Category Archives: Sidebar

Being Careful: Philippines

As the Beetle was planning a little diving trip to the Philippines, she thought she’d check out the FCO’s travel advice for the area.

The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all travel to central, southern and Western Mindanao, to Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and the Sulu archipelago, where military and police operations against terrorist and rebel groups are continuing and where kidnappings and bombings have taken place.

There is a high threat from terrorism and kidnapping throughout the Philippines. There continues to be threats against Western interests and there is a danger of collateral damage from terrorist attacks targeted at others.

You should also be alert to the risk of street crime.

Penalties for illegal drug importation and use are severe and can include the death penalty.

We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.

Michelin Route Planner

Spotted by our Webmaster, Paul, this website tells you how to drive between different places in Europe.  It calculates the total number of miles, the best route and the amount payable in tolls.  Worked for the Beetle who tested it out from the Beetle lair in Central London to Brussels: 200 miles, taking approx. 4 ½ hours, including 2 hours 40 mins on express highways.  Not bad, hey!

Michelin Route Planner

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Fave Website

Kid of Speed

This website contains pictures and dialogue (in English) of the after effects of Chernobyl.  Some people have said that it is a hoax, but the Beetle thinks it’s fascinating anyway! 

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New Tunnel under the Bosporus

Work on a tunnel and rail system under the Bosporus Strait connecting Europe and Asia in has just started in Istanbul.  The tunnel will be 13.7 kilometres long, (8.5 mile) tunnel and 1,400 meters of the tunnel will be underwater.  The Bosporus Strait, a 32 km waterway connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, separating European Turkey from Asian Turkey.  It bisects Istanbul as it flows by historic Ottoman castles, mosques and parkland.  The tunnel will become the third link between the city's European and Asian sides.

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A New Silk Route

Forty-five years after it was first proposed, a modern version of the ancient Silk Road that once linked Asia with Europe is taking shape, in the form of a 140,000 km web of highways and ferry routes that will again connect the two continents.  The Asian Highway Agreement, signed by 23 Asian nations, including China, Japan and South Korea is intended to ensure construction of a road system that would ease the isolation of many landlocked Asian nations and establish a modern version of the ancient trading route that once linked the continent to Europe by camel train.  The Asian Highway would be not one road but an entire system of routes that by land and sea would connect Tokyo to Turkey, and Bhutan to Bulgaria.  Large nations like Japan, China, South Korea, Russia and India would benefit from the better trade links a unified highway system would bring.  But the project is also designed to help smaller, landlocked countries gain coveted routes to sea ports.

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Airline News

United Airlines plans to launch daily flights between San Francisco and Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City in December 2004, becoming the first US carrier to resume direct air links since the end of the Vietnam War.

Singapore will build Asia's first dedicated low-cost terminal for SGD$45 million (USD$26.4 million) by 2006 to cater to growing numbers of budget airlines.  There has been a huge increase in the number of budget airlines across Southeast Asia following the success of no-frills carriers such as Malaysia's AirAsia, challenging the dominance of carriers such as Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines.

Tiger Airways, the budget unit of Singapore Airlines, plans to launch services in September, three months ahead of schedule.  Tiger, a venture between Singapore Air and the founder of Irish discount airline Ryanair, will be the second budget carrier to fly from Singapore's ChangiAirport after Singapore's ValuAir.

Continental Airlines said it is imposing new fees on tickets bought at US airport counters and reservation centres, as it aims to encourage online bookings and cut costs.  The Houston-based carrier said it will charge a USD$5 fee for tickets bought through its US call centres and a USD$10 fee for tickets bought at US airport ticket counters, effective immediately.

Continental wants more travellers to book tickets online, saving on personnel costs.

US Airways imposed similar fees on Tuesday, and Northwest Airlines has also implemented them.

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Sex Toy Scare Down Under

A vibrating sex toy in a rubbish bin sparked a security scare and closed a Mackay airport in Queensland, Australia for almost an hour.  An emergency was declared at the airport after airport staff heard a strange noise coming from the bin. “It was rather disconcerting when the rubbish bin started humming furiously,” cafeteria manager Lynne Bryant said.  Police evacuated the terminal and were about to call in bomb experts when an unidentified passenger came forward to identify the contents of a package left in the bin.  Police later said the package was identified as an “adult novelty device”.

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Travel Jokes

And from the Pilot during his welcome message: “Delta Airlines is pleased to have some of the best Flight Attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!”.

Heard on Southwest Airlines just after a very hard landing in Salt Lake City: The Flight Attendant came on the intercom and said, “That was quite a bump, and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the Airline's fault, it wasn't the Pilot's fault, it wasn't the Flight Attendant's fault. It was the asphalt.”.

Overheard on an American Airlines flight into Amarillo, Texas, on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain was really having to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Amarillo. Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!”.

Another Flight Attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing. “We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal.”

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Companions2Travel.co.uk

Companions2Travel matches up like-minded single people looking to travel.

Companions2Travel.co.uk is a unique UK website allowing single people to combine their travel plans by simply going online and filling in a form. The site can match a couple or a group of people with similar interests and preferred destinations. You can join for free as a trial member, just to see if you like it or not!

Whatever your status, Companions2Travel.co.uk will match you with people that are looking for the same as you. The site also offers a safe place to download your holiday snaps, a message board and chat rooms, up-to-the-minute travel news, tips for safe travel, practical travel links and special offers.

www.companions2travel.co.uk

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