The mantra in these times of the coronavirus pandemic is to wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly and as often as possible. When water and soap aren’t available, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommend the use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 per cent alcohol. However,…
EasyJet grounds its entire fleet, indefinitely
Budget airline Easyjet has grounded its entire fleet of 334 planes and will seek to reduce £4.5bn in spending. The operator blames government restrictions imposed in response to the coronavirus pandemic coupled with the lockdown of several countries across Europe. The airline, which has operated 650 rescue flights last Sunday and repatriated 45,000 customers, does…
Top 10 things to do and see in Western Canada
When people talk about Western Canada, the first place they usually think of is Vancouver Island and the Pacific Coast. But in British Columbia and the Rocky Mountains, you will find vast expanses of national parks and other wildernesses, underpopulated and completely unspoilt. If you love the great outdoors and want a varied, stunningly beautiful…
Ethical Elephant Centres in Thailand where the word “sanctuary” is more than a marketing ploy
Thailand has around 3000 captive elephants, with over 200 centres scattered throughout the country, and it’s important to support only those who have a high standard of care. Animal welfare is a genuine concern for most travellers and in Thailand, the treatment of captive elephants is something which should be on everyone’s mind. A number…
Can I get a refund if Easyjet or BA cancel my flight?
These are frustrating times for travellers. Thousands have had their travel plans dashed, and the airlines are struggling to keep up with customer complaints and queries. Nevertheless, if either BA or Easyjet cancel your flight, you are entitled to a full refund. Typically, you could do this by visiting the respective website and apply for…
10 sensational hotel baths with a view
With designer bathrooms quickly becoming a highly lusted-after interior design trend, the world’s most luxurious hotels have unveiled their own bath time eye candy. Imagine sinking into some bubbles looking out across an azure sea, or enjoying a soak with a chilled glass of champagne over a cityscape? Look no further as we round up our top ten hotel baths…
5 marvellous museums go online after lockdown so you can still enjoy a tour
If you were planning to visit a museum this spring, all is not lost. Even though these cultural icons had to close down, they can still be viewed online. Enjoy British Museum, London Who hasn’t heard of London’s most acclaimed museum? This tourist magnet is working with Google Arts & Culture and some 2,000 leading…
Trump Hotels won’t receive a dime in federal aid as part of the coronavirus stimulus
A $2 trillion federal aid package aimed at helping businesses through the economic slump caused by the coronavirus pandemic has been agreed. But, Donald Trump’s hotels and golf resorts won’t receive a dime. The package was agreed in principle by Senate Democrats but only with various caveats. According to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, one…
Contactless payments threshold increased to £45 from April 1
British Retail Consortium (BRC), Barclaycard and Mastercard announced this morning that you won’t need to use your pin number for amounts up to £45. From April 1st, the contactless threshold is being raised from £30 to £45. The idea is to limit cash transactions and to aid social distancing and reduce the need for contact…
Tom Hanks & wife Rita Wilson are recovering from coronavirus
Hollywood star Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were both diagnosed as positive for coronavirus. Now two weeks after coming down with COVID-19, they are recovering. Tom Hanks tweeted on Sunday: Tom Hanks was keen to encourage social-distancing, saying “sheltering in place works like this: You don’t give it to anyone – you don’t…