Jaunted

Weird

Secret Jungle Discovered. In England.

December 1, 2008 at 12:32 PM | 2 Comments

A startling discovery has residents in Cornwall, England wondering if they've stumbled upon an ecological disaster or the country's best new tourist attraction.

In the 19th century, English shipping magnate Charles Fox turned his family's 26-acre estate into a lavish garden, complete with exotic plants from around the world. Now known as the Trebah Garden, the land includes a giant overgrown tract that had never before attracted much interest. But recently, caretakers discovered that beneath hundreds of years of brush, the land has grown into an honest-to-goodness South American jungle.

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Airline Fees

UK "Departure Tax" May Help Environment, Definitely Annoys Us

December 1, 2008 at 9:15 AM | 3 Comments

Normally we'd let something as dry as a British budget speech coast under our radar, but this year the pollies said something we didn't like: They're making every flight out of Britain more expensive.

The departure tax that they call "air passenger duty" was already doubled last year, but now it's going up again. Low cost carriers like Ryanair are complaining that the last thing the travel industry needs is even higher charges for cost-sensitive customers.

Rather than applying just two taxes--short and long haul--the British government is now dividing destinations up into four zones depending on distance and applying higher charges for further distances. Australians for one are not happy about being on the D-list, which means an extra £85 ($130) for flights longer than 6,000 miles.

And the worst bit: The UK government is pretending it's all a green tax. Which means when we whine about it, we sound like we don't care about the polar bears. But we do!

Related Stories:
· Green Tax Is the End of Low Cost Flights [UK Times]
· Australia on D-List for New Flight Tax [SMH]
· Britain Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Abraham C]

Beer Travel

Britain Considering Yet Another Booze Ban

November 23, 2008 at 3:04 PM | 0 Comments

And to think we just declared The Hat and Tun London's newest must-visit pub: Officials at the UK Department of Health may recommend a ban on happy hours and drinking games at pubs to reduce excessive and underage boozing. The British Liver Trust, an advocacy group, says liver disease has killed 40 percent more people aged 25-29 this year than last, with more than 4,000 fatalities linked to alcohol-induced liver problems.

The Liver Trust suspects that making drinks more expensive--that is, by banning happy hour discounts--would cause the number of young drinkers to drop. But government health authorities are waiting for a University of Sheffield report on whether prices have a measurable effect on binge drinking before making any final decisions.

If and when the government cracks down on happy hours, don't expect gloomy nights leading up to a ban: When London outlawed drinks on public transport, booze hounds celebrated by hosting raucous parties that ended in 17 arrests and six Tube station closings.

Related Stories:
· Liver Disease Killing 40 Percent More Young People [British Liver Trust]
· Britain May Ban "Happy Hour" as Deaths Rise [AP, via Google]

[Photo: gia_s]

Pubs

New In London: The Hat and Tun

November 21, 2008 at 1:30 PM | 1 Comment

We know, we know, no one likes the phrase "new London pub." When we go out for a pint in London, we certainly aren't looking for some spiffy new lounge; we want greasy meat pies, floors that are sticky with spilled beer and that dank but homey lived-in atmosphere.

But give us a chance here! Farringdon pub The Hat and Tun--it's on Hatton Street, get it?--is a brand new entry to the scene, but it somehow has all that old-pub goodness. There's a genuine pub grub menu (with the requisite meat pies, along with Scotch eggs, sausage rolls and the like), along with plenty of quality brews on tap and a homey vibe complete with fireplaces, antique lounge furniture and an awful lot of taxidermy.

OK, so there are no sticky floors, but we're sure those are coming soon.

Related Stories:
· The Hat and Tun [Official Site]
· London Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: The Hat and Tun]

Illin'

Was It Winona's Drugs?

November 21, 2008 at 9:15 AM | 2 Comments

Two days ago we wrote about actress Winona Ryder's taking suddenly sick on an LAX-LHR British Airways flight. Now rumors are surfacing that Ryder didn't get the flu or food poisoning--it was the Xannies! Unless it's just a bunch of Heatheresque media outlets trying to ruin her life, that is.

Ryder, who was headed to London to work on the new "Star Trek" prequel (in which she plays Spock's mom), was released after she had her stomach pumped, but according to Gawker--who would know--that's a common treatment for a Xanax overdose or taking it in combination with something you shouldn't, like alcohol. Of course, if Winona truly hates flying, the tranquilizers could have been a big help in surviving that long-haul flight, but they're a double-edged sword.

We're not airplane-drug experts, so let us just say: See your doctor. Ryder has turned up quite well in Madrid where she attended a Marie Claire event on Thursday night.

Related Stories:
· Winona Ryder Gets Sick On British Airways Flight [Jaunted]
· Beam Me Up! Winona Ryder Is Spock's Mum [Lost in Showbiz]
· Winona Ryder, Maybe Slow Down On The Xanax [Gawker]
· Winona Ryder Collapse Attributed To Xanax Overdose [Celebitchy]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Gaming Today]

Low Cost Carriers

Massive News For London Means Massively Cheap And Long Flights

November 20, 2008 at 9:30 AM | 0 Comments

Long haul and low cost is the kind of combination cheapskates like us have been craving when it comes to airfares, and Air Asia X has been hinting at cheap London to Asia flights for ages now.

And while they're still not admitting that those kind of flights are going to happen, they've planned a press conference in London for November 25. Boss Tony Fernandes will be there, and he's promising "massive news for London."

The punters are predicting £350 ($525) London to Kuala Lumpur fares to start in early 2009. We're thinking cheap legs like these will be the new way to travel round-the-world. Just imagine: All the joys of low cost travel like no legroom, no food and no entertainment, but for 10 or 12 hours at a time. Sounds fantastic!

Related Stories:
· Air Asia X Set For London Launch? [Alternative Airlines]
· All We Want For Christmas is Long, Cheap Flights [Jaunted]
· Air Asia X coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Christophe Ramos]

Illin'

Winona Ryder Gets Sick On British Airways Flight

November 19, 2008 at 2:45 PM | 0 Comments

There's your urge to purge: Actress Winona Ryder was taken off a LA-London flight today by medics after getting sick on the plane.

Ryder was on British Airways Flight 282 when she fell to an unspecified illness, which led the pilot to request to be bumped up in the landing queue so she could get medical attention. She was taken to a hospital but discharged a few hours later. Get well soon! We don't want to dream of a world without Winona.

Related Stories:
· Hollywood Star Winona Ryder Taken Ill on Flight To London [Sky News]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: fire-bad]

Bike Sharing

London Wants to Share Bikes With You (Some Day)

November 19, 2008 at 9:30 AM | 1 Comment

Every smart city's jumping on the bike sharing bandwagon these days, usually comparing their plan to Paris's Velib scheme (although they're rarely as big or as good).

This time it's London's turn to announce a bike sharing system, which might make it practically compulsory for other Olympic cities in the future. London's version doesn't have a cool name yet (or even an uncool one)--they're just at the stage of finding companies who want to run it. But keen cyclist and mayor Boris Johnson is promising to start off with 6,000 bikes with 400 different "docking stations."

They're proposing a sensible deposit for using a bike (presumably a credit card swipe will do) but also an annual fee, which isn't very tourist-friendly. It also won't be too friendly if the bikes aren't ready for the 2012 Olympics; mayor Boris wants bikes circling London by 2010 but they've got a long way to go.

Related Stories:
· London Cycling Campaign [Official Site]
· 6,000 Bikes in 400 Locations [Guardian]
· Bike Sharing coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Vagamundos]

World Records

As Pants Fall, Records Fall

November 17, 2008 at 11:05 AM | 1 Comment

We told you last week a lot of people around the globe were going to try to break some records, and we're happy to report that quite a few of them pulled it off and earned themselves a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Most people running in high heeled shoes? Check. Most kisses in one minute? Yep. Most knee bends on a Swiss ball in one hour? We don’t even know what the hell that means, but yes.

Our favorite, though, has to be the English lads and lassies who broke the record for largest gathering of people wearing underpants (or knickers, as they call them).

Fantastic job, chaps. All 116 of you.

Related Stories:
· Guinenss World Records Day [Official Site]
· World Record Breaking Pants [Pants to Poverty]
· All Kinds of (Weird) Records Set To Fall Today [Jaunted]

[Photo: Pants to Poverty]

Altercations

Clubbing Is Trouble For Lindsay And Kanye

November 17, 2008 at 9:15 AM | 0 Comments

Dieters have the cookie jar. Spendthrifts have the Target sale. And this weekend, Kanye West and Lindsay Lohan proved they can't go to clubs in Europe without triggering an incident. In Lindsay's case, it wasn't her fault, but it still got ugly.

Lohan was accompanying girlfriend Samantha Ronson to the VIP Room Theater where she was DJing when animal rights activists flourbombed her on the red carpet. Lohan wasn't too shaken up, but Ronson later wrote on her MySpace page criticizing the, er, broad view of free speech the perpetrators demonstrated with Lindsay.

Meanwhile in Newcastle, England, Kanye West was arrested for hitting a paparazzo... again. Apparently upset at being caught outside the Tup Tup Club with four lovely ladies; West claims he held up his hand to keep a cameraman from shooting him, but the photographer says otherwise. On his blog, West cites Princess Diana and warns that the media who chase him are out of control. Oh Kanye, you go on with your bad self.

Related Stories:
· Kanye Arrested... Again! [YBF]
· Lindsay Lohan Attacked by Animal Rights Activists [The Superficial]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Celebitchy]

Working Holidays

Backpackers Make Great Sperm Donors

November 14, 2008 at 9:05 AM | 0 Comments

While some backpackers work in bars to fund their extended vacations, there's an increasingly popular way to make a fast buck in Britain, but sorry gals: This one's exclusively for the guys.

Our hot job tip is donating sperm. Apparently since the laws changed and children conceived from donated sperm can look up Daddy once they turn 18, locals have gone off the idea. Backpackers figure they won't be so easy to find in 18 years' time.

One third of sperm donors in Britain are now from abroad, including Australians, South Africans and Colombians. These sperm-donating travelers won't get rich overnight but $750 for delivering 20, well, loads, is a much better deal than working late nights serving drunks at the pub.

Related Stories:
· Australian Backpackers Biggest Sperm Donors [Daily Telegraph]
· Working Holiday coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: zen]

Global Warming

Can Britain’s Coral Farmers Save The Maldives?

November 13, 2008 at 9:30 AM | 0 Comments

With natural spectacles like Australia’s Great Barrier Reef under threat from global warming, we know there’s a rush on to visit them before they’re destroyed forever.

But there is another way. Over in Britain, growing your own Great Barrier Reef has become a trendy hobby of late. Yep, the "home-grown coral farm" craze is sweeping the nation with new farming techniques making it possible to grow your own coral reef in a tank in your yard.

All we need now is for some of these hobby coral farmers to make their tanks big enough for snorkeling and tourists will be flocking in. Or make even larger coral reefs and when the Maldives disappear, there'll be somewhere just like home for the Maldivians to move to--after all, they're now saving cash for the day when rising sea levels obliterate their country.

Related Stories:
· Great Barrier Reef in Garden Shed [Ananova]
· Maldives Saves for New Homeland Amid Flooding Fears [AFP, via Google]
· Water Hazard [Jaunted]

[Photo: stuandgravy]