tickets as prizes for each member of the winning male and female teams. Open to cyclists of all abilities with a range of bike types, registration closes on 1 May and costs around £512 (70,000 ISK) for teams of four, £915 (125,000 ISK) for teams of ten, and £220 (30,000 ISK) for a solo effort.

The WOW Cyclothon aims to promote healthy living and promotes outdoor activities in Iceland. At the last WOW Cyclothon, £145,847 was raised for ICE-SAR Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue.

As Pure Grenada looks forward to strong projected growth for the 2017/18 cruise season, tourism officials are particularly enthusiastic about the luxury brands coming to the destination. In the past two weeks, Grenada welcomed two inaugural luxury cruise ship calls. The first was the Viking Sea on November 2 and MS Europa 2 on November 14.

Viking Cruises is a luxury brand that was for the second consecutive year, named the #1 Ocean Cruise Line by Travel + Leisure readers in the World’s Best Awards 2017. The Viking Sea has a passenger capacity of 930 and crew capacity of 550. The inaugural call was welcomed by a delegation which included the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA), local agent Huggins Grenada Ltd, the Grenada Ports Authority and Immigration officials.

Ship Captain Bent Ivar Gangdal was presented with commemorative plaques from each stakeholder. Then, on November 14, the MS Europa 2 called at the Melville Street Cruise Terminal, with a passenger capacity of 516 and a crew capacity of 370. The German based Hapag Lloyd Cruise Ship has been awarded the highest distinction as the only 5-stars-plus cruise ship worldwide in the new edition of the Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2018 guide.

A delegation consisting of the Ministry of Tourism, GTA, local agents Huggins Grenada Ltd, the Royal Grenada Police Force and Grenada Ports Authority boarded the ship to commemorate the inaugural call. Ministry of Tourism Permanent Secretary Arlene Buckmire Outram welcomed the captain and crew to Pure Grenada by presenting a plaque to mark the occasion.

Commenting on the recent inaugural calls from the luxury cruise lines, GTA CEO Patricia Maher said, “ Pure Grenada is delighted to be attracting these high end smaller cruise ships to our shores. It is a testament to the high quality experiences offered on island from personalised chocolate tours to delicious rum tasting, to our adventure tours on land and sea and to our warm and friendly people who welcome the guests wholeheartedly.”

Not everyone knows that Pablo Picasso was of Ligurian origins. Around the year 1807 his great-grandfather Thomas Picasso left his house in Sori and moved to Malaga. It was here that he married and had five children, including Maria Picasso, Pablo's mother.

In 1954 Picasso wanted to discover the origins of his family and decided to explore and research in the Ligurian communes of Sori, Recco, Avegno and Camogli.

The exhibition will be held in Palazzo Ducale in Genoa from November 10th 2017 to May 6th 2018 and will host fifty paintings from the Picasso Museum collection in Paris. The curator of the exhibition is Coline Zellal.

Visitors will be able to discover artworks that the famous Spanish painter always kept guarded in his houses and ateliers, taking them with him on his travels.

The exhibition is divided into thematic sections that retrace the artist's life and work. Also on display are several photographs showing him alongside his works.

Visitors can admire the artist's paintings, ranging from his early nineteenth-century African inspired works as well as his famous pieces from the seventies, following the main landmarks of his artistic path and presenting some of his most well-known themes.

A new online resource that supports climate change law-making was unveiled at COP23 in Bonn this week.

The Law and Climate Change Toolkit is aimed at government policy makers responsible for developing laws that help implement the Paris Agreement. Three organisations have collaborated on the project, namely the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Office of Civil and Criminal Justice Reform, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and UN Environment.

Steven Malby, who heads up the Office of Civil and Criminal Justice Reform at the Commonwealth, said it will provide countries with a comprehensive source of knowledge on climate legislation.

“It is a much-needed resource for countries to review their national laws and undertake reform in support of their climate policy commitments under the Paris Agreement,” Mr Malby said.

The Paris Agreement requires all of its 145 parties to put forward their best efforts in climate action through nationally determined contributions (NDCs) based around emissions. NDCs will be deciding factors as to whether the world achieves the goals agreed in Paris: to hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C, to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C, and to achieve net zero emissions in the second half of this century.

Momentum for the toolkit started with the 2015 Commonwealth leaders’ statement on climate action, which underlined the importance of ‘practical and swift action’ to reinforce the outcomes of the Paris climate conference.

Then at their meeting in October last year, senior officials of Commonwealth law ministries supported the production of a toolkit of national laws and good practice. In December 2016, the Commonwealth Secretariat hosted a workshop with a wide range of international organisations and partners to examine how a toolkit could be developed.

This year, the Secretariat has collaborated closely with UNFCCC and UN Environment to develop a pilot version of the toolkit. Four Commonwealth countries, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, and Vanuatu, participated in a consultation process.

The pilot version will consist of an online database of laws in two areas, namely overarching climate change laws and energy laws. The provisions of these laws are classified and tagged at article level, which means that the toolkit enables the user to search very precisely for specific legal approaches to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The toolkit contains a sequence of review questions that support policy makers in identifying possible gaps in their national laws. Where possible gaps are identified, the toolkit suggests legislative options from other countries that could help.

Relevant contextual country information is also contained in the toolkit in order to support tailoring of legislative options to individual country needs.

Looking beyond the COP23 launch, additional modules will be added to the toolkit in other thematic legal areas – including transport, planning, water, health, land use and forestry and disaster risk management.

The toolkit will be showcased at a side event hosted by UNFCCC, UN Environment and the Commonwealth Secretariat on Wednesday, November 8, and at an expert roundtable at ‘Climate Law and Governance Day’ on Friday, November 10. On both occasions, staff from the Commonwealth Secretariat will speak or chair.

Luxury boutique resort, Cap Maison, is once again spearheading the culinary scene in St Lucia with new food and beverage options, internationally recognised awards, exciting pop-up events and UK chef exchanges.

The resort has long been known for the exquisite dining experiences it offers guests, from its gourmet French West-Indian inspired menu at The Cliff at Cap to its delicious, relaxed counterpoint The Naked Fisherman. It is now set to wow even more with new private foodie themed evenings on board Cap Maison I, a brand new outdoor dining experience called 'La Table', and rum and chocolate pairings for Chocolate Heritage Month.

Known as the innovator of a new culinary movement in Saint Lucia, Cap Maison's fine-dining restaurant, The Cliff at Cap, was the first to bring pop-up events to the island. Following on from their success, the restaurant has introduced a brand new dining experience called 'La Table'.

La Table is the ultimate al fresco dining experience, consisting of an elegant table set within the open air at one of St Lucia's most iconic locations around the Rodney Bay area. Guests will be treated to crystal stemware, elegant china, candelabra and fine linen, complete with a two course five-star dinner. La Table offers a truly intimate dining experience; on each occasion the location remains a secret until 24 hours prior to the event and accommodates a maximum of twelve guests.

Cap Maison will be offering a new series of foodie themed evenings aboard Cap Maison I, the resort's very own luxury 46 ft Sea Ray motor yacht. The first will be a burger and lobster evening scheduled through-out November, offering a refined alternative to the traditional surf and turf.

Couples will be able to book a private evening cruise that will include a five-star dinner and accompanying wine, starting with spiny-tailed lobster and followed by a char grilled wagu burger in a brioche bun.

Cap Maison's Solera Cask Rum recently won a bronze medal at the International Spirits Challenge 2016. Now in its 21st year, the ISC is the premier event in promoting quality spirits across the globe. The competition is founded on a rigorous and independent judging process, receiving more than 1,400 entries from nearly 70 countries worldwide makes the ISC a truly global competition.

Cap Maison's Solera Cask Rum is distilled by St Lucia Distillers using both pot and column stills producing an aromatic fine clear spirit. Following extensive aging in Old Port barrels the premium rum is then aged at Cap Maison using the famous “Solera” aging system in single 10L white oak medium toasted barrels guaranteeing a consistent and superior quality.

Featuring the first Miraval Life in Balance Spa in the Caribbean, the resort officially opened on Wednesday 1st November on the island's southeast peninsula and brings a new level of luxury to St. Kitts' expanding tourism product.

"The debut of Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour is a historical occasion for the island," said Minister of Tourism, International Trade, Industry and Commerce the Hon. Mr. Lindsay F.P. Grant. "This elegant and sophisticated property brings the unparalleled Park Hyatt experience to St. Kitts as the brand's first hotel in the Caribbean, which is a welcome addition to our existing accommodations product and to our overall island community."

Racquel Brown, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, added: "We are very pleased that the Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour has opened as it increases the island's appeal among those discerning destination travellers seeking experiential getaways who represent a key segment of our visitor market."

Spanning the secluded beach of Banana Bay at the foot of the island's lush rolling hills, the 126-room resort will enable guests to discover St. Kitts through sophisticated design, art, culinary experiences and immersive excursions.

Home to three signature restaurants, two pools, a destination resort spa and wellness sanctuary, and indoor and outdoor event spaces, the resort introduces the Park Hyatt experience to the Caribbean.

All 78 rooms and 48 suites overlook the golden sandy beach and exceptional vistas greet guests at every turn. Each room showcases views of the Caribbean Sea and islands beyond, with luxurious touches such as private balconies and terraces, local artwork, rain-showers and deep soaking tubs. Premium suites feature private rooftop swimming pools and sundecks. For the ultimate indulgence for discerning guests, the three-bedroom Presidential Villa is equipped with a private infinity pool, wellness area, personal butler and private chef.

From the living walls of the distinctive entryway and throughout, all features of the resort have been thoughtfully and sustainably designed by Range Developments with local materials and unique water features to create an oasis in harmony with the surrounding environment.