World Expeditions is marking next month's two-year anniversary of the catastrophic 2015 earthquake in Nepal with the announcement of a brand new 'Re-Build Nepal' project: taking place in November, it will concentrate on assisting in the building of three new classrooms at the Shree Manjushree School at the village of Kashi Goan in the Gorkha region, near Langtang, which was at the epicentre of the earthquake.
The worst natural disaster to strike the mountainous landlocked country for more than 80 years, the 2015 earthquake killed more than 8,000 people, left two million homeless and destroyed around 6,000 schools – but it also had a major impact on tourism, the nation's single largest industry.
The adventure travel specialist, which has been operating in Nepal for more than 40 years and had over 200 trekkers and staff in the region when the earthquake struck, was immediately keen to provide opportunities to anyone eager to help in a real and meaningful way by physically contributing to the rebuilding effort.
Through seven 'Re-Build Nepal' projects World Expeditions has already helped rebuild classrooms at three schools across Nepal, in the Solu Khumbu, Dolakha and Rasuwa districts, and continues to urge travellers to return and provide a much-needed boost to the country's economy.
The new project is complemented by a remote, off the beaten track trek that follows at parts sections of the Great Himalaya Trail, crossing true wilderness and visiting untouched traditional villages rich in Tamang and Gurung culture.
Gordon Steer, UK Manager for World Expeditions, said:
“Nepal is home to the world's highest peak, clusters of Himalayan ranges and hardworking people who live amongst them. Collectively, they have inspired, challenged and brought positive change for travellers who seek to experience its majesty and the warmth of the mountain villagers”.
“Nepal is 'open for business' and now, more than ever, its people need something back from us. Tourism is a major contributor to the country's economy so the downturn in tourists has had a huge impact”.
To celebrate the release of the new Pirates of the Caribbean film, Salazar's Revenge, Cap Maison, the luxury boutique villa resort in Saint Lucia has rounded up the best pirate- themed adventure trips that the Caribbean has to offer. Parents can spend quality time with their children in five star paradise whilst giving them an experience they won't forget. The activities provide an opportunity to explore the real history of pirates in the region and provide youngsters with some great pirate themed action of their own.
Pirates Day Adventure on 'Black Magic'
On the 16th century replica of the square-rigged galleon pirate ship, 'Black Magic' parents can sit back and take in the breath-taking scenery whilst the kids can get in on the action and experience what it would be like to be a real Pirate of the Caribbean; dress up as a pirate, fire the black powder cannons, swing from the yardarms and walk the plank. The crew are on hand to entertain, outlining fascinating facts along the way. Stops include the Diamond Botanical Gardens and the Sulphur Springs, St. Lucia's iconic drive-in volcano. There is a swim stop and on board activities for both adults and children to enjoy.
Pigeon Island Treasure Hunt
Spend a day at 'Pigeon Island' one of Saint Lucia's most famous national landmarks, and embark on an exhilarating treasure hunt. On the island, you will be greeted by a 'spirited' resident pirate - who is alleged to have been abandoned back in the days of Jame De Bois, the infamous pirate captain. A truly memorable activity which takes you around the whole island, with the chance of winning the grand prize: a return trip to Saint Lucia for two, or the cash equivalent is up for grabs along with many other goodies! The day ends with a well-deserved swim on the beach where refreshments are available.
Visit Blackbeard at Black Bay in Vieux Fort
In the second half of the 18th century, Vieux Fort was the centre of Saint Lucia's sugar industry. Legend has it that Blackbeard, the infamous pirate used to store his treasure in a hidden cove in a place called Black Bay. If you are interested in wildlife, about a mile off Vieux Fort's coast, and worth a day trip, are two turtle-shaped islands called the Maria Islands. These are protected nature reserves serving as refuge for two perilously endangered reptiles: the Zandoli Te, a colourful ground lizard with the males displaying a brilliant blue tail; and the harmless Kouwes snake, the rarest snake in the world. The islands are also nesting grounds for leatherback turtles and numerous species of sea birds.
Great Southern Rail has unveiled its newest Indian Pacific luxury rail experience, the freshly refitted and refurbished Chairmans Carriage. Visitors to Australia can now opt to travel between Sydney and Perth, via Adelaide and visa versa, in the Chairmans Carriage which features three Platinum Double and one Platinum Twin cabin.
But, for the ultimate in luxury and privacy, the Chairmans Carriage can be chartered for sole use.
The Chairmans Carriage was gutted last October with part of the refit including the realignment of the carriage windows to ensure each new cabin has a view on both sides of the train. The Carriage now offers a private lounge area equipped with TV and bar facilities.
This new service is the latest in a long list of enhanced options available on the Indian Pacific which this year sees:
A massive increase in product choice, more affordable flights and guaranteed sun, has led to a major increase in family holiday bookings to Dubai in the first quarter of the year, says Travel Republic.
The leading online travel agent, has revealed booking figures for a Dubai holiday have increased by a dramatic 64% amongst families since the beginning of 2017, compared to the same period last year*.
And Dubai has leapt into Travel Republic's Top 10 destinations for 2017 with an overall increase of 39% across all bookings year on year, with family holidays showing the biggest growth, and strong demand for all inclusive now available across a wide range of luxury hotels.
Ian Simmonds, Managing Director for Travel Republic, says, “The increase of family holidays to Dubai from the beginning of 2017 demonstrates an ever growing demand for new destinations that many families haven't been to before.”
“Dubai is a destination that has always seen growing popularity with Travel Republic customers, with the majority of our bookings coming from couple's holidays**, so it is particularly pleasing to see such a strong growth and enthusiasm amongst our family customers to take advantage of affordable flights and luxury accommodation in the jewel of the Middle East.”
The results announcement follows Travel Republic's biggest peaks campaign in the UK and Ireland at the beginning of 2017. The “Yours for the Making” campaign, showcased the reward holidaymakers get by creating a holiday experience that elevates their time away above and beyond the usual.
At 4321m Mt. Elgon has the largest volcanic base in the world. Located on the Uganda-Kenya border it is also the oldest solitary volcanic mountain in East Africa. The slopes of Mount Elgon are riddled with caves carved out by moving lava and the erosion of soft volcanic deposits.
The elephants enter the caves as a whole family and walk as far as 160 metres into the pitch darkness just to find a salt seam in the rock, very often with their young in tow. They then excavate the mineral-rich rock by using their tusks to chip off chunks of halite, slowly making the cave deeper and deeper over time. The elephant population of Mt. Elgon are the world´s only elephants to venture underground into huge, dark caves and pass down the unique culture of salt mining to their young.
15 years ago the Mount Elgon Monitoring Team was initiated by the BBC Natural History Unit to learn more about these unique elephants prior to filming Sir David Attenborough's 'The Life of Mammals'.
They found there were only one group of elephants coming to the caves and they announced their presence with 'rumbles' as a greeting call.
It is hoped that this process – similar to the technique used by Diane Fossey to habituate gorillas – will eventually make it possible for tourists to accompany these specialised rangers and experience the thrill of tracking elephants, whilst also providing funding for the further development of the park.
Mount Elgon National Park has a variety of other attractions to tempt the eagle-eyed traveller including immense cliffs, the Sipi falls, breath taking gorges, bubbling springs and some of the finest Arabica coffee in Africa. However, the cave elephants of Mount Elgon are a genuine wonder of the natural world and unmissable for any visitor to Uganda.
Experience world-class Bahamian art in beautiful surroundings. The 13th Transforming Spaces Art Tour is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, April 1 and 2, 2017. The weekend tour will include a morning and afternoon tour on Saturday, and a morning tour on Sunday. Each gallery will be curating its own exhibition for the event and it is expected that approximately 40 artists will be exhibiting their artworks at the various venues.
The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore observed World Spay Day to create awareness about controlling the increasing population of stray dogs through spaying (neutering) and also through chemical (zeutrtering). UVAS Vice-Chancellor Meritorious Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha led the walk while Dean Faculty of Veterinary Science Prof Dr Masood Rabbani, Prof Dr Aneela Zameer Durrani and Dr Asim Khalid and a large number of students, faculty members participated.
Alkhidmat Orphan Program arranged a training session for the Orphan Children of Aghosh Alkhidmat Rawalpindi. The session was aimed at sensitizing the children regarding moral values and volunteerism. Mr. Ali Sheikh, Deputy Coordinator AKF Mawakhat Program Rawalpindi and Ms. Zainab delivered lectures on morality and benefits of being a good human. Children enjoyed the learning activity and appreciated the training environment.
At the invitation of H.E. Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities and Chairperson of the Board of the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage, UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, attended the celebrations of Bahrain's Spring of Cultures Festival, which coincided with Arab Tourism Day.
"It has come to the notice of the Zone 2 Headquarters reports making the rounds in national dailies that ‘Obasanjo Storms out of Police Event over Delay.’ In as much as it is a statement of fact that there was delay in the taking off of the First Special Training and Capacity Development Seminar held at the Federal Palace Hotel, yesterday March 2, 2017, due to exigencies of the policing job, the truth must not be skewed to suit personal or pre-determined stances."
Instagramming the world's highest peak is set to become much easier following Nepal's plans to create a free wi-fi zone at Everest Base Camp. Although at the moment paid-for wi-fi is available at various hotels and restaurants in the area, at 5,380m (17,600ft) it is expected to be the world's highest free wi-fi zone.
Slovenia, one of Europe's greenest countries, will explode with colour in May as the Bohinj International Wild Flower Festival returns with the theme 'Flowers and Bees'. This year's festival opening coincides with World Bee Day, a United Nations initiative created in cooperation with The Slovenian Beekeepers' Association. In recent years, Slovenia has been identified as a leading beekeeping destination, creating honey therapy (apitherapy) programmes to emphasise how bees positively impact human lives.