Newsletter Issue 15 - 8th May 2003

Hello and welcome to another quick update from Karibuni.

We had some problems in sending out group emails from France where we were based for our Winter ski trips, and so apologies to some of you who may not have received a Karibuni Newsletter from us for a little while.

And welcome to all those new subscribers - please read on for some exciting news, features and updates form the world of travel and adventure…plus a chance to win some prizes in our competition.

For those of you who are reading our newsletter for the first time, we hope you enjoy it and if you have any comments, feedback or amusing stories or travel articles to share, then please send them through to info@karibuni.co.uk

Coming up in this exciting issue: -
Karibuni News
- Another great season for ski trips
- Win a Snow Capped Adventures T shirt
- Featured Tour - New Forest Summer Camping Weekend
- Summer 2003 - more great trips
Travel News
- New Island Destination
- Mobile Phones - Emergency Calls
- SARS update - don't be in the dark!
- Bigger and Better Waves in Cornwall
Destination Feature
- Madrid - a hot weekend destination
Global Quickies
Humorous news from around the world

Karibuni News

Another great ski and snowboard season…
This year was a bumper year for snow in the Alps and La Clusaz once again excelled itself with fine conditions throughout the resort. There was a good 3 meters on the top slopes, and our chalet received over a metre of snow in just 2 days! We had a great season with plenty more guests enjoying our high level of service and the great skiing to be enjoyed in the resorts.

We will again be returning to our luxury chalet next year, and will have an expanded range of chalet trips, as well as week-long family ski trips and the very popular ski weekends.
Our trips for this coming winter will start with the New Year week and run through to March again. There will be some great early booking discounts, so keep an eye on our website and start to get your groups together…

Full details of our expanded service and prices for winter 2004 will be coming very soon at www.karibuni.co.uk/snowhome.htm

You can see photos of this year's groups enjoying the snow and excellent conditions at www.karibuni.co.uk/roguesgallery.htm

Win one of our cool Snow Capped Adventures T-shirts
They were a hit with our ski chalet guests this year, and you too could become the proud owner of a quality navy tee shirt, with our funky design. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is to tell us how many kilometres of piste there are in the Aravis ski region…
Send your answers to info@karibuni.co.uk and we will pick 5 out of the hat on the 28th May

If it helps, we run our ski trips in the Aravis ski region (La Clusaz and Grand Bornand) - details of which can be found at www.karibuni.co.uk/snowhome.htm

Featured Tour - New Forest
The New Forest is a charming landscape of woods, lowland heather moor and open grassland. It's a beautiful spot, and only 2 hours away from London it is the most accessible area of outdoor space. Our summer Adventure Weekend trips to the New Forest are a great way of seeing and exploring this corner of England… and are available on the 6th - 8th June and the 25th - 27th July. For weekend schedule see www.karibuni.co.uk/weekends.htm

We leave London at 6pm, and arrive in time to pitch the tents and enjoy a drink at a great local pub just across the road from our exclusive campsite. Saturday starts with a good cooked breakfast, before we collect our mountain bikes and head out to explore the charming villages and great scenery of the New Forest…using the gravel tracks and small lanes. We can enjoy a campfire and barbeque in the evening! On Sunday we first visit the great beaches and spectacular cliffs - walking a stunning part of the South West coastal footpath, before visiting Corfe Castle.
Full details can be found at www.karibuni.co.uk/newforweekend_summer.htm

Summer 2003
Don't forget to check out our schedule of weekend trips at www.karibuni.co.uk and please ensure that you reserve your spaces in advance. Many of our trips are now selling out weeks in advance (particularly Bank Holidays and popular trips such as Ladies Day at Ascot) - so have a quick look down the list of upcoming highlights below, and make sure you don't miss out on the great fun to be had on a Karibuni Adventure Weekend.
-New Forest Camping - June and July www.karibuni.co.uk/newforweekend_summer.htm
-Henley Royal Regatta - July 2nd & 3rd www.karibuni.co.uk/henleyday.htm
-Cowes Sailing Regatta - August 8-10th - www.karibuni.co.uk/cowesweekend.htm
-Snowdonia Adventure - August 15-17th www.karibuni.co.uk/snowdonweekend_spring.htm
-Pembrokeshire Bank Holiday - August 22nd www.karibuni.co.uk/pembrokeweekend_springBH.htm

Travel News

New Island Destination!
A new tourist destination may be about to emerge in the Mediterranean - literally.
The island, off the coast of Sicily, sank 170 years ago but Graham Island has recently started to return to the surface again. It was originally claimed by the British and has been underwater for more than a century and a half but is now heading back to the surface due to the volcanic activity of nearby Mt Etna. The highest point is now only 26 feet below the surface and getting shallower by the hour as lava solidifies.

It will be interesting to see what diplomatic arguments will arise along with the island…Italy, France and Britain almost went to war over ownership before the island sank in 1832 and Italian divers have already been sent down to plant their national flag on it.

Mobile Phones - Emergency Calls
We recently discovered that as well as calling 999 for emergency assistance - there is a Europe Wide number that works from mobile phones - which is 112. It works in the UK, and is worth remembering!
Mobile phone usage is now widespread and they can be a great safety net when participating in any outdoor activities - but mountain rescue services always advise that you should not rely upon them as your only form of getting help. Always carry other emergency kit, maps etc when embarking upon activities in more remote areas.

SARS Update - don't be in the dark!
The SARS virus outbreak is still going strong in many areas and causing concern for would be travellers - particularly so for those intending to visit SE Asia and China. As with all such occurrences it is best to be fully informed before making any decisions, and so listed below are a number of useful resources which should be consulted it you do have travel plans to an area you suspect may be affected.

For information and news on the disease and its spread - from the World Health Organisation http://www.who.int/csr/sars/en/
For travel advice from World Health Organisation
http://www.who.int/csr/sars/travel/en/

And for a very comprehensive review of all countries - with regards to health, security and safety issues - always consult the Foreign and Commonwealth website
www.fco.gov.uk

Making Better and Bigger Waves in Cornwall
Forget Bondi Beach or Hawaii, Cornwall may soon be one of the world's premier surfing venues.
Local authorities are planning to build a £6 million artificial sand bank to produce consistently perfect waves up to 2m high and 200m long off the coast of Newquay.
Surfing is now one of the UK's fastest growing sports with up to 50,000 people being introduced to the sport each year. More than 250,000 Britons already participate in the sport. It is anticipated that European surfers would potentially flock to England to ride a 'perfect wave' despite chilly water temperatures.
The scheme is receiving so much support that a number of other local authorities are wanting to get in on the action. Bournemouth could be the next one on the list which would mean Londoners would have 'the wave' within 90 miles of home.

Madrid - a hot weekend destination

Madrid may not be as popular tourist destination as Barcelona, but it is packed full of museums, galleries and attractions and has a stunning, traditionally Spanish nightlife.
An ideal location for a summer long weekend - its easily reached by value flights, and has a good supply of places to stay as well as plenty to do and see in 2 or 3 days.

Logistics and Orientation
Mid-May is a good time to visit when San Isidro (the capital's big party) is underway - reputedly coming close to Rio for theatrical spirit. Also in mid-May is the international dance festival - Madrid en Danza. All through the summer, Madrid enjoys high temperatures which tends to keep the locals away - and so there is always a ready supply of accommodation.

Easyjet www.easyjet.com/en fly to Madrid from Luton and weekend flights in June are now available for less than £90. Virgin Express www.virgin-express.com also fly to Madrid as do British Airways www.ba.com who have return flights including all taxes for just £86.
There is a regular shuttle bus to the city centre that leaves from outside the arrivals terminal every 15 min and costs around €3. The metro (line 8) takes you to the city centre in around 30 min and costs €0.95. A taxi from the airport to the centre will cost approximately €12.

Although Madrid is a large city the main central area for attractions is confined by Campo del Moro in the west and Parque del Buen Retiro in the east. The Santa Ana area is one of Madrid's most popular places to stay and it is close to good restaurants and nightclubs. Madrid's nightlife is lively around Plaza del Dos de Mayo, in the area known as Malasaña.

What to see

Madrid's city centre has a strong and lively mix of museums, galleries and great-looking buildings among flamenco bars, busy tascas and classy restaurants. A stroll down Madrid's grand avenue - Gran Via - will soon highlight the charms of this truly Spanish city. Remember to look up and appreciate the mix of architecture styles, shapes and skylines.

Madrid is home to a great selection of art galleries, with the Museo del Prado rated as one of the finest art galleries in the world It has a strong emphasis on Spanish, Flemish and Italian art from the 15th to 19th centuries, with paintings by Goya and Velazquez.
Fans of Picasso should track down the evocative and disturbing painting "Guernica", currently on show at the Reina Sofia Museum - it's a vivid portrayal of the atrocities suffered during the Spanish Civil War.
The third great museum is the Thyssen-Bornemisza, a private assembly of paintings from Titian to Pollock - spanning a wide range of art histories.

You would be well advised to buy a joint voucher called the "Paseo del Arte" which gives discounted entry to all three museums. This can be bought at the city's main tourist office on Plaza Mayor.

Madrid is home to the world's largest bullring, Plaza de Toros Monumental de las Ventas, but we would strongly advise you to give blatant animal cruelty a wide-berth and it's far more exciting to check out a football match with either Real or Atlético Madrid.

For shopping, the Flea Market at El Rastro stands out as a lively place to hunt down a bargain. It dates back 5 centuries and covers everything from electronics, clothes to real antiques. The market is on every Sunday and is found on Calle Ribera de Curtidores
Serious shops are located between Sol and Gran Via, while west of here most of the city's designer shops can be found. For cheaper fashion and hip club wear the best area is around Chueca. The city's biggest one-stop shop is El Corte Ingles, (Calle Preciados 1-4) providing all the goods you expect in a department store, plus a hair and beauty salon and a supermarket.

For nightlife, there are plenty of traditionally Spanish bars such as Viva Madrid (décor of tiles and heavy wooden ceilings) and the usual smattering of Irish bars such as the popular Finnegan's and The Quiet Man. Also worth checking out would be La Solea (found on Calla de la Cava Baja 27) which is regarded by some as the last real flamenco bar in Madrid!
Madrid may not be quite as chic as Barcelona, but the city has a rich history and a very distinguished feel to it. Like any capital city, it is full of national treasures and great attractions, and the breadth of things to see and do make this a fabulous weekend destination…

Web resources
For general information on Spain and Madrid - use Lonely Planet
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/spain/

Madrid: Tourist Information - found in Plaza Mayor 3, 91 588 1636 and online at
http://www.madridtourism.org/

Go Madrid - an internet guide to the city
http://www.gomadrid.com/

Guide to Madrid
http://malika.iem.csic.es/~grant/madi.html

Global Quickies

Extreme ironing record at 100m below!
Extreme ironing is "the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well pressed shirt." Well, that's what they say...
Enthusiasts of this new extreme sport have been spotted in many places including "two brave extreme ironists...spotted ironing on top of a fast moving Hillman Hunter during the Plymouth to Dakar car rally" and two others who climbed more than half way up Everest setting a new world record by ironing a Union Jack 17,847ft above sea level.
In April 2003 Louise Trewavas (ironist) and Mark Brill (photographer) made a series of scuba dives, ironing in Egypt's Blue Hole ironing in the sand at the bottom of the arch, her computer showed a depth of 101m.

American CEO hot line a little too hot
American Airlines employees who used to dial 1-800-AA-CARTY to hear a message from their former CEO (Mr CARTY) may be in for a big surprise now that Gerard Arpey has taken over.
The phone number 1-800-AA-ARPEY currently leads callers to a sex hot line.

Well, that's all again for this time - and we hope you enjoyed it. The next edition will be out in July with more snippets of news from around the world and updates from Karibuni on the adventure and fun to be had!

Many thanks, and happy travels

Paul