Best in Travel: Review of the Week ending 18 June
A story that is all over the travel blogs this week is TripAdvisor’s new Trip Friends feature, which taps into the success of the hugely popular TripAdvisor app on Facebook, “Cities I’ve Visited”. By signing into Facebook using Facebook Connect, TripAdvisor users will be able to see which of their friends have been to a particular destination and ask advice from them, either on their wall or by personal message. It looks like a very interesting feature.
But perhaps the most interesting news of the week came on the world’s oceans.
Abby Sunderland. Photograph: Lisa Gizara/EPA
First, Abby Sunderland, the 16 year old Californian sailor aiming to become the youngest person to perform a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the globe, was rescued this week after being briefly lost at sea. After 50 foot waves in the Southern Indian Ocean had broken the mast of her yacht Wild Eyes and destroyed all satellite communications, Sunderland was picked up by a French vessel. Her parents have been criticised for allowing their daughter to make the attempt at an unsuitable time of year.
In a more successful story, the Around the Americas crew have completed the first circumnavigation of the Americas after 13 months at sea, including a dangerous crossing of the legendary Northwest Passage. Lying above Canada in the Arctic Ocean, the passage has only recently become navigable. The voyage has included much scientific recording about the state of the oceans.
And perhaps the most bizarre story of all was Dick de Bruin’s camera, which he lost while scuba diving off the Dutch island of Aruba. Six months later, the camera was found in a Florida marina, after making a 1100 mile journey and being used to record some unique home video footage…by a TURTLE!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E43sg-Ytt58[/youtube]
You might remember reading a couple of weeks ago about Jordan Romero, the 13 year old who caused controversy last month by becoming the youngest climber to scale Everest. Romero could not climb on the Nepal side, since there is a minimum age limit of 16, but the Chinese side had no such limits. Now the China-Tibet Mountaineering Association has responded by setting nominal age limits of 18 and 60, with 16-18 year olds and those over 60 needing special dispensation to climb. No-one under 16 will be considered, matching Nepal’s ruling.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened yesterday in Orlando after several years in the making and a budget of $250m. The project has earned the backing of author JK Rowling and the stars of the films, although it has attracted criticism from London Mayor Boris Johnson.
Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Photo: REUTERS
Finally, easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou isn’t happy. He’s accused the airline of gouging its customers with useless services. But that’s nothing compared to the ordeal suffered by Swiss International Airlines. They’re being sued by Russian model Irene Ferrari, who claims that heavy turbulence caused “bruising and strong pain” in her size F left breast. That’s worth €100,000, apparently.