Unseen Cities that you Must See

Canadian on the hunt for travel buddy with same name as his ex There is only one thing worse than breaking up with your partner before going travelling together, and that’s changing the names on every flight and ticket. But one Toronto man has found the perfect solution. Jordan Axani decided that rather than letting his ticket gather dust after his relationship ended, he would turn to the wonders of the internet to find it a good home. But unfortunately, the incredible 18-day trip across the USA, Europe, Thailand, and India comes with a strict requirement; the lucky candidate must  be named Elizabeth Gallagher, hold a Canadian Passport, and not be an axe murderer. There’s always a catch. On Reddit, Mr Axani posted his request stating: I need your help. You see, in March I booked a fairly wicked trip around the world for this Christmas for my ex and I. While our relationship has come to a close, I am still planning on going on the trip and she is not (naturally).   Because I ...

Castaway survives 13 months at sea Mexican fisherman Jose Salvador Alvarenga who went missing from his home country in late 2012 has been found 6,000 miles away on a remote Pacific island. Mr Alvarenga claims he survived by eating turtles, seagulls and fish, and by drinking rainwater, turtle blood and on occasion his own urine. His fellow fisherman, known only as Ezequiel, was not so lucky, reputedly dying about a month into the 13-month voyage because he couldn’t digest the raw meat diet. Speaking from his hospital bed, Alvarenga claims he and his companion left the fishing village of Costa Azul on the Mexican coast in December 2012 and fell into bad weather, which carried their boat out to sea, where its engine then broke. Many have raised eyebrows at Alvarenga’s account, including Gee Bing, the acting secretary of foreign affairs for the Marshall Islands, who said: “It does sound like an incredible story, and I’m not sure if I believe it. He ...

New city tours led by the homeless Secret city tours of Bath led by the people who know it best The homeless; how often do we walk past them in the street? Well, now we could be walking with them as they lead us round the city of Bath, UK, in a new social project. New city tours led by the homeless will show travellers all the city’s main tourist attractions – which is famous for its Roman Baths and Georgian architecture – but will also give an insight into the city’s homeless problem. The initiative is the brainchild of Dr Luke Tregidgo, a former PhD student at the University of Bath. “We’ve got a city that people love to walk around,” Dr Tregidgo told the BBC. “We’ve got year-round tourism and some fantastic sites, but also a massive problem with homelessness, so why not leverage the city’s greatest asset – its tourists – to solve one of its biggest social problems?” “Most people come to Bath to...

Fly direct to Vietnam on a gap year Travelling to Vietnam on a gap year has just become a lot easier due to direct flights into and out of the country. Vietnam Airlines is flying into Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City twice-a-week from the UK, making travelling to Vietnam now accessible to all. Previously you had to fly via an international transport hub such as Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur. The airline plans to increase frequency to seven times a week by 2015 with new Boeing 787-900 Intercontinental Dreamliners. According to the BBC, president of Vietnam Airlines, Dr Pham Ngoc Minh, said direct air services would deliver "enormous economic and social benefits" to both countries. The first direct flight to Vietnam from the UK took off from Gatwick airport on the 9 th December. Vietnam is one of the most popular countries in South East Asia and is home to sites such as Halong Bay and the Cu Chi tunnels. For more information on Vietnam then read our Vietnam section or ...

Minister salutes volunteers UK Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell, has praised the work of volunteers with the government’s pilot International Citizen Service. “Today, on International Volunteering Day,” he said, ”I would like to recognise the efforts of the thousands of people who give up their time to support development programmes worldwide.” The ICS programme involves a 12-week overseas placement, followed by supported community action projects back in the UK. Over 500 young people aged 18-22 have taken part in the scheme, involving work in over 20 countries. The programme is currently mid-way through an 18-month pilot phase. ICS volunteers have so far helped flood victims in El Salvador, HIV awareness campaigns in Malawi and women’s business development in Burkina Faso. Volunteers are still being sought for the next round of programmes departing in April next year.       Ha...

New backpacker car market opens in Sydney Travelling to Australia on a gap year is almost a rite of passage. Most backpackers arrive in Sydney and look for means of transport to travel up to Cairns and around the country. One of the most popular options is to hire or buy a car / campervan and drive up the East Coast. Well, it’s just got a lot easier for backpackers looking to do just that. A new car market has just been given the green light to open in Kings Cross, Sydney, allowing backpackers to buy and sell cars. The new car market will be known as the Sydney Travellers Car Market and will be run and managed by Travellers Auto Barn , a backpacker car / campervan rental company. For years backpackers had to buy and sell their cars from Victoria Street with up to 30 street-side vehicles being offered for sale every day. But the red light district has given the ad hoc car market the red light, and the government is moving the backpackers along. After a year-long ...

Federal authorities in  Mexico are preparing to announce a new set of protocols for the country’s beaches during the ongoing pandemic but masks will not be mandatory.  The federal office of maritime land zones and coastal environments (Zofematac) director Rodrigo Hernandez Aguilar revealed that a new beach use agreement would be published this week. The agency’s new guidelines will focus on social distancing, with visitors expected to stay at least 13 feet from each other on the sand and in the water.  ...

Everyone has dreamed about it. That day where you quit your job, sell everything you own and start traveling the world.  The weight of bills, deadlines, monotonous routines, same thing day in and day out, all erased by a never-ending adventure of a life on the road.   You’ve decided you’re done living by the imaginary rules of life. You know those rules where your supposed to have 2.5 kids, buy a house, work for 50 years and then retire. Sorry sounds awful and I for one won’t have any part of it. I have been living as a nomad with my wife Kashlee for the last 2 years and we have no thoughts of going back to our old lives anytime soon. We have learned a lot and by no means has it all been easy. Getting prepared to leave your life behind is mentally and physically challenging. Just like anything that has huge rewards, there must be a little pain in getting there. When we first started out we had no i...