Newsletter Issue 16 - August 2003

Hello and welcome to another quick update from Karibuni…

It's been another great summer with the long spells of warm and dry weather helping us to enjoy some relaxing activities and fun Adventure Weekends.
If you have ever wondered what we get up to on a weekend break then check out the Rogues Gallery section to view lots of photos from past trips. See the fun activities, beautiful scenery, relaxed meals, fresh air and smiling faces! That's what a weekend out of London can do for you…the world of good!
Click on the picture or visit www.karibuni.co.uk/roguesgallery.htm

The long summer evenings are now slipping away, but that does not stop us from having some cool adventures in the stunning British countryside. We have a full program of Adventure Weekends coming up through Autumn and of course our minds are also looking forward to the Winter season and our Snow Capped Adventures ski and snowboard holidays.

Please read on for more details of our trips, and for exciting news and features for the independent traveller.

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
- Autumn Adventure Weekends
- Sneak Preview of Summer 2004
- Competition Winners
- Snow Capped Adventures - save £20 per person
Travel News
- One Route Winders - more no-frills airlines
- London Hotels - huge discounts still available
Destination Feature
- Hong Kong - still buzzing
Global Quickies
- Humorous news from around the world

Karibuni News

Autumn schedule now available - more great trips
OK, so we have now packed away the tents for another year but the end of summer is not an excuse to stop getting out there and enjoying some cool activities. All the accommodation we use is centrally heated, plenty of hot showers and cosy and comfortable. We have a full schedule of the popular Adventure Weekends featuring such favourites as
- Snowdonia - mountain bike, hike, horse trek £135
- Lake District - lake cruise, canoe, climb, hike £140
- Pembrokeshire- hike, castles, power boat safari £130

New for Autumn 2003 are some special weekends with a dedicated focus on a particular activity. We will soon be offering more of these special weekends covering such activities as surfing, horse riding, climbing. They will still be open to all and do not require any previous experience, but will allow us to spend a bit longer enjoying that one special activity.

24th - 26th October - Snowdonia Mountain Bike Special Weekend
For those keen riders, we enjoy 2 sessions of biking…including the world famous Coed y Brenin forest with Red Bull, MBR or Karrimor routes. Details at www.karibuni.co.uk/snowdonweekend_mtb.htm

31st Oct - 2nd Nov - Lake District Walking Special Weekend
The Lakes is such a great destination for hill walking, and we will choose some excellent routes for this 3-day trip. Not all walking, but great fun. Details at www.karibuni.co.uk/lakesweekend_walking.htm

Looking further ahead…Sneak Preview of 2004!

It seems so far away, but we are already planning the exciting range of trips that will be offered throughout 2004 - and can give you a sneak preview of some special trips coming up.
- Bank Holiday Weekends - Extended trips to Snowdonia + Pembrokeshire
- Royal Ascot, Henley Regatta, International Polo, Cowes - watch in style!
- Alpine Thrills - multi activity trips to the Alps for fabulous summer activities
- 3-Peak Challenge - climb Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in 24hrs
- Climb Kilimanjaro - Scale the highest peak in Africa in September
Details of all of these trips will be coming soon to the website at www.karibuni.co.uk and if you are interested in any of these then please drop us an email to info@karibuni.co.uk

T-shirts Competition Winners
Another 5 people are walking around with our Snow Capped Adventures T-shirts…
The winners from the last newsletter's competition correctly identified that there are over 220km of pistes in the Aravis ski region. So congratulations to Rose from Berkshire, Sarah from Stratford, E London, Karly from Birmingham, Roger from London and James from Wimbledon.

The T-shirts were a hit with our ski chalet guests last winter, and you too could become the proud owner if you were to come and stay at our chalet this year!

Winter 2004 - Snow Capped Adventures Ski and Board holidays
Our skiing and snowboarding website has now been updated for Winter 2004. You will find full details of the resort and skiing (including piste maps), chalet and accommodations (with virtual photo tours) and our high level of personal service. Take a look at www.karibuni.co.uk/snowhome.htm

Building upon the successes of previous years we are now offering an expanded range of trips starting in December, and running through to mid March. These will feature: -
- Luxury chalet for 12 people
- Using extra capacity to take up to 18 for groups
- Hotel trips for families, week stays, and short break / ski weekends
- Self catering apartments for groups and families
- Family ski packages with free kid places

EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT - SAVE £20per person
If you book and pay the deposit before the end of September we will take £20 off the cost of your holiday…simple as that, and this is on top of any group discounts etc! See the website for full details www.karibuni.co.uk/snowhome.htm

Travel News

Yet More No-Frills Airlines
Although the big boys such as RyanAir and Easyjet may dominate the market there is a steady flow of smaller airline operators springing up to offer more routes to Europe…and this time the focus is on the Eastern European market.
SkyEurope are the latest operator to commence their service from Stanstead to Bratislava in Slovakia. They follow a succession of "one route wonders" which have increased the choice of destinations available from Luton, Stanstead and Gatwick.
Below are the listings and destinations of some of these smaller airlines. As with all flights, it pays to shop around. As ever, booking in advance secures the cheapest prices!

From Stanstead
- SkyEurope - www.skyeurope.com to Bratislava (for Vienna + Prague)
- Norweigan - www.Norwegian.no to Oslo
- Basiq Air - www.basiqair.com to Amsterdam
- Flying Finn - www.flyingfinn.fi to Helsinki
- Iceland Express - www.icelandexpress.com to Reykjavik
- German Wings - www.germanwings.com to Cologne
From Luton
- Helios - www.helios-airways.com to Larnaca
From Gatwick
- Volare - www.volare-airlines.com to Venice
- Adria - www.adriaairways.com to Ljubjana (Slovenia)
- Lithuanian Airlines - www.lal.lt to Vilnius (Lithuania)
- Air Bosna - www.airbosna.co.uk to Sarajevo (Bosnia)

London Hotels - huge discounts still available

The huge discounts that have been available at London hotels look likely to continue through to the summer. The capital's hotels have been forced to cut rates as average occupancy fell to 69 per cent - the lowest level since 1996. The fall has been blamed on a drop in domestic and overseas visitors as a result of the Iraq war, economic uncertainty and the SARS virus.

Although the number of journeys by Britons to the capital is beginning to increase, prices typically lag about 18 months behind so there should be bargains well into summer 2004.

As with any special deals - customers need to shop around, and the biggest discounts were usually found online. Travel websites such as lastminute.com, Expedia and Utell were among those offering the best deals.

The normal rate for a double room at the five-star Le Meridien Grosvenor House in Park Lane is £423. The reservations department at the hotel offered a room for £234, and the website www.world-stay.com was charging just £118.
A double room at the Park Lane Sheraton was available through lastminute.com for £120, a reduction of 60 per cent, subject to availability, and the five-star Savoy on the Strand said superior double rooms with queen-size beds were available for £179 per night, compared with the published price of £319.

Hong Kong - still buzzing!

On 23rd June the World Health organisation cleared Hong Kong of any SARS infection and re-opened the island to tourism. Hong Kong had been hit hard by the virus - with 300 deaths and an economy struggling to cope with visitor numbers down 79%. 

However, the former British Colony has started to bounce back- helped by the £700million earmarked by local authorities to lure back tourists and revitalise the industry and commerce.

What this means for the average traveller is that the bargains are better than ever!

The British founded Hong Kong in 1840 with its focus around Victoria Harbour, which remains the world's busiest deep-water port. Despite the British influence, the city's culture has always been distinctly Chinese and the atmosphere is frenetic and lively, with a buzz of commercial vitality and alluring energy.

First stop on any tour of Hong Kong should be the Victoria Peak for the legendary view across the towers, Central district and beyond. Take the tram from Garden Road terminal, but you still have a fifteen minute walk to the very top of the 1,810foot peak and viewing platform.
If you have time, it's also worth making the trip to the top at night, when the mass of lights around the harbour will take your breath away. Find location and details at www.thepeak.com.hk

Many visitors stay in Central district on the North side of Hong Kong Island which is the main financial centre with modern architecture, shops, bars etc. If you are heading away from the harbour, do as the locals do and ride the 800m outdoor escalator.

Also venture to the southern side of the island and visit Aberdeen where 6,000 people live or work on junks anchored in the harbour. The other major draw is the floating restaurants.

Most Chinese people in Hong Kong are of Cantonese origin but the city has such a mix of cultures, people and tastes that you can also find some great specialities from other Chinese food regions…such as Hunanese specialities like mashed chicken soup in bamboo. Hong Kong is also a great place to sample a good Cantonese dim sum lunch.

The Chinese love gambling and if your stay includes a Wednesday, then head down to the Happy Valley Racecourse for their lively evening race meetings. Entry is cheap and minimum bets are low, with an electrifying atmosphere. There is no racing in July and August. Find details at www.hkjockeyclub.com

Hong Kong is home to the unique pink dolphins which are found in the Pearl River delta between Macau and Hong Kong. Only dolphins from this area have this unique pink pigmentation and it remains a mystery why. One group raising money and awareness to save the species is Hong Kong Dolphin Watch and they run spotting trips on Wed, Sat and Sun. Full details at www.hkdolphinwatch.com

Although Hong Kong is famous for the hustle and bustle of city life - there is another side to it, with beaches, hiking trails and 22 country parks all accessible by quick ferry rides. For example a ferry from Central to Yung Shue Wan on the nearby island of Lamma will open up the prospect of a stroll along the beach and seafood lunch in a fishing village… transporting you to an Asia not usually associated with Hong Kong city.

Finally - as Hong Kong is now officially part of China, there is some argument for experiencing what the Big Brother has to offer. While there are far better places in China, a daytrip up to Shenzhen City might be just the place to see China's emerging embrace of the free market in action. Shoppers can often find the bargains that simply don't exist anymore in Hong Kong, but make sure you bargain hard!

Logistics and Orientation
Flights are available with many airlines serving Hong Kong en route to Asia and Australia.
They are also offering some great deals on flight and accommodation packages.
British Airways (www.ba.com) and Cathay Pacific (www.cathaypacific.com) have daily direct flights.
Other scheduled flights can be found on Expedia www.expedia.co.uk and agencies such as Bridge the World www.bridgetheworld.com and Trailfinders www.trailfinders.com have flight and accommodation packages available.

The Hong Kong Tourist Board website has listings of hotels, hostels, attractions and some special deals - all at www.discoverhongkong.com

General Information on Hong Kong from Lonely Planet Travel Guides (including maps) www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/north_east_asia/hong_kong/index.htm

For information on visas and the latest security and health news - visit the Foreign Office - www.fco.gov.uk

Global Quickies

Espresso tax in Seattle causes a storm in a coffee cup.
Voters in Seattle will soon decide whether to impose a "dime-a-cup" tax on espresso drinks to raise money for preschool and day-care programs. Supporters say the tax would raise up to 10million dollars a year.
The tax would not affect plain old diner coffee - just "any beverage prepared for immediate consumption containing half an ounce or more of espresso regardless of caffeine content, whether served hot or cold."

Sichuan Airlines pays fortune for lucky 8s
An airline in South Western China has paid over 282,000 US dollars for the phone number "8888 8888" saying it hopes to make its customers happy.
Many Chinese consider the number 8 to be lucky because it rhymes with the Chinese word for getting rich. "Everyone at the company believes the number was worth the price we paid," said Xing Bing, of Sichuan Airlines. The number is to be used as a customer-service hotline.

Hungary battles lovers' padlocks
The Hungarian city of Pecs is fighting a losing battle against padlocks, which lovers are secretly clamping on statues and gates all over the city centre as symbols of their enduring affection.
The curious tradition dates back to the early 1980s when lovers began fixing padlocks on a wrought iron fence in the heart of the city. With the fence now full, couples are fastening their love tokens on any suitable item, including statues.
The city management firm, in a final act of desperation, plans to erect a new iron fence exclusively for love padlocks, but the fence is unlikely to work.
"This would kill the essence of the padlocking habit, its spontaneity and people's feeling that they are secretly leaving their mark," said art historian Ferenc Romvary.

Well, that's all again for this time - and we hope you enjoyed it. The next edition will be out in October 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