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Special Interest

Special Interest

It wasn’t too long ago…

Sometimes, we don't realise how lucky we are. If you're not familiar with this story, prepare to be amazed.  Kowloon Walled City was an ungoverned and densely populated de jure Chinese enclave within the boundaries of Kowloon City, British Hong Kong. Originally a Chinese military fort, the walled city became an enclave after the New Territories were…

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They walk among us

Do you fully recognise that "they are among us?"  Do you fashion yourself as an extraterrestrial hunter?  Do you have the knowledge, desire and hardware to search for them? The US Pentagon says there’s no explanation for “unidentified aerial phenomenon” detected by pilots over the years. But scientists use tools such as the SETI Allen…

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First viewer will buy! Don’t wait!

The electric interwebs are full of articles and videos about failed attempts on a grand scale.  We know that there was thought and planning put into these - there had to be.  But, in the cases here, the dreams crumbled in a number of different ways.  Rather than ridcule, let's be glad that we're able to…

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Try not to drool

AirBnB, constant bad press notwithstanding, has created a wonderful new model on how to travel.  Almost everyone wins. VRBO, an Expedia company (and one of our valued affiliate friends,) have taken the model and successfully given AirBnB a run for their money:  in some recent months, they have marched past AirBnB in bookings. But, this…

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Do good, feel good UNESCO style

This is a simple, but very important request.  For those of us who are fortunate enough to travel, this should almost be mandatory. UNESCO has created the Sustainable Tourism Pledge. The pledge takes an industry-first approach to environmental and cultural protection, requiring hotel operators to introduce firm measures to eliminate single-use plastics and promote local culture. The…

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We are the robots

As mother earth spins faster, and more and more of us spin with her, big changes happen.  New ideas, new materials, new studies, new pharmaceuticals . . all culminating into new "us"? Very soon, we will be presented  with all types of complicated information about the condition of our health, including our individual levels of risk…

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Hey, bungalow thrill

"If looks could thrill it would have been us instead of him"  All the children sing. These looks will thrill - at Reserva Alecrim EcoSuite & Glamping in Portugal. The properties, the views, the surroundings, the location - wow!  And the bungalows look more like dwellings on the moon. Set by a lake in the Alentejo…

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Every breath you take, every move you make

Those with tin foil hats, look away now. People are people and, therefore, unpredictable.  Sometimes that's fine (and fun) but when it comes to wrangling millions of us at a time, that can be . . not fun. In the UK,  Transport for London is using aggregated and anonymised data from its wi-fi network to provide real-time…

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H2Go!

Nature provides, if we respect her.  And respect is something that seems to be in short supply nowadays.  Automobiles still (mostly) run on 1900's technology, we still pump fuel out of the ground, which has untold repercussions. The worst thing is that we know better and have the technologies, and yet, we as humans, are…

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Are we there yet?

Either by design, or by bad planning, or if you're simply a glutton for punishment, here is something to dread, or spend months preparing for. What are the world’s longest non-stop routes between July and December this year (2021)? The aviation world has changed greatly and we wanted to offer an updated list of these…

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Take a “trip” to Hong Hong

No, this is not about drugs.  But it is about sensory experiences that you can enjoy no matter your mood. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is featuring a collection of four autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) videos that show off the acoustic ambience from the all parts of the city. Custom-made to arouse the…

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When football is all

We suspect that there are some football fans in our audience:  in this instance we are talking about the football played around the world - you know, the round ball, black and white. Some football fans are beyond passionate:  they get tattoos of their team, name their children after star players, relocate to cities where…

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The centre of the earth

India is a wonderful place full of wonderful people and lots of surprises.  Here's one. Jatayu Earth Center, also known as Jatayu Nature Park or Jatayu Rock, is a park and tourism centre at Chadayamangalam in Kollam district of Kerala. It stands at an altitude of 350m above the mean sea level. Jatayu Nature Park…

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But, will we have enough extension cords?

Mother earth is heating up - dangerously - but so is the race to enable humans and animals to live in a world that will not burn to a crisp, like it seems now.  We have the brains and the technology, but our will needs a kick in the pants. Fortunately, more and more evidence…

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Too little, too late?

Europeans - and we include the UK here - generally tend to be ahead of the curve when it comes to things like healthcare, social security, immigration  . . . and the environment. The UK has published its Transport Decarbonisation Plan.  The intent to decarbonise all modes of domestic transport by 2050. Is that too…

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You’re a space cadet

This sounds like fun, but, most importantly, has a very good intent at its heart. You can win two seats on one of the first Virgin Galactic flights to space.  Sir Richard Branson is putting his money and his spaceship where his mouth is. Here's what's you can look forward to: Make history as you…

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Tash Rabat. How about that?

Do you sometimes feel like you want to go away and stay away? Well, you'll be glad to know that, as always, we here at Matouring have solutions for you.  Near or far, we have solutions at our fingertips and are eager to share them with you. May we present  the Tash Rabat Caravanserai in…

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