The best way to explore an off-beat destination

Swiss zoo causes controversy after serving own animals at restaurant A zoo in Switzerland has come under fire from animal welfare supporters after it was revealed that they have been serving captive animals at their own restaurant. The Langen Wildlife Park near Zurich, has been killing and cooking a ‘surplus’ of captive deer and boar which were born and raised in the park. Spokesperson Martin Kilchenmann, who confirmed the rumours of the zoo eatery, stated that the reason behind the seemingly unorthodox cuisine is due to the lack of space and large number of piglets and calves being born at the zoo. The zoo has defended their decision to serve up boar burgers and bambi buffets by claiming that this approach teaches visitors about the ‘natural cycle’. Serving meat on a plate with a side salad may not precisely be how the food chain works in the wild, but the basic predator and prey example is there. Despite their justification though, Ruth Widmer, president of the local animal prote...

Pakistan plans bus route to the UK Forget the plane; take the bus to the UK Pakistan may not be the first country you think of when backpacking and travelling but it’s a popular gap year destination. It’s always been held in high esteem for the more ‘hardcore’ backpackers as a must see destination. In fact, the original intrepid travellers used to travel from the UK, through Pakistan to Nepal, back in the 70s. That route is coming back to life again as authorities in Pakistan are planning to launch a bus route from Mirpur to the British city of Birmingham – 8,000 km away. The mammoth journey will take travellers through some of the most dangerous areas of Pakistan on their way to Iran, Turkey and Europe before reaching the Midlands city after around eight days, officials said. Tahir Khokher, the transport minister of Pakistan-administered Kashmir told AFP fares would be around 20,000 rupees (£130), a fraction of air fares that are typically close to £...

Colombia is officially reopening its borders for international tourism on September 21, 2020. Colombia’s airports will also reopen on the 21 st , initially connecting the nation with the USA, Ecuador, Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil, Dominican Republic and Guatemala, as announced by the Ministry of Transportation. Bogota cityscape of big buildings and mountains On September 11, we published an article called “Colombia to resume international flights Sept 21 – what about tourism?” because at that time, the government of Colombia had given no signal if in-bound tourism would resume on the same dat...

Megabus launches £1 Europe tickets If you think taking a gap year costs the Earth clearly you haven't heard about travelling on the Megabus.  The budget travel service Megabus has introduced tickets from London to mainland Europe for as little as £1.  This means that a summer short gap in Europe could be affordable for thousands of students on a break from university or finishing college. Students with an NUS card get an additional 10% discount on Megabus tickets. Shrewd maths fans will already have calculated that takes the price of getting to Europe potentially down to just 90p (plus a 50p booking fee).  The Megabus offers cross-channel customers a link between London and Amsterdam, Boulogne, Brussels and Paris, and operates a fleet of new coaches equipped with free Wi-Fi and toilets. The new promotion is an incredible deal and could really shake up summer travel for UK backpackers and travellers. The low ticket prices include the cos...

Winter version of 'world's best job' Aussie brewer offers cash, accommodation and free beer to be a 'snow ambassador' When Tourism Queensland launched its search for a caretaker of Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef back in 2009, the application process for the 'world's best job' went viral. Now, Australian brewer Carlton Dry has begun the process of recruiting for the winter version of the best job in the world. The Aussie beer-maker is looking for two Australians to serve as 'Snow Ambassadors' in Falls Creek, Victoria. The roles are advertised as the 'ultimate winter experience', and appear to require hosting small groups of snow-goers, giving snowboard instruction and essentially being a professionally fun person. Successful applicants will be paid AU$200 per day, and as part of the job package they will receive: free accommodation for the 11-week job duration; a season lift pass (valued at AU$1,200); hire of...

Library reunites traveller with backpack Lost luggage mystery solved 5,000 miles away in UK Losing your backpack is pretty high up on the list of worst things that could happen to you on your gap year. For one traveller in Guatemala, this nightmare became a reality when he discovered his backpack had disappeared. British traveller Jonathan Smith, 37, was only a few days into a three-week short gap in central America when a French backpacker took his bag by mistake. The Metro reports Smith as saying: “My bag contained all my clothes, my toothbrush and two books, including Lonely Planet’s Central America on a Shoestring , which I had borrowed from the library.” Smith retraced his footsteps in an attempt to track down his backpack. For many travellers, losing a backpack 5,000 miles from home would be a disaster and something that could easily ruin their trip. However, Smith’s short gap was saved by the French backpacker that mistakenly took his bag; Agnes Varn...

Egypt has announced new COVID-19 entry requirements that all travelers will need to follow when entering the country.  Due to a recent surge of infections, Egypt is adding new testing requirements to ensure the safety of its people and visitors to the country. Here is everything travelers need to know before booking their trip to Egypt.  Traveler wandering through the ancient Karnak Temple in Egypt Countries Permitted To Visit Egypt Travelers from all countries are permitted to visit Egypt under regular visa requirements.  Egypt COVID-19 Testing Entry Requirements  ...