:00:00. > :00:37.Hello, and welcome to our special look back at the year so far on The
:00:38. > :00:42.Travel Show. It is crazy to think it is already halfway through 2016, but
:00:43. > :00:47.we have wasted no time travelling the globe and bringing you some
:00:48. > :00:52.great destinations. # Sunshine, sunshine, shining down
:00:53. > :01:30.on me #. That is just some of the countries
:01:31. > :01:33.we have visited this year. Unfortunately we don't have time to
:01:34. > :01:36.show them all. But we have handpicked a few favourites we hope
:01:37. > :01:42.he will enjoy seeing again. Coming up on this week's show hole we head
:01:43. > :01:48.back to India as Henry challenges Coconut Biggers to a race to the
:01:49. > :01:57.top. Comment goes to a ninja training school in Japan. Tourists
:01:58. > :02:02.are put to the beer test in London. And I speed things up in Hungary.
:02:03. > :02:09.Plus we take a ride on a no-frills Rahway in Cambodia. But first, back
:02:10. > :02:13.in March, President Obama's trip to Cuba might in important step in
:02:14. > :02:17.relations between the two countries. As ever, we like to think we are one
:02:18. > :02:23.step ahead of the game. We went to Cuba at the week before the
:02:24. > :02:27.president arrived. Tourism is the biggest industry in Cuba and it is
:02:28. > :02:32.booming field by the rush of people anticipating the end of an error
:02:33. > :02:36.with the lifting of US sanctions. Hotel rooms in the capital are now
:02:37. > :02:42.heavily booked, which leaves the traveller on a limited budget with a
:02:43. > :02:49.very Cuban option of particular houses. This is basically a
:02:50. > :02:52.prototype where people restart their spare rooms to tourists, and for
:02:53. > :02:55.many, this is a lifeline out of poverty. But where is the man that
:02:56. > :03:21.actually runs this B? Hola! How are you! Who is this? This
:03:22. > :03:26.is my horse. It turns out Google has several strings to his bow, not just
:03:27. > :03:33.a hotelier and also a horse whisperer -- Julio. On a more
:03:34. > :03:37.serious note, Julio and his wife, a trained accountant, are more proof
:03:38. > :03:46.on my trip of the entrepreneurial spirit bustling all around the
:03:47. > :03:51.island. He is an ambitious man. I am my to be more free. I'm afraid of
:03:52. > :04:00.too many things because I know Cubans are smart enough, and they
:04:01. > :04:03.won't lose the Cuban identity. I work a lot with the American people
:04:04. > :04:10.and they say soon you will have McDonald's, Starbucks, but maybe we
:04:11. > :04:16.can have things similar but in our style, at Cuban style. I like the
:04:17. > :04:25.burgers and coffee. But in our style.
:04:26. > :04:32.Julio to be on a chip around Trinidad by horse and cart. On the
:04:33. > :04:39.town 's cobbled street it's the most practical way. Would you like to
:04:40. > :04:48.try? Absolutely. It is really good anyway. You are doing very well.
:04:49. > :04:50.Common sense will tell you what you should do. The trick is soft hands.
:04:51. > :05:09.Soft hands. In Cuba preparing for change but
:05:10. > :05:13.much. Another country that has experience in a turbulent past is
:05:14. > :05:16.Cambodia, where 40 years ago, Pol Pot's Khmer rouge sat across the
:05:17. > :05:20.country and destroyed much of its rail network. Egli Limited train
:05:21. > :05:25.service has now returned and we went to try back out in April to find out
:05:26. > :05:31.how it will make travelling around the country a lot easier -- likely a
:05:32. > :05:34.limited train service. We sent into the north of the country to try out
:05:35. > :05:42.a makeshift Rahway but survived the crackdown. -- Rahway. This is it.
:05:43. > :05:50.First-class, as some would say. Excellent. All right.
:05:51. > :06:03.A pretty simple engine. Very simple. I hope we will be all right. Is it
:06:04. > :06:07.fast? Fast enough. The origins of these Rahway go back to colonial
:06:08. > :06:11.times, but it eventually fell into this repair and was left half
:06:12. > :06:17.forgotten, meaning the Khmer rouge over the obsolete line destroyed the
:06:18. > :06:23.rest of the public transport infrastructure -- railway. Once the
:06:24. > :06:27.regime fell, locals packed to the forest and started their own
:06:28. > :06:31.makeshift railway, and it is still running today. This is quite
:06:32. > :06:39.distinct, actually. They are not wooden beams. What is the track made
:06:40. > :06:44.of? Iron and steel. It was built by the French in the 1980s and has
:06:45. > :06:51.survived all this time. I love how rustic it is but you still get that
:06:52. > :06:58.sound when the meet each other. That typical Trans Am. How long have the
:06:59. > :07:05.vocals been using such services? -- locals. About 30 years, since peace
:07:06. > :07:11.came to the area. It was the only way for many people to get into
:07:12. > :07:21.town. And there we come to a bridge. This is a bridge? Wow. That is
:07:22. > :07:26.rather precarious. This is a railway where you will find no timetable, no
:07:27. > :07:30.signal boxes, and noted inspectors. And also little in the way of
:07:31. > :07:38.passenger comfort -- no ticket inspectors. When you lived on a
:07:39. > :07:44.track, you can kind of see where it all has walked through the years.
:07:45. > :07:46.Ukip these bonds, and I do feel as though I might fall off at any point
:07:47. > :07:57.-- you go over these Bumps. Riding the rails in Cambodia in
:07:58. > :08:02.April. This year marks the anniversary which at the time was
:08:03. > :08:08.considered a hammer blow to the Iron Curtain. In 1986, Hungary came the
:08:09. > :08:12.first is to block country to host it Formula 1 Grand Prix. In March, I
:08:13. > :08:16.headed to Budapest to take a drive on the track where history was made.
:08:17. > :08:20.This year marks the 30th anniversary of the track, and these days,
:08:21. > :08:29.tourists can come here and get in touch with their inner need for
:08:30. > :08:36.speed. My passenger is a touring car racer and a veteran of this course.
:08:37. > :08:42.For the beginning, don't drive too fast. You have to find the limit.
:08:43. > :08:48.Because it is so easy to make a mistake because of places like the
:08:49. > :08:56.exit at ten five when you have no run-off. -- turn five. If someone is
:08:57. > :09:01.not confident... LAUGHTER
:09:02. > :09:06.This track has a reputation for being tricky. There aren't that many
:09:07. > :09:10.long straights and overtaking is almost impossible. Not to mention
:09:11. > :09:17.all of the twists and turns that can catch drivers out. I can't imagine
:09:18. > :09:21.the atmosphere from the road. You have sometimes moments in life where
:09:22. > :09:26.you feel it is something special. Every time having a race at home,
:09:27. > :09:30.semi- people sitting on the grandstands cheering for me. ! So
:09:31. > :09:46.many people. But this is more than just a
:09:47. > :09:51.destination for motoring enthusiasts. Exactly 30 years ago,
:09:52. > :09:57.this plays out the very first Grand Prix and the Iron Curtain. A huge
:09:58. > :10:01.moment not just for hungry at four motorsport fans from all around the
:10:02. > :10:06.eastern block -- not just for Hungary. It was new and significant.
:10:07. > :10:12.Only three years later, Hungary became one of the first countries to
:10:13. > :10:17.remove the communists from power. The transition was comparatively
:10:18. > :10:21.peaceful, but look closely around Budapest and there are still
:10:22. > :10:27.reminders of the old regime. Inside one of central Budapest's biggest
:10:28. > :10:29.sports bars, I meet David, who commentated on that first race for
:10:30. > :10:55.Hungary on state TV. Stay with us. Coming up, we have
:10:56. > :11:05.coconut pickers going head to head. Go! They are pretty much neck and
:11:06. > :11:18.neck at the moment. And Carmen's joining a Ninja training course in
:11:19. > :11:21.Japan. This wall is as tall as me! If you ask most travellers what is
:11:22. > :11:26.best known about London, the old-fashioned British pub comes
:11:27. > :11:28.pretty high on that list. But the popularity of craft beer has some
:11:29. > :11:35.Londoners worried about the future of their local boozer. We
:11:36. > :11:38.investigated. This is what I love about London. There's always
:11:39. > :11:45.something exciting going on in the streets. I am in south-east London,
:11:46. > :11:54.which has been renamed because under this railway bridges is a
:11:55. > :12:00.revolution. In fact, there are now said to be 1500 small breweries in
:12:01. > :12:08.the UK, more than anywhere else per head in the the world -- in the
:12:09. > :12:12.world. Many of these are making not the traditional ale but craft beer.
:12:13. > :12:16.This brewery opened two years ago and it claims to be the first and
:12:17. > :12:23.only open brewery, where you can come along and make your own. For a
:12:24. > :12:28.novice like me, what's the difference between craft beer and
:12:29. > :12:33.other beer? Craft beer is about innovation, quality and trying new
:12:34. > :12:37.things. Real ale is really at -- about how it is stored, it is
:12:38. > :12:45.fermented naturally inside of a task. The case. Passionfruit beer,
:12:46. > :12:55.here we go. -- OK. What do you think? That's really nice. That is
:12:56. > :13:04.really nice. Tasty. Absolutely. " smooth as well. Beer is beer, people
:13:05. > :13:12.will always be excited. Some people will always like those cask ales. It
:13:13. > :13:19.may not look like much, but this is award-winning. And always busy with
:13:20. > :13:25.people who really know their beer. Ale, isn't it just really bitter and
:13:26. > :13:34.stodgy? Why would a young person want to drink that? You've got
:13:35. > :13:40.everything from hoppy, malty, stout, mild, caramel, things with fruits,
:13:41. > :13:48.toffee, I've got a honey mild one at the moment. They are all over the
:13:49. > :13:56.place! Sit down. This is Matt. Good to meet you. Good to see you. Matt
:13:57. > :13:59.has brought along some craft beer and we want you to have a little
:14:00. > :14:14.sample of it and see what you think of it. OK, let's do that. Up yours!
:14:15. > :14:17.LAUGHS. That's a professional. That's absolutely fabulous. Really
:14:18. > :14:25.is fabulous. That's interesting to hear you are not against it. Not at
:14:26. > :14:32.all. I will drink a bubble craft beer where I can't find a good ale.
:14:33. > :14:36.We will leave them to bond. There's nothing like a British beer in a
:14:37. > :14:48.traditional British boozer to bring people together.
:14:49. > :14:52.Adi sampling some beer back in April. Although the Olympics are two
:14:53. > :14:56.months away some travellers are already looking for years ahead to
:14:57. > :15:00.Tokyo, 2020. It will be the first time that Japan has hosted the games
:15:01. > :15:04.since 1964 and although it's a fascinating country it can be a
:15:05. > :15:07.little daunting for foreigners to explore. If you do decide to head
:15:08. > :15:14.there, don't be surprised if you come across some specially trained
:15:15. > :15:17.ninja guides. We sent Carmen a long to find out exactly what it takes to
:15:18. > :15:23.join their ranks back in May. The ninja. The mysterious undercover
:15:24. > :15:27.agent in feudal Japan, skilled in espionage and assassination, living
:15:28. > :15:35.in the shadows. Now you can apply to be on. Far from hiding in the dark,
:15:36. > :15:40.the next generation of ninjas answered a job ad. Full-time,
:15:41. > :15:48.central Japan, salary around $1600 US a month. This is the Nagoya
:15:49. > :15:51.Castle and these are some of the chosen few ninjas. And one of them
:15:52. > :16:05.isn't Japanese, he's from America. I think it is every foreign kid's
:16:06. > :16:11.dream at one point, every kid's dream. Every kid dreams about
:16:12. > :16:17.becoming a ninja at one point. I just held onto that dream a little
:16:18. > :16:22.longer most people. Two hours from Nagoya are have been told this is
:16:23. > :16:28.the heart of ninja country. Hundreds of years ago real-life ninjas
:16:29. > :16:33.trained in this very mountains, so I have come to this training camp to
:16:34. > :16:41.try to get an authentic ninja experience. This ninja forest has
:16:42. > :16:47.been set up to cater to tourists in a natural setting. I might look the
:16:48. > :17:05.part, but can I cut it as a real-life ninja? We started the day
:17:06. > :17:09.with some prayers and meditation. Then it was time to leave the safe
:17:10. > :17:14.surrounds of the temple and head to the training corp. I am a bit
:17:15. > :17:23.nervous. I don't want to fall flat on my face and embarrass myself. I
:17:24. > :17:37.do kind of feel ninja-like here. LAUGHS. This is not going to happen!
:17:38. > :17:57.LAUGHS. OK, I don't think ninjas are meant to giggle. LAUGHS. So high.
:17:58. > :18:22.Ah! Well, I guess she has got four years to practise before the Tokyo
:18:23. > :18:24.Olympics. The finish of our look back at The Travel Show this year,
:18:25. > :18:32.he is one of our all-time favourites. Henry in Kerala. All I
:18:33. > :18:41.will say is if you have a coconut tree in your back garden to try this
:18:42. > :18:50.at home. In Kerala there are coconut trees almost everywhere. The state
:18:51. > :18:55.produces six William coconuts annually and incredibly most of them
:18:56. > :19:05.are still picked by hand. -- six billion. Some homestays in Kerala
:19:06. > :19:12.are now teaching tourists the art of coconut tree climbing. Let see if I
:19:13. > :19:26.am up to the challenge! -- Let's see. I want to hoist myself up, but
:19:27. > :19:40.my arms just won't obey! I am going to rip my pounds! -- pants! I think
:19:41. > :19:44.that's it. How does he do it? The coconut industry is worth billions
:19:45. > :19:45.of dollars, so the decline of manual climbers has called for
:19:46. > :20:01.modernisation of sorts. That looks so much easier. The state
:20:02. > :20:05.government has tried everything from competitions to prizemoney to find a
:20:06. > :20:11.machine that can entice people back into the job. This one, invented by
:20:12. > :20:21.a local farmer, has proved relatively simple to operate.
:20:22. > :20:26.Over here we have the traditional coconut tree climbers. It will be
:20:27. > :20:29.using their ropes that they have around their legs and whatnot. On
:20:30. > :20:34.this site we have the mechanically assisted and we will find out who is
:20:35. > :20:44.the fastest! So, three, two, one, go! They are pretty much neck and
:20:45. > :20:45.neck at the moment. Actually, the mechanically assisted one is going
:20:46. > :20:58.little bit faster. He is caught up! There we go. They
:20:59. > :21:07.are switching. Now, the turnover is a little... Go, go, go! Wow. The
:21:08. > :21:16.traditional climbers are doing very well indeed. They are still going.
:21:17. > :21:22.Oh! Careful! They found a chink in the armour. They are having a
:21:23. > :21:46.problem coming down. LAUGHS. I think you're tired. He is doing
:21:47. > :21:52.well, though. Yay! Coconuts for the winners!
:21:53. > :22:05.Ohh... It was good? How does victory taste? Sweet!
:22:06. > :22:11.Here is a fascinating fact for you. There are more coconuts in Kerala
:22:12. > :22:15.than there are people in the world. You can have that one for free! That
:22:16. > :22:21.is all we've got time for on this week's show. Next week we are off to
:22:22. > :22:24.the theme park to find out if the -- virtual reality rides will ever take
:22:25. > :22:29.the place of the real white knuckled deal. In the meantime, you can catch
:22:30. > :22:33.up with us while we are out on the road in meantime by signing up to a
:22:34. > :22:34.social media feeds. For now, from me and the team here in New York it's
:22:35. > :22:39.goodbye.