· From Naomi in Bulgaria:-
Hi Beetle – I have recently opened a restaurant in a small but very beautiful village in Beli Iskar, Bulgaria. The place itself is very picturesque with nature trails and national forest surrounding it. It is a small journey from the 7 lakes a famous glacier lake formation. Also near to Borovets ski resort, the beautiful Rila Monastery, and much more. I moved here from the UK about 9 months ago, after finishing my degree and wanting a change of scenery, I opted for Bulgaria! I would love for more people to know about the area and what it has to offer! We are based in a great apartment complex where we can organise 3/5 day activity packages where people will get a chance to experience some of what is on offer here! I don’t know whether you would be interested in including something about this in the newsletter- or whether you have any advice about getting this little gem known to travellers! I would appreciate any advice you can give ! If you would like to know anymore please get in touch! I have loads of information about the area that I would love to share!

Thanks for your time, Kind Regards, Naomi eaglerockcafe@hotmail.com

A member of Globetrotters Club and interested in winning a £1,000 travel award ? Know someone who fits these criteria ? We have up to two £1,000 awards to give out this year for the best independent travel plan, as judged by the clubÂ’s Committee.

See the legacy page on our web site, where you can apply with your plans for a totally independent travel trip and we’ll take a look !!

· recent addition to the range of travel web sites & magazines – http://www.beyondtravelmagazine.co.uk/

· spotted by David Hock – check out these guys biking from Alaska to tip of S. America. They’re the real deal –http://ridingthespine.com/main.html

· Calcutta Walks, a walking tour company in Calcutta, India, offer many other ways of exploring the city besides walking, but specialise in walking tours. Their web site is at – www.calcuttawalks.com.

·“An interesting pair ” as spotted by Tracey Murray – http://www.3mphroundtheworld.com

· In response to a request for suggestions in finding a travelling companion I suggest clicking on this link There is a host of links to explore all about finding companions for travel – Francesca Jaggs

Need to convert a 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.

Regular contributor Mac ruminates on the world of travel & some of his adventures along the way 

This time round The Beetle is responding to his suggestion of the following top ten places to visit:-

1. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Zambia

2. Canals of Venice, Italy

3. Great Barrier Reef, Australia

4. Lee River, China (conical limestone peaks)

5. Suez Canal, Egypt

6. Lake Como, Italy

7. Lake Baikal, Russia

8. Nile River, Egypt

9. Bora Bora, South Pacific

10. Dead Sea, Israel

Hi Mac,

I’m at work, we are having a wall built between the main cheese waxing area and my new dairy – I will be making cheese for the first time next week!

Here’s my version of the best top 10:, with a theme of best Lakes, Canals, & Watery Wonders:-

1. The Panama Canal – an incredible piece of engineering

2. The Amazon

3. The reefs off Papua New Guinea – the Great Barrier reef is largely dead and trashed by careless divers and snorkelers

4. The Nile from Luxor to Aswan

5. Venice

6. Lake Tanganyika by the steps of the Railway Hotel, Kigoma – the most beautiful and serene sight

7. Gulin, China, with its rounded steep mountains

8. The Danube

9. Rotorua and its geysers and stinky lake

10. Lake Wanaka

What do you the readers think ? Has Mac got the inside track or does The Beetle show up the breadth of her knowledge ? The Ant

We are planning a new photobook, to be published next autumn, which will highlight unusual places, people, events and wildlife of the world. The book, to be published in conjunction with Bradt Travel Guides, will be a glossy tome with a range of images and the stories behind them.

We’ve invited readers to send us photos from their travels, showcasing anything offbeat – unusual foods, quirky art or architecture, strange or amusing transport, weird wildlife or funny signs.

I’m certain Globetrotters will have some great photos from their travels – the most interesting images will be published in the book (which will be distributed through bookshops and the Wanderlust website) and everyone who submits an image will be entered into a draw to win some fabulous prizes.

This is not a photography competition – we’re not looking for technical quality; rather, it’s the story behind the picture and the destination which is of interest.

Details of the book can be found at:

http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/weirdworld

Closing date for submission of images is 20 February 2009.

If you enjoy writing and travelling, why not write for the free Globetrotters eNewsletter! The Ant 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 14,000 people currently subscribe to the Globetrotter eNewsletter.

Email The Ant at theant@globetrotters.co.uk with your travel experiences / hints & tips / questions. Your article should be approximately 1000 words, feature up to 3 or 4 jpeg photos and introduce yourself with a couple of sentences and a contact e-mail address.

Help needed…

• Dear Globetrotters Club,

  I have just become a new member.

  I’m planning a tour in my Landrover through Middle East and Africa. I cannot go through Sudan because of visa problem. Could you or some of your members give advise of how to get around Sudan. I thing it is very difficult on a western route and through Central Africa to Uganda. An alternative is to take a boat from Egypt or Saudi/Dubai to Mombasa, but as I would like to go to Ethiopia, I would like to know how it is to go to Djibouti and from there to Ethiopia.

  Best regards

  Hugo Gaarden

  hugo.gaarden@gmail.com

• …to ask if anyone can give a quick help with information on cheap accommodation in India. [I’m] going to be travelling in India and in China and would like to have some advice before departing. If any of you can give some feedback…it would be most appreciated. Don’t really know much about plans, so I guess any tip would do.

  Many thanks !

  onder.gultekin@gmail.com

• From Krys:-

  Hi Guys,

  I need to organize some more space so I would like to give away four year copies of the Wanderlust magazine 2000 – 2004. If you happen to know someone interested in collecting them (London E17), please forward my e-mail address.

  Thank you

  Krys

A member of Globetrotters Club and interested in winning a £1,000 travel award ? Know someone who fits these criteria ? We have up to two £1,000 awards to give out this year for the best independent travel plan, as judged by the club’s Committee.

See the legacy page on our web site, where you can apply with your plans for a totally independent travel trip and we’ll take a look !!

Web sites to muse about travel to

• From Hector Christie for travel, culture, arts, photography – www.hectorchristie.co.uk

• Girl Solo in Arabia – Carolyn McIntyre is traveling from the Moroccan City of Tangiers through 46 countries as she attempts to recreate an epic journey made 700 years ago by the famed Islamic scholar and traveler Ibn Battuta http://girlsoloinarabia.typepad.com/

• For an update to the magazine and more travel ideas read – http://www.realtravelmag.com/

• Has anyone heard of “Couch Surfing”, as discussed on Radio 4 recently ? http://www.couchsurfing.com/