Louise has been in the E-Commerce team at Audley for nearly two years now and currently looks after South America, the Indian Subcontinent and the Polar region sections of the website. Previously she worked on websites for Steppes Travel and the National Trust. Her favourite travel experiences include scuba diving in the Maldives, sky diving in New Zealand and dog sledding in Alaska, with Nepal and Peru next on her wish list.
If you’re planning a visit to Colombia anytime soon, the San Agustin Archaeological Park in the Huila department is now open again to visitors following security improvements.
Jon’s cycle ride for Alalay has come to an abrupt halt
During March I blogged about our Latin America Regional Manager Jon, who was going to be embarking on a rather long cycle ride this week to raise money for a foundation that helps street kids in Bolivia.
The cycle ride was from Land’s End to John O’Groats, and would take six days, covering 158.3 miles. Unfortunately Jon had to give up his cycle ride yesterday when he injured his knee to avoid a car. He’s now unfortunately on crutches but plans to complete the last three days later in the year, from Alderley Edge to John O Groats.
If you would like to sponsor him in the meantime you can visit Jon’s Just Giving fundraising page.
The Alalay centre near Santa Cruz, Bolivia supports 130 children. All the children come from broken homes, many of them were at one time sleeping rough in the streets. The centre was set up by the Alalay Foundation run by Claudia Gonzales to support projects for the homeless in La Paz and in Santa Cruz. Friends of Alalay (Santa Cruz) was set up by Annie Syrett when she was still a student at Sheffield University. All funds raised by Friends of Alalay go towards projects at the centre near Santa Cruz.
Conor in Antarctica
Polar specialist Conor has recently returned from a trip to Antarctica where he was lucky enough to see humpback whales and gentoo penguins. Read all about his incredible experience below…
Ancient stupas, Sri Lanka
Since the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war in 2009, the east and north of the country have slowly been opening to visitors. Although facilities are still basic, the northern city of Jaffna is now easily accessible, with frequent flights to Colombo and ever improving road connections to other parts of the island.
In October we explored the area and found a very different side of Sri Lanka. Jaffna has many Portuguese and Dutch relics and, as the population is mainly Tamil, there is a strong Indian connection and fine Hindu architecture. Soon this will be an established tourist destination, so visit soon to avoid the crowds and see it before it changes.
For more information contact our Sri Lanka specialists on 01993 838 335 or visit the Sri Lanka section on our website.
Victoria Wood
Comedian Victoria Wood travels the globe to explore Britain’s love affair with tea in this two-part series starting tomorrow on BBC1 at 9pm. In the first episode Victoria visits the back streets of Kolkata (Calcutta) in India and the city of Shanghai in China.
Children of Bolivia
At the end of April our Latin America Regional Manager, Jon, will be cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats in six days – that’s an average of 158.3 miles a day. He will be alone and unsupported, raising money for a foundation that looks after street kids in Bolivia.
The first of Iberia’s new Airbus A330s has made its transatlantic flight to Boston. The Airbus A330s bring a new and much more efficient operating model to Iberia’s long-haul routes. Miami, New York and Chicago will be the other US destinations served with the new Airbus A330.
Delicious Indian breakfast
Last Friday the kitchens here at Audley were buzzing. The smell of eggs, bacon, sausages and pancakes and many other breakfast combinations filled the air, all in aid of Comic Relief.
Tony and Jenny Duval have recently returned from a trip to Costa Rica. They stayed at El Remanso Lodge and caught footage of this female Puma on camera. She’s a regular visitor and has been seen several times in the last couple of months.
Hidden in the rainforest above a secluded and wild beach, El Remanso Lodge is located on the Osa Peninsula and offers some fantastic wildlife excursions, from early morning bird watching to late night tours of the forest. Set in its own 150 acre reserve, there is a restaurant with stunning views and a small swimming pool.
There are plenty of activities on offer, including waterfall rapelling for the more adventurous, canopy tree platform tours, hiking in Corcovado National Park and horseback rides through the rainforest and beaches.
To discuss a trip to Costa Rica or a stay at El Remanso call our specialists on 01993 838 665. Alternatively find out more on our website or make an enquiry online.
Dunhuang Singing Sand Dunes, China by Katie Stearn
Every year here at Audley we hold a staff photography competition, an opportunity for our staff to enter their favourite photos taken on their travels. There are three categories for this competition: People, Landscapes and Wildlife.
This year the standard, as usual, was exceptional. See the winning photos above and below. Staff voted for their favourites as part of a pub quiz evening to raise money for the charity Friends of Conservation.
Leopard cub in South Africa by Scott Simpson
Nokpa clansman, Papua New Guinea by Mark Robinson
Audley also asks clients for any leftover currency when they return from their trips. This gets sent off to a currency company who convert it to sterling, which we then donate to charity. The last amount donated was a massive £1,375 which also got donated to Friends of Conservation, not bad for leftover small change!
To find out more about our work with charities visit our website. To find out more about life at Audley visit our careers website.
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