Learn to love lions & donate to win!

The magnificent new film The Last Lions has its UK premier on Nat Geo Wild on Sunday 19 February 2012 at 9pm (repeated on Monday 20 February 2012 at 4pm and Friday 24 February 2012 at 10pm). National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence, Dereck and Beverly Joubert have filmed this epic documentary on location at Duba Plains in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, it tells the story of a lioness struggling to protect her cubs.

Some may be alarmed to learn that the current statistics on the lion populations have dwindled from an estimated 400,000 in the 1940’s to as few as 20,000 animals today.  The factors surrounding this decline range from loss of habitat, burgeoning human populations as well as human conflict.

The Big Cats Initiative is a worthy program that supports conservation and education projects and is essentially a global awareness campaign to halt this steady decline and highlight why these magnificent creatures are so vital to the ecosystem.

Delight in watching this film and show your support by making a donation to the National Geographic Big Cats Initiative, however small, to play your part in this essential protection of wildlife.  Send us proof of your donation (such as your donation confirmation to alison@rainbowtours.co.uk) and we will enter you into our prize draw.  The top prize is a personally signed book by Beverly and Dereck Joubert the filmmakers, called Eye of the Leopard.  There are also runner up prizes of various National Geographic DVD’s.

The draw will take place on 30^th March 2012 at 4pm. Winners will be notified by email within 5 days of the draw taking place.

Watch the trailer below and remember all the proceeds of this film are put back into conserving these big cats through the work of various projects supported by National Geographic Big Cats Initiative.

Good luck and happy viewing!

See the world in under 5 minutes – with 6237 photographs

Fancy speeding around the world in under 5 minutes? Kien Lam, a keen photographer, has made this possible with his stunning time-lapse video taken whilst spending nearly a year adventuring around the world on a journey that took him through 17 different countries over 343 days. Whilst doing so, he took 6,237 photographs which he has pieced together as several beautiful fast-paced montages.

Kien wanted to capture the spirit of his journey and took time-lapse photos at every city that he travelled to. Each two-second scene comprises approximately 40-60 photographs.

The countries showcased within the video and on his 25,000 mile journey include Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Egypt, England, France, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Morocco, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay and the United States. Kien also visited popular landmarks such as Stonehenge, the Louvre, Times Square, Mt. Sinai, Pier 39 and the Alhambra. He rode on 58 buses, 18 boats and 19 airplanes over the course of the entire trip.

Which of these cities will you be putting onto your list of places to visit? Watch the video here:

Top 8 Intimate Encounters This Valentine’s Day

We have put together our favourite heart related destinations to get you in the Valentine’s day mood. Let us know if you have found any other heart related places on your travels.

Have a heart to heart dancing on ice 

Snuggle up to your partner on the deck of one of our Antarctic cruises and spot heart shaped icebergs among the abundant wildlife in the region. Antarctica’s dramatic landscape plays host to hundreds of different species.  Watch dolphins frolic in the water and whales and seals feed on the schools of fish. Pack your snow boots and hold on tight to your loved one as you go on daily excursions on the ice. Look out for the emperor penguin. Is there a fledgling underneath the feathers?

Penguin in Antarctica

Heart shaped rock on Palm Beach – Crete

Discover this heart shaped rock in the shallows of Palm Beach on the Greek island of Crete. Gorge on figs, the aphrodisiacal local delicacy and sip cocktails under the palm trees to return home a healthy sun-kissed colour. Explore the many caves by snorkel or boat to pack some adventure into your romantic escape or honeymoon and relax in the spa with a joint massage and mud bath after a difficult day swinging from hammocks in the breeze.

Palm Beach in Crete, Greece

 Elephants sharing the love

Spot elephants in love embracing in the grasslands and fall asleep to the sound of hippos gurgling in the lake. With Honeymiles, watch the sunrise from one of our hot air balloon safaris over the Masai-Mara reserve. It is the best time to see the lions hunt their prey. Watch the animals from the sky, and land to a champagne breakfast, the perfect end to a romantic and peaceful honeymoon a million miles away from home.

Elephants in Love

Having a whale of a time

Visit the heart shaped island in the Vaza-Barris river of Brazil and spot the humpback whales’ heart-shaped tails close to the Abrolhos islands. Dance the intimate samba with your loved one and soak up the sun on Rio’s sexiest beaches. Catch a rainbow over the Iguazu falls on a helicopter tour, or feel the mist hit your face from Brazil’s walkway over the canyon. You will be on top of the world at Corcovado Peak.

Humpback Whale off the coast of Brazil

 Lovers Island in Croatia

Escape to Lovers Island in Croatia and explore this natural heart-shaped island in the Adriatic. Take a boat from the mainland with a bottle of champagne and delicious picnic and enjoy the peaceful surroundings of this privately-owned piece of land. Our resorts in Croatia are immersed in culture. Stroll hand in hand around the rustic town of Dubrovnik or hire a bicycle to get off the beaten track. Visit the castles and the cobbled streets of historic towns.

Love Island, Croatia

Rih Lake – Burma (meaning heart in Hindi) 

Burma’s Rih Lake may not be a perfect heart shape, but years of British colonisation altered this natural beauty to be the shape it is today. Originally believed to be a passage for souls to heaven, take your soul mate here and discover the rugged and untouched beauty that Burma has to offer. Visit via India, staying at one of our luxury hotels or take a tour of this magnificent and colourful country in absolute luxury. Make sure you visit the Taj Mahal and learn about the love story that inspired this fine piece of architecture. If you’re feeling daring, you can even spice up your love life by trying snake blood, a traditional Indian aphrodisiac.

Rih Dil Lake in Burma

Heart shaped island in Okavango Delta - Botswana

Escape to one of the last unspoiled corners of Africa for some intimate alone time. This heart shaped island in the heart of the Okavango Delta in Botswana is only visible between March and June when the swamp levels are at their highest. Take a romantic and authentic mokoro (a traditional canoe) and paddle to the island to see the Big Five in their natural habitat. Stargaze on a mobile safari or ride a quad bike through the salt pans during the dry season.

Okavango Delta, Bostwana

Trouvez l’amour en France – Find love in France

Fancy staying closer to home? Take a trip to France where you can immerse yourself in the peace and tranquillity of some of the country’s most exclusive holiday destinations. Famous for its cuisine, dine on oysters and red wine as the sun goes down over the Mediterranean. Dip your toes in the sea or climb some of France’s mountains for that extra thrill.

Corsica, France

 Image Source: Aforadio

Abu Camp introduces baby elephant at 3 days old

Abu Camp, situated on the eastern edge of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, provides the original elephant riding safari experience and was proud to announce that Shireni, one of the Abu Camp’s leading elephants, gave birth to her third surviving calf, a healthy female, at 10.05pm on Saturday 17th December.

Measuring approximately 90cm at the shoulder and weighing about 110kg, the new-born, named Worona, stood on her own four feet, wobbling, within 20 minutes. Warona is the SeTswana name meaning ‘for us.’

Reaching up to her mother, Warona suckled properly for the first time at 7am the next morning, 10 hours after the birth, and now takes short naps of 5-10 minutes. Closely watched over by her doting big brother, Abu Junior, Warona is already showing signs of playfulness as can be seen in the video of her at three days old.

Warning – this is very cute!

What’s Your Favourite Destination In The World?

From a very young age I always knew I would travel the world, and at the age of 18 I flew the nest and was off on my first long haul trip on my own, Australia. Four years later I had racked up three ‘ Round The World’ travel experiences visiting destinations such as India, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Indonesia, New Zealand, Argentina and Brazil.

Upon  returning from the third trip I decided it was time to look for a career that would allow me to continue my passion for travel, so I downed my carpentry tools and at the age of 21 I started a career in the travel industry. Twenty years later I am still in the industry and still travelling as much as I can, so the one question I am frequently asked is :

 ‘Where is your favourite destination in the world’?.

A question almost impossible to answer as everywhere is unique and has its own special qualities!  However after returning this week to one place I have not been to for over twenty years I am now reminded of one of the most incredible and spectacular sights in the world, the Argentine side of Iguazu Falls.

The sheer size of Iguazu Falls is mesmerising, with 275 separate falls or drops, the highest at 82 metres, and an average of 1756 cubic metres of water flowing over the edge every second.

One exhilarating way to experience Iguazu Falls close up is to board a speedboat that takes you right up to the base of the falls. Be prepared to get very wet (swimsuits recommended!).

They look even better up close. Photo by David Pointer

There are three main areas of the falls to visit but I would recommend you visit the Devil’s Throat first. Ignore the remains of the nearby boardwalk that was swept away in 1992, it will only make you more nervous that you are about to stand right on the edge of one of the most powerful and largest waterfalls in the world!

Perfect at every glimpse. Photo by David Pointer

This was my second visit to the falls and it is more developed than my first visit back in 1991 but for the better, as there are now more vantage points available and more ways to experience the falls. Iguazu Falls it is still the most spectacular and remarkable place I have ever been.

This time though, what made this visit even more special was being able to experience it with my partner’s father who had up until this point never left his home country of Ecuador.

The expression on his face when he first saw the falls was a picture in itself, he was totally mesmerised by this natural wonder.

My partner and his dad in awe of the view. Photo by David Pointer

It is at times like this that reminds me why we are so privileged to work in such a fantastic industry, giving us the opportunity to make people’s dreams come true and organising such wonderful experiences for our clients, as well as being able to experience them for ourselves too.

Written by David Pointer, Head of Product at Western & Oriental.

Top Gear Goes To India – 2011 Christmas Special

After having heard that this year’s Christmas Top Gear will be an India special, I wondered whether Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May could better 2010’s Top Gear Three Wise Men special or 2009’s Bolivia special or even 2008’s Vietnam special. And I think they did.

The humourous 90 minute long episode pulled in 5 million viewers on Wednesday 28th December 2011, and was based around one mission – to help save Britain’s economy by setting off on a trade mission to India. Equipped with three British cars and a range of unique British products, they paraded across one of the world’s most fascinating countries, India, the second highest populated country in the world with 1.2 billion people (UN, 2010).

They cast made interesting choices of cars – Jeremy chose a Jaguar XJS 4.0-litre, James a Rolls Royce and Richard chose a classic Mini Cooper. They set off on a journey that crossed India and included several mini adventures such as an 18 hour train journey, creating banners to promote British businesses and a hill rally with locals. One of the highlights of the India special episode was when Clarkson, Hammond and May ended their journey driving through the breathtaking and picturesque Himalayas to reach the end of India. This looked particularly spectacular in high-definition.

India moved into the fast lane and world media spotlight when it recently hosted its first New Delhi Formula 1 Grand Prix and perhaps with programmes like Top Gear and the next James Bond movie being shot in India, we will see more of India’s beauty and charm on our screens in the near future.

Watch the trailer here. Where do you suggest they shoot the 2012 Christmas special?

Source: Top Gear & Radio Times

Celebrity Chef James Martin Explores the Culinary Beauty of the Mediterranean

Earlier this month, Sky Good Food began airing an exciting new series starring celebrity chef James Martin. Visiting and exploring the vast food culture of the Mediterranean, the 28 November episode of James Martin’s Mediterranean featured a look at the culinary specialities from the luxurious 5* Domes of Elounda Resort in Elounda, Greece.

Starting with an assorted palate of Cretan cuisine, James tasted a variety of foods inspired by the different characteristics of the local area. As the episode progressed, he delved into full-dish delights including a Greek salad complimented by fried spring rolls filled with feta cheese and a finely cooked sea bass seasoned with traditional Cretan herbs. All of the recipes captured the culinary philosophy of the resort and complemented its beautiful setting.

Each episode also features James meeting up with local chefs, farmers, and ex-pats as he continues his quest to find out the best way to cook meat, fish, and vegetables in the way people of the region do on a daily basis.

The series airs on The Good Food Network until 1 December 2012.

I fell madly in love on a Luxury Ranch Holiday

Leaving my (relatively new) boyfriend for a week while I went off ranching with the girls was never going to be easy.  Sure, I knew that once I got there that I’d be fine because I’d be doing what I love, in a place I love, but still, I struggled saying goodbye (and no I’m not 14!).  Little did I know that I’d fall in love with someone else while I was away, well, I say some ‘one’ else, it wasn’t quite what you might think.

Being animal mad, I’m a long time horse lover, but never had the time, or the accessibility to horses to ride or spend time around them.  I actually started riding a couple of years ago, pretty late really, but instantly loved it.  I had read about ranching holidays and always wanted to go, but thought that I should at least have a bit of experience on horseback before I took the plunge.  I finally did in 2010 and loved it so much that I returned to the same ranch this year and met the same group of people as last year.  The very knowledgeable owner of the White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, takes great care to match you up with a horse that suits you in every way, almost like the Cilla Black of the equine/human relationship.

Meeting the horse that’s going to be your best friend and companion for the next week is an exciting moment.  One look at Packer and I was hooked.  His big kind eyes and the way he looked back to check on me every time I climbed on his back or finished a lope made me feel very special and cared for.  The way he nuzzled my pocket for horse cookies while I bathed him at the end of a long day on the trails never failed to make me smile and his unfailing willingness to run that little bit faster whenever I asked him were qualities that left me more than a little bit smitten.  The way he slowly wandered into the Corral at the end of the day for a well deserved, roll, rest and a play with his friends, I could watch for hours.

At the end of the week, I was as sad to say goodbye to him as I was to my other love at home the previous week.  We had a ‘moment’ while I gave him his last hosing down of the week and while I know he’ll be on to his next guest this week, taking just as good care of them as he did me, I’d like to think that he remembers me as fondly as I remember him.

After our long day he was in need of a bath