Episode 3 The Travel Show

Could smartphones be putting skiers' lives at risk?

In this week's Travel Show, we find out why.

In this week's programme...

Ski apps for smartphones that measure your top speed.

We head to the Balkans to discover a classic Kosovan spirit.

We touch down in Singapore for a 60-second stopover.

And if you couldn't make the London Olympics in 2012,

we've news on how you can now get to experience some of the venues.

Hello, and welcome to The Travel Show, with me,

Henry Golding, coming to you this week from Thailand.

Now, over 20 million people come here on holiday every year,

but luckily only a few of those get lost in the Thai jungle.

But you can find out how I got on when that happened to me

later on in the programme.

But first...

If you were hooked by the Winter Olympics in Sochi recently,

If you were hooked by the Winter Olympics in Sochi recently,

then you might have been tempted to think about

booking a skiing holiday.

But, as Emma-Jane Kirby now reports from Val d'Isere in France,

the need for speed, or rather new ways to monitor it,

could be compromising safety on the slopes.

Welcome to Val d'Isere, and today it really is the skier's paradise.

But to make your day even better, a new ski app for your smartphone.

It'll tell you everything you've ever wanted to know

about your descent down the mountain.

So, the ski app basically works like the GPS in your car.

You simply hit record, pop it into your pocket,

and then, at the end of the day, it will tell you

exactly where you've been, how far you've been,

and more to the point, how fast you've gone.

And everyone here seems to be using them.

90kph.

What did you get, Matthew?

The Goldsworthy family say ski apps have made their holidays

much more lively.

Allows you to be competitive, and know if you're winning or losing.

Ah, now, you're looking at your brother, there.

He's your twin, isn't he? Yeah.

Who's winning?

Um... Me at the moment. You at the moment?

This holiday he's winning, but in Tignes last year, I beat him.

Speed may give a headrush to holidaymakers...

but to the ski resort's safety patrols, it simply means headaches.

You can see people at the top of the lifts

playing with their telephone,

cos they're a technology telephone addict.

So we're a bit worried about that, because that kind of people

turn off the brain and just race with the ski app.

Ski apps do seem to be rather addictive.

I was the fastest. No, no, no!

Even when the weather changes for the worse.

We share it on Facebook every day,

so we are skiing eight days,

and eight days I posted on Facebook and you can see it.

I've no idea how fast I'm going now,

but it certainly does seem as if I've picked up some speed.

The Alpine Doctors Association, Medecins de Montagnes,

is concerned that over the last ten years

there's been a hike in serious injuries on the pistes.

Phew!

Well, let's see how fast that was...

with the use of my handy app.

Now, that's...

That's quite surprising, actually.

60kph, and I didn't think I was going very fast.

That's really quite sobering.

There are no statistics to prove that ski apps are behind the increase

in accidents on the slopes, but this Alpine doctor has his suspicions.

When people come in to see me with an injury,

I routinely ask them how fast they've been going -

it's important for me to know how much force is involved

in the accident - and I've noticed that over the past month or so,

people have been able to tell me exactly how fast they've been going,

because they've been using a ski app.

We asked one ski app company, Ski Tracks,

to respond to the concerns raised about these products.

They sent us this statement.

No-one understands the thrill of speed better than this man.

HE SPEAKS FRENCH

Xavier Cousseau holds the world speed record for monoskiing -

212kph.

So, I'm going to give you helmet,

because you need helmet to go down, OK?

Here, on a specially secluded slope at Plagne Montalbert,

he's set up a speed gun...

Voila!

..encouraging skiers to bomb down it as fast as they can.

After congratulating skiers, he then gives them a warning.

Perfect!

98.63kph.

98.63.

OK, it's good to do that here, but never do that on a normal track.

Some people, they say, "Hey!

"Yesterday, with my app, I was over 130."

But going 130kph on a normal slope is really dangerous,

because if you can't control your skis,

or if you hurt somebody, you can kill yourself.

There's no doubt that ski apps do give us a lot of fun on the slopes -

and who knows?

Maybe even seeing our true speed before us

will give us a bit of a reality check

and will slow us down.

Emma-Jane Kirby, reporting there from Val d'Isere

in the French Alps.

And if you're thinking of heading to Europe on a skiing holiday,

here's three things to think about before you go.

Keep an eye out for hidden costs when flying.

Prices on budget flights may soon rack up

once you add on extra luggage charges

for skis and other equipment.

Check the small print of your winter sports insurance.

Some policies won't cover you if you have an accident off-piste.

And if you're looking for out-of-season skiing, try a glacier

like the Hintertux in Austria,

which is open 365 days a year.

Police patrols have been beefed up around Kun Ming railway station

in southwest China following last week's knife attacks

which left 29 people dead and 143 injured.

Tourism officials have called for increased security

throughout the province.

Travellers at the local airport will face advanced screening

and extra checks on their luggage.

Tourists will be able to take a peek inside the gardens of the Pope's

summer residence for the first time in 400 years from this week.

The gardens at Castel Gandolfo near Rome

cover 30 hectares and include ancient Roman ruins.

A ticket to the grounds will cost ?21.

And finally, some music with a difference.

RHYTHMIC BEAT

That's the sound of an underwater concert.

It's one of a series of shows from Wet Sounds,

which is currently touring pools in Europe.

Swimmers can dip their head beneath the surface

for a unique musical experience.

So we embarked on a whirlwind trip to learn about this complicated land

with a drink known as Rakia, or Rakija.

Though language, culture and religion may divide Kosovo

and other former Yugoslavian countries,

they all share a love for this ubiquitous fruit brandy.

Everywhere we went, there was Rakija -

a judge's party, a lingerie shop, even a monastery.

We're going to try and get a bottle.

On our way to the monastery, we saw Kosovo's version of peace,

a series of barriers and foreign soldiers

stationed to protect this Serbian Orthodox monastery

in a now Albanian majority country.

Monks living here produced wine from 14th century.

Monks living here produce Rakija.

What makes it good? I give you taste, you tell me.

OK. Come.

For nearly 700 years,

wine and Rakija helped support the Serbian monks.

In the mouth it has to be soft, but here it has to be strong.

Yeah.

I imagine this can get you through a pretty rough Balkan winter.

And a nice Balkan summer.

As we toasted, I couldn't help but wonder how often

a Serb and Albanian Kosovar actually shared a drink these days.

You guys seem pretty peaceful right now.

I was always peaceful. We grew up in the same country.

His friend needed more Rakija for his bar. Let's go.

So we headed to his producer's house in Orahovac,

a town renowned for its rich soil and production of Rakija and wine.

Here we got a lesson in home-made distillation.

Sockebe greeted us in typical Kosovar fashion.

With a warm handshake, something to drink and far too much food,

which was quite literally farm to table.

Two hours now of eating and drinking home-made drink and food.

Life is good.

Sockebe's story is common in the Balkans.

During the Yugoslav wars throughout the '90s, jobs became scarce.

But there was plenty of fruit and people used it

to turn centuries-old family traditions into a business,

supplying bars with home-made Rakija.

That is tasty.

While illegal, it can be found everywhere

and it's coveted over factory-produced bottles.

That day, Sockebe was making plum Rakija

and friends, neighbours and the entire family rushed to help

with the precision of a pit crew.

At its best, Rakija tastes anywhere between a tasty grappa

or a fine cognac, depending on ageing and type of fruit.

At its worst, Rakija tastes more like embalming fluid.

Really, I think you could preserve bodies with it.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to know before tasting.

80% alcohol.

Sometimes you've just got to follow the local customs.

Stay with us here on The Travel Show,

as there's plenty more to come, including how I got on

when I got lost in the jungle here in Thailand.

Just enjoy it. Drink some water real quick.

Grab a bunch of firewood so you have a lot more than you think you need

and enjoy it. You're camping.

Hello, I'm Michelle Jana Chan,

and this is The Travel Show's new Global Guide

on the world's best events in the coming month.

# Somebody remind me where I am

# Miami or Timbuktu? #

First, if you've been having withdrawal

symptoms from the Summer Olympics,

and with two more years to go before the next one in Rio,

why not head to London,

where a clutch of 2012 Olympics sites

are finally opening to the public.

And if you've got a head for heights,

you'll be able to get a fresh view of London

from the ArcelorMittal Orbit,

Britain's largest piece of public art.

On a clear day,

visitors can see over 30km from the top viewing platform.

# Let's go

# Right now. #

If winter sports are more your thing,

why not join the thousands of boarders

expected at the World Ski Snowboard Festival

in Whistler, British Columbia in April?

The Shred Show draws in the best snowboarders.

On April 20th at Big Air, they take off from a 20m table jump.

The festival is bound up with outdoor concerts

and all-night parties, too, for serious apres athletes.

If you would prefer some late summer sunshine,

then head to South Africa.

With Cape Town crowned the world design capital,

think urban regeneration, student fashion shows

and street art.

On March 15th, the Cape Town Carnival will take to the streets.

There'll be over 1,000 performers, giant floats

and live musicians on the Fanwalk in Greenpoint.

Next, Australia, and if you find yourself in Adelaide this month,

why not head to the Fringe Festival?

There's cabaret, comedy, street performance and circus acts.

At the Spirit Festival on March 15th and 16th,

it's the very best in Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander culture.

The same weekend, there are free concerts

in the Garden of Unearthly Delights,

plus carnival rides and so-called freak shows.

If you want to see the biggest all-women off-road rally,

then you need to head to the Moroccan desert in March.

Competitors in the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles use quad bikes,

four-wheel drives and motorbikes to take on the Sahara.

There's no GPS, no mobile phones, no support crews.

Just old-school navigation via maps and compass.

Choose your path wisely.

The winner is crowned in Essaouira on March 29th.

Finally, the Oxford-Cambridge boat race on London's Thames River

has been running since 1829.

But there may be a different kind of rivalry in the wings.

The goat race across town at Spitalfields City Farm

pits two goats head-to-head

on the same day as the men's boat race, April 6th.

Each goat wears the colours of a university, of course.

Cambridge won on the track last year, Oxford on the water.

Let's see if it's boats or goats getting the most bets this year.

That's my Global Guide this month - let me know what's happening

in the place where you live, or where you love.

We're on Twitter, Facebook and e-mail.

Until next time, happy travelling.

Exploring the interior

is a great way to experience another side of Thailand.

Away from the beaches and bars, I've joined a trek through the jungle

in the Phang Nga Province in the south-east of the country,

close to the tourist resort of Phuket.

Hope we're not too far away. Yep.

My jungle buddies and I set off in the early afternoon

to navigate our way to and from a stunning waterfall climb.

A situation that could easily happen - you're on a trek

and you get distracted for a short while,

and when you look back up, your companions are gone.

Nowhere to be found.

Now you're lost in the middle of the jungle. So, what do you do?

This barefoot explorer is survival expert Dave Williams.

For years, he's been teaching trekkers basic survival skills

that could mean the difference between life and death.

Dave, I'm lost - I need your help.

What's the first thing I should do? Just relax, it's not that big a deal.

You can't be THAT lost.

I have a mobile phone, but the battery is very, very low -

one bar left, and hardly any signal.

What are my priorities?

Do I use it now or do I save it?

Well, you've only got one bar, we've got one hour of light,

I would wait for that.

The chances of us getting rescued now are pretty slim.

Let's accept our fate, enjoy the night,

we'll get a night in the jungle to spend, let's do this,

and then tomorrow we'll figure out -

we'll walk around just a little bit, find two bars, make the call.

Dave's most important tip is to keep hydrated.

Without water, the body and brain soon go into shutdown,

so that's what we need to sort out first.

We're going to hopefully find some water in bamboo.

Bamboo holds a lot of water.

During the dry season, it has water inside it.

This water is pure, it's a little bit sweet,

and it tends to be cool temperature-wise.

So, I'm going to take...

and I'm going to make myself...

There it is. ..a straw.

There could be this much water in here...

there could be THIS much water.

It's a little bit late in the dry season,

so I'll just expect a little bit of water here.

We can cut up in here...

There we go.

Have a little taste.

That is good. That is very refreshing.

I just turned around and saw this, this is actually going to be tastier.

Oh! Almost trod on it.

Always look, it's, like, not a metre away.

This is a fishtail palm. OK. This is everywhere.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, it's a big one. Oh, this is good.

You're going to like this, mate.

This one's actually tasty, this is something you would eat on purpose!

THEY LAUGH

Not just in these survival situations. Very coconutty.

So you grab just the white bit right at the tip, there.

Yeah. Just eat up until it starts tasting bad.

You're right. Coconutty. It's very sweet, very coconutty, yeah.

That sweet is carbs.

Dave originally worked in the shipyards of Virginia.

When the work there dried up, he decided to head to Asia,

his home ever since.

So, Dave, how did you get involved

with all of the survival techniques?

Well, I've been into wild, edible plants and stuff all my life.

I just find it a very interesting subject.

When I lived back in America, if you knew a dozen plants,

basically, in my home state, you had it sorted.

Here, I got a dozen plants in my yard.

HENRY CHUCKLES

With sunset fast approaching,

I had to sort out where I was going to sleep for the night.

So, why is it so important to build a shelter?

Certain times of year, when it's a little bit cold, the ground is cold.

It doesn't have to be but a few degrees colder

than your actual body temperature

to literally suck the life out of you.

But you're also getting off the ground to get the creepy crawlies

and things that are going to annoy you and keep you from sleeping.

Go round everything as many times as you can to make

it as tight as you can.

OK! We've got the foundation going. Check this out, man.

So, that's pretty stable.

That's pretty good!

Now, all we've got to do is put some slits across, and we are done.

Holding my breath...

Holding my breath.

Ooh! Ah!

That's reasonably comfortable!

Hold on...just shift down a little bit.

Shift down, get your weight right.

You might want to take your knife off.

Now, what about a pillow,

bit of a shoulder rub?

No!

Oh, there we go! There's your pillow. Ahh!

And that's your shoulder rub, there you go.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is actually extremely comfortable.

Found some water, I've eaten, I've built my shelter

and the fire is going.

Nightfall is coming, and I really want to make it through the night,

I still haven't been found - any last-minute tips?

Just enjoy it.

Drink some water real quick, grab a bunch of firewood,

so you have a lot more than you think you need, and enjoy it.

You're camping. Cheers, Dave!

What a brilliant time I've had, my man! Thank you.

Excellent. Enjoy.

Sadly, that's all we have time for this week,

but I'm going to be saved at some point, fingers crossed.

In the meantime, join us on all of our travels by following us

on our Twitter feed, or, of course, liking us on Facebook.

All the details should be on your screen now.

In the meantime, here's what's coming up next week.

We'll be leaving the sweltering jungles of Thailand behind,

as Ade heads to the world-famous Niagara Falls

to find out why more people choose

to holiday on the Canadian side of the falls than the American.

Tourists have been flocking to the American

and Canadian borders for hundreds of years,

and the extreme weather they've been having here

has made even more people want to come and see the frozen falls.

Now, this is my first time here, and they look absolutely beautiful.

Catch that if you can, but from me, Henry Golding,

and the rest of The Travel Show team,

wherever they are in the world, goodbye.

Wish me luck.