Newsletter - September 2006
Top Features
New hostel in Berlin:
New hostel in Berlin. We've got a brand new hostel in one of Europe's most lively and colourful cities.
Top 10 places to catch the end of summer:
Top 10: European destination with the last bit of sunHold onto the sunshine a little longer with our still hot European destinations. Or accept the cooler weather as it comes with a visit to Oktoberfest.
Airport Security:
Airport SecurityUnderstanding Airport Safety Guidelines and reasons not to hang up your rucksack.
Monthly Features
Monthly Features
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Travel Story
Backpacker's Stories from around the globe.
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Catalyst for Adventure
A chapter from our featured travel book.
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Backpacker bites
Backpacker Bites Tips on fitness, diet and exercise while on the road.
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Music Mashup
The best St Christopher's Hostel this month.
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Backpacker Q&A
Your questions answered here.
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Female Backpackers
Travelling tips for the solo-female traveller. From keeping safe to having fun, from meeting people to stories from the road.
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My Life of Travel
Find out what's the word at our hostels and bars each month.
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Beds n'bars
Find out what's the word at our hostels and bars each month.
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Travel Tips
Backpacking is a tough business. We give you the tricks of the trade you need for a smooth journey.
Edition: September 2006
From the Editor
I've always found September to be a strange month, a transitional month. Between summer and school, between warm weather and cold, between having money and Christmas coming. (Sorry for those raised in the Southern Hemisphere, I can't comprehend Christmas on the beach.)
In Europe, much of this remains true. The tourist hordes are departing, the college students are preparing to hit the books again, the poor sods in London have said a sad farewell to the sun ages ago.
It's time to switch gears. But it doesn't necessarily have to be this way - for those of you who can't fathom saying goodbye to the sun our Top 10 Last Grasp of Summer is just for you.
And as promised, the Female Backpacker Tips is back in full swing. Our guest writer, Caz, has gotten together a list of gadgets to help make your backpacking days a little easier and a little more stylish. From silly to practical and back.
We've got the low down on Oktoberfest and the best places to stay for the upcoming Cannabis Cup. We've got a last blast surfing weekend in Newquay and the final chapter of Catalyst for Adventure, then there's our big 007-style secret revealed.
And of course the favourites all the best deals and specials from St. Christopher's for the weeks to come. Enjoy the new beginning that your September brings whatever that may be.
St Christophers is opening in Berlin
Our newest St. Christopher's hostel will be part of the St-Christophers family from November 1st 2006.
St. Christopher's is excited to be taking over a hostel with an equally strong reputation for fun, safety, location, cleanliness and style.
The hostel is currently part of the Circus Hostel Group and the great news for all Circus lovers is they will be continuing with their fantastic hostel in Weinbergsweg.
Coming to visit us at our new backpacker's home what you'll get is a fantastic downtown location, close to all the hottest attractions and the quality and comfort that you've come to expect when staying with St. Christopher's.
New hostel in Berlin - Bar You get the big-city excitement from the quiet and historic Berlin-Mitte when staying with St. Christopher's Berlin. Visiting Germany's capital has always been a treat with its famed nightlife, extroverted crowds, stunning architecture and intense cultural scene. We can help you plan your stay with suggestions for the hottest places to party, the best ways to get around, the cheapest tours of your huge list of must-see bits of the city. And when you've thoroughly exhausted yourself you can feel secure coming back to home to St. Christopher's for a relaxing evening of foozeball or pool in our chill-out room, a relaxing pint in our vibrant basement bar, or a tranquil journal writing session on our mezzanine balcony overlooking the infamous Volksbuhne Theatre.
For more on St. Christopher's youth hostels in Berlin, Germany visit our new Berlin Home Page. Here is where you'll find all of the details on this great new location, as well as all the fantastic deals we've cooked up to get you out to Berlin for a visit.
We're all very excited about the opening of our hostel in Berlin and we're looking forward to seeing you all there very soon. Happy travels...
Write around the world: Travel story
An artist's guide to Rome
A journal entry-style report from this month's feature writer will take you through the old Roman Empire, through the world of art, cinema and literature and back to the home of the Pope. It's one-mans Italy. Read On.
Try your hand at travel writing, send us your submission and if we publish it you get two free nights in a St. Christopher's hostel. E-mail submissions@st-christophers.co.uk
My Life Of Travel
Journal of the Month
Andrew has been off travelling again and spent the month of August tearing up Asia. Starting in Bangkok, Andrew made his way through Siem Reap and Angkor Wat before taking a riverboat to Battambang. A fantastic trip which included Phnom Penh and Saigon leaves us all eagerly awaiting our next voyage.
Get your own free travel blog with journal entries, photos, an interactive map that tracks your journey and so much more at My Life of Travel.
Backpacker's Q & A Forum
What to pack in your backpack
Packing is always a huge challenge when travelling. You don't want to over-pack, but how can you be sure you're not forgetting that one little something that it's impossible to buy at your destination? Well, this months backpacker Q&A session has been completely devoted to our stacks of inquiries about what really are the essentials when travelling.
There are no stupid questions, except the ones you don't ask. Especially when you're traveling. Try us at submissions@st-christophers.co.uk
Travel Tips for Women
Gadgets for Girls
This month's female-only travel tips are showing you all the best from the 21world of gadgets. From a transportable clothesline to a solution for a lockless door. It's all here.
We've been getting tons of info from Solo-Female travellers and we're loving it! If you've got any questions or comments you'd like to pass our way send them to submissions@st-christophers.co.uk
In Ancient Rome only important people wore purple clothes. This is because the purple dye came from a particular kind of shellfish and was very expensive.
One golden poison-dart frog could kill up to 1500 people with its poison.
Australian E-3 Visa
Over the past few months BritBound has been getting you comfortably settled into Britain. Helping you get a bank account, an insurance number, a house to live in and somewhere to work.
Now some of you might be so comfortable that you've lost your backpacking roots and it just might be time to move on. Well for those with an Australian Passport, BritBound might just be able to help you with your next move. Introducing the E-3 Visa. This new visa category was created recently as a result of favourable trade agreements between the United States and the Australian Government.
So that now you can enjoy the US, live in another country after the UK and receive the many tax and salary advantages available to contractors working in the US. Contact sarah@britbound.co.uk for further information.
Backpacking Travel Tips
Airport Security
With the new crack down on airport security and the extensive dos and don'ts associated with packing luggage, a trip to the airport can seem like more trouble than it's worth. But you shouldn't let the hassle stop you – all you need to do is inform and prepare yourself before you head out. And of course, that's where we come in.
Got a travelling query? Want us to help plan your trip? Want to know the best tours, countries, pubs, restaurants, hide-away gems? Just ask: submissions@st-christophers.co.uk
Backpacker Bites
Beating Jet Lag
The hardest thing about travelling is often the journey itself, especially if you're forced to endure a long haul flight. You arrive worn out and exhausted with a headache and a backache and you're cursing the jet lag that plagues you. For tips and tricks for escaping or alleviating jet lag, read on.
If there are any topics on nutrition and fitness you'd like to see addressed in this column then please let us know. James McDonald is a St. Christopher's Manager and fully certified personal trainer, he can be reached at healthy.living@st-christophers.co.uk for any questions on Health and Fitness.
St Christopher's Top 10:
Places to catch the last summer sun
Not ready to don your parka and toque? Looking to hold onto the summer a little bit longer? Well as my fantastic South African boss has pointed out, it's a simple as a move to the Southern Hemisphere - anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere is the ideal place for a prolonged summer. But in case a trip to the other half of the world doesn't suit your budget we've also got some European destinations that will still keep you nice and warm.
If you've got a Top 10 to fill us in on, pass it our way, the world is full of travellers looking for the next big adventure. Send your submissions to submissions@st-christophers.co.uk
Beds & Bars News
We're set to re-launch our Belushi's site with some significant changes in a few days time. We've got a new menu, new specials, new nights and a new location to rave about. Read on for just a taste of what's new and exciting.
Belushi's has finally arrived in Brighton! Upstairs is our Traditional St Christopher's Inn serving fantastic food and drink from 11am - 2am everyday. Downstairs is the newest addition to the Belushi's family offering crazy late night partying. Situated on Grand Junction road (opposite the pier).
Over the summer we developed a whole new menu with the same traditional favourites that are the staple of any pub, but we've mixed them up with lighter, healthier options, brand new interpretations on the traditional and unbeatable prices.
Every Belushi's has it's own flavour with it's own weekly deals and party nights. You'll need to try them all if you're ever to pick a favourite.
Check out all the latest happenings in a few days at www.belushis.com.
The world's largest palace has 1788 rooms. It was built for the Sultan of Brunei.
Catalyst for adventure:
The true story of best friends travelling through Europe
Summer and Crystal are on their way home back to the States after their extensive and exciting tour of Europe. We're bidding a fond farewell to the girls, wishing them the best of luck and saying goodbye to all the friends they'd met along the way.
Our travel book will come to a close. We need a new story. Suggestions welcome at submissions@st-christophers.co.uk.
Music Report
Music Mashup
Have you ever wanted to be a musician? A real rock n' roll superstar? From the millions of people who are out there striving to do just that, I'm sure they'll warn you away from even thinking it. Before the groupies and the millions of pounds start rolling in, it's years of hard work and dedication. This month we're saying thank-you to some local Londoners who have persevered through it all, to grace us with their creations.
Got a question, comment or smart remark? We're here to listen, so send us an email
Sneak Peek at Next Month
With Hallowe'en being everyone's favourite non-holiday celebration we're going to have the Top 10 Scary and Ghoulish ways to celebrate the 31st of October. We'll also be checking in with Berlin reporting on all the best from the St. Christopher's invasion. You'll get to delve into the first chapter of our all-new travel book. And for the female traveller we'll be looking at ways to stay safe on the road. Happy travels until we meet again.
A child on a farm sees a plane fly by overhead and dreams of a faraway place. A traveller on the plane sees the farmhouse and dreams of home.
- Carl Burns
