Man has 2kg testicles siezed at New Zealand airport

A cockerel

A man has had a cargo of cockerel testicles seized and destroyed by customs officers at Auckland airport. The man, who was attempting to bring in around 2kg of testicles from Vietnam, had placed the items in a chilled bin along with fish and other food for his family. Used as a food by many and known as 'chicken beans' in the US, the cockerel testicles apparently have a … [Read more...]

Christmas in Cairo: snow falls in Egypt’s capital for first time in 112 years

The Pyramids in Egypt

Christmas has come early for the city of Cairo after snow fell on Egypt's capital for the first time in over a century. The Middle East has been hit with a fierce weather system which has seen the normally tropical countries such as Egypt, Israel and Syria covered in a light blanket of snow. The white flurry started settling in Cairo's suburbs on Friday to the … [Read more...]

Free santa access to the Shard

Gone Roaming

The Shard is offering free entry to anyone who dresses up as Santa on Sunday 15 December. Western Europe's highest viewing platform, is offering free entry on a first-come, first-served basis to anyone who arrives between 10am and 1pm. Each gust must be dressed in full traditional santa outfit to qualify. More info on the Shard can be found at www.theviewfromtheshard.com … [Read more...]

Travel is top of social media pile, says Facebook

An image of a map on Facebook

A new study of viewing habits on Facebook has revealed that we are indeed armchair travellers. The most-shared subject online (apart from kittens it seems) are pictures of faraway beaches, lofty mountains and exclusive resorts. Facebook studied the activity of over 3,000 users and found that 42 per cent of stories were tied to travel. The posts which were monitored … [Read more...]

Rickshaw Travel launch Bhutan trips

Taktsang Monastery, Bhutan, pic by Goran Hoglund

Independent travellers looking to make the most of a visit Bhutan have been given a boost after Rickshaw Travel launched new range of trips to the Himalayan country. The new range or trips available cover the vertigo-defying Taktsang monastery, the Punaka Dzong, and a two-day trip to the Haa Valley, which is accessed only via a 4,000m pass. Rickshaw Travel has designed … [Read more...]

Comet-chasing and Saturn spotting at the UK’s first dark-sky park

A picture of a lunar eclipse captured by Mike Alexander

Comet Ison may have hit the headlines with its close encounter with the sun but it isn't the only heavenly body you can spot this winter. With auroras, meteor showers, planets and galaxies whirring overhead, Tim Clark headed to the Galloway Astronomy Centre to delve into deep space... The knock on the door is so muted it seems almost embarrassed to break the silence. Being … [Read more...]

Scottish Countryside Christmas from £239pp

DoubleTree is offering two nights at the Hilton Dumblane Hydro over Christmas from £239 per person (£119.50 per child). The offer includes Christmas Eve tea, scones and cakes as well as B&B accommodation in a standard guestroom. Dinner on Christmas Eve is served in the hotel’s restaurant - The Kailyard by Nick Nairn, who was Scotland’s youngest Michelin star winner … [Read more...]

Google Street View arrives in Venice

Venice Canal by Michael Bauer

Google has managed to add Venice to it's Street View service, despite the city having no real roads. The photo-mapping service which has seen cars roam city streets across the globe has managed to wind its way though the plethora of cobbled alleys and winding canals to picture the city thanks to a team of Google employees who walked the streets with a camera on their … [Read more...]

Whistler Blackcomb opens twelve days early

Skiers at Whistler Blackcomb, Canada

The cold snap may only be arriving in the UK this week but in Whistler the slopes are already open for the winter season. The Canadian resort opened five lifts earlier this week, with the mountain opening a full twelve days earlier than usual due to an impressively cold temperatures. Set close to Vancouver on Canada’s West Coast, Whistler was the setting for the 2010 … [Read more...]

Sauze d’Oulx: Italy’s grappa-fuelled ski heaven

Sauze D'oulx ski slope: Photo by Alpes de Haute Provence

Cafe Marmot is a hard place to get to in a hurry. Apart from being perched atop the 2,400m summit of Mt Besson, the three-feet-thick snowdrift which has settled between the piste and the entrance has made it inaccessible to anyone but the hardiest (or hungriest) of skiers. Somewhere out there the views, we are told, are beautiful. But the snowfall, which has continued for … [Read more...]