If you’re looking to travel and surf then this might be the post for you. In our stable of travelling experiences we have a few guys who’ve slung on some doggers, prayed to Kahuna and surfed until the sun tells them it’s time to go home.

AJ (@spintheglobe) is a serious surfer; he’s often regaled me with stories of south coast excursions in the middle of winter to catch some waves regardless of freezing temperatures. That is seriously dedicated. He’s a well travelled guy and has recently applied for STA Travel’s World Traveller Internship. Recently he surfed his way down the East coast of America…

Another hero on our Explorer surf team is Chris (@curiouscheese); he’s currently carving his way through Australia. It didn’t all go according to plan though as his timing in terms of finding the surf seemed a little off. You can read about this in his article on the Drift Europe website,

“Sure, western Oz has some of the most insane line-ups you could ever get your stick wet in, and the mutant slabs of Margaret River offer suicidal-looking, dredging barrels on the right swell. But there wasn’t any. It looked promising for one brief day, but there was no way I was going to tackle 6-foot shore dumps in just inches of water – I left that to the local spongers.”

Finally we have George (@Gvee). He’s new to the art. In fact it was only last week he caught his first wave and referred to his surf experience as his new favourite thing,

“Words cannot express how happy surfing has made me feel, so I am not going to try. Instead I will leave you with this: do it. Just do it.

George out.”

Are you looking to travel and surf, or have you already been on a surfari? Tell us about it.

It’s been a while since we’ve had a guest a post, but when Mark got in touch we decided that time was over. Mark provides creative services across the board in the world of architecture, as well as harbouring a keen interest in travel photography. He sent us through a few pictures he’d taken and some snippets of text explaining the images. I’ve included three of my favourites below.

CANMORE, CANADA - Dog Sledding

Adreninlin was absolutely pumping through my body watching and waiting while the dogs were being prepared for myself to drive and naviagate the sled. Although I am a big dog lover, at first I was afraid to get close to them, as they were continuously barking and howling…all 80 of them!

Few minutes in I took the courage to give them a pat and discovered they are extremely gentle creatures. Once we were taught all the commands and safety rules we were off. Simply couldn’t fathom the amont of speed the sled picked up. This is truly one of the best ways to see the Canadian wilderness.

INSTANBUL, TURKEY - Blue Mosque

I’m going to admit I was a little nervous at first visiting a partly Islamic country, but that’s what travelling is about. Putting yourself out there for new experiences. The Turkish are extremely friendly people, especially towards Australians. Just loved the ‘lounge’ bars in the quarter.

A highlight of the city was meeting an Iranian who completely turned away from his Islamic beliefs then a young Englishman who had recently converted to Islam. Not knowing each other, they were having at least an hour long debate why Islam is the fastest and biggest growing Religions, for tomorrow’s world.

Istanbul is evidence that we can all get along no matter which background of beliefs. Especially hearing the calling of Islamic prayer time know as ‘Salat’ being delivered seven times a day, while the general population just gets along with their daily duties.

NEW YORK CITY, USA - Brooklyn Bridge

To many the Brooklyn Bridge is a symbol of one the greatest feats of engineering in the 19th century. The majestic beauty of the bridge also reminds us of the effort made by Italian, German, and Irish immigrants…what can be achieved putting our minds together. Walking over the bridge is just as spellbinding.

You get get in tough with Mark via his website BaldockCreative.

Continuing our Travel Tuesday feature of highlighting travel blogs we are today featuring Nomadic Matt.

Nomadic Matt is, as his blog states, about life untethered. He refers to himself as twenty-something vagabond, who has been on the road regularly since 2005,

“My original trip was supposed to last a year. I didn’t come home until 18 months later. Once back, I knew I couldn’t go back to my old life or a typical job - I wanted to travel more. Three months later, I was traveling again. I haven’t stopped since.”

His about page passes on more info on how he came to where he is now an also features interesting facts. Did you no Nomadic Matt once got lost in a jungle?

Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site contains tips, his blog, photos, videos and more all on where he’s been and what he’s done. You can find him on YouTube, Twitter @nomadicmatt, Facebook and FriendFeed. If you want to know insider knowledge about a specific destination, from hostels in NZ to learning to scuba-dive its likely Matt will be able to help you out.

Matt, on this fine Travel Tuesday, you’re our man.

Myself, Fran & Siobhan spent Saturday immersed in all things travel related at the Adventure Travel Show Live. After presenting to a diverse audience our STA Explorer programme and the World Traveller Internship (WTI) we had a few chats and gave out our goody bags to excited, budding nomads hoping to apply for the WTI and become STA Explorers.

After, Fran went and saw some of the talks and spread the STA travelbuzz word, whilst Siobhan and I went to check out the different travel stalls. First off was drinking Kava, the traditional Fijian drink, with Ben Keene from Tribe Wanted and Dylan (@travellingeditor). The Kava was mixed together by a very authentic looking Fijian and we all had to clap before we received our drink and then clap again after. It was hard to do so when we were almost gagging from the taste (think trees mixed with mud). However, after 3 cups of that and a very numb mouth, we set off giggling like school girls to chat to the STA Travel team who were all working hard giving out information on various deals and offers currently on while answering any questions people had about specific destinations.

We also spoke to the guy on the Mali counter, who taught us about classic Mali music before we made our way to the Healthy Travel talk with Jane Wilson. She taught us how to successfully remove a tick (grab it by the teeth and yank it out). The appropriate clothing to wear (tie trousers at the bottom over your boots to avoid bites and leeches). And how to get over a bout of diarrhea (LOTS of water and eat if you feel hungry).

From there we met Toni, our newest explorer, and we chatted all about her up coming travels. The previous evening had seen her meet a bunch of people to discuss her trip and she has already arranged to meet people while travelling and partake in a little couch-surfing!

All in all a great day!

Just wanted to send out a reminder to all those with a love of travel and a desire to get away. The launch of STA Travel’s World Traveller Internship is happening on Tuesday 26th January in the STA Travel Victoria store from 7:30PM.

Two individuals will take up positions with the brand as a World Traveller Intern and go around the globe, adding their own insider knowledge to STA Travel’s expertise. If you reckon this could be you then pop down to the store on Tuesday night and hear straight from the horse’s mouth what you’re going to need to do to get the run on everyone else.

You can look at all the details on this wiki, as well as add you’re name to the list of attendees. We’ve also created a Spotify playlist for the night so we’ve all got something to dance the night away to, while making our way through the free food and drink. If you’re coming along then simply follow the link and add your own travelling tracks to the list.

Cam and I look forward to seeing you there!

All good things should have a launch party, and STA Travel’s World Traveller Internship is no different!

We’ve already given you a glimpse of what STA Travel’s World Traveller Internship is, but a quick recap can’t hurt. STA Travel is looking to fill two intern positions. They’ll be an application process that will be structured to allow you to stand out from the crowd. You’ll have to show off your love of travel and demonstrate that you have the inclination to bring something new and exciting to STA Travel’s expertise in the travel space to get ahead of the rest.

Interested? Then what better way to start your journey than attend the launch party…

It’s all happening at the STA Travel Store in Victoria London, TUESDAY 7:30PM 26th JANUARY, 2010.

Additionally to this there is a wiki for the event, where you can find out a little more, see who else is going along and add your own name to the list of attendees.

Besides the usual drinks and nibbles they’ll be a look at what the USA STA Travel interns got up to last year and a presentation about what the UK version is going to entail. We’ve also fired up Spotify to create a collaborative playlist for the evening’s musical accompaniment. The STA travelbuzz team has started things off with a selection based around jobs and travel. We’d love you to add your own tracks, whether following our thematic lead or including songs that are relevant to your own travelling adventures.

That’s about it for now, the event is an inclusive shindig so bring along pals and pass on the information to anyone who you feel would be interested. If you want to know more details, or are unsure about anything, then send us a message on Twitter @statravelbuzz #STAWTILaunch or drop us an email.

Hopefully we’ll see you there!

In the wake of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that has devastated Haiti support has come on a global scale. The BBC has reported that Britons have donated £23m according to the Disasters and Emergency Committee (DEC).

The money is contributing to helping those affected by what has been described as an unprecedented level of destruction. It is a huge test for the relief organisations involved, but amidst concern about aid getting to those who need it, the DEC has stated that both water supplies and medical expertise are “increasingly reaching” people.

Finding survivors is becoming more unlikely but, as this report shows there is still hope as a 25-year-old woman was pulled from the rubble.

Specialised teams have been drafted into Haiti from all over the globe, including a team of fire fighters from Lincolnshire. They’ve located and rescued a number of trapped individuals already and are continuing to work with the US military.

Currently the Foreign office is still advising against all but essential travel to Haiti, the full details of this situation can be found at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office site.