You are warned. Fly but don’t get drunk, says Minister.

There is an issue with the number of drunken passengers on Air Mauritius flights, says the Minister of Tourism and External Communication, Mr. Xavier Luc Duval. “They cause problems to other passengers and staff and now Government wants to put into place preventive measures. We intend to have a law that will allow us to prosecute disruptive passengers once they land,” he adds.

However, he says: “We will not ban drinking on our flights; we do not want to change the customer’s experience. Why should we penalize the majority of well-behaved passengers because of a drunken few?” The proposed Civil Aviation (Hijacking and other Offences) (Amendment) Bill, under section 5A reads as follows: Any person who, on board an Aircraft flight – (a) intimidates or threatens a crew member, whether physically or verbally, or uses abusive language against him, or lessens the ability of a crew member to perform his duties; (b) obstructs or hinders a crew member in the performance of his duties; (c) willfully refuses to follow a lawful instruction given by the aircraft commander, or on behalf of the aircraft commander by a crew member, for the purpose of ensuring the safety of the aircraft or of any person or property on board, or for the purpose of maintaining good order and discipline on board, shall commit an offence.

(2) Any person who, on board an Air Mauritius in flight (a) intimidates or threatens, whether physically or verbally another person or uses abusive language against another person; (b) willfully damages or destroys property not belonging to him;(c) is under the influence of an intoxicating drink (i.e. alcohol) or of a drug to such extent as to be incapable of behaving properly, shall commit an offence. One tour Operator believes that the new legislation would be a step towards the right direction. “This is an excellent initiative. The Bill would bring Mauritius in line with other countries, which have laws that offer protection on flights. It is important that at a time when we expect a rise in the volume of tourists, we can assure flight staff a safe working environment.”

The president of the Association of Travel Agencies, Mr. Willy Cheung said: “It is a good piece of legislation that will act as a deterrent. It will protect the cabin crews, and the passengers too.” One steward said: “This new legislation was long overdue. Flight crews have had enough with drunken passengers. They think that we are here to put up with their abuse and ill manners. Not only do they make our job tougher but also they spoil the mood of other passengers. I applaud the Government for this initiative.” An airhostess said: “Dealing with drunken passengers is a cabin crew’s worst nightmare. We must be very initiative to find a diplomatic ways to ask them to stop drinking. We have received training to deal with this issue, but I must confess, it can get quite tiring.

MauriTravel

Everest base camp trekking is a famous and challenging trek in Khumbu Nepal. The trek is famous for its spectacular mountain peaks and friendliness of its inhabitants (Sherpa). The Everest region (Khumbu) is one of the most popular destinations for tourists in Nepal. While many of the routes through the mountains are difficult, there are ample places to rest and enjoy a meal along the way. The trekking is possible in this area, the whole year around, but the best times to visit are from the beginning of March to mid May and from the beginning of September to mid November.

The trekking to base camp begins early morning, by flight from Kathmandu to the mountain airstrip to Lukla, the heart of Everest Region, then around three hours walk we reach at Phakding and then we continue north up to Dudh Kosi valley and to Namche bazaar, there we spend a day for acclimatization. Next day, we continue our trekking to Kala Pattar and subsequently to Everest base camp; we have one day rest in Dingboche or Pheriche in between and for some side trips and further acclimatization. We have some magnificent views of Everest along with Nuptse, Lohtse and Mount Pumori and we return back to Lukla and catch our flight to Kathmandu.

Fact of Everest Base Camp Trekking Trekking

Destination: Kalapathar – Everest Base Camp

Group Size: Min – 1 

Highest Access of the Trekking: 5545m 

Grade: Fairly Strenuous  

Transportation: Aero plane  

Mode of Trekking Tour: Tea house / Camping 

Trekking Hour: Approximately 6 – 7 hours each day 

Total Days: 14 Days  

Trip Cost: USD 899

Itinerary in Detail

Day 01. Arrive at Kathmandu airport (1345meters). You will be met by our representative and transfer to hotel and a short brief about the trekking after refreshment.

Day 02. Fly to Lukla (2804 meters) from Kathmandu, trek to Phakding (2610 meters). 

Day 03. Trek to Namche Bazaar (3441 meters).  

Day 04. Namche Bazaar Acclimatization day. Hike to everest view hotel. 

Day 05. Trek to Tengboche Monastery (3860 meters).  

Day 06. Trek to Dingboche (4350 meters).  

Day 07. Day trip to Chhukung valley (4710 meters) and trek back to Dingboche.  

Day 08. Trek to Lobuche (4910 meters).  

Day 09. Trek to Everest Base Camp (5365 meters) then back to Gorak Shep (5180 meters).

Day 10. Hike up Kalapattar (5545 meters) to see the sunrise and panoramic view including of Everest then trek down to Pheriche (4200 meter).  

Day 11. Trek to Namche Bazaar (3441 meters).  

Day 12. Trek to Lukla (3404 meters).  

Day 13. Flight from Lukla to Kathmandu in the morning.    

Day 14. Transfer to international airport for your final flight departure. 

 The above itinerary is a guideline and standard pattern which we provide you. This trekking can be modified according to your time and requirements.

Cost Include »

Airport pick up and drops by private car/van/bus.

» Two night’s standard accommodation in Kathmandu (on the arrival day and after the trekking).

» Your standard meals (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) during the trekking.

» All necessary paper works and national park entry permits.

» Domestic airport pick up and drop by car/ Flight Ticket (LUK-KTM-LUK) / domestic airport Tax.

» All accommodations in lodges/tea houses during the treks.

» Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS) Permit.

» An experienced, helpful and friendly Guide, porters (1 porter for 2 peoples).

» Salary, Food, Drinks, Accommodation, Transportation and Insurance for the Guide and Porter.

» Arrangement of Emergency Helicopter service which will be paid by your Travel insurance company. » Medical supplies (first aid kit will be available).

» All government taxes.

Cost Exclude

» Nepal entry visa fee you may easily issue the visa upon your arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport – Kathmandu. You will require 2 passport size photos.

» Your Travel insurance. » International airfare and airport departure tax.

» Food while you are in Kathmandu.

» Your personal expenses.

» All the alcoholic and non alcoholic Drinks.

» Sweet things like chocolate. » Hot shower during the trekking.

» Tips for the guide and porter.

more info-http://www.trekkingtourinnepal.com/everest-base-camp-trekking.html

Claudious Tours and Safaris

If you plan to spend your holidays in Africa and love wild life and beach holidays, this is a wonderful chance to make the most of your holidays in this region. A chance you can’t miss!

Nature: Mountain biking and nature walks are good options if you like being surrounded by nature. And with Kilimanjaro near, it will be a real pleasure. This location is perfect if you’re looking for the tranquility and peace that only the contact with nature offers. Whatever your choice don’t forget to take your water bottle and your camera with you!

Beach sports: Running and beach volley are only two of the sports you can practice in the more than 40km of white sandy beaches in the Mombassa region. Contrary to the Algarve, the beaches are not crowded so you can truly enjoy your activities.

Masai Mara National Park.This region has been a major tourist attraction for many years due to its excellent location and many, many options available like the balloon ride, visiting of the Masai Village, walking safari in the park and many more. Although a tourist place, it is also quiet and peaceful and here you’re surrounded by Mother Nature: from one side you have the masai grazing their cattle and on the other side you have the lion lying helplessly under the trees.

Here you can breathe in the fragrance of pine groves or also acquaint yourself with the golf course fairways. A unique, unspoilt place offering unforgettable experiences. Here, sky’s the limit.

Holidays in Troia can include:

– enjoying the sun in one of the many lovely beaches,

– indulging yourself in a round of golf on some of the most challenging and breath-taking golf courses in the country,

– embark on nature walks or biking on the Arrabida (The Arr?bida Natural Park, covering an area of approximately 26,687 acres, has predominantly Mediterranean vegetation, with some rare species unique to the region),

– go on a boat trip and you may be able to see pink flamingos flying above you and lovely friendly dolphins swimming below you. Truly an experience you’ll never forget!

– Sailing, diving and kite-surfing are also activities you can enjoy here.

And to end a perfect day in Troia, and before you taste the wonderful Portuguese cuisine, why not watching the sunset on Melides Beach?

The safari that will take you to all this places.

7 days Amboseli, Lake Nakuru & Masai Mara

Highlights

Enjoy a cup of coffee with the beautiful backdrop of Kilimanjaro in the vicinity of Amboseli where the biggest elephants are found, visit the scenic pink lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara Great Reserve. This is a tour that will take you to the major national parks & reserves and Rift Valley lakes. All the programs we handle includes: Africa Holiday Travel, Africa Visa Travel, Africa Wildlife Tours, Safaris to East Africa, Tours to Kenya, Mombasa Beach Travel, Cultural Tours to Kenya, Adventure Safaris in Uganda, Tanzania Holiday Travel, Uganda Vacations, Kenya Budget Camping, Kenya Lodge Holidays, Kenya Wildlife Tours, Mt Kenya Trekking, Mt Kilimanjaro Climbing, Zanzibar Beach Tours, Nairobi City Tours, Mombassa Excursions, Ecotourism in Kenya, South Africa Hotels, Kenya Hotels, Tanzania Hotels and disability tours.

Areas of Interest: Lake Nakuru National Park,  Great Rift Valley, Masai Mara Game Reserve, Great Wildebeest Migration (Seasonal), Amboseli, Mt. Kilimanjaro,

Activity: Game Viewing, Camping, Scenery, Photography, Culture, Bird Watching, Relaxation, Beach Life

Currency Price: USD $1,225 /person estimated

Customize:  This package can be customized

Country: Kenya

Duration: 7 days

Persons: min (2) max (7)

Accommodation: Camping

Game Parks: Masai Mara (Kenya)

Amboseli NP (Kenya)

Lake Nakuru NP (Kenya)

Activities: Wildlife Viewing

I T I N E R A R Y

Day 1: Nairobi – Masai Mara

After breakfast, we will pick you up from your Nairobi hotel. Thereafter, depart for the Masai Mara Game Reserve. You will have a spot at the viewpoint of the Great Rift Valley and at Narok town for lunch then proceed for a game drive on arrival, tracking various animal species and birds with your driver / guide. Dinner and an overnight stay at the campsite.

Day 2: Masai Mara

Early breakfast followed by a full day of game drives within the reserve. Masai Mara is renowned for its high animal concentration and abundance. Black-maned lions, elephants and buffalo can be seen (3 out of the big 5) though luck is essential for spotting leopard and rhino, which make the other two. The reserve is essentially the northern extension of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and is home to numerous plains game including wildebeest, common zebra and the Masai giraffe as well as antelopes like Thompson’s gazelle, hartebeest, impala and dik dik among others. You will have a break for your picnic lunch at the hippo pool where hippos are in view and with luck, crocodiles. Return to the campsite for dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Masai Mara

Early breakfast followed by a game drive. The landscape here is scenic savannah grassland on rolling hills; this reserve is the best park for game in Kenya as it has an extensive road and track network, which enables close range viewing and photography. Lunch at the campsite. In the afternoon you will have a choice of three activities; a game drive or an escorted nature walk with our armed Masai guides. At an extra cost you can visit a local Masai village to see their nomadic lifestyle. All activities end at the campsite where you will retire for the night after dinner.

Day 4: Masai Mara – Lake Nakuru

After breakfast depart Masai Mara for Nakuru to arrive in the late evening for dinner and overnight at a campsite with lunch en-route. Depending on the time you depart from Masai Mara, you can get here in time to do a short game drive so that Day 05, you depart early morning for Amboseli via Nairobi. It is a very flexible day whereby our driver cum guide wills liase with clients onboard to agree altogether on how to go.

Day 5: Lake Nakuru – Amboseli

After breakfast you will have a morning game viewing session in Lake Nakuru National Park to view flamingos for the park which is famous, other water birds, various antelopes and plains game, Cape buffalo, the Rothschild’s giraffe, baboons and with luck the rare white rhino which is an endangered species. Drive to Nairobi for lunch then on to Amboseli National Park for dinner and overnight at a campsite, game drive en-route.

Day 6: Amboseli

A day of game drives in this park, which contains swamp grounds in which elephants and hippos in abundance. A visit to the observation hill will follow where you will look out for Mt. Kilimanjaro peak if weather conditions permit. A variety of plains game, antelopes and birds can be also be seen. You will have a lunch and leisure break at the campsite in the mid afternoon. Rest of meals and overnight at a campsite.

Day 7: Amboseli – Nairobi

After breakfast, proceed for your final game drive. An early lunch will be taken then depart for Nairobi in the evening.

Package Includes:

Includes:

All National parks entrance fees

All game drives

Professional fluent english-speaking driver cum guide

Comfortable transport in our safari vehicles with hatch-roofs fitted with VHF radio

All campsite fees in all the above mentioned parks

All camping equipment (except sleeping bags, which we have available for hire in Nairobi)

Two man mosquito-netted canvas tents

Africa Jungle comfortable seats

Comfortable foam mattresses 2-4 inches and ground sheets in the tents.

Three meals per day safari

Excludes

International flights

Visas and travel insurance

Items of a personal nature

Items not mentioned above

Sleeping bags, which we have available for hire

Drinking Water/Alcohol

Local Village visits

Hot air Balloon ride

Travelers, campers, and vacationers alike can be at risk for getting Lyme disease, a serious, debilitating condition caused by being bitten by an infected tick. 

What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?

Some of the symptoms of Lyme disease are the classic bull’s-eye red rash, fatigue or loss of energy, feeling sleepy, tingling and numbness, swollen and painful joints, memory loss, and feeling like you are getting the flu.  Paralysis of the face is a less common symptom. 

Lyme disease can make your life miserable and cause you a lot of pain and suffering if it’s not diagnosed and treated right away.  The longer you wait before seeing a health professional allows this disease to progress quickly and it may not be possible to lessen it’s effects.

How is Lyme disease spread?

Ticks bite and then feed on animals like mice, other small rodents, and deer.  If these animals are harboring the Lyme bacteria, they can pass this  bacteria on to the ticks.  And if people are bitten by an infected tick they may contract Lyme disease.

What steps can you take to reduce the chance of getting Lyme disease?

Some people do not have symptoms that show right away so prevention is always the best policy.  If you are traveling in the spring and summer months to or through areas where deer, mice, other rodents and animals live, the following are some things you can do.

When you are camping on holidays or vacation, you can lessen the number of ticks around your campsite by cleaning up any brush and leaves debris.  Wearing light colored clothing helps you to easily see these very tiny black insects and remove them before they get attached to your skin.  Make sure you wear long-sleeved shirts and tuck them inside your pants.  Always tuck your pant cuffs inside of your socks.  It is also a good idea to wear rubber boots as ticks are commonly found close to the ground.  However, you may also get them in your hair if you happen to brush against any leaves on a low tree branch.  Wearing a light-colored, wide-brimmed hat will help.  Be sure to check your skin and scalp carefully as ticks can easily be overlooked, especially in your hair.  Applying a DEET insect repellent to your clothes and exposed skin, as well as applying permethrin, an insecticide, to your clothes will also help.

How can you remove ticks safely? 

Ticks that have burrowed and embedded themselves underneath your skin can be removed by using a small-tipped tweezers.  Do not leave any part of the tick remaining under your skin.  When the tick has been totally removed, disinfect the wound thoroughly with hydrogen peroxide or alcohol.  Keep in mind that you are not totally out of the woods yet, so to speak, as the symptoms can take a number of days or weeks before they show.  Using tweezers is the only safe way to remove ticks from under your skin or scalp.  Don’t try to remove any ticks by using burnt matches, petroleum jelly, or alcohol as this will aggravate them, causing them to release more of the bacteria into your blood stream. 

Please note that there is no vaccine available for Lyme disease.

The Center For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) states that this bacterial disease is vastly under reported, perhaps by well over 100,000 cases per year in the U.S. alone.  Visit their website at cdc.gov for more information on Lyme disease.

The main purpose of one’s honeymoon vacation is to rest, relax and just enjoy being with each other.  Once you have picked out your honeymoon vacation location you then need to pick out a honeymoon vacation  package that is going to be as stress free as possible so that you might have the best possible honeymoon vacation  experience.

An all-inclusive honeymoon vacation package is the perfect solution to help alleviate hassles associated with traveling.  All-inclusive honeymoon vacation packages are available at many resorts, especially in the Caribbean.  Included in these honeymoon vacation packages are meals, snacks, drinks (including alcoholic and soda), water sports  and entertainment.  It is possible to even have your air tickets included in the package when you purchase it.

A cruise honeymoon  vacation can also be somewhat all-inclusive in the fact that they include your lodging, meals and snacks as well as entertainment.  Many expenses will be extra when cruising though such as alcoholic and soda drinks and of course any shore excursions you may want to take.  One needs to be very aware of what is and what is not included in the price of a cruise.

The more you can have planned and paid for before your departure the more stress and hassles you will eliminate from your actual honeymoon vacation.  Not only is this going to help you be able to truly kick back and just enjoy each other but it will also help you stick to your budget simply by having the bulk of your honeymoon vacation paid for in advance.

For more information on travel deals : “Free video reveals #1 secret to having an exotic and magical honeymoon and save 100’s even 1,000’s of $$$!!! The secret enclosed in this video works for any kind of trip you are planning. It’s not exclusive to honeymoons.

Typically wilderness survival kits have first aid items, ways to make fire, a blade of some sort, and some water purification tablets. That’s the minimum in any case, and there are certainly other items in almost any kit that you buy. But of course not everyone is going into the same kind of terrain during the same seasons and engaging in the same activities. In other words, you might not find a kit that has just what you need in it. The solution? Build your own.To start with, you need a good nylon pouch or zippered bag to hold everything. You can start stocking it with the usual items. These should include matches, some other form of fire starter (lighter or magnesium stick), a signal reflector, whistle (also for signaling), water purification tablets, a compass, a knife, some cord, duct tape, paper, a pencil, needle and thread, safety pins, bandages, aspirin, gauze pads, sun block, antibiotic ointment, medical tape, tweezers, and moleskin.

Next, consider the types of environment you are normally going to be in. If you often hike in the desert, for example, a large garbage bag or piece of plastic might be a good idea. It can be used to make a solar still if you need water.

If you canoe to isolated locations far from civilization, fishing gear might be a good addition. A few rolls of line and a half-dozen hooks and split-shot sinkers will add only an ounce or so to the weight of the kit. This better prepares you to feed yourself should your other supplies get washed away.

If you do a lot of cold-weather backpacking you might include an emergency “survival blanket.” One of the metallic-plastic ones might weigh only a few ounces, yet work to warm you as well as keep the rain off of you.

If you hike in the mountains and are prone to twisted ankles or knee problems, add an ace bandage. If the metal hooks snag on things in your kit, you can leave them behind and just tuck the wrap into itself. I also sometimes carry an elastic knee-brace that weighs just a few ounces.

If you travel very far from roads or civilization in general, food can be a great addition as well. Find some granola bars or something else that has an expiration date a year away or more. That way you can leave the emergency food in your survival kit between trips, so you don’t forget it.

If you travel in cold wet places, add a good fire tinder that will light when wet. This could be cotton balls soaked with petroleum jelly, cardboard soaked in wax, or something similar. Alcohol-based gel hand sanitizer can help wet things burn as well (and can be used as a disinfectant).

Finally, consider making small survival kits for your pocket. Losing gear is not that uncommon, but you rarely lose the clothes you are wearing. This kind of kit should have aspirin, waterproof matches, a bandage, and a small amount of duct tape. You can add other items, but keep the whole thing small enough and light enough to comfortably carry in a pocket.

It is no secret that backpackers are renouned for having a drink and a good time whilst gallavanting around the world discovering and exploring many different places and cultures. However, it is advisable that backpackers and travellers be aware of other cultures customs and laws. Thus, a little bit of research on backpacking information and travel information is highly recommended prior to waltzing on into foreign lands unaware of their local customs and laws.

We would therefore like to touch on the issues of drinking alcohol in some of the worlds worst drinking countries which can provide for a good source of backpacking information on these issues.

Prohibition or prohibition of alcohol is generally a law that either restricts or prohibits manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, service, and consumption of drinks with alcoholic content. These provisions may vary per country so here is vital information that could spare the traveller from some serious trouble. In the present times, if X=Islamic State, and Islamic State=No Alcohol, then X= Worst Place for Drunks.

8. Brunei

Brunei is an Islamic State, which in layman’s term mean simply, alcohol is banned. But as tabloid favourite Prince Azim drinks like a mad-thirsty camel after a traverse in the Arab Desert, it seems quite hypocritical. Selling alcohol is generally barred, and the traveller will find locating liquor stores a task…if there are any. Some hotels may carry spirits of sorts. A traveller is thus allowed to carry 12 cans of beer and two spirits of other sorts possibly bought outside Brunei. At any rate, no major sanctions exist for the violator.

7. United Arab Emirates

One tends to think, if alcohol is banned, how can I fully enjoy my stay? Islamic practices ascertain a no alcohol policy for Muslims, but to non-Muslims too? Let’s clarify. Sharjah imposes a no special conditions, all out prohibition on alcohol, with exemptions on Duty Free and a social club, the Sharjah Wanderers. Elsewhere, non-Muslims can have access to alcohol at bars or liquor stores any time. Restrictions on purchase of alcohol are exercised for non-Muslim individuals with UAE residence permits, who are required to have a “liquor license” to be approved by your employer, at least according to law.

Although nobody really checks licences in hotels and restos, liquor stores do random checks to be sure, especially if you’re looking too familiar. After all, there are but one or two liquor stores, like in Dubai.

6. Qatar

Alcohol is “restricted” by and large to sales in hotels and bars. Similarly, for expats with Qatar residence permits necessitate a liquor license to purchase alcohol. Qatar Laws also prohibit bringing in alcohol to the country and drinking in public. Violation of Qatar’s alcohol restrictions is a punishable offense such as jail time or deportation. For tourists, sanctions are lighter and may possibly involve a simple warning or confiscation, at the airport, for instance, which, with a reclaim form valid for 2 weeks, can be retrieved on exit from the country.

5. Kuwait

No ALCOHOL! Kuwaitis mean it. Muslim or non-Muslims, alcohol is strictly illegal. No importing, manufacturing, serving in hotels or bars, or consumption. It is quite serious because they do bust budding distilleries and talk about it on the news. Nonetheless, the rebellious will rebel. There are some expat restaurants that serve a special brew or tea. The good news: no corporal punishments.

4. Iran

Alcohol consumption and production is a soft crime in Iran. Violators, when caught by police, are meted with harsh penalties. Brews for personal consumption are allowed for officially recognized non-Muslims sects, especially for celebrations and religious rites as in communion, albeit begrudgingly. For Muslims, repeated convictions may lead to the ultimate punishment, the death penalty. For the creator of wine and distilled spirits, it is a little odd and a bit too steep.

3. Palestinian Territories

Drinking alcohol is literally banned, but a few free-spirited Jewish settlements don’t give a lot of crap. Watering holes are present in Jewish settlements, although business is done with limit and secrecy. No extreme harm is due to the bacchanals, but to independent store owners…yes. Suppliers or alcohol stores are destroyed, stoned, and burned down by Muslim fundamentalists who are not open to the idea of what is to them “disrespect” to Islam. Let it be said that non-Muslims, need I mention Jews, have more to worry than prohibition? To credit, Palestinian beer is just too good to stop selling.

2. Saudi Arabia

Although Iran’s death penalty is horrifying, sanctions do not extend to non-Muslims and tourists. Thus, Saudi Arabia tops the list primarily because the alcohol-slash-drinking ban is very heavily imposed with ultra major sanctions, last I heard. Home brews are allowed to some extent, but in secret and in minor quantities. Still don’t get caught because things will get uuugly. For a little happy time, it’s either weeks to months of jail time, public flogging time, or it’s high time to go back home. For a not-so-instant gratification, it will cost a 90 -minute drive down to the party centre Bahrain. And when you do, leave the bottle in Bahrain. Take it or leave it.

1. Libya

The alcohol ban in Libya is possibly the most serious one. Even personal/private brews are heavily and totally discouraged. In this case, tourist or local, corporal punishment for violation of prohibition laws applies. Although a local black market makes alcoholic beverages accessible, tourists ought to reconsider, if not for respect for laws, for safety precautions. Some of these brews unknown to the traveller may be dangerous as to cost your life. These could contain impurities that have not been filtered.

Other Muslim countries have no bans on alcohol like Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt, while they may have some special customs. I know for Turkey, drinking on the streets or in public is a disgrace. Drinking during the Ramadan, even by non-Muslims, is downright disrespectful. In the end, it’s not about loopholes and escaping punishment. It’s all about respect to a country’s laws and traditions, customs and sensitivities, ain’t it? Alright, it’s also about the sanctions.

As previously mentioned prior research on backpacking information and travel information of your intended destinations is highly recommended by us here at Backpacking Addictz.

Backpacking Addictz is a website set up by backpackers for the use of backpackers. On this site you will find a lot of very valuable information surrounding different destinations around the world and tips and advice on budget travel and backpacking. You will also find an enthusiastic and insightful backpacking blog which is regularly updated with new posts and article.

Backpacking Addictz Travel eGuides are a fantastic, cheap and easy way to get hold of a vast amount of backpacking information prior to setting off on your backpacking adventure.

In Lang Son Province, which borders China, die people eat roast meat they call che than. Although it is available at restaurants, originally che than is some­thing a family prepares for special guests. Che than must be served not in bowls or dishes but on three layers of leaves, uppermost moc mat, a kind of succulent apricot, next red-pepper, and at  the bottom a grass that grows by a brook. The eating utensil is a eucalyptus twig sharpened and   heated.

The meat does not go directly    into    the mouth but is dipped in three terracotta bowls, the first contain­ing lard prepared with clay, the second red pepper prepared with cassava alcohol and the third salt prepared with wild banana. Che than is served with one-third of a moc mat leaf that has been soaked in the brook, and part of the stalk of the leaf should be used as a toodipick.

According to Mr Nung Sieng, a che than specialist in Bao Lam Village, Cao Loc District, a wild boar of about 20 kg is the most suitable, and it should come from deep in forest or high on a mountain, to be awe-inspiringly powerful.

A ceremony in worship of mountain gods and forest ghosts is held before the boar is gutted. The carcass should be washed with extract of moc mat leaves mixed with clay mud, soaked in vinegar, covered with a layer of grass taken from beside a brook, buried three days and three nights, washed with herbal extract, embalmed with forest spices, stuffed with moc -mat leaves, trussed with wild-apricot twigs and roasted over a fire fuelled with wood of a special tree that has born fruit; salt has been thrown into the fire. When the skin begins to yellow, a sign that the meat is cooked well, water from the brook mixed with cassava alcohol is poured on to it without putting the fire out; smoke must be kept away lest the che than aroma be dispersed and the awe-inspiring power dissipated. The boar is turned over, and lard coming out of it collected and poured back over it when the feast is about to start.

The cooking of che than is carried out only when the host has made sure nobody-is lurking or eavesdropping.

The meat is displayed on a table covered with moc mat leaves and the host says a mantra to change it into che than.

Because che than is in high demand, wild boar, big or small, are becoming scarce and domestic pigs are substituted. Many families break the law and bring    che    than out    for    sale and   restaurants   prepare   it. It is now available over the border,in China.