Newsletter Issue 1 - 9th March 2001

Hello and welcome to the first edition of the Karibuni newsletter.

We hope to produce it every couple of months and its aim is to keep you up to date with any developments at Karibuni, and include some useful and interesting news and features for the independent and adventure traveller.
Please pass this on to other friends who you think may be interested. They can then contact us either from the website or email to info@karibuni.co.uk and we will include them for the next issue.

In this edition you will find the latest news about Karibuni including some exciting new promotions, followed by some features on various adventure travel issues. We have

- Karibuni Customer Discounts at 9feet.com
- Crazy Winter Sports - what's new on the slopes?
- On Line Flight Booking - tips and hints on getting the best deal
- Time To Split? - a new and exciting travel destination
- Hong Kong Fuey - a short TravelTale

What's been going on ?
We are looking forward to the coming summer and a chance to share the fun and excitement of the 9-day adventure tour of Britain. The feet are itching and we are raring to get out….it must be spring fever come early.

If you have visited the Karibuni website recently you will have noticed that it has evolved and grown. It is now partly available in French, Spanish and German and has had quite a few new pages added. You can also complete a Booking Enquiry Form which is the quickest and easiest way to reserve your place on a tour this summer.

We have also secured 10% discounts for all customers at the outdoor equipment specialist 9feet.com, and hope to offer a full range of competitive travel insurance soon.

I also want to make sure you are all aware of the promotion that is currently running whereby you can win a FREE 9-DAY TOUR for you and a friend this summer - simply by visiting the site and registering. It's as easy as that….

To those of you that we saw at the ITW Show - we hope you enjoyed the show and your entries have all been added, so best of luck.

Why not tell your friends and spread the word so that they too can have a chance to see and experience Britain for free this summer. Find out who the lucky winner is in the next issue of this newsletter in early May.

The final development which will be coming soon is the addition of the Rogues Gallery section. This will contain pictures from the tours this summer so you will be able to share your fun with friends online, and see what you may be letting yourself in for! There will also be some images of the places we visit and some of the activities available.


CRAZY WINTER SPORTS
As a snow-boarder I thought I was up-to date with the latest fashion for excitement and thrills in the snow, but there are many other new activities starting to appear at some resorts in the US and Europe which look set to stay.
A few of these were recently spotted on the slopes in Chamonix, and several specialist providers are now starting to offer them in some resorts, so if they appeal to you see whether you can track them down.
Top of the resorts for crazy activities is Courchevel - with a very wide range on offer.

- SNOWSCOOTING
Take the wheels off a mountain bike, and strap it to a snowboard-like-contraption and you have a snowscooter. These look great in powder, but seem to be missing something on the piste. Now available to hire in Les Arcs, Avoriaz and Les Contamines.
Other versions are now being made on the line of the small street scooters that were all the craze at Christmas time.

- TUBING & SNOWRAFTING
Tubing is the latest version of tobogganing and is great for kids - they can do it in a group or with adults. Jump in your large inflated inner-tube an slide down the pistes. Available in many American resorts - some even with night tubing!
Similar to the tubing, comes Snowrafting, which is exactly as it sounds. Up to 8 people and an instructor can try this in Courchevel.
- SKI-JUMPING
Budding Eddie Edwards's (Britain's infamous "always last" Olympic entry) should get to Park City, Utah where anyone can join a learn to Skijump class including full tuition for complete beginners.
- PARAPONTING
Does the thrill of running off a cliff with a winged parachute appeal to you? Very James Bond, and available in the Chamonix valley, where you can float back down to town. More?
- ICE DIVING
At the frozen Lac de Tignes in France you can actually dive under the ice and see the sleepy "semi-hibernating" fish. Also look up for views of people walking on the ice - spooky! More?


ON LINE FLIGHT BOOKING
Flights have become one of the most popular items to be purchased on the Internet. It can be a great way to find some cheap tickets and there are some real bargains out there - but a few tips can make sure you get the best deals.

There are basically two ways of getting cheap flights on the Net. You can use flight agencies (including last minute ones) and the "no-frills" airlines which have embraced the internet as a way of cutting costs.

Some useful flight agency sites I have used with success are Expedia and Thomas Cook. Other popular sites are Flightbookers and Travelocity.
With the "no-frills" operators, EasyJet and Ryan Air stand out for me. Others include Go and Buzz. Here are my recommendations.

- For any trip, check whether your destination is served by one of the "no-frills" operators. They have an extensive (and ever growing) network.
- If you can be flexible on when you travel and which airport, then you can take advantage of the best deals. But always think of the consequences - will the public transport be running if you arrive late at night!
- Avoid weekend flights and business times when the airlines try and earn their money from the business flyer. Friday and Sunday evenings can be particularly expensive, so pick midweek flights and save.
- Be cautious of the adverts with ridiculously cheap fares (£2 etc.) These tickets do exist but go quickly, and may be on unsociable flights. BUT - they are worth looking for, and if you do find them, enjoy some amazing value flights.
- Try a few sites to see which one is offering the best value. They are normally comparable, but some savings can be found with a little hunting around.
- Don't forget that you will have to add the departure taxes (and some airlines don't do this until a few steps into the booking process).
- Always have a pen and paper handy to scribble down the options. One other tip is to "copy and paste" the info from the websites into a word document - so you can compare all the options together.
- If you are booking close to the date of departure, some companies charge for ticket on departure or couriering them to you. Phone and check if you are in any doubt whether your tickets will reach you in time.
- Check out all possible variations of your flight journey. Look at the options for direct flights, and changes. Whilst looking for a scheduled flight to Corfu the first option was about £500. But when I split the journey into two (London - Athens, then Athens to Corfu) I found the trip for under £200. This is rare but if you get a high price then dig a little deeper.
- Have your credit card handy and make sure you write down the confirmation number when you complete your booking.


TIME TO SPLIT?
A destination which comes highly recommended by several people, and is now easier and cheaper to get to is Split in Croatia.
Although direct flights are expensive (£260 was the best I could do using all the tips above) you can fly with Ryan Air (found one for £65) to Ancona which is itself an under-rated destination. A ferry will then take you across the Adriatic Sea to the charming and intriguing town of Split. Ferry operators offer overnight crossings from £30 (for seats - cabins more) - see SEM and Adriatica for more details

Before 1991, Croatia (then part of Yugoslavia) was popular with western Europeans in search of sun, cheap living, medieval quaintness and perhaps a spot of naturism. Despite the recent horror of war and unrest, Croatia's charms are largely intact with restoration of popular areas, and a new history to be uncovered.
Split's old town makes this one of the most fascinating cities in Europe and wandering around this part of town, everyday life bustles along in an open-air museum setting. Further information can be found at Lonely Planet.


HONG KONG FUEY
Snippet from an email received from a friend travelling in Hong Kong. It's one of those experiences that just don't happen in day-to-day life.

"I came across this crazy little shop with snakes in it. The shopkeeper looked like the Chinese equivalent of Sloth (from the movie Goonies) complete with one eye, a limp, and a personalised series of grunts that resembled a vocabulary. Anyway, the shop looked like a cross between a tattoo parlour and a greasy spoon, but decorated with caged snakes. He opened a bottle of this homemade drink that looked like wine but smelt like salted vinegar and proceeded to pour me a shot glass full. I was hesitant but there were live people eating in the restaurant! We did the shot - it was equivalent to drinking ammonia.
After I left, I found an English speaking person who explained to me that the mystery substance was snake gall bladder. Nice. Well, my chest hair has doubled and I have had a "woodie" for 12 hours, but otherwise I am fine. So, what's the news with you?"


Well I hope that you enjoyed the first edition of Karibuni's newsletter and found the information useful and interesting.
If you have a story to tell or some travel news that you think we should share then please let us know. Send your thoughts and comments to info@karibuni.co.uk

We look forward to hearing from you,

Many thanks, and happy travels

Paul