Brits flock to Eastern Europe

RESEARCH by payment card company Visa has found that #EasternEurope and the Baltics are becoming increasingly popular with British travellers. #Croatia, #Romania, and #Lithuania are said to be among the top five fastest growing destinations for UK holiday spend.

The research was based on debit card use statistics at point-of-sale and ATMs overseas as compared with travel money bought from bureau de change before departure.

It also found that spend by UK Visa cardholders on summer holidays abroad grew 25% between 2012 and 2014.

Spend by UK cardholders in Romania, Lithuania, and Croatia increased by 80%, 61% and 57% respectively between 2012 and 2014.

Spending in bars and restaurants has seen the fastest growth across these countries, with Croatia leading the way.

Kevin Jenkins, managing director UK and Ireland for Visa Europe, said: ‘Our data suggests the appetite for domestic holidays remains strong, but there’s clearly a renewed desire to grab the passport and get exploring again.

‘A third of Brits tell us they’re taking more overseas holidays than five years ago. The difference though is in the choice of destination. People are looking beyond the traditional Mediterranean holiday spots for new experiences. Croatia’s exploding festival scene, low prices, and stunning scenery are making it highly attractive and there’s a similar halo effect across Eastern Europe’s new tourist hotspots. Lithuania, too, has become a real hotspot.’

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Australia to get its biggest national park

WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S government has given the go-ahead to the creation of the country’s largest national park. The 2,000 square-mile Kimberley #NationalPark will encompass the Mitchell Plateau (where all further mining and mineral exploration work will be banned) plus the existing Prince Regent, Mitchell River, and Lawley River national parks.

The state premier, Colin Barnett, said that the region’s ‘extraordinary’ landscape would be preserved. ‘I genuinely believe that this is the most significant #conservation achievement in Western Australian history,’ he said.

It's expected that numerous endangered animals, such as the northern quoll and turtles, will have a greater chance of survival.

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21907792@N08/2883886789">kalbarri 2008 wa cliffs  139</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">(license), http://www.flickr.com/photos/57160354@N06/8865757973">Ravenswood - Open-Cut Gold Mine 2013 5MB</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">(license), http://www.flickr.com/photos/77546166@N06/8469248747">Spotted-tailed quoll</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license), http://www.flickr.com/photos/22251936@N00/15971944147">I think I could've touched this one.</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license)

Jungle trek to the world’s largest cave

IT’S one of the recently discovered wonders of the natural world, but there’s little likelihood of it being wrecked by mass tourism. Access to Vietnam’s Son Doong Cave – believed to be the planet’s largest cave – is possible, but be very aware that tourists need to be fit and intrepid enough to take on a day-and-a-half through dense jungle and a 260ft abseil down to its entrance.

The Son Doong (which translates as Mountain River Cave) was discovered by a local man in 1991, and was fully explored by British cavers in 2009. The first tourist expedition – six people from the US, Russia, Australia, and Norway – took place in 2013.

Created millions of years ago by river water eroding the limestone underneath a mountain, the cave comprises at least 150 individual chambers, a lake, a fast-flowing river, a jungle, and its own weather system. In total, it’s five miles long, 650ft wide, and 500ft tall … large enough to house an entire New York City block.

Run by Vietnam-based Oxalis Adventure Tours, the 7-day/6-night Son Doong trip costs £1,900/$3,000. It’s led by safety experts and professional guides trained by the company’s technical directors Howard and Deb Limbert, who are members of the British Cave Research Association.

Oxalis says people taking the tour must: be in good physical health; aware they are travelling in a remote area subject to ‘unusual’ climatic conditions and without medical facilities; have comprehensive travel insurance package covering medical treatment, natural disaster, personal accidents, guided-caving tours and medical evacuation; and assume liability for all risks, holding the company ‘blameless’ for accidents and illness.

www.sondoongcave.org

www.oxalis.com.vn

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