04/06/2016 The Travel Show

Hello, and welcome to our special look back at the year so far on The

Travel Show. It is crazy to think it is already halfway through 2016, but

we have wasted no time travelling the globe and bringing you some

great destinations. # Sunshine, sunshine, shining down

on me #. That is just some of the countries

we have visited this year. Unfortunately we don't have time to

show them all. But we have handpicked a few favourites we hope

he will enjoy seeing again. Coming up on this week's show hole we head

back to India as Henry challenges Coconut Biggers to a race to the

top. Comment goes to a ninja training school in Japan. Tourists

are put to the beer test in London. And I speed things up in Hungary.

Plus we take a ride on a no-frills Rahway in Cambodia. But first, back

in March, President Obama's trip to Cuba might in important step in

relations between the two countries. As ever, we like to think we are one

step ahead of the game. We went to Cuba at the week before the

president arrived. Tourism is the biggest industry in Cuba and it is

booming field by the rush of people anticipating the end of an error

with the lifting of US sanctions. Hotel rooms in the capital are now

heavily booked, which leaves the traveller on a limited budget with a

very Cuban option of particular houses. This is basically a

prototype where people restart their spare rooms to tourists, and for

many, this is a lifeline out of poverty. But where is the man that

actually runs this B? Hola! How are you! Who is this? This

is my horse. It turns out Google has several strings to his bow, not just

a hotelier and also a horse whisperer -- Julio. On a more

serious note, Julio and his wife, a trained accountant, are more proof

on my trip of the entrepreneurial spirit bustling all around the

island. He is an ambitious man. I am my to be more free. I'm afraid of

too many things because I know Cubans are smart enough, and they

won't lose the Cuban identity. I work a lot with the American people

and they say soon you will have McDonald's, Starbucks, but maybe we

can have things similar but in our style, at Cuban style. I like the

burgers and coffee. But in our style.

Julio to be on a chip around Trinidad by horse and cart. On the

town 's cobbled street it's the most practical way. Would you like to

try? Absolutely. It is really good anyway. You are doing very well.

Common sense will tell you what you should do. The trick is soft hands.

Soft hands. In Cuba preparing for change but

much. Another country that has experience in a turbulent past is

Cambodia, where 40 years ago, Pol Pot's Khmer rouge sat across the

country and destroyed much of its rail network. Egli Limited train

service has now returned and we went to try back out in April to find out

how it will make travelling around the country a lot easier -- likely a

limited train service. We sent into the north of the country to try out

a makeshift Rahway but survived the crackdown. -- Rahway. This is it.

First-class, as some would say. Excellent. All right.

A pretty simple engine. Very simple. I hope we will be all right. Is it

fast? Fast enough. The origins of these Rahway go back to colonial

times, but it eventually fell into this repair and was left half

forgotten, meaning the Khmer rouge over the obsolete line destroyed the

rest of the public transport infrastructure -- railway. Once the

regime fell, locals packed to the forest and started their own

makeshift railway, and it is still running today. This is quite

distinct, actually. They are not wooden beams. What is the track made

of? Iron and steel. It was built by the French in the 1980s and has

survived all this time. I love how rustic it is but you still get that

sound when the meet each other. That typical Trans Am. How long have the

vocals been using such services? -- locals. About 30 years, since peace

came to the area. It was the only way for many people to get into

town. And there we come to a bridge. This is a bridge? Wow. That is

rather precarious. This is a railway where you will find no timetable, no

signal boxes, and noted inspectors. And also little in the way of

passenger comfort -- no ticket inspectors. When you lived on a

track, you can kind of see where it all has walked through the years.

Ukip these bonds, and I do feel as though I might fall off at any point

-- you go over these Bumps. Riding the rails in Cambodia in

April. This year marks the anniversary which at the time was

considered a hammer blow to the Iron Curtain. In 1986, Hungary came the

first is to block country to host it Formula 1 Grand Prix. In March, I

headed to Budapest to take a drive on the track where history was made.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the track, and these days,

tourists can come here and get in touch with their inner need for

speed. My passenger is a touring car racer and a veteran of this course.

For the beginning, don't drive too fast. You have to find the limit.

Because it is so easy to make a mistake because of places like the

exit at ten five when you have no run-off. -- turn five. If someone is

not confident... LAUGHTER

This track has a reputation for being tricky. There aren't that many

long straights and overtaking is almost impossible. Not to mention

all of the twists and turns that can catch drivers out. I can't imagine

the atmosphere from the road. You have sometimes moments in life where

you feel it is something special. Every time having a race at home,

semi- people sitting on the grandstands cheering for me. ! So

many people. But this is more than just a

destination for motoring enthusiasts. Exactly 30 years ago,

this plays out the very first Grand Prix and the Iron Curtain. A huge

moment not just for hungry at four motorsport fans from all around the

eastern block -- not just for Hungary. It was new and significant.

Only three years later, Hungary became one of the first countries to

remove the communists from power. The transition was comparatively

peaceful, but look closely around Budapest and there are still

reminders of the old regime. Inside one of central Budapest's biggest

sports bars, I meet David, who commentated on that first race for

Hungary on state TV. Stay with us. Coming up, we have

coconut pickers going head to head. Go! They are pretty much neck and

neck at the moment. And Carmen's joining a Ninja training course in

Japan. This wall is as tall as me! If you ask most travellers what is

best known about London, the old-fashioned British pub comes

pretty high on that list. But the popularity of craft beer has some

Londoners worried about the future of their local boozer. We

investigated. This is what I love about London. There's always

something exciting going on in the streets. I am in south-east London,

which has been renamed because under this railway bridges is a

revolution. In fact, there are now said to be 1500 small breweries in

the UK, more than anywhere else per head in the the world -- in the

world. Many of these are making not the traditional ale but craft beer.

This brewery opened two years ago and it claims to be the first and

only open brewery, where you can come along and make your own. For a

novice like me, what's the difference between craft beer and

other beer? Craft beer is about innovation, quality and trying new

things. Real ale is really at -- about how it is stored, it is

fermented naturally inside of a task. The case. Passionfruit beer,

here we go. -- OK. What do you think? That's really nice. That is

really nice. Tasty. Absolutely. " smooth as well. Beer is beer, people

will always be excited. Some people will always like those cask ales. It

may not look like much, but this is award-winning. And always busy with

people who really know their beer. Ale, isn't it just really bitter and

stodgy? Why would a young person want to drink that? You've got

everything from hoppy, malty, stout, mild, caramel, things with fruits,

toffee, I've got a honey mild one at the moment. They are all over the

place! Sit down. This is Matt. Good to meet you. Good to see you. Matt

has brought along some craft beer and we want you to have a little

sample of it and see what you think of it. OK, let's do that. Up yours!

LAUGHS. That's a professional. That's absolutely fabulous. Really

is fabulous. That's interesting to hear you are not against it. Not at

all. I will drink a bubble craft beer where I can't find a good ale.

We will leave them to bond. There's nothing like a British beer in a

traditional British boozer to bring people together.

Adi sampling some beer back in April. Although the Olympics are two

months away some travellers are already looking for years ahead to

Tokyo, 2020. It will be the first time that Japan has hosted the games

since 1964 and although it's a fascinating country it can be a

little daunting for foreigners to explore. If you do decide to head

there, don't be surprised if you come across some specially trained

ninja guides. We sent Carmen a long to find out exactly what it takes to

join their ranks back in May. The ninja. The mysterious undercover

agent in feudal Japan, skilled in espionage and assassination, living

in the shadows. Now you can apply to be on. Far from hiding in the dark,

the next generation of ninjas answered a job ad. Full-time,

central Japan, salary around $1600 US a month. This is the Nagoya

Castle and these are some of the chosen few ninjas. And one of them

isn't Japanese, he's from America. I think it is every foreign kid's

dream at one point, every kid's dream. Every kid dreams about

becoming a ninja at one point. I just held onto that dream a little

longer most people. Two hours from Nagoya are have been told this is

the heart of ninja country. Hundreds of years ago real-life ninjas

trained in this very mountains, so I have come to this training camp to

try to get an authentic ninja experience. This ninja forest has

been set up to cater to tourists in a natural setting. I might look the

part, but can I cut it as a real-life ninja? We started the day

with some prayers and meditation. Then it was time to leave the safe

surrounds of the temple and head to the training corp. I am a bit

nervous. I don't want to fall flat on my face and embarrass myself. I

do kind of feel ninja-like here. LAUGHS. This is not going to happen!

LAUGHS. OK, I don't think ninjas are meant to giggle. LAUGHS. So high.

Ah! Well, I guess she has got four years to practise before the Tokyo

Olympics. The finish of our look back at The Travel Show this year,

he is one of our all-time favourites. Henry in Kerala. All I

will say is if you have a coconut tree in your back garden to try this

at home. In Kerala there are coconut trees almost everywhere. The state

produces six William coconuts annually and incredibly most of them

are still picked by hand. -- six billion. Some homestays in Kerala

are now teaching tourists the art of coconut tree climbing. Let see if I

am up to the challenge! -- Let's see. I want to hoist myself up, but

my arms just won't obey! I am going to rip my pounds! -- pants! I think

that's it. How does he do it? The coconut industry is worth billions

of dollars, so the decline of manual climbers has called for

modernisation of sorts. That looks so much easier. The state

government has tried everything from competitions to prizemoney to find a

machine that can entice people back into the job. This one, invented by

a local farmer, has proved relatively simple to operate.

Over here we have the traditional coconut tree climbers. It will be

using their ropes that they have around their legs and whatnot. On

this site we have the mechanically assisted and we will find out who is

the fastest! So, three, two, one, go! They are pretty much neck and

neck at the moment. Actually, the mechanically assisted one is going

little bit faster. He is caught up! There we go. They

are switching. Now, the turnover is a little... Go, go, go! Wow. The

traditional climbers are doing very well indeed. They are still going.

Oh! Careful! They found a chink in the armour. They are having a

problem coming down. LAUGHS. I think you're tired. He is doing

well, though. Yay! Coconuts for the winners!

Ohh... It was good? How does victory taste? Sweet!

Here is a fascinating fact for you. There are more coconuts in Kerala

than there are people in the world. You can have that one for free! That

is all we've got time for on this week's show. Next week we are off to

the theme park to find out if the -- virtual reality rides will ever take

the place of the real white knuckled deal. In the meantime, you can catch

up with us while we are out on the road in meantime by signing up to a

social media feeds. For now, from me and the team here in New York it's

goodbye.