Do’s and Don’ts in Laos

No matter how culturally sensitive you are, if you’re an experienced traveller, you’re bound to have committed a few faux pas on your travels. It gets particularly difficult when you’re travelling from country to country to remember the unwritten rules of acceptable and expected behaviour.

Good News for Olympic Family Tour Beijing

I have just heard good news from Antonio Marino and his family.

BOCOG has backed down and are now allowing all five family members on the promised tour.

Winning Olympic Family told to leave two members at home

When I wrote last week that something about the “Olympic Families Tour Beijing” campaign smelt foul, I had no idea just how foul!

“Olympic Families Tour Beijing” update

I wrote about the “Olympic Families Tour Beijing” campaign back in April. A competition in which your family could win a tour of Beijing, Qingdao, Shanghai and Hong Kong prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Relay of provocation

I resisted writing about the 2008 Olympic torch relay route, when it was announced yesterday in Beijing as the “Journey of Harmony”. I resisted, not because I found the route less of a provocation yesterday, but because I expected nothing less of China.

The Rare Borneo Rhino Caught on Camera

Regular readers of this site will know of my fascination with Borneo. So imagine my excitement when I read this morning that WWF-Malaysia had caught the rare Borneo rhino on video!

Win a tour of the Olympics 2008 host and co-host cities

Fancy a tour of Beijing, Qingdao, Shanghai and Hongkong in August 2007? If your family has 3 or more members, you may be able to win just that in the “Olympic Families Tour Beijing” campaign.

Money is burnt in honour of ancestors

Graves will be swept, food will be offered and paper money will be burnt in honour of their ancestors. The Qingming Festival falls on 5 April this year and is an annual festival celebrated by the Chinese in remembrance of their ancestors.

Foreigners can now apply to volunteer at 2008 Beijing Olympics

Non-mainland Chinese and foreigners (i.e. not from China) can now finally apply to become a volunteer at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

India’s 150 Years of Freedom Struggle

In commemoration of India’s 60 years of independence, the country’s Ministry of Tourism has put together a website about India’s Freedom Movement.