Portsmouth now has The Spinnaker Tower, built to celebrate the millennium which is the tallest publicly accessible building outside London. Visitors can take a lift to the three viewing decks at 100m, 105m and 110m for stunning views across to the Isle of Wight. Whilst in Portsmouth you can also visit HMS Victory, Nelsons flagship…

As Tabitha Boonstra showed the children of La Esperanza in Honduras their picture on her digital camera, she could not believe their reaction. ‘They would come running up to you from wherever they were, and they’d be yelling ‘photo, photo!’ They’d stand there, and you would take their picture, then you’d show them on the…

Do you love cruise vacations but find them way too expensive? Are you looking for the exceptional and unique in sea travel? Then you may want to consider a freighter cruise. To really enjoy a freighter cruise, you must be flexible and acknowledge that cargo movements govern all schedules and itineraries. Period. When travelling alone,…

The Beetle spent a large part of 2005 working in Brunei. Here is a whistle-stop summary of some of its attractions; Brunei is definitely worth a three day or so detour. Brunei, or to give it its full and correct title, Darussalam is situated on the north-west of the island of Borneo. It is a…

A remote and ruined temple with massive face-towers and intricate carvings shrouded in mist and jungle vegetation conjures up all the romanticism of a lost Khmer city. One such place where this is a reality is Banteay Chhmar in the north-western corner of Cambodia, close to the border with near neighbour Thailand. Never fully excavated…

What does the average person want from their summer holiday? Whether it be sightseeing or sunbathing, something lively or laid back, a holiday with friends, as a couple or as a family, Bulgaria has something for everyone; a phrase often used but rarely true as it is in this case. Top of the list for…

The Human Development Index (HDI), published annually by the UN, ranks nations according to their citizens’ quality of life rather than strictly by a nation’s traditional economic figures. The criteria for calculating rankings include life expectancy, educational attainment, and adjusted real income. The 2005 index is based on 2003 figures. “Most Liveable” Countries, 2005 1.…

Mac is still not very well but is still e-mailing strong. In this month’s Globetrotter e-newsletter, he writes about postcards he sent home over the years and a trip he made over twenty years ago to Britain’s Chelsea Pensioners. Notes from back of travel picture postcards. You may travel vicariously, but not sinfully: from notes…

Ryanair’s Chief Executive, Michael O Leary has been hitting back about criticisms that the airline industry are irresponsible when it comes to CO2 emissions. In response to being called, “the irresponsible face of capitalism” over its stance on climate change, Michael O’Leary suggested that old aircraft should be penalised as should business class passengers and…

A big thank you goes to Webmaster Paul for his unsung and unpaid, not to mention heroic work on the Globetrotters Website and for organising the mail out of this e-newsletter. If it was not for Paul’s work, this e-newsletter would never happen. The Beetle feels he deserves a big mention and a big thank…