Travelling to Japan with Lucy from Audley

Lucy with her fellow travellers

 Lucy from Audley shares her experiences of her recent trip to Japan.

 ”When I was offered the opportunity to visit Tokyo and Kyoto on a FAM trip (the chance given to all Audley staff to travel to a country and uncover new areas, hotels and excursions as well as make sure that existing ones are up to scratch), I was a little unsure. In all honesty, Japan was not at the top of my travel wish list, however the more I looked into it, the more excited I became with the idea of experiencing a culture so different from my own.

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Jaffna is back on the map

Ancient stupas, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s north and east is opening up – so be among the first to visit…

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.

Moroccan music festivals

Local musician, Morocco

Katie, one of our Product Executives highlights a couple of music festivals to watch out for when planning a trip to Morocco.

“June 20th sees the start of the 15th Gnaoua International Music Festival, held in various locations around the bohemian port-town of Essaouira in Morocco. Featuring artists from all over Morocco and other African countries, and as far away as Cuba and Pakistan. The music is lively and varied and brings a new energy to this World Heritage town. 

The main part of the festival is free to the public and is hosted on outdoor stages across the town, from the main medina to the beach itself. Other venues, such as a 19th century tower terrace in the town ramparts and stages within traditional riads, charge entrance fees but are more intimate concerts.

A very different kind of Moroccan festival is traditionally held over one weekend during the first couple of weeks in May, in the Valley of Roses in the Ouarzazate area. This is an annual rose festival, during which time the roses grown in the area are culled for perfume making. Local Berber tribes from the area come to the town to sell their crafts as well as to meet and celebrate with various traditional dances, swordplay, indigenous music and snake-charming.”

• Rose Festival at Kelaa M’Gouna: 3rd – 5th May 2013
• Gnaoua International Music Festival: 20th – 23rd June 2013

To find out about a tailor-made trip to Morocco with Audley, call one of our specialists on 01993 838 420 or contact us online.

Victoria Wood’s nice cup of tea

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.

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Be part of the sporting action in Australia

Australian Rules Football at the MCG stadium, Melbourne

Australians aren’t just passionate about sport, they’re completely obsessed with it. And 2013 is a good time to witness this, as Australia hosts a wealth of sporting events to get the pulse racing.

The eagerly anticipated British and Irish Lions rugby tour to Australia in June and July sees fixtures in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Then the Aussie Rules final series kicks off in September, with thousands of fans packing into the MCG stadium in Melbourne. The entire city takes on a lively atmosphere as excited fans cheer their teams to victory. It is a truly unique Australian experience.

The Melbourne Cup Carnival is one of the most vibrant horse-racing events in the world. This festival of horse racing and fashion culminates in November with the Melbourne Cup race itself. Most of Australia stops to watch or listen to the race, but there’s nothing like being there among the 100,000-plus crowd.

Then there is the Ashes, in November, with test matches in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.

To speak to one of our Audley specialists about incorporating a sporting event into a tailor-made trip to Australia, please call 01993 838 810, or contact us online.

New safety app launched for those driving abroad

An Audley self-drive trip is one of the most popular ways to see Australia

Let’s face it driving abroad can be a scary experience for those who’ve never done it but the rewards of flexibility and freedom the open road offers soon outweigh this initial reaction. However if you’ve not swatted-up on the local traffic laws there’s always the potential for your journey to become both costly and dangerous. In fact a recent survey by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) found that 40% of Briton’s driving abroad are not aware of even the most basic regulations in other countries, such as speed and drink drive limits.

To help alleviate the problem the FCO has just launched a new driving app, presumably aimed at this 40%. I’ve had a look at it (link below) and while it does give some useful information don’t expect a comprehensive Highway Code for each country, it’s more of a portable aide-mémoire.

Don’t forget! Our specialists will be happy to advise you on the best destinations for an Audley self-drive holiday as they have not only visited these countries in person, in many cases they will have driven the routes as well.

http://www.fcowidget.com/

Take part in our Pinterest competition!

Win an Insight Guide in our Pinterest Competition

Pinterest has taken the internet world by storm recently, so we thought it was about time we found out what all the fuss is about.

So what better way to start our Pinterest journey than with a competition?! Each month we will be giving away one Insight Guide to one lucky winner who can correctly identify the country our specialist is in. Here’s a little hint, the country will always be one that we cover!

If you would like to get involved, head over to our Pinterest page now for more information. Below are all the terms and conditions you will need to take part:

1. This prize draw is open to UK residents aged 18 years or over, with the exception of employees of the Promoter.
2. The prize is for one Insight Guide to the destination represented in this month’s photo to which the image is pinned.
3. The prize has no cash value.
4. Entries to the competition must be received by midnight, 30th April 2013. All correct entries will be entered into a prize draw and the winner will be chosen at random on 1st May 2013.
5. Only one entry per person is permitted.
6. The Judges’ decision is final.
7. The winner will be notified by email by the 10th May 2013.
8. To enter simply re-pin the photo of this month’s specialist using the hash tag #audleyspecialist. Comment on the original image with your guess as to what country our specialist is in and a link to your board.
9. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to receive clues as to our specialist’s whereabouts.
10. No purchase necessary to enter the prize draw.
11. By entering the prize draw each entrant agrees to be bound by these terms and conditions.

Happy pinning!

South and Southeast Asian contemporary art exhibition at the Guggenheim museum

The Guggenheim museum, New York

If you’re heading to New York in the next month or so and would like to combine the culture of the USA with Southern Asia, then you might be interested in an exhibition that’s currently showing at the Guggenheim museum, entitled ‘No Country: Contemporary Art for South and Southeast Asia’.

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953 miles, 6 days, 2 wheels, 1 saddle

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.

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