Audley’s ‘share your shirt’ campaign

Hannah (middle) displays some of the T-shirts donated for charity

A project set up by Hotel de la Paix in Siem Reap saw our Responsible Travel rep, Hannah, lead the way in collecting T-shirts for a ‘share your shirt’ campaign. The humidity of Cambodia’s rainy season makes short work of once good clothing, so the shirts and T-shirts we send to the hotel will be distributed to the neediest rural communities in Cambodia.

In the end we managed to fill two large boxes with shirts and T-shirts. The Hotel de la Paix in Cambodia called to say they will shortly be taking the boxes to a school that desperately needs them. They will also be uploading photos to their Facebook page after that so people might be able to spot T-shirts that they donated!

Well done Hannah!

UNESCO recognises Vietnam’s Xoan singing

Phu Tho is located about 50 miles north-west of Hanoi in Vietnam. It’s a small, unremarkable region except for one unique aspect – its singing.

It originated as a homage to the Hung kings, the ancestral kings of the Viet people who ruled the country from 2879 to 258 BC. Nowadays, during springtime village festivals each year, Xoan singing (pronounced “zwan”) is performed in front of communal houses throughout Phu Tho.

UNESCO already recognises Halong Bay, Hoi An, Hue and My Son as sites of being of such unique interest to the world that they have been afforded special preservation status, but they’ve now also voted to include Xoan singing as an “intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent protection”.

To book a tailor-made trip to Vietnam, call one of our country specialists on 01993 838 140 or contact us online.

Visit Kuala Lumpur and enjoy free Wi-Fi access

Visitors to Kuala Lumpur are set to enjoy free Wi-Fi access

Malaysia has for some time been one of Audley’s most popular destinations and it’s easy to see why. From its rich culture and recent colonial history, to quiet tea plantations blanketing the cool highland regions as well as stunning national parks, Malaysia packs a lot into a relatively small area.

Kuala Lumpur is often the first sight that greets most visitors to the country. With its amazing food, huge shopping malls and modern, high-rise skyline - dominated by the world-famous Petronas Towers - it’s a spectacular urban web showcasing the very best of modern Asia. Highlights include Chinatown’s busy markets, Little India and the elegant colonial buildings of Merdeka Square. There are also great views from the revolving restaurant at the top of the KL Sky Tower.

If you’re someone who likes to travel with your laptop or other mobile devices you should soon be able to enjoy free Wi-Fi in parts of the city. These places will include tourist attractions, restaurants and eateries, as well as countless other public areas. This isn’t a pipe dream either as the Malaysian government has passed a new law ordering its installation. It might be available to travellers as soon as April this year.

New species of monkey discovered in Burma

The alien-looking snub-nosed monkey is new to science

Burma has been in the news quite a lot lately, mostly with regard to the ongoing political situation, but news of a recent new wildlife discovery has certainly got the world’s primatologists very excited.

Looking like something from a science-fiction movie, photographs of the newly discovered snub-nosed monkey were taken remotely and at night using camera’s which were activated by infra-red sensors – hence them being black and white. These were placed high up in the remote mountains of Burma’s northern Kachin state, which borders China.

Although it’s very unlikely you will ever see the Burmese snub-nosed monkey in person there is still plenty to see and experience in this delightful country, much of which continues largely untouched by mainstream tourism.

Read Audley’s Policy on Burma

To book a tailor-made trip to Burma, call one of our country specialists on 01993 838 105 or contact us online.

Uganda plans to fence off national parks

My first encounter with gorillas was seeing this male silverback and his family eating the corn in this field

With the population of most African countries booming the conflict between people and wildlife is becoming a serious problem. I remember crossing into DRC from Uganda on a gorilla trekking trip and seeing a group of these magnificent animals sitting in a farmers field, nonchalantly eating the corn (see the photo I took above).

This type of conflict not only leads to damaged crops (the farmers in my gorilla encounter were apparently compensated on a regular basis) but more seriously, attacks on locals. In retaliation local communities often kill the wildlife involved.

To try to prevent this, the Ugandan government have announced plans to physically fence off some parks. Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage, Mr Ephraim Kamuntu, explained that Murchison Falls National Park would be the first affected under this scheme. He said:

“In the short term, to mitigate this human-wildlife conflict, we have started digging trenches to prevent the animals from crossing into the gardens of the communities destroying the lives and crops of the people. But in the long run with the funds available we shall fence off all the major national parks starting with Murchison Park where rampant damage has been encountered.”

The scheme is not unique to Uganda as Kenya was the first country to implement fences, with Mt Kenya National Park being the most recent to benefit just last year.

To book a tailor-made trip to Uganda, call one of our country specialists on 01993 838 575 or contact us online.

Safari Vet School on ITV this Friday

Student vets get some hands-on experience in ITV's new wildlife series, Safari Vet School

If you think vets in the UK sometimes have to deal with some demanding situations then meet the trainee UK vets who will be getting hands-on with some of South Africa’s most dangerous wildlife.

Arista, in our Africa Safari team has asked me to let you know about a new ITV1 wildlife series, Safari Vet School.

Presented by Steve Leonard (you might remember him from the hugely successful Vets’ School and Vets In Practice documentaries), it follows the fortunes of 32 UK-based veterinary students in South Africa.

The undergraduates find themselves treating lions, elephants, rhino, in fact all the Big Five, as well as their fair share of domestic animals as well. They’ll be working in locations which are also familiar with many Audley clients who travel to this beautiful country, such as the Amakhala Game Reserve, Shamwari Game Reserve and the Addo National Elephant Park.

The first of the 12 30-minute episodes can be seen this Friday at 8pm on ITV1.

Watch a short video preview of the series here

To book a tailor-made trip to South Africa, call one of our country specialists on 01993 838 550 or contact us online.

One of Audley’s Bali hotels scoops green award

The Maya Ubud Resort & Spa-Bali, were awarded a Green Globe certificate for their approach to sustainable management

Bali is beautiful! Its pristine beaches are often the final destination for many Audley clients intent on a spot of R&R after their holiday in Indonesia. So it’s also nice to see that one of the hotels we use there has just won a green award for its management approach to conducting business in a sustainable and responsible manner.

The Maya is now part of the Green Globe Certification program which provides certification, training, education and marketing services in 83 countries worldwide. It’s perhaps no surprise that it has picked up this award as Bali is renowned for its approach to sustainable tourism and development - no building can be higher than a palm tree for example.

It’s good to see the management of the Maya continuing to build on this environmental legacy and we congratulate them on their success. 

About the Maya

The Maya Ubud Resort & Spa-Bali, is situated in a wonderful location on the banks of the Petanu River, in Ubud. Set in ten acres of hillside gardens, each of the 60 rooms and villas offer views over either a small valley or rice terraces. Facilities include a stunning outdoor swimming pool, riverside spa, tennis court and three restaurants.

To book a tailor-made trip to Indonesia, call one of our country specialists on 01993 838 110 or contact us online.

Combine an African safari with seeing a total solar eclipse

The path of totality (the bit in shadow) is 36 km wide as it passes over Uganda and Kenya

On November 3rd, 2013, a total solar eclipse will cross the northern part of both Uganda and Kenya. I’ve produced a map below showing its path as it travels across sub-Saharan Africa.

Why not combine a safari trip to one of these countries (or both) with a once in a lifetime chance to see one of nature’s most awe-inspiring sights?

Even though it’s nearly two years away still, accommodation in both countries near the eclipse path is likely to be in short supply so booking early is probably advisable to avoid disappointment.

Contact one of our Uganda or Kenya specialists on 01993 838 500 or contact us online to book your tailor-made safari and eclipse trip.

Peninsula Hotels to stop selling shark fin soup

The instantly recognisable great white shark

Shark fin soup is a delicacy in many parts of Asia but it has also become highly controversial as it’s thought to be the major cause in the dramatic decline in global shark populations. Indeed, estimates for the number of sharks culled annually for the trade, range from a staggering 35-70 million, despite the fact that 30% of shark species are threatened with extinction.

Now, however, the Peninsula Hotels Group (we use their hotels in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bejing and Bangkok) will become the first major chain to stop serving it as of January 2012.

It’s a major breakthrough for campaigners who see the practice as cruel, unnecessary and unsustainable.

Our top 10 travel apps

The ubiquitous smartphone: fast becoming the ideal companion when abroad

Today, there are literally thousands of travel apps (or applications) on the market for smartphones. I’ve picked my top 10, some of which are free to download.

Have a look and see if you agree?

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