Neil Steedman
@neilsteedman.bsky.social
After 50 years as a trade (mainly travel) journalist, editor and proof reader, I am now retired, living in #Arklow in Ireland, a #Buddhist, and Manager for Tibetan singer and Real World Records recording artist #YungchenLhamo. #Buddhism #Travel
New sailing boat Nubia Dahabeya offers 4-night/5-day private charters between Luxor and Aswan for up to 12 guests from £17,000, including accommodation, full board, airport transfers, local transport, and excursions. A total solar eclipse sailing in August 2027 is at the high-season rate of £22,000.
California-based #JetZero's Z4 prototype aircraft is designed to carry 250 passengers and be up to 50% greater fuel efficient than conventional aircraft. The design blends the wings and body into one surface and allows for four wide aisles, with each seat having its own overhead luggage compartment.
#Emirates #Skywards members can now reach 12,000+ rail destinations with the new Skywards Rail's access to 40+ operators in 12 European countries, using their Miles to purchase rail tickets via the booking tool www.skywardsrail.com, either online or via their mobile devices, in five languages.
On the other hand, if one lets them live, maybe one might feel a little bit good?
Dan Regan@soundofwaffles.bsky.social · last wk.One of the downsides of Buddhism is feeling a little bit bad everytime you swat a gnat or fruit fly.
Valiant Lady will be #VirginVoyages’ first ship to sail in Scandinavia and the Baltics, home-porting in Amsterdam from 9 July through to 4 September 2028 for six sailings, with maiden calls at 15 ports across two seas, and overnight stays in Stockholm and Lisbon. Public booking opens 14 August 2026.
A deep-sea fish with a transparent head and rotating eyes, the Barreleye is one of the ocean’s strangest creatures. Original post
From 1 August, JR East will expand its Hands-Free Travel programme so passengers can deposit bags at lockers in Tokyo and Sendai Stations for same-day delivery to hotels in the other city. This autumn they can also leave bags in Tokyo station for delivery to counters at Narita and Haneda airports.
#UNESCO has expanded its #WorldHeritage list with 18 newly inscribed cultural and natural properties, recognising places of outstanding universal value. They include Sarnath in India, where Buddha Shakyamuni gave his first teaching and is one of Buddhism’s four principal pilgrimage destinations.
The first section of India’s bullet train project, the 508km between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, is now expected to open in 2028, reducing the journey from six to two hours, with indigenously built high-speed trains travelling at 320km/h. The 800km Delhi-Varanasi corridor may be the next to be developed.
#AirFrance and #ExtimeTravel have launched a new stopover programme for passengers connecting at #Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport with a minimum connection time of 27 hours. The offer is available to Air France passengers in all cabin classes, including Economy, Premium, Business, and La Première.
#EasyJet has agreed in principle to a £5.7bn takeover proposal from US firm #ApolloManagement - days after it accepted a £5.2bn offer from US investment firm #Castlelake. Apollo has a deadline of 7 August to make a firm bid or walk away. Castlelake's deadline to make a firm offer is 3 August.
Over 1 million Qantas customers are receiving court-ordered messages from Echo Law and Piper Alderman explaining how they can apply for a share of an AUS$105 million settlement following a class action against Qantas over Covid-19 flight credits. The settlement still requires Federal Court approval.
#Turkey has denied entry to #VirginVoyages’ Scarlet Lady, chartered by #AtlantisEvents for an all-LGBTQ+ cruise scheduled to call in at Kusadasi and Istanbul, saying the cruise was chartered “by groups known for behaviours that do not align with the structure of our society and our moral values."
UK-based low-cost carrier #easyJet has reached an agreement in principle with US investment firm #Castlelake over a potential takeover offer valuing the airline at approximately £5.2 billion. Yyesterday the board of directors reached agreement on the £6.90-per-share proposal put forward on 4 July.
IATA, ACI Europe and AirlinesFourEurope have sent an open letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, calling on her to “immediately provide Member States with all the flexibility needed to completely suspend the Entry/Exit System, at least throughout July and August”.
“The quality of our life depends on what seeds we water in our consciousness.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
#VisitOrlando has unveiled #OPAL (Orlando Planning Assistance by Locals), an AI-powered trip planner to help travellers customise their Orlando vacations. OPAL is available 24/7 on the website at no cost. The tool is trained by unnamed local experts and powered by the AI travel platform Mindtrip,
Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs has issued a new passport design that is a result of “world-leading security technology, including several features being used in a passport for the first time”. All passports issued from 26 June 2026 will feature the new design, imagery and security features.
The first phase of #EtihadRail's passenger train services will begin on 30 June, between #AbuDhabi and #Fujairah stations, with a journey time of 1 hour 45 minutes. Tickets start from Dh55 in Comfort Class and Dh120 in Premium Class. Tickets are bookable through the Etihad Rail app.
#GAdventures Away Games trip series bring travellers match-day experiences and deeper cultural connection in Europe’s greatest football cities, including London, Manchester, Madrid, and Barcelona with more than 30 departures from October 2026. Additional Spanish departures will be announced in July.
#Japan has implemented five-fold increases to visa fees for foreigners, marking the first price increase in nearly 50 years. From 1 July 2026, single-entry visa fees will be raised from the current 3,000 yen (€16.25) to 15,000 yen, while multi-entry visas will now cost 30,000 yen, up from 6,000 yen.
#Venice’s new mayor, Simone Venturini, aims to raise the entrance fee for day-trippers to as much as €50, aimed at further discouraging arrivals “during periods of heightened tourist pressure”. He pledged during his election campaign to raise the fee to between €30 and €50, depending on the dates.
The first #Qantas non-stop Sydney-London flight will be in October 2027, and on sale in February. The flight, by A350-1000ULR aircraft, will take about 21 hours - saving passengers up to four hours. The non-stop Sydney-New York route is expected to launch in the last couple months of 2027.
A beautifully told story of Robert (Bob) Thurman’s journey with Buddhism, his friendship with the Dalai Lama and of his studies, teachings and family life.
Robin Reed@robinreed.bsky.social · 2mo agoThis.
Aer Lingus is marking a decade of AerClub with its first-ever transatlantic Avios-Only flights to New York, departing Friday 13 November, returning Tuesday 17 November 2026. Return flights start from 23,400 Avios in Economy and 90,000 Avios in Business Class, plus taxes, with a 10% discount applied.
MEPs have secured an air passenger rules deal with the EC that maintains compensation for three-hour delays, ensures faster reimbursement, fee-free child seating, and flight price transparency. The deal seeks to protect passengers against denied boarding and delayed or cancelled flights.
#Amsterdam’s new coalition government plans to increase the tourist tax on overnight stays from 12.5% to 16% in 2027. After that, the tax would increase by one percentage point each year until it reaches 20% in 2030. The Netherlands has raised VAT on short-stay accommodation from 9% to 21% in 2026.
