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Madagascar travel advice by the FCO: we advise against
all holiday and other non-essential travel to Madagascar for the time
being. The demonstrations and strike, which followed the presidential
elections on 16 December 2001, have stopped.

However, there are still outbreaks of violence around
the country. Martial law was declared in Antananarivo on 28 February,
and a curfew was imposed from 2100-0500.

Curfews have also been imposed in other cities around
the country. Barricades are still in place at points around the capital
and those situated on the main roads linking Antananarivo to the provinces
have been strengthened. This has made road travel around the country dangerous
and difficult.

Air Madagascar is not offering flights to Europe and
Asia at the moment. Air France is providing one flight per week. Flights
to and from South Africa are severely disrupted. Flights around the country
are also subject to disruption. There is no aviation fuel for commercial
use at Ivato, the main airport in the capital.

There have been cases of armed robbery in some National
Parks. All independent travellers intending to visit National Parks should
seek advice from a tour operator, or from the park administration.

There has been an increase in the number of travellers
being pick-pocketed at the airport. Visitors should exercise caution on
arrival and departure and should not leave bags unattended. Keep money
and passports separate.

There is a danger of mugging in urban areas. Do not carry
excessive money or wear prominent jewellery. Take sensible precautions
in crowded areas such as markets. It is wise to avoid walking at night
in city centres. Visitors are advised to carry a copy of their passport
and to keep the original safe (e.g. a hotel deposit box).

Avoid travelling outside urban areas at night, if at
all possible.

Visitors are advised not to wear military style clothing.
It is disapproved of locally and could lead to detention.

Medical supplies are becoming increasingly scarce in
Antananarivo and around the country. The shortage of medical supplies
together with lack of fuel is limiting the medical evacuation services
available.

www.fco.gov.uk/

If you were in London on March 12^th,
you may have joined the Tibet Vigil for prayers and speeches from 5pm
to 7pm opposite the Chinese Embassy in Portland Place.

This special vigil was in memory of 3,000 women who met
in Lhasa in 1959 and the many thousands of women including nuns who are
still suffering or in prison for declaring that Tibet should be free and
refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama.

There are regular weekly meetings in London to protest
on behalf of Tibetans. For details, call +44 (0) 208 771 1822 ore-mail or see the web site:www.tibet-vigil.org.uk

“The Earth was not give to us by our parents, it
was lent to us by our children.”

(From Tourism Concern)

1. According to the UN, 13-19 million children are working
in the tourism sector all over the world. More than 1 million are forced
into tourism’s sex industry.

2. 5,200 people were given 12 days’ notice and then forcibly
removed from their homes in Pagan, Burma to make way for a tourism development.
The military junta said they were an eyesore to tourists.

3. Spain’s 12 million visitors a year leave behind 100,000
tonnes of rubbish.

4. In destinations with beautiful beaches, especially
the Caribbean, local people are often barred from beaches by hotel security
and prevented from carrying on their livelihoods, such as fishing.

5. The UN calculates that a tourist uses as much water
in 24 hours as a Third World villager would use to produce rice in 100
days.

Tourism Concern is a charity that works to ensure that
local communities get a fair deal. Seetourismconcern.org.uk

Last year, the British government announced that it would
drop the entrance fee to many of the larger museums in London.

The Beetle’s favourite London museum is funnily enough
called the Museum of London. It is about 15 minutes walk from St Paul’s
Cathedral and the closest tube is the Barbican.

You could combine a visit starting at the Barbican, visit
an art exhibition, grab a bite to eat or a coffee or wander around the
Barbican complex, which is interesting in itself. Then walk down Aldersgate
(about 5 minutes) towards St Paul’s to the large roundabout road where
the Museum of London is situated.

It’s a great museum which looks at the early Roman remains
in London, all through the ages to the modern skyline of the City. And
it’s free!

Weekends are the busiest time since the admission fee
has been scrapped, so try and visit during the week, if you can. Take
a look atMuseum of London
or tel: 020 7600 3699

Under 30? Been a member of the Globetrotters Club for
2 years – or want to take out a 3 year subscription? Interested
in a £1,000 travel award? Know someone who is? We have £1,000
to award each year for five years for the best submitted independent travel
plan. Interested? We have just made the first award to Mike Dodd, a 22
year old mechanical engineering student at Warwick University, to help
him with his trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

Seeour legacy page on our Website,
where you can apply with your plans for a totally independent travel trip
and we”ll take a look at it. Get those plans in!!

worldtravelguide.net

Gives you stacks of info on countries, cities, weather,
airports – most things you’d like to find out about a country.

Compression bags are amazing things. They can compress
bulky items such as sleeping bags and fleeces into small and manageable
packages. So take that fleece with you for cooler evenings but compress
it!

Got any travel tips for the Beetle? Then e-mail them
to: the Beetle!

The pass is available to Brazilians and non Brazilians
living outside Brazil when you buy an international ticket. It costs the
same amount no matter what time of year you travel. It is valid for 21
days starting on the day of the first flight and can be used for flights
in up to 9 cities throughout Brazil. Packages vary from US $530 to US
$930.

Need help? Want a travelling buddy or advice about a
place or country – want to share something with us – why not visit our
Mutual Aid section of the Website:Mutual Aid