OLIVE COMPLEXION
Northern California may be known for its fine wines, but the last year or so has seen a rise in another kind of agritourism, this one devoted to the olive. The state produces 99 per cent of the extra virgin olive oil consumed in the US and (4 per cent of olive oil consumed worldwide.
A number of farms are now open for public tours, demonstrations and samplings. Some 60km north of San Francisco, McEvoy Ranch (mcevoyranch.com) offers basic tours ($35), workshops ($75) and wellness classes ($85) that include yoga and massage.
In the Napa Valley, Grove 45 (grove45.com) runs private tours of its groves ($200 for two), which include lunch and tastings. Nearby, the Round Pond Estate (roundpond. com) is a winery that also has olive groves. The tasting tour costs $65.
THAILAND INTRODUCES SIX-MONTH TOURIST VISA
Thailand's Foreign Ministry has confirmed that a new six-month multiple-entry tourist visa will be available from November 13th. The visa, which will cost 5000 baht (€124), will allow visitors to enter and leave the country as often as they want over the six-month period, but they can only stay a total of 60 days at a time. Under current rules, tourist visas are valid for only 60 days, after which they must leave the country and apply for an extension. Thailand's military government is trying to reverse the sharp drop in visitor numbers following the coup of 2014.
ANIMAL MIGRATION APPS
A series of apps that track the world's animal migrations are now available. HerdTracker (discoverafrica.com/ herdtracker) is a real-time app that maps the precise location of the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti and Masai Mara, now in full flow. Animal Tracker (on iTunes and Google Play) focuses primarily on the movement of birds, allowing users to pick out their favourite species as they move around the globe. And Shark Net (iTunes) lets you follow the movement of the white shark around the Pacific coast. Global Shark Tracker does something similar for Android users.
CITY OF BRIDGES TETHERED TO MAINLAND
It's taken a decade, but the new tram service connecting Venice with the mainland is finally up and running. The tram runs every five minutes between Mestre (site of the main train station) on the mainland and Piazzale Roma on the island city.
The tram will be a boon to visitors arriving in Mestre, who until now only had a choice between a pricey taxi or a long-winded bus journey, which was all the more cumbersome with luggage. A one-way ticket tram costs €6.
Meanwhile, Rome is looking to raise the cost of the daily permit for coaches visiting the city from €200 to €1,000, or about €25 per person.
GET AWAY AT HOME
Abbeyglen Castle Hotel (abbeyglen.ie) in Clifden has a three-night midweek B&B golf break from €199 per person, including three dinners and a €20 voucher for a round at the Connemara Golf Club. The Inish Beg Estate (inishbeg.com) off Baltimore in west Cork, has a two-night luxury self-catering break from €205 midweek (€290 weekends). Both are valid until November 30th. Arnold's Hotel (arnoldshotel. com) in Dunfanaghy, CoDonegal has a two-night midweek B&B deal that includes one dinner and an hour's horse riding from €180 per person.
