The Signature Experiences Collection showcases extraordinary Canadian tourism experiences from across the country that will ensure Canada stands out in a crowded and fiercely competitive marketplace.

“These unique experiences are excellent examples of the kind of world-class offerings on which our tourism brand, “Canada. Keep Exploring”, is being built,” says the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism. “Through our government’s new Federal Tourism Strategy, we continue to position Canada’s tourism sector as an economic driver of jobs and growth in every region of the country.”

The Australia campaign is also the first taste of CTC’s new global marketing platform. The approach highlights authentic traveller-to-traveller experiences and stories, showing possible Canadian journeys in a timeline along the bottom of the ads. By facilitating traveller stories, it encourages advocacy, a powerful tool in convincing future consumers to visit this country. It’s the next stage for developing Canada’s tourism brand.

“The Australia campaign is a bold example of how we intend to use the Signature Experiences Collection® to entice travellers to Canada from all our markets in 2012 and beyond, with a focus on the experiences they can enjoy in this country against a backdrop of some of the world’s most spectacular geography,” says Greg Klassen, CTC senior vice-president Marketing Strategy & Communications. “Our new global platform, which is an evolution not revolution in the development of Canada’s tourism brand, will help us compete for more than our fair share of travellers from around the world—starting in Australia.”

Ads in print and online as well as engagement via social media are the primary vehicles for catching Aussies’ attention. The Calgary Stampede, gearing up for its centennial this year, lassoes plenty of eye time in the advertising campaign, while a Facebook contest is also being planned for February. Partnering CTC for the campaign areTourism British Columbia, Travel Yukon, Travel Alberta and the Calgary Stampede.

Movie-goers will also get a flavour of Canada on the big screen. A wild ride rafting on the Nahanni River, one of five new ads featuring great Canadian moments from across the country as captured by travellers, is running in select Aussie cinemas, prefaced by Travel Alberta ads.

The National Park of American Samoa has relocated to their new headquarters and visitor center in the Pago Pago Harbor area. The facility now welcomes visitors at the MHJ Building (across from the Pago Way Gas Station) on the second floor. After the earthquake and tsunami event of September 29, 2009 completely destroyed the old facility, the national park staff moved to temporary quarters in the Haleck Building in Ottoville. Following United States National Park Service emergency funding, a lease agreement, and major renovations the national park staff just moved to their new facility. “The new location returns us to the harbor area, closer to the park, and enables us to better perform our duties of working with the villages to protect and preserve the natural and cultural resources within the national park” said Mike Reynolds, Superintendent. “We are also closer to the cruise ship dock and can once again welcome cruise ship visitors to our facility” Reynolds added. The new headquarters will soon be home to new exhibits as well. These exhibits will help locals and visitors alike learn about the cultural and natural world of American Samoa. They will be installed this summer. The park added a classroom facility to better accommodate the environmental education needs of the students of American Samoa and a science laboratory to make available to the many scientists who study natural and cultural resources in the territory and national park. This lab was designed to complement the scientific lab the park already operates in Ofu, Manu’a by allowing scientists to work on both islands. Access to the building is available through the stairs from the front of the building on the first floor and via a ramp from the second floor access on the back of the building. Business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It will be closed during weekends and Federal holidays. The National Park of American Samoa was established in 1988 to preserve the coral reefs, tropical rainforest, archeological and cultural resources, the habitat of fruit bats, and to provide educational opportunities for visitors and residents. National park lands and waters are leased from villages and the American Samoa Government through a long-term agreement with the National Park Service.

American Samoa takes on Australia in Brisbane

American Samoa’s all star high school football team take on the Australia squad in Queensland late this month for a place at the U-19 World Cup in June 2012. The match part of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Oceania Cup will be played at the Super Sports Centre, Runaway Bay on the Gold Coast, Saturday February 25th. The winner of game goes to the U-19 World Cup in Austin, Texas. This will be the third time American Samoa and Australia have played each other. The previous two encounters were at the annual Samoa Bowl games in American Samoa in 2009 and 2010 with Australia loosing both clashes. American Samoa became a full member of IFAF following a meeting in 2008 between Southern Methodist University defensive coach Jeff Reinebold and the Territory’s Governor, the Honorable Togiola T.A. Tulafono. Reinebold was visiting with the ‘June Jones Goodwill Mission’ and spoke with the Governor about American Samoa getting involved with USA Football and IFAF. Governor Togiola immediately assigned the Samoa Bowl Committee make contact with USA Football and IFAF with the help of coach Reinebold. With Samoa Bowl Committee vice chairman Lealao Melila Purcell assigned to take the lead on this project, contact was made with Mr. Jack Reed of USA Football about establishing youth football in American Samoa and a application was set in motion to apply for IFAF membership. An application was also lodged for a equipment grant through USA Football, which was approved with American Samoa receiving 270 complete sets of equipment including helmets, shoulder dads, jerseys, and pants. American Samoa now have two youth American Football programs and the interest is growing every year.  When the IFAF started a U-19 American Football Bowl, USA versus the World, the first game was played in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Three American Samoa athletes were invited to the World Roster, David Katina (DE), Beck Coulter (LB), and Ailua Fanene (DE) younger brother of the Cincinnati Bengels DE Jonathan Fanene. In the second year, nine American Samoa Athletes were invited to the World team, five on the playing squad. They were, Tavita Manuma, Ben Langford, David Katina, Alex Willis, Beck Coulter, This year, four more American Samoa athletes received invitations to play for the World Team, David Katina, Rommel Mageo, Destiney Vaeao, and Tavita Manuma.

Local hotelier appointed to advisory council

NOAA’s Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary has announced the appointment of hotelier Tom Drabble to serve on its sanctuary advisory council. The new appointee brings a valuable range of experience to the council, which provides sanctuary staff with input and recommendations on sanctuary programs and management. “The sanctuary advisory council is an important link between sanctuary management and user groups and communities,” said Gene Brighouse, Sanctuary Superintendent. “Through the council, varied and diverse communities have a voice in helping the sanctuary manage its marine protected areas.” Drabble, who owns Sadies by the Sea Hotel and Sadies Thompson Inn appointment fills the business seat on the advisory council. Established in 2005, the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council provides advice and recommendations on managing and protecting the sanctuary. The council is composed of ten government and ten non-governmental representatives. Serving in a volunteer capacity, council members represent a variety of local user groups, as well as the general public. Sanctuary advisory council members serve three-year terms and meet several times per year in public sessions. Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary embraces a fringing coral reef ecosystem contained within an eroded volcanic crater in American Samoa.  The nation’s smallest marine sanctuary at one-quarter square mile, the sanctuary is uniquely rich in both natural resources and cultural heritage.  Hundreds of species of corals, colorful reef fish, algae and other invertebrates can be found in the sanctuary’s warm, along with sea turtles, dolphins, sharks, giant clams and migratory humpback whales.

Six cruise ships visit PPG this month

Pago Pago Harbor will be busy this month with six cruises visiting over a 14 day period. First to call is P&O Cruises vessel ‘Aurora’ on February 7th, arriving from Apia, Samoa for the day before heading to Denarau, Fiji. The next day February 8th, Costa Cruises ship‘Costa Deliziosa’ calls in from Honolulu, USA on its maiden visit before heading to Suva, Fiji. The third ship to visit on February 10th is Princess Cruises ‘Pacific Princess’ arriving from Kauai, USA for the day before heading to Dravuni Island, Fiji. Cunard Line’s ‘Queen Elizabeth’ arrives on Valentines Day February 14th from Honolulu, USA before heading to Nadi, Fiji later that evening. Regular visitor Holland America Line’s vessel ‘Amsterdam’ arrives February 18th from Pape’ete, French Polynesia and then heads for Lifou, New Caledonia. The final ship for the month is Seabourn Cruise Line’s‘Seabourn Odyssey’ on February 20th, the third ship for the year making her maiden visit to the Territory. She is arrives from Lautoka, Fiji and will depart for Fanning Island, Kiribati after her visit. All the ships will be in port for the day with passengers disembarking to go sightseeing and tax free shopping.

Tradewinds Hotel February specials

Tradewinds Hotel’s Equator Restaurant have some great February specials for the month as follows: Italiano Wednesdays – Experience “A taste of Italy” Mamma Mia!! Come and enjoy the tantalizing flavors of Italy… Buon Appetito!!; Fiesta Fridays – You don’t have to go South of the Border to enjoy an evening of great food!! Grab your sombrero & come on over!!  Ariba Ariba!!;  Super Bowl Sunday  February 5^th Happy Hour Priced Drinks & Outstanding Appetizer Menu! Bring the cheering squad!!  Go Giants!! Go Patriots!!  Happy Valentines February 14^th – Love is in the Air!!!  Enjoy our Dinner for Two Special. For reservations call  (684) 699-1000.

Cruise ships ahoy!

Cruise ships calling into Pago Pago Harbor in the coming months are:
February
7th Aurora arrives from Samoa at 8.00am and departs for the Fiji Islands at 5.00pm
8th Costa Deliziosa arrives from Hawaii at 8.00am and departs for the Fiji Islands at 5.00pm
10th Pacific Princess arrives from Hawaii at 8.00am and departs for the Fiji Islands at 5.00pm
14th Queen Elizabeth arrives from Hawaii at 8.00am and departs for the Fiji Islands at 5.00pm
18th Amsterdam arrives from French Polynesia at 7.00am and departs for New Caledonia at 4.00pm
20th Seabourn Odyssey arrives from the Fiji Islands at 8.00am and departs for Kiribati at 1.00pm
March
5th Ocean Princess arrives from French Polynesia at 10.00am and departs for Samoa at 7.00pm
April
22nd Rhapsody of the Seas arrives from Fiji at 8.0am and departs for Samoa at 5.00pm
26th Sea Princess arrives from Fiji at 7.00am and departs for French Polynesia at 4.00pm

Guess the picture competition

Each month American Samoa Travel eNews run’s a ‘Guess the picture competition’ where readers have a chance to win a gift parcel of souvenirs from the Territory.

All you have to do is choose the correct answer from the three choices given. So here’s the picture and question below to answer: American Samoa plays Australia for a place at the U-19 World Cup on?

A. February 24th, 2012
B. February 25th, 2012
C. February 26th, 2012

Email your answer along with your full name and mailing address to enews@americansamoa.travel by February 29th, 2012 to be in the draw. The winner will be announced in the March issue ofAmerican Samoa Travel eNews. The correct answer to last month’s question was ‘May 2012′ and congratulations to S. Michaels, Florida, USA, a prize pack is on its way to you in the post.

7^th Aurora calls into Pago Pago Harbor
8^th Costa Deliziosa calls into Pago Pago Harbor
10^th Pacific Princess calls into Pago Pago Harbor
14^th Queen Elizabeth calls into Pago Pago Harbor
18^th Amsterdam calls into Pago Pago Harbor
20^th Seabourn Odyssey calls into Pago Pago Harbor
25^th American Samoa vs Australia, Runaway Bay, Gold Coast, Australia
March
5^th Ocean Princess calls into Pago Pago Harbor
April
22^nd Rhapsody of the Seas calls into Pago Pago Harbor
26_th Sea Princess Calls into Pago Pago Harbor

Every year festivities are initiated by King Mswati III and Her Majesty the ‘Indlovukazi’ the Queen Mother, who travel all over the kingdom leading the nation’s celebrations.

The Marula festival, known locally as ‘Emaganwini’, begins in February when the fruit is harvested by women and children and continues until March. The unripe green fruit falls from the tree and is stored until it ripens to a creamy yellow colour, it is then soaked with water and sugar to ferment and make Marula beer, the traditional toast of the festival.

The royal family is the first to sample the brew and only after they take the first drink is the rest of the nation permitted to drink and celebrations begin. The largest single celebration is held at the royal residence of Ebuhleni, where the royal family join the nation in traditional song and dance.

The Marula tree (sclerocarya birrea) is indigenous to Southern Africa, and has been a central part of the Southern African way of life for thousands of years. In Swaziland, about 2 million Marula trees grow in forests and bush, grazing lands, fields and homesteads and are protected from felling by traditional laws which are enforced by local chiefs.

Not just used for beer, Swazi people use every part of the Marula tree for a wide variety of domestic needs. Marula contains four times more vitamin C than oranges, and is rich in minerals and anti-oxidants. The bark of the tree has a range of medicinal uses, however it is the oil from the seed kernels that has real commercial potential due to its moisturising and conditioning properties, as a result there have been many skin care products developed using the oil as a base.

During periods of relative stability, the religious fervour of the city rulers and people found expression in the construction of temples. Wars did occur, but when peace returned new temples would be built. Often, the bigger the temple and the more elaborate its ornamentation, the more peaceful and prosperous the historical period that produced it.

To appreciate the level of artistry that Thai villagers can achieve, women’s clothing is always a good indicator. In the past, these garments were made by housewives who invested personal creativity together with great amounts of time and labour in the creation of incredibly beautiful, authentic folk styles.

To understand lifestyles of the past, shaped and conditioned by the natural environment, turn to Thai traditional dance and folk music. In the North, for example, the dance gestures are slow and leisurely, the music sonorous, giving the impression of an unhurried, relaxed, and humble way of living in an environment where the temperature ranges from cool to comfortably warm. The music of Isan (northeastern Thailand) on the other hand, is fast, exciting and fun — suitable for the end of strenuous farming months when everyone wants to let go and have a good time.

In the Central Region, dance and music follow established conventions because they are heavily influenced by traditions from the royal court. This is in contrast to the forms they take in the South where nature, with its strong winds and changeability, inspires vigorous music for having fun which speeds along under traditional themes.

To get a sense of the way the old and the new co-exist in Thai society, go to an old, long-established community. Old communities, many of which had been in decline for years, are now focal points for both study and touring by the more recent generations of Thais, and as a result they are coming vigorously back to life.

For many centuries, water had a special significance and importance for Thai society and culture. This is not only true of the Central Region, but also nationwide.

In the mountainous North, towns and cities were established beside rivers to give the local people easy access to water for consumption, for agriculture, and for transportation. A river also served as a natural barrier to protect a city from invasion by enemies. In the South, with its long stretches of seacoast, the major cities were established along the shore while smaller towns further inland were set next to rivers that provided transport routes to the coast.

In a society so closely connected to water, the Thais became skilful at all activities related to it — navigating boats, catching food, and recognizing and cultivating edible plants that grew in it or nearby. Many of these plants were highly nutritious, and if the community was large they could be grown not only for household use, but also for sale. They were sold from houseboats called ruean phae in Thai.

These floating shops would cluster together to form aquatic shopping centres offering all kinds of goods. Some sold kitchen equipment, others agricultural tools or fishing gear, medicine, clothing, fresh or dried food, rice and salted fish. There were even waterborne barbershops.

But for a large group of houseboat shops to be able to form and do business, location was important. The best place was at the mouth of a major canal, perhaps one with many branches, so that local people who lived along their banks would not have to paddle too far to reach them. Trips to these floating markets would be made to buy necessities or to take produce or seafood for sale. As a result these floating commercial centres included boats of all kinds and sizes.

With time, these trading areas evolved into piers for passenger boats that travelled various routes, picking people up along the way. Eventually they also became transfer centres for goods.

Still later, the houseboats started being replaced by buildings on land. At first these were rows of wooden shophouses. The earliest ones were very simple in structure, consisting basically of wooden walls and a thatch roof. Gradually, they became more permanent, with galvanised roofing and paved walkways.

As communities both on the water and on land grew and people from different ethnic backgrounds joined them, the number and range of businesses multiplied and diversified. There would be rice mills, sawmills, religious shrines, mosques, and government offices nearby.

Development continued, and as roads appeared less travelling was done by water. Passenger boats all but disappeared as roads found their way to the old communities. Floating shops vanished completely, leaving commerce to rows of wooden shophouses which also evolved with time, the wooden-walled buildings replaced by sturdier ones made from stuccoed brick with tile roofs and attractive ornamentation.

Change never stops. Wide roads were built to provide direct connection between big cities, and new communities formed and grew rapidly beside them. The old ones located beside water routes shrank and were finally inhabited only by long-term, elderly residents who had stopped working, their children and grandchildren having moved off to newer and more modern communities.

This stagnation in the waterside communities went on for 60 or 70 years until younger generations of Thai in the cities became interested in the roots of today’s society and started making excursions to visit them. Many fell in love with the old-fashioned atmosphere, and some joined forces with community leaders to revive them, carefully preserving and restoring the old architecture and returning the old-style stops and commerce back to life.

Today, once-moribund communities like Sam Chuk in Suphan Buri, Lad Chado in Ayutthaya, the waterside community of Amphawa in Samut Songkhram, Khlong Suan in Samut Prakan, Tha Mai in Chachoengsao are all displaying their distinctive characters once again, thriving in the new atmosphere of cultural awareness and preservation, and giving tourists a warm welcome.

Old communities that formed alongside railway tracks are no less important and interesting than the waterside ones. Trains provided the main form of land transportation before roads were put in to connect Thailand’s big cities. They came into existence more than a century ago through a royal programme of centralization to penetrate the hinterland and connect with remote cities and towns to facilitate effective governance. Once obscure places became accessible and much better known.

Railway lines were laid through all kinds of terrain, some running along rivers or coastlines or through fields and forests. Sometimes it was necessary to dig tunnels through the hills.

Trusted engineers and architects from England and Germany oversaw the planning of the routes that the railways followed as well as their actual construction. Each team was assigned a specific part of the country. The tracks going to Isan were assigned to the British engineers, but once they had reached a point a little past Saraburi province, they were confronted by the area of virgin jungle called Dong Phraya Fai (around today’s Khao Yai National Park). This meant laying track through hot, humid, densely-forested and rather mysterious territory where disease and dangerous wildlife frequently claimed the lives of engineers, architects, overseers and workers. When a British team asked to pull out, Germans took over. The completion of the railway line between Saraburi and Nakhon Rachasima, covering a distance of just over 100 kilometres, took seven years.

The Germans had full responsibility for the railroad to the North. It passed over high mountains and sometimes followed a winding course, with every town and city, large and small, getting its own railroad station. The station buildings were designed to be low but spacious, with a rest area for passengers, a room where tickets were sold, and stretches where the shunting of trains could be supervised. There was also a signalling box. The walkways running around the stations, lined with ornamental plants, and the signs bearing the names of the stations were the same everywhere. The houses built for railroad employees were wooden buildings designed for tropical living.

Large stations for provincial capitals incorporated influences from local architectural styles. The one in Lampang, for example, draws on the traditional architecture of the North. But one station that is in a class by itself is the one at Amphoe Long (Long District) in Phrae Province. It is a small building, set in a valley, designed in a Bavarian style. Maybe the German architects wanted to leave behind a little piece of home.

The southern train route, after leaving Bangkok, had to pass through wide fields and orchards and occasionally marshes. It was only by chance that the construction team made one of their biggest discoveries along the way. They came upon a beautiful beach that is today Hua Hin, one of Thailand’s best loved seaside towns.

Most stations were dominated by a row of low, wooden buildings with heavy eaves in front to protect pedestrians from the sun and rain. The hotel would be a two-story wooden structure, and at some stations there was food available for travellers who remained on the train. For example, people departing from Bangkok in the morning would arrive at the Ayutthaya station at around noon, when there would be vendors walking along beside the tracks selling prepared foods to passengers. The offerings might have included fried rice and a boiled egg in a banana leaf container, with khao kriab kung (crispy shrimp chips).

At the same time, travellers heading South would reach the Nakhon Pathom station, where they might be offered khao muu daeng (rice with Chinese red pork and gravy) and khao laam (sticky rice steamed in a bamboo tube with coconut cream). When they got to the Ratchaburi station, which is not far from Nakhon Pathom, they would be able to buy khao phat bai bua (fried rice wrapped in a lotus leaf). All of these foods reflected the character of the local cuisine, and were a familiar part life for travellers of the past.

The train routes to different parts of Thailand are the same ones now that they were then, and the time needed to travel them is the same. None of that has changed. But now, when there are wide, smooth, modern roads linking different provinces using direct routes, travel by train has lost much of its appeal and has been demoted to a second-best alternative. As a result, life in communities along the railway lines have become much quieter. But it is a quietness that has a kind of charm, a special character.

For example, every morning an informal market convenes in the empty area in front of the railway station at Ban Krud in Prachuap Khiri Khan. An array of local dishes are offered there, as well as fresh fish and fruit and locally-made products, all being bought and sold in a cheerful atmosphere. There is a coffee shop where local people sit and chat, and bright colours are everywhere, with the old, wooden shop houses forming a backdrop. The impression is of people leading lively, happy lives in peaceful surroundings.

Then there is the train station in Pranburi, only about 30 kilometres from Hua Hin. Although Hua Hin overlooks the sea, today the province offers all of the modern day conveniences and is not all that much different from Bangkok. But Pranburi is another world, tranquil and shady with old-style wooden houses, a trip back to the Thailand of 50 years ago.

Both of these types of communities, one set beside water, the other beside railroad tracks, reveal different faces of Thai society as it used to be. They challenge visitors seriously interested in the kingdom’s way of life, and how it has changed, to explore and make contact with the Thailand of an earlier era.

More detail : http://www.tatnews.org/special_interest/5866.asp

Tourism Australia is advising employers around the country to identify, plan and deal with challenges associated with stockpiled annual leave in 2012, helping more Australian businesses and individuals obtain the benefits of holiday taking.

According to Roy Morgan Research Single Source Survey, September 2011, Australia’s annual leave stockpile currently totals 129 million days. One in four full-time Australian employees have 25 or more days of annual leave in hand.

There are a number of reasons employees are not taking their full annual leave entitlement each year, including economic and job security concerns, through to anxiety about the workload they’ll face upon return to work if their position is not backfilled while they are away.

Helping employees understand the effects of stockpiling annual leave is significant to Tourism Australia’s No Leave, No Life program, which aims to provide Australian employees with the knowledge and resources to reduce their annual leave liability and effectively plan and take a holiday in Australia.

Tourism Australia Managing Director, Andrew McEvoy said employers can do more to enhance employee engagement, productivity, and overall financial performance by following a plan to reduce annual leave liability. “Latest figures reflect the embedded workplace trend towards hoarding leave, which is featured in the No Leave No Life domestic marketing campaign, designed to encourage Australians to take a break in their own country and reap the benefits of time away from the office,” Mr. Andrew said.

He continues, “The good news is that there are easy-to-implement methods employers can use to encourage a leave taking culture, with clear benefits to be gained such as reduction of leave liability on the balance sheet, plus the other benefits that flow from building and engaging with a productive employee community. Holidays help to build positive morale, which results in increased motivation in the workplace, making it a better place for everyone. A productive work force will ultimately drive the success of your business.”

Tourism Australia’s No Leave No Life website features an Employer Resources and Tools page with a series of modules and practical case studies to help employers undertake a successful annual leave program.

Key focus areas include:

• Identifying challenges facing management such as pressure to meet targets, lack of reporting, competing priorities.
• Recognising the barriers to leave taking and prioritising leave taking policy in the workplace.
• Integrating leave planning into current processes to ensure adequate coverage.
• Engaging employees – CEO, management and HR commitment is critical to success.
• How to set objectives and review regularly.
• Considerations to keep in mind when encouraging leave – compromise with employees on leave taking within the context of your plan to ensure acceptable outcomes for employees and management.
• Developing a holiday planning checklist to help staff better manage their departure from and return to work.
• Points to help managers look at how to measure the success of their annual leave policy.

No Leave No Life is one of Tourism Australia’s key pillars for creating demand for domestic holidays, providing real life examples of ordinary Australians benefitting from taking a much-needed break and holidaying in Australia, also reinvigorating public debate around leave as a workplace issue.

Written by: Kanchana Ganglani

Linda Kalpoi, General Manager, Vanuatu Tourism Office, believes Vanuatu’s sporting festivals and events are a highlight for visitors, providing them with a unique opportunity to uncover the beauty of Vanuatu.

“Vanuatu provides the perfect backdrop for travellers looking for an action-packed adventure, or a holiday where there are plenty of opportunities to keep active. From idyllic beaches and lagoons, to lush rainforest, to our unique countryside, the very best of Vanuatu is incorporated into a number of activities and sporting events on our 2012 calendar,” states Kalpoi.

Pentecost Land Diving Festival

Dates: April –June 2012

Location: Pentecost

Pentecost is famous throughout the world for the land diving ritual (Nagol or N’gol), which occurs between April and June.  The ritual, which influenced the invention of bungy jumping, sees local men and boys as young as seven jump from a 20 -30 metre high manmade tower with only a vine attached to their legs.

During April-June the Pentecost Land Diving Festival takes place at Lonorore Airport every Saturday; Londot village every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; and Rangusuksu village every Thursday.

Viewing this unique cultural ceremony is something that is on the must-do travel checklist of adventurous Aussie travellers. Adventure World is currently offering day tours to view the Pentecost Land Diving Festival. Starting from $679*per person, these full-day tours depart from Port Vila and include domestic airfares, return Pentecost transfers, meals, and local guide. Terms and conditions apply, and more information is available at: www.adventureworld.com.au

*All prices shown are per person, for travel April-June. Does not include international airfares or accommodation. Terms and conditions apply.

Vanuatu Adventure Race

Dates: 24 May 2012 (Unity Park, Luganville); 27 May 2012 (Holiday Inn, Port Vila)

Location: Espiritu Santo; Efate

The Vanuatu Adventure Race is an annual event which takes place over three days in Efate, combining trekking, swimming, abseiling, kayaking, snorkelling and archery. In addition to the action-packed race, competitors also have the unique opportunity to take in the sights and local culture of Efate.

This year the event will also be taking place in Espiritu Santo, and will include mountain biking through villages and along WWII runways, trekking through steep canyons to the entrance of Millennium Cave, and paddling to one of Espiritu Santo’s famous blue holes.

Visit Vanuatu is currently offering packages for Aussie competitors eager to compete in these action packed races. From $1949 per person* the combination event package includes return economy international airfares from Brisbane – Espiritu Santo and domestic return airfares Espiritu Santo – Port Vila with Air Vanuatu, three nights accommodation at both Aore Island Resort and Holiday Inn Resort (twin share), and team entry at both the Millennium Cave Multisport event, and Holiday Inn Multi Sport Event. This package is available for travel from 22-28 May 2012.   Terms and conditions apply and for more information go to www.visit-vanuatu.com.au

Further information on the event is available through: www.racevanuatu.com

* All prices shown are twin-share. Race is limited to 30 groups, and packages are available on race availability. Terms and conditions apply.

Vanuatu Open Water Swim

Dates: 9 June 2012 (Port Vila); 12 June 2012 (Espiritu Santo)

Location: Port Vila, Efate; Aore Island, Espiritu Santo

The Vanuatu Open Water Swim Series is one of the signature events on the Vanuatu sporting calendar. The event consists of three swims in two locations –in Port Vila on 09 June, and in Espiritu Santo on 12 June.

The swims kick off in Port Vila, where competitors can partake in either the 3.2km or 1.5km swim around Iririki Island in Port Vila Harbour. The next stop for eager swimmers is Aore Island, in Espiritu Santo, where competitors participate in the 2.6km swim across the channel to Aore Island. In Espiritu Santo swimmers can explore idyllic white sand beaches, canoe through lush rainforest to pristine blue holes, or learn more about Espiritu Santo’s unique culture at one of the many kastom villages.

More information on the Vanuatu Open Water Swim is available at:www.vanuatuswim.com

More information on Vanuatu is available at www.vanuatu.travel

SECTUR, The Mexican Ministry of Tourism reported that the number of air arrivals in December 2011 was up 13 percent compared to the same period in 2010. More than 1.07 million international travelers visited Mexico in the last month of 2011, a record for December.

In addition to an increase of visitors from the US (10.6 percent) and Canada (9.1 percent), Mexico received significant year on year increases from Spain (6 percent), Italy (10.5 percent), Argentina (21.4 percent), and France (12.4 percent).

“We envisage that 2012 will be a record-breaking year for Mexico in terms of tourism numbers,” said Rodolfo Lopez-Negrete, Chief Operating Officer of the Mexico Tourism Board. “Mexico’s tourism industry is undergoing a stunning transformation – based on a bold strategy of diversification — focused on promoting a broader range of tourism products (i.e. cultural tourism, adventure travel and health related-tourism) aimed at attracting a new breed of global consumer.”

“The Mexico Tourism Board will continue to market directly to tourists from non-traditional origins in Europe and Asia, while at the same time strengthening our hold on American and Canadian travelers.”

A key focus for the Mexico Tourism Board in 2012 will also be to capitalize on, celebrate and promote the start of the new Mayan calendar — with a strong awareness campaign aimed at promoting travel to the five states that comprise the Mayan World – specifically Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas and the Yucatan.

This further reinforces the Mexican Government’s goals of aggressively driving a diversified tourism strategy to achieve its goal of ranking amongst the world’s top five tourism destinations by 2015.

“We have no intention of simply being seen as a ‘sun and beach destination.’ Mundo Maya is a prime example of this strategy as we are converting the Southeast into a coveted tourist destination, internationally.”

“The new website is top-notch and we are sure it will be a great experience for those seeking the great culinary dishes our state has to offer,” said Lee Sentell, tourism director. “We think it offers something for every taste whether it’s fine dining, a meat and three buffet, or BBQ. It’s also a great way for folks to search the 300 plus food events happening in 2012.”

Alabama’s top restaurants can be explored from its small towns to its biggest cities. Visitors to the site can find a restaurant among the more than 250 listings by city or they can search by cuisine type. The site also introduces some of Alabama’s top chefs. The bios and stories include Wesley Tru in Mobile, Frank Stitt and Chris Hastings of Birmingham, and James Boyce of Huntsville.

For fresh produce a search feature on the site allows visitors to search for Famers Markets across the state from Pepper Place in Birmingham, to Mobile’s Market on the Square and Madison’s City Farmers Market. A click on the map will help locate more than 130 markets across 67 counties.

For travelers wanting to take in the sites and great food the website offers five culinary trails from each region of the state. The Coastal Cuisine trail offers fresh Gulf Coast seafood while the Heartland Trails takes travelers from historic restaurants to college towns with down home cooking and BBQ. The Lower Alabama trail offers a variety of eats in the Mobile area, the Magic City Trail offers everything from meat and threes to fine dining in Birmingham, and the North Alabama trail takes diners through Huntsville and the Shoals will offerings from a Harvey Milkshake to BBQ and steak.

Tourism will officially kick off The Year of Alabama Food, on Friday, January 27 during the FoodBlogSouth event in Birmingham. The event is a conference for food writers, bloggers and photographers.

Tourism will also unveil a thirty second television commercial during the media event and will provide a sneak peek at the new “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die” brochure.

The campaign is also active on social media sites and can be found on twitter @yearofalabamafood and FB as Year of Alabama Food.

To download the press kit for the Year of Alabama Food visit http://www.alabama.travel.

Surf’s up

Oahu’s surf scene is world-renowned. Visitors from around the globe make the voyage to the island in the hope of experiencing the surf that has become legendary.

·         In the winter on the North Shore of Oahu, wave heights can measure up to 40-feet. The sensation of watching the waves roll in, hearing the thunder as they crash on the shore and feeling the mist from the monster waves is an awe inspiring experience.  For the courageous and experienced few that ride those waves, the thrill and peril of harnessing the power of this natural phenomenon makes for great tales.

·         The face of surfing has changed on Oahu with many new styles and experiences emerging over time. The windward coast, aptly named for the constant on-shore winds, offers an opportunity for completely different types of surfing includingwindsurfing, wake boarding and kite surfing.

Run a marathon

·         Will you be ready  for the 40th annual Honolulu Marathon that will take place on Sunday December 9^th, 2012? Ranked as the world’s 10th largest 26.2-mile race, the Marathon starts in downtown Honolulu and passes through Waikiki up along Diamond Head Road hugging the waterfront with the finish line at Kapiolani Park. If you are not up for the full marathon, try the first Honolulu half marathon which will take place on March  11^th, 2012.

> www.honolulumarathon.org

There are plenty of other physical challenges throughout the year from Ocean swims, to triathlons to the famous Iron Man event on Hawai‘i’s Big Island that takes place in October.

Natural high

Across all of the 6 Hawaiian Islands there are endless adventure activities to get the adrenalin pumping.  Aside from Big Wave surfing, Oahu’s North Shore offers skydiving; shark cage diving and glider rides.

·         Hop aboard a glider plane at Dillingham Airfield with Original Glider Rides. Soar above the island on a three-seater sailp     lane with a friendly, knowledgeable and professional pilot, and see stunning views of the northern coastline.

> www.honolulusoaring.com

·         Experience skydiving at the World’s Most Beautiful Drop Zone with tandem skydive from up to 20,000 feet with Skydive Hawai‘i

> www.hawaiiskydiving.com

·         Grab a mate and join Volcano Bike Tours on an incredible bicycle adventure exploring Kilauea Volcano, one of the most Active Volcanoes in the world, from summit to sea. Experiencing the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea’s East Rift Zone and Active Lava Flow up close is simply amazing.

> www.bikevolcano.com

Sum rap Thai

Popular Thai food critic and writer Mom Luang Sirichalerm Svasti, who goes by the pen name Chef McDang, writes in his bookPrinciples of Thai Cookery, “We think of all parts of the meal as a whole – sum rap Thai(the way Thais eat), is the term we use for the unique components that make up a characteristically Thai meal.”

In essence, sum rap Thai conveys firstly how a meal is served and eaten, including for class and regional variations; and secondly how particular dishes are paired with others.

Thais have become more sophisticated in their eating habits over the past two centuries, explains McDang, and “Sum rap Thai is a fairly new invention in Thai food culture. It came about as the country is the land of plenty and people have become richer, and the abundance of raw materials to cook with has expanded.”

“In ancient times we considered rice a meal.” McDang continues. “We ate it with fruits and fish sauce; or something as simple as just sticky rice and jaeow (a northeastern Thai or I-San style dip). This would still constitute a meal. So do not mistake the ancient way of eating with sum rap Thai,” reiterating that sum rap Thai was “invented by sophisticated Thai diners later on in Thai culinary history.”

How to order Thai food

A typical Thai meal set today includes a curry; a stir fry vegetable usually with meat; a fried dish; soup; a tart salad-like yum; and a dipping sauce (kreung jim) with cooked and/or fresh vegetables. In this list, McDang calls such dipping sauce condiments “perhaps most important of all”. But surprisingly, it is the dish least known to foreigners, and relatively rare to find in an overseas restaurant menu. Likened to a chilli jam or condiment, examples like nam prik, lohn and jaeow highlight the simplest of set menus. For example, a farmer packs his plaid pha khao mah cloth ‘lunchbox’ with rice and nam prik for protein, plus some local fruits and vegetables – a uniquely Asian version of a ploughman’s lunch. But that is not sum rap Thai.

In a more formal setting, the composition of all dishes is important. Soup, for example, clears the palate and washes things down. The remaining dishes all add contrasting yet complementary flavours and textures, but each one is individually different.

Presumably the reason so many tourists complain Thai food is too spicy-hot or too sweet is because they don’t marry or pair dishes of contrasting flavours. Simply put, not all Thai dishes are uniformly chilli-hot, so match a spicy yum or hot kaeng pa jungle curry with blander fried foods that coat the mouth. Likewise, sweet-savoury offerings foil chilli as do cooling soups and neutralising rice.

How Thais Eat
“Kin khao”, the colloquial invitation to dine in Thai, means ‘‘eat rice’’. Every Thai meal’s main glory is that grain, whether white, coloured, blended, sticky or standard. One can go so far as to state that all other dishes, known collectively as kap khao (which literally means with rice), are mere accompaniments.

“In Thailand everything is served all at once, and you eat it with rice,” explains McDang. “There are no courses.” Likewise, there is no appetizer, although there are snacks aplenty, especially for those grazing market stalls.

Hawker food aside, don’t order a single dish to consume on your own. Thai dining is the essence of relaxed conviviality, and the sharing of several dishes is part and parcel of the ritual. Rather, Thai diners communally portion dishes from the middle of the table. You are quite likely to see Thais doing the same thing when eating at fine French restaurants in Bangkok – it is ingrained in their culture.

A typical place setting features rice on individual plates for eating main dishes. Sometimes the rice is served separately in small bowls or from large communal bowls, then portioned on to a plate. While each person is served his own grain, other foods are served from bowls or small platters placed in the centre, then on to personal plates. Food is not scooped atop a rice bowl as in China.

More importantly, as individual dishes are consumed together as a set, uninitiated foreigners are cautioned not to dive into each dish when it first comes to table. Thais are seemingly lethargic until all the dishes are put before them — a full set or sum rap, so to speak. Even then, take only a small portion of one dish to consume at a time, before a second morsel from another platter. And unlike, say, an Indian meal where rice reigns at the plate centre with ‘courtier’ side servings ringed around, in a Thai meal one never takes everything at the same time.

One reason for this is Thai concepts of food temperature – or lack thereof. “Thais have no concept of hot food served hot, and cold food served cold, ’’ explains McDang. “It’s all room temperature. We live in the tropics, and we serve hot rice and ‘cold’ main dishes.”

Harried cooks will value the fact that preparing a Thai meal does not mean precise timing from stove to table. Although soups are invariably hot (“When hot food is eaten, it opens the pores in your mouth, giving you fresher tastes,” says McDang) and stir-fries easily cooked to order, other dishes like kaeng (or gaeng) curries are commonly served at room temperature. Granted, tropical room temperature may prove much warmer than in other parts of the world. Once a curry cooks, for example, it can sit well away from the stove until ready to eat or sell, and in fact, the flavour of many of these dishes improves during this slow steeping.

Spoon and Fork
In regional areas like Lao Isan and in the Lanna North, both where sticky rice prevails, locals still eat with their hands. But nearly two centuries ago Thais were introduced to forks and spoons. With most of the food cut or chopped into small mouth-sized pieces, knives remain an anomaly and are not provided outside of international restaurants. Likewise, chopsticks are reserved solely for streetside noodle dishes or dining in Chinese eateries. Consequently, Thai servings are pre-cut into portions small enough for a spoon, or tender enough to break apart using just a fork and spoon. In Thailand, never put your fork in your mouth – that is what spoons are for.

“The fork and spoon are well-suited to Thai food: the fork shepherds the food onto the spoon, which is then used to lift the food to the mouth,” McDang explains. By contrast, when eating rice and curries with a fork (as in the West) “you miss out on all the great juices and curry that are an integral part of the taste experience ”.

In an article he wrote for CNNGo, McDang goes on to discuss this concept of kluk(pronounced ‘klook’). “Use a spoon to get a real snapshot of what Thai food is about. Mixing different dishes into your rice with your fork and spoon, getting your own personal measures of each dish on your spoon each time. This is very important to Thai food: it’s part of our culture and makes eating so interesting because you get so many flavours and textures.”

When eating a Thai dish, counsels McDang, “Just shut your eyes, stick it in your mouth and just experience the flavours and textures blending in your mouth. You mix everything in your mouth and when you chew it you blend it all together.’’ We hasten to add, he is talking about eating one specific dish at a time, albeit with rice; not a combination of several dishes scooped together.

“This absolutely contrasts to French cuisine, where it is all blended before you put it in your mouth,” he explains, using the example of steak au poivre – with its pre-seasoning and sauce. “When you eat Thai cuisine, you can’t approach it like a Western meal.”

McDang notes that there are is also a sum rap-style set for Thai desserts, but warns that Westerners over the past century have not been especially enamoured of them. Thai desserts are essentially dumplings made from coconut milk or cream, palm sugar, salt, fruits, rice flour and sticky rice flour. They are generally very sweet. With Thailand offering some of the best tropical fruits in the world, many restaurants and households, especially those hosting foreigners, offer fresh fruits at the end of a meal as a refreshing palate cleanser.

Regional Flavours:
Regional examples of sum rap include northern khan toke, and northeastern I-san Palaeng – or dinner set, served from short-raised tables with guests sitting phub phiabcross-legged on the floor. Both are served with sticky rice, and in the case of Chiang Mai in the north, local specialties like nam prik num or nong chilli dip, crispy fried pork skins, Indian-spicy kaeng hunglay or herbalkaeng kae, and haw mok custard. “But for the Central Plains, a set meal means a lot more, because it means ‘what goes with what,’” says McDang. Central Thailand, which includes the capital Bangkok, is a trade entrepot. Consequently, it reflects the riches of a kingdom, not just one region. “So it’s why we started eating different dishes, with fusion included, from all the trade.”

In essence, the origin of sum rap Thai.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Select a range of cooking styles and flavours: a soup, a curry, a salad, fried and deep fried dishes, for example.
• Order several dishes to share; not per person.
• Place dishes in the centre of the table, and serve communally.
• Eat with rice.
• Dish yourself a minimal portion of one item at a time; not all together.
• Eat with your spoon, pushing food on to the spoon with the fork.
• Be adventurous!

Perfect Pairing

“To a Thai, certain pairings are known innately,” states Chef McDang, noting that the variety of “accompaniments necessary for each dish depends on how rich or poor you are and whether you are able to procure these ingredients to accompany the dish.” Here are his recommended couplings of dishes “that have to be accompanied by other things to improve taste”.

1. Sour Curry (Kaeng Som)
   Accompanied by:
   Thai Omellette (Kai Jeow) or Fried Crispy Salty Fish (Pla Krop)
2. Kaeng Pa Jungle Curry “any style with any type of protein”
   No coconut milk in these curries
   Accompanied by:
   Fried Salted Fish (Pla Khem Tot) or Salted Pork (Moo Dat Deow Tot)
3. Green Curry “with any kind of protein” (Kaeng Kheow Wan)
   Accompanied by:
   Crispy Fried Sun Dried Fish (Pla Salit Tot)
   or Salted Fish (Pla Khem Tot)
   or Salted Egg (Khai Khem)
4. Yellow Curry “with any kind of protein” (Kaeng Karie)
   Accompanied by:
   Toasted Coconut Chips (Maphrao Kua) or Fried Ripe Bananas (Kluay Tot)
5. Chili Dip in a Boat (Nam Prik Long Ruea)
   Accompanied by cooked and raw vegetables such as cucumber or Curcuma (Khamin Khao)
   or Crispy Flaky Fried Catfish Meat (Pla Duk Foo)
   or Sweet Tender Pork Belly Pieces (Moo Wan)
   or Salted Egg (Khai Khem)
6. Green Beef Curry with Fresh Garden Thai Chilli Peppers (Kaeng Kheow Wan NueaPrik Kee Nu Suan)
   Accompanied by:
   Fried Roti (Roti Tot)

Chef McDang’s Suggested menu

Sum Rap # 1

• Beef Jungle Curry with Pumpkin (Kaeng Pa Nuea Kup Fak Thong)
• Stir Fried Chinese Broccoli and Salted Fish (Pat Kahna Pla Khem)
• Coriander Roots, Thai Garlic and White Peppercorn Marinated Deep Fried Fish
  (Pla Tot Kratiem Prik Thai)
• Pork Broth with Vegetable, Ground Pork and Egg Custard (Kaeng Jued Look Lawk)
• Fermented Soybean and Coconut Cream Dip with accompanying vegetables (Lohn Tao Jeow)
• Wing Bean Salad (Yum Tua Plu)

Sum Rap # 2

• Green Curry with Pla Grai Fish Balls (Gaeng Kheow Wan Look Chin Pla Krai)
• Hearts of Coconut Stir-fried with Chili Garlic and Prawns (Yot Maprao Pat Koong)
• Spicy Vegetable Soup (Kaeng Liang)
• Marinated River Prawns fried with Garlic, White Peppercorns and Cilantro Roots (Koong Mae Nam Tot Gratiem Prik Thai)
• Thai Beef Salad, Plah Style (Plah Nuea)
• Fresh Young Tamarind Chili Dip with accompanying vegetable, sweet pork, and salted egg (Nam Prik Makham Sot Gup Pak Ruam, Moo Wan, Lae Khai Khem)