TNT Magazine / Issue 1540

March 4-10 2013 Issue 1540 tntmagazine.com

WIN!

AN OLYMPUS CAMERA & YOUR TRAVEL SNAP ON TNT’S COVER!

BANGING ABROAD One-night stands: a travel essential?

TOP SECRET LONDON Best quirky tours of the Big Smoke

THE UKBA BALLS-UP Join our campaign against border chaos

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S E P A C S E T A E R G vel Show a r T T N T e h idays at t l o h e ic r p fl ha How to bag + ST PADDY’S PARTIES TIPS ON TRAVELLING SAFE AUSSIE BLUFFER’S GUIDE SNOWSHOEING IN FRANCE TNT 1540 Cover.indd 1

ISSUE 1540 / £1.95

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LAURA CHUBB EDITOR laura.chubb@tntmagazine.com

EDITOR’S LETTER They say good things come in threes, but I reckon two is a better number. A ménage à trois, for example, can leave someone feeling left out – much better to pair up and make sure you get all the attention. And a two-day TNT Travel Show – well, now you’re talking. We’re taking over the Business Design Centre in Islington for the whole weekend on March 9-10 to offer you more holiday deals than ever. Just flip to P76 to get a taste of the massive discounts we’re dishing out on bucket-list trips. Enjoy!

THIS WEEK

LONDONDIARY

4

LONDONNEWS

6

DRINK & EATS

12 &15

@TNT

16

SPOTTED

19

LONDON SOUND

20

COMPETITION

24

CHATROOM ZOE LYONS

25

LONDON SCENE

26

LONDON FOCUS

28

FEATURES

SPARE TIME

32

WALKING FUNNY

LIFESTYLE

34-39

8

Go behind the scenes of London with these weird and wonderful city tours

HEALTH AND BEAUTY

34

MONEY

37

HOW TO SCORE ON TOUR

LIVING

38

Top tips from the experts on one-night stands when travelling – and your stories!

NEWS & SPORT

40-50

TRAVEL

Photos: Getty

76

53-101

NEW IN TOWN

34

You’ll need our trusty Bluffer’s Guide to London’s most Aussie-strong areas

DIARY

54

NEWS

57

UK TRIP

58

LATE DEALS

60

The UKBA shambles that’s ruining expats’ lives and our campaign to put a stop to it

HOTSHOTS

63

TNT TRAVEL SHOW

TIPS

64

TNT TRAVEL SHOW

69

The lowdown on the biggest deals you can bag on the day, just by showing up

DESTINATIONS AFRICA

89

CLASSIFIEDS

102-129

DESPERATELY SEEKING

130

89

28

UKBA BALLS-UP

AFRICA UNCOVERED

44

76

89

Your indispensable guide to Cape Town, adventure trips, safaris and Marrakech

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Editorial Group editor Carol Driver Editor Laura Chubb Content editors: Sub/ Sport Michael Gadd Travel Helen Elfer Entertainment Alasdair Morton Web Oliver Jones Social media Dan Thorne Contributors Daisy Carrington; Charlotte Maguire

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Design and production Head of design and production Jon Cooke Design / picture editor Patricia Montenegro

Sales Commercial director David Alstin Sales manager Jaqui Ward Sales executive Nichole Davis Sales administrator Abby Nightingale marketing & events Marketing and events executive Phoebe Cherrill ACCOUNTS Margaret Roberts | Suzanne Welsh tnt MULTIMEDIA LTD CEO Kevin Ellis Chairman Ken Hurst Publisher TNT Multimedia Limited Distribution Emblem Direct Ltd Printed by Wyndeham Peterborough Limited News AAP SAPA NZPA Pictures Getty Images, TNT Images, Thinkstock TNT Magazine , 16 Brune St, London, E1 7NJ tntmagazine.com General enquiries Phone 020 7953 8469 Fax 020 7953 7957 Email enquiries@tntmagazine.com sales enquiries

Phone 020 7989 0567 Email sales@tntmagazine.com Where to get TNT

cover price: £1.95 where sold See tntmagazine.com/findtnt for pick-up points or tntmagazine.com/emag to read TNT online Subscriptions and Distribution Caroline Penn 01603 559004

Brain food: canapés and smart chat are at this topical pop-up

Shhh... SECRET LONDON kitchen experiment 01: eat the world hackney

Chef-turned-food-event-magician Anna Hansen’s pop-up kitchen will welcome 50 guests to this, the first night of a three-week season, where there’ll be performances, digital installations and debate themed around topics such as the ‘re-meditative capacities of nature’. The London Contemporary Orchestra will be the first week’s guest, sound artist David Coulter the second’s and cellist Gregor Ridell the third’s. So grab yourself a canapé and a beverage and get stuck in, to both the incredible food and thought provocation. £15+

Mar 6-8, 13-15 & 20-22 Limewharf, Vyner Street, E2 9DJ

Bethnal Green

man 1, bank 0

big book sale

rebel bingo

You know those cheques you get through the post saying ‘You have won blah blah blah amounts of money’?

American Patrick Combs deposited one in the bank as a joke and to his shock, the US$95,093.35 paper cleared.

This is his story, told in his own words, about how one man inadvertently took on the credit crunch and won.

If you like reading, or buying cheap stuff, this sale is for you.

Hundreds of thousands of little page turners are here to snaffle up for in many cases the token sum of a few pence. So add to that long list of titles on your bookshelf you intend on getting round to reading.

Monies go to keeping New Cross People’s Library going.

Part game, part stage show, part club night – Rebel Bingo is a far cry from staid, bluerinsed old timers. With tunes, potty-mouthed calling and head-turning performances, it’s gone from a church basement to its Shoreditch home and festivals all over Europe, so get down and see what the fuss is all about.

Mar 4-16, 7.15pm Soho Theatre, W1D 3NE Tott Crt Rd sohotheatre.com

Mar 10, 2pm-6pm SE14 6AS New Cross Gate newxlearning.wordpress.com

Mar 9, 15 & 16, 9pm-2am Scala, N1 9NL King’s Cross rebelbingo.com

limewharf.org

All thieves of TNT bins will be prosecuted.

£10+

TNT Magazine is printed on paper from sustainable forests. There is no business connection between the proprietors of this magazine and TNT Ltd, the worldwide transportation group. Copyright here and abroad of all original materials is held by TNT Magazine.

Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden, except with permission of the publishers.

Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office.

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Modernists: Haring (Ginty), Warhol (Riches) and Basquiat (Walters)

Represent your country

A THOUSAND MILES OF HISTORY Peckham

Awesome tours This new play, at the former factory-turned-creativearts-space The Bussey Building, is about artist JeanMichel Basquiat, who graduated from the street to fine art. His life intertwined with friends Keith Haring and Andy Warhol is also explored. Michael Walters is Basquiat, Simon Ginty is activist Haring while funnyman Adam Riches portrays the bleached demi-god of modern art Warhol in this musical production that is truly modern itself. £10+

Weekend festivals

Mar 4-30, 7.45pm (Sat matinees 3.30pm, Mar 9, 16, 23 & 30) Peckham Rye athousandmilesofhistory.co.uk SE15 4ST

THE HUGUENOT LEGACY

CRAIG CAMPBELL

The Huguenots were French religious refugees who came to these isles in the 16th and 17th centuries. This exhibition looks at their influence on British culture, with particular reference to the fundamentals of banking that they brought with them, hence the City-based location of this show at the Bank of England Museum.

The nutty Canadian stand-up is back in London for two final shows of his impossibly great solo tour (to be recorded for a DVD). He’s a great storyteller, with bags of anecdotes. Most of all, Campbell’s blessed with a love for the world and its people that will leave you basking in a big, warm, fuzzy glow.

Until May 10, Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Threadneedle Street, EC2R 8AH Bank bankofengland.co.uk

Mar 10, 7pm & 9.30pm WC1H 0AH Euston Square thebloomsbury.com

Photos: Jana Chiellino

FREE

Weekly after match socials

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JANOSKIANS CHAOS HITS HYDE PARK Aussie pop pranksters The Janoskians caused chaos in London last week when hundreds of screeching teen fans descended on Hyde Park.

The personal appearance of the band was called off amid the unanticipated popularity of the event. Seven girls received minor injuries in the crush to see their teen idols and were treated in hospital.

Fans who turned up to Hyde Park mostly went away disappointed – some of which had travelled all the way to London from Manchester.

Great, supine, protoplasmic, invertebrate jellies!

London Mayor and mega-toff Boris Johnson’s version of a four-letter word spree, in a description of London Assembly members during a vote last week at City Hall

OLYMPICS APPLICANTS INFO IS PASSED ON Information about more than 5 million people who applied for London Olympics tickets will be passed onto governmentaffiliated body Sport England.

Names and email addresses are bound for a database that aims to form a “digital legacy” to get “more people involved in sport”. Anyone who doesn’t want their deets passing on has until the end of this month to opt their information out of the ‘Stay Inspired’ campaign.

ON THE TUBE THIS WEEKEND’S CLOSURES/WORKS

BAKERLOO: No service between Queens Park and Paddington all weekend. Rail replacement buses operate.

CIRCLE: No service all weekend.

DISTRICT: No service between Earl’s Court and Aldgate East all weekend.

NORTHERN: No service between Tooting Broadway and Morden all weekend. Rail replacement buses operate.

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Meeting an Aussie legend

Neighbours star Mark Little is set to open the TNT Travel Show It’s the best news of 2013 so far: Aussie legend Mark Little, stand-up comedian and much-loved as affable chump Joe Mangel in TV soap Neighbours, will be officially opening the TNT Travel Show.

Little will be cutting the ribbon at the Business Design Centre in Islington at 10am on March 9 – the first day of the two-day extravaganza.

The comedian, who’s been in the UK since 1992, has appeared in numerous British TV shows, including being a regular on Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff.

“I’m chuffed TNT asked me to open its TNT Travel Show this year,” Little said.

“It’s a top destination for anyone thinking of travelling in the next year, with bonza deals on offer over the two days.

“I have always been an Aussie-Euro-Brit.

Australia is where I come from, but I have a good sense of humour – you have to be able to have the piss taken out of you here,” he added.

“As well as opening the show, I’m planning a little bespoke, five-minute routine, shedding some light on what it’s like to be an Aussie living in London.

“Then I might stick around, have a few beers and eat an Aussie pie – it’ll be like a home from home.”

Little’s TV work in the UK has also included briefly replacing carrot-top Chris Evans on Channel 4’s now long-gone The Big Breakfast and narrating Sky’s holiday hook-up dating show The Villa.

Don’t miss a chance to meet the man himself and bond over being an Antipodean in the Big Smoke.

THIS WEEK IN LONDON...

There’s only one place to be this week in London – that is if you fancy bagging stacks of outrageous discounts on your travels abroad.

And there’s more opportunity to snag cut-price holidays than ever before as the TNT Travel Show sprawls over two days at the Business Design Centre in Islington this weekend.

There are 3500 free tickets available for each day of the show when you pre-register at tnttravelshow.com, and tickets cost just £2 after that. Over the weekend, masses of tour operators and travel specialists are offering huge savings on trips and holidays to TNT readers, with some bucket-list trips going for as little as half-price.

You’d be mad to miss it! More at tnttravelshow.com.

Photos: TNT

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“The deals are this big!” Mark Little will be at our bargain breaks bonanza

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28/02/2013 17:14:59

Sheep and the City: explore the historic crap heap that is Mudchute in the east

London’s hidden gems Forget the usual tourist attractions. Two new tours this month show you the secret sides of the city Words LAURA CHUBB & ALASDAIR MORTON “I’ve been fascinated by waste and rubbish for a long time,” says Rosie Oliver. Sounds odd, but perhaps odder still is that the founder of Dotmaker Tours has turned this gravitation towards garbage into a ‘rubbish trip’ – a walking tour of London’s historic waste dumps and landfills.

Poring over the city’s trash might not strike you as a great way to fall in love with London, but Oliver disagrees.

“The tour challenges the idea that rubbish is something that is incidental or ephemeral to the city,” she tells us.

“Some really significant moments in the story of London relate to waste.”

Oliver’s brand-new rubbish trip – its second ever outing is on March 17 – is just one of a number of offbeat tours intent on telling the lesser-heard stories of London. Sure, you could sign up to snap the Houses of Parliament from an open-top bus, but there’s a whole other breed of London jaunts that look to dig deeper into the Big Smoke, and are capable of surprising even those who walk the city’s streets every day.

When TNT turns up to meet Oliver at the Mudchute DLR station a little worse for wear on a Sunday morning, 8

tntMagazine.com

for example, we’re just as surprised to discover the pretty pockets of this most unattractive-sounding of London locales as we are the trashy tidbits along the way. The area is so called because it literally was a mud chute in the 1860s.

Piles of slop excavated as workers built the Millwall Dock were dumped here, but today it’s home to a peaceful urban farm. There’s even a disorienting ruralfeeling cafe to rest your bones at; one could easily believe they’re supping tea in the wilds of Derbyshire, were it not for the skyscrapers peeping over the hill.

We’ll not give too much more away, but suffice to say you’ll see some seldom-visited parts of the city and find ancient cast-offs in the most everyday places. Even Oliver was surprised when researching the trip: “I discovered that road dust from exhaust fumes contains palladium, the precious metal used in laptops and mobile phones,” she says.

“The streets of London are literally lined with modern-day gold.”

Another new tour hitting the tarmac this month is the latest from Alternative London, which has been showing folks around East End street art since 2010. Founder Gary Means

is launching an east London markets tour on March 31, showcasing another side of the area’s distinct culture. Even better, tour-goers will get to take advantage of exclusive discounts at stores along the way.

“It’s the first time people can try guided alternative shopping in London,” claims Means. “People will get a real insight into a way of life that’s been here for hundreds of years, while still getting a completely up to date experience.”

Expect a real insider’s insight into the city’s subculture: “It’s important for people who want to get under the skin of London to have an opportunity to see the real side of the city, from a local’s perspective,” explains Means.

“The guides know the area and markets like the backs of their hands.”

Eat, drink, shop and learn.

MORE QUIRKY LONDON TOURS ››

The next Rubbish Trip is on March 17, 11am-12.45pm. £8. Booking essential. dotmakertours.co.uk The East London Markets tour starts March 31 at 11am and lasts 3-4 hrs. £10. Book in advance. alternativeldn.co.uk

Alternative London: take a street art tour

Old junk: find ancient trash on the Rubbish Trip

All aboard: get on the Alternative London bus

March 18th – 22nd Normally £245 – Now £165 March 23rd – 29th Normally £279 – Now £239 March 25th – April 1st £279

HIDDEN CITY ACROSS LONDON

liars’ tour across london

A great way of discovering different parts of London, this treasure-hunt style experience involves you solving a trail of clues sent by text message, taking you into tucked-away corners.

There’s a list of trails to choose from (including Soho, below) and price is per team.

Have you ever been on a tour and thought that the stories you were being fed were just too good to be true? This tour purposefully plays up to this as you get two stories, one with the real history and the other a crock of shit – you have to decide which one to believe. How mucky do you think London’s past has been?

Tours operate in Blackfriars, Bloomsbury, the City, Chelsea, London Bridge and the South Bank. Be warned, they’ve recently updated their fibbing repertoire.

£16

Daily, times vary with trail Various Various inthehiddencity.com

£7.50

rock legends minivan tour across london London’s played a massive role in shaping rock music and this small minivan tour (groups of up to 16 people) takes you to some of the city’s most historic sites – the house where Jimi Hendrix lived, Bill Wyman’s Sticky Fingers restaurant, and you’ll have your photo taken on the Abbey Road crossing over which the Beatles walked. Plus you’ll visit hotels, record labels, clubs and other famous rock folk hangouts. £30

Daily, 1pm W1Y 5BL

Charing Crosss

viator.com

olympics tour stratford poverty london tour across london Poverty tourism that is literally that – this tour is shaped around Victorian reformist Charles Booths’ ‘poverty maps’, which illustrated the parts of the city that were full of the undesirables in the area now comprising zones 1 and 2. His maps used colour coding to delineate the streets’ class make-up – black was for the ‘lowest class’ who were mostly ‘vicious’ and/or ‘criminal’, for example. Guide Sean Patterson runs two walks through London’s socioeconomic past, taking you around Deptford and Clerkenwell. £15

Dates and times vary 4 Tanners Hill, SE8 4QD; St John’s Square, EC1V Deptford; Farringdon charlesboothwalks.com

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Various times and dates Various londonstreettours.co.uk

A year on and the magic is still in the air – this tour looks behind the scenes of the Games that put the capital back on the map. It will tell you all about the Olympics, the transformation of the East End and how it is going to look in the future. £9

Until Apr 13, Mon, Weds, Thurs, 1.45pm Stratford, E15 3BN West Ham walks.com

night time photography walk westminster If you want the best pics of London, check out this night-time guided walk through the icon-laden streets of Westminster where you can snap the city’s most impressive landmarks and enjoy both expert tutelage and a short history lesson to boot. £50

Mar 8, 15, 21 & 22, 6pm-8pm SW1A 2LW Westminster creativephotography.co.uk

east end uncovered tour east end

Islington tunnel on Regent’s Canal is a 3/4-mile-long underground trip back through time, the hour-long tour telling you how the canal has been used over the course of its near 200 years of existence.

Guide Sandra Shevey takes you around some of the most famous locations to feature in Hitchcock’s most renowned movies.

See how this culturally thriving area of the city got its artistic bent. You’ll see where Banksy and other street artists made their name, discover where Shakespeare’s plays were first performed, take in a local market, lunch in one of Brick Lane’s world-famous curry houses and down a pint in a local boozer. A right proper day out!

Twice monthly, May 12 to Oct 13. Times vary N1 9RT King’s Cross canalmuseum.org.uk

Mon, Wed & Sat, 11am Westminster SW1P 3JX sandra_shevey@yahoo.com

Daily, 10am EC1Y 1BE Old Street urbanadventures.com/london

narrow boat tunnel tour islington £8.30

alfred hitchcock location walk across london £45

£26

hidden pubs of old london town tour central LONDON

history of quirky london tour covent garden

It’s just like a regular walking tour, only it’s about pubs and has pitstops for you to familiarise yourself personally with the subject at hand, in either a half or full pint form.

Hidden boozers down back alleys and in secret little courtyards – it’s 2000 years of London and its love of the sauce. You’re in good hands.

London as a city is bonkers and defies logic, and it has done for some time. Men cutting off their cocks in public, the world’s smallest police station, the street where cars drive on the right side of the street (which is wrong), not to mention David Cameron’s illegitimate heritage – you’ll learn this and more, and then never look at the city in the same way again. £18

£9

Tuesdays, 7pm Temple Tube, WC2R 2PH Temple walks.com

A Eureka Tour with Cathy Haynes central london School of Life’s public programme curator Cathy Haynes leads this tour of how London locations influenced the creative process and discoveries of some of the most ingenious minds to grace the city. Novelist Virginia Woolf and French filmmaker Georges Perec feature in a tour that visits a magic store and a ‘temple to genius’, and challenges you to fire up your own creative juices and see what you can come up with. £20.50

Mar 25, 9.40am WC1N 1AB Russell Square

theschooloflife.com

nights out: Sonic Experiments central london

skyscraper tour of london across london

£20.50 Composer Kerry Andrew leads you on an aural tour of the city as its tones and textures change with the onset of night. A sensory journey.

Apr 3, 6.40pm WC1N 1AB Russell Square theschooloflife.com

London’s past is etched all over its present, with churches and cobbled streets filling the place. Its futuristic skyline is just as dominant, with skyscrapers reaching up into the atmosphere, often controversially – do they enhance the city, depicting its modernity, or destroy the famous cityscape for good?

Take this walk, marvel at the likes of the Shard and the Gherkin and make your own mind up.

See behind the scenes of one of London’s most popular football teams, the formerly ‘invincible’ Arsenal, on this 90-minute tour. Get up close and personal behind the scenes at the 60,000 capacity stadium. If only the Gooners were as impressive as their home on the pitch.

Dates and times vary Liverpool Street Station, EC2M 7QH Liverpool Street londonarchitecturewalks.com

Daily, from 10am-5pm (not on match days) N5 1BU Arsenal arsenal.com/tours

Photos: Getty; Rosie Oliver 2013

£15

emirates tour highbury £9

Mon, 7pm; Sat, 11.30am Covent Garden, WC2E 9JT Covent Garden insider-london.co.uk

ghost tours across london Ghost expert Richard Jones, who’s been conducting spook tours for 25 years, leads you through some of London’s spectral past on a variety of sinister trips such as ‘Sweeney Todd’ and ‘Hidden Horrors’. £9

Tues, Fri & Sat, 7pm Various london-ghost-walk.co.uk

jack the ripper tour east end One of the more cheesy walks, but it’s such a grimy, bloodsoaked part of London’s history that it is top fun nonetheless. Icky, sticky, mystery-cloaked fun. This walk (above right) is the original, and still the best. £9

Daily, 7.30pm Tower Hill, EC3N 4DJ Tower Hill jacktheripperwalk.com

london’s lost rivers tour central LONDON Beneath the city’s tarmaced streets lies a buried network of old rivers. Paul Talling takes you on a guided tour of the bizarre existence these waterways have gone on to lead. He also admits that the tours can take as long as you want them to, and usually end up in the pub afterwards as well. Bonus!

Grand Surrey Canal is March 9’s tour while Wapping Canal’s on March 16. £9

Mar 9 & 16, 1pm Peckham Rye; Wapping stations Peckham Rye; Wapping londonslostrivers.com

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Snug speakeasy: behind the toilet

BAR

Hidden speakeasies with elaborate entry rituals are nothing new in east London – think Callooh Callay’s secret room behind the wardrobe in Shoreditch or stepping into the Smeg fridge at Artillery Lane’s branch of The Breakfast Club – but this new pop-up rum bar on Broadway Market is better than its gimmick.

Yes, it’s hidden in the basement of craft brew and Mexican street food bar Off Broadway, disguised as a toilet (you’re required to flush to enter) – depending on your taste, that’s either totally awesome or lame hipster bullshit. But once you’re in, it’s a super-snug place to hole up with friends for a long session whatever your proclivities, lit largely by candles and boasting a number of cosy old-school touches (dusty books, red leather sofas).

THE GRUB You can have food brought down from Off Broadway upstairs – think quesadillas and burritos from about £6. Don’t try ordering from the upstairs drink menu, though. It’s all about the rum down here.

THE SCENE

A long list of rum cocktails, or order the hot buttered rum for two.

The latter is served in a cute brass kettle, and is utterly addictive (hot, buttery, boozy – what’s not to love?). We polished off three kettles on our visit.

BILL PLEASE Cocktails from about £7.50. Hot buttered rum for two is £12.

VERDICT Well worth venturing down the dunny. LAURA CHUBB BEHIND THE BAR

63-65 Broadway Market, E8 4PH

SUMMERY BARS

Hoxton

FLORIPA

GUANABARA

BARRIO EAST

Gagging for a small slice of sunshine amidst the London gloom? Check out this colourful bar on Great Eastern Street, where parrot paintings and flower-garland chandeliers meet dancing on tables and Brazilian booze.

This Covent Garden institution always has a dance floor packed with samba hips swinging (possibly a direct result of the happy hour caipirinhas) and even hosts live capoeira at the weekends.

It’s another world in this bright bar on Shoreditch High Street. Step inside and it’s like being handed an instant holiday, thanks to the sunny decor, strong cocktails and Latin American street food.

floripalondon.com

guanabara.co.uk

barrioeast.com

LONDON’S BIGGEST FREE TRAVEL SHOW Show Bar

REGISTER NOW

2 DAY SHOW | 50% DEALS | SEMINARS | 7000 FREE TICKETS

Saturday March 9 & Sunday March 10 tnttravelshow.com 12

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Photos: Addie Chinn; Ronaldo Batallini

3 OF THE BEST

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28/02/2013 17:15:00

St Patrick’s Day

Party In association with

Date: Sunday 17th March 2013 Venue: Elk Bar, Fulham Time: 12noon till 12 Midnight Tickets: Free Entry Pre register: to claim a free Elk Irish Punch before 2pm

BEST DRESSED COMPETITION: GET YOUR IRISH ON! AND COME AS SOMETHING IRISH WIN: A TOP PRIZE FROM SHAMROCKER ADVENTURES

DJ & BAND ENTERTAINMENT - ST PATRICK’S BURGERS £3.50 GUINNESS | £4.95 IRISH COCKTAILS | £3.00 BABY GUINNESS SHOOTERS

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28/02/2013 17:23:41 17:15:02 08/02/2013

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BITE SIZE

Superb: looks and tastes fancy, without the pretense or price

steamy sessions You’re in for a win-win treat at Steam, a ‘for one-day only’ pop-up restaurant serving calorie-neutral food for free in Covent Garden on March 13. Bookings are being taken now for 90-minute sittings, where celeb chef Frederick Forster will serve up steamed dishes that “explore exciting and innovative ways to burn calories, without compromising on taste”. Tickets are limited to two per person, and sittings are from 12pm, 12.30pm, 6.30pm and 7pm. To apply, send your name, the name of your plus one, your contact details and preferred sitting time to steam@frankpr.it.

5-7 Grape Street, WC2H 8DW

festival of food Foodie fest Feast returns to London this week, and promises to be bigger, better and more binge-worthy than ever. The event brings together the city’s finest street food vendors (Big Apple Hot Dogs, Pizza Pilgrims, The Last Days of Pisco and more), plus live music and cocktails for an evening of culinary delights at Tobacco Dock, a 19th-century warehouse in Wapping.

Tickets cost from £9 and it’s on from March 7-10. wefeast.co.uk

Photos: Mike Abrahams

Pizza Pilgrims at Feast

shepherd’s bar & bistro BRITISH

This Pimlico restaurant has undergone a refurb and a name change – Shepherd’s Restaurant to Bar & Bistro. Its proximity to Westminster makes it popular with the political class and its white table cloth appearance (simpler and more spacious than the prior tartan-draped decor) could suggest haughtiness, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The emphasis is on quality food and friendly service and in a fun, laid back environment. In this goal, it’s a winner.

The grub We warm up with the celeriac soup and potted shrimps, both of which are a tasty, tantalising beginning. We then plump for the house specialty, the shepherd’s pie, a rich and creamy treat, and the braised ox cheeks with carrots is a succulent dish that deserves its place as one of the new-look restaurant’s most popular dishes. They are both worthy of the slavering anticipation with which we eye their arrival and their subsequent devouring. We do opt for an accompanying portion of asparagus but, really, it’s for our collective midriff-watching conscience – this is all about the mains. With this in mind we share a treacle tart for dessert but, perhaps predictably, we’re left fighting over who gets to enjoy the ‘bigger half’ as all diet-conscious thoughts go out the window once it’s in front of us.

THE SCENE

DINNER DATING

Behind the bar

In the mood for love? There are still places left at the gay dinner dating night at Balans restaurant in Old Compton Street, where gents can get to know one another over five courses, enjoying each course with a different date. The event costs £25, including three courses, aperitif and coffee, and takes place on March 11.

Bill please

A generous wine list and selection of lagers and ales are on hand to accompany any dinner choice. Most impressive is the cocktail list – we can heartily recommend The Old Imperialist (Appleton’s, Licor 43, ginger, maple syrup and cinnamon) and The Smokey (Plymouth Gin with Isle of Jura malt and orange peel).

Starters from £5; mains from £9.50; desserts from £4. Wine by the glass from £7; beers from £4.50; cocktails from £8.50. verdict Shepherd’s offers top quality food, a stylish environment and a friendly, informed service. You’ll be stunned when you see the bill – a meal this superb should do far more damage. alasdair morton

balans.co.uk Marsham Court, SW1P 4LA

langansrestaurants.co.uk/shepherds

Pimlico

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Re: The Janoskians at Hyde Park (tntmagazine.com): The Janoskians crowd chaos at Hyde Park was hilarious, dangerous and also totally embarrassing.

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Beautiful noise: MBV’s return was worth the 22-year wait

festival

watch

field day

My Bloody Valentine Hammersmith Apollo, W6 9QH March 12 & 13 | Doors at 7pm | £28.25

Victoria Park’s the destination for all the coolest, most ‘now’ talents out there once more as Field Day kickstarts the summer fest season with the sort of line-up that has east London’s hipsters falling over with glee.

Savages, Chvrches, Bat For Lashes (pictured), Animal Collective, Daughter, Stubborn Heart, F**ked Up, Palma Violets, Seth Troxler, Toy and Jagwar Ma to name but a few – it’s a who’s who of cool as fuckness.

Miss out and you’re the squarest, most out of touch person this side of your old man.

Victoria Park, E3.

May 25. £49.50 Bow Road fielddayfestivals.com

Your second album is a critical and commercial smash hit – it adorns best of lists that year and for every year to come. It changed music, rewrote the rulebook, defined and re-defined genres – so what do you do? Hunker down and take 22 years to pen its follow up, that’s what.

OK, so it’s not the accustomed practice – although not totally in isolation – and would not feature too highly on any ‘how to have a career in rock music’ guides, but it is what My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields and co did after 1991’s monumental Loveless slayed everyone who heard it.

It was a multi-layered mega-opus filled with wall of sound depth, reverb-laced, distortion-indulging guitars, where wistful dream pop serenity was married with tear-your-hair-out moments of maniacal musical lunacy. Its production was laborious – Shields’ now well-documented (and celebrated) perfectionism reportedly cost £250,000 and nearly bankrupted Alan McGee’s Creation Records. Oasis would help him out a couple of years later, though, so don’t feel too sorry for him.

Famed for gigs so loud audience members would vomit, MBV released their seminal LP and disappeared, Shields cropping up occasionally in the ensuing years before finally, after much delay, releasing its follow up, m b v, last month. It’s a similarly dense and surprising record, and a deserved follow-up, if not in the ways you would expect (moments of simplicity abound). The fact it got made at all is stunning and the opportunity to hear it and the band’s back cat’s one not to miss.

Hammersmith

hammersmithapollo.net

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emily barker & the red clay halo

NEW BAND

GIG wed, mar 6. 7pm £14

The first of three gigs for the Aussie countryfolkster who’s been over here for more than a decade now. Emily and the Halos have toured with Frank Turner, soundtracked the Beeb’s Wallander and have a fourth LP under construction. Also playing The Bedford, Balham (Mar 7) and Hoxton Hall, Hoxton (Mar 8).

St Pancras Old Church 191 Pancras Way, NW1 1UL King’s Cross gigsandtours.com

bloc london: model 500 & juan atkins

charlie hedges @ wakA wakA bar

CLUB

CLUB

sat, mar 9. 10pm-6am £20

sat, mar 9. 8pm-2am £10

The Bloc crew’s 2012 went tits up when their flagship summer event in east London was cancelled midway through the first of three days. They’re back, though, with 10 one-off events running until June, focusing mostly on upcoming talent. First up, however, is Detroit techno legend Juan Atkins.

The presenter of Kiss FM radio’s Saturday Night KISS, Charlie Hedges, drops into this west London nightspot in DJ mode to spin some top tunes. As if that wasn’t enticement enough for you, there’s a free cocktail in it for the first 50 revellers through the door – so get down there early.

East London venue TBC TBC bloclondon.com

Waka Waka 4 Fulham High Street, SW6 3LQ Putney Bridge wakawaka.shoobs.com

THE TRAGICALLY HIP PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

LONDON KOKO • TUES 2ND JULY BUY ONLINE AT LIVENATION.CO.UK / TICKETMASTER.CO.UK A LIVE NATION PRESENTATION IN ASSOCIATION WITH BERNIE BREEN MANAGEMENT

bowie jane The buzz so far Aussie-born pop siren Bowie Jane has an unusual story – she was a lawyer but ditched the legal world to become a bona-fide pop star. Her debut single, Luv Bomb, is the sort of unfeasibly infectious pop song that will be lodged in your brain forever after. She’s got a debut album up her sleeve, too, played the likes of Homelanz last year and appeared at the Australian Open in January.

She’s not going to be small fry for much longer.

The Critics say “Energetic and frighteningly catchy – Luv Bomb will be bounding its way into your life very soon” David Spencer, Music Week Tastemaker the plug Luv Bomb is out March 11 through Mondo Tunes. bowiejane.com

Photos: Marc Sethi Photography; Mimi Gabino

thehip.com

sigur rÓs

ritual

the darkness

GIG

CLUB

GIG

Mar 7-9. 7pm £33

sat, mar 9. 10pm-4am £15+

thurs, mar 7. 7pm £27.50

Singing in their own made-up language is the only way this Icelandic group’s angelic, majestic music could have made sense. They’re known to millions for Hoppipolla from the BBC’s Planet Earth, but are so much more than this. And live, with frontman Jónsi playing his guitar with a violin bow, they take you to somewhere heavenly.

After last month’s sold out launch at west London’s newest electronic music night, comes this sophomore follow-up which continues to run from one end of the musical spectrum to the other. This time round there’s breakbeat from Stanton Warriors, Felix from Hot Chip drops by and rave fave Herve is onside, too.

They became the surprise success story of 2003 as their catsuit-mock-rock crashed the charts.

But after poor sophomore sales they went their separate ways. Back as a four-piece now, with third album Hot Cakes out last year, Justin Hawkins’ falsetto-rockers are back to doing what they do best – believing in a thing called love ...

Brixton Academy 211 Stockwell Rd, SW9 9SL Brixton o2academybrixton.co.uk

Under The Bridge Stamford Bridge, Fulham Road, SW6 1HS Fulham Broadway rituallondon.com

Hammersmith Apollo 45 Queen Caroline Street, W6 9QH Hammersmith hammersmithapollo.net

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Snowbombing with tnt Join TNT at ‘the greatest show on snow’, Snowbombing in Austria.

The 14-year-old festival running April 1-6 this year is all about fresh air, blue skies, black runs and white-hot parties – it’s a week of world class DJs and bands, in the idyllic alpine setting of Mayrhofen, Austria.

Check out TNT’s exclusive package, the TNT Village, at snowbombing.com/ tnt. Tickets include accommodation and entertainment combined.

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BUSINESS DESIGN CENTRE, ISLINGTON

Snowbombing, Mayrhofen, Austria April 1-6 snowbombing.com

The TNT Travel Show, London’s biggest free travel show, is on this weekend, March 9-10 at the Business Design Centre, Islington. There are 3500 free tickets available for each day of the show when visitors pre-register at tnttravelshow.com – tickets cost just £2 after that.

The two-day extravaganza is dedicated to helping you find your ultimate holiday, at a great price, with deals of up to 50 per cent off that are exclusive to the show, expert seminars and inspirational advice. This year, Neighbours legend Mark Little, best known for his role as Joe Mangel on the Aussie soap, will be officially opening the show. £2

Saturday-Sunday, March 9-10 Business Design Centre, Islington, N1 0QH Angel Essex Road tnttravelshow.com

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Party for St Paddy’s at Elk bar in Fulham with TNT and Shamrocker.

Live music, DJs, deals on Guinness and Irish cocktails – what more could you want for a great craic?

Elk Bar, 587-591 Fulham Rd, SW6 5UA Sat, March 17, 12pm til late.

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AN OLYMPUS TOUGH TG-1 CAMERA & GET YOUR PHOTO ON THE COVER OF TNT Fancy winning a state of the art Olympus camera? Then get involved in the TNT Travel Show’s photography competition!

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Zoe Lyons

The comedian on TV quizzes, teasing Jeremy Paxman and popping up in the most random of places INTERVIEW alasdair morton

You’re touring a fifth solo stand-up show, Pop-Up Comic. Tell us about it ...

I have cropped up in some strange places lately including enduring the most buttock-clenchingly embarrassing experience on the Alan Titchmarsh daytime TV show. Have you ever said yes to something and then embarked on it and thought, “Oh, no, just no!?” I should not be on daytime TV talking about tattoos with Frankie Cocozza. It was odd and culminated in me envying a disabled dog, that’s all I can say.

Where’s the strangest place you’ve popped up?

I got a call the other day from a friend who said they’d seen my face on dating website Plenty Of Fish. I had no idea they were using it – it is weird to find you were being used as date bait.

Was it flattering or not your best pic?

I would have taken action against them had they not thought I was a 31-year-old woman, which I was very happy about. If they are going to knock 10 years off me ...

Any others?

I did an ill-judged TV appearance on...

Another? I can see a theme...

Yes. In an age where comedians are killing themselves to get on television, I have ended up on some proper shit. I did a Christmas version of University Challenge and thought they’d asked me because it was going to be a dumbed down for idiots version. It wasn’t! I turned up and it was full of scientists – one of my team worked on the Hadron Collider and I can’t work the DVD player. One of the other girls was a model so I thought “we’ve got a bit of fluff”, but she was also Britain’s highest earning poker player and had a first in astrophysics. I got a 2:2 in psychology, just – I spent most of my university days heavily stoned.

Did you get any questions right?

I got a starter for 10, so I can die happy now.

I have had that moment, where the guy goes “York University, Lyons...” and I got it right.

What you are not supposed to do in that moment is fist pump the air and mouth “In your face” to Jeremy Paxman.

Something fishy: Lyons’s image has popped up on a dating site and other weird places Any more TV nightmares?

I did an episode of [BBC quiz show] Pointless Celebrities. I’m very aware of the irony in that context because I’m obviously not a celebrity!

Someone must have died the night before. Let’s just say I wasn’t their first choice – but I was still alive. There was a moment where presenter Alexander Armstrong [off The Armstrong And Miller Show] said: “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your Pointless celebrities,” and he just clocked me in the face. I did alright though – me and [comedian] Steven K Amos got to the final and beat Toyah Willcox.

Is talking about your failures awkward?

I find it quite cathartic. Talking about my failures and weaknesses is good for people to hear.

Dealing with success is far easier – dealing with failure is more interesting to talk about.

Are you a bit of a social observer then?

A natural interest in other people is good for a comedian. I love sitting on a bus and listening to other people. You do hear some beautiful things.

What got you started?

I like larking about and making people laugh.

I’m pretty clowny in my natural state anyway.

So how do you describe your style?

Silliness and physical comedy.

Who’s your main professional influence?

My first exposure wasn’t stand-up but watching Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther movies. Proper clowning, and that really tickled me and stuck with me. I was allowed to stay up late and watch them. Some of the clips still crack me up – look up “Does your dog bite?” Classic. [We did. It is.]

What’s been your weirdest on-stage experience?

Everyone has had the experience of dying on stage, that horror never goes away. I did an outdoor festival gig once where I’d been booked to do half an hour and I didn’t really have half an hour, which became obvious. The crowd started to boo, but they did it really half-heartedly so I tried to reclaim the moment – I made them do it with full gusto so that I could leave the stage on a proper enthused boo.

And the best moment?

I’ve done a few shows recently to 2000 or 3000 people, 10-minute spots at galas. Doing those and nailing them is really good fun. If it goes well, then that feels brilliant. I’d like to have all my shows like that, and have 3000 people in the room every night!

Zoe Lyons: Pop-Up Comic is on tour nationwide now, and plays Soho Theatre, Mar 15 & 16. £15 W1D 3NE zoelyons.co.uk Tott Crt Rd

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Fraud: the Wizard, Oz, isn’t all that wonderful, but the witches weave their magic

oz the great & powerful FILM review by Michael Gadd Starring: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Zach Braff | PG | 130mins | Out March 8

fire with fire FILM Starring: Josh Duhamel, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Willis | 15 | 97mins

Josh Duhamel stars as a fireman who witnesses a brutal murder and gets dropped in the witness protection programme, only for Vincent D’Onofrio’s mental sociopath to come looking for him. Rosario Dawson is the suit trying to save him and Bruce Willis is a cop drawn into the case, with supporting turns from 50 Cent and Vinnie Jones among the carnage.

On general release March 8

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It turns out the Wizard of Oz, the bloke behind the curtain who serves more as an agony uncle than any sort of Gandalf type amazingness, started out as a sleazy travelling circus magician. His wayward journey is the focus of this prequel.

We meet Oscar, Oz for short (Franco), the not so great with a holey second-hand suit, as he chats up a wide-eyed farm girl to be his audience plant – but his sidekick Frank (Braff) keeps thwarting his wooing efforts. When the show goes awry – a girl in a wheelchair asks to be cured – and a strongman finds out Oz has been dipping his wand in his lady friend, he does the bolt in a hot-air balloon. But not before he reunites with the closest thing selfish Oz has to a love of his life, Annie (who looks a lot like Glinda the good witch, Williams). If this sounds waffling and far-fetched, that’s ‘cos it is. It takes too long to get to the land of Oz, which we find isn’t so merry as it’s being terrorised by a wicked witch. They’ve been waiting for a wizard.

Just like the remastered version of the 1939 Judy Garland classic, director Sam Raimi starts in mono and goes to colour when we get to yellow brick road territory.

The witches – Theodora (Kunis) and her sister Evanora (Weisz), who start good but are evil, and later Glinda – pick up the speed and deliver the stand-out performances (Franco has the range of Tin Man, pre-oil can). The 3D element is distracting, but worth it for the final showdown between the sisters and their creepy flying baboons (the little girl behind me said they were “really funny”) and the Glinda/Oz alliance.

Good for: A fantastical Emerald City showdown for big and little kids … once you get there.

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GIVE US A

give it up for comic relief

GIGGLE!

COMEDY

Part of the Comic Relief mega-fundraising efforts, this comedy and music show has Eddie Izzard (right), Simon Amstell, Jimmy Carr and Noel Fielding, with Kasabian, Noel Gallagher, Emeli Sande, Jessie J, Paloma Faith, Nicole Scherzinger, Rizzle Kicks and Jake Bugg. And Russell Brand’s hosting – don’t miss.

Wembley Arena Empire Way, HA9 0PA. Mar 6. £50 Wembley Park rednoseday.com

david bailey’s east end faces

If You Don’t Let Us Dream…

EXHIBITION

THEATRE

This free exhibition looks at a raft of photos from acclaimed photographer David Bailey that capture the heart and soul of the East End and its core-blimey cockneys in the Sixties. “The East End is in my DNA,” Bailey says of the area of London he grew up in. Now rapidly changing post-Games, see how it once looked.

Anders Lustgarten is a political activist and playwright. His new 75-minute work – part satire, part heavy-handed polemic in which a group propose monetising social behaviour to eradicate a culture of dependency and make a profit – boasts some topical gibes and witty lines, but is too didactic to succeed as drama. LK

William Morris Gallery E17 4PP. Until May 26. FREE Walthamstow wmgallery.org.uk

Royal Court Theatre SW1W 8AS. Until Mar 9. £10+ Sloane Square royalcourttheatre.com

loretta maine What can we expect from your show BiPolar? It’s about feelings and love and pain, so they can expect all that. Is that enough? How much do people want these days?

You talk about Sarah Perkins, who bullied you at school, and her mysterious disappearance ...

Shut up about her, I mean – kill one person and now I’m a murderer for life! Jeez.

Photos: Johan Persson; Getty; Graeme Copper

Why does the music industry continue to overlook you?

Because they are frightened by my enormous talent. The thing about music is that some people can’t sing, so when they see I am pretty and can sing they panic. Also, I beat up the head of Sony, so I think that put a few people off. But he was looking at my tits, so it was fair.

parker

macbeth

FILM

THEATRE

Jason Statham is a one-man movie genre. Watch a Stats movie and you know what you’re going to get – smash-bang action, a few lovely ladies and some one-liners that would have Arnie chuckling. Parker, in which he plays a thief out for revenge on the crims who betrayed him, looks like it won’t disappoint. One of today’s true action heroes doing what he does best.

Director Jamie Lloyd’s visceral production, in a dystopian Scotland, is a cruel, feral reading of ‘the Scottish play’ where the witches wear gas masks and blood pools on the floor. Much of the post-apocalyptic vision works – the flashing lightning, the regicidal thane puking into a toilet – and McAvoy’s electric in the central role. LK

On general release March 8

Trafalgar Studios 14 Whitehall, SW1A 2DY. Until April 27. £10+ Embankment macbethwestend.com

How do you like to relax? Pinot grigio, two packets of Marlboro Lights and some dancing boys. Tim and Sam [from Loretta’s backing band Penis Envy] dance for me in their Y-fronts. Who invented Y-fronts? The ugliest underpants known to mankind.

Bipolar Soho Theatre, W1D 3NE. Mar 1216. £10+ Tott Crt Rd sohotheatre.com

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27

A typical scene from Rio Carnival, where travellers congregate to bump and grind. Below left: blogger Toni White, soon appearing at the TNT Travel Show.

Below right: sex on the beach is a rite of passage

You’re young, hot and abroad.

Why not make the most of it?

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Rooting on the road Travel blogger Toni White makes the case for holiday hook-ups at this weekend’s TNT Travel Show. Is sex an essential part of travel?

Words LAURA CHUBB

“Good job we were in a good mood otherwise the captain catching us at 3am butt-naked heading into the shower would have been pretty damn awkward.” Travel blogger Toni White, 26, from Devon, had no idea writing these words would cause such a stir. But whip up the web they did – her post recalling a series of sexcapades enjoyed on a backpacking trip (this one in particular involved bonking her dive instructor on a week’s sailing holiday in Thailand) has got the blogosphere all a-fluster, and was even named a favourite post by shag-happy influential travel site Travelsexlife.com.

White will be appearing at the TNT Travel Show at Islington’s Business Design Centre on Sunday, chatting about the relationship between sex and travel – promising to uncover what it means on the road, in your mind and between the sheets. It’s certainly a topic the vast majority of travellers will have their own input on – holiday hook-ups are popular, as a survey of 30,000 British women by dating travel site Misstravel.com proved last summer. More than 40 per cent of respondents under 30 said they’d had a onenight stand during a trip, and an evidently randy 10 per cent admitted to having had five or more sexual partners over the course of a week-long holiday. Hardly sounds relaxing.

But hopping into bed with a fellow tanned traveller does seem to be a backpacking rite as common as buying a ‘same same but different’ T-shirt or spending a night of sleepless torment on a cross-country bus. Who hasn’t heard a pair of pervs going at it in the neighbouring dorm bed? It’s all part of the shedding of inhibitions that goes hand-in-hand with hitting the road in search of adventure. And yet sometimes that fearlessness doesn’t work in your favour. Just think of the increasing numbers of Aussies dying abroad as a result of risk-taking on holiday (see P34).

TNT reader Elisa Arthur*, 28, remembers a particularly risque sexscapade when she was travelling around Mexico. “It was my friend and mine’s last night in San Cristobal,” she tells us.

“We were in this bar and a local guy came up and hit on me.

I wasn’t bothered but my friend liked his friend, so when they asked us to go to another bar with them we said, why not?”

Arthur and her friend ended up kissing the Mexican guys amid some steamy salsa dancing and copious cheap cocktails, and were only too willing to hop in a cab with them at the end of the night. “The taxi dropped us off in this dark place

and we ended up going into this derelict warehouse with them,” Arthur remembers. “It was so eerie, and there was a moment where I thought we might be in trouble.”

Happily for our heroines, the evening ended with great sex – some of it on a table. “I wouldn’t say it was my finest moment,” Arthur laughs. “It’s the kind of thing that if you were back home, you’d be like, ‘what the fuck are you doing?’ But when you’re travelling there’s this feeling of, ‘you’re only here once’. It’s a bit of an adventure and you’re more likely to think, ‘why the hell not?’”

For White, however, having sex on the road isn’t about taking risks or no strings – even if it’s just for one night.

“

If you want it hot and steamy, get emotional

”

She argues the act of bonking a fellow backpacker can be meaningful, even if you’ve only known them a few hours.

“If you want that hot and steamy sex session that you always see in the movies then get your emotions involved,” she says. “A huge part of travelling is the freedom, both physically and mentally, that it gives you and having sex is just another part of that freedom. And with that freedom comes great awareness of who you are and what you feel,

Toni White took a trip over Victoria Falls on her travels tntMagazine.com

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Clockwise: Getting frisky at a foam party; Toni White takes time out from men in Namibia; dancing close in a nightclub which only increases the fantastic memories you’ll have of that place or person.”

So even though White got it on with ‘Scotty the Hottie’ only six hours after meeting him in Hong Kong and shared a single night of passion with a Dutchman on a trapeze net in Koh Tao (more on her blog, reclaimingmyfuture.com), those ‘connections’ were meaningful?

“I like to think I ‘fell’ for every guy I slept with to some degree,” agrees White, who before she packed up to go travelling had never had a one-night stand, preferring longterm relationships. “The connection you have with that person really can solidify your feelings for a certain place and teach you some amazing lessons both about sex and life.”

Travelsexlife.com would agree – the website is dedicated to sexy tales from the road, and argues that sexual exploration is “as much a valid travel experience as is language acquisition, cultural exchanges and culinary delights”. The site has even put together a “single travellers’ sexy bucket list”, with the likes of shagging a local, hooking up in a dorm and fucking in a hammock all making the cut.

For White, though, it’s not about the cool story. “If you’re having sex because you want a ‘cool story’, you shouldn’t be taking your knickers off,” she reckons, adding that ‘flagging’ – the practice of ‘collecting’ nationalities – isn’t her style.

“For me, sex is part of the romanticism of travel; it’s part of finding out who you are.”

The young blogger has copped some flak for her honesty in the past – a frenemy recently warned her blog would make her undateable – but White refuses to feel shy about her views.

“People always think about the ‘walk of shame’ when it comes to one-night stands; the search for the underwear in the morning and trying to sneak out of the other persons’ place

“

Sex is part of the romanticism of travel

”

without waking them,” she says. “But it’s nothing like that.

Travelling on the road makes any [hook-up] so much more intense because you never know how long you’ll be in the same place together, which means that emotions and passion bubble over. If you’re not ashamed by having sex, then you shouldn’t allow anyone to make you feel that way.” ❚ Catch Toni White at the TNT Travel Show on Sunday, March 10, at 11.30am, in Seminar Room 1 tnttravelshow.com

HOLIDAY HOOK-UPS: THE DON’TS

Toni White on the etiquette of travel trysts ....

... and what not to do when romancing on the road

DO: Stay sober (or at the very most tipsy). Being tipsy boosts your confidence, makes you a little more relaxed, but still enables you to make informed decisions.

DON’T: Get blind drunk! The most stupid decisions are always fuelled by alcohol. If you’re thinking about sleeping with someone, now is not the time to lose your brain function!

DO: Know what you’re doing. If you’re with a bunch of your dorm mates and you decide to go off with someone, tell a friend that you won’t be in the dorm later; it’s a good safety measure.

DON’T: Forget about the condom! This usually happens because you’ve done the above. Being sober is a small price to pay if it prevents nasty STDs or, heaven forbid, a baby bump.

DO: Be adventurous! You’re in a new country meeting new people, so why not let your fears go and try some al fresco sex or different positions? You’ll never learn what you like if you never try!

DON’T: Be stupid! If a guy you’ve known for five minutes asks you to come back for sex at his hostel, which is down a dark alley, ask yourself if it’s really worth the risk to your safety.

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*Name has been changed. Photos: Toni White; Thinkstock; Getty

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01/03/2013 12:51:34 30/03/2012 09:54

LifestyleHEALTH CLASS OF THE WEEK

Boulder I’ve rock climbed a little in the past, and always enjoyed it. Clambouring to the top of a steep wall gives an amazing sense of accomplishment.

As a result, I was excited to try The Westway Sports Centre’s Bouldercise class (basically, indoor bouldering with a smattering of core work).

When I showed up, I felt pretty smug.

I mastered the 10-minute warm-up and I was going to smash those walls on my way up. What I didn’t anticipate was that bouldering and rock climbing have a key difference: with bouldering, there’s no rope.

I gulped as a stared at the many holds I was meant to tackle.

While my eager classmates pulled themselves up over staggering overhangs, I was left clutching the kiddie wall. After 20 minutes, my arms were shaking like a jelly mould.

As I only just made it to the top of the tiniest wall, I didn’t think I worked that hard, but the next day my screaming muscles disagreed.

According to my instructor, and the other participants in the class, a couple of sessions is all you need to graduate to the big wall (and get completely hooked).

Each session is £13 each on Thursdays 7pm-8.30pm and Saturdays 8.30am-10am. DC

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How not to die Recent figures show mortality rates for Aussies abroad have soared. We look at how to travel safe Words Daisy Carrington

Last year, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) dealt with more than 900 cases of travellers dying abroad and 1050 instances of overseas hospitalisation. As Aussies book holidays abroad in record numbers, so too do they get into more scrapes.

A DFAT spokesperson says “this is partly because Australians are travelling to more exotic and remote locations, and undertaking adventure tourism.”

Though some instances are simply a case of “wrong place, wrong time”, there are several measures that can help reduce the chances of a mishap.

Insurance is golden Simon Pickup, the sustainable tourism manager for ABTA, recalls a case of young man from Kent who collapsed on a beach in Thailand when travelling with friends: “Because he didn’t have insurance, it was costing his friends £3000-a-day to treat him.”

It’s not uncommon for travellers of any nationality to forgo the added expense of

travel insurance, but doing so is a major mistake, notes the DFAT, whose official take on the matter is, “if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel.”

Ashleigh Cheah-Lord, a London-based Aussie who was once hospitalised for anaphylactic shock while on working holiday in Canada, said getting travel insurance was literally a lifesaver.

“Hospital fees are extortionate abroad,” she notes. “Without travel insurance, I wouldn’t have been about to come back for the multiple visits I needed.”

Make risks calculated “When you check your baggage in, don’t check your common sense out,” advises Pickup, who notes it’s easy to throw caution to the wind on holiday.

Cheah-Lord admits her behaviour changes when she’s on vacation.“I would never hitchhike at home! But you get the sense that nothing bad happens on holiday.

Famous last words, right?”

The DFAT explains that it is particularly

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It’s all fun and games…: travel insurance can give piece of mind and is vital if you end up in pieces

important to keep your wits about you, especially when dealing with the legal system of a foreign country.

“Travellers need to remember our capacity to assist is influenced by local laws,” the spokesperson says. “We cannot intervene in private court proceedings.”

Eat clean Food-related illnesses are among the most common picked up abroad and, if you exercise caution, should be some of the easiest to avoid.

When travelling in remote areas, it’s important to be mindful of where your water and ice comes from, and it’s a good idea to avoid raw fruits and vegetables.

Photos: Thinkstock; Reebok Sports Club

Sweet cheeks

Green Tea Mineral Moisturiser An anti-oxidant face cocktail £10.36 bravuralondon.com Pickup adds that when eating out, “go for a restaurant that’s popular – if it’s packed full of locals, that’s usually a good sign.”

Know before you go Ignorance of the law will not save you should you get into strife, and it won’t protect you from illness. Pickup advises reading up on a place to find out what diseases are prevalent (if the area is rampant with dengue fever, take lots of NEXT mosquito spray), and WEEK what the local customs Health: TNT are. Find this info gets psychic and more at healing smartraveller.gov.au

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cash-SAVING TIPS

how you spend it!

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Pizza party Get two pizzas for the price of one at Pizza Hut. This deal is for collection xxxxxxxxx only. Visit pizzahut.co.uk and type in the code Xxxxxxxxxxx AFDCLETRU to make good on this half-priced offering (well, almost, the cheaper pizza is free). The deal is xxxxxxxxx good through to March 10 (though we’d be stunned Xxxxxxxxxxx if you didn’t get a dozen comparable vouchers with your next order). xxxxxxxxx

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in certain areas.

Do you have any tips for saving money in London?

Work hard and earn a lot of money, then it won’t matter how much you spend.

Seriously.

Your last big blow-out?

I took my girlfriend to Norway to see the northern lights for Valentine’s Day.

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What non-essential items do you spend money on?

My car. It’s a Jaguar convertible. The payments and monthly insurance on it are ridiculous.

How do you budget?

I make a spreadsheet and input my earnings to see how much I have to spend

how THEY spend it!

Dosh for the dames Dennis Rodman was spotted drinking champagne at a New York gentlemen’s club, where he apparently showered female dancers with £322 worth of singles.

❚ Charlie Sheen has a well-worn rep. Last year, he allegedly spent £16,700 on three prostitutes over a single weekend. They supposedly met him at a £25,000-per-night suite.

❚ One of Tiger Woods’ former mistresses, Playboy model Loredana Jolie Ferriolo, once claimed the golfer picked up the tab for a £9600 shopping spree.

❚ Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw

Risque: Dennis Rodman

was recently spotted dropping £100 to buy One Direction’s serial stud Harry Styles a lap dance for his 19th birthday.

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Need to send money between UK and home? r Cheapee than th banks*

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So you’ve left God’s Own Country for Old Blighty, only to find that everyone over here thinks you actually drink Foster’s, that you sound like an extra from Neighbours, and that you’re genetically engineered to work behind a bar.

But with London playing host to the world’s largest community of expatriate Aussies, there’s got to be a bit of neighbourly love somewhere. Right? Right.

While it may not be Woolloomooloo, the homesick Antipodean in need of a place to lay a cork slouch hat will find that the only way in London is west. Here’s a guide to what you need to know, but probably not say, about the places Aussies like to colonise.

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It’s central (even though it’s in west London) and it’s one of the few Aussie havens to be located by the river – which you will quickly learn never to swim in. If the currents don’t kill you, the Thames barges will.

Getting around is a doddle as there’s a huge bus station which means transport after the Tube closes at night. Great pubs and bars by the river: the Old Ship and The Dove take some beating (Graham Greene and Ernest Hemingway drank in the latter).

If you’re looking for somewhere with serviceable toilets (not easy in the UK), the Lyric Theatre bar and café has a great terrace. You could almost be in Tanilba Bay. DON’T SAY: “I say, old bean, where d’you recommend round here for a pint of your famously warm, flat, bitter ale?”

Earl’s Court Actually more central than Hammersmith, and once the undisputed London Mecca for expatriate Aussies. Except that it’s not any more. But it’s still as cheerfully seedy as ever, and some of the Victorian mansion flats are huge, accommodating up to 50 backpackers at a time very economically.

Easily accessed by good transport links, it’s also home to the Gatwick/Luton easyBus stop so you’re likely to find the hostels inhabited by recent arrivals. The Barmy Badger Backpackers is a bit of a tongue twister but is one of the better patronised. Indeed, some of the patrons never leave.

DON’T ASK: “So how long have you been here mate?”

Pulling: doing what Aussies do best, so the cliché goes

Shepherd’s Bush On the Central line, She Bu (shay-boo), as it’s more affectionately known, is where Antipodeans come to play these days.

It’s home to, in ascending order of Aussie street-cred, the Shepherd’s Bush Empire,

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HOTSPOTS

tHE CHURCH, CLAPHAM You can’t claim to have had the true Aussie in London experience without attending this debauched Sunday service. thechurchlondon.com

The Defector’s Weld, Belushi’s and the Walkabout. The last of these establishments, where you have to arrive before 4pm on a Sunday to ensure admission, will either prove to be the ultimate home-away-fromhome or your room 101. If you’re looking for a more wholesome dose of home, head to Jumbuck’s for a bloody good meat pie.

If you’re planning on sticking around for more than an evening, the Shepherd’s Bush branch of St Christopher’s Hostel scores more highly than its Hammersmith relative.

Maybe that is because it’s located above Belushi’s and they make a specific point of serving VB and Foster’s (which Aussies, obviously, drink all the time) at a 25 per cent discount. Good call.

DON’T ASK: “Why is the floor of this Walkabout so sticky?”

Photos: TNT

Clapham Clapham is an interesting patchwork of people. This might be because it spans two boroughs, Lambeth and Wandsworth, and the former has one of the most expensive council tax rates in London whilst the latter has one of the cheapest. But in social terms the only split you need to remember is Yuppies vs Aussies. This isn’t to say there’s tension between the two distinct groups.

About the only thing this affects is where you go out – Infernos or The Church. It also means there can be some basic translation issues as well, such as thongs for flip flops, Sheila for woman and bogan for vagrant.

But what unites the whole of Clapham

in linguistic harmony is the abbreviation of words. The easiest way to translate a rah/ yuppie/dinky is to note how you would naturally shorten a word, and then knock the vowel sound off the end. So Sainsbury’s becomes Sainos becomes Sains. Afternoon becomes arvo becomes aft. Devastated becomes devos becomes devs. And so on.

DON’T SAY: “Pick me up a stubbie from the offie if the big Sainos is closed.”

Fulham Similar in feel to Clapham, but cheaper council tax than Lambeth. The downside is transport links, especially after a night out.

But if you’ve got no brekkie plans and don’t mind hanging out at bus stops, Fulham has a few good nights out up its sleeve.

For the musically minded (aren’t all Australians descendants of Kylie Minogue?), there’s The Larrik Inn, which hosts live music and karaoke nights. And for a regular drink, The Slug (and Lettuce) can’t be beaten.

No other branch of this pub chain is quite so Aussie friendly, but it can be a bit of a meat market. There’s also the Famous 3 Kings sports bar. But with this part of London accommodating both Fulham and Chelsea’s football grounds, don’t expect to rule the pub on match days.

DON’T SAY: “I’ve never got to grips with any football that isn’t Aussie Rules.”

To become an instant expert on just about everything, visit bluffers.com – wit and expertise at your fingertips

WALKABOUT, SHE BU A homing beacon for Sunday sportloving Antipodeans keen to indulge in a turbo-charged version of home. walkabout.eu.com

THE LARRIK INN, FULHAM This self-styled “sport and party pub” serves up VB, karaoke and live music to guarantee a stonking good time. thelarrikinnfulham.com

THE DOVE, HAMMERSMITH Set on the River Thames, this is the place to go and soak up the annual five minutes of sun. dovehammersmith.co.uk

BELUSHI’S, SHE BU Overlooking She Bu Green and offering up karaoke and 2-4-1 cocktails, this is an enduring Aussie fave. belushis.com tntMagazine.com

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01/03/2013 15:30:04

WORLDVIEW

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Weeeee: world’s longest slide opens on the hillside in Waimauku, just outside Auckland, New Zealand. Only 2000 people will get to ride the slide, measuring 650m, as it will only be open for two weeks to raise cash for the ‘Live more Awesome’ charity

Fowl play: say cheese

drunk man steals school chick united kingdom

A primary school’s pet chicken was stolen by a drunken man who posed for pictures with it before setting it free in a field at a house party.

Anthony Campen took the bird from Chelmsford, Essex, before tucking it into his backpack. After posting the pictures on Facebook, Campen was collared and he admitted his crime. He has been fined £130 and ordered to pay £85 in costs too.

Despite his public haranguing for his pissed-up antics, he later showed little remorse, tweeting: “£235 for a fucking chicken. Right, I’m for a kfc!!” tweets of the week @OwenJones84 Thrilled for RBS for their £607m bonuses after a £5.16bn loss. I know people having tax credits and benefits slashed feel the same @AngryBritain Good on British Gas for profiteering in a recession.

They’re just doing their bit for the population control by killing the elderly in the winter

me officer? I’m just waiting for a mate... australia

A video showing a driver’s hilariously dubious excuse to an Australian policeman has gone viral.

The incident filmed for TV show Highway Patrol occurred in Victoria when officers were called to an accident at a spot notorious for boy racers.

As the driver sits in his seriously damaged vehicle, a policeman asks what he’s up to – his spur of the moment excuse: “I’m just waiting for a mate.”

As the officer pursues his line of inquiry, 40

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the driver tries to keep his cool under pressure from the law, asking: “What kind of accident?

“One with a curb mate,” answers Constable Bowden. “Your whole car’s smashed up.”

The driver, identified as ‘Clinton’, was fined £400 and ordered to do four months community service. He was also banned from driving for three years.

Check out the hilarious video at tntmagazine.com.

purrrfect place for a cuppa united kingdom

Like cats? Like tea? Then you’re in luck.

The UK is to get its first cat cafe – a haven for lovers of all things feline.

The public donated £11,000 for the project, which could see a venue opening in London.

Entrepreneur and cat lover Lauren Pears is searching for venues and claims to have found 15-30 cats that will ‘staff’ the cafe, which she hopes to open in May. Cat cafes are hugely popular in Asia, with customers able to buy coffee, tea and food while interacting with cats who roam freely around. The concept will be aimed at people who live in small apartments and who are therefore not able to keep pets.

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THIS WEEK

IN NUMBERS 44

Number of days Stevenage-based Lois Wood, who suffers from a rare disorder, can sleep at a time

Speed, in mph, James Phillips travelled at on his 50cc moped in a bid to outrun police in Bristol. He didn’t

What’s your beef? The advert

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AD COMPLAINT? DON’T HAVE A COW...

20

Per cent of women who binge drink without realising the 14-unit weekly guideline, according to an EU study

AUSTRALIA

A burger chain has been accused of being perverted after an advert showed a woman licking a cow’s face.

Brisbane’s Burger Urge was criticised for using the controversial image to promote its premium beef.

It also came under fire for its slogan, ‘Get Intimate’, in a complaint to the Advertising Standards Agency.

However, the board ruled most consumers would realise the image had been Photoshopped and was not overly sexualised or provocative.

Australian Christian Lobby state director Wendy Francis said the image was offensive. “It’s definitely a sexual sort of image,” she said. “It says ‘get intimate’ so we’re not talking about a pet thing. The cow is dressed up as a man.”

NEW KIND OF HIGH FOR DRUG MAKER

Photos: Getty

NEW ZEALAND

It must have been like a scene from a film, albeit a really low-budget one. A man wanted on charges of manufacturing drugs led police on a daring foot chase over rooftops.

The suspect escaped from officers at a hotel in London Street, Hamilton, jumping out of a third-floor window and racing across the tops of adjoining buildings.

However, the 35-year-old, wanted for

Height in metres of luxury hotel JW Marriott, which opened in Dubai. At 72 floors it topped the world record

On the loose: giant koalas allegedly producing methamphetamine, came unstuck with a gap that was too wide. Senior Sergeant Wayne Petherick said: “With the assistance of the Fire Service’s aerial ladder truck the offender was arrested and brought back to ground from a second floor rooftop.”

GIANT KOALAS ON THE LOOSE AUSTRALIA

A colony of 21 koalas is about to be let loose on the streets of the Gold Coast.

The huge sculptures, each around 4ft tall, were created by local artist John Cox, the winner of an Academy Award for his work on the film Babe, at his Creature Workshop in Molendinar.

Artists from around Australia have decorated the koalas in various styles.

The Animals With Attitude trail will be launched at Broadbeach by Queensland Governor Penelope Wensley and can be followed by downloading a map online.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK I am not good when I have to be the girl next door. It’s just not my thing.

The more extreme the better Nicole Kidman, who says her leading lady roles are now behind her

They call it the daily grind for a reason, but don’t let office tedium get you down, check out TNT online for the best bizarre headlines and awesome features every day.

Do your co-workers a favour and log on to tntmagazine.com

S E T I B E Z I S BREAK

agazine.com

appening at TNTm ste of what’s been h

Here’s a ta

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MAGAZINE.COM TNT_1540_042 42

01/03/2013 16:13:52

TNT puts the world to rights

OURVIEW

COMMENT: OLI JONES

oliver.jones@tntmagazine.com

Case by case: a drunken lunge at the office party is different to harassment

Stopping sexual harassment requires systemic change

Photo: Thinkstock

The Chris Rennard scandal shines a light on workplace abuse

Most telling of the many, variously depressing elements about the Chris Rennard scandal is surely the outpouring of similar experiences to those alleged against the Lib Dem peer (all of which he strenuously denies) that it has unleashed from women across all professional spheres.

The script these incidents tend to follow is loathsomely similar: man in a position of power makes an advance, is rebuked, offers preferential workplace treatment, is rebuked, threatens to make work life difficult … don’t think I’m for a second trying to denigrate these women’s experiences, I know firsthand how debilitating and destructive sexual harassment in the workplace can be. No, I’m suggesting that the intensity of parallels in this experience show that the problem of workplace harassment is systemic and endemic.

The slew of alleged sex scandals of the past year, from the mildly diverting (Elmo, John Travolta) to the unspeakably abhorrent (Haut de la Garene, Jimmy Savile), has felt at times like a society clearing its decks prior to a seismic shift in outlook. But the notion that the structural prejudices faced by women are changing is at risk of being overstated.

Consider for a second the way in which politicians and large institutions have used these scandals. As opposed to being seen as a chance to rectify the root causes of sexual harassment, these scandals have been cynically leveraged as political weapons. Savile was used to bash the BBC, while Rennard is being used as a tool to undermine his party during a by-election campaign – they became little more than crisis management PR drills.

Conversely, and almost as a reaction to this dismissiveness, some people are in the dangerous position of conflating the abhorrent crimes of Jimmy Savile, workplace harassment, and merely misplaced romantic inquiries. We mustn’t suggest that abuse and a drunken lunge at an office Christmas party are on the same spectrum. These are two very different problems, on two very separate spectrums, with very different answers. » Agree or disagree? Are attitudes changing on sexual harassment? letters@tntmagazine.com

BREASTFEEDING OFFENSIVE? HOW? The news that a Sydney woman was told, while breastfeeding her child in a cafe, that what she was doing was “disgusting” and an “offence to humanity” was – were it not for the indignity the woman was subjected to – farcically hilarious.

A waiter in the cafe initially asked Regan Matthews to stop before the manager of the cafe is reported to have waded in, allegedly calling breastfeeding in public “offensive” and an “offence to humanity”.

This aversion to breastfeeding strikes me as one of the most bizarre things to stoke the fires of outrage.

“

We’re just snazzy apes with fancy haircuts

”

I have exactly no idea why the image of a mother feeding her child would cause outrage in anyone, and nor can I find an explanation which ventures much beyond: “it’s gross, we’re not animals”.

Well, no, you’re wrong there, we are animals – we’re just snazzy monkeys with fancy Dan haircuts.

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

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Out of control The UKBA is a shambolic mess. Back the TNT campaign and demand improvements WORDS CAROL DRIVER

The majority of TNT readers will have come into contact with the UK Border Agency – and, for many, it’s not a positive experience. Just weeks ago TNT ran a piece in the mag stating the government office wasn’t fit for purpose after it revealed a backlog of 16,000 immigration requests spanning 10 years. We asked you to send in your horror stories, and we’ve been inundated. From readers facing deportation due to being given the wrong information, to others having to cancel flights or miss weddings because the UKBA is so inefficient, lives are having to be put on hold. It’s not good enough. In fact, it’s disgusting. We’re campaigning for change and we need you to get involved.

Six months is a long time to have to wait to find out whether your vital documents – ultimately your identity and your freedom – have been processed, so we’re calling on UKBA to set up an emergency helpline which applicants can call at any time during their visa processing stage.

We want UKBA to send out a letter acknowledging receipt of passports. We want six-month timescales for new visas or extensions reduced to three. We want refunds for applicants not processed in this time. We want an increase in premium appointments, and we want applicants to be able to apply for new visas months before the current one expires.

And we know it can be done – read Melanie Quin’s story.

She was facing being kicked out of the country, but within 24 hours of TNT presenting her case to the Home Office, she was given an apology and allowed to stay.

A Home Office spokesman said some delays had been caused by a “high number of applicants”. When asked why applicants couldn’t request information before six months, he said it wasn’t “deemed an effective use of resources”.

We disagree – and no doubt you do too. Here are two stories which highlight the incompetency of the UKBA. Over the coming months, we’ll be running more. Sign our petition and together we can take to task this shambolic office.

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Melanie Quin: ‘I was told I had to leave’ Melanie Quin had just three weeks left in the UK before she had to leave the country. Having lived and worked in London for more than five years on an ancestry visa, the New Zealander was facing being forced out of the UK after a fivemonth ordeal trying to apply for the right to remain.

Through various UKBA offices, the 30-year-old was given wrong information, saw her emails ignored, and was told to complete incorrect forms. After being told to wait until her visa expired to submit form AN, she was then informed she was actually too late to apply, her ancestry visa had expired, she could not remain in the country – she had two months to leave. “I began to cry with despair,” Quin explains.

“I asked the UKBA adviser if there was anything I could do. She said I could go back to New Zealand and apply again for a five-year ancestry visa.”

“

I cried with despair

”

With just three weeks to go until Quin was due to fly to Sydney, saying goodbye to her friends and leaving her boyfriend, Paul, behind, TNT put the case to the Home Office, demanding answers over how she had been treated.

The response came 24 hours later, with a full apology and the promise her application would be dealt with ASAP. “I can’t believe it. Thank god I didn’t book my flights!”

Quin said. “Now I can stay, there’s no pressure on me to leave. I’m really grateful – thank you TNT! I can now compete in the London Marathon with Paul as we’d planned.

“My message to others would be not to give up, to get involved in the TNT campaign and help to make a difference for everyone else going through a nightmare scenario with the UKBA.”

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Visa nightmare: Melanie Quin with Paul in London

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Photos: Getty

Add your voice to TNT Magazine’s UKBA Balls-Up campaign to demand the government agency changes its policies so that:

IGN PPAA M M

Have you suffered at the hands of the UKBA? We want to hear your story, email carol.driver@tntmultimedia.com

tnt petition

•• TTN NTT

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When applying for Indefinite Leave To Remain in the UK, Amanda Parker opted for the premium £1377 one-day service. As the 27-year-old Kiwi, who’s been in the UK for five years on an ancestry visa, works as cabin crew for an airline, being without a passport wasn’t an option.

“Most of my trouble started about a month out from when my current visa was due to expire – you can’t apply to renew your visa until then,” she explains. “I went on to the UKBA online booking system but there was nothing available at any of the offices in the UK. I searched various dates, even going beyond my expiry date and nothing.

“I rang UKBA and was told I’d need to send my forms in, which would take six months, and they would keep my passport. Without a passport I can’t work, without work I can’t pay my rent, which means a whole new life for the sake of one visa. I was told I could’ve applied for an appointment in advance, despite never being told this before.

“After a small meltdown, I rang the office again and spoke to a helpful guy who told me I could hire an immigration lawyer as they book up all the appointments.”

However, a BBC investigation last week revealed some appointments are being sold by unofficial agents, who scoop them up and sell them for a profit to those who can’t find one themselves.

Parker managed to find a lawyer and paid £1050 for their services. Three days later, she got an appointment in Croydon, but not before having to travel to Birmingham to meet with the lawyers.

“So in the end, it cost me approx £2530 for a small plastic card that lets me stay in the country. I’d sum the whole thing up as stressful and expensive.”

T CAMPAIGN ••TTN NT CAMPAIGN

N AIGN MPPAIG CCAAM

Amanda Parker: ‘My visa cost me £2500’

N IGGN PAAI MMP

✔ Every applicant receives correspondence when an application has been received ✔ Advice is then sent to all applicants detailing the process system and what it means for those wanting to work or travel ✔ Every applicant gets access to an emergency helpline which they can call for updates at any time, not only after six months ✔ The target for processing visas for those based in the UK who are eligible to work is reduced to three months ✔ A full refund is offered to applicants if their application takes longer than the target time if it is due to UKBA incompetency ✔ The amount of premium service appointments is increased – and a full refund is offered to applicants if the UKBA doesn’t adhere to the allotted 24-hour timescale ✔ Applicants wishing to extend visas to stay in the UK can do so before the ‘28 days before expiry’ deadline

NAME: ADDRESS: EMAIL: NATIONALITY: DOB: Send this form to Carol Driver, TNT Magazine, 111 Cannon Street, EC4N 5AR. Or email this details with ‘UKBA BallsUp’ in the subject to carol.driver@tntmultimedia.com

tntMagazine.com

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SPORTNEWS

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High alert: Hector Lombard

thunder to take on lightning in japan UFC

A storm is brewing in the UFC as Cuban-Australian Hector ‘Lightning’ Lombard readies himself for Yushin ‘Thunder’ Okami in Japan on Saturday.

Both are judo specialists and considered contenders for a middleweight title shot against Anderson Silva, adding caché to this bout, airing at 3am on ESPN. Lombard represented Cuba in judo at the Olympics before taking up MMA in Oz in 2003. Shorter but stronger, he will be keen to fight on his feet and is tough to take to ground, which is where Okami will want him. Okami is a UFC veteran, while Lombard only joined the top flight in 2012. Both fighters have recently lost to Tim Boetsch, but that was Lombard’s debut.

Bleacherreport.com is tipping a win to Lombard by TKO due to his striking power: ”If Lombard comes out firing and gets Okami backpedalling, he has the ability to finish and make a huge statement.”

Melbourne clubs want swans clipped AFL

Carlton and Hawthorn have called for the Sydney Swans to be stripped of their 9.8 per cent salary cap advantage after their signing of star Kurt Tippett.

Fellow Melbourne clubs Collingwood and Richmond have also supported the call.

“We are staggered the premiers can add an AU$800,000-per-season player to their list without shedding anyone,” Blues CEO Greg Swann told the Herald Sun. “The only way they can do that is the allowance and we think it’s not right.”

Premiers the Swans have a higher allowance due to Sydney’s cost of living and the fact they’re in a non-AFL state.

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And you thought sledding was fun – how about doing it in just your Reg Grundy’s?

That’s what these topless competitors did in an annual nudist race in Altenberg, Germany, sponsored by a local radio station, which drew thousands of spectators

Aussies and kiwis love russian draw rugby sevens

Australia and New Zealand have been handed cushy pool opposition for the Rugby Sevens World Cup in Moscow in June, but defending champs Wales will have to combat Fiji in the early stages.

The event has been plugged as a festival of “rugby, music and fun”, with the draw last week done in front of cosmonauts, Olympians and government reps.

While Wales will face powerhouses Fiji and Tonga, Australia will meet France, Spain and Tunisia, while NZ have USA, Canada and Georgia in their group. The winners of each pool and only the two best runners-up will go through to the quarters.

Visit rwcsevens.com for more info.

BIG WEEK FOR ...

If Hamish Rutherford doesn’t line up for New Zealand in the first Test against England on Tuesday at 8pm (London time), his time sure is coming.

The 23-year-old left-handed opener already plays ODIs and T20s for the Black Caps, and staked his claim on a Test berth with an impressive 90 runs against a quality England attack in Queenstown last week. His father, former Test batsman Ken, says Hamish is much better placed than when he made his debut at 19.

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QUOTES OF THE WEEK We have a fair bit of money left over in our salary cap from (losing) Izzy Folau. So everyone who is getting annoyed, be careful … I will come after your players if you are getting naughty in Melbourne

The hard way: the Scots after their win over Ireland … imagine if they beat Wales and play for the Six Nations title

Greater Western Sydney AFL coach Kevin Sheedy stirring the pot for a change

PREVIEW

CAN UNDERDOG NATIONS BRING IT HOME? I bring bits from SCOTLAND V WALES

SAT, 2.30PM, BBC ONE At the start of the 2013 Six Nations, England were favourites with France considered a decent shot at making a play for the top spot after, among other efforts, an impressive flogging of the Wallabies in autumn.

After three rounds, the men in all-white have lived up to their billing while Le Bleus have flopped in a big way to be the only side without a win. That they’re awaiting a wooden spoon unless they win two is

a shock. The other surprises are Wales and Scotland who are one win from England on the ladder. Scotland haven’t done it pretty – certainly not against Ireland – but nor have the Welsh, who it’s easy to forget won the grand slam last year before going on a losing streak. They meet at Murrayfield, and if England suffer a first loss to Italy, who are as predictable as a Roman intersection, they could play for the win.

If it’s Wales over Scotland, as most would expect, it would be a winner takes all clash at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on March 16. Long shot, but why not?

THE CHAT | Top class Ellyse is Perry tough

MotoGP but two wheels to four is so different ... it’s pretty much starting from scratch So began the V8 Supercars career of once world MotoGP champ Casey Stoner

Until now, [Manchester] United have been really lucky with everything Yes, Man City manager Roberto Mancini, all clubs should be as ‘lucky’ to be 12 points clear before the weekend

TV HIGHLIGHTS

Photos: Getty

CRICKET Dual international Ellyse Perry played the Q World Cup final in pain with an ankle injury – will this hinder her epic career?

If a list of the best sports people in the world was being A made, Ellyse Perry would have to be up there, given she plays football and cricket for her national teams at the same time – and they’re teams that are genuinely competitive on the world stage. She was clearly struggling as she knocked over the West Indies top order in the WC final. It turns out she was battling a stress fracture in her left ankle (the one which takes the brunt of pressure when bowling). She’ll be out of action for up to 12 weeks, says Cricket Australia physio David Bleakley, but is expected to be named for the women’s Ashes in August.

New Zealand v England Day one of the first Test in Dunedin Tues, 8pm, Sky Sports 1

RUGBY LEAGUE London Broncos v Hull KR Super League action from The Stoop Sat, 5.30pm, Sky Sports 2

RUGBY UNION Broken: Ellyse Perry

England v Italy Six Nations leaders host the Azzurri Sun, 3pm, BBC One TNTMAGAZINE.COM

47

NRL 2013: Bring it on Aussie rugby league is back! TNT asks some of the big questions that only 26 rounds of hard hits and drama can go close to answering WORDS MICHAEL GADD

The off-field drama arrived like clockwork – namely the best player in the 2012 comp, Ben Barba, stepping away from the game indefinitely to combat his gambling and alcohol problems – signalling the return of the rugby league’s top competition. A new CEO, a big money TV deal to swell the coffers, a change to the referees’ hierarchy and the return of one of the code’s most controversial figures preceded this week’s kick-off. But the beauty of any season is that until the first hit-up, they’re all on a level pegging. Here’s some big questions we look forward to seeing answered on the field.

Will black sheep Barba hurt Doggies?

Beware the bitten Dogs. While it’s devastating that such a prodigious talent as Ben Barba won’t play until he gets his life in order, the siege mentality coach Des Hasler has built around his team is his element – and he has experience dealing with similar issues at Manly, where he won a premiership. “He is not just a great rugby league coach, he has outstanding people skills and he will put Benny and his problems ahead of the football,” former Manly official Peter Peters said of the gruff coach. They’ll be there at the end.

Could this be the year of JT?

Will the Bunnies finally live up to the hype?

Johnathan Thurston (main image) is a superstar, but 2013 is shaping up as the year he goes into the stratosphere. The North Queensland halfback is now undisputed numero uno for Queensland and Australia in the most important position on the park. The way he handled himself when stepping in at the season launch for mate Ben Barba also showed a new level of maturity: ”I am proud to play in the toughest competition in the world, where the skills, power and courage of the players amaze fans each and every week.”

The bookies think so, with the South Sydney Rabbitohs third favourites to win the title behind Bulldogs and Storm. Greg Inglis is looking like the Incredible Hulk and already showing, if he can stay fit, that he’ll terrorise defences this year. But it’s easy to forget that last year, when the side made it to the second last weekend, was their most successful season since 1989. They’ve lost dynamic but inconsistent giant David Taylor to the Gold Coast, but his replacement is impressive in Ben Te’o from Brisbane. A year under rookie of the year playmaker Adam Reynolds’s belt will also do the world of good to Michael Maguire’s men, while the absence of Russell Crowe from the dressing room may save them a distraction.

Can anyone stop the raging Storm?

The salary cap scandal was a bigger issue for everyone outside the Melbourne side, who followed the stripping of three minor premierships and having to play a season for no points, plus whopping fines and the loss of some key players, with a grand final win. Coach Craig Bellamy said two days after the penalties were imposed that “we will fight our way back from here, and that fight starts today”. He kept the spine of Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith together and has now committed to the club as well. They deserved the victory over the minor premier Bulldogs last year and already have a trophy in the cabinet after beating Leeds Rhinos in the World Club Challenge.

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Can the Shire really challenge for the ring?

Cronulla’s line-up is impressive and it would be a surprise if they don’t follow up their first finals appearance since 2008 with another appearance at the business end of the season.

It hurt them badly when they lost Todd Carney to injury in the elimination final, but he’s back on deck behind the epic Paul Gallen. He has some classy support from new recruits Chris Heighington, Beau Ryan and Luke Lewis as well. Coach Stuart Flanagan has every right to be confident, but results come on the field, not on paper.

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

01/03/2013 14:52:24

Achilles heel: the moment the Sharks’ season ended last year

Look out: Greg Inglis is bigger and sharper than he’s looked in years

Talent: hopefully Ben Barba will be back

Villain: Sonny Bill set to answer his critics

Is Sonny Bill Williams worth the fuss?

In signing the so-called ‘Money’ Bill, who’s played for the All Blacks and won a dubious boxing title since deserting the Doggies in 2008, the Roosters have secured their place as the team everyone else wants to see fail. New coach Trent Robinson gets a baptism by fire when they play the Rabbitohs on Thursday. Meanwhile, another new recruit, Michael Jennings, slagged off his former Panthers mates saying it’ll be “so much easier playing with quality players”.

Every story needs a villain, and the Bondi Junction lads are it.

Can Sticky save the ailing Eels?

The good news for Ricky Stuart is the only way is up after he inherited last year’s wooden spooners Parramatta. Great expectations were met with a thud, with the big money Chris Sandow got to leave the Bunnies not validated. Stuart is the man who can bring out the best in the talented number seven, but Jarred Hayne must shine for them to be a chance.

Can the whistleblowers get it sorted?

An astute rugby league mind and pundit, former Eels coach Daniel Anderson takes over as referees boss after Bill Harrigan and Stuart Raper. Early moves to give refs back their authority – the backing to make decisions on the spot – are encouraging. Ditching the stupid ‘Benefit of the Doubt’ ruling for tries is wise, but it’ll be interesting to see how they handle the abolition of the shoulder charge from the game. Fingers crossed that common sense reigns supreme.

Photos: Getty

Will the image bypass be a success?

The look on Jessica Mauboy’s face when Thurston gave her a Cowboys shirt with her name on it at the launch was priceless. Getting a talented singer and a league fan to sing the theme song, a dance version of Etta James’ Something’s Got A Hold On Me, is a good look for the game.

Victory: Melbourne Storm celebrate the 2012 grand final win over Manly

UK lEAGUE FANS WINNERS SIX LIVE NRL GAMES A WEEK It took until the 11th hour – last Thursday, seven days before the season starts – but Premier Sports has delivered the goods for UK-based NRL fans.

The subscription sports broadcaster won the rights to show all of the NRL’s products, including all eight NRL games each week, with at least six of them live.

Premier Sports has also wrested the grand final and all three State of Origin games from Sky Sports, as well as the Anzac Test match and the All Star game.

How NRL supporters could watch their team was up in the air until Premier announced it had secured a five-year deal last week.

There’s a catch, of course. To get Premier Sports on channel 428 on your Sky box, you must pay £9.99 aXxxxxx month (less if you sign up for a year).

For more information and to subscribe, visit [Rail] [Address] [web] [Station] premiersports.tv or call 0871 663 9000.

tntMagazine.com

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01/03/2013 14:52:33

SPORTVIEW

TNT puts the world to rights

COMMENT: MICHAEL GADD michael.gadd@tntmagazine.com

Smug: England can expect more man love like this if the Aussies don’t improve soon

Aussies are now masters of low Ashes expectations

Oi, surely Down Under dreading series for the urn is just not cricket

» Agree or disagree? Is the Ashes over for Oz before it began? letters@tntmagazine.com 50

TNTMAGAZINE.COM

Finally, something believable out of Chelsea – someone had to snap and it’s not a huge shock it was Rafa Benitez.

After his side won through to the FA Cup quarter finals, their last chance for silverware this season, he delivered one of the great sprays at Stamford Bridge’s snivelling ‘fans’ and the club, who label him “interim manager” and nothing more.

“I will leave at the end of the season,” he said, doing the old quit-before-you-getthe-axe thing. “The fans are not helping us.

They are damaging the image of the club.”

The ‘fans’ don’t like him mainly because he’s not Roberto Di Matteo, whose record

“

Rafa rants and quits before he gets axed

”

was actually no better than Rafa’s.

Owner Roman Abramovich will have likely given the Spaniard a holiday by the time we go to print, but who will replace him long-term is anyone’s guess. The only reason to work there is to get gardening leave and a payout upon sacking. The first billionaire owner-manager perhaps?

Photo: Getty

A defeatist attitude was once the domain of the British, cricket fans in particular, but that mantle has been well and truly taken over by Australia as we approach the best and potentially worst Ashes series of all time.

The best, as it’s as fair as a Test series can get, with five matches in each country. The worst because it’s hard to see anything other than England flogging Oz. In search of hope, I asked Aussie Facebook mates for a reason why this won’t happen, and got these pearls of optimism: PEDs (“But they don’t bestow skills, just enhance what’s there, so back to square one”); misadventure (“They get on the wrong plane and end up in Antarctica”); cloning (“So Michael Clarke can be the top six and James Pattinson can bowl from both ends”); and rain (“It may be a wet summer in the Old Dart. Hopefully really wet. Like raining four out of every five days. Not confident if it’s only three”). The provenance argument, bastion of the desperate, came out, too, suggesting players from South Africa not be permitted. But still without Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott, England would have to be the favourites.

This is the sort of stuff the English get bagged out for saying. Now, I’m not suggesting the nation of my other passport has all of a sudden become one that unconditionally backs its side – football will keep that suppressed – but the tide has most definitely turned.

It’s a shame come this July it won’t be two teams firing on all cylinders. It’s all in England’s favour, even the lead-up tours. For them, New Zealand is a confidence-enhancing mission in conditions far more similar to England than the dusty Indian gauntlets the Aussies are in. They are stable, solid in all spots and with competition for places. Australia has Clarke and Shane Watson, an all-rounder at number four who doesn’t bowl, but wants to now he’s seen the alternative. Still, there’s something fun about going into a series staring down defeat. Maybe years of that is how the Barmy Army became so creative. If so, a thrashing may mean the end of “Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi”, and that’d make everyone a winner.

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01/03/2013 09:50:54

TRAVEL LATE DEALS | HOTSHOTS | TRAVEL TIPS | TOP FIVE | TOURS | BIG TRIP IMAGE OF THE WEEK

MOLTEN MADNESS A Chinese blacksmith throws molten metal against a cold stone wall to create sparks during the Lantern Festival, which marks the end of the Lunar New Year celebrations, in Nuanquan, Hebei province.

For over 300 years, the village has maintained this tradition, considered a cheaper alternative to buying fireworks.

Photos: Getty

INSIDE

ST PADDY’S PARTIES /58

SLOPING OFF /66

BARGAIN BREAKS /76

Guinness, shamrocks and good times – March 17 is the day everyone gets a bit green for the Irish.

Savoie Mont Blanc has more than stunning ski runs – try a little-known historic town, snowshoeing and cheese by the bucketload.

Head to the TNT Travel Show this weekend and you’ll snag up to 50 per cent off your next holiday. No strings!

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TRAVELDIARY Helen Elfer TRAVEL EDITOR

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Tribute: school kids pay their respects to fallen revolutionaries on Qingming

TEENAGE DREAM I’m writing this week’s column at around 30,000ft, on a plane between London and Reykjavik.

Sound glamorously jet-setting?

Well, it’s not. It’s half-term and I’m sharing my flight with about 25 school-tripping teenagers. All of them seem to be called Ellie.

Ellie’s got Ellie’s fruit pastilles.

Ellie’s gone to the loo. Someone, maybe Ellie, is retching and hooting.

Ellie has already gone and eaten all the Pringles. Two boys are trying to fart on each other according to a complex set of rules called Fart Channel. “Fart Channel!” they shout, when they succeed.

“What about vodka?” hisses the boy sitting in front of me. He and his pals have been discussing how to con the cabin crew into serving them booze since they sat down. The fiendish plan is to ask for it, and if questioned about their age, lie. Miss is a safe 11 rows away. It’s hard not to notice their passports, which are in clear view of everyone.

What to do? They’re going to wing it. The drinks trolley slowly approaches the boys, the hissing gets more frantic. ”What wiv?”

“Get Coke, yeah? Coke!”

“Can I get you gentlemen something to drink?” asks the hostess. “Vodka’n’Coke.” “Same.”

“Yeah.” A breathless silence, broken only by the thunk of ice cubes dropping into plastic glasses and the pop of Coke cans being pulled open.

I can’t believe what I’m seeing.

An awed hush descends over rows 35-54, and then the whispering starts. “Oh my god they just got served. You’re allowed booze!”

I’m sharing the back of the plane with 25 teenagers who have now access to limitless vodka. Distance to Keflavik … 1543km.

in and tell us at helen.elfer@tntmagazine.com

It’s true, this festival can be a very grave occasion, but its purpose is two-fold: to honour those who have passed on and celebrate their 4-6 memory. Tomb sweeping is the most important custom, and family members come together at burial sites to clear weeds, lay fresh soil and offer gifts. Then the family goes on an outing to fly kites, sing, dance and be merry.

APRIL

WHY: The date signals a time of year when temperatures rise and rainfall increases, which was historically the best time for ploughing the fields. The rain symbolises the falling of tears, but the coming of spring – meaning rebirth and celebration – makes them tears of joy in true festival spirit.

SHAM EL NESSIM Egypt

The ancient Sham El Nessim Spring Festival translates to 1 “sniff the breeze”. Everyone gets a day off to enjoy the spring wind and parks get so jammed people sit on grassy patches next to roads to enjoy storytelling, music, dancing and picnics.

APRIL

touregypt.net

BUDAPEST SPRING Hungary

Budapest’s biggest high-end cultural festival is now 17 22-7 days long (40,000 people attended last year’s 10-day event).

Enjoy classical music, art, dance and other sophisticated forms of expression, or slum it at the fantastic Klezmer and gypsy concerts.

MAR-APR

btf.hu

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TNTMAGAZINE.COM

DO IT BECAUSE: More sombre than some, this offers time for reflection as well as celebration. Tourists can join in activities, such as kite flying, which goes into the night when lanterns are attached to the strings, and plant a tree to mark the occasion. cnto.org

FEAST OF SCHIETTI

Italy

Bachelors in Rome try to impress the ladies at Easter 30 by lifting a 50kg orange tree with one arm. Spectators then dine, wine and enjoy fireworks and a horse parade. Forget dying eggs – aren’t you glad Easter can be such fun?

MARCH

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by All You Need Is Cheese, 5-7 so there’s an emphasis on wine and fromage. Toronto’s vino and cheese experience has an exhibition while vendors also honour April, which is National Grilled Cheese Month, and the “grape guy” will advise on pairing.

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Photo: Getty

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OZ BEACH OUTRAGE Australians are up in arms over a TripAdvisor poll that rated a Welsh beach as better than all but one Down Under. Rhossili Bay, a three-mile stretch of sand in Swansea, was named the UK’s number one beach and 10th best in the world in a survey of TripAdvisor users. Oz only managed to get one of its golden crescents on the list, with Whitehaven Beach in Queensland taking third place. News website The Australian spat: “We simply could not believe it when we discovered a beach in South Wales on the list.

No, not a beach in New South Wales …. We’re talking about a beach in South Wales, UK. This British beach is NOT better than ours.” Oooh.

Photo: Getty

TITANIC TYCOON SPEECH Billionaire Aussie tycoon Clive Palmer has given a bizarre speech about why he’s currently having an exact replica of the ill-fated Titanic built at a shipyard in China. Palmer is understood to be funding the project entirely by himself and plans for the ship to sail between England and New York in 2016. He said the ship “represents the spirit of man. The spirit of love. The hope that all men have for peace on earth in our time and goodwill to all men”. He added: “And as James Cameron reminds us ... my heart will go on. The spirit of Rose and Jack ... lives in all of us.” Wow.

Welsh wonder: is this the world’s 10th best beach?

balloons banned Hot air balloon flights in Luxor have been suspended following last week’s horrific crash which left 19 tourists dead. It’s the second time such tours have been put on hold amid safety fears in the Egyptian city. In 2009, hot air balloon flights were temporarily banned and operators were accused of giving flights the go-ahead in unsuitable weather. Egypt’s prime minister Hisham Qandil has ordered an investigation into last week’s incident, where the balloon caught fire as it came in to land from a dawn flight over the Valley of the Kings.

more tall tales It’s been a while since Dubai broke a world record, so true to form the desert state smashed another one last week, opening the world’s tallest hotel, the 1164ft-high JW Marriott Marquis. The 72-floor luxury lodgings swipe the record from the 1093ft Rose Tower hotel in ... oh, also Dubai. Err, OK. The swanky new digs boasts nine restaurants, five bars and two ballrooms, and a room here can be all yours for a paltry £215 a night. Still, the Marriott pales in comparison to Dubai’s nearby Burj Khalifa tower, which outstretches it by more than 1552ft.

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Join the parade: St Paddy’s day festivities [Caption]

St Patrick’s Day UNITED KINGDOM

Off-colour: down a pint of verde brew

Team green: patriotic pride 58

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UKTRIP

St Paddy’s parties Guinness, shamrocks and good times – March 17 is the day everyone gets a bit green for the Irish WORDS HELEN ELFER

Never has a day supposedly devoted to a saint prompted more, well, unsaintly behaviour. Celebrating the patron saint of Ireland is a perfectly valid excuse for drinking disgraceful amounts of Guinness, whiskey, Bailey’s and any other drink with the faintest link to the Emerald Isle.

But of course there’s more to it than just getting wrecked.

Whether you are Irish, have tenuous connections to the country or are just faking it for the weekend, you’ll enjoy the shows and parades that are being put on in honour of March 17, celebrating the best of the music, dance and comedy that Irish culture has to offer.

Can’t afford a trip across to the mother country? There are plenty of other shindigs going on around the UK to satiate the most hardened addict’s craic cravings. Here are three of our faves.

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

Manchester THE CRAIC: As everyone knows, Mancunians will take any excuse to hit the pub, so naturally their St Patrick’s Day festivities are huge. But it’s not just about the Guinnessglugging this year, as the Manchester Irish Festival is a 10-day cultural blow-out, which is expected to draw 200,000 people. With over 200 events planned, showcasing comedy, literature, music, sport and theatre, this will be Europe’s biggest Irish event outside the country itself. Albert Square will be home to an all-Irish market, selling regional grub, Celtic crafts and, unsurprisingly, plenty of pints of the black stuff if you want to get an early start on your boozing. The biggest event will be the official Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, which takes place on March 17. Marching bands, Irish dancers, GAA Gaelic Football players and apparently a few donkeys will be making their way through the city centre, accompanied by huge themed floats. Sounds like it’s going to be a blast.

DON’T MISS: Much of the festival revolves around music this year – Irish pop rockers The Script are playing at Manchester Arena on the night of March 17 and throughout the fortnight there’ll also be plenty of chances to catch traditional live bands such as The Dublin Legends, The Last Drop, Claire Mooney and Grace Kelly and Friends.

WHEN: March 8-18.

MORE: manchesteririshfestival.co.uk

Birmingham THE CRAIC: Birmingham has one of the biggest Irish diasporas in the UK, so you can expect the parties held here to be authentically raucous. (There were more than 70,000 Irish-born Brummies recorded in the 1990s, so you can expect big crowds.) Events run for a full week and include a women’s GAA Gaelic Camogie tournament (it’s a 15-a-side stick and ball game, a bit like men’s Irish hurling), a literary night celebrating authors from the Emerald Isle and a whiskey tasting night hosted by Birmingham Whiskey Club, which is expected to be extremely well attended (it’s free!).

For more cultural tipples, the Irish Craft Brewers Beer Festival will be held at The Anchor Inn until March 20.

DON’T MISS: The Parade on St Patrick’s Day itself will be quite a sight, kicking off at noon with the release of hundreds of green, white and gold balloons.

WHEN: March 9-17.

MORE: stpatricksbirmingham.com Glasgow THE CRAIC: If there’s a nation that likes a drink as much as the Irish do, it’s got to be Scotland, where the Irish are the largest cultural minority. So when the two cultures party together, it’s a guarantee the Guinness will be flowing like water. Have a pint or 10 yourself at a traditional Irish watering hole such as Jinty McGinty’s in the Hillhead part of town (23 Ashton Lane, tel. 0141 3390747). For an even more cultural experience, listen to some Celtic tunes at the annual Irish Fling held on the Saturday before St Patrick’s Day – three award-winning live bands are performing. Get ready to put on your dancing shoes.

DON’T MISS: Famous Glaswegian comedy club The Stand is hosting an Irish comedy night with Celtic comedians Colin Murphy, Niall Browne, Eleanor Tiernan and Michael Redmond all set On high: Take in to perform. the UK from its WHEN: March 6-17. tallest buildings MORE: More info at glasgowstpatricksfestival.co.uk

NEXT WEEK

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LATEDEALS

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DEAL OF THE WEEK PERFECT PORTUGAL

£185

Seven nights in the Algarve is £185pp with lowcostholidays.com (0800 1116271). Includes B&B at Plaza Real Aparthotel in Praia da Rocha and return flights from London Stansted. Departs on April 23.

< £250

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TNT_1540_060 60

AFRICA A five-day tour costs £435pp (save 25 per cent) with Absolute Africa (0208 7420226; absoluteafrica.com). Visiting Kenya and Tanzania. Includes Nairobi return transfers, guide, camping accommodation, some meals and more. Departs March 20.

JORDAN An eight-day tour is £350pp (save 35 per cent) with Travel Talk (traveltalktours.com; 0208 0998852). Visiting Amman, Wadi Rum, Petra and more. Includes three- and fourstar accommodation, Jeep safari, some meals and tour guides. Excludes flights and local payment. Book by March 8.

Departs on March 31 and April 7.

AFRICA A nine-day tour is £490pp (was £699) with STA Travel (0800 9880390; statravel.co.uk). Visiting Namibia, Botswana and Zambia.

Includes camping accommodation, transport, some meals and sightseeing.

Excludes international flights. Departs on March 15.

> £500 GREECE AND TURKEY A 14-day Athens to Istanbul tour is £707pp (save 40 per cent) with Travel Talk (traveltalktours.com; 0208 0998852). Also visiting Mykonos, Ios, Santorini, Bodrum and Gallipoli. Includes hotel and gulet accommodation, some meals, tour leader and crew. Excludes flights, port tax and local payment. Book

by March 8; departs May 31.

MIAMI Five nights in Miami is £691pp (based on two sharing) with STA Travel (statravel.co.uk, 0800 9880390). Includes room-only accommodation at the Ocean Five and return flights with Delta Airlines. Valid for stays between May 1-23 2013.

NEW YORK Four nights in the Big Apple is just £675pp with lowcostholidays.com (0800 111 6271). Includes four-star, room-only accommodation at the NH Jolly Madison Hotel and return flights from London Heathrow. Departs on March 20.

DAILY TRAVEL DEALS Go to tntmagazine.com/travel/latedeals where new travel deals are updated daily.

There are more than 30 deals live at any time. Also sign up for TNT’s weekly travel newsletter, which will be emailed to you every Wednesday with the most up-to-date deals and guides to over 170 destinations.

Sign up at tntmagazine.com/travelemail.

Money transfers Need to send money between Australia, New Zealand and the UK? You don’t need a bank to do it. We also do money transfers to South Africa.

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Exchange rates* 1.48 Australian dollar New Zealand dollar 1.83 South African rand 13.4 Polish złoty 4.82 Euro 1.16 US dollar 1.52 Canadian dollar 1.56 Hong Kong dollar 11.8 Swedish krona 9.8 Swiss franc 1.41 Singapore dollar 1.88 Why use tntforex?

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morocco An eight-day tour is £249pp (2-4-1) with Travel Talk (traveltalktours.com; 0208 0998852). Visiting M’Hamid/Zagora, Sahara, Chigaga, Agadir, Marrakech and more. Includes four-star accommodation, desert camp, some meals, tour guides and more. Excludes flights and local payment. Book by March 8. Departs March 16.

BERLIN Three nights in Berlin is £192pp (based on two sharing) with STA Travel (statravel.co.uk; 0800 9880390). Includes room-only accommodation at the Excelsior and return flights with British Airways.

Valid for stays until March 31.

BUDAPEST Two nights is £168pp with easyJet Holidays (0843 1041000; holidays.easyjet.com).

Includes four-star, B&B accommodation at the Continental Zara hotel and flights from London Luton. Departs on April 22.

Bruges Three nights is £140pp with Inntravel (inntravel.co.uk; 0165 3617000). Includes three-star, B&B accommodation at Hotel Bryghia and return ferry crossings from Dover.

Departs on March 17.

TALLINN Two nights in Tallinn, Estonia, is £167pp with easyJet Holidays (0843 1041000; holidays. easyjet.com). Includes three-star, B&B accommodation at the Shnelli hotel and flights from London Gatwick.

Departs on April 24.

£250 – £500

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SHADOWS ON BATTERSEA, LONDON, ENGLAND Rebecca Crossan, New Zealand

PIERROT REFLECTION, VENICE, ITALY Karen Pretorius, South Africa WHY IT WORKS This portrait has quite a painterly quality, enhanced by the clear foreground focus of the Pierrot-style clown and the blurred brick wall creating a backdrop like a stage set. It’s a poignant, dramatic and intriguing moment as this extravagant figure admires himself solemnly in a looking glass. We are clearly the voyeurs in this scene rather than taking part, just like the performers at the Venice Carnival, where this was taken.

This adds to the intriguing beauty of this pleasing composition.

WHY IT WORKS The Battersea Power station in London can so often seem like a blot on the river landscape, but here it’s an imposing building along the iconic Thames, shot in such a way that gives it an individual ethereal beauty. The angle of the composition poses the viewer to question the location, as it seems more remote and far less urban than the reality. The dusky tones of the evening settling on the water echo from the sky above, giving this image a soft and engaging view for all to admire.

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LAURA LINDSAY FROM LONELY PLANET

Q I enjoy cycling through London parks on a Boris bike, but I’m not brave enough to go onto the roads. I know there are many tours for biking enthusiasts in the UK and around Europe, but do any cater for novices?

Joanna, via email A I am with you – cycling should be a relaxing

READERS’ TIPS ON SAVING PENNIES SHARING’S SAVING Hostels aren’t always the cheapest option if staying more than a few days and there’s a few of you. Large hotels, particularly in Asia, will put an extra single in a room with two doubles in it.

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pastime, not a day spent fighting with traffic.

There are a number of cycling trails in the UK which run along old railway lines or dedicated cycle lanes, which mean you can explore on two wheels without the stress of four-wheel traffic.

In fact, Britain is blessed with 10,000 miles of traffic-free cycle routes, so you could hire a bike and go it alone on one of these routes.

Three UK national parks – the Peak District, the Brecon Beacons and the New Forest – boast

traffic-free routes and make scenic destinations for a short cycling break. The Monsal Trail in the Peak District is a former railway line now used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders. It runs through picturesque villages and dramatic dales, including the pretty village of Bakewell and Monsal Dale.

If you prefer to be part of a tour, CTC Cycling Holidays (cyclingholidays.org) offers a huge range of trips, including for those with little cycling experience. Their eight-day New Forest and Isle of Wight trip is at a relaxed pace with plenty of stops in tea shops and cafés!

Or try Headwater’s (headwater.com) ‘soft cycling holidays’. Their Heart of Venetian Cycling Trip starts from £759 for seven nights in an Italian farmhouse with independent day cycles to local villages in northern Italy.

Where would you recommend for backpackers on the SE Asia trail?

Full Moon Party in Haad Rin on Koh Phangan, Thailand; the amazing temple complex of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia; and chill out on a junk boat in Halong Bay, Vietnam.

Best activity you’d recommend there?

A jungle trek in Chiang Mai during the monsoon. Tired, wet and covered in mud, the sun came out at the end and we went for a swim in the waterfalls.

What place would you suggest for anyone who wants to get off the beaten track?

I’m yet to do it, but definitely the challenging 96km Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea.

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01/03/2013 16:58:54

Snow faster: see another side of the slopes on racket-like shoes

Savoie Mont Blanc france

Dining: a yurt and (left) fondue

France

geneva

Ready: sizing up the descent

SAVOIE Mont blanc

SWITZERLAND

ITALY

GETTING THERE Fly from London Gatwick to Geneva from ÂŁ225 return with British Airways. ba.com

Unreal: Savoie scenery 66

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Sloping off Savoie Mont Blanc has more than stunning ski runs – try a littleknown historic town, snowshoeing and cheese by the bucketload Words jade Bremner

“Where do you usually ski?” is the gentrified phrase I expected to hear echoing around the slopes of Grand Massif. Monied British tourists arrive en masse to the Alps every winter and consume copious amounts of wine, steak and fondue. At Les Trois Vallées and Val d’Isère they ski with Brits, drink with Brits and sleep with Brits. Luckily, my recent trip to the French winter wonderland is to be decidedly different. The hidden ancient village of Samoëns, located in the Vallée du Giffre, offers 265km of slopes nearby and an olde rural mountain charm untainted by the region’s hordes of package tours.

Here, there’s more than skiing to keep you entertained.

This quaint town is known for its rich limestone quarries and stonemasons, who famously created a brotherhood and commune in the village hundreds of years ago. In the main square, typical wooden mountain retreats are swapped for stone structures dating back to the 17th century. On a simple walk around the town, visitors will see a variety of these carved sculptures dotted along the streets.

It’s just as well the town is so interesting, because it turns out I can’t ski at all – I look like Bambi on the slopes. After my first day its feels like I’ve been crouching over a public toilet for six hours. And, when I’m not in the ‘toilet seathovering’ position, I’m legs akimbo on my back.

Covered in bruises, I take some time out from all the sliding around. Almost every guesthouse in this area comes with après-ski provisions. Mine, La Reine Des Prés, has a sauna, steam room, and hammam. I use all three in an attempt to banish my aches and pains. But after a day of tumbling and throbbing, I opt to switch things up and book an educational tour with the local mountain rescue team.

These red-suited, Santa Claus look-alikes keep people safe while they’re skiing around Grand Massif, and tourists can hang out with them for a tour of what goes on out of plain sight on the mountain. “Climb up into the gondola,” says beardy pisteur Michel Dunoyer. At the top of the stairs there’s a mechanical room, which controls the gondola.

I watch as Dunoyer does his morning safety check before the mountain opens for action. He looks for breaks in the industrial-sized cables and whacks every supporting tyre with a hammer, to make sure they’re not going to pop. Technical.

“The rest of what we do takes place at the summit,” he says.

To get there I must scale the 2000km face on skis, via chairlift. Here we go again. I just about manage to sit on the chair without falling off and gauchely plonk myself down, next to the first Brit I meet since arriving. “Have you ever

skied before?” asks my chairlift buddy. I tell her I haven’t and ask if it’s really that obvious. “Yes,” she chuckles. “My husband only learnt to ski at 55 years old, so there’s hope for you yet,” she consoles. “I hated skiing at first,” her husband chimes in. “Now skiing is a drug for me. I can’t get enough of it.” Our chair enters a cloud and the view disappears entirely.

The haze clears to reveal the piercing sun and big blue skies.

The scene above the clouds is humbling, with jagged mountains like cardboard cut-outs on the horizon. Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest peak at almost 5000m, commands our attention. We feel like we’re on the roof of the world. On the peak there’s a cabin filled with more men in red jackets.

“

We feel like we’re on the roof of the world

”

It could be Santa’s workshop, but the rescue team wield radios, ski stretchers and defibrillators instead of toys. “Skiing accidents can be very serious,” explains one of the rescue team. “But we’re quick, so you’re in safe hands … Are you ready to ski down?” “Excuse me?” I say. “Yes, there is only one way down the mountain, and that’s on skis.” Shit.

Empowered by the panorama, I pluck up the courage to tackle the descent. There’s a fierce combination of challenging blue, red and black runs. Speed skiers whiz past me and I soon have to stop to rest my jelly legs. Four hours later, I’m safely at the bottom. I deserve some cheese.

In the nearby town of Morillon a local guide, Arnaud Retrif, offers snowshoeing in the wilderness, followed by a giant dish of fondue. Retrif is potty about snowshoeing and is a trained mountain leader. Our group meets him at his van, where he gives us giant slabs of cheese and boxes of wine to put in our rucksacks – this is the best preparation for a hike I’ve ever encountered. Then, he opens his boot to reveal a bunch of bones in boxes. Slightly disconcerting.

Are we next? “These are animal bones I’ve found on the mountain,” he says. “Don’t worry, they’re educational props to teach kids.” Phew. He hands me some funny plastic racket–shaped shoes, which flap around on my feet, and we set off into the wild.

There’s a chorus of giggles as the group walks in the spongy deep snow. We drop three feet. “I thought ›› tntMagazine.com

67

snowshoes were meant to stop you falling in?” I ask. “Push your walking stick in and see how deep it is,” Retrif says. My long walking stick nearly disappears in the snow. Walking here with no snowshoes would be nearly impossible.

Eventually, we arrive at Retrif’s yurt, a nomadic tent amid the trees. With a stove in the centre of the room lit, we cut up bread and colossal blocks of regional cheese, including Emmental, Reblochon and Abondance. While we’re slurping wine with crème de cassis, Retrif warms some more vino in a saucepan, adds garlic and melts the cheese. We dip chunks of bread into the pot of gooey goodness. Retrif passes around a wooden pot with eight drinking holes. “This is le grolle,” he bellows. This communal drinking jug is brought out after meals. Instead of reinvigorating coffee, Retrif fills it with mulled wine and liquor.

As I slurp greedily from le grolle, I have a winter holiday epiphany. Forget that skiing lark. This here is my kind of mountain retreat. ❚ Snowshoeing and dinner £35pp arnaudrando.com Ski Patrol Tour £6pp and six-day lift pass £187 grand-massif.com For more regional information savoie-mont-blanc.com; samoëns.com

Piste-side: enjoying the sun on the mountain

next week Iceland: Getting steamy in the Blue Lagoon of Reykjavik

MIDRANGE

LUXURY

Try La Fandioleuse, a cute little cottage-style restaurant, for fresh crêpes. Varieties include reblochon, the creamy local soft cheese, with pork, onion and crème fraîche for about £8, or sweet, rich melted chocolate for £6. Wash it down with their homemade dry cider. (Rue de La Cour, Samoëns)

For a local experience, dine at Ferme Dunoyer. This pastoral kitchen is set on a real working farm, and what comes with it, such as a few wafting aromas from the adjacent cowshed.

Hearty food is served family-style (to share) and includes tartiflette, Savoyard stew and juicy homemade sausages. Mains from £12. (Chez Raymond, Samoëns)

Need a rest from cheese and cream?

Try Le Monde a L’Envers. This village restaurant was recently taken over by an American/Swiss chef and a Samoëns local, who together create world-inspired cuisine such as monkfish casserole with coconut and veal risotto. Mains from around £18.

(Place Criou, Samoëns)

drink

Start your après-ski with a tipple at Saucissons de Haute-Savoie, where they warm your cockles with homemade hot wine for £2.15 a pop, and hot apple juice with vodka for £3 a glass. (Located just off the main square)

Had enough wine and need a proper pint? Try Covey’s Irish Pub, which serves familiar pours such as Guinness, Edelweiss, Murphy’s Red and Amstel from £4. It’s also a great spot to catch up on the latest rugby and football. coveysirishpub.com

For a sophisticated drink it’s got to be La Clarine. This restaurant and bar serves potent cocktails from £6, against a backdrop of DJs, bands, and flat screens playing music videos.

(Avenue Cognacq Jay, Samoëns)

sleep

Hotel le Tuet is a small guesthouse in the centre of town. It has just six no-frills double rooms, with optional kitchenettes, but they sell for a very reasonable £38 per night. (Grande Rue; tel. +33 450349156) ­

Chalet Falcon sleeps 15 people, and is isolated in the mountains. As well as stunning interiors, guests can enjoy a hot tub, Wii, board games and table football, as well as spacious rooms from £580 per week – £82 per adult per night – in the winter period. chalet365.com

La Reine Des Prés just screams luxury, but it doesn’t break the bank.

The spacious apartments start from two bedrooms in size and can be booked from £797 per week (which works out at £113 per night). powderbeds.com

eat

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Photos: Thinkstock; Getty; TNT

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LONDON’S BIGGEST FREE TRAVEL SHOW Saturday March 9 & Sunday March 10

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Sat: 10am-6pm Sun: 10am-3.30pm Pre-register for one of 3500 FREE tickets every day. £2 after that online.

Limited places on the day so book now to avoid disappointment.

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E C N E I R E P X E T S E B E agine H im r T e v e L ld E u o E c F you

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EXHIBITOR LIST

WELCOME

TNT TRAVEL SHOW MARCH 2013

HIGHLIGHTS EXCLUSIVE TRAVEL SEMINARS There are 19 inspirational seminars packed with exclusive advice and essential tips. Whether you want the lowdown on this year’s festival season, or the insider’s guide to trekking Everest Base Camp, we’ve got a topic that piques your interest.

You’re guaranteed to leave inspired for your next epic adventure.

WHERE: Seminar rooms 1 & 2 TIME: All day

BAG FANTASTIC DISCOUNTS

P

repare to book your next year’s worth of travel at bargain prices as our TNT Travel Show expands to a two-day extravaganza.

On March 9-10 at the Islington Business Design Centre, you’ll be able to bag exclusive on-the-day deals of up to 50 per cent off, saving you bundles of cash on top trips.

And there’s also an impressive list of speakers offering expert advice and

“

register each day at tnttravelshow. com. Tickets cost £2 after that, so get in quick!

As well as amazing deals on trips and holidays in the UK, Europe and worldwide, visitors can also book group trips, overland routes and off-thebeaten track destinations in Eastern Europe, Africa, America, South America, Asia and Australasia – plus heaps more places around the globe.

You’ll be able to bag exclusive on-the-day deals essential tips over the weekend to help you plan your next big adventure.

Learning how to survive in the wild with Bear Grylls’s best mate; the essential guide to the Everest Base Camp; sex and solo travel; and the lowdown on the 2013 festival scene are just some of the 19 free travel seminars on offer.

Plus, entry to London’s biggest free travel show won’t cost you a penny if you’re one of the 3500 visitors to pre-

”

Over two days, we’ve pulled together the very best tour operators, specialist travel agencies, overland operators and accommodation experts to give you sought-after, one-on-one tailored advice.

Everything you need to travel the globe is under one roof. Have a blast – and we’ll see you there!

If you needed a reason to visit the TNT Travel Show, this is it.

At our two-day event, visitors can bag exclusive deals of up to 50 per cent off. Our exhibitors are offering amazing savings that are only available on the day. Don’t miss out!

WHERE: Show exhibitors TIME: All day

WIN A TRIP TO OKTOBERFEST! There’s still time to enter our blogging competition and win an outstanding six-day trip to this year’s Oktoberfest. Simply visit blogs.tnttravelshow.com and tap in 200 words of prose starting with the words, ‘I never knew a festival...’

WHERE: Winner announced at the Travel Show bar. TIME: 3pm

TNT LUCKY DIP Total prizes of £3000+ Bag a trip from Busabout, Expat Explore, Shamrocker, Topdeck & more.

Go to Lucky Dip stand

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01/03/2013 16:29:44

EXHIBITOR LIST SEMINARS

Saturday 9th March - Room 1

11.45am

SMALL GROUPS, BIG EXPERIENCES

12.45pm

LA TO NEW YORK Toby Baxter, TrekAmerica

Karl Bolton, Edge Adventures It’s true: “Happiness is a path, not a destination.” It’s the journeys that we never forget – the places we see, the people we meet and the surprises we stumble upon. But to guarantee we get the most from these experiences, small group travel is essential. Who wants to fight their way through a crowd to get to the front?

14.45pm

13.45pm

VOLUNTEERING ON YOUR TRAVELS Macca Sherifi, gapyear.com

Toby, from TrekAmerica, will be whisking visitors away on a whirlwind tour of the States. He’ll take you from wildlife to nightlife, as well as through the best of small-town America, glorious deserts and spectacular national parks. Find out how to travel from LA to New York in just three weeks and see the best the US has to offer.

15.45pm

Join gapyear.com’s Macca Sherifi for your essential guide to volunteering abroad. It’s an introduction to some of the volunteering projects you can get involved in while away on your travels, and he’ll reveal how volunteering abroad can benefit you in the future. If you’ve always fancied doing good around the globe, don’t miss this.

16.45pm

TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE

UNEXPECTED CHINA

Trevor Bone, On The Go Tours

Helen Elfer, TNT Magazine

TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY AND BEYOND

At just three-and-a-half hours from London, it’s easy to go and explore Russia. And there’s more to this giant country than just vodka. Come and hear how easy it is to discover this big and history-rich country with On The Go Tours – and find out why the adventures you can have here make Russia On The Go’s most popular trip!

TNT’s travel editor Helen Elfer lived in China for two years, giving her a unique insight into the country and its culture.

Here, you can explore the unknown People’s Republic with her insider knowledge. From tropical beaches to extreme sports, there’s lots to do in China once the classic sightseeing is out of the way.

Gabriela Rogati, Vodkatrain Gabriela will be sharing her experiences and the highlights of travelling the Trans-Siberian railway and Mongolia with Vodkatrain. Find out more about what there is to see, the amazing experiences on offer and the great people that you will meet along the way. Climb aboard for the biggest adventure of your life!

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01/03/2013 15:11:56

EXHIBITOR LIST

SEMINARS

Saturday 9th March - Room 2

11.00am

12.00pm

13.00pm

SECRET LONDON

THE NEW EGYPT

Zoe Craig, Visit London

Sameh Nazeeh, Encounters Travel

SURVIVAL GUIDE TO EUROPEAN FESTIVALS

Sameh Nazeeh, head Egyptologist guide at Encounters Travel, will speak about his love of Egypt and also the amazing monuments and experiences holidaymakers can enjoy in the country. He’ll also tell you all you need to know about how the revolution has affected tourism and life in general in the new Egypt.

Nic Cooper, Busabout, Haggis and Shamrocker Nic ‘Coops’ Cooper will be running through the major, not-to-be-missed festivals of 2013. He’ll let you in on all the do’s and don’ts and will dole out a few tips to get you through Europe’s biggest parties from opening day to the last night of the festival. This is how to see a destination at its most traditional and crazy best!

Zoe Craig from Visit London shares her tips on finding the coolest places in the greatest city on earth.

She’ll tell you how to get the most out of London, and how to uncover its hidden, off-the-tourist-track gems. If you’ve seen all the tick-list tourist attractions, then get along to this and discover some lesserknown treasures.

14.00pm

15.00pm

ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO EVEREST BASE CAMP

SEEING THE BEST OF EUROPE

James Ingham, Intrepid

Tony Banfield, Topdeck Travel

Intrepid’s keenest adventurer, marketing manager James Ingham, takes you through all you need to know ahead of a trip to Everest Base Camp. Find out when to go, what to take and how to prepare, plus get all the insider hints, tips and tales from the trails. If you’re looking for a big challenge in 2013, this could be it.

With more than 40 countries to explore in Europe, it can be hard to decide where to go. So come and listen to Tony’s highlights of the continent and get yourself some great destination ideas. Plus, find out why this travel guru says Croatia is the place to be. Tony promises top tips for experienced and firsttime travellers.

16.00pm

SUMMER SOUNDTRACKS: MUSIC FESTIVALS AND MINI-BREAKS IN EUROPE James Smart, Lonely Planet James Smart will be explaining why exposing yourself to new music is a wonderful thing.

Combine it with a journey to one of Europe’s more memorable corners, and you’ve got one hell of a trip. This talk is for anyone who likes to rock, rave, dance, sing or travel.

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01/03/2013 15:12:00

EXHIBITOR LIST SEMINARS

Sunday 10th March - Rooms 1 & 2

ROOM 1

10.00am

SOCIAL MEDIA AND TRAVEL STORYTELLING Dylan Lowe, thetravellingeditor.com Dylan Lowe will touch on how popular social media platforms people “can’t live without” – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – can be turned into powerful platforms for telling travel stories.

He’ll also discuss combining visual and audio technology to bring extra dimensions to online storytelling.

ROOM 1

14.00pm

ROOM 1

11.30am

SOLO TRAVEL: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE BUMPING UGLIES British blogger and backpacker Toni White discusses solo travel and what it means on the road, in your mind and between the sheets. There’ll be a particular emphasis on Asia and Africa, with hot tips on budgeting and making friends and sexual connections along the way.

Listen to some true tales from a travel junkie. Emma Jayne Jones, author of Gap Years: The Essential Guide, will share her experiences of travelling to 50 countries by the age of 30, giving you loads of ideas for living, working and volunteering abroad.

ROOM 2

10.45am

Dan Wedgwood, The Adventurists

Find out about learning how to survive in the wild with Bear Grylls, as the lead instructor at the Bear Grylls Survival Academy Scott Heffield reveals key tips for extreme environments. He’ll also let you in on what it was like working with Grylls behind the scenes on the Man Vs Wild TV series.

TNT_1540_074 74

50 COUNTRIES BY 30

Toni White, reclaimingmyfuture.com

PRIORITIES OF SURVIVAL

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13.00pm

Emma Jayne Jones, Author of Gap Years: The Essential Guide

NO GUIDE BOOK. NO 4X4.

NO ITINERARY. HOW TO UN-PLAN YOUR NEXT BIG ADVENTURE Dan from The Adventurists will be talking about what happens when you stop planning the arse out of everything and leave the guide book at home. Find out what happens when you have a start and a finish, but absolutely nothing planned in between.

ROOM 1

Scott Heffield, Bear Grylls Survival Academy

ROOM 2

12.15pm

BALI HIGHS AND DEATH IN VENICE: EXPERT TIPS TO STAY SAFE AND SANE Simon Pickup, ABTA

Simon Pickup, from the UK’s leading travel association ABTA, will be revealing horror stories about the mistakes you don’t want to make abroad, from visa issues in Vietnam to bed bugs in Brazil, and how to make sure your holiday goes without a hitch.

tnttravelshow.com

01/03/2013 15:12:04

Blow your mind, not your budget!

Come and join us for a chat and a cheeky wee dram of whisky!

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• AMAZING deals on all tours - including Christmas and Hogmanay 2013! • Flexible bookings • No booking fees • Guys and girls in kilts

macbackpackers.com 0131 558 9900 /MacBackpackersTours

ay On e-Wers!

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NEW FOR 2013 - ONE-WAY SAIL DEPARTING SPLIT OR ZADAR Includes the party haven of Zcre Beach - one of the most happening places in Dalmatia, attracting top DJ’s from around the world. Enjoy the mix of natural wonders, local food, wine and historic towns. With cheap flights in and out of Zadar this is a great option for those on a budget.

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to both One-Ways sailing days unforgettable 14 rovnik Zadar-Split-Dub

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www.busabout.com

Highlights & Inclusions • Anchor up and jump off

the boat into the Adriatic

• Captain the Pirate

Cruiser as it sails along the Dalmatian coast • Orientation walks • Boat Captain & local Crew • English speaking Busabout Guide • 7 nights accommodation on board (bedding included) • 7 breakfasts and lunches • Secluded swim stops • Sunbathing on the deck

info@busabout.com

* F F O 20% £163 UP TO G SAVE pt 6 JUL - 17 AU pa L de rtures exce pper.

* Valid on AL ic One-Way and Island Ho ’ Split/Dubrovn ter promocode ‘CROATIA2013 . En Book by 17 MAR

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Dive in: save cash on sailing Croatia at the TNT Travel Show 76

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Bargain breaks Head to the TNT Travel Show this weekend and you’ll snag up to 50 per cent off your next holiday. We’re not even kidding. No strings!

Words laura chubb

Fancy bagging a half-price holiday for no other reason than simply dragging your butt out of bed and heading along to Islington this weekend? Well, why stop at one adventure?

Come along to the TNT Travel Show this Saturday and Sunday and you’ll find stacks of incredible discounts on bucket-list breaks and epic trips. You could book a whole year of travel and still have change left to buy a few rounds at the bar.

But don’t just take our word for it. Come along at the weekend and you’ll see for yourself. Our two-day extravaganza at the Business Design Centre will host an amazing array of travel experts and operators, all of them offering massive discounts to TNT readers. And just to give you a taste of what's in store, we've listed 10 of the bargains available on the day below. Take note: this is only the tip of the iceberg. There are far more deals and discounts at the TNT Travel Show than listed here, for more destinations and from more companies than we could possibly fit in.

comes to £1916pp, plus US$1165 (about £770) local payment. oasisoverland.co.uk 10% OFF ... Sailing Europe Book a small group sailing adventure around Italy, Greece, Croatia or Turkey with Intrepid Travel and get 10 per cent off. All you need to do is turn up at the Intrepid Travel stand at the show and book to set sail by August 31 this year. It means you could spend four days sailing around Italy’s Amalfi Coast for just £396pp or eight days sailing around Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast for £698pp, including accommodation on the yacht, breakfasts and lunches, excursions and a skipper.

Swap grey London for cruising the high seas like a rock star.

Can you think of a reason why not? intrepidtravel.com SAVE £249 on ... Greek islands

Exclusively at the TNT Travel Show, Europe specialist Travel Talk is offering a whopping 50 per cent off its Turkey, Russia, Sail Greece and Sail Croatia premium tours, which means you could end up paying as little as £79pp for an eight-day Bodrum to Gokova sailing trip (excluding local payment), for example. Treat yourself to a range of incredible experiences including the storybook scenery of Cappadocia in Turkey or the palaces of St Petersburg, and all at half-price. This discount is only available at the TNT Travel Show, so get down to the Travel Talk stand and claim yours on the day! traveltalktours.com

Party around the Greek islands of Mykonos, Ios and Santorini with Contiki and enjoy a bank balance-friendly discount of £249 at the TNT Travel Show. The Contiki folks are offering the generous saving on their 13-day Greek Island Hopper tour for departures leaving in 2013. The laidback itinerary includes three nights at Contiki’s beach resort hotel in Mykonos, the most glam of the Cyclades islands, and plenty of time to sunbathe and swim around Santorini – famous for its sunsets – and take in the blue-domed chapels of Ios. The trip costs £959pp with the discount, and also features 16 meals, nine nights’ hotel accommodation, and all ferry and coach transfers. Sweet. contiki.com

More than £450 OFF ... Cape Town to Cairo

SAVE £550 on Europe ... and bag a FREE trip

Bag a massive £479 off an epic 16-week overland trip from Cape Town to Cairo, taking in the very best of Africa along the way. Oasis Overland, which has been running overland adventures for 14 years, is offering 20 per cent off its trip departing April 10 to TNT Travel Show-goers (excluding local payment). The route takes in must-see sights including the Sossusvlei sand dunes of Namibia, national parks in Botswana and Tanzania, and the pyramids and the Sphinx in Egypt.

The price of this once-in-a-lifetime trip after the discount

Expat Explore is offering loads of discounts at the TNT Travel Show, including a massive £550 off its 24-day Absolute Europe tour (bringing the total cost to £999pp) departing in May or June, which whisks you through 13 countries and includes stops in Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Prague, Venice, Berlin – all the essentials! Plus, for every Europe tour you book with Expat Explore at the show, you’ll receive a free Bath and Stonehenge trip. Yup, you read that right – for ›› free. The cost of the Absolute Europe tour includes all

HALF-PRICE ... European tours

tntMagazine.com

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01/03/2013 10:11:04

Bag £450 off a trip to Egypt

See Victoria Falls at half-price

Save £550 on Venice and more

breakfasts, eight dinners, coach travel, local taxes, tour leader and tour souvenir. expatexplore.com

required. There will also be 10 per cent discounts available on Kilimanjaro and safari combinations. absoluteafrica.com

50% OFF ... European festivals

SAVE £200 on ... sailing Croatia

Festival tour legends Busabout are offering up to 50 per cent off trips to selected European festivals. Bear in mind that these guys were named ‘favourite festival tour operator’ at the TNT Golden Backpack Awards and you can appreciate that this is a seriously sweet deal. Trips that have been slashed to half-price include Queen’s Day in Amsterdam departing April 28 (bringing the cost down to £150pp) and Easter in Paris departing March 29 (bringing the cost to £160pp). The former is a bash you really won’t want to miss – officially, it’s a national holiday in honour of Queen Beatrix’s birthday, but is more an excuse for the locals to dress headto-toe in orange and go bonkers partying in the streets. busabout.com

Go sailing around Croatia in high season (ie, the sunniest) with a £200 discount, courtesy of Sail Croatia at the TNT Travel Show. A seven-day round trip from Split is just £319pp, including breakfasts and lunches, if you book a trip

Photos: Thinkstock, Getty

Queen’s Day for 50% less

HALF-PRICE ... African safari Overland specialists Absolute Africa are slashing selected safari tour prices by 50 per cent, including their 73-day Absolute Safari, which travels from Nairobi, Kenya, to Cape Town, South Africa, via some seriously stunning sights. Take in all the highlights of east and southern Africa, including spotting the Big Five in Masai Mara and the Serengeti, and stare in wonder at the magnificent Victoria Falls, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. With the discount, it’ll only cost you £680pp (excluding local payment) to do this once-in-a-lifetime trip – down from £1360pp. Applies to departures on March 19, April 27 and May 22. The offer is only valid if you book on the day and a deposit will be 78

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Take a half-price break in Moscow

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departing on April 6, 13, 20 or 27 or May 4. Your yacht will take you down the Dalmatian Coast and to islands including Hvar and ports including Dubrovnik. There’ll be even more special offers released on the day, so make sure to swing by the Sail Croatia stand to bag yourself a real steal. sail-croatia.com

E KS E W O W T FINAL R YACHT UPGRADE IE FREE PREM MARCH ENDS 17th

Book now

sailors.c - www.med

om

50% OFF ... China and Russia Visit the Vodkatrain stand at the TNT Travel Show and bag a two-night break in Moscow, St Petersburg or Beijing with a 50 per cent discount, bringing the cost of your trip to as little as £47.50pp, including two nights’ accommodation and a ‘honcho’ to help you get settled in. The latter is a local who’ll be available between 9am and 9pm to give you an introduction to the city, providing you with some crucial insider tips on how to make the most of your time.

All you have to do to get the discount is book a guaranteed departure of a 2013 Vodkatrain journey, which could be anything from taking on the infamous Trans-Mongolian railway trip to the historic Silk Road through Central Asia and China. vodkatrain.com 15% OFF ... group bookings to Greece Sailing specialists MedSailors are offering a number of TNT Travel Show only deals – you won’t see these discounts anywhere else, so you’d better get your butt down to the Business Design Centre to bag them. All group bookings on trips that sail from Croatia to Greece departing June 8 or 15 will get 15 per cent off, cutting costs by £75pp on average.

That amounts to less than £300pp to cruise the waves for seven days, with all breakfasts and lunches included and BYO booze. Group bookings on all other trips offered by MedSailors will get 10 per cent off if they’re for nine or more people. Make it a summer to remember. medsailors.com ❚ The TNT Travel Show runs over two days this year, on March 9, 10am-6pm and March 10, 10am-4pm. Entry is free when you pre-register on the website and tickets cost just £2 after that. More info on pages 69-74 and 83-88.

52 Upper Street, Islington, N1 0QH tnttravelshow.com Angel

Sail Croatia & Greece on your own yacht!

7 days, 7 different locations.

Your own Skipper included BYO alcohol at no charge

NEXT WEEK Giddy up: Horse riding in Argentina

Daily breakfast and lunch Solo and group bookings Snorkel, paddle board and swim from your own yacht!

Learn to sail or work on your tan.

It’s up to you.

From just £375 per person

Follow us @medsailors for TNT Travel Show specials

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TRAVEL show tntMagazine.com

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Scanbalt Experience The expert on budget travel in Scandinavia, The Baltics and Russia

*remaining deposit should be paid in 30 days

Visit Stand 53 at the TNT Travel Show

Get a free vodka, win a visa free Russia tour and get great discounts!!!

Pay only ¤10 Euro deposit

and book already cheap trips to even lower prices!!!*

ROUND TRIPS 2013 State TNT as campaign code and get great discounts

Scandinavian Explorer 10 Days was ¤670 TNT 15% off

Copenhagen-Oslo-Bergen & Fjords-Stockholm-Helsinki This trip is the perfect combination of awesome Scandinavian cities with great nightlife and loads of history and stunning Scandinavian nature with great scenery and activities.

Baltic Explorer 7 days was ¤380 TNT 15% off

Tallinn-Riga-Curonian Spit- Vilnius Cool Baltic capitals, unique history, great nature, sandy beaches and excellent nightlife!

Russian Explorer 9 days was ¤620 TNT 15% off Helsinki-St Petersburg-Novgorod-Moscow-Tallinn Bus and boat travel between sic fantastic cities!

Balalaika and Vodka 7 days was ¤350 TNT 10% off

Helsinki-St Petersburg-Tallinn Visa Free Russia visit and only travel with overnight ferries between four top cities!

Baltic Easter Bunny 8 days was ¤380 TNT 15% off

Riga-Tallinn-St Petersburg-Helsinki-Stockholm A perfect Easter trip with a Visa Free Russia visit and only travel with overnight ferries between four top cities!

Magic Lapland Easter 7 days was ¤425 TNT 15% off

Stockholm-Kiruna-Abisko-Narvik-Jokkmokk-Stockholm Have a Lapland Easter experience with reindeers, sauna, dogsledding, a drink in the ice hotel and much more!

Baltic Day Trips - Our Baltic Day trips are perfect to combination with our Baltic Backpacker bus or if you just having a short break in Riga or Tallinn.

Visit our website for more information about the day trips.

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EXHIBITOR LISTWHO’S 1ST CONTACT Stand 38+44

Opening a bank account, transferring money, applying for a visa, claiming a tax refund or shipping goods overseas: these are just a few of the services offered by 1st Contact. We take care of the admin, leaving you free to focus on the fun stuff!

0808 141 1663 1stcontact.com

ABSOLUTE AFRICA

HERE

BACKPAX MAGAZINE Stand 87

Backpax pocket magazine comes out three times a year, in March, June and Sept, with top travel tips for the UK and Europe, competitions, hostel reviews, route plans, fun events and much more.

Want more from your trip?

Get your copy in hostels or online!

0117 924 1600 backpaxmag.com

Stand 30

Absolute Africa organises budget overland safaris and African adventure tours, beach breaks on Zanzibar Island and Kilimanjaro treks. We bring a vast 30 years of experience to our African overland tours to make your Africa holiday a trip of a lifetime. Bespoke safaris also available include staying in tented camps and lodges in East Africa & Kruger National Park, South Africa.

0208 742 0226 absoluteafrica.com

ANGLO PACIFIC Stand 37 + 43

Leaving the UK should be about farewell drinks, not hassles over packing up your room! Anglo Pacific makes it easy with free delivery of boxes, collections any weekday (plus Saturdays in London) and friendly, knowledgeable Antipodean staff who know exactly where you’re coming from – and going to! There’s budgetfriendly sea freight or a faster air service – ask us what would work best for you. And best, we guarantee the arrival of your baggage at port in 12 weeks or you’ll get a full refund of your shipping costs.

0208 838 8000 anglopacific.co.uk

BALKAN ROAD TRIP

Gallery Bay 10 Go local in the Balkans!

Fascinating and fun specialist mini-bus tours of Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Albania and Greece that focus on small groups, adventure and knowledgeable guides who are locals.

0845 257 8289 balkanroadtrip.com

BUSABOUT Stand 9

Europe’s hop-on, hopoff travel network for independent travellers through nine countries and 33 destinations. Plus our Adventures – Croatia sailing, Greek Island hopping, Spain, Italy, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey Sailing, Ibiza Island hopper, Eastern Europe and the top European Festivals.

0845 0267 514 busabout.com

CONTIKI HOLIDAYS Stand 6

Contiki is the worldwide leader in travel for 18-35 year olds. This TNT Travel show we will be launching our biggest deals ever and offering every customer an exclusive Backstage Pass to the world!

Come see us to find out how. It’s time to start living #NOREGRETS. 0208 290 6422 contiki.com

EDGE ADVENTURES Stand 31

At Explore, the adventure travel specialists, we’ve prided ourselves in pioneering small group adventures for the past 30 years, and now we’ve added ‘edge adventures’ to our collection. edge delivers adventure experiences specifically targeted at 18 to 30-somethings. When you travel with edge, you’ll stay in the most authentic accommodation, eat in the most traditional restaurants and travel on the same transport the locals do, ensuring you truly experience the country you’re visiting while ensuring the money you spend goes straight back into the communities you visit. There will be an average of 15 people in a group from all corners of the globe, making the edge experience extra special and giving you the opportunity to really bond

with everyone sharing your adventure. Tour leaders are always on hand to help out and show you around, although our itineraries allow the freedom and independence to have an adventure of your own with plenty of free time for selfexploration.

0845 619 3634 edgeadventures.com

ENCOUNTERS TRAVEL Gallery Bay 7

At Encounters Travel we offer great value and exciting small group adventure tours, giving you the ability to travel, have fun and take in the culture and sights of some of the world’s most exotic and exciting destinations.

0800 088 6002 encounterstravel.com

EUROLINES Stand 20+26 Eurolines provides great value coach travel to more than 600 European destinations – city to city travel to key European destinations from London

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EXHIBITOR WHO’S LIST HERE Victoria coach station. Fares to Paris from £10 one-way, and Amsterdam and Brussels from just £15 one-way.

0871 781 8178 eurolines.co.uk

EUROPE’S FAMOUS HOSTELS Stand 76

Europe’s Famous Hostels – famoushostels.com – is a network of the best 35 backpacker places in Europe.

Formed of independently owned and award-winning hostels, we represent the best places to stay for a safe, great value and unique experience. famoushostels.com

EXCESS BAGGAGE Stand 7

Excess Baggage Company is the leading name in unaccompanied baggage shipping and the preferred choice for student shipping and expatriates. With a collection service from almost anywhere in the world, shipping couldn’t be easier!

0800 524 4822 excess-baggage.com

EXPAT EXPLORE Stand 14+15+33

Expat Explore is passionate about offering the best value budget tours in Europe, Egypt, Turkey and Greece, Morocco, Croatia and the Maldives! Come and see us at the TNT Travel Show for exclusive offers and prizes – even though we are already the cheapest! No camping...

No sleeping bags... No worries!

0207 394 5232 expatexplore.com

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FANATICS Stand 79

Fanatics are Australia’s largest supporter group and tour operator to sporting events including World Cups, tennis, AFL, rugby and more.

We also go to all the big European events – Anzac Day, Running of the Bulls, La Tomatina and Oktoberfest!

0207 240 3223 thefanatics.com

FESTIVALS ALL AROUND Stand 84

The youngest tour company of the group, Festivals All Around have quickly become the largest tour operator for La Tomatina, and also run tours to the Running of the Bulls and Oktoberfest. We are here to make things epic, so be part of it! festivalsallaround.com

FEZ TRAVEL Stand 19

Fez Travel is an experienced travel company based in Istanbul, Turkey, which has been operating for more than 15 years. We offer small group holidays for all types of travellers and have an exciting range of tours to Turkey, Greece, Egypt and beyond. We offer more than 400 guaranteed group departures all year round. Among many of our other advantages, Fez Travel is renowned for successfully organising and delivering holidays to big events (such as Anzac Day) and offering specialised trips (such as our battlefields tours). Furthermore, we have a department focused on tailor-made holidays and requests.

0207 099 2077 feztravel.com

FIRST FESTIVAL TRAVEL Stand 80

First Festival Travel is established as the leading festival, events and tour operator in London.

We have built a strong reputation for operating well-organised, professional and fun tours to major European festivals – often copied, never matched!

0207 471 6417 firstfestivaltravel.com

GECKOS ADVENTURES Stand 62

With Geckos’ authentic trips, you’ll see more than the sights, with local guides to show you life outside the tourist route. We ensure that you stay in locally run accommodation, eat with the locals and experience the heartbeat of your host country.

0845 863 9723 geckosadventures.com

culture and competitive prices, each hostel offers free wi-fi in all public areas, a luggage room and laundry service. Generator is ideal for individual travellers, families and groups alike. Welcoming and informed staff are on hand around the clock to provide advice on exploring the local area and other tips for a memorable city stay.

0207 432 7350 generatorhostels.com

HAGGIS ADVENTURES Stand 12

Passionate, legendary and stunning trips for backpackers and independent travellers that get you off the beaten track to explore Scotland, England and Wales. Our three- to 10-day adventures are led by the best local guides.

0131 557 9393 haggisadventures.com

HOSTELSCLUB.COM Stand 29

GENERATOR HOSTELS Stand 32

Established in 1995, Generator is Europe’s fastest growing hostel brand and offers stylish accommodation in leading European cities – London, Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin, Hamburg and Venice.

With new properties opening in 2013 in Mitte in Berlin and Barcelona, more than 5000 beds will be available. All hostels feature single, twin and quad rooms as well as larger dorms, some female only, with excellent shower and bathroom facilities.

Characterised by their contemporary design, central location, vibrant atmosphere, plus food and beverage menus reflecting the local

Featuring 25,000 cheap accommodations worldwide, Hostelsclub.com provides online bookings for youth hostels, B&Bs, student accommodations and budget hotels. We offer a social network called MyClub, membership card discounts and a Venice free stays scheme. +39 041 2413 870 hostelsclub.com

INTERNATIONAL PAINTBALL GROUP (IPG) Stand 28 IPG is the UK’s premier provider of paintball experience days. Tickets for your adrenaline-fuelled day of action may be purchased directly from our website

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EXHIBITOR LISTWHO’S ipgvip.com. However, we will be offering up to an 85 per cent discount at the TNT Travel Show!

07706 152643 ipgvip.com

INTREPID TRAVEL Stand 18

With a huge variety of travel styles available, Intrepid travellers explore the world’s most amazing places – discovering real people, real cultures and having incredible real-life experiences along the way.

0800 781 1660 intrepidtravel.com

ITALY ON A BUDGET TOURS Stand 86

MACBACKPACKERS Stand 88+89

MacBackpackers have been providing fun-filled, high quality, fully guided tours of Scotland for the past 15 years. Aimed at young, independent, budget-minded travellers, our tours give an entertaining, informative and utterly unique view of Scotland.Unlike many of our competitors we are 100 per cent locally owned and run, which we believe is an important part of what makes out tours great and allows us to give a genuinely unforgettable Scottish experience!

0131 558 9900 macbackpackers.com

MED EXPERIENCE Gallery Bay 10

Italy’s number one tour company for independent 1835 travellers on a budget! We offer tours, day trips, short breaks, events and many other activities in Florence, Tuscany, Cinque Terre, the Amalfi Coast and more. Local guides, great value for money and authentic experiences. +39 34953 71501 italyonabudgettours.com tuscanyonabudget.com

Sail Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast on your very own yacht.

Discover what it’s like to travel in a flotilla of yachts and explore one of Europe’s hottest destinations. Take daily swim stops and party in Croatia’s hottest clubs – do it all solo or with a group of your friends.

0800 193 8289 medexperience.com

JUMBUCK’S THE AUSSIE PIE COMPANY

MEDSAILORS

Gallery Bay 8

Satisfy your appetite with our 100 per cent puff pastry pies with no added salt or preservatives. Get your Aussie and Kiwi snacks on the day or from our website. In addition, we have two free pairs of Aviva Premiership final tickets at Twickenham Stadium up for grabs. To enter, come to our stand at the TNT Travel Show.

0871 971 4457 southerncrossdeli.co.uk

Stand 48+49

Sail Croatia and Greece on your own yacht! You don’t have to be a celebrity or know how to sail to enjoy a private yacht cruise. Swim, snorkel, sunbathe and learn how to sail from your own skipper. Join us as a solo traveller or book the whole yacht for you and a group of friends – we promise you’ll have an unforgettable experience!

0207 378 8033 medsailors.com

OASIS OVERLAND Stand 59

Oasis Overland specialise in affordable adventure trips to some of the most spectacular places in the world. Our trips range from eight days to 38 weeks duration in Africa, South America, Central Asia and the Middle East, including Egypt, Jordan and Israel.

0196 336 3400 oasisoverland.co.uk

ON THE GO Stand 64+65

On The Go offers group tours to exciting far flung destinations around the globe such as Russia, China, India, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Turkey (including Anzac Day tours), Latin America, Mexico, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Visit our stand to learn more and don’t miss our Russia talk on Saturday at 2.45pm.

0207 371 1113 onthegotours.com

PADDYWAGON Stand 10

The “most fun tour company in the world”, as voted by 900,000 Hostelworld travellers in their annual Hoscars! We were also 2011’s “best UK & Ireland tour operator” at the TNT Golden Backpack Awards.

Paddywagon is wellknown worldwide as the 100 per cent True Irish Experience. We guarantee the most fun, flexible, informative and friendly Irish extravaganza. The only 100 per cent Irish-owned backpacker tour company, we promise the best travel experience in our beloved motherland.

Choose from relaxing day-trips in our sexy Green Mercedes Paddywagons or full-on six or 10-day tours of the country in the company of Ireland’s top tour guides.

As seen on TV. +35 3182 30822 paddywagontours.com

PILLOW ADVENTURE TRAVEL Stand 78

Pillow Adventure Travel is a UK-based company offering tours to some of the biggest and best festivals and events in the UK, Europe and beyond, including the Running of the Bulls, La Tomatina and Oktoberfest!

We also offer adventure tours to destinations including Egypt, Morocco, Nepal and India.

0166 650 4601 pillow.co.uk

PLUS HOSTELS Stand 39

Award-winning hostel chain in Europe with hostels in Prague, Berlin, Rome, Florence and Venice.

We have pools, saunas, gyms, restaurants and bars. It’s a little bit of luxury for travellers without breaking the bank!

0207 932 8395 plushostels.com

PSS INTERNATIONAL REMOVALS Stand 61

1 – 3 PEGASUS RD CROYDON CR9 4PS

At PSS International Removals we believe in providing a friendly, professional moving service to every customer, which is one of the reasons why we are known as the first choice for international removals from the UK. 020 8686 7733 pssremovals.com

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EXHIBITOR WHO’S LIST HERE PP TRAVEL Stand 35

We are specialists in “must do” events, such as Munich’s Oktoberfest, Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Royal Ascot Races, La Tomatina in Spain, Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve) in Edinburgh, Amsterdam tours and many more, at affordable prices.

At the TNT Travel Show, PP Travel is running special deals specials on our tours with up to £30 off the regular price.

People can book on the day or for up to a week after the show to receive this discount.

We will also be giving away a five-day Pamplona tour and a five-day Oktoberfest tour in a competition held on the day.

0207 930 9999 pptravel.com

SAFESTAY Stand 51

Safestay at Elephant & Castle is the fantastic new allbunk bed hostel in London.

Established in July 2012, Safestay is a hostel with hotel standards. With its stylish and innovative design it is ideal for all manner of travellers, families and groups.

0207 703 8000 safestay.co.uk

SAIL CROATIA Gallery Bay 10 With 32 market leaders on our books, we offer seven-day cruises around the stunning Croatia coastline.

Swim in new bay and visit a different island every day.

We offer unrivaled local knowledge and one of the top travel experiences in Europe.

0845 257 8289 sail-croatia.com

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SAILING HOLIDAYS

SMART CITY HOSTELS

The flotilla specialists offering informal flotillas and independent sailing.

Meander around the Greek Ionian Islands at your leisure.

Our relaxed cruises are an ideal first step from dinghies to cruising yachts. Enjoy the privacy of your own vessel in the comfort and security of our flotillas. Also, bareboat charter in other Mediterranean areas for those sailors suitably qualified.

0208 459 8787 sailingholidays.com

Smart city hostels, located just off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh’s city centre, redefines the hostelling experience. We have dorm and private rooms, all with en-suites. The city’s nightlife, pubs, shop and attractions are all on our doorstep.

0131 516 3319 smartcityhostels.com

Stand 60

SCANBALT EXPERIENCE Stand 53

Scanbalt Experience is a tour operator focusing on Scandinavia and the Eastern Europe region.

Our tours are great value and are designed for adventurous people, who appreciate independence, flexibility and time on and off the beaten track. +372 5301 9139 scanbaltexperience.com

SHAMROCKER ADVENTURES Stand 11

Three to seven-day budget trips around Ireland for independent travellers.

The best craic to be sure with our famous 100 per cent Irish guides who live and breathe Celtic history, myths and legends. You will leave loving our country as much as we do.

0845 026 7507 shamrockeradventures.com

WIN A YEAR’S WORTH OF TRAVEL at the TNT Lucky Dip Stand

Stand 46+47

SMART TEACHERS Stand 25

Smart Teachers is probably the best little teacher agency around. Actually, we’re not that little, but when you meet us you’ll realise we’re only working for you. If you’re a professional teacher with a sense of fun, join Smart before you miss out!

0207 240 2403 smartteachers.co.uk

with Topdeck. This year is Topdeck’s 40th birthday so look out for a special guest who will be appearing at the show! Of course, we will also be offering awesome discounts on our trips, and running competitions with amazing prizes – so come and say hi, you can’t miss us!

0208 987 3300 topdeck.travel

TOURIZM LEISURE GROUP Stand 36

We are experts in RV and car rentals and relocations in Australia, New Zealand, US, Canada, Europe, Namibia and South Africa. Our vehicles are perfect for travellers on a tight budget with a flexible schedule. Go city to city from only US$1 a day! +61 7 4041 3411 tourizmleisure.com

TRAVEL TALK Stand 5+8

SPACESHIPS Display Area

Spaceships Campervans are ideal for all you independent travellers out there! Compact, easy to drive and fuel-efficient but with all the features of a normal campervan. The lowest prices in UK/Europe, from £20 per day, with all costs included.

0208 573 2300 spaceshipsrentals.co.uk

TOPDECK Stand 4

Topdeck offers a fantastic range of unforgettable adventures across the globe.

Africa or Australia, Europe or Egypt and the Middle East, New Zealand or North America – the choice is yours.

Some roads aren’t meant to be travelled alone! Explore.

Enjoy. Share the Experience

Travel Talk offers high quality adventure tours to Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Morocco, Greece, Croatia, French ski fields, Russia, Anzac Cove, Oktoberfest and La Tomatina without breaking the bank.

Travel Talk tours are especially designed for funspirited individuals aged 18-39 and offer comfortable and quality accommodation with safe and modern transportation. Nothing is more important to Travel Talk than travelling in style while becoming immersed in the local cultural, historical and natural atmosphere of any destination. We are proud to be the UK’s leading adventure tour operator for the Mediterranean and well respected and recommended for all offered destinations, ››

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CROATIA ISLAND HOPPER CROATIA ONE-WAY SAIL CROATIA ONE-WAY SAIL 8 DAYS FROM £424 Departs Split (Apr - Oct)

8 DAYS FROM £449 Departs Split or Dubrovnik (May - Oct)

8 DAYS FROM £519 W FOR Departs Split or Zadar(July - August) NE2 013

20%* OFF

SAVE UP TO £163

NEWS & VIEWS

/BUSABOUTeurope

08450 267 514 TNT_1540_087 87

FOLLOW US

@busabout

www.busabout.com

*Valid on all departures except 6 Jul-17 Aug Split/Dubrovnik One-Way and Island Hopper. Book by 17 March.

Enter promocode ‘Croatia2013’

info@busabout.com 01/03/2013 17:13:41

EXHIBITOR WHO’S LIST HERE and perfected over 12 years of experience. Travel Talk isn’t just great value for adventurous travellers, but strives to exceed expectations through remarkable inclusions and customer services. Visit us at stand five and eight to bag yourself some amazing discounts.

0208 099 8852 traveltalktours.com

TRAVEL TALK BUDGET Stand 21

At Travel Talk Budget our focus is simply to make your trip the experience of a lifetime without breaking the bank by creating great trips with all of the inclusions, experienced guides, comfortable accommodation and transport that one can find. From exotic destinations such as Egypt, Morocco, Turkey and Jordan to the sunshine and sea of Sail Croatia or our festival tours including La Tomatina, Anzac, Oktoberfest and Hogmanay. We have 12 years of experience and are proud to be the UK’s leading adventure tour operator. We’re offering amazing exclusive travel show discounts.

0208 099 3610 traveltalkbudget.com

TREK AMERICA

THE TRIPTEASE Stand 17

The TripTease is a Mediterranean coastline specialist. You don’t have to be a celebrity to feel like a VIP while enjoying the magical Croatian island of Hvar, cruise week, sail week, party island Pag, summer fests or a crazy spring break. thetriptease.eu

2012’s ‘favourite campervan operator’ at the TNT Golden Backpack Awards.

0808 234 8461 wickedcampers.co.uk

NEW ARRIVALS GREEN TORTOISE ADVENTURE TRAVEL Stand 82

VODKATRAIN Stand 50

Young, fun, small group adventures along the Trans-Mongolian Railway, through Central Asia and around India by rail. A unique travel concept for 18-35s, our itineraries run 12 to 43 days. Operated

by Sundowners Overland, the Asia overland specialists.

0208 877 7656 vodkatrain.com

WEHOSTELS Stand 85

WeHostels is a social booking app for mobile devices. With the WeHostels app not only can backpackers book a bed from their mobile device, they can also see who else will be staying at the hostel and connect with their fellow travellers beforehand. +1 347 903 0464 wehostels.com

We offer exciting, affordable camping holidays through America and Mexico. Make new friends and see fantastic cities, National Parks and the Burning Man festival on custom coaches with lounge interiors. We have nearly 40 years in overland travel! +1 415 956 7500 greentortoise.com

KAMPER HIRE Display Area

Kamper Hire offers quality VW camper van rental for any occasion, from a mad weekend at the Glastonbury

festival to a touring holiday in Europe. We cater for absolutely anyone who wants to kick back, hit the road and have good time.

01978 715621 kamperhire.co.uk

KAYA RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL Stand 77

Kaya Responsible Travel coordinate volunteer projects and responsible adventure tours across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Our projects aren’t just for Gap Year students so whether you’re 18 or 80, we will have a meaningful travel experience to suit you! Projects range from wildlife and environmental conservation, education and community development, healthcare, marine conservation, building, and a whole lot more! So, if you want to see the real world and to have the adventure of a lifetime, come and visit our stand!

0161 870 6212 kayavolunteer.com

Stand 13

Scooping four awards at the 2012 British Travel Awards, including ‘best small tour operator to the USA’, TrekAmerica is America’s leading small group adventure travel specialist for 18-38s, with more than 70 tours in North and Central America for three to 64 days.

0844 346 3027 trekamerica.com

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WICKED CAMPERS

Display Area Our campervans are perfect for travellers on a tight budget and a loose schedule. Join the road trip revolution and get lost in Europe the Wicked way, with unlimited kms, nine depot locations and one-ways available. Voted

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PLUS

CAPE TOWN MUST-DO MOROCCO ACTION IN SOUTH AFRICA

s n o i t a n i t s De FRICA A

TOP SAFARIS The very best of the Big Five

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DESTINATIONS AFRICA

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Smiles at 10,000ft

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L a a w a

Abseil down Table Mountain

th st a

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H ÂŁ Dive with Jaws

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Xxxxxxxxxxxxx Get wild on the water

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south africa > ADRENALINE RUSHES

Push yourself to the limit South Africa is a playground for thrillseekers, whether you want to throw yourself from a great height or dive with great whites. Strap in and put yourself to the test Words ALASDAIR MORTON

i

f you want to push yourself to the limit, there is no better place to get the heart racing than South Africa. Take a deep breath and dive in!

Skydiving Leaping out of a perfectly good aeroplane at 10,000ft, strapped to someone who was a stranger until 20 minutes prior –this is a sure way to get the blood pumping. Freefalling at speeds of up to 120mph, the relief when

fASt fActS WHEN TO GO The summer runs from November through to April, but September is the best time to visit the country as the weather is still enjoyable and there are fewer tourists through which to fight.

ACCOMMODATION Cape Town’s Observatory is a top destination for those looking for the active lifestyle. A fun-filled part of the city, there are backpacker hostels galore. Dorm beds from about £8pn.

the ‘chute opens and you can take in the stunning scenery is an experience you can’t afford to pass up. if you want to take it a little slower, then try paragliding. You get the views without the terminal velocity!

HOW: Cape Extreme offers tandem jumps from £147 (cape-xtreme.com).

Abseiling Take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain – not the most adrenaline-fuelled pursuit – but then turn it up a notch by strapping in and walking backwards down its face from the 3000ft+ summit. Trust us, no matter how impervious to vertigo you think you are, this one will have your heart in your mouth in no time.

HOW: From £15 (iafrica.com).

Shark diving Being a mere few feet away from one of nature’s most

fearsome predators is an experience likely to have you quaking in your wetsuit. if you can get the Jaws theme out of your head, it’s a nature encounter like no other.

HOW: From £100 with Marine Dynamics Shark Tours (sharkwatchsa.com).

Wakeboarding and sandboarding if you want a rush that has less chance of you ending up as something’s dinner, stick

closer to shore and try wakeboarding, where you’ll skim through the foamy surf towed by a speedboat. it’s a real workout, but damn good heart-pumping fun. Or why not give sandboarding a go, where you can ‘ride’ the coast’s dunes like a seasoned pro on a plank of wood or modified snowboard.

HOW: Try wakeboarding from £22 (wakesa.com).

Sandboarding from £35 (southafrica.info). >> GETTING THERE Virgin Atlantic flies direct from London Heathrow to Cape Town from £899 return. virgin-atlantic.com

JOHANNESBURG SOUTH AFRICA

CAPE TOWN

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Silly fun: ostrich riding

Go faster: try wakeboarding

River rafting Taking in the astouding scenery from the comfort of an inflatable is a beautiful way to explore this wondrous country, so strap in and prepare to enjoy the white water thrills that the Doring River, in the Western Cape province, offers. You’lll get wet and wild, for sure!

HOW: Two-day trips from £48 (adventure-village.co.za).

Bloukrans Bungy: the world’s highest

BEST BEACHES Want to kick back after all that crazy action?

South Africa is home to some of the most jaw-dropping collections of sand-and-surf the world has produced.

Bungee jumping Tie a strip of elastic round your ankles, take a deep breath, and place your life in the hands of those tasked with making sure you don’t hit the bottom – bungee is a test of courage, but one that’s well worth it. Check out the 708ft high Bloukrans Bungy in Plettenberg Bay (two hours from Cape Town) – the world’s highest bungee jump. If plunging face-first into the gorge isn’t your thing, try moseying along the catwalk that has been specially designed to let you saunter over the top of the arch of the bridge, giving you incredible views over the countryside and mountains beyond.

HOW: Jumps from £55 (faceadrenalin.com).

Boulders Beach, part of Table Mountain National Park, is a top destination for some penguinspotting, and the town of Hermanus, on the Western Cape, is know as one of the world’s best land-based whale-watching sites.

And then there’s Port Elizabeth’s beautiful beaches – Kings Beach and Humewood Beach especially, which offer some of the best swimming and surfing you’ll ever find.

It looks silly and it’s much harder than it looks, but it is also great fun – that’s all you need to know about this must-not-miss SA activity that will give you one of the weirder photos to bring home for your mates. Travelling is all about unique experiences, right?

HOW: Rides from £7 for 45mins (cangoostrich.co.za).

4

Boulders Beach, Cape Town

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

Ostrich riding

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DESTINATIONS AFRICA

T o

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Jemaa el-Fna square by night

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A typical traffic jam

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Koutoubia Mosque

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Fresh produce

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morocco > marrakech

The wonders of Marrakech This Moroccan city can bring life-altering culture shocks and great peace and relaxation within moments of each other – here’s what not to miss Words MICHAEL GADD

t

here’s something to tickle every fancy in vibrant Marrakech, from phenomenal shopping and entertainment to some of the most delicious delicacies. Be prepared for a full-on assault on the senses and brace yourself for an experience totally different to anything you’ve ever had before.

Visit the Jemaa el-Fna square Watch the heartbeat of Marrakech evolve throughout the day from an outdoor seat of

FaSt FactS WHEN TO GO Summer is sweltering (June-August). Winter is quite mild, but rammed with tourists. Spring and autumn are best, especially November and February when temps range 10˚C-25˚C. ACCOMMODATION Hotels in Marrakech’s medina are reasonably priced away from peak times, with doubles starting at around £30pn.

Hostels from £5.50 for a dorm bed.

one of its adjoining cafes. By day, the city’s main square has everything from snake charmers to orange juice vendors. By night, the aromas from the food stalls are like nowhere else. the dining options are entertainment unto themselves, complemented by the myriad performers – dancers, drummers, musicians and storytellers. A tourism baptism by fire, this is a manic melting pot of no-holdsbarred Moroccan culture.

HOW: Operating hours are 9am-1am (later during Ramadan). Two people can eat well for £10.

Shop in the souks Some go to Morocco solely for the shopping – from the exotic bargains to simply being part of the hustle and bustle, it’s an experience to savour. And while every Moroccan town has its own souk quarter, few get close to matching the maze of markets in Marrakech’s medinas.

Find handicrafts, souvenirs, spices, vibrant fabrics, carpets

HOW: Viator’s three-and-a-half-hour Souks and Medinas of Marrakech tour is £12.18.

Includes guided shopping tour and a visit to a herbalist (viator.com).

Drink mint tea there are few greater simple pleasures than seeing an aromatic mint tea, brewed with care, being poured from a height. the sugary delight is the national drink and watching it being made is relaxing in itself.

You’ll understand what the locals mean when they say “insha’Allah” (“ god willing, all good things will come with time”). At the very least, tasty tea does. And don’t even think about trying to avoid it – no matter where you go in Morocco, someone will foist a mint tea on you.

HOW: Away from the crowds, Cafe Des Epices (Place Rahba Lakdima) is ideal for an authentic tea and a well-priced feed, with the menu ranging from £3-£8. >> GETTING THERE Fly direct from London to Marrakech with Ryanair or easyJet from £235 return. ryanair.com easyjet.com

SPAIN

MOROCCO MARRAKECH

AFRICA

and a multitude of other trinkets. Don’t forget to haggle. tntmagazine.com/destinations TNT_1540_95 95

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DESTINATIONS AFRICA

Spicy shopping

Go local at Jemaa el-Fna square

See historic palaces and monuments Large chunks of Marrakech are Unesco World Heritagelisted, so to walk down any street is a historical journey. El Badi Palace (near Place des Ferblantiers, entry about 71p) is now a sandy-coloured relic but imagine it in its former splendour as a 16th-century royal home covered in gold, turquoise and crystal. Kasbah’s Saadian Tombs (near Kasbah Mosque; entrance 71p) date back to sultan Ahmad al-Mansur (1578-1603) while the Koutoubia mosque’s great square tower and shining copper globes are something to behold.

HOW: Local Marrakech Tours offers a three-hour guided walking highlights tour for around just £13 per punter (localmarrakechtours.com).

Moroccan baths

Sweet mint tea

MUST-DO MOROCCO Fés Ancient Fès is the oldest of the imperial cities and for many the heart of Moroccan culture, a place of great beauty but also an assault on the senses. It has to be seen to be believed.

Meknès Possibly the most striking if not the best known or most convenient of the imperial cities.

The fact it’s often forgotten as a tourist trap makes it a much more laid-back Moroccan experience.

Essaouira This is a more relaxed version of Morocco, big on art and beach culture. Stay a while and learn to surf or try kitesurfing.

steam bath and massage, or many other pampering treatments, will get you back on an even keel. Sexes are divided at these ancient chill-out parlours, which were originally for everyday bathing and socialising. Each hammam differs, from the basic baths to the opulent. For some the massages are a perverse form of semi-nude torture, but it’s short-term pain to feel mighty cleansed.

HOW: Get a 45-minute full-body black soap exfoliation for £20 at Heritage Spa (heritagespamarrakech.com).

8

The fortified town of Essaouira

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

A day battling the souks may bring you to your knees and call for something totally relaxing. Well, Morocco has that covered in spectacular style. A visit to hammam for a

tntmagazine.com/destinations

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DESTINATIONS AFRICA

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Spot leopards in Malawi

Catch the migration in the Serengeti

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See elephant herds in Botswana

Zebras run with the wildebeest (above)

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Namibia is home to the rare black rhino

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Track lions in Majete Wildlife Reserve

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

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XXXCOUNTRY AFRICA > XXXLOCATION > SAFARIS

Going on safari?

It’s on everyone’s bucket list: seeing the Big Five. Africa’s national parks offer multiple opportunities to do just that. Here are our top tips for spotting the lot Words Helen elfer

F

or some safari-goers, their trip is all about species spotting: seeing as many of the Big Five (lion, buffalo, elephant, leopard and rhino) and more as they can.

For others it’s more about experiencing one-off natural wonders and soaking up the feeling of adventure on a journey through some of the world’s most sensational landscapes. However you experience it, going on safari is bound to be memorable.

Tanzania BEST FOR: Migrating wildebeest and zebra Lake Manyara National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti National Park are all good places to see the incredible sight of 100,000 wildebeest and zebras crossing the grassland savannah – a real natural wonder.

Camping safaris in this region come highly recommended – you’ll feel as though you’re genuinely out in the wilderness.

MORE: tanzaniaparks.com

Botswana

BEST FOR: Elephant herds Water in Botswana’s Chobe National Park gets scarce

Kenya

during September to October. Bad news for the animals

One of Africa’s most popular safari destinations is the

– great news for tourists, as this means elephant and buffalo gather round the Chobe riverfront in their hundreds to enjoy a nice drink. In the cooler winter months (April to October)

Masai Mara Reserve, where there are lions, buffalo, elephants, leopards and rhino in abundance. But even after you’ve ticked off all these fellas, you can hope to

you’ll get to see herds of zebra, buffalo, giraffe and

see plenty more, including zebra and giraffes, while the

wildebeest here too.

MORE: botswanatourism.co.bw

Mara and Talek rivers are brimming over with hippos and crocodiles.

MORE: masaimara.org

BEST FOR: Seeing the Big Five

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

Malawi

BEST FOR: Lion spotting Big Five fanatics are always after the next new place to go on safari and, at the moment, their tongues are wagging

BEST FOR: Black rhinoceros The Etosha National Park in northern Namibia is home to the

about the Majete Wildlife Reserve. A group of lions were brought here in 2012 as were two more leopards – meaning

endangered black rhinoceros – which was declared extinct in western Africa last year. As well as the chance to spot this

all of the Big Five are represented in the reserve. This marks a real turnaround for Majete, which was ravaged by

increasingly rare beast, you’ll have opportunities to see giraffes, elephants, lions and often even cheetahs and

poachers in the 1990s.

MORE: malawitourism.com

leopards too.

MORE: etoshanationalpark.co.za

Namibia

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DESTINATIONS AFRICA

H t

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W Talk of the town: Table Mountain and the coast

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GETTING THERE Fly from London Gatwick to Cape Town, via Dubai, from £631 with Emirates. emirates.com

fr tu p

SOUTH AFRICA

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The V&A Waterfront

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Visit the vineyards

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Mandela’s cell

Meet the locals

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx Be sure to hit the beaches Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

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Hitting the Town Chilled-out beaches, stunning mountains, rolling vineyards, party people and stacks of history – you’d have to be mad to miss out on Cape Town. Fact!

Words laura chubb

I

t’s not hard to see why Cape Town is South Africa’s most popular tourist attraction. This city is a thrill-a-minute, from the dramatic natural beauty of the landscape to its tumultuous past and vibrant present. Here are our top picks for making the most of it.

Robben Island

WHAT: An essential Cape Town experience is a trip to Robben Island, where you can visit the prison in which Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in jail. The island in Table Bay, around 6.9km from the shore, served as a place of banishment between the 17th and 20th centuries, and is

surrounding wine country. A 30-minute drive from the city is Constantia Valley, the oldest wine-growing area in South Africa, with 10 farms for you to explore (and, more importantly, get a taste of the produce).

HOW: We recommend Groot Constantia, where cellar tours are run every hour, on the hour, from 10am until 4pm, seven days a week. Tours with tastings included are every two hours from 10am until 4pm, and cost around £3. constantiavalley.com

Llandudno Beach

WHAT: Another thing Cape Town does exceptionally well is

now a World Heritage Site and museum. Catch a ferry

beaches, so don’t forget to take a day to bum around.

from Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront.

HOW: Ferries depart daily. Tours take 3.5 hours, including the 2.5-hour return ferry trip. Tickets are about £17. robben-island.org.za

Llandudno on Victoria Road is particularly spectacular, a stretch of pristine sand hemmed by rocky points on either side and in the shadow of Table Mountain. It’s a popular

Table Mountain

WHAT: A trip up flat-topped Table Mountain is not to be missed. At 3558ft high, it offers an epic view of the city below and the Cape Peninsula. If you’re feeling energetic,

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

SOUTH AFRICA > CAPE TOWN

take the two-hour hike to the top. Fancy being lazy? You can ride the cable car.

HOW: A return cable car ticket costs around £15, or get a couple of pounds off if you book online. tablemountain.net

Wine tours

WHAT: You can’t rock up in Cape Town and not visit the

surf spot, too, with a hollow beach break.

HOW: There’s parking available for 35 vehicles, but this is a popular place, so you might want to forget the hassle of bringing your own wheels. Access to the beach is free. capetown.gov.za

V&A Waterfront

WHAT: In the heart of Cape Town’s working harbour, this cosmopolitan hubbub offers smart restaurants, bars, street performers and stunning views. It’s the place to experience the city’s modern buzz. Expect troupes of fire breathers, jugglers, and traditional African dancers on the quayside.

HOW: Trading hours are from 9am until 9pm. waterfront.co.za tntmagazine.com/destinations

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TRAVEL

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ADVENTURES IN COLOURFUL DESTINATIONS...

Africa

Morocco

Wild things await where the wild things are!

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toubkal trek

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gorillas trekking

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taghazoute surfing

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garden route

12 days

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marrakech & beyong

8 days

£495

falls to cape

22 days

£699

saharan sands

10 days

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wildlife express

22 days

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kasbahs & coast

11 days

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sensational south africa 22 days

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camels souks & kasbahs 8 days

£995

kenya to cape

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6 days

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Visit Petra - 1 of the new 7 wonders of the world!

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wild costa rica

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machu warrior

7 days

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totally jordan

8 days

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way to san jose

15 days

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road to jordan

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peruvian poncho

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road to jerusalem

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Lima • Cuzco • Machu Picchu trek Sun Gate • Amazon Rainforest • Colca Canyon • Lake Titicaca • San Jose • Antigua • Lake Atilan • Copan Ruins

Amman • Dead Sea swimming • Petra • Wadi Rum desert camp • Pyramids • Nile Feluccca Valley of the Kings • Cairo • Wailing Wall Bethleham • Jerusalem

onthegotours.com/tnt 020 7371 1113 OTG GENERIC.indd 1 TNT_1540_104 104

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Russia

ANZAC

A must for all Aussies and Kiwis!

Russia’s calling - go behind the red curtain!

£329

anzac digger

5 days

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simply st pete’s

4 days

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anzac uncovered

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mood for moscow

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anzac smoko

8 days

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vodka shot

9 days

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anzac bonzer

11 days

£499

helsinki to st pete’s

9 days

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anzac cobber

14 days

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back in the ussr

9 days

£849

pharaohs & anzac

15 days

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russian revolution

St Petersburg • Hermitage • Vladimir Moscow • Red Sq • Kremlin Lenin’s Mausoleum • Stalins Bunker Pskov Gorky Park • XMAS & NY tours

15 years Experience • 100% financially protected Quality 4 star hotels • ANZAC Eve hotel option ANZAC Eve BBQ at the Cove • ANZAC tours for all budgets • Experienced ANZAC local guides

Egypt

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14 days

COME TO OUR RUSSIA TALK AT TNT SHOW SATURDAY!

NUMBER #1 SPECIALISTS IN EGYPT!

Full of world wonders - Pyramids, Nile and Valley of the kings!

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pharaohs adventure

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sand blaster

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king tutankhamen

9 days

£679

dunes and tombs

18 days

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egypt uplugged

11 days

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nile and siwa oasis

15 days

£479

king ramses

14 days

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ramses sunrise

11 days

Legendary Egyptologist tour guides • 4 & 5 star hotels and desert camps • No local payments or mandatory single supplements * Lots of meals * Complimentary airport transfers * 100% Financially Protected

Phone for brochure • Open 9am-9pm

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TNT_1540_105 105

Guaranteed Weekly Departures!

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26/02/2013 18:07 14:19:17 28/02/2013

GENUINE ADVENTURES DONE IN STYLE....

Southeast Asia Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos

China

Great Walls, Forbidden Cities & Terracotta Warriors

8 days

£579

china express

7 days

10 days

£699

great wall & warriors

9 days

£1279 journey to angkor wat 15 days

£749

chinese checkers

11 days

£1349 sampa, sampans & saigon 14 days

£899

chinese new year

11 days

£1179 vientiane to vietnam

17 days

£1049 mandarin sunrise

£2079 inside indochina

22 days

£1099

£799

legends of laos

£989

very vietnam

Halong Bay • Vientiane • Hoi An • Vientiane • Luang Prabang • Angkor Wat

India & Nepal The Golden Triangle & the Himalayas

15 days

hutongs to hong kong 13 days

Beijing • Shanghai • Terracotta Warriors Pandas • Suzhou

Croatia sailing

Fun in the Sun

£549

taj express

8 days

£329

sailing split

8 days

£699

taj and tigers

9 days

£389

cruise debronik

8 days

£749

nepal encompassed

9 days

£489

dalmatian discovery

8 days

£879

annapurna panorama 13 days

£639

adriatic eplorer

8 days

Delhi • Jaipur • Tigers • Taj Mahal • The Raj • Kathmandu • Chitwan

Sail the beautiful Dalmatian coast - plenty of time to swim & relax!

onthegotours.com/tnt 020 7371 1113 OTG ANZAC MULTI.indd 1 TNT_1540_106 106

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Turkey

Where eastcalling meets west Russia’s - go behind the red curtain!

TRAVEL

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... UP TO 30%

Egypt

Pyramids, Nile & Valley of the kings!

£239

cruise the med

8 days

£299

pharaohs adventure

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city of sultans

4 days

£349

king tutankhamen

9 days

£299

galipolli & troy wkd

4 days

£429

egypt uplugged

10 days

£399

aegean explorer

7 days

£479

king ramses

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turkey unplugged

10 days

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sand blaster

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turkey discovered

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dunes and tombs

18 days

Istanbul * Gallipoli * Troy * Ephesus * Pamukkale * Fethiye * Cappadocia

Legendary tour guides 4 & 5 star hotels and desert camps Complimentary airport transfers No compulsory single supplements No local payments

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ANZAC DAY 2013 Lest we forget!

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anzac express

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anzac digger

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anzac smoko

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£649

anzac bonzer

11 days

Cairo • Pyramids • Nile Valley • Nile Felucca • Valley of thedays Kings Siwa Oasis • Abu Simbel anzac cobber 14

£899

XMAS & NEW YEAR TOURS STILL AVAILABLE !

Overnight sleeper train • XMAS & NYE departures • Dahab & the Red Sea Legendary guides • 4 & 5 & staranzac hotels and desert15 camps • Complimentary airport transfers days £849 tourpharaohs No compulsory single supplement No local payments

* 15 years Experience * Quality 4 star hotels * ANZAC Eve hotel option * ANZAC Eve BBQ at the Cove * ANZAC tours for all budgets * Experienced ANZAC local guides * Supporting the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

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68 North End Road, West Kensington, London W14 9EP

TNT_1540_107 107

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26/02/2013 18:15 14:19:22 28/02/2013

plona, La Tom with FFT to Pam d lle ve tra ve ha “I al Rock! “ xt? - First Festiv ne re he W . st fe and Oktober

Egypt & Jordan

PYramIds & NILe saILINg!

Packages from

£259

Egyptian Express - 9 days

fr £259

Pyramids & Beaches -14 days

fr £359

Pyramids to Petra - 16 days

fr £879

ADVENTURE TOURS

GALLIPOLI 25th April The Dawn Service at ANZAC Cove is an amazing experience and will leave lasting memories. Also a great time to experience the diverse culture of Turkey fr £109 Tours from 2 - 14 days

TURKEY Best of Turkey - 10 days

fr £459

Coast to Cappadocia - 12 days

fr £509

Totally Turkey - 14 days

fr £599

Turkey & Egypt - 18 days

fr £699

Istanbul to the Red Sea - 23 days

fr £799

RUSSIA Vodka Shot - 6 days

fr £449

MOROCCO Marrakech & Beyond - 8 days

WESTERN FRONT

fr £549

Marrakech, Sahara & Surf - 11 days fr £749

COMING UP FOR 2013!

OKTOBERFEST Munich’s most famous fest !

CROATIA fr £159

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fr £369

ROYALASCOT

LA TOMATINA Tomato Fight

Sailing Split - 8 days !

fr £149

Race days out

fr £79

The ANZAC’s suffered their biggest loss of lives in Belgium and France during WW1 and our visit is a poignant experience, including the Last Post at the Menin Gate and battlefield walks. fr £219 Tours 4 days

Full itineraries and tour information can be found on our website or by calling our office. First Festival Travel, 68 North End Rd, London W14 9EP Closest Tube: West Kensington

28/02/2013 14:19:25

dubLIN LIN 15tH - 18tH marCH

Packages from

ts

spo w e f t

las

£189

Watch Dublin turn in to a sea of Green as we join with the locals to celebrate Irish Style! And a trip to Dublin wouldnt be complete with out a trip to the Guinness Brewery! Choose our coach tour or meet us in Dublin

TRAVEL

n r 8 P n

ST PATRICK’s Day

LAS FALLAS

VaLeNCIa 17tH - 20tH marCH

Packages from

£169

Spains biggest festival is a week of fireworks, street parties, parades and off course the gastronomic delights of Valencia. Join us for a four day experience like no other

QUEENS DAY

amsterdam 28tH aPrIL - 1st maY

Packages from

£159

Be prepared to be “oranged” as the Dutch go crazy celebrating their Queens Birthday. Street Parades and Parties, huge outdoor concerts, outdoor flea markets and much more. We have coach tours or accommodation only.

SAN FERMIN

PamPLONa 6tH - 14tH juLY

Packages from

£129

Running of the Bulls ! Join the locals for the opening day party which seems to go for days, then try you hand at being chased by bulls. You will be at Pamplona’s premier campsite for your stay with plenty of party nights and activities.

IBIZA - Pamps Crack On IbIza 8tH H - 12tH juLY

Packages from

£279

With over £150 of club entry, a booze cruise, and accommodation, this is too good to miss! Some say the island is a great place to recover from the madness of San Fermin, and some just want to kick start the summer.

See us at STAND 80 at The TNT TRAVEL Show for Summer Tour Discounts TNT_1540_109 109

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TNT_1540_113 113

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28/02/2013 14:20:23

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2013

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ANZAC

TOPDECK

AT I N G 4 0 Y E

3 DAY ANZAC Western Front 23-25 Apr 2013

£319

Visits Ypres, Lille, The Somme, Villers-Bretonneux & Amiens.

5 DAY ANZAC Patrol

8 DAY ANZAC Sortie

14 DAY ANZAC Expedition

£285

£450

£660

22-26 Apr 2013

Visits Istanbul & Gallipoli.

Visits Istanbul, Bursa, Kusadasi, Ephesus, Pergamon, Bergama, Troy and Gallipoli.

13-26 Apr 2013

Visits Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia, Konya, Antalya, Saklikent Gorge, Fethiye, Pamukkale, Kusadasi, Ephesus, Pergamon, Bergama, Troy and Gallipoli.

10 DAY Spirit of Egypt Dep. 24 March 2013

20% OFF

WAS £742 NOW

Egypt

19-26 Apr 2013

£627

Includes US$270 food fund

19 DAY Ultimate Egypt Dep. 2 April 2013

20% OFF

NOW

WAS £763

£653

Includes US$345 food fund

L8291 / Y2992

TNT_1540_114 114

*Terms and conditions apply. Prices quoted are for specific departures only. All trips subject to availability. Discounts are off the base trip price only, and do not apply to food funds and local payments. Flights not included. Egypt trip price includes local payment based on $1 = £0.618, which must be paid locally in USD. For full terms and conditions please visit www.topdeck.travel

28/02/2013 14:20:28

OFF

Ski Trips Austria EuroClub

18 DAY Winter Getaway

FROM

Dep. 30 March 2013

£399

What’s Included:

Snow bike pub crawl, traditional Austrian Xmas Dinner on Xmas week, PLUS MORE!

DON’T FORGET!

Dep. 23 March 2013

Includes Paris, Rome, Salzburg, Prague, plus more!

WAS £1250 NOW

8 DAY Ski Austria

TRAVEL

Europe in Winter

UP TO

20%

£1147

Includes £220 food fund

catch us at

stand

4

VISIT US AT THE TNT TRAVEL SHOW

SAT 9 MARCH 10AM-6PM, SUN 10 MARCH 10AM-3:30PM

BUSINESS DESIGN CENTRE - ISLINGTON DISCOUNTS, COMPETITIONS & PRIZES!

%

Festivals in Europe 4 DAY Amsterdam Easter 29 March - 1 April 2013

£249

Amsterdam beckons on this amazing value Easter break. Canals, clogs, bikes, world class museums, the Red Light District… and did we mention the nightlife? Don’t let Easter go to waste – spend it with Topdeck in Europe’s party capital!

4 DAY Brugge Easter 29 March - 1 April 2013

£279

Beautiful Brugge is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe and has a wealth of eye-catching buildings.

Soak up the architecture and ambience, and be sure to sample delicious Belgian beers, chocolates and waffles!

4 DAY Las Fallas, Valencia 17-20 Mar 2013

£169

The people of Valencia celebrate their patron saint’s day and the passing of winter with a fiery party of ferocious proportions. Over 400 spectacular effigies are constructed for one reason – to be burnt to a cinder to welcome in the new Spring.

CALL 0845 257 5210

Open 8am-9pm

TNT_1540_115 115

28/02/2013 14:20:31

europe

we

FAVOURITE EAST EUROPE & FESTIVAL TOUR OPERATOR 2012

* F F 15%O £124 SAVEES SUTPART fr. £335 TO

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08450 267 514 www.busabout.com TNT_1540_116 116

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SAVE UP TO £

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7

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CORNWALL CRUSADER DAYS (MAY - SEP ) £215 NOW £194 / STUDENTS NOW £185†

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10% OFF SAVE UP TO £33 CELTIC ROCKER 5 DAYS (MONDAYS) £225 NOW £203 (STUDENTS NOW £194) *

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Book by 17 MAR. Enter promocode ‘SPRING2013’

FREE

LONELY PLANET GUIDE TNT_1540_117 117

Departs Dublin 15 March

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28/02/2013 14:20:39

ALL

europe trips

Our 3 favourites

20 quote

% off PP20TNT

Little Hopper

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Italian Espresso

10 Days l 4 countrIES

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was

£595

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was

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Visit us at the TNT Travel Show - STAND 6 Promo codes must be mentioned at time of booking. Discount on tour departing in 2013/14. Available on new bookings only. Combinable with past passenger discount and multiple tour discount. Promotion applies to land portion of trip only. Call to redeem.

TNT_1540_0118 TNT-DPS Contiki118 Mar 4-3.indd 1-2

01/03/2013 09:58:11

europe sailing 20

ALL

quote

% off

PP20TNT

Turkish Sailing

Croatian Island Cruising

Greek Island Hopper

8 Days l 1 country

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was

£319

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was

£615

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15 quote

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5 Contiki trips to be won TNT_1540_0119 119

01/03/2013 09:58:12 28/02/2013 16:19

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120 tntMagazine.com

TNT_1540_120 120

28/02/2013 14:20:43

TRAVEL

PADDY’S DAY THE PERFECT DUBLIN WEEKEND!  4 Days Hostel  3 Days Hotel  3 Days Hostel

15-18 MAR 16-18 MAR 16-18 MAR

£189 £189 £169

BOOK NOW FOR BEST PRICES!

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JOIN OUR HIGHLY ACCLAIMED ANZAC TOURS

GALLIPOLI TOURS

 3 Day Tour 24-26 APR £199  4 Day Tour 23-26 APR fr£239  5 Day Tour 22-26 APR fr£279  8 Day Tours 20-27 APR or 22-29 APR  15/16 Day Tours 11-26 APR or 22 APR-6 MAY

AS FEATURED ON CHANNEL NINE!

fr£389 fr£589

WESTERN FRONT TOUR

CIAO ITALIA CHECK OUT THE BEST ITALY HAS TO OFFER!

 7 Days JUN-AUG £299 ✔ Rome ✔ Florence ✔ Cinque Terre ✔ Pisa ✔ Venice ✔ Milan

GREEK

ISLANDS

LA TOMATINA £149 fr£179 fr£379

£149 fr£799 £349 £399 £229

GREEK ISLANDS

GREEK ISLAND PARTY HOPPER  9 Days JUL-AUG £399 Tours start in Athens every Saturday ✔ Mykonos ✔ Ios ✔ Santorini ✔ Athens ✔ High speed ferries ✔ Breakfasts ✔ Fanatics Tour Rep ✔ Parties

OKTOBERFEST

PALIO SIENA ITALY’S CRAZY 350 YEAR OLD FESTIVAL  Hostel Package 14-17 AUG £149 ✔ Florence ✔ Pisa ✔ Siena ✔ Coach transfers  Palio + La Tomatina Odyssey 15-29 AUG

PAMPLONA THE INCREDIBLE RUNNING OF THE BULLS!  3 Days Pamps/San Seb Camping 4-15 JUL  Croatia Sailing + Pamps 29 JUN-8 JUL or 5-13 JUL  Barcelona + Pamplona Fiesta 2-8 JUL  Pamplona + Ibiza Combo 5-11 JUL  San Sebastian + Pamps 3-8 or 5-10 JUL  Coach Tours Depart 3 or 4 JUL fr£279  4 Day San Sebastian Hostel 5-8 JUL £269  4 Day Pamplona Hotel 5-8 JUL £339

WWI French & Belgian Battlefields + Anzac Day Services  Eurostar Tour 23-25 APR £299  Make Own Way 23-25 APR £279

THE WORLD’S BIGGEST FOOD FIGHT!  4 Days Beach Camping 26-29 AUG  4 Days Hostel/3 Days Hotel 26/27-29 AUG  Ibiza + La Tom Combos 24-29 AUG or 26 AUG-1 SEP  Barcelona & Italy Combo tours also available!

WE SAIL CROATIA’S BEST ISLANDS & ROUTE! ✔ Split ✔ Markaska ✔ Mljet ✔ Dubrovnik ✔ Korcula ✔ Vela Luca ✔ Hvar ✔ Bol ✔ Brac  CAT A+: JUN fr£469 JUL fr£469 AUG fr£469 SEP fr£399  CAT A: JUL fr£379 AUG fr£399 SEP fr£379

£989

BEERFEST IN MUNICH! 20 SEP-7 OCT  8 Days Prague & Buda Fest SAT-SAT  6 Days Coach Tours THU-TUE  4 Days Camping FRI-MON  4 Days Hostel FRI-MON  4 Days Hotel FRI-MON

£379 fr£209 fr£99 fr£179 fr£329

BOOK ONLINE NOW! www.thefanatics.com or call 0207 240 3223 COVENT GARDEN OFFICE 1st

TNT_1540_121 121

Floor, 15 New Row, Covent Garden, WC2N 4LD Mon - Fri 9am - 6pm

28/02/2013 14:20:45

TRAVEL

=6*-)<)*4- 8:1+-; WEEKEND BREAKS AND DAY TOURS

With the African specialists Absolute Africa 30 years overlanding in Africa

WEEKEND BREAKS PARIS BY EUROSTAR from £229 8th March. Return Eurostar & transfers, 2 nights B&B hotel accom, guided city sightseeing tour, plenty of free time & Tour Manager.

OVERNIGHT HILTON HOTEL OXFORD, STONEHENGE & BATH from

£99

A whole range of trips incl. game drives in the Masai Mara and the Serengeti, gorilla trekking, guided game walks, rhino trekking, evening game drives and so much more.

16th March. Return luxury coach travel,one night 4 star bed, breakfast and dinner hotel accom, guided sightseeing tour of Oxford & Bath, plenty of free time & Tour Manager.

HOLLAND & BELGIUM from £179

www.absoluteafrica.com Phone: 0208 742 0226 Email: absaf@absoluteafrica.com

22nd March. Return coach & ferry travel, sightseeing in Amsterdam & Brugge, 2 nights B&B hotel accommodation, visit to Cheese & Clog factory & Tour Manager.

PARIS BY EUROSTAR from £309 29th March. Return Eurostar & transfers, 2 nights B&B hotel accom, guided city sightseeing tour, plenty of free time & Tour Manager.

Next Stop?

HOLLAND, GERMANY & BELGIUM AT EASTER from £299

CHEAPEST VACCINATIONS ONLINE VACCINATION SEARCH NO CONSULTATION FEE!

29th March. Return coach and ferry, 3 nights hotel with breakfast in Valkenburg in the Netherlands and visit to Cologne, Amsterdam and Brugge with Tour Manager.

DAY TRIPS

Swapping the concrete jungle for the real thing?

1st Contact Travel Clinic can take care of all your travel health needs – with free advice plus vaccinations, tablets and accessories. Low prices, online vaccination search, same day appointments & free consultation.

Sat 9th March - York by Train from £49 Sat 9th March - A day in Wales from £55 Sun 10th March - Windsor & Hampton Court from £45 Sat 23rd March - Brugge from £49

PLUS Stonehenge & Bath EVERYDAY. From £49 with entrances to Stonehenge & the Roman Baths included!

LUXURY MINI COACH TOURS Want more of a personal experience?

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www.1stcontact.com/clinic tntclinic@1stcontact.com Castlewood House, 77/91 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1DG, Tottenham Court Road, direct: 020 7759 5437

Anderson Tours is fully bonded

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1st Contact Travel Clinic is registered by the Care Quality Commission. Registration number: E010000632. 1st Contact Travel Clinic is a registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre by the National Travel Health Network and Centre. Registration number: UKYFVC2800.

122 tntMagazine.com

TNT_1540_122 122

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