Every month, we delve into the travel experiences of people in the extended WHL Group network. Today we talked to Melissa V. Gonzalez Llovera of Viajes Valencia Los Roques, the whl.travel local connection in Venezuela. Originally from Valencia, Melissa is now a travel agent and specialist for a number of destinations in Venezuela.

In Kumasi, Ghana, Bamboo Bikes Limited has blossomed from small-scale experimental beginnings into a large-scale producer of just what’s needed: bikes made out of bamboo. The Student and Youth Travel Organization supports its work and uses this local producer to supply what it needs for locals and volunteers headed places that are all but inaccessible by public transport.

Imagine if you could tell about actually getting to drive a rickshaw. Yes, today it is possible to get your hands on the steering bar of this ever-popular mode of transport. In which case it’s game over: Your tale would triumph, hands down. Get ready to tell the best stories about your time as a rickshaw pilot, because we’ve found the top five rickshaws that you are actually allowed to drive.

peaceBOMB aims to raise awareness of a terrible ongoing situation in Laos. To do so, they make use of metal reclaimed from actual bombs to fashion bracelets for sale. The project channels funds directly to affected Laotian communities and makes the most of the expert metalworking techniques that local craftsmen have developed over the years.

The mighty temples in this Photo of the Week have made the name of Abu Simbel internationally famous since their rediscovery in the early 19th century. Originally constructed during the reign of Ramesses II in the mid 13th century BCE, the temples were lost in the shifting sands of the Nubian desert for many centuries.