Something to declare: Namibia; Rye; Cricket World Cup; Thailand on £100 a day
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Your support makes all the difference.Destination of the week: Namibia
The former German colony in south-west Africa has had a good week. On Thursday it was again voted the best country in the world by readers of Wanderlust magazine.
Travellers who have yet to go there have an extra incentive: the creation of an extra-large National Park. The Namib-Skeleton Coast National Park – actually four adjacent parks combined – is 10 per cent bigger than Ireland. Namibia's entire coastline is now under protection.
Tip of the week: The Rye stuff
The only Spanish-Romanesque church in Britain (St Anthony of Padua); the oldest working church tower clock in Britain (St Mary's, whose clock is half the age of the 900-year-old structure); and a blend of Gothic Revival and Arts & Crafts (Rye Harbour Church) – just three ecclesiastical examples of the wealth of history and intrigue in the East Sussex town of Rye. A new collection of illustrated guides, A Pocketful of Rye costs slightly more than sixpence (£4.99; apocketfulofrye.co.uk). Rye is now 73 minutes from St Pancras with a change at Ashford International.
Warning of the week: Going east for cricket?
Ahead of the Cricket World Cup, starting in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in two weeks, the Foreign Office has issued guidance for travelling fans. It warns, "If you fall ill during your visit it can be extremely expensive. Treatment in a well equipped private hospital in the main cities such as Delhi is likely to cost upwards of £120 per night. Unless you have good travel insurance you will have to pay costs from your own pocket".
The most common crime affecting tourists in Sri Lanka is credit-card fraud: "Do not let your credit card leave your sight."
In Bangladesh, "Violent street protests are taking place in Dhaka's financial district following falls in the Stock Exchange".
Travellers to India are warned of "a high threat from terrorism"; be alert in hotels, airports, shops and markets, and on public transport.
Bargain of the week: Thailand on £100 a day
Fly Heathrow-Bangkok on Thai on 21 February, change for Krabi, right, and spend a week at the Krabi Thai Village – all for £899 per person, including flights and breakfast, or £100 for each of the nine days of the overall trip. Trailfinders (0845 050 5892; trailfinders.com).
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