Journeys - April 2009

April 2009 - There's no financial crisis in the Jungle No doubt about; many people are really hurting in the current financial situation. Maybe it's time to get back to basics - to the jungle or the bush or the hinterland - where life proceeds at a more orderly pace, and the world of derivatives and money manipulations seems very far away.
-= J O U R N E Y S =- Cook Islands : E Coast Malaysia: KwaZulu-Natal : Mauritius : Assam: Falklands: Shetlands Crossing the island of Rarotonga: Fiona Harper reports that all is well in the Cook Islands, a little outpost of Polynesia far off the money-market radar screen.	The GTW Team Fiona Harper Glenn A. Baker Graham Simmons Karen Halabi Philip Game Sally Hammond Sheriden Rhodes Thomas E. King Tricia Welsh Motto of the month: Travel is a way of getting rid of your excess baggage. EMAIL
Jungle Train: To travel on Malaysia's East Coast Railway is more important than to arrive, as Philip Game learns the hard way.
Phinda Bush Skills Adventure: Tricia Welsh finds that an innovative four-day bush skills adventure on Phinda Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) is a real exercise in getting back to basics.
Delicious Mauritius: Thomas E. King goes island hopping through the land of the (extinct) dodo and the (lively) sega and finds that culturally diverse Mauritius offers stunning scenery, great golf, fascinating history and splendid spas where the emphasis is on total relaxation.
Africa in widescreen: Karen Halabi recommends escaping the economic crisis in a country that doesn't even have an economy - in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park.
Exploring Assam: Graham Simmons goes exploring the remote Indian state of Assam, finding that it provides much more than just tea and syncopy.
Hawaii of the Orient: Sheriden Rhodes finds escape on China's Hainan Island, which surprisingly offers white sandy beaches, warm languid waters and tall swaying coconut trees... an anomaly in this fast-moving nation.
Far-flung to the Falklands: Glenn A Baker visits the Falkland Islands, a country at the very bottom of the world financial ladder.
Castaway Islands: Sally Hammond checks out another outpost - Scotland's Shetland Islands, where the islanders regard themselves as more Scandinavian than Scottish.
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Journeys - March 2009

March 2009 - Trails of Great Writers The award-winning Global Travel Writers team follows Robert Louis Stevenson through Samoa and the remote Ardèche region of France; discovers a bookworm's heaven nestled in the verdant valleys where England meets Wales, and continues on into South Wales to find the legacy of Dylan Thomas very much alive; we pursue the ghost of Robbie Burns through the Scottish Highlands and unmask Shakespeare's Venice.
-= J O U R N E Y S =- France : Samoa : Wales : Scotland : Venice Samoa's Teller of Tales: On December 3, 1894, a "cloud of gloom" drifted over Samoa. As news spread that its most respected resident had died, a revered chief paid a glowing tribute and then in a ceremony normally reserved for royalty, Robert Louis Stevenson was laid to rest. [Thomas E. King]	The GTW Team Fiona Harper Glenn A. Baker Graham Simmons Karen Halabi Philip Game Sally Hammond Sheriden Rhodes Thomas E. King Tricia Welsh GTW Trivia: The life expectancy of a Galapagos tortoise is roughly equivalent to the combined experience of the Global Travel Writers team. EMAIL
By fork and glass through the Ardèche: In his classic By Donkey through the Cévennes, Robert Louis Stevenson introduced the world to one of the wildest regions of Europe. A historic and scenic eye-feast without peer, the south-west of the French département of Ardèche is an integral part of the Cévennes. Today's traveller has it easier than Stevenson, with classic accommodations and fine dining along the trail. [Graham Simmons]
Bookworms make Hay: Hay-on- Wye is a bookworm's heaven nestled in the verdant valleys where England meets Wales. Even the town's crumbling medieval castle has been turned into one of thirty or more bookstores. Further north along the Welsh border lies St Deiniol's, the private library of the magnificently eccentric Sir William Gladstone and today, arguably, Britain's finest residential library. [Philip Game]
Shakespeare's Venice Unmasked: The masks of Carnevale personify Shakespeare's Venice, a fantasy city whose real life is hidden behind a tourist veneer and hardly ever revealed to strangers. Venice is like a stage and the triangle between Rialto, San Marco and Accademia like a revolving play. The setting for Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice and Thomas Mann's Death in Venice, the city has drawn many a writer, poet and filmmaker under its romantic spell. [Karen Halabi]
Royal Treatment "More coffee?" A waiter hovers at my elbow... It's tempting, but my Arbroath smokies (smoked haddock) are coming. I have already done justice to a big bowl of oatmeal laced with the chef's secret ingredient. What is it? I ask. The waiter bends towards me, "Highland whisky liqueur," he whispers. We are travelling aboard the Royal Scotsman, rattling past one of the best breakfast views on earth. Beside us lies Loch Carron with the white houses of Plockton (setting for the TV series Hamish Macbeth) just blotching into the distance. This is the land of Robbie Burns. As the Royal Scotsman clicketty-clacks over the countryside he knew so well, it's hard not to hum Auld Lang Syne. Determined that 'old acquaintance should not be forgotten' Scottish Tourism has designated 2009, the 250th anniversary of his birth, Homecoming Scotland. [Sally Hammond]
Finding Dylan Thomas in Old South Wales You don't have to go searching for Dylan Thomas in Old South Wales. Quite the contrary - Dylan Thomas will come looking for YOU. Through exhibitions, museums, festivals, statues, cafes, pubs, street names, paintings, posters and snatches of words still hanging in the salty air. [Glenn A. Baker]
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Journeys - October 2008

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Bringing the world to your readers The award-winning Global Travel Writers team bring you their latest offerings for October 2008 Coming Up: Graham in Japan, Rod in New Zealand (South Island), Tom in French India Think outside the square. GTWers have decades of experience covering such diverse subjects as music, culture, cuisine, lifestyle, technology, aviation, sport and tourism business. [see themes]
-= J O U R N E Y S =- Zurich : Australia's Kimberley : Malta Himalayan Golf : Chilli : Rome Sheriden Rhodes discovers an avant garde surprise in an historic Zurich hotel. Below the open window, couples stroll through the narrow cobblestone streets. It’s a national holiday and life on the streets of Zurich, synonymous with international banking, moves at a decidedly slower pace. [more]	Everyone's talking about Baz Luhrmann's forthcoming movie and the new tourism campaign. GTWers have a vast wealth of material to match our country's own natural resources. Join the 'boom'. [more] The GTW Team: Glenn A Baker Graham Simmons John Borthwick Karen Halabi Philip Game Roderick Eime Sally Hammond Sheriden Rhodes Thomas E King Tricia Welsh GTW Trivia: If you were a ham radio operator looking for call sign VK2ATJ, which GTW member would you find? [answer] EMAIL
Roderick Eime comes face-to-face with an ancient warrior born before the last ice age. Australia's Kimberley holds many secrets and the story of the Gwion Gwion people is one of its greatest mysteries. Cruise the rocky northwest in search of these prehistoric folk. [more]
Philip Game says waiting for a bus is rarely fun. In Malta, at least, there’s the novelty of wondering just what much-loved relic will come lumbering down the road next. We find a treasure trove of veteran saloon cars maintained by enthusiast, Harry Caruana. [more]
Thomas King visits the mighty Himalayan Mountains spanning some 2560km from northern Pakistan to China. Eight of its colossal peaks are often visible from Pokhara, Nepal’s largest second largest city. And there's always time for a round of golf. [more]
Graham Simmons says only a masochist must like eating hot chillies. But if every masochist needs a sadist, then chilli growers of north-eastern India must be among the most sadistic people on earth. Is the Naga Jolokia, grown in Assam and Meghalaya, the world’s hottest chilli? [more]
Sally Hammond boarded her plane for Rome and realized she was really nervous. In the weeks leading up to this trip, she’d opened every Italian guidebook to the 'Safety and Security' section, to see if her unease was justified.. [more]
Australia - The Movie. Due for release in November, this downunder epic will reignite worldwide interest in Australia. The GTW team have supplied Tourism Australia with a vast swag of material for their upcoming promotions. Get yours now. [more]
Can't find what you're looking for? Editors' Block? We have access to hundreds of seasoned writers, covering every possible corner of the Earth. Try us! We'll find you that story. [more]
For more stories see: Global Travel Writers When we're not travelling or working to your deadlines, you'll find us here: Facebook : MySpace : Blogger : Subscribe to RSS Feed:

Journeys - September 2008

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Bringing the world to your readers Global Travel Writers has redesigned its website to give turbo-fast access. Here are the latest offerings for September 2008 from our award-winning team: Think outside the square. Our writers and photographers have decades of experience covering such diverse themes as Family Travel, Golf Travel, Eco-tourism and many others - see: Themes
=INSIGHTFUL JOURNEYS= Africa - England - French Polynesia Fiji - Yukon (Canada) - Korea - & more Graham Simmons looks at the microcredit-led "giant leap foward" in telecommunications and village development in Africa, which is now bootstrapping the continent forward into the 22nd Century. [more]	From Travel Writing to Travel Reportage Looking for articles that go beyond PR-driven guff? Check out Global Insider. Both the site and the concept are brand-new, so YOUR input is needed! The GTW Team: Glenn A Baker Graham Simmons Karen Halabi Philip Game Roderick Eime Sally Hammond Sheriden Rhodes Thomas E King Tricia Welsh GTW Trivia: Which GTW member is mum to this Australian champion swimmer? [answer] EMAIL Note: Previous issues of Journeys are archived here
Sally Hammond visits "Sugar City" in England, and finds that Bristol is more than just a city-port destination. It's the ideal hub for exploration into many diverse neearby areas. Wales, Cornwall, Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds are right on the doorstep.[more]
Tricia Welsh doesn't need much convincing that cruising around the palm-fringed motus or islands of Rangiroa atoll in the Tuamoto Archipelago of French Polynesia takes a lot of beating [more]
Roderick Eime is mesmerised by a prehistoric sub-marine stage play, with Manta Rays as actors, in Fiji’s remote Yasawa Island group to the northeast of Nadi [more]
Thomas E King ventures into the wild and wide open spaces of Canada's Yukon to see remnants of the Gold Rush of 1896 and marvel at the largest ice field outside the polar region. He finds a vast expanse which combines adventure with sophistication.[more]
Philip Game finds that Korea's DMZ has become, by default, one of the world's most exclusive eco-system reserves. a refuge for the wild creatures of the Korean Peninsula.[more]
Karen Halabiundergoes "torture treatment" in the form of neck traction therapy in a Slovakian spa, and surprisingly enough, lives to tell the tale .[more]
Idea: Beaches - Skiing - Diving - Trekking - Surfing - Wildlife - Bars - Cars - Stars ! Let the Global Travel Writers pool their decades of experience and compile your definitive 'best of'. [more]
Australia - The Movie. Due for release in November, this downunder epic will reignite worldwide interest in Australia. The GTW team have supplied Tourism Australia with a vast swag of material for their upcoming promotions. Get yours now. [more]
Can't find what you're looking for? Editors' Block? We have access to hundreds of seasoned writers, covering every possible corner of the Earth. Try us! We'll find you that story.
For more stories see: Global Travel Writers When we're not travelling or working to your deadlines, you'll find us here: Facebook : MySpace : Blogger : Subscribe to RSS Feed:

Journeys - August 2008

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Bringing the world to your readers The award-winning Global Travel Writers team bring you their latest offerings for August 2008 Coming Up: More (and more) Australia - outback to ocean. Canada. Umbria. Fiji windjammer. Luxury lodges and resorts. Think outside the square. GTWers have decades of experience covering such diverse subjects as music, culture, cuisine, lifestyle, technology, aviation, sport and tourism business. [see themes]
= J O U R N E Y S = Slovakia : Sri Lanka : Bavaria Vietnam : Top 10 : Australia Karen Halabi visits Bojnice Castle in Slovakia. Looking like it’s straight out of the pages of a Hungarian fairytale, several movies have been filmed there. See its underground dungeons and the resident ghost who lives in one of the castle’s turrets. [more]	Guess What? You can now advertise on the GTW site. Yes, we are carefully selecting commercial partners wishing to communicate with the global reach of the GTW network. Contact your preferred GTW member for details. The GTW Team: Glenn A Baker Graham Simmons Karen Halabi Philip Game Roderick Eime Sally Hammond Sheriden Rhodes Thomas E King Tricia Welsh GTW Trivia: Which GTW member is mum to this Australian champion swimmer? [answer] EMAIL Note: Previous issues of Journeys are archived here
Sheriden Rhodes asks which country’s past is steeped in colonial history and a colourful spice and tea trade, but a spirited revival is giving it a stylish new vibe? Island Chic explores the legacy of Sri Lanka’s colonial past. [more]
Graham Simmons goes by Boat and Beer-glass through Bavaria. Munich’s Oktoberfest is justly world-renowned, but lesser-known is the huge range of distinctive local beers to be found throughout Bavaria. A river trip takes in an enticing slice of this diverse beerscape. [more]
Thomas E. King ventures from the high rise buildings of Ho Chi Minh City to the southern reaches of Vietnam and immerses himself its fertile delta lands. He finds a charming and culturally diverse destination of cave pagodas and floating markets. [more]
Roderick Eime is intoxicated by the untamed beauty of Papua New Guinea and its colourful, friendly people. He is about to make his fourth trip to this wild land in search of missing airmen, sunken warships and the best darn coconut milk anywhere. [more]
Idea: Beaches - Skiing - Diving - Trekking - Surfing - Wildlife - Bars - Cars - Stars ! Let the Global Travel Writers pool their decades of experience and compile your definitive 'best of'. [more]
Australia - The Movie. Due for release in November, this downunder epic will reignite worldwide interest in Australia. The GTW team have supplied Tourism Australia with a vast swag of material for their upcoming promotions. Get yours now. [more]
Can't find what you're looking for? Editors' Block? We have access to hundreds of seasoned writers, covering every possible corner of the Earth. Try us! We'll find you that story.
For more stories see: Global Travel Writers When we're not travelling or working to your deadlines, you'll find us here: Facebook : MySpace : Blogger : Subscribe to RSS Feed: