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Hare-wallabies introduced to Dirk Hartog island
September 15 (TravelAndy): More than 20 hare-wallabies have been released onto Dirk Hartog Island, Western Australia’s biggest island, as part of a trial to help improve their conservation status.
A total of 12 banded hare-wallabies and 12 rufous hare-wallabies were captured by staff from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions from nearby Bernier and Dorre islands. They were released in the southern part of Dirk Hartog Island National Park following intensive baiting, trapping and monitoring of feral cats over the past three years.
The translocation is part of stage one of the Dirk Hartog Island National Park Ecological Restoration Project (Return to 1616). Continue reading Hare-wallabies introduced to Dirk Hartog island →
UK campaign targets domestic tourists
September 9 (TravelAndy): A UK-wide tourism campaign is launching to inspire young people from Great Britain and Northern Ireland to take a holiday at home.
Statistics show that 16-to-34 year olds took almost 1.4 million fewer holidays at home last year compared to a decade ago.
VisitEngland’s £2.5 million ‘Join the World – Discover the UK’ digital and social media campaign, launching on Monday 11 September, is targeting this ‘lost generation’ using overseas social media influencers and travellers to showcase to their peers the amazing moments and experiences that can only be had on a holiday at home in the UK. Continue reading UK campaign targets domestic tourists →
Join Scotland’s Year of History celebrations
September 2 (TravelAndy): From the Iron Age to the Roman Empire, from Vikings to Jacobites, from epic battles to great escapes, September will be a month of historic proportions with a jam packed calendar of events celebrating Scotland’s 2017 Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.
Borders Heritage Festival will kick-start the September celebrations with their opening weekend set to acknowledge the region’s spectacular heritage through light, music, storytelling, theatre and performance. Lighting the Borders (1-3 Sep) will use a variety of lighting at a range of historical sites including Neidpath Castle, Duns Law, Riddell Tower and Hume Castle, to form a chain of light across the landscape at dusk each evening.
The opening weekend will continue with Mary Queens of Scots Festival (2 & 3 Sep) set to take place in Kinross. The event will commemorate Mary’s life as Kinross poignantly marks the 450 year relationship with the Castle on Loch Leven Island where she was held captive and where she spent some of her most troubled years, and the end of her reign in 1567.The programme will include living history encampments, music, food and drink as well as children’s entertainment. Continue reading Join Scotland’s Year of History celebrations →
Top five cycling events in Scotland
September 2 (TravelAndy): As Scottish cycling star and ultra-endurance athlete Mark Beaumont passes the 60 day mark of his gruelling record-breaking attempt to cycle around the globe in 80 days and the OVO Energy Tour of Britain kicks off in Edinburgh for the first time on Sunday, VisitScotland takes a look at some of the brilliant cycling events taking place around the country this year.
There are numerous ways to get involved, whether watching and cheering at the OVO Energy Tour of Britain or getting on your own bike at Pedal for Scotland. Scotland is a playground for both mountain bikers and road cyclists alike, with events to suit all ages and disciplines.
Inspired to get on your bike? Here are 5 top cycling events taking place across Scotland this autumn. Continue reading Top five cycling events in Scotland →
Fly high at Australia’s ballooning championships
September 1 (TravelAndy): The 2017 National Ballooning Championships will ‘kick-off’ with a Community Festival in the Town of Northam tomorrow, incorporating a spectacular Balloon Night Glow and science demonstration workshops, including model balloons.
The National Ballooning Championships will be based at the Northam Airfield and consist of a number of competitive hot air balloon tasks, including five days of early morning and late afternoon competitive flights, providing the stunning spectacle of 25 to 30 colourful balloons taking to the air. Continue reading Fly high at Australia’s ballooning championships →
Shinju Matsuri starts in Broome from Sep 2
September 1 (TravelAndy): Shinju Matsuri (festival of the pearl) has always been a festival based on Broome’s unique community spirit, cultural diversity and vibrant history.
The festival celebrates the four diverse cultures which have come together in Broome over the past century for pearls: Japanese, Malaysian, Chinese and Indigenous Australian.
Shinju Matsuri will always encapsulate the values of the Broome community, running annually since 1970. Continue reading Shinju Matsuri starts in Broome from Sep 2 →
Going to the Scottish International Airshow?
August 30 (TravelAndy): Visitors to the Scottish International Air Show are in for an ‘udderly’ fantastic treat when they arrive at the Ayrshire event this weekend.
One of VisitScotland’s distinctive herd of Highland Cow vans – coo vans called Hamish, Heather, Morag and Archie – will be making a special appearance at Ayr Low Green on 2nd to 3rd September to help ensure the hundred thousand spectators to the air spectacle receive a warm welcome.
With its stunning location overlooking the picturesque Firth of Clyde and Isle of Arran, around 120,000 spectators are expected at this year’s Scottish International Air Show. The highlights of this year’s show include the RAF’s supersonic Typhoon fighter as well as a formation of WW2 American Mustangs with the Red Arrow providing the spectacular finale on Sunday afternoon. The Kelpie Maquettes will also be making an appearance at the event, which is now in its fourth year. Continue reading Going to the Scottish International Airshow? →
Ryanair winter flights boost for Irish tourism
August 30 (TravelAndy): Tourism Ireland is expecting to see a spurt in the number of visitors following budget airline Ryanair’s announcement of new flights from Munich and Stuttgart to Dublin this winter, as well as the extension of its winter service from Naples into summer 2018.
Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said the announcement was good news for Irish tourism, especially in view of the coming shoulder and off-season.
“We already work closely with Ryanair and we look forward to co-operating with them to maximise the promotion of these new services to Dublin. As an island, the importance of convenient, direct, non-stop flights cannot be overstated – they are absolutely critical to achieving growth in visitor numbers,” he said. Continue reading Ryanair winter flights boost for Irish tourism →
Let no one tell you how to travel
You’re out drinking with friends and discussing the wonderful time you had in Bali during your recent trip when one of them asks, “Did you go to Ubud?”
“No,” you say. “But I really liked my time at Sanur and Lovina.”
“What! Those are the boring parts of Bali,” he laughs. “Didn’t you party?”
“I did. I was in Kuta for three nights. It was so much fun. I especially liked Skygarden,” you say. That had been a great night. Continue reading Let no one tell you how to travel →
Kolkata-Bali quickest connection by AirAsia
August 21 (TravelAndy): Indonesia AirAsia will start flights from Kolkata to Bali from October 2, 2017, the airline has said.
The flight will have a stopover at Kuala Lumpur, but the airline said passengers would not need to change aircraft. [ALSO READ: Indonesia visa for Indians]
This will be the fastest connection between the two places and give a great boost to tourism. [AlSO READ: Bali is set to become the next Bangkok for Indians] Continue reading Kolkata-Bali quickest connection by AirAsia →
AirAsia offers Kolkata-Bali tickets from INR5,999
August 18 (TravelAndy): AirAsia is offering Kolkata to Bali one-way flights from INR5,999.
The budget airline claims to have the fastest connection on this route even though the flight includes a change at Kuala Lumpur.
The flight AK62 departs from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport in Kolkata at 00:45 and reaches the KLIA2 airport in the Malaysian capital at 07:10. From there, the flight D7 798 leaves at 10.20 and reaches Ngurah Rai International Airport at Denpasar in Bali at 13:10. Continue reading AirAsia offers Kolkata-Bali tickets from INR5,999 →
What makes a place memorable is its people
Today (August 15, 2017) is India’s 70th Independence Day — a national holiday — and I am now in Bangalore, the IT city in South India’s Karnataka state.
I had been meaning to visit this city for a long time. Bangalore, per se, doesn’t have destinations which tourists come from far and wide to visit. What it has is a large number of beautiful places around it and this is what attracts visitors.
My agenda, however, has been a little different. I am in the city just to meet up with people.
I have several friends in Bangalore, many of whom have been asking me to visit for a long time and for some reason or another, it hadn’t just worked out till now. Earlier this month, I realised I could squeeze out a five-day leave, booked my tickets (with credit card points of course!) and here I was. Continue reading What makes a place memorable is its people →