TRAVEL
Home & Away with Robert Walshe In a clear attempt to make its flights more appealing to business travelers, Ryanair has announced it is to allow customers to amend their bookings even after they have checked in online. The service, which is available from Ryanair’s telephone reservation centres at a cost of £15 per passenger, per flight, allows passengers to access to their booking to amend names or change their flight dates. The airline said the service would be particularly useful for frequent flyers and business passengers who need to amend travel plans after they have already used Ryanair’s online checkin service. Changes can be made up to 17:00 on the evening prior to scheduled departure, subject to call centre opening hours. Police in Bali have warned of a worrying rise in crimes targeting foreigners on the resort island, following the stabbing of a British tourist this week. A 59-year-old male tourist from the UK was stabbed during a break-in at his rented villa in South Kuta.It was the fourth burglary in the area in the past two months in which a foreigner has been the victim, the Jakarta Globe reported. The Denpasar police chief has called on both residents and tourists to be on heightened alert for suspicious people or activities.
Weekend Hotspots
The wonderful waterways of Northern Ireland are setting the standard for canoeing facilities across the UK and Ireland and this autumn the Northern Ireland Tourist Board is encouraging everyone to pick up a paddle and take to the water. Canoeing is fast becoming one of the most popular watersports and with the recent launch of two new coastal trails in addition to five renowned inland canoe trails already in existence. There are five main inland canoe trails in Northern Ireland. Lough Neagh Canoe Trail allows paddlers to explore the numerous bays and inlets around the lough or the vast expanse of open water whilst observing a diversity of wildlife and historical sites. River Blackwater provides an ideal venue for the 20km Blackwater Canoe Trail suitable for canoeing enthusiasts of any ability. The river lazily meanders through the beau-
Living
tiful countryside of counties Armagh and Tyrone, flowing gently into Lough Neagh. Lough Erne Canoe Trail in Fermanagh is an ideal destination for the canoeing enthusiast with the magnificent lakes of Upper and Lower Lough Erne providing a 50km expanse of water linking with the Shannon. n Oceanpoin The 58km Lower Bann t Sundeck Cost del S Canoe Trail stretchSol del ta ol Cos k dec l t Poo oin anp Oce n ing from Lough Neagh to the Atlantic Ocean is a unique way to experience this beautiful 3 nights river and is suitable Full Board from €879. Travel for canoeists of all abilities. Pass- in Oct/Nov, Dubai 4* Habtoor Grand Robert Walshe is a freelance coning through constantly changing 5 nights B&B from €955. Travel in tributor / broadcaster and guest scenery, the trail offers both tran- Sep. Cuba 4* Iberostar Tainos 7 travel writer for River Media quil waters and some faster flowing nights All Inclusive from €1085 newspaper titles across the island sections. Strangford Lough Canoe Travel in Sep/Oct. South Africa 3*+ of Ireland Trail offers 80 miles of paddling Cape Town 6 nights B/B from €1259. playground. From the fast-running Travel in Nov. Bali4*+ Bali Hyatt 7 tidal channel in the south to the nights B/B from €1259.Travel in Nov. more gentle waters around the is- Kenya 4* Masia Mara Safari 5 nights lands there is something for canoe- Full Board 1 night B&B from €1899. ists of all abilities. Travel in Nov/Dec. Prices are per The two new coastal canoe trails, person sharing and include flights, the Foyle Canoe Trail and the South accommodation taxes and charges East Canoe Trail, allow canoeists to www.sunway.ie Looking for the explore stunning coastlines at ei- perfect October escape? Head to ther ends of the country. The Foyle Dubrovnik’s Old Town and the mild Canoe Trail stretches for 33 miles Adriatic with Concorde Travel from along the River Foyle and by Lough only €399pp. Foyle’s varied coastline and rural This stunning UNESCO heritcountryside, passing through the age city on the Southern Adriatic historic walled city of London- Coast is a must see destination. The derry. In contrast, the South East charming old town of Dubrovnik lies Thai Airways has confirmed Coast Canoe Trail explores rocky within medieval walls and boasts a the launch of a new budget airbays and long sandy beaches under stunning main marble boulevard, line, Thai Smile Air, which will the breathtaking backdrop of both baroque buildings as well as the start operating domestic flights the Mourne and Cooley mountain mysterious Island of Lokrum and from Bangkok next July. ranges. This trail spreads out more the medieval town of Cavtat, accesDestinations offered will inthan 50 miles from Strangford vil- sible by regular boats from the old clude Chiang Rai, the main gatelage to Newry City.www.canoeni. harbour. What’s more, the beautiful way to the Golden Triangle in com/canoe-trails. For those wishing Adriatic sea is still good for swimnorthern Thailand, and Surat to try their hand at paddling, Na- ming, with an average water temThani, the closest airport to tional Trails Day is taking place on perature for October of 21ºC. Stay islands in the Gulf of Thailand Sunday October 2nd www.national- at the 3*Antuninska Apartments including Koh Samui and Koh trailsday.co.uk. located in a charming street leadPhangan. It will also fly to Ubon ing off the main boulevard of the Ratchathani and Khon Kaen in Weekly Best Buy Old Town from only €399 per perthe north east. Based at BangSunway’s worldwide sale is now on son. Price includes; return flights kok International Suvarnabhumi with special rates from Air France with Aer Lingus including all taxes, Airport, the carrier will have a and KLM. Book before 26 Septem- transfers and 7 nights’ accommodafleet of 11 Airbus A320s with ber to secure one of these great of- tion on a self-catering basis. Dates of 174-seats each and will focus on fers. Egypt , 4* Cairo / Nile Cruise 2 Travel: 9th, 16th, and 21st October secondary routes less than two nights B/B 2 nights Half Board and www.concordetravel.ie hours flying time from the capi-
Pet’s Corner...
Home and Away Extra tal, offering connections with Thai Airways’ flights. Domestic flights will launch next summer but the airline has plans to expand onto international routes from 2013. Irish football fans spent approximately €145 million last year visiting Premier League grounds and made 164,000 visits, with an average spend of £776 (€884.64) each, according to Visit Britain, the UK’s state tourism agency. The Irish accounted for one-in-five football fans who visited a Premier League ground from overseas last year. Though the Irish are by far the most popular visitors to Premier League grounds, a similar survey in 2008 found 267,000 Irish fans attended a match in the UK, so the numbers traveling (down almost 40 per cent) have clearly been hit by the recession.
with Kathleen Murray
Do you know where your dog is? with Kathleen Murray: Animal Behavioural Therapist
If you don’t have an enclosed, safe space for your dog to go out to the toilet, then you could easily lose it if you open the door and just send it out. The dog could just be at the end of the garden and you wouldn’t see it in the dark evenings. It may have just run off down the road after a cat and you would have no idea where to start looking for it because you couldn’t see which direction it went as it was too dark. Anything could happen to it when it is away from home. It could get knocked down by a car and be in agony on the roadside and on top of that it
could cost you a lot of money. When dogs are away from the house, by themselves, they can be up to anything. Even if it is a saint at home it will not behave like that in the outside world… especially with other dogs to influence it. The excitement of the chase can take dogs a long way in a very short time, if they are after a cat or another small animal of some kind. Your dog could be following a bicycle or a neighbour walking down the road. It’s not difficult to lose a dog but it can be incredibly difficult to find them again. If your dog causes an accident you
are responsible for any costs involved. These costs can be anything from paying for a telegraph pole (if the car has to swerve to avoid the dog) to any damage caused to the car itself or an injury to a driver or passenger. Other problems that your dog, and you, may experience are, if the dog pulls out someone’s bin. There are many things in a bin from used bleach bottles to empty plastic bags that have food smells on them. There could be bones from a chicken. Any of these things could cause a lot of damage to your dog if they are
eaten and the vets bills could mount up. Your neighbours won’t be very happy with you or your dog either if your dog is at their place often and unsupervised. There will be complaints. The most common complaint about “Loose” dogs is their preference for going to the toilet in the neighbours garden. Another complaint is about dogs following walkers or joggers. Dogs that run along the road or charge out of a gate when your passing, with a dog on a lead, is a very scary and dangerous thing. The dog
could be attacked or the owner could get bitten. A major problem with dogs on the loose is the chasing of livestock. This is a very sad sight to see. It is sad for the dog that it’s owner didn’t think enough of it to keep it under control and at the house, and incredibly sad for anyone looking at the sheep, not forgetting or taking away from the horrifically savage encounter for the poor sheep. Don’t be an irresponsible owner. Know where your dog is at all times.