The list of things left behind at Travelodges in 2013 (in reverse order of ridiculousness)

Owl

Travelodge have released their list of items left behind - including thousands of pounds worth of dresses, pets and a collection of London landmarks made from towels. We’ve compiled the most interesting items from the list of abandoned possessions at the chain’s 500-strong empire in 2013. And incredibly, we start with the least ridiculous item on the list with... A … [Read more...]

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...]

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...]

Northumberland hopes to secure dark skies status

Northumberland dark skies

Northumberland is trying to become the world’s third-largest dark skies territory. 400 square miles is up for the status, which is awarded by the Arizona-based International Dark Skies Association. Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust and Northumberland National Park Authority are working together to try and land the title. There are currently 12 … [Read more...]

Tourism can help the Philippines, says travel guru Calder

Philippines, Davao

Visiting countries that have been wracked by disaster is fraught with moral hazard, but travel guru Simon Calder is urging tourists to return to the Philippines. Writing in today’s Evening Standard, he says that tourism is ‘essential to help the long-term recovery of the typhoon-hit region…it’s an extremely effective way to bring in foreign exchange and provide … [Read more...]

The world’s longest flight is over – but a new plane could soon set records

Boeing 777X

The top three longest flights in the world are no longer available. TAI’s 8,676 mile-New York to Bangkok flight stopped five years ago. Singapore Airline’s LA to Singapore 8,770-mile slog ended a month ago (it now goes via Tokyo). And the same airline’s last Newark to Singapore 9,535-mile journey flew for the last time last night. The world’s longest direct flight is now the … [Read more...]

Let’s all go to Reykjavik: Boat magazine heads north for issue six

Reykjavik shot from Boat mag

Indie travel magazine Boat has released a new video on the spirit on Reykjavik to herald its new issue on the city. Boat magazine dedicates each issue to a new city, setting up shop there to really get a feel for what's going on. This Icelandic issue shows there's more to the city's music culture than just Bjork, a photo series on strongmen, a meeting with a feminist … [Read more...]

Ryanair launches routes to Prague, Bucharest and ten more cities from Stansted

Ryanair plane

Passengers will be able to fly to 12 new routes from Stansted with Ryanair from April. The new routes take in Basel, Bordeaux, Brive, Bucharest, Comiso, Dortmund, Lisbon, Osijek, Podgorica, Prague, Rabat and Skelleftea. The airline says that the new routes, combined with more flights on an extra 17 routes, will bring 1,300 jobs to Stansted and move 1.3m … [Read more...]