All posts by The Beetle

India Resource

India Tourist! Is a CD guide to India – see www.india-tourist.com The cd covers over 150 destinations and over 500 sub-destinations of India. It includes a hotel directory with over 1200 hotels across India affiliated to Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India, a listing of major travel agents across the country, details of the 4 Luxury trains with routes, itineraries etc.

Disney Parks

Disney's theme parks were launched 50 years ago this year. It is believed that 4% of all amateur photographs in the US are taken in a Disney park. Walt Disney was not impressed by American amusement parks, finding them “awful, smelly, dirty, and not particularly safe” so he decided to open his own. The Disneyworld resort in Florida opened in 1971, five years after Walt Disney died. The first Japanese park opened in 1983 and Hong Kong's park opens in September 205 and there are rumours, though denied by the company, that India could be next.

Metal Knives and Forks are Back

Lighters and matches are now banned in airline cabins, but passengers on British aircraft will be able to eat a meal with metal cutlery and to take knitting needles and scissors with blades less than 3 centimetres, or 1.2 inches, long in hand baggage. Longer blades, corkscrews, and penknives will still not be allowed, according to the British Department of Transport. “Airline security is an issue under constant review,” a spokesman says. “There are now enough security measures in place to allow passengers to bring these items back on to planes.”

Have you got a tale to tell?

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

Iberia Contemplating Low Cost Arm

Spanish airline Iberia is considering buying or setting up its own low cost airline. More than 50 million foreign tourists visit Spain every year, increasingly arriving on budget airlines such as Ryanair, easyJet or Lufthansa's Germanwings. Watch this space!

Iris Recognition at LHR

Project IRIS is being introduced at Heathrow's Terminals 2 and 4 at the end of April 2005 before being rolled out to other UK airports, and is aimed at anyone not holding an EU passport who regularly travels through Heathrow. They will be invited to have their iris patterns photographed and stored in a database upon departure. Those passengers can then use special automated security check-points which scan their eyes, avoiding long lines for non-EU passport holders when they return to the country. The new security system aims to replace face-to-face passport control interviews and reducing long queues at the immigration counters.

Diaspora Event, London

A celebration of musical excellence from London's diaspora communities!

The weekend will feature a selection of world-class performers, all now based in the capital of the UK from all around the world. For more information, see: www.culturalco-operation.org

Admission is free by downloadable voucher from the internet site. The music weekend will take place at KewGardens, Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th June.