Interior photos of the ANA Boeing 787 released

by Grant Martin on

The airline nerdery have been waiting with baited breath for clues about how the interiors of the new Boeing 787 will be designed. Sure, we’ve seen mockups at the Paris Air Show and renderings here and there, but a full, comprehensive tour and photo shoot hadn’t really been completed.

With All Nippon Airways receiving their first equipment this year, however, it was only a matter of time before photos began to circulate. Fortunately, we just got a dispatch from our old friend The Airline Reporter in which several great new photos show facets of the airplane.

Most notably, you can see the new fancy windows that are both larger than the current state of the art and that dim at the push of a button. There’s also a window in the lavatory and what appears to be the next generation in mood lighting.

You can check out the full spectrum of photos at David’s website, Airlinereporter.com. For a few more photos, read on.

Gap Adventures, Planterra raise funds for Kenya drought relief

by Kraig Becker on

Earlier this week, adventure travel company Gap Adventures and non-profit organization Planeterra joined forces in an effort to raise funds for drought relief in Kenya. The two organizations challenged the adventure travel community to raise $25,000, and that community responded en masse, raising the funds in just six hours.

The severe drought that has hit East Africa has created significant problems for the inhabitants of that part of the world. Many of them have left their homes in Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, and Kenya for refugee camps located in a northern part of that country. That influx of people has put a severe strain on the aid stations there and stretched already thin resources to the limit.

In order to relieve that strain more water stations need to be built, which is what Gap Adventures and Planeterra had hoped to accomplish when they appealed to their travel communities for funds. What they didn’t expect was such a generous outpouring of support from travelers, who helped them reach their goal in a short time, but kept giving even after the target amount was hit. In fact, the donations are still coming in, and are being accepted and managed by CARE Canada.

As one of the leading adventure travel companies in the world, Gap has always been at the forefront of giving back to the countries which they visit. The company also helped to launch Planeterra, a non-profit that offers assistance to local people around the globe, helping them to create a sustainable approach to tourism and preserving their culture.

Raising $25,000 in just six hours is very impressive and heartwarming. It is a testament to how much the travel community wants to give back to the places that we visit, and while we’re all facing challenging economic times, we can still find a way to reach out and help others in their time of need.

[Photo courtesy of CARE Canada]

Polar bear kills tourist in Norway

by Kraig Becker on

A British youth group traveling in a remote region of Norway was attacked by a polar bear yesterday, leaving one dead and four others severely injured. The animal entered their camp while the group slept, and attacked the travelers inside their tents, before it was shot to death by one of the group’s leaders.

17-year old Horatio Chapple was one of 13 members of a BSES Expedition traveling along a glacier on the island of Spitsbergen, located in the Svalbard archipelago. He was sharing a tent with two other boys when the bear attacked, fatally wounding him. The animal then turned on other campers, before it was killed as well. Chapple was already dead by the time a rescue team could reach them, but the other four victims were air lifted to a hospital.

The BSES is an organization that works with young people in the U.K. in an effort to introduce them to the outdoors and encourage an active lifestyle. The group helps the youth to build confidence, while also educating them about the impact of climate change on our planet. This particular BSES expedition was part of a larger group of 80 that were spending five weeks on the island.

As the ice in the Arctic Ocean retreats, polar bears have been forced into smaller habitats, which has brought them increasingly in contact with humans. This team came to Spitsbergen not only armed with guns, but also a safety system designed to give them an early warning if a bear should approach. At this time, it’s not known if that system went off, but no one noticed, or if it failed altogether.

Two of the survivors of the attack are said to be in serious condition in a university hospital in Tromso, Norway.

National Geographic to launch new clothing line

by Kraig Becker on

National Geographic announced yesterday that it is getting into the clothing business. The famous organization says that it will produce a new line of “explorer inspired” apparel that will hit store shelves across North America later this year.

Nat Geo has partnered with apparel manufacturer Greater Clothing Company to bring two styles of clothing to market. The “Rugged Series” is designed for the urban adventurer who is looking for comfortable clothes to wear while exploring the town, while the “Storm Series,” which includes jackets and rain coats, will keep them warm and dry when the weather takes a turn for the worse.

The clothing promises to blend old school, expedition design elements with modern fashions and fabrics. The gear will be breathable and water resistant, and built for comfort while on the go. That combination should make the garments popular with travelers who expect comfort and good looks out of the gear they take with them on the road.

Exactly how much the new gear will cost, and where it will be available, has not yet been revealed. The clothing is expected to be in stores in October however, with plans to expand the offerings in early 2012, when a more technical line of gear, as well as active wear, will be added to the catalog.

New world’s tallest building planned for Saudi Arabia

by Meg Nesterov on

Less than two years after the Burj Khalifa opened in Dubai, Saudi Arabia‘s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has announced a new world’s tallest building to be built on the Red Sea resort town of Jeddah. The Saudi building is planned to be 172 meters (564 feet) taller than the Burj and will stand at 1,000 meters or 3,281 feet. It will be part of the $20 billion “megadevelopment” Kingdom City and will house luxury condos, offices, and of course, a hotel. The prince has signed a $1.23 billion deal with the Bin Laden Group, the largest construction firm in Saudi Arabia and unaffiliated with Osama Bin Laden, to complete the new tallest building in five years.

Last month, Gadling explored the 2,717 foot Burj Khalifa. Gadling and Huffington Post blogger Melanie Nayer was one of the first guests at the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong earlier this year, currently the highest hotel in the world. Check out our gallery below of the world’s tallest buildings.

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Image of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa by Flickr user Jason Rodman.