Hostelling International (HI), the only global network of Hostel Associations, has announced the best hostels in the world according to their customers. HI’s annual meeting for hostel managers has just taken place in Cologne, Germany and as part of that meeting, the prestigious HI-5ives! Awards ceremony took place to celebrate the top hostels in the HI network.

Hostellers who left ratings on the website hihostels.com during 2011 have now had their say and awards have been handed out in the following five categories: friendliest hostel, green hostel, most comfortable hostel, best overall hostel and best hostel country.

Mikael Hansson, CEO of Hostelling International says of the HI-5ives! ‘These awards are a great opportunity for us to celebrate the very best in the HI network, but in essence it is a chance to reflect on the great work that all hostel managers and their teams manage to achieve wherever they are in the world, that is to help people of all ages and nationalities to enjoy the experience of global travel that goes beyond just sleeping in a bed’.

The results of the HI-5ives! Hostel awards are as follows:

Best Hostel 2012: Lerwick Hostel, Scotland
The most prestigious award of ‘Best Hostel’ is given to the hostel with the highest overall rating in all categories. Located off the northern edge of Scotland, on the Shetland Isles, Lerwick Hostel (also known as Isleburgh House) was voted best hostel in Europe last year and has gone one better by scooping the ‘Best Hostel’ award two years running. HI customers love its location, with close proximity to local amenities, the beautiful grand mansion house with fabulous views and the friendly and efficient staff. Lerwick Hostel Manager Dale Smith said of the award, ‘we are so over the moon and so pleased to hear we are the Best Hostel for the second year running. Now, we are going for the hat trick!’.

Friendliest Hostel 2012: WIKI Hostel, Italy and Florence Tavarnelle, Italy
HI can virtually guarantee you a friendly smile whenever you are welcomed to a HI hostel but this award goes to an outstanding effort in this category. This year, there are two joint winners – WIKI Hostel and Florence Tavarnelle, both located in Italy. Florence Tavarnelle offers guests accommodation in one of the most beautiful and famous regions of Italy, and is within close proximity of local amenities. Guests commented on the team’s ability to go above and beyond for the guests, making it a very welcoming and enjoyable stay. Similarly, guests who stayed at the WIKI Hostel commented on the team’s ability to make all guests ‘feel at home’ and ensure every visitor has a stay to remember and cherish.

Most Comfortable Hostel 2012: Utano Youth Hostel, Kyoto, Japan
This super-modern hostel is located in central Japan and features it’s very own Japanese bath, which is a hit with HI guests! Customers also highly rate the spacious feel of the hostel, comfortable furnishing and a peaceful atmosphere in a quiet neighbourhood. This hostel is also conveniently close to sites of interest such as temples and museums.

Green Hostel 2012: HI Boston, USA
2012 is the first year that the HI have introduced the ‘green’ award, rewarding the hostel that customers value as the most environmentally friendly and ‘green’ efficient. HI Boston scooped the award having recently participated in Sustainable Travel Internationals’ STEP program and taking steps to ensure that the building and its operations are as sustainable as they can be whilst also running an eco-program that affords staff and guests the opportunity to become “better stewards of the earth and its resources”.

Best Hostel Country 2012 – Bosnia & Herzegovina
The network of hostels in Bosnia & Herzegovina have pulled in the best ratings overall for a single destination. A nation about half the size of Portugal, tiny Bosnia & Herzegovina is a natural wonderland packed with variety. There are emerald-green river canyons, snow-covered peaks, rolling green pasturelands and there is even a small slice of sunny coast along the Adriatic in the south.

All award categories were based on ratings received during a 12 month period, from 1st November 2011 to 31st October 2012. During those 12 months, a minimum of 5 customer ratings on average per month was required to qualify. A hostel can only win one award category each year.

O.A.R.S. is introducing three new nature-based adventures, bringing its number of offerings to more than 80 itineraries on five continents. T

he new tours include Bosnia Three River rafting expedition, the Sea Kayaking the Dalmatian Coast tour and the Zambezi River & Botswana Safari tour.

The nine-day Bosnia trip includes three days of rafting the Vrbas, Tara and Neretva rivers. O.A.R.S.’ new Sea Kayaking the Dalmatian Coast tour focuses on Croatia. Trip participants will paddle sea kayaks as they navigate the rocky headlands, sandy beaches, turquoise bays and ancient coastal towns of this beautiful coastline. Each village along the way provides opportunities to interact with the locals and enjoy authentic Mediterranean cuisine while taking in the scenery, architecture and culture of the region.

A relaxing four-day catamaran cruise down the coast rounds out this idyllic experience in the Adriatic Sea.

The new eight-day Zambezi River & Botswana Safari combines a four-day rafting expedition on the Zambezi with a three-day wildlife safari in neighboring Botswana.

For more information, call 800-346-6277.

Also new, but not offered as definite departures are The Best of Russia, Baltic States and Warsaw, 14, 16 or 18 days; Dalmatian Sunshine, Dubrovnik to Zagreb, 10 days; Imperial Cities Showcase, Vienna to Warsaw, 10 days; From Bohemia to Transylvania, Prague to Bucharest, 14 days; The Best of Ukraine, Poland and Hungary, 12 days; Belgrade to Zagreb, 12 days; and Glimpse of Italy, nine or 12 days.

A typical day might involve breakfast, a late morning cooking class including the consumption of your prepared dish and then the afternoon spent on a guided tour of the city, at leisure or visiting a local temple of monument.

As the name suggests, the destinations visited by Cook East cover South East and Central Asia, but also include South America and we are always looking to add new destinations.

For up-to-date information on any of our itineraries or destinations please check our website, or get in contact. With prices starting from £735 including international flights we’re sure we have something for everyone.

Website: http://www.cook-east.com

Email: info@cook-east.com

Phone: 01276 682968

The BBC’s former Chief News Correspondent joins a range of diplomats, analysts and journalists leading tours that bring travellers face to face with the world of current affairs. Destinations include North Korea, Egypt, Ethiopia and closer to home, Northern Ireland.

Political Tours, created by former New York Times and Guardian correspondent Nicholas Wood, is the first travel company dedicated exclusively to news and politics.

During the Bosnia tour from 12 to 18 September, Miss Adie will be revisiting the scenes of some of her reports made during the war in Bosnia in the early 1990s. With insight from her and other experts on the region, this tour will look at how the lives of Bosnians and Serbs have changed since then. The timing is poignant as it coincides with the recent arrest of the leading Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect, Ratko Mladic. Bosnia is also facing an ongoing constitutional crisis as Serbian politicians have threatened to create their own breakaway state.

“I was fascinated by the place. It was such a complex and intense kind of conflict,” says Miss Adie. “It was a European war with fighting taking place in the most domestic of surroundings, in villages and suburban housing.”

Miss Adie presents Radio 4’s “From Our Own Correspondent,” and is the author of four best selling books. She reported extensively on the Yugoslav wars that broke out twenty years ago this summer.

In addition to Miss Adie, leading local analysts will provide updates on the political situation in Bosnia and Serbia today, while ordinary people speak about how their own lives have changed. The 7 day trip for up to 18 people also includes a visit to the Serbian capital Belgrade, as well as visits to the war crimes courts in both countries.

Political Tours trips will typically comprise 12 – 18 guests over 7 days. Further tours scheduled for 2011/2012 are:

- North Korea – Inside the World’s Most Isolated State October 15-25

- Egypt’s Unfinished Revolution – November 20-27

- Ethiopia – Growth and Change – January 2012

For further information on the Bosnia trip or to book visit www.politicaltours.com or call Nicholas Wood on 07855 266 151. (+44 7855 266 151 from outside the UK) nicholaswood@politicaltours.com

Background Notes

Political Tours was created by former New York Times Balkans correspondent Nicholas Wood. Before working with the New York Times he reported for the BBC, The Guardian and Washington Post in the Balkans and Middle East. Wood spent much of his time in the region covering the hunt for leading war crimes suspects Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic.

The tours combine visits with stays in good hotels and dining, as well as meetings with key decision makers and analysts.

“We want to give people the opportunity to learn about issues and places in the news with some of the best experts in the field,” said Wood.

The company has been working privately with academic institutions and think tanks for the past two years. This is the first time it has opened its tours up to the public. It does not cover active war-zones.

Speakers in their tours feature leading experts in each region: Tim Judah, The Economist’s Balkans correspondent, James Hoare, former Chargés d’affairesin North Korea, and Neil MacFarlane, Professor of International Relations at Oxford University.

Wood explains in a forthcoming interview with the online web magazine IdeasMensch how the company was set up.

http://www.politicaltours.com/news-articles/interview-with-our-director-nicholas-wood

The highest new entry was Kosovo which rocketed into the top 100 at number 67. The survey indicated that interest in the Balkans has increased across the board, with neighbouring Serbia climbing 11 places, Macedonia entering the Top 100 at number 95, and Bosnia & Herzegovina also just squeezing in at number 100. The hugely popular hotspot of Croatia is in the top 10 for the first time, and, perhaps less predictably, lesser known Albania is in the top 50 at number 38.

Regent Holidays, who were the first to offer holidays to Albania over 40 years ago, say that the survey reflects their own sales to the region, which are up 25% on the same time last year. The company was also the first to feature Kosovo in 2009, following its independence from neighbouring Serbia.

Regent’s programme of holidays to the Balkan countries includes :

Tailor-made tours of Kosovo or combination Kosovo/Albania/Montenegro (11 days starting from £1,015 per person).

12 Day Classic Albania Group tour departing 16 Sept from £1,440 pp.

A 6 day Sarajevo & Mostar itinerary from £550 per person
A 7 day tour combining Serbia with Bosnia-Herzegovina in a train journey from Sarajevo to Belgrade from £655 pp

14 day Highlights of the Balkans Tour from £995 pp.

For further information and reservations visit http://www.regent-holidays.co.uk or call 0845 277 3317.

The world’s newest mega yacht, the 264-guest L’Austral, will debut in April and cruise through the western and eastern Mediterranean exploring the Dalmatian Coast, the Greek Islands and Turkey in-depth.
Its sister ship, Le Boréal, which was launched in May of this year, will sail from Scandinavia to Nunavut in Canada.

The Le Levant, which carries 90 guests, will cruise in the eastern Mediterranean, and the three-masted Le Ponant sailing yacht, which accommodates 64 guests, will explore the western Mediterranean.

To order the “Summer Cruises 2011” brochure, call 888-400-1082 or email usreservations@ponant.com

A separate brochure for the line’s 226-guest Le Diamant, detailing its summer season cruising around the British Isles, is also available.

For general information, visit www.ponant.com

Europcar survey* reveals 95% of motorists believe the choice, price and quality of roadside food is unacceptable – with 80% saying they have previously gone hungry rather than eat from the selection on offer.

To escape the tyranny of the motorway service food offering and celebrate the diversity of Britain’s local, independently owned eateries, Europcar, the UK’s leading car hire company, has teamed up with The Guild of Food Writers to produce a free-to-download Roadside Gastro Guide.

Instead of offering yet another list of renowned, Michelin-starred, celebrity chef restaurants, The Roadside Gastro Guide tapped into the knowledge of some of the UKs finest food writers and broadcasters – including Anthony Worrall Thompson and Valentine Warner – to reveal 20 of Britain’s hidden culinary gems.

Stretching from the Scottish Highlands to the Dorset coast, the Europcar guide includes everything from country inns, to tea shops and stately homes, and all specialise in offering locally sourced, fresh, home-cooked fare.

A far cry yet a short distance from the motorway services, the guide reveals a foodie world of individual character, spectacular views, friendly service, converted barns, quirky decor, old-fashioned bone china and quirkily named dishes such as the Wortley Wedge – ‘a beast of a sandwich made from the roast of the day’.

According to Richard Ehrlich of the Guild of Food Writers; “Motorway catering may mostly be the pits for pit stops, but outstanding food can be found just a short detour from many main roads.

“The establishments here cover a fantastic range.

They cover much of the country, and include both celebrated restaurants and little gems known largely to locals.

I hope they convey the message that being in the car doesn’t mean giving up on good food.

You just need to know where to look – and downloading a free copy of the Roadside Gastro Guide is the perfect place to start.”

Catriona Kempston of Europcar added: “Whether it’s delivering a car to their door or simply helping them to avoid soggy chips and overpriced pies, we’re always looking for new ways for motorists to get maximum pleasure out of their driving experience”.

The full version of the Roadside Gastro Guide contains detailed, individual recommendations by Guild of Food Writers members, including background information, personal insights, recommended dishes, contact details, opening times and, most importantly, directions from major roads.

Perfect for those who prefer to venture off-the-beaten-track, the budget campervan company offers the required car insurance and relevant documents to cross the borders into the more remote parts of Europe.

What’s more, Wicked Campers have depots in Austria and Italy, only a short drive or ferry trip to Eastern Europe, where customers can pick-up and drop-off their campervan. It couldn’t be easier.

So for those who have always wanted to explore Croatia’s beautiful hidden beaches along the Adriatic coast, then Wicked Campers offers a budget option to travel and camp in style and comfort.

Or for intrepid travellers wishing to explore pastures new, try Slovenia and discover its lush green landscape with stunning national parks, awe-inspiring mountains, deep river gorges, enchanting waterfalls, thermal springs and dense forests, all interwoven with a rich cultural heritage.

Customers are covered in the following Eastern European countries: Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey.

Prices for seven day’s round-trip hire in a two-seater van starts from £253. Valid for travel from 1 October 2010, the price includes pick-up and drop-off in either San Benedetto (Italy) or Verditz (Austria), insurance for one driver aged 25 and over, unlimited mileage and 24-hour roadside assistance. Prices in summer start from £453.

For more information, visit www.wickedcampers.co.uk  or call 0808 234 8461.

Travelers can reserve car rental services, look up their current reservations or jump over to their main website for additional services on a web-enabled phone or PC.

With one click, car rental services can be arranged at over 4,000 locations worldwide including airport, hotel and downtown locations.

Simply select your rental country, pick up city, dates of travel, transmission and car category and from there, choose the car rental that best suits your needs.

If you already have a reservation but need to change or review your services, visit Reservation Look Up on the mobile site and enter your voucher number, and driver’s first and last name.

There is also a full FAQ section and information to contact Auto Europe if you have any questions about your reservation or using the site.

For additional services, select Full Site.

For more information,

visit www.autoeurope.com/mobile