The end of Movember

The end of November and the end of fundraising for Movember!

At the beginning of November I mentioned that a number of the male employees at our New Mill offices were taking part in Movember to raise money and awareness for prostate and testicular cancer here in the UK.

Well, after 30 days of dedication to what can only be described as a throwback to the 70s, we have ended the month with some  very impressive facial hair and an even more impressive fundraising total!

The Audley Mo’ Brothers’ aim was to beat the £500 they raised last year, and I’m pleased to say they have absolutely smashed this target, going above and beyond anything they could have hoped for. This year’s total currently stands at an astounding £3,075 with the promise of a few more sponsors to come!

A massive pat on the back to all of those involved in this year’s fundraising, you have done yourself proud!

And if you would like to donate to this very worth cause, you still can via the Audley Mo’ Brothers sponsorship page.

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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Pandas on their way to Edinburgh Zoo from China

Pandas head to Edinburgh Zoo from China

With all the bad news that appears in the press normally, it’s nice to come across a positive, heartwarming story once in a while, and this is exactly what I found when having a look around the BBC news site yesterday.

Two pandas, named Sunshine and Sweetie, are on their way to Edinburgh Zoo from their home in China, in the hope that they will breed. Panda reproduction is notoriously difficult as females are only fertile for one day a year and, as Wei Ming explains in the video, there also needs to be a mutual attraction!

It is costing Edinburgh Zoo a whopping £700,000 a year for each bear, plus another £70,000 to feed their bamboo habit. They will be staying in Scotland’s capital for 10 years and the zoo hopes they will prove so popular that their visitor numbers double.

Visit the BBC website to watch this video and find out more about China’s panda conservation effort.

Saving bears and wolves in British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest

Spirit bear in British Columbia, Canada

The Raincoast Conservation Foundation is a charity that we as a company support and a recent update from them shows why their work really is so important to the wildlife of Canada.

In 2005 the charity purchased an area of hunting territory three times the size of Yellowstone National Park in Canada’s British Columbia region, along with a 24,700 square kilometres hunting licence. This meant they had exclusive commercial hunting rights over the area and the purchase ended commercial trophy hunting over this huge region. In 2011, the charity purchased another 3,500 square kilometres of hunting territory and this time the area encompassed a vast amount of spirit bear habitat.

In securing these large areas of land, the Raincoast Conservation Foundation has played a major part in the conservation of wildlife in the area, including black bears, wolves and spirit bears. And while the depleting numbers of salmon available in the area is still a worry, the progress made to protect bear habitat and reduce trophy hunting has dramatically increased the chance of future generations being able to enjoy BC’s wildlife for themselves.

If you would like to find out more about the charities we support, please visit our Responsible Travel holiday guide.

To discover more about the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and the work that they do, please visit the Raincoast Conservation Website.

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.