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!

See Legendary Football & Tennis Players at Buccament Bay Resort

The luxurious Buccament Bay Resort in St. Vincent has recently announced that it will host a series of legends from the sports football and tennis throughout 2012.

Buccament Bay Resort guests being coached by Steve Staunton. Photo provided by Buccament Bay Resort

A chance to meet and greet experts within both sports, fans will receive up close and personal insights and learn about expert techniques to perfect their game.

Sessions will be held on the following days:

• Steve Staunton – 13^th – 20^th February 2012 (Football Coaching LFC Academy)
• David Fairclough – 31^st March – 6^th April (Football Coaching LFC Academy)
• Pat Cash – 2^nd – 11^th April 2012 (Tennis Coaching Pat Cash Tennis Academy)
• Ronnie Whelan – 8^th – 15^th April 2012 (Football Coaching LFC Academy)
• Alan Curbishley – 27^th May – 4^th June 2012 (Football Coaching LFC Academy)
• Rodolfo Borrell – 3^rd – 12^th June 2012 (Football Coaching LFC Academy)
• Phil Babb – 8^th – 15^th July 2012 (Football Coaching LFC Academy)
• Don Hutchinson – 29^th July – 5^th August 2012 (Football Coaching LFC Academy)
• Gareth Southgate – 28^th October – 4^th November 2012 (Football Coaching LFC Academy)
• Andy Townsend – 22^nd – 29^th December 2012 (Football Coaching LFC Academy)

Although one-to-one coaching is not available with the Legends, you can book private sessions with the resort’s own professional coaches for $60 USD per hour. Group coaching sessions with the Legends are free for guests staying at Buccament Bay Resort.

A unique opportunity, this is the chance of a lifetime that no serious football or tennis fan travelling to the Caribbean should miss!

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

World’s Largest Floating Christmas Tree Unveiled [VIDEO]

The worlds largest floating Christmas tree has been unveiled in Rio de Janeiro, marking the official start of the Christmas holiday season in the Brazilian city. Brazil’s Rio Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon attracted near 100,000 people after its giant 542 tonne floating Christmas tree, wrapped in 3.3 million light bulbs was the centre piece of a spectacular eight minute firework display. It was estimated that more then a million people are expected to see the floating Christmas tree before the lights are turned off on 6^th January 2012.

The 85 metre high tree was first erected back in 1996 and has since become one of Rio de Janeiro’s biggest tourist attractions alongside the renowned Rio Carnival. The Guinness Book of Records confirmed that the Christmas tree was officially the largest of its kind in the world. Watch the unveiling below.

Source: The Metro
Image By: Digo_Souza

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

Emirates – A Flying Experience Unlike Any Other

With a fleet of over 150 airplanes flying to more than 100 destinations in 66 countries all over the world, Emirates carried a staggering 31.4 million passengers between 2010/11 in its state-of-the-art fleet.

When flying with Emirates, you will be able to recline your seat and enter a world of your own. Every cabin takes millions of passengers every year to a higher level of luxury with Emirates’ award-winning service at every turn, making you feel less like a passenger and more like a guest. From a vast selection of in-flight entertainment to its very comfortable seats, Emirates’ professional and multilingual cabin crew try to anticipate your every need, whether you are flying alone, as a couple or as a family.

On Emirates, you will be able to indulge in some of the finest, most delicious meals and choose from a wide selection of fine wines. In Business Class, Emirates provide passengers the tools to be productive or kick back and relax in your comfortable lie-flat seats. In First Class, passengers can even close their own electronic doors to create their own private suite, or take advantage of the in-fight shower spas.

For a sneak peek of what you can expect when flying with Emirates, see below.

Relaxing on board Emirates in Business Class

Private individual seats in First Class

Freshen up in the Spa Shower onboard the luxurious A380 airliner

Emirates' stylish interior in Economy Class

Hours of fun and entertainment via the award wining in-flight entertainment system

A refreshing beverages during the flight

Elephant Numbers Grow in Sri Lanka

The first national survey of Sri Lanka’s wild elephants revealed that the elephant population is at 5,879, previously estimated at 5,350. Wildlife Minister S.M. Chandrasena told a press conference that out of these this number, 1,107 were accounted as calves and 122 tuskers.

Wild Elephants in Sri Lanka

The national survey was conducted by using a method known as the “water hole count”. There were approximately 4,000 wildlife workers, villagers and farmers who were deployed for three days at more than 1,500 locations across Sri Lanka to count the elephants as they came to water holes for a drink.

In the early 1900s, there were an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 elephants that roamed Sri Lanka, but since then, poaching and the loss of habitat due to deforestation for agriculture have taken their toll. Locals are often faced with the dangers of wild elephants entering villages and charging through houses in search of food and destroying crops on farms.

Wildlife Department Director General H.D. Ratnayake said, “This statistic shows that Sri Lanka’s elephants are in good health and that their population is growing.”

Elephants bathing in the Maha Oya River at the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka

If you’re planning on visiting Sri Lanka to see some of these stunning mammals up close, a visit to the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage is highly recommended. Established in 1975 with seven orphans, and now one of Sri Lanka’s most popular tourist sites, the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage is also a conservation and educational centre, supported by local and international experts with a scientific captive breeding programme. The nearby Maha Oya River is an important setting and a must-see for the daily bathing and play session before the elephants return to the orphanage with the expert guides.

Source: The Guardian

New James Bond Movie Set To Film In India

After visiting some of the most glamorous and exotic locations across the globe, the world’s most famous spy is going to India to shoot the next James Bond film at the likes of the humble Sarojini Nagar market in Delhi and relatively unknown town of Navagam near Ahmedabad. Other possible locations could include the gorgeous sandy beaches of Goa and bustling business district of Mumbai.

The Indian Government granted permission to India Take One Productions to shoot the yet to be named 23^rd James Bond film, which will be directed by Sam Mendes and is to be released on 9^th November 2012.

In 1983, James Bond’s 13^rd film, Octopussy, was extensively filmed in India at the City Palace in Udaipur.

City Palace in Udaipur

The new James Bond film will join an increasing number of foreign films that are being given permission to shoot in India. At the last count, 22 films including ‘Mission Impossible 4′, ‘Singularity’, ‘Life of Pi’ and ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ had been given permission to film in India. In recent years, films such as the 2008 Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire have also been worldwide hits, offering India a welcomed boost to tourism.

The BBC also stated that, “there have also been reports that some of the shoot will take place in South Africa, and that filming would begin by the end of the year.”

Source: BBC News