Naughty stewards, tarantulas & the best outdoor cinemas
Welcome back to World of Travel, where we round up our favourite stories from the farthest reaches of the travelsphere. You can expect everything from hints and tips sourced from the world's leading travel bloggers, to pictures and videos of incredible destinations you might not have known existed, plus loads of other stuff. You may even see a few travelling animals here and there.
Just so you know, we publish a new one of these every Friday. This is a quite deliberate move, designed to ensure that you have something to read/watch while easing into the weekend. Just make sure the boss isn't watching.
This week we have stories from (among others) @TelegraphTravel, @CNNTravel, @buzzfeedtravel, @GuardianTravel, @JohnnyJet, @MailOnline, @travelweekly
Good Week For...
Italy, which has just been named by Travelzoo members as their favourite European destination. One look at this BuzzFeed gallery and it’s not hard to see why.
People with a head for heights, who can now take a stroll across a glass-bottomed suspension bridge in China’s Hunan Province. The Haohan Qiao, or "Brave Men's Bridge", in Shiniuzai National Geological Park, spans 900 feet nearly 600 feet above a plunging valley. Condé Nast Traveler has the story and pictures. Anyone who hates cars. And loves islands. If that sounds like you, have a look at this comprehensive list of the world’s best car-free islands. Telegraph Travel has the full run-down. 
Delta passengers flying from Baltimore and Atlanta, who had a narrow escape last week when their flight was cancelled after a baggage handler spotted a tarantula strolling about in the cargo hold. “Being bitten by a tarantula is not a good thing," the pilot said, somewhat unnecessarily. CNN has more.
Bad Week For...
The town of Okotoks in Alberta, Canada, which would appear to be having self-esteem issues, if its latest tourism campaign (left) is anything to go by. Fortunately, the good folks of Twitter were came to the rescue with some alternative suggestions. Head to BuzzFeed for the rest of the story. A flight attendant who was caught initiating a male passenger in the ways of the “mile-high club”, and subsequently exposed as having been making £1,500 per flight by offering her illicit services. She was dismissed just in case you’re asking, at which point she headed off to count the £650k she is thought to have amassed. Daily Mail has the lurid details. Emergency exits on KLM flights, which bear an uncanny resemblance to the aircraft’s toilet doors. So says a man named James Gray, who was arrested and fined after he attempted to open the jet door at 30,000ft, claiming he mistook it for the toilet. Easy mistake, James. Head over to Travel Weekly for the full sorry tale. Novice climbers en route to Mount Everest, who have been told not to bother by officials in Nepal. Seems as if they think it’s a bad idea to have people equipped with little more than a Primark waterproof and bar of Kendal mint cake attempting to take on the world’s highest peak. Weird. The Guardian has more details.
Did You Know…?
You can now snoop around inside British Airways business class-only flights using Google Maps Street View: Hotels are responsible for some of the coolest stuff ever invented. Bloody Mary, afternoon tea and even Truman Capote make it onto this list on the Huffington Post. There’s now an Instagram feed dedicated exclusively to men looking hunky outdoors – you know, swinging on ropes, shirtlessly climbing mountains and generally being rugged. The account is called Men of Outdoors and you can find it here. You’re welcome, ladies.
Travelling Animal of the Week
OK, so this isn’t so much a story about a travelling animal – rather it’s one about a campaign to keep one just where it is. And no, we know, it’s not even a real animal.
Larry the Lobster, longtime resident of Kingston SE, Australia, has fallen on hard times after years of neglect. But rather than see him carted off to the big fake lobster garden in the sky, one concerned local has started a GoFundMe campaign to have Larry restored to his former glory.
From the Blogs & Beyond
- Are you ready to see pictures of the world’s worst plane food? Really ready? You asked for it. Click here if you dare.
- After that, how about something to lift the spirits? This gallery, with pictures of the world’s finest outdoor cinemas ought to do the trick.
- Travel a lot? Need to work while you do so? Here’s Johnny Jet with some great ideas on staying productive in the air.
Do you have a travel story that you think the world needs to hear? Email rbatho@travelzoo.com with the details or tweet us (we're on @Travelzoo_UK) using the hashtag #TravelzooWoT.