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The Beetle
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Solomon Islands
The Australian and New Zealand governments have both said they will commit to sending army and police forces to nearby troubled Solomon Islands. The on-going ethnic violence has resulted in the country being dangerous to visit, which is a huge shame as the Beetle can strongly recommend the wreck diving in the Solomons as being…
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The Beetle
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Dubai Favourite Airport
International Air Transport Association (IATA) has named Dubai as the world's favorite airport in a new passenger survey. This is the second year in succession that it has been rated top in overall passenger satisfaction. Singapore's Changi airport was in second place. The world's busiest airports did not rate well with passengers. Atlanta Hartsfield. and…
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The Beetle
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British Airways E-Mail Hoax
You may have received an e-mail saying that British Airways is giving away free plane tickets to anywhere in the world to anyone who forwards the e-mail to 10 or more people – it is sadly a hoax. The e-mail claims that it is encouraging more people to fly, following a downturn in the airlines…
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The Beetle
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Place Names
Same names: how many place names have you come across that are the same, but different countries? There’s Paris Texas and Paris France. Other place names include Versailles in Kentucky and Versailles in France; Naples and Venice in Florida and Naples and Venice in Italy. Do you have any favourites? Write in and tell the…
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The Beetle
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Balearics to Mainland Spain
Anyone planning to visit Mallorca and Ibiza can now pop over to the Spanish mainland on a new high-speed ferry service. The catamaran service can carry up to 900 passengers and up to 265 cars. The routes include Palma to Ibiza in two hours, and Ibiza to Valencia in three hours. The journey will cost…
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The Beetle
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Cracks Found in Three Gorges Dam
Experts have found 80 hairline cracks in China's Three Gorges Dam, amid reports of poor workmanship on the world's largest water project, expected to take 17 years – completion expected in 2009. An estimated 250,000 workers are involved in the project and the reservoir will cover 632 square kilometres (395 square miles) of land. Government…
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The Beetle
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Guide Books
Recently, the Beetle was asked about Guidebooks – what is out there and can she make any recommendations? Below is a commentary on a selection of some of the guidebooks available: Eyewitness guides, published by Dorling Kindersley produce glossy guidebooks with lots of pictures on cities and also countries. The city guides are especially good…
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The Beetle
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So You Think You’re Well Travelled?
Here’s a little Beetle quiz based on airport codes. See how many you get right! Go on, have a guess! Which cities are served by airports with the following codes: MSY FCO MEL LXR CMB For the answers, see at the end of the e-newsletter.
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The Beetle
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New UN Heritage Sites
24 more sites of “outstanding universal value” have been designated world heritage sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). These include the ancient Iraqi city of Ashur and Afghanistan's Bamiyan Valley, where towering statues of Buddha (see picture right) were destroyed by the former Taleban regime. The first eight of the…
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The Beetle
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Have you got a tale to tell?
If you have a travellers tale that your aching to tell. Then why not visit the “Travel Sized Bites” section of the Website and share it with the world. Travel Sized Bites
The Globetrotters Club
The travel club for independent travellers.