Small village becomes the first place in Burma to ban plastic bags

A young 'leg rower' on Inle Lake, Burma

For me, one of the downsides of travel is to see places spoilt by man-made litter - and there’s nothing worse than the scourge of the ubiquitous plastic bag.

What’s worse, while you or I might pick up our shopping in biodegradable bags these days, most of those in use in under-developed countries do not yet fall into this category and so have the potential to be around for literally hundreds of years.

Having seen at first hand the blight these cause in many countries I’ve visited in Africa, it’s heartening to see their use curtailed now and again. This is exactly what’s happening in a small village next to Inle Lake, in Burma.

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Paya Ngoto School, Burma – Audley’s Final Term report

Audley Manager, Kate, with the children of Paya Ngoto

I’ve blogged several times about this small, provincial school in Burma (to see previous blogs just type “Paya Ngoto” into the search).

The first time was when the school was virtually destroyed by Cyclone Nargis back in 2008. Since then Audley have set up numerous fund raising events, not just to repair the school, but to continue to support it long term.

I thought I’d share with you what Kate, one of our Southeast Asia Regional Product Managers, found on a recent visit (includes photos). 

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Lady Liuwa – the latest news

In October 2011 two young lionesses are relocated to Luiwa Plain National Park, Zambia

I wrote a blog back in April 2010 called Lady Liuwa – The Last Lioness, which turned out to be our most commented upon blog ever; it even attracted a response by the film maker himself - Herbert Brauer.

Not too much has happened since I wrote that blog but last week I saw the first significant update to this remarkable story.

In October this year two new lionesses were relocated from Kafue National Park to Liuwa Plain National Park, and are set to be released this December to join the now famous, Lady Liuwa.

The original hope was that Lady Liuwa, and the two lions that were introduced a few years ago to end her isolation, would hopefully also produce cubs. However to date this hasn’t happened and sadly the prospects now look bleak. The hope now is that these two new lionesses will breed with the two existing lions to ensure a viable population once more in Liuwa Plain National Park.

Finally, there is also good news for fans of the original documentary. There are plans for a follow-up which will track the progress of these two newcomers and no doubt, Lady Liuwa herself.

Last chance to cruise through Borneo’s jungles

The RV Pandaw cruises the Rajang River in Malaysian Borneo

Often, the best way to experience a destination is by water – sometimes it’s the only way! On the RV Pandaw you can do just this as it weaves its way down the mighty Rajang River in Malaysian Borneo.

Not only will you encounter some magnificent scenery– a total jungle experience with the rainforest tumbling into the fast flowing river – it will mark the end of an era for this particular boat as it’s about to cease its operations on the 20th Feb 2012.

As there is very little tourism here due to the river’s remoteness and lack of facilities, it’s perfect for those who want to experience a genuine feeling of solitude in a unique environment. Highlights of your cruise will include soft treks in the jungle, visits to Iban long houses and side trips on the expedition boat, the Pandaw Adventurer.

To book one of the last trips on the RV Pandaw, call one of our Borneo specialists on 01993 838 120 or contact us online.

On the road with Audley South Africa specialist, Scott

Scott with a cheetah, bred as part of the Cheetah Preservation Foundation, Cango Wildlife Ranch, South Africa

All of our specialists regularly revisit their chosen countries. These ”FAM” trips as we call them (short for “familiarisation”) are crucial though as they enable us to uncover new areas, hotels and excursions as well as making sure that existing ones are up to scratch.

Although these trips might appear like holidays, they are far from it and our specialists have to work hard. Here, Scott summarises his recent trip.

Whale watching in Hermanus was certainly a highlight of my most recent trip to South Africa, however it was only a small part of a fantastic month long adventure back to the country where I grew up.

A journey from Cape Town to Pretoria on the world famous Rovos Rail was an experience I’ll never forget and one I would highly recommend to any visitor to South Africa.

Early morning game drives at the Kruger National Park were coupled with night drives at the magnificent Sabi Sands Game Reserve, the result was an incredible 10 days exploring the many lodges in the area.

After leaving the northern part of the country I travelled back down to the coast and spent a fantastic few days working my way up the Garden Route. Hermanus, Plettenberg Bay, Knysna and Mossel Bay were just a few of the wonderful little towns I visited along the way, the friendly people and warm weather reminding me why I was in the greatest country in the world.

After an amazing month of guesthouses, hotels, bed and breakfasts and game lodges I returned to Johannesburg, a quick farewell to the family and boarded my flight back to London.

Find out more about Scott by reading his Audley profile. Note, you can see the profiles of all Audley’s specialists here.

Whale watching in Hermanus, South Africa

The video above was taken by Scott, one of our South Africa specialists on a recent Audley fact-finding trip back to his country of birth. It’s a close encounter with a curious southern right whale.

Apparently whales often mistake boats for other whales which is why this one might have been so inquisitive.

Whale & dolphin spotting holidays with Audley

Our whale and dolphin watching guide, details the best places from around the world to go, which whales or dolphins you are likely to see and most importantly, the best time to go.

Jumbo-sized rescue at Kapani Lodge

The mother and calf are firmly stuck and without human intervention, will surely die.

Kapani Lodge, on the banks of the Luangwa River in Zambia, is one of Audley’s most popular lodges and it was close by that a recent dramatic rescue took place.

An unfortunate elephant and her calf had got themselves well and truly stuck in the thick mud and would have surely perished had it not been for some timely human intervention.

See what happened in pictures…

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Indonesia to create orang-utan ‘islands’

There are only two islands in the world where orang-utan can be found in the wild: Malaysian Borneo and Sumatra in Indonesia. Yet, even in these two countries the species occupies the endangered list due to habitat loss, poaching or locals keeping them as pets (an illegal activity but one which is still commonplace unfortunately).

However, UK conservationist, Dr Ian Singleton, who is also director of the Orangutan Conservation Programme, has put forward plans to create designated orang-utan ’islands’ in Indonesia to help rehabilitate captive animals.

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Audley launches updated South Africa brochure

A leopard, Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa

It was around this time last year that we launched our updated Africa and the Indian Ocean brochure. However, we also have a dedicated South Africa brochure and we’ve now revised this as well – it’s bigger and better than ever! 

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Cambodia floods – how you can help

Flood relief efforts in Cambodia

As you might have seen in the news recently there has been serious flooding in Thailand and Cambodia. Tourist areas have not been affected, but it has had a devastating affect on local communities, with many rural families losing their homes and livelihoods. The death toll from the flooding in Cambodia alone has risen to 247, with hundreds of thousands of hectares of rice paddies also destroyed.

To help a project has been set up by a local NGO, Green Gecko Project, in collaboration with three hotels in Cambodia: Hotel dela Paix, Heritage Suites Hotel and Golden Banana Hotel. The aim is to raise money to provide rice (at least 10 tons), fish and fresh water to local families who have lost their crops, income and homes.

If you would like to donate then please visit the website: Green Gecko kids flood relief initiative | Hotel Collaboration

Thank you!