Episode 15 The Travel Show

Tourists have unofficially been leaving their mark here for years.

But now, in a bid to protect the Great Wall of China,

visitors are actually being encouraged

to get creative with a spray can.

On this week's programme,

I'm exploring China's most famous landmark.

Henry gets eyeball-to-eyeball with Borneo's tropical marine life.

We're dicing with death at the Grand Canyon.

And Tommy's camping out in Global Gadgets.

Hello and welcome to The Travel Show, coming to you this week from Beijing.

Well, as you might have guessed,

we're on the Great Wall of China and, each year,

thousands of tourists come here to see one of the wonders of the world.

But not all visitors are respectful and many have left their mark.

So now, the Chinese government is actually letting tourists

graffiti their ancient wall in a bid to stop more widespread scrawlings.

But will it work?

It's a breathtaking site.

An historic wall stretching as far as the eye can see.

It spans almost 9,000km from the east to the west of China.

Built over more than 2,000 years,

construction first began around 220 BC

and continued up until the Ming Dynasty,

when the Wall became known as the world's largest military structure.

It was key to protecting agriculture

and resisting the cavalry of the Huns

and other warrior tribes from the north.

Today, The Great Wall is recognised as one of the most impressive

architectural feats in history and is known as

the most common emblem of China for the western world.

But look closely and you will see that the Wall

is under attack again from visiting vandals.

These bricks here are 600 years old,

and I think the bricks...

Because they are the smallest building blocks

of this mega monument, they are very significant.

So it's fingerprinted with the Great Wall's construction history.

And for someone to come along here and whip out a magic marker,

or a knife, and carve their name on, is a terrible loss.

The Chinese government has adopted

a "if-you-can't-beat-them-join-them" type of approach.

Here at tower number 14, tourists have been given free rein to graffiti

the walls in the hope that it will stop other areas being defaced.

The Chinese tradition of writing messages on bricks,

rocks and trees is almost as old as the wall itself.

The technique was used by scholars in the Han Dynasty in 206 BC.

But modern-day graffiti is relatively new and China's first dedicated

shop opened in here in Beijing's hip 798 Art District just two years ago.

Graffiti in China is very young.

I start graffiti from 2005, and the more graffiti on the street now.

But it is very hard painting in China

because the cans a little... A little bit expensive.

While China's authorities have been known to censor other forms of art,

they've largely turned a blind eye to graffiti on the streets

as long as it's not on government buildings.

Streetwise artists know to toe the line.

And although some touch on sensitive issues like inflation

and pollution, they avoid direct censure of the government.

But for the most part, inspiration is drawn from American hip-hop culture.

A local graffer will usually leave his tag -

a shortened version of their name - in English,

like Andy is teaching me now.

-I've never used a spray can like this before.

-It's OK.

I feel so devious. SHE LAUGHS

'So now I'm ready to write my name on the Great Wall of China.'

So I think the spray can is a bit overkill.

I probably would have been better with a felt-tip pen, but here goes.

'Well, I've certainly left my mark, but what do other tourists

'think of this dedicated graffiti zone?'

-I think it's fantastic.

-Why?

Because it's beautiful to leave your mark on someplace special that

you can maybe even take down and put somewhere in a museum or something,

but never to desecrate the wall.

-TRANSLATED FROM CHINESE:

-This is a way to let everybody

communicate with each other.

Both foreign and domestic tourists can write on these walls

and they can speak with each other.

William Lindesay was the first foreigner

to walk the entire length of the Great Wall

and conservation of this site has become a passion.

I think it's very ugly and I know...

I actually escort many people to the Great Wall,

and on the way out on the bus they tell me for often a lifetime

they've wanted to visit the Great Wall of China.

It's right up there with the pyramids, the Taj Mahal,

Petra, the Colosseum - all of these wonderful historical sites.

And you just think, they come up here,

they ascend the wall, they see this beautiful view.

And it's not just a wall - there are towers, yeah?

And the first tower they go into has white walls,

and it's covered in graffiti and, quite frankly,

it reminds me of the lavatories in a railway station in Britain.

You go to one of the great museums, the British Museum or the Met,

and...

..you step inside and it's just a complete let-down.

'I don't dare tell him

'that I'm responsible for the purple monstrosity over my shoulder.'

The Chinese government is monitoring the project and, if it's a success,

they plan to open more graffiti zones.

Well, if you are thinking of heading here to Beijing,

here are some Travel Show tips to help you plan your trip.

Visitors to China will require a visa.

But if you are planning on being in the country for less than three days,

you may be exempt.

The visa waiver covers citizens from 51 countries,

but make sure you check the rules before you travel,

as a 72-hour exemption can only be obtained at certain airports.

If you want to live like a local in Beijing,

you'll have to forgo a lie-in.

The city's parks are liveliest before 9am,

with locals practising t'ai chi and line dancing.

On a Sunday morning you will find groups of locals

gathered in the city's parks belting out traditional songs.

Food and sharing food is at the heart of Chinese culture.

Huddle around a hotpot to get a taste

of Beijing's sociable dining ritual.

You will be given thinly sliced pieces of lamb, noodles

and lettuce to drop into your communal bowl of simmering stock.

Let the pieces cook for a couple of minutes,

then fish it out with your chopsticks and dip into sesame sauce.

Next up, the first in an animated series

where you share your best travel tales with us.

This true story comes from Darren Brent in Reading.

It was 1988 and we were four 21-year-old blokes

from Reading, England, off on a classic month-long adventure

around the USA. The soft top was down,

the wind was in our hair, the sunshine was blazing.

We thought we were the bees' knees.

Not being familiar with the wide-open American Southwest,

we quickly found ourselves driving blindly

somewhere between Las Vegas and Monument Valley, Utah,

not a city, town, village, or even a shack in sight,

and darkness was setting in.

After about seven hours of solid driving,

a flickering light appeared in the distance.

It was a small classic American-style bar.

Country and western music, colourful locals - the perfect pit stop

for starving, thirsty English blokes.

After polishing off a mountain of fries

and a couple of crates of the local beer,

we asked the barman where we could sleep for the night.

There's nothing round here for miles,

but you're welcome to camp out back for nothing if you like.

When they finally got round to turning off the lights,

we fell off the bar and hauled the tent out of the boot.

It was eerie, and the wind sounded like a hurricane

to our English ears, whistling and howling loudly,

and a high-pitched squeak and flapping sound

which we assumed were bats.

We staggered all over the place searching for rocks,

or anything really to help bang the tent pegs in.

We were walking bigger and bigger circles. It was pitch black.

I couldn't even see my hands.

Eventually we gave up. Two of us just crawled into

the two-man tent and let the canvas collapse on top of us.

The other two slept in the car.

When morning broke, Gary and I awoke

to Jono and Raef laughing uncontrollably outside our tent.

About 20 yards away was a sheer 500-foot drop

to what looked like the start of the Grand Canon.

There were no fences, no barriers, nothing -

just a load of our footprints from the previous night

as we'd staggered towards the edge and back again.

We'd been so close to the edge it was terrifying.

When the drinks started to wear off, we all agreed sheepishly

that we'd been very lucky and we should try to find a proper campsite

for the rest of the trip. In hindsight it was a ridiculous idea.

Camp behind a bar?

At the same time, given the combination of sheer exhaustion

and inebriation, it sounded like the best idea in the world.

After all, we'd come on this trip wanting to experience

everything America had to offer, and that certainly included

camping in the American Southwest.

The President of the Tourist Council in Thailand

has expressed concerns about the impact of a curfew

that was put in place after the military seized power last week.

Since the army took control of the country, locals and tourists

have been banned from going outside at certain times during the night.

If you're planning a trip, the Tourism Authority of Thailand

says it will provide the latest information on their website.

You should also check that your travel insurance covers you

during periods of martial law.

Two major travel companies have announced that they will no longer

be including elephant rides as part of their tours.

STA Travel and Intrepid Travel said separately

that they were responding to concerns about animal welfare.

Tourists wanting to get up close

to these incredible mammals need not fear.

The companies have said that they will work instead

with elephant sanctuaries and rehabilitation centres.

A campaign group in Qatar is encouraging visitors

and foreign residents to cover up

and respect their culture of modest clothing.

The Reflect Your Respect campaign will hand out leaflets

ahead of Ramadan, asking both men and women to cover themselves

from shoulder to knee. The leaflets also specify

that leggings "are not pants".

The campaign is not officially endorsed by the state of Qatar

although the country's tourist board does advise

that visitors should dress modestly.

Tourism Ireland is hoping to see an increase in visitors

after two of the US's biggest names

chose the Emerald Isle as their honeymoon destination.

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian and her rapper husband Kanye West

are said to have chosen a castle in Cork

for their romantic getaway.

The Irish tourist board responded by welcoming the couple on Twitter

and posting a promotional video.

We believe that she is in the castle as we speak!

We're like, "Oh, my God!"

Great for the village.

They might be having coffee up there.

They could go up to Leahy's Farm, which is very nice.

They can go down to Trabolgan.

They can go for a swim in Ballycotton!

And there's a new attraction in Hungary -

the world's tallest toy brick tower.

Standing at almost 35m high outside St Stephen's Basilica in Budapest,

this Lego tower climbed into the record books

with the help of local primary school children.

The tower was topped with a Rubik's Cube,

which was invented by Hungarian sculptor Erno Rubik.

Still to come on this week's Travel Show...

I'll take you for a stroll under the water in the oceans of Borneo.

This week, I'm in the Great British outdoors

to bring you some eco-friendly gadgets

that might just add a little bit of home comfort

to your camping experience.

First up, have you ever been out and about

and needed to charge your mobile phone,

and at the same time had an overwhelming desire for a hot snack?

I know it sounds crazy, but with this contraption you can do both.

The Biolite CampStove burns kindling

and leftover wood to generate thermoelectric power

that can then be used to charge your devices.

Let's get cooking! Right, first up,

you stick in the twigs into the bottom,

and then you've got to turn the fan on at the side.

And what the fan does is allow air to circulate around the bottom

of the twigs, which will then help fan your flames.

You plug your USB cable into the side and then,

when there's enough heat stored up,

the phone will start powering.

As a stove, it works perfectly.

It's warmed my beans up, it's portable and it's lightweight.

But in terms of using that thermo energy to charge up

my mobile phone, we found it to be a little bit inconsistent.

Now it might not look like it right now, with my baked beans,

but I am a man who lives a wild and dangerous lifestyle.

Yeah, I'm a man on the go.

And when I need my caffeine hit, I need my caffeine hit!

I don't care whether there's not a kettle around for miles...

I'll find a way.

This might look like a rocket, but it's actually a Solar Kettle.

Now, it does take a while to get going.

The temperature now is just coming up to 90 degrees,

which is good, but we've had it open

for a good two, two and a half hours,

which is a long time to wait for a cup of tea or coffee.

But perhaps you are at a festival which doesn't allow campfires,

then having this nearby is a good way of knowing

that a hot cuppa isn't far away.

Right, it's a good thing that I got that solar power energy when

I needed it because, in true British fashion, it's started to rain.

But that won't stop me having my coffee.

I will have a double espresso and I'm going to use this to make it.

The Handpresso uses the pressure generated from the in-built

hand pump to filter your coffee.

You can use ground coffee or espresso pods in the device.

First things first, I need to pump it up.

The gauge in the front will show me when I've generated enough pressure.

Then all I do is pop in a coffee pod and some hot water.

And here goes. We should have hot coffee.

Hey!

All that pressure is what's pushing the coffee out.

Oh, look at that.

This is dead simple to use and it's a great way of being able to take

your favourite brand of coffee with you wherever you are in the world.

Yeah, there are other types of mobile espresso makers,

and some of them run off of gas canisters

so you don't have to pump them up, but this?

This runs on good old-fashioned elbow grease

and me being the manly type that I am, that's absolutely fine by me.

Cheers!

No camp trip or visit to the outdoors would be complete

without setting up base overnight.

And who needs all these fancy tents?

I'm going to survive using the clothes on my back.

I mean, literally, this.

The Jakpak is a waterproof jacket that has an integrated tent,

mosquito net and sleeping bag.

OK, so it is a little bit fiddly to get into,

and there is no padding between me

and the ground, so you feel every bump.

But with this, there's no danger of losing your tent

if you're at a festival,

or if you are mad One Direction fan and you're camping

outside their hotel, just to get a little glimpse of the boys,

then you could make use of something like this.

And I've heard that Harry

and the lads are staying quite close to this campsite,

so I'll just wait here for them.

# You don't know you're beautiful

# Oh-oh

# That's what makes you beautiful. #

Next, we catch up with Henry,

who's exploring one of Borneo's marine national parks.

Summer in Malaysia is synonymous

with some of the greatest diving in the world -

take, for instance, the islands of Sipadan, Kapalai and Mabul -

but what happens if you're not a qualified diver?

What can you do? You've got the options of snorkelling

and perhaps free diving, but there's limits to that.

How can you get as close to the sea life as possible without

being a scuba diver?

Well, I've come here to find out.

Hi.

'At the end of 2013, there was

well over 22 million licensed divers in the world,

making the underwater tourism industry a huge draw to

places with naturally beautiful marine ecosystems such as Subba.

People fly from all over the world to see these waters,

to experience life under the sea.

Very close to Kota Kinabalu city is Tunku Ahdu Raman Marine Park.

There's about five islands and the one we're heading to is called Sabi.

-Hi.

-Hello.

-You're Henry, right?

-Yes.

-Hi, I'm Lionel.

-Hi, Lionel.

OK. Henry, I believe that you are doing sea walking.

Yes, I really want to do it. It looks so cool.

Before you start your sea walking...

OK, let me introduce you to marine life,

so you get an idea later on what you're going to do.

-That sounds good.

-OK, good?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-Let's go.

All right, Henry, this is the observatory room here.

-Look at that. It's like being in a submarine.

-Mini submarine.

The reason that why we build this one here to get to know...

-I mean, some people, they don't know about marine life.

-Yeah.

So we want to get connected to them.

So this is almost like a classroom.

Yes, it's part of to educate people as well.

-This is the sea walking area.

-Look at that.

You can see the helmet here.

They look like astronaut helmets.

So this what I'm going to be putting over my head?

Yes, this is the helmet that you are going to use later on.

-They look really heavy.

-OK, this helmet weighs 20kg.

-20kg?

-Yes.

Will I not sink to the bottom of the ocean with that?

-Underwater you will be lighter. You will be buoyant.

-OK.

Finally, it comes the time to brave these funny-looking contraptions,

as Lionel leads me down to the sea walking platform.

Whoa!

Oh, my God, that is heavy.

That is super heavy.

Oh, my gosh!

This is so weird.

This is so strange.

My ears are popping.

We're definitely below the ocean, and just looking up...

This is another world.

Oh, my gosh.

So what do I need to be careful of here?

First thing, you need to hold the rail.

Hold the rail and move slowly.

No swimming, no jumping, just sea walking.

So what happens if I get into trouble?

What's the safety procedures?

We have 70 divers.

We have two divers around here who come towards you.

And don't be panicked, just relax.

The diver will pull us absolutely going up.

Still they're pumping air for us inside for emergency breathing.

There's a constant supply of air being pumped into my helmet

to allow me to breathe normally.

With that I get about 15 minutes to experience

what it's really like to walk on the ocean floor.

Those are beautiful.

Look at these coral, right there.

Beautiful coral garden here,

and all of these fish are just swimming around.

There's one really close to my helmet.

# And they call it magic... #

Up top, this weighs an absolute ton.

But down here, actually, the buoyancy is pretty much dead on,

so it doesn't feel as though I'm holding anything over my head.

All I know is I've got a big bubble surrounding my entire skull here.

OK, so it's not quite the same thrill as having the freedom

to explore the reef on a dive,

but these crazy-looking helmets mean non-divers, or even non-swimmers,

can get a look at what lurks beneath the surface of the water.

Well, that's it for this week.

Join us next week, if you can, when...

Ade's in Rome looking at the eternal city's efforts to preserve

ancient monuments in a time of economic crisis.

Thanks to a huge cash injection,

the Trevi Fountain is looking as spectacular as ever,

but would have happened without the help from big business?

That's next week. But in the meantime, don't forget,

you can follow us on our travels online on our website

or on our social media feeds.

The details are on the screen now.

But in the meantime, from me, Carmen Roberts,

and the rest of the Travel Show team here in Beijing, it's goodbye.