Adventure Travel
Global Exchange Reality Tours - Socially Conscious Travel
The idea that travel can be educational, fun, and positively influence international affairs motivated
the first Global Exchange Reality Tours in 1989. Their tours provide individuals the opportunity to
understand issues beyond what is communicated by the mass media and gain a new vantage point from which
to view and affect US foreign policy. Travelers are linked with activists and organizations from around
the globe who are working toward positive change. They also hope to prompt participants to examine related
issues in their own communities.
Today Global Exchange Reality Tours organizes trips to over 30 countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia
and the Middle East. Participants learn about women’s struggles in Afghanistan, the impact of oil
exploration on Ecuador’s indigenous communities, fair trade in Tanzania, the struggle for peace and
justice in Palestine & Israel, and more. Global Exchange Reality Tours also provide opportunities for
Americans to travel as "citizen ambassadors" to countries like Syria, Iran, Libya, and Cuba, breaking
down the stereotypes and misinformation that can lead toward hatred and war.
All Global Exchange Reality Tours are coordinated by locals working in the host communities we visit. Their
tours are directed by qualified trip facilitators and typically include two meals per day, double room
accommodations, translation of all programs, reading and preparatory materials, all transportation within
the country, program and entrance fees.
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Northern England?s Capital: Manchester Grooving to a New Energy
[29 Jul 2010 at 1:40pm]
Manchester hasn?t always been a hip and lively city. In the earliest days of the industrial revolution, the population soared from about 40,000 to a staggering 2 million. The city did not require its workers to join the guilds, like many neighboring towns, so the result was that thousands of workers ended up in Manchester. Today about 450,000 people live in the city, with more than 2.5 million in the greater Manchester area.
Imperial War Museum North, Salton Quays
Outside of town there is an odd-shaped tall building that houses an unusual recreational activity. It?s a ski hill, providing a downhill ski experience all year long!
Within a short drive are the magnificent Yorkshire Dales, gentle hills bordered by ancient stone walls that are a hiker?s paradise. Sweeping green lanes provide the hiker with a marvelous stroll in just about any direction.
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Morocco's Atlas Mountains: Running Hot and Cold
[28 Jul 2010 at 3:38pm]
Following a man I didn?t know on foot at 3 o?clock in the morning deeper and deeper into dark, winding alleys in the medina of Marrakesh seemed like a fitting start to my recent Morocco adventure.
The man in question was the taxi driver who had picked me up at the airport to take me to my hotel.
The Riad Altair had been booked by my travel companion, so I had only a vague idea where it was and what to expect but from what little I knew is seemed like a brilliant choice.
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U.S. Highway 89: The Scenic Route to Seven Western National Parks
[27 Jul 2010 at 3:48pm]
Ann Torrence's U.S. Highway 89: The Scenic Route to Seven Western National Parks is a beautiful coffee table book with lots of gorgeous photographs, and it's a self-published project no less! Here's a gallery of our favorite selections, and be sure to check it out on Amazon!
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Jordan: Lessons From the Other Holy Land
[27 Jul 2010 at 3:47pm]
Just before dawn, the dark streets of Amman feel more cool than dusty, like the way clay feels cold in your hands. The windows of my hotel room are cranked open to the sky. Soon it begins moving low on the wind ? the Adhan, or call to prayer ? the haunting beauty of male voices holding, warbling, weeping a long note.
Then other voices come to it, meet it, echoing from other sound systems, other mosques. How peaceful a place that evokes dreaming, yet values dialogue with the infinite even more than sleep. Enfolded in the prayers of men, it occurs to me that maybe, in spite of my cynical self, I have come to Jordan to look for God.
Most Midwestern ladies from my Lutheran church childhood longed to someday see the “Holy Land,? which to them meant trudging up a hill in Jerusalem with a black leather King James Bible tucked under their arms.
They may not have known that many of the stories of the Bible take place in Jordan, Syria, Egypt, and Turkey or that places sacred to the history of Judaism, Christianity, Islam and even the Baha?i faith are still within reach and well worth a visit, and Jordan is probably the best place to start.
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Berlin: Music Tour Highlights Rock & Roll Milestones]
[27 Jul 2010 at 3:47pm]
Right across the plaza from Berlin?s unwavering symbol, The Brandenburg Gate, one finds the Hotel Adlon, a bastion of celebrity gossip. It is here that I meet Thilo Schmied, a veritable connoisseur of Berlin?s rock music history.
After we shake hands on the sidewalk, he points up to a third floor window of the Adlon and informs me that said locale is where Michael Jackson notoriously dangled his baby out the window for all to see.
Thus begins the Fritz Musictour of Berlin. Sponsored by Fritz Radio and with Thilo as the passionate sound engineer-turned-guide, various mythologies come to life behind seemingly nondescript buildings and windows throughout the city.
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Bisbee, Arizona: Mining, Fine Dining and a Little Ghost Hunting
[23 Jul 2010 at 4:36pm]
In 1976, Bisbee?s mayor Chuck Eads promoted mine tours as a way to keep the miners employed. When my family and I visited Bisbee recently, we took the Queen Mine Tours and found out what it was like to work in a mine.
We started our mining excursion by donning yellow slickers and hard hats and wrapping a miner?s headlamp around our shoulders. Mining trains carried us 1,500 feet down into the mines where the temperature dipped to 47 degrees.
A retired miner led the tour and described working conditions and the dangers miners encountered underground. He also explained the drilling equipment they used and how they transported the minerals to the surface.
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Top Ten Places for a Date in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
[22 Jul 2010 at 4:09pm]
Standing on the Milwaukee banks of Lake Michigan, watching the ripples being carried over to the horizon by the warm summer breeze, I couldn?t help but think about how wonderful it would be to share this sight with someone special.
While I am in full support of solo travel, of being independent and seeing the world for yourself, I found that nearly every establishment I hit while in Milwaukee could make for a really interesting and fun date spot.
Milwaukee is a perfectly romantic cityscape, famous for its festivals, its nightlife and for its vintage Americana -- small-town charm in a large city.
The following is a top-ten list of date ideas, catered to the city of Milwaukee, that could literally suit any sort of couple, be they music or food enthusiasts, motorcycle lovers or even science nerds.
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An African Looks at Africa: Cape Town to Cairo With Sihle Kumalo
[22 Jul 2010 at 4:07pm]
In his new book 'Dark Continent My Black Arse,' Sihle Khumalo takes his readers on his trip from Cape Town to Cairo. Using his own money and motivation, he travels through Africa using buses, minbuses, trucks and other forms of local transport.
His journey takes us for an inspiring, exciting, intimate, and sometimes uncomfortable ride; talking about his appalling human encounters, self discovery, joy and disillusionment.
His writing is impressively honest, insightful, and hilariously irreverent. There is one warning:
“Reading this book might cause you to resign from your boring job, leave your nagging / ungrateful / insecure partner, stop merely existing and start living the life you have always longed and yearned for.?
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GoNOMAD's Railroad Travel Page
[20 Jul 2010 at 4:43pm]
Some say the best way to travel is to take the train. Visit GoNOMAD's new Railroad Travel Page with links to all our railroad stories.
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Finding Home in France?s Aquitaine Wine Region
[20 Jul 2010 at 4:42pm]
You simply have to love a place where a top local chef advises wine with breakfast. Thierry Marx, a Relais & Châteaux Grand Chef, reported to the Aquitaine tourism magazine that one of his personal favorite restaurants in the region was Lion d?Or, in Arcins, where "the owner knows the estuary well and all the best fishing spots. You can bring your own bottle, and order the hearty breakfast."
I read this in the magazine upon my arrival in Bordeaux, as I sat at an outdoor café enjoying my first glass of a local rosé and small plate of assorted tapas.
The waitress took my order while holding a lit cigarette (though she politely refrained from actually smoking it while at my table), a hunched-over old gypsy woman came ambling by with her outstretched tin cup, tables around me were full of people enjoying a two-hour, wine-laden lunch on a Wednesday afternoon, and a celebrated chef recommended bringing your own bottle of wine to breakfast.
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Enjoying the Scenic Railways of New Zealand
[19 Jul 2010 at 5:08pm]
New Zealand is a country of scenic and diverse natural beauty. The country is divided into two main islands, North and South.
North Island has unique scenery ranging from fine sandy beaches, through productive farmland and verdant forest to quite active volcanic mountains with bubbling mud pools.
The South Island has spectacular scenery ranging from inviting sandy beaches, tall mountains, fiords, and large glaciers. There are other, rather more wild, islands of New Zealand, ranging from the nearby and accessible Stewart Island to the remote windswept Sub-Antarctic Islands and the distant uninhabited Kermadec Islands.
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Intrepid Istanbul: Family Dinners and Fortunetelling
[19 Jul 2010 at 5:07pm]
Flying into Turkey, I expected a diverse population, a unique trip, and a cultural adventure. Turkey not only surpassed all of my expectations, but also lifted the bar in every way. Future trips beware; the standards have been redefined.
After landing in the airport and taking a taxi ride to the Constantine Hotel, I was able to wander around the surrounding area. To my delight I found that the Constantine is located right in the heart of Istanbul and mere blocks away from the Hagia Sofia and the Sultan Ahmed (Blue) Mosque.
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Wisconsin's Glacial Drumlin Trail: The Leisurely Way
[15 Jul 2010 at 4:56pm]
We were on Wisconsin?s Glacial Drumlin State Trail, a path I?ve nicknamed, to borrow a phrase from Buddhism, the Middle Way. Interstate Highway 94 runs a few miles north of and parallel to the trail.
On the south, two-lane State Highway 18 saunters along, taking time for refreshment at several small towns along the way. Between the two is the most scenic -- and the most leisurely -- way to cover the same distance. The 52-mile rail-to-trail connects Waukesha to the east with Cottage Grove to the west.
The Drumlin is fine for all abilities, as it?s flat as a tabletop. Granted, it does slant a degree or two, to the advantage of those riding from west to east.
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The Lost Girls and the Wander Year
[14 Jul 2010 at 3:01pm]
Jennifer, Holly and Amanda dropped everything in their busy lives, including their big-time media careers, boyfriends and their beloved New Yor City, to truly "get lost." After self proclaimed quarter-life crises, the girls sped off on a year-long trip of a lifetime.
They were looking for some perspective and adventure, but they soon found out that they gained a lot more than that. From exotic illnesses, seemingly impossible physical challenges and some scary moments, to romances, heartaches, and sisterhood, the Lost Girls memoir recounts everything about their year-long trip around the world.
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Go There, Don't Know Where, Get Something, Don't Know What
[13 Jul 2010 at 2:59pm]
There's a famous saying: "Russia cannot be understood with the mind." You see the buildings, and then the soot, and then you are told to wear slippers inside to preserve the age-old parquet floors.
You descend into a beautiful metro, then get shoved around, then emerge into another stop where a beautiful statue to this country's best-loved poet Alexander Pushkin greets you with an uplifted hand.
I stepped into the street five days into the story and still outside proper bounds of Russian law. Max took my arm and we went to an old student haunt of his, a pisheshnaya, where they make pishki, which are unlike any doughnuts you've tried. One can't find such airy simple fried decadent dough even on Brighton Beach.
We walked into the shop, its white floor tiles smeared with muddy footsteps. The lady at the counter had an unintrusive manner. She gave us tea, served in chipped Soviet cups, that still cost what amounted to kopecks. It was Lipton. The pishki with sugar powder on top came on old plates. Being there was sweet and warm.
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Kate Cosme: Family Travel Expert
[13 Jul 2010 at 2:58pm]
Kate Cosme is an expert on families: she helps create them! A maternity room nurse who lives in South Deerfield, Massachusetts with her husband Francisco and her two children Nathan and Sofie, Kate is also an expert on family travel and she shares her insights with our readers on GoNOMAD.com.
And, of course, she's a top-notch travel writer. Her family vacation stories are lively, practical and fun. They make you want to go there, and when you do, you have all the information you need to get the most out of your precious vacation time.
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New Travel Accessories Reviewed
[13 Jul 2010 at 2:57pm]
We've compiled another travel gadget review for you! Everything from sleep headphones to solar chargers to USB rechargeable batteries have been field tested by our staff to give you the best advice on what will work for your roaming.
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New York's Finger Lakes Region: Eat, Drink and Be Merry
[12 Jul 2010 at 5:01pm]
Sunday morning dawned bright and a tad bit sultry as we made our way to Steamboat Landing by the Cayuga Lake in search of the famous Farmer?s Market. Live local music, berries, artisan bread, beeswax candles, pottery, organic greens, eggs, potted plants, freshly-squeezed juice, paintings, mushrooms, cherries, flowers, cheese, jams in pretty jars, vinegars and wines in lovely bottles, hand-made jewelry, hammocks and so much more was on display.
The parking spots were filled by ten-thirty. The vendor stands were covered but the market opened out to a lake-front garden in the back with plenty of seats and a beautiful dock.
“Mommy look? a duckie,? squealed a girl, not more than a couple of years old. People sat on the dock?s edge with their legs dangling over the water as kayaks passed by from afar and ducks swam haphazardly nearby, occasionally fighting among themselves for the rare crumb. Private boats were tied on one side and many signed up for a narrated boat-tour down the calm waters of Cayuga Lake.
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Korea: Pitching In to Clean Up An Oil Spill
[12 Jul 2010 at 5:00pm]
South Korea has been my home for almost a year and although the Taean Haean National Park is a mere two hours from my house, I?d never got around to visiting.
I can?t tell you how sad I was that the first time I saw these quiet, secluded beaches (a rarity in small, overpopulated Korea) the entire region had been destroyed by South Korea?s largest ever oil spill.
Disaster struck in early December when a South Korean barge hit a Hong Kong ?supertanker,? causing it to send almost three million gallons of crude oil gushing into the ocean seven miles off shore.
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An Irreverent Curiosity: The Search for the Savior's Foreskin
[9 Jul 2010 at 5:13pm]
In Travel writer David Farley's new book, An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church's Strangest Relic in Italy's Oddest Town he takes the reader along on his quest to locate the Holy Foreskin, one of the Catholic Church's more infamous relics that mysteriously went missing in 1983.
With almost blasphemous humor and wit, Farley sorts through all the history, legend, and town gossip from the small hilltop hamlet of Calcata. Called the city of freaks by the rest of Italy, the colorful townspeople of Calcata make a strange story even stranger, but in the best possible way.
Here are some selections:
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Inis Mór: As Irish As It Gets
[9 Jul 2010 at 5:12pm]
Green meadows, rocky cliffs which disappear in blue waves, thatched houses and prehistoric forts. Horses, cows and sheep. Folk music, Guinness and woolen sweaters. The Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland are a stronghold of Irish culture, language and desolated landscapes.
My eyes are scanning the horizon across Galway Bay. The wind is howling and it rains a little ? as it so often does in Ireland. The small ferry from Ros a? Mhíl on the mainland to Inis Mór is rocking from side to side. I do not have sea legs, so I have sought out the fresh air on the top deck. Rufus, a mixed-breed dog, is keeping me company on his way home.
Inis Mór is, with its 12 square miles, the largest of the three Aran Islands, which also include Inis Méain and Inis Oírr. Despite its isolated location off the west coast of Ireland there is daily ferry service from Galway. A nonstop coach service is available from Dublin airport to Galway.
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GoNOMAD's All-Time Top Ten Travel Photos
[9 Jul 2010 at 5:11pm]
Here at GoNOMAD, we receive hundreds and hundreds of top-notch travel photos. Every day brings a new suprise. In this section, we'd like to highlight our all-time top ten photos by some of the best photographers in the business.
Follow the links to the stories and you'll find many more.
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Borneo: Climbing Gunung Kinabalu
[7 Jul 2010 at 4:12pm]
Kinabalu National Park ? a UNESCO site since 2000 ? is one of the main reasons to visit Sabah, the smaller of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. But the trek up Gunung Kinabalu, as the locals know it, is fast rivalling the experience for first place, as increasing numbers of foreigners and Malaysians make the climb up the mountain, sacred to the Kadazan, the state?s largest ethnic group.
When I first caught sight of the peaks that form the summit from the park?s headquarters, it induced a reverse sense of vertigo, making me question the sanity of a novice climber scaling the jagged peaks. But I had come especially to climb the mountain, so climb I would.
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Solo Travel Hang-Ups and How to Fix Them
[7 Jul 2010 at 4:11pm]
Traveling solo is one of those experiences that can be rewarding and life changing, but it can also be full of scary adjustments, even to the most seasoned traveler.
Evelyn Hannon, solo traveling expert and editor of journeywoman.com, knows all too well how challenging it can be. In the 80's, fresh from an amicable divorce with her partner of over 20 years, Hannon decided it was time to push herself further as a traveler.
“I thought I could die at home or I could die traveling.?
So traveling she went. She packed her bags for 35 days and just left. There was a lot of public crying involved, but in the end Hannon learned how wonderful it can be to be on your own. And she's been traveling solo and sharing her advice ever since.
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Tagong: The Wild West of Sichuan Province
[7 Jul 2010 at 4:11pm]
It was at the third or fourth landslide of the day, where our van got bogged down for over an hour, that I started to think wistfully about the Yangtze river.
We'd eschewed a planned three gorges cruise in favour of a manic jaunt over the highlands of Western Sichuan, and I was beginning to get second thoughts.
Half the mountain seemed to be trying to get to the bottom of the valley, and with a deadly rockfall in the area only the week before, karaoke and cabin fever suddenly seemed like a very attractive alternative.
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Death Valley California: The Innards of the Earth
[7 Jul 2010 at 4:10pm]
California?s Valley of Death is the lowest, hottest and driest in North America, as low as you can go at minus 282 feet (86 meters), smack dab in the middle of the largest national park in the coterminous United States (140 by 5-15 miles; 225 by 8-24 kilometers), a mere 85 miles (136 kilometers) from the highest point atop Mt. Whitney jutting 14,494 feet (4418 meters); perhaps proving it?s time the U.S. went metric.
Death Valley was a rich ?un, chock full of white gold, aka borax, regular gold, copper and silver. The gold mining boomtown of Ryolite lasted a decade, exploding with 10,000 speculators, its own stock exchange and ribald opera, but the mine closed in 1911 and the population plummeted to zero.
However, the famous 20-mule team wagon trains hauling borax endured in American folklore and on television, narrated by the great American communicator, Ronald Dutch Reagan.
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Rhode Island?s South County: Quirky Cuisine, Great Fishing
[7 Jul 2010 at 4:10pm]
In the part of Rhode Island far south of Newport and Providence, an accent predominates. You hear people cheering for the Celtics and the Red Sox in the bars in a distinct Southern Mass/RI accent.
Think Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in Good Will Hunting, or those lovable Tappet Brothers on NPR?s Car Talk.That?s what I?m hearing, about bahbah shops and cahs. Love it.
Rhode Island is the tiniest state in the US (at just 1,214 square miles, smaller even than Delaware!). Within its diminutive borders, with giant Narragansett Bay in the middle, surrounded by Massachusetts, Connecticut and lots of ocean to the south. The only big city, Providence is up in the north.
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A Woman's Life in Jordan: The Joys and the Hassles
[7 Jul 2010 at 4:09pm]
The night is crisp, an unfamiliar feeling for June in Amman. A young blonde woman sits next to an elderly Jordanian woman on a dark green bench in Paris Circle. There are children playing with a slightly deflated soccer ball and across the square. Five old men in grey suits cram together on a single bench.
They stare at the foreigner, wondering why a blonde woman is sitting with the locals, wondering where she came from, and possibly, wondering if she?s a Russian prostitute. But she likes to believe they are just admiring the beautiful night and not her neckline. She ties a light blue scarf around her neck and ignores the men?s stares. Some foreign women take these stares as a great compliment, as it makes them feel beautiful, but she knows they are merely staring because she is blonde. But occasionally, she has to remind herself of this.
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Photography Tips for the Ordinary Traveler
[7 Jul 2010 at 4:08pm]
For me photography and traveling go hand in hand, and just like most travelers, I am no professional photographer. When I look back at all the pictures I have taken of the beautiful places I have been, the pictures can never do those places justice. Although taking photography classes would be really interesting and exciting, it is pretty unrealistic for me.
Photography for Travelers is a website devoted to helping the average photographer get more out of their photography. It is not a technical website for photography students or enthusiasts, but a rich supply of ideas and useful information on how to enhance the quality your travel photos.
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Culinary and Wine Tours Around the World:
[7 Jul 2010 at 4:08pm]
If your tastes are a little bit more refined and want to indulge in the cultural cuisine of far off places, start by taking one of the indulgent tours listed below. Luxury, class and pampering are a specialty for most of these tours. Don't dare worry about a single thing, just sit back relax and let your taste buds take on all the excitement.
Avid to amateur wine enthusiasts are able to visit wineries from South Africa to Thailand to Spain. Cook like the Italians in private kitchens all over Italy. Leave your recipe book at home, and mix your own ingredients for one delicious and hedonistic adventure. Let the cooking and tasting begin!
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Tracing Family Roots Back to the Isle of Man
[28 Jun 2010 at 4:45pm]
My imagination played. Across the bay, a ferry was leaving port. Perhaps it was on a day like this, about 150 years ago, that my great-grandfather left his home here on the Isle of Man to set sail for Liverpool and a new life in England.
However serious you are about genealogy, a family holiday in a destination where your ancestors lived can add a unique extra dimension. In my case, I was eager to see the family history records in the island's capital, Douglas. It was also a good reason to share a holiday with my parents, both active senior citizens.
The Irish Sea
Bearing in mind the historical aspect of the holiday, I hoped that the slow ferry from Heysham, on Morecambe Bay, would be the most authentic way to reach Douglas. So it was that I found myself being buffeted by the wind on the deck of the Ben-My-Chree on the route across the Irish Sea.
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Pretoria: Loosening up in South Africa?s Laid-Back Capital
[28 Jun 2010 at 2:04pm]
Neither the oldest, nor the biggest and, arguably, not the prettiest either. Pretoria, South Africa?s chilled-out administrative capital is, for many tourists, not a must-see. Named after Voortrekker [pioneer] hero, Andries Pretorius, the city still boasts a strong Afrikaner identity.
However, Nelson Mandela, the country?s first black president, was inaugurated here and the city also sported the country?s first black mayor.
Located in a warm, sheltered valley, surrounded by the hills of the Magalies mountain range, Pretoria?s Jacaranda tree-lined streets are also decidedly warmer that neighboring Johannesburg ? “lekker?, (nice) as locals would say.
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Why We Can't Stop Talking About Eat, Pray, Love
[28 Jun 2010 at 11:41am]
Published in 2006 and translated into over 30 languages, Elizabeth Gilbert?s Eat Pray Love has sold more than six million copies in the USA alone, plus one million abroad. It was at the number one spot on the New York Times paperback nonfiction bestseller for 57 weeks.
In 2007, Gilbert was on Oprah (twice!) and on almost every woman?s reading list. If all that was not enough, in 2008, Time Magazine named Elizabeth Gilbert as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
By 2010, we are awaiting her book in the form of a movie where Gilbert is played by none other than Julia Roberts. The film is scheduled to be released on August 13 in the States.
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Ghana's Unusual Coffins: What Sort of Box Do You Fancy?
[28 Jun 2010 at 11:40am]
Death never takes a vacation away from us. It?s tied to our feet like an arrogant shadow wherever we go, as a constant reminder of all the things we?ve left behind.
And who wants to visit death on vacation? Believe it or not, a visit to Ghana?s coffin makers is on most tourists? itineraries.
On the dusty, honk-echoing, chicken-crossing, exhaust-fumed streets right outside of Accra, the capital of the English-speaking West African country, one tribe called the Ga is renowned for their casket masterpieces.
They come in a variety of corpse-sized styles: in the shape of fish, elephants, guns, sewing machines, pens, Bibles, guns, airplanes, cars, Coca Cola bottles, beer bottles, cacao beans, peppers, lobsters, ears of corn, cell phones, tractors, microphones, roosters, cigarettes, even replicas of stores.
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London Apartment Rentals: A Good Way to Save
[24 Jun 2010 at 4:42pm]
London does tend to be an expensive destination. Even if you scale down to a more modest hotel you're still going to be spending $1,500-$2,000 for a week?s stay. Add eating out day in and day out and your trip becomes quite pricey.
But there are sneakier ways than the local hostel to say in London on the cheap. Short-term apartment stays offer you all the comforts of home and a chance to live like a local. Even in some of London?s more upscale neighborhoods, there are plenty of flats with affordable rates.
All apartments have fresh linen at least once a week and some sort of cooking facilities and food storage available, as well as all the necessary utensils, so doing your own cooking is another great way to save.
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An American Fourth of July -- in Thailand
[23 Jun 2010 at 4:21pm]
I love my new life in paradise: Bangkok, Thailand. Now, I finally get to do life's little pleasures -- those things I always wanted to do, but was just too busy working to do. These days, I regularly write while seated on a blanket under a shady tree, next to a lake in a beautiful, well-manicured park.
Flowers are in bloom and Thai children are playing and laughing. Since the weather here is always warm, I exercise daily, usually in the athletic park near my home -- jogging on the 2-km track around a big lake, sometimes cycling on its bike path, other times canoeing or rowing.
However, we have a saying in America: "Watch what you wish for; you might just get it." Well, I did. After a little while of getting my freedom and having a change of pace, I found myself missing certain familiar and fun activities from my past life.
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Alternative Energy in Iceland: Breaking Petroleum's Grip on Our World
[23 Jun 2010 at 4:20pm]
When it comes to energy, Iceland is ahead of the curve in many ways. Blessed with massive geothermal power potential beneath their very feet, Icelanders have managed to build an infrastructure that generates nearly all its heat and electricity from renewable energy sources (both hydro-power and geothermal sources).
Not satisfied with this feat, Iceland also hopes to retrofit its transportation and industrial infrastructures to become as free as possible from petroleum?s grip in coming decades.
As I watched the tragic images of the Gulf oil spill?s impact on flora, fauna, and fishermen alike, the thought of one day breaking petroleum?s grip on our world became increasingly appealing. I couldn?t wait to touch down in Iceland to learn more!
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Lots of Free Attractions in Historic Richmond, Virginia
[22 Jun 2010 at 4:40pm]
You can spend a weekend in Virginia?s capital and see most of its historic attractions without spending a dime in admission fees.
I?ve lived in several states and several cities, but Richmond is one of my favorite hometowns. We Virginians may grumble about our state income tax, but it gives back in the form of beautiful parks, world-class museums, and tons of historic attractions. The real secret is that most of those are free to residents and visitors alike.
While Richmond is known primarily as the former capital of the Confederacy, it has been home to many other “firsts?: the first African American governor in the U.S., the first hospital, the South?s first television station, and the only city in the country with Class IV white water rapids running through its downtown.
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Seville: The Artistic and Cultural Capital of Southern Spain
[22 Jun 2010 at 4:39pm]
Spain?s fourth largest city is home to some of Andalucía?s best known historical monuments, a pulsating nightlife and one of the region?s finest and most varied culinary experiences.
Seeing the Sights
The Torre de Oro (Golden Tower) which overlooks the Guadalquivir River is a great starting point for discovering this fascinating city. It is a stunning remnant of the city the Muslims called Ishbiliya, and has found a new lease of life as Seville?s naval museum.
The tower is far less gold than you would imagine, although when darkness falls, artificial illumination brings it to its auriferous best.
Nearby is Seville?s most famous monument, the 93-meter-tall Giralda Tower which was designed at the end of the Twelfth Century by prominent Islamic architect Ahmad Ibn Baso who is credited as having designed the Hassan Tower in Rabat.
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Morocco Manners: Etiquette Tips in a Land of Hospitality
[21 Jun 2010 at 4:10pm]
Wander around a Moroccan city or village for a while and chances are you?ll be invited into somebody?s home. For us, the moment came just after our arrival in Chefchaouen, an impossibly picturesque town in Morocco?s north.
By coincidence, we ran into Ahmed, who was to be our driver starting the next day and was the only person we knew in town. He was with his brother Abdi, a local fireman. After we joined the two men for a coffee, Abdi invited us to visit his family?s apartment.
Before leaving for Morocco, I?d browsed a few websites professing expertise on local customs, hoping to learn a few basic rules of polite behavior so we would not be entirely unprepared for this kind of encounter.
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Mendocino County: There?s a Whole
[21 Jun 2010 at 4:09pm]
Sacramento to Mendocino roadtrip: Rolling down Highway 101 west in my red Corolla rental with just 159 miles on it, I blasted my music, Fiest, at a scintillatingly loud volume. Why not? I was alone and I had 200 lovely miles ahead of me. I would wind my way through the vineyards of Napa and Sonoma counties, and then the Alexander Valley -- the heart of wine country.
Then I?d head north, hard by the Pacific, and continue up all the way to the edge of the map to Fort Bragg. It?s a spec of a town, and I?ll find my accommodations there. Then I?ll drive down to the Noyo River to get into the water with Liquid Fusion Kayaks.
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South Africa: Top Ten Day Trips From Nelspruit
[21 Jun 2010 at 11:11am]
Discover the region?s championship moves from bobotie and Bosch pottery to buffalo safaris.
If Cape Town had a Jimmy Choo-heeled foot to stand on as best South African tourist destination, Nelspruit would wear a Caterpillar boot. As football fever hit South Africa, this town in Mpumalanga?s rugged Lowveld has been put on the map.
The Mbombela Stadium was built here especially for the occasion. However, savvy visitors budget a day outside the city. To score the most out of your visit, try some of these ten daytrips?
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Visiting Hemingway's Haunts in Cuba
[21 Jun 2010 at 11:09am]
I had heard rumors of Hemingway's ghost appearing from time to time around Paris, Key West, and even Oak Park, Illinois. For a long time I had the notion of being the first writer to record the great man's specter in Cuba?a kingly phantom on the ramparts of El Morro castle. As the drawbridge of diplomacy creaked down and I was at last granted permission to travel to the workers' paradise, I made a pilgrimage to the island haunts of my literary idol.
Perhaps there, walking the same cobblestones, gazing at the same sunsets, falling through the same holes in the sidewalk as the master, I would find, to quote Hamlet's father, a "spirit, doomed for a certain term to walk the night."
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South Africa: Top Ten Free (or Cheap) Things to Do in Cape Town
[21 Jun 2010 at 11:09am]
From colorful suburbs and sunsets over the Atlantic, spending time in one of Africa?s most popular tourist destination does not necessarily mean spending money.
On the stormy southern tip of Africa lies a city wrapped around the rugged edge of Table Mountain, her toes seductively dipped in the icy Atlantic.
Cape Town or, the Mother City, lives up to almost all expectations: From soft, white beaches to all-night parties and world-class art exhibitions.
However, resembling many famous women, this lady wears a hefty price tag. With guests like Victoria and David Beckham calling the city home during 2010 FIFA World Cup, a red card for spending, or splurging, seems unlikely. Nonetheless, some of the best things in life, and even in Cape Town, are still free?
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Sacramento: The Leafy, Artsy Capital of California
[17 Jun 2010 at 2:47pm]
The few times Sacramento, California, is in the news here in the East is during the evening news when a story about the California state budget and Governor Arnold?s war with the assembly comes up once again.
Like New York?s small stepchild capital of Albany, it seems that Sac doesn?t get much respect. And nobody talks about why the city might be an excellent travel destination. But hey, we just got there!
That?s one of the reasons I wanted to come visit. Because there?s no place better than city than this city that has to prove itself to the world and show its visitors why it deserves to be noticed and appreciated for more than just budget battles.
My summary of Sacramento? Leafy, lovely neighborhoods. First-rate gold rush history attractions about their earliest days. A population that?s into food, and sports, and biking and beer.
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The Holy Family Mission in Saku, Japan: A Peaceful Sanctuary
[17 Jun 2010 at 2:47pm]
They are one of a kind, considered to be sacrosanct safe havens and held dear to our hearts. Places we consider unique and special are found on rare occasions as we travel through life. Something about those locations causes them to become firmly embedded in our psyche.
Our experience there leaves a permanent and profound impression on us that remains with us for the rest of our lives. The Holy Family Mission at Saku is one such place - a safe refuge, a peaceful sanctuary and a holy retreat.
Saku is a rural town about four hours distant by car or motorcycle to the northwest of Tokyo, Japan, on the main Island of Honshu. It is located in a river valley amidst the hill country at the foot of the Japanese Alps. We found it and the mission on a motorcycle trip.
It was early on a sunny Sunday morning, as the Camp Zama Motorcycle Club was returning from a destination high in the Japanese Alps, that we first encountered the Holy Family Franciscan Mission at Saku. A few of our Catholic brethren were looking for a church so that they could attend Mass.
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Valencia, Spain: Las Fallas, One Crazy Festival!
[15 Jun 2010 at 5:10pm]
The ?Fallas? is a four-day and four-night invasion of art, music, fireworks, gunpowder, smoke, explosions and emotions in the ancient city of Valencia, Spain. The craziness is held every year during the second week of March.
I recently had the opportunity to experience the mayhem that is known as ?Las Fallas? firsthand. For this trip, I also had to stow away my childhood fears about fireworks. Years ago, a teenage boy tossed a live cherry bomb under my chair. The explosion was loud enough to scare me for life.
I was not physically injured, but emotionally scared forever! Since then, I tend to shy away from fireworks, so when I learned that ?Las Fallas? is all about fireworks, smoke and loud explosions, I?m sure you understand my hesitation. My glee slowly turned to terror.
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Women with Wanderlust Pen Exciting, Daring, Smart Travel Tales
[15 Jun 2010 at 5:09pm]
I read a discussion thread posted on an Internet forum for travel writers. The original comment was a complaint about the lack of prominent women in the travel writing field. Why weren?t there more big shot, women travel writers?
Lots of people responded to the post. Some agreed with it. Others objected. I didn?t post any words as I wasn?t sure where my thoughts fell on the continuum.
I sympathized with the original complaint: In the world of travel writing, the names with the most pull and recognition tend to belong to men.
Yet I disagreed with the post as well. My bedside list of books to read was filled with travel titles penned by women. Obviously, women were publishing travel tales. Were their books just not getting equal air time?
Instead of adding to an online discussion string that would soon get buried and archived, I decided to do something more proactive. I decided to move all those women-written travel books on my list of things to do up to the very top and review each one.
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Hiking Palm Springs' Indian Canyon
[14 Jun 2010 at 5:33pm]
The first thing I notice as my plane descends into the Palm Springs airport is the stark contrast between the rugged, three dimensional, snow-covered peaks of the San Jacinto Mountains and their counterpoint: the flat desert floor.
At the juncture of this compelling nexus is Indian Canyon, a holy oasis of endless palm trees, meandering streams, and the occasional croaking toad. This sacred haven is the resilient, yet fragile heart of the Agua Caliente Cahuilla Indian tribe. On this mild afternoon, I will pilgrimage into the arms of the canyon?s spiritual embrace.
The trail map describes Murray Canyon as an easy two-hour hike leading to the Seven Sisters, a twelve-foot waterfall at Indian Canyon. The footpath traverses a stream for one-point-five miles. After a rain-weary southern California winter, I say a hearty hello to a two-foot water crossing. Uh-oh, what to do? Is there perhaps a fallen tree bridge? No.
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The Yukon River Quest: The Longest Canoe and Kayak Race in the World
[14 Jun 2010 at 5:31pm]
At 460 miles the Yukon River Quest is the longest canoe and kayak race in the world. Except for two mandatory rest stops contestants race non-stop down the mighty Yukon River.
Only the strongest and some might say the most foolhardy enter this race. Like scaling Mount Everest or swimming the English Channel, it?s one of the toughest adventure marathon events on record.
"It?s not the prize money or the competition that makes you do this. It?s the human spirit that drives you," says Yukoner champion Elizabeth Bosely.
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Portsmouth: New Hampshire's Historic Seaport
[14 Jun 2010 at 5:31pm]
“People come to Portsmouth to eat,? claimed David Hadwen, the owner of Café Espresso. After spending a weekend in the city, we couldn?t agree more. This postcard pretty coastal retreat by the Piscataqua River is a front-runner for the mantle of the U.S. city with the most restaurants per capita.
We were sipping coffee at Islington Street?s Café Espresso, bright and early on a Saturday morning when David emerged from the kitchen with plates of freshly-baked pastries and a warm smile.
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Go Green, Girlfriends! 10 Earth-Friendly Getaways
[11 Jun 2010 at 1:20pm]
Whether you?re looking to be more environmentally cautious in your life and travels, or just looking to start a new adventure, this book has everything you need. Stacey Sorensen and her gal pals share with us their own traveling green experiences while giving the reader useful information.
She gives us all the tools to plan our own green trip, from booking guidelines and lodging information to packing checklists and a list of reminders for up to 120 days prior to your trip. Her enthusiasm for adventure and friendship coupled with her passion for the environment makes this read not only informative but powerfully thought-provoking.
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Northern Ethiopia: Traveling Through Beauty, Back in Time
[11 Jun 2010 at 1:19pm]
If you have any preconceived notions from past reading or from visiting the African continent, don?t apply them to Northern Ethiopia. There will be bits and pieces that fit, but Northern Ethiopia defies plug-in comparisons.
Much of that is due to the mixture of African, Judaic and Egyptian influences. Ethiopia, against all odds, even managed to avoid colonization in the 19th century by zealous Europeans. The Italians did their best during their invasion of the country in 1935.
It is in what is known as the Abyssinian Highlands where much of Ethiopian culture took root and practices that run back centuries are still very much in evidence today. The remains of cities of various empires lay splayed out and ancient rock-hewn churches still hold their mystique; Ethiopia's version of Christianity insures it.
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Advice and Resources for the Traveler with Special Needs
[10 Jun 2010 at 1:15pm]
For travelers with special needs, planning any sort of vacation can be quite a production. With mobility equipment, oxygen tanks, medications, and service animals there is an endless possibility of potential packing and mobility problems.
Never mind that certain ports and countries around the world aren?t up to date on proper accessibility codes.
But traveling with special needs isn?t a pipe dream; it is possible. “Travelers with special needs assume that they have to stay home alone. Getting the word out allows people to start dreaming again and get out there? says Andrew Garnett, CEO of Special Needs Group.
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Metro Detroit: Bulletproof Vest Not Required
[8 Jun 2010 at 3:04pm]
Tell anyone you?re going to Detroit for vacation, and they?ll look at you with some serious respect. Or like you need your head examined.
This is the same city, after all, that?s inspired its share of late-night comedians and now ranks right up there with Karachi as one of the least safe cities in the world. But, these days, something odd is in the air: a sense of optimism.
Yes, for all the barbs traded about Detroit, something improbable is happening: Travelers are starting to give the city, and its suburbs, another look. Maybe it has something to do with good news on the “Big Three? front ? GM recently posted its first profits in three years.
Meanwhile, it?s Toyota, not Detroit, that?s been worrying people lately. But the crowning moment may have been when the metro area?s own Rima Fakih was crowned Miss America in May.
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Bun Bang Fai: The Rocket Festival of Laos and Thailand
[8 Jun 2010 at 3:01pm]
While farmers and politicians across Australia battle it out over water allocations, in Southeast Asia, Thais and Laotians are preparing to embrace their water shortages in a style all of their own.
Dating back to pre-Buddhist times the Bun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival), held around the May full moon, is traditionally based on the notion that launching bamboo rockets skyward will initiate the rainy season and bring much needed relief to the country's rice fields.
Popular in Thailand?s northeastern Isan province and around the Laos capital of Vientiane, the event continues to maintain a rich cultural significance.
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Lebanon on the Rise: The World is Beirut-ing Again!
[8 Jun 2010 at 2:59pm]
When I told my friends that I was going for a few days to Beirut and the Lebanon I had to listen to comments ranging from: “What? On your own? Are you crazy?? to “You better pack your tin hat and bulletproof vest.?
It?s about time to finish with preconceived and outdated ideas about the country. For starters: I didn?t get mugged, I didn?t get abducted and I didn?t get shot at either, because otherwise I wouldn?t be here writing these lines.
On the contrary, I found an extremely friendly people. I mean, where else in the world does an immigration officer actually smile at you, at 2 o?clock in the morning at that? The reason behind this is simple: Lebanon needs $$$$, plenty of them, and whoever looks as if they have a few to leave behind is more than welcome, provided they do not have an Israeli entry visa in their passport.
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A Middle-aged Hippie Reclaims Her Inner Artist & Explorer
[8 Jun 2010 at 2:58pm]
Fancy, my friend who lives in Venice Beach California, rolls a joint with coconut-flavored paper and offers me a dry hit. “Blue Dream; it?s a hybrid strain.?
She explains that Sativa is good for cerebral, high energy people, perhaps like a film industry post-production person who works long into the night and needs a creative high. The Indica strain, she tells me, is good for her clients who suffer chronic pain or maybe cancer.
“It?s heavier in the body,? she said, sparking up the joint with a Bic lighter and taking a long hit, then exhaling. “Want some?? I gladly accept.
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Biking Through the Dutch Countryside: Picture-Postcard Panoramas
[8 Jun 2010 at 2:57pm]
As a long-time aficionado of Amsterdam -- indeed, a wannabe expat contemplating buying a home in the Netherlands -- I?ve spent nearly half of the past two years in Holland?s freewheeling capital, mesmerized by the trade city?s heady blend of cosmopolitan traditions and Old World charm.
From its shimmering canals to its 17th century merchant houses, enclaves of art by great Dutch masters, still intact hippie vibe and spirit of laissez faire liberalism, A?dam has much to recommend it to tourists seeking culture, history and a tolerant, non-snooty attitude toward alternative lifestyles.
But Amsterdam is not for everyone, especially those not willing to confine their Puritanical sensibilities against her raw, in-your-face energy, open prostitution and easy availability of soft drugs.
Neither is A?dam Holland -- land of iconic windmills, plump chocolate and ivory cows, day-glow tulip fields and families of swans gliding along the waterways of carefully constructed polders.
To see the real Holland, the Holland of vast emerald plains and verdant meadows studded with manicured homes, dykes and dunes, consider doing it the Dutch way: on a bike.
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The Idaho Panhandle: Crossing the Crown of the Continent
[8 Jun 2010 at 2:56pm]
Go, nomad, go, to one of the world's most wild and green places. In the Northwestern United States of America. A combination of protected wilderness and excellent access means that all sorts of travelers can experience the forests and landscapes for themselves.
One of the best places of all is the Idaho Panhandle -- the narrow strip of Idaho State that juts north to meet Canada. A explorer to this often-overlooked area will find craggy mountains, vistas of emerald green mountains, and abundant quiet forest groves.
It is almost inconceivable that this area has experienced two of the most apocalyptic flood events ever on Planet Earth -- one of water, and one of lava.
Here, between the Rocky Mountains of Montana and the jagged basaltic deserts of inland Washington State, there's an amazing depth of territory to discover. Moving east on Interstate Highway 90, you can find a good taste of America's evergreen forests, and follow the path of a prehistoric cataclysmic flood that sculpted the land.
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New Orleans Revisited: Something Different About Bourbon Street
[3 Jun 2010 at 2:39pm]
I first roamed New Orleans Jazz Fest, back in 1995 as an oblivious freshman college kid focused on his new girlfriend. Next came Mardi Gras in 1999 - I remember maybe 25% of my 100% inebriated hours of that trip.
But did I truly experience the city of New Orleans? I?m not exactly sure what this means, but I now arrive to experience Jazz Fest alone, and without as much alcoholic consumption.
Back in 1970, the 1st annual New Orleans Jazz Fest hosted 350 visitors. In 2001, attendance peaked when 650,000 shuffled through its Fair Grounds Race Course field.
This year, the 41st annual New Orleans Jazz Fest jammed and [of course] jazzed for 375,000 music lovers. I arrived for the last of the two long weekends (April 23-25, April 29-May 2) ready for anything the city and festival had to offer.
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West Bengal: Visiting the Sundarbans in the Aftermath of Aila
[3 Jun 2010 at 2:37pm]
I cannot express my feelings as we went down the creeks that constitute the delta. The land tugged at my heart with its wild beauty. The endless waters, the winding creeks, the washed greenness of the islands with mangrove which clung to the earth as if for existence seemed like heaven on earth to my jaded eyes. Man shares the land with a host of birds and animals.
Sambhuda and his boys on the boat pleasantly surprised us with their knowledge about the birds. Thus, we saw a majestic white-bellied sea eagle, flocks of screeching parakeets, whimbrels, curlews and sandpipers sitting on the banks.
The long?legged lesser adjutant stork strolled gawkily on the mud-banks looking for a fishmeal. Sunbirds and swifts looked like large fluttering butterflies to my amateur birdwatchers? eyes.
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Surf & Turf in the Aloha State: Exploring Hawaii by Land and Sea
[28 May 2010 at 3:00pm]
The cold, wet weather of home cranked up my anticipation to leave for Hawaii. My girlfriend, Stacy, had previously lived in Hawaii ? but this would be my first trip. Perhaps some sun and water warm enough to swim would be just the thing to shake the extended-winter blues.
Kauai?s Waimea Canyon
Landing on Kauai, comically, the rain began to pour as we drove out of Lihue, toward Waimea Canyon. Being from the Pacific Northwest, I?ve learned not to let the rain restrict my outdoor activities too much; so, we plunged ahead and were rewarded with dry (albeit cloudy) conditions.
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China: Climbing the Yellow Mountain Like the Emperors of Old
[28 May 2010 at 11:39am]
When we travelled to Huangshan, like most tourists, the first thing on our agenda was Huangshan Mountain, also known as the Yellow Mountain, a UNESCO Heritage site.
Properly the most famous of China?s mountains, it is much sought after by painters, photographers and poets. With six large scenic areas filled with beautiful panoramas, it is a wonder of nature on the travel map for all those who come to Shanghai and the surrounding area.
As I stepped off the cable car at the uppermost cable lift station, at the top of a downward spiralling walkway, I looked around. Within 154 sq km (60 sq mi) were 72 mountain mist-shrouded peaks that dominated the landscape. As it is often described, it truly appeared to be the ?home of clouds and fog.?
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Glass Wonders and Downtown Attractions in Corning, New York
[27 May 2010 at 4:04pm]
Who drives four and a half hours to visit a glass museum on a Sunday? Our friends initially thought we were crazy, but pretty soon my husband?s monologue on fiber optics confirmed us as kind of geeky.
Undeterred, we set off for Corning in upstate New York, a city whose history and economy has been shaped by the corporate headquarters of Corning Incorporated, a world leader in specialty glass and ceramics.
Making glass since the 19th century, Corning Inc. has since moved from consumer products to hi-tech components for consumer electronics, mobile emissions control, telecommunications and life sciences.
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Budget-Friendly Food with Flair in Baltimore
[26 May 2010 at 5:31pm]
Baltimore is an overall budget-friendly travel destination. However, sometimes when people travel on a budget they miss out on the food a city has to offer and settle for fast food or hotel buffets instead. I highly suggest you don?t do that in Baltimore.
No matter the meal time of the day, Baltimore has a unique restaurant with appetizing food for an affordable price. Trying out the diverse food is just as fun as exploring all the sights, and an important part of understanding Baltimore?s diverse culture.
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Learning To Surf in Costa Rica: You're Never Too Old... Right?
[26 May 2010 at 5:30pm]
Climbing down from the bus in the center of Playa Samara on Costa Rica's west coast, Molly and I are tired and sweaty after the meandering four-hour ride from San Jose and all we want is a cerveza and a palm tree to lie under. Surfing isn't part of our plan.
Beer and shade are easy enough to find in this quintessential beach-lovers village. The main drag, all of about four blocks long, is lined with Tico sodas and more upscale restaurants and bars?all serving ice-cold Imperials ?- mingled with local artisans selling hand-made jewelry and at street's end is a wide beach lined with tall coconut palms blocking the hot mid-day sun. The beach is mostly empty now in the heat of siesta except for a dozen surfers wrestling with their boards in the rolling waves.
Maybe it is the beer and the heat, or the exhaustion of travel, but surfing actually begins to look fun. Even the ungainly novices who dismount their rides with feet-up-in-the-air gracelessness seem to be enjoying themselves.
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New Zealand's South Island: Splendid Adventuring
[26 May 2010 at 5:30pm]
South Island adventuring races the gamut from bungee jumping and jet-boating to paragliding and sky-diving, but after doing it all I found my tastes ran to wet and ice, from Class IV rafting and motor-boating the Marlborough Sounds to tramping around on a blue-ice glacier. And it all began like this.
Rafting addicts start young, like forty years ago when I built my first and very unwieldy raft from two road-grader inner-tubes, six 30-gallon oil drums, a slew of 1" x 8" planks and coils of bailing wire to raft the Colorado River above Moab, Utah.
That multi-day episode ended after a whirlpool catapulted four of us, including wife number one, onto a sheer rock cliff.
Though wife one was gallantly rescued and dropped safely on the other side of the river, the side with a road, marriage number one never seemed quite the same.
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Baltimore Won't Break the Bank
[25 May 2010 at 4:44pm]
For many travelers, Baltimore may be seen as just a city to drive through to get to Washington, D.C. Many may choose to fly to Baltimore's Washington International airport instead of Dulles International to save a few dollars, or perhaps even stay in Baltimore for a cheaper hotel outside of D.C.
Red Sox fans have been known to travel to Baltimore to see them play the Orioles because tickets are cheaper and easier to buy than tickets at Fenway, but often see nothing more than the Camden Yards stadium. The downside of all this being, travelers aren?t spending much time exploring the actual city of Baltimore, and they are missing out on a fun, budget-friendly place.
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Eight Cool Things to Do in Panama City
[24 May 2010 at 5:18pm]
Panama City is pretty much defined by the Canal, an engineering feat that's been in operation since the early 1900s. But I opted to search out the city's other treasures, which ended up satisfying my need for cultural and nature-focused delights. Here are eight cool things to do in Panama City, aside from transiting the Canal.
1. Amador Causeway
One look at Amador Causeway and I'm hooked. Here I find welcome breezes in otherwise stifling Panama City, as well as long rows of palms and benches that are perfectly positioned allowing me to gape at the Panama City skyline.
Better yet: my Panamanian paradise isn't far from downtown. I'm determined to rent a bicycle and cycle the flat paved path that accompanies this three-some-mile roadway that juts into the Panama Bay.
I have my choice of three bike rental shops and choose Bikes and More that's set at the beginning of the causeway, which is really a breakwater the U.S. created as a way to protect the Canal and the ships waiting to enter it.
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Hunting for Truffles in The Piedmont Region of Italy
[24 May 2010 at 5:17pm]
In Alba, Italy?s rain, my hair flattens wet against my skull. Hugging the shopfronts of Via Vittorio Emanuele, I see a white triangular peak in the distance. It could be anything?a downed mountain bowing to commune with this street, the cobblestone river that carved it?except, glowing with rain, it looks to be made of canvas. I know.
I know. It is October. This is Alba. Simple arithmetic: October + Alba = Truffle Fair. Math never smelled so good. I thank the wet heavens for this day off. I am in Italy?s Piedmont region to work the seasonal wine harvest, sleeping in a tent in the garden of the Il Gioco dell?Oca bed-and-breakfast. But today, I am relieved of my grape-picking duties, and the white truffle beckons.
The truffle is an underground fungus of the tuber genus (some call it an underground mushroom), found beneath the bases of oak, linden, poplar, elder, willow, and wild hazelnut, where they establish a symbiotic relationship with the tree.
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The Azores: Nine Green Islands in the Atlantic
[24 May 2010 at 5:16pm]
A recent trip to the Azores gave us a glimpse of a very young place. Created by volcanic eruptions a mere 250,000 years ago, parts of these nine islands are among the youngest land masses on the earth.
Just 3000 meters below the earth, the cauldron bubbles, so in many areas people can enjoy hot springs and the government generates their own renewable electricity using geothermal heat to turn turbines.
We began our Azores adventure in the biggest of the nine islands, Sao Miguel, which is about 85 kilometers long and shaped like a peanut.
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Spain: Cheering for the Bull in Valencia
[24 May 2010 at 5:16pm]
[GoNOMAD Writer Jean Spoljaric just returned from Valencia, Spain. Her trip was magnificent, and she loved it all except for the time she spent in a corrida de toros watching a series of bullfights. Below is a reflection on this cruel yet very popular part of Spain's culture.]
For the Spanish, bullfighting is a part of their culture, but it has been criticized by many people, including many Spaniards, who refer to it as a cruel, barbaric bloodsport in which the bull suffers severe stress and a slow torturous death.
Other people question how much worse the welfare of the bull?s life is compared to the life of beef cattle in commercial farming. So why do I feel the way that I do?
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Mozambique: A Cultural Tour of Maputo
[24 May 2010 at 5:15pm]
Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique, is a welcoming city of contrasts with a lively, yet laid back appeal; its old style Portuguese buildings sit alongside faded retro buildings or tucked away next to modern skyscrapers.
The long, wide avenues entice you to take leisurely strolls to the background of Mozambican beats that play out from street corners where locals hang out and vendors peddle their wares.
Portuguese Colonial History
Mozambique?s history has been colored by centuries of a fusion of Arab, Indian and Portuguese colonialism motivated by the passing trades of slavery and the busy ports on the Indian Ocean. Their cultures and influence still are very much part of the Mozambican way of life.
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GoNOMAD's Top Ten Family Vacation Destinations
[24 May 2010 at 5:15pm]
What makes the perfect family vacation? It depends on the family, of course -- the ages of the kids and the kind of activities they like. Relaxation is important, but so is exploration and discovery. And what if kids and parents have different interests?
Finding the Overlap
In her story on Toronto as a family destination, Cathie Arquilla says it's important to strike a balance:
"The trick is to create the overlap in your itinerary -? things that kids and parents will both enjoy. I believe a successful family vacation is based on the overlap being at least 50 percent. I?d say the other 25 percent is for them, the kids, and the remaining 25 percent is for us, Mom and/or Dad."
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Bolivia's Cerro Rico Mine: Entering the Inferno
[24 May 2010 at 5:14pm]
Once upon a time a llama sat down, and the history of Potosi and its infamous mine began.
According to the legend, the llama belonged to a man named Diego Huallpa. He tugged and tugged at the llama but it refused to move.
Since llamas are up there with donkeys in the stubbornness category, Diego decided to make camp for the night and wait for the llama to change its mind.
He built a fire and before he knew it liquid silver was flowing from it. The Cerro Rico had been discovered.
Bolivia is the poorest country in South America, and Potosi, located in the southwest, is no exception to this rule. However Potosi is different in that, as a drunken miner told me, its streets were once paved in silver.
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The Titanic Awards: Celebrating the Worst in Travel
[24 May 2010 at 5:13pm]
Traveling is hard work. An infinite number of disasters potentially await you the minute you book your flight and oftentimes some sort of disaster actually does happen.
But despite the inevitable bumps along the road, or turbulence in the air, so many people chose to travel again and again. It is to those people that the hilarious Titanic Awards are dedicated.
The Titanic Awards is a new book filled with hundreds of quick stories, all “celebrating the worst of travel.? Not to be read in consecutive order, this fun little book would be the perfect literature to accompany you as you try to ignore the gypsies at the train station or while you are spending time in the bathroom after drinking Mexican tap water.
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Hot Springs and Cherry Blossoms: Experiencing Japan?s Cultural Icons
[17 May 2010 at 2:33pm]
Perhaps none of Japan?s numerous cultural icons are more endearing or significant to the Japanese people than the famed onsen (hot springs resorts/hotels and spas) and springtime sakura (cherry blossoms).
Visitors will find much of Japanese culture in spring tied into the sakura season, signifiying the renewal and celebration of life.
Throughout Japan, parks and streets are lined with row upon row of bright, colorful trees sprouting pink, white or light yellow cherry blossoms.A big part of Japan?s lifestyle is enjoying the numerous onsen, or hot springs resorts, located throughout the country.
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A Walk for Everyone: Around the Lower Tip of Manhattan Island
[13 May 2010 at 5:04pm]
Everyone has heard the phrase, “New York City is a great place to visit, but I wouldn?t want to live there.?
For me, a longtime New York City resident, it?s the only place I would want to live. That?s because no matter where you are in this energetic city, you are surrounded by diversity, a sense of history, and more to experience than any one individual could ever hope to accomplish in a lifetime. Boredom never enters the equation.
Here?s a case in point. I live in Brooklyn Heights, an area directly across the East River from lower Manhattan. For a little exercise, all I need do is walk (or jog, or bike, or rollerblade) across the Brooklyn Bridge and then around the southern tip of Manhattan.
The entire excursion ?- with something for everyone from singles to families to seniors -- takes from one to three hours, depending on how many stops along the way you choose to make. Its beauty is that even making zero stops, all of your senses will be doing double duty along the way.
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Ghana's Hopeful Hospitality: A Breath of Fresh Air
[12 May 2010 at 4:20pm]
I love the angst of arriving in a foreign city around midnight. At least in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, my monolingual skills can decipher the English dialect.
We learn immediately that bargaining over prices is expected after paying too much for a taxi.
The dust, heat and traffic exhaust in Accra burns our eyes. Once we assimilate to the initial shock of poverty, overpopulation and the lack of a comprehensive sewage system, the genuine friendliness of this culture allures us. Smiles abound. The unique Ghanaian handshake -? limp hands ending with a cooperative snap of the middle fingers, welcomes us.
“Where are you from?? a stranger asks.
“The US,? I respond.
He pumps his fists into the air. “Obama! He visited us!?
What a warm feeling for my blue passport to be loved in a foreign country. We can feel hope emanate from the Ghanaians.
A breath of fresh air?
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Hotels Are Going Green: From the Ritz to the Sands, It's Catching On
[12 May 2010 at 4:17pm]
Green sustainability is changing the way we live. It's changing the way we use energy, the way we manufacture and the way we dispose of trash. Now it's even changing the way we sleep... the way we sleep when we are away from home, that is.
Hotels around the United States are catching on to the new green hospitality trend, becoming sustainable places for their guests to enjoy without even knowing that they are practicing ecotourism.
"Many guests don't realize that they are staying in one of the greenest hotels in the world when they stay at a Sands Hotel," said Nicholas Rumanes, the Sands Corporation?s President of Development. "And that is one of our goals, to be as sustainable as possible without sacrificing the luxury of the hotel."
With expanding knowledge of the global warming crisis and so many sustainable-savvy travelers starting to hold a higher standard for where they spend the night, the race to become the greenest of green hotels is on.
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Sri Lanka: In Search of the Perfect Cup of Tea
[11 May 2010 at 1:35pm]
My quest is to find the perfect cup of tea. Surely Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon under the British, ought to be an excellent place for such a challenge. After all, the interior Hill Country ? on an island regarded by Marco Polo as the finest of its size in the world ? is replete with tea plantations.
But as I was soon to discover, the majority of the high-grade tea is exported; I was told I?d be better off drinking the stuff in London than in Kandy, Sri Lanka?s second city.
“Where from?? asks the tuk-tuk driver. “Ah, England. Very big, very strong, very money.? He drops me at the train station, for a journey east from Colombo, into the very heart of the tea-growing area.
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Cruising From New Jersey: An Easy Departure for Families
[11 May 2010 at 1:34pm]
Every parent knows this scene: Standing in the airport security line with a screaming toddler struggling to free himself from your grasp as you attempt to simultaneously remove your older child?s shoes, fold up the stroller to fit it through the tiny x-ray machine, and tuck away the goldfish crackers as the surly man in the TSA uniform asks you to please dump out your sippy cup.
It happens repeatedly as parents attempt to vacation with their children. Long lines awaiting airport check in, dragging suitcases, strollers, pack n? plays, toys, and other baby paraphernalia through the airport, layovers in unfamiliar cities, delayed flights, all hassles that start and end any vacation with undue stress. I decided to forego this messy scene while still getting the kids out of New England with a cruise from the Northeast.
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St. Martin: Paradise With a French Twist
[7 May 2010 at 3:03pm]
The 'Bienvenue á Partie Francaise' sign was the only way I truly knew I had crossed from the Dutch side, St. Maarten, to the French side, St. Martin.
The nuances between the French and Dutch sides of the island became evident. Could amazing French food and wine really be found as easily as in France?s gourmet city of Lyon?
While the Dutch side handles massive numbers of casino-loving visitors, St. Martin caters more to the lover of all things French, done here in a slower Caribbean mode.
Small villages and gendarmes dressed with kepis fit with the tri-colored French flags that dot this French paradise. The towns have names such as Marigot and Orleans, yet strong African and Creole flavors are a wonderful addition to the mix.
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Córdoba: A Center of Culture and Learning Through the Centuries
[7 May 2010 at 12:29pm]
Originally founded in Roman times, Córdoba went on to be one of Europe?s largest cities and one of the first to reach one million inhabitants. It was the capital of Al-Andalus and a center of culture and learning which was largely considered to be the spiritual heart of Islamic Spain.
Centered around the imposing Mesquita (Mosque), the largest in Spain, Córdoba?s historic streets are an eclectic mix of the many different cultures and religions which have lived there through the centuries.
These cultural influences are reflected in its many historic buildings and unique architecture, not to mention the labyrinth of cobblestone streets lined with orange trees and some of the most charming squares you will find in all of Andalucía.
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A Taste of Cambodia?s Resourceful Cuisine
[5 May 2010 at 2:24pm]
Hidden among Apsaras and multi-armed Vishnus on the eight-hundred-year-old temple walls of Angkor are carvings of cooks holding skewered fish over fire.
That?s right, barbecues side by side with celestial maidens and gods.
Cambodia has carried its penchant for barbecue and other glorious forms of cooking through dark times, enduring war and genocide a generation ago, and has emerged stronger than ever.
lMy wife and I always find ourselves reverse-engineering new dishes in our travels to uncover what they are made of. While ingredient hunting in Cambodia, we began to learn how the country is both enjoying and reinventing its culinary pride. Do I hear the sound of eight-hundred-year-old spirits licking their lips?
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South African Safari Tours: The Next Step in Women's Travel
[5 May 2010 at 2:23pm]
while many women-only tours focus on conventional sight-seeing, shopping and spas, more and more are adding an greater element of adventure in the jungles of the Amazon or the savannahs of South Africa.
Yolanta Barnes of Sights and Soul Travel has been planning and hosting women-only trips in Europe since 2002, both "classic" tours to places like London or Italy and more "avant-garde" destinations like Poland, Portugal or Croatia.
The Next Step in Travel
Sights and Soul now has a large group of repeat travelers who enjoy the company's balancing of culture, adventure and luxury, and Barnes says a number of her cllients expressed an interest in "taking the next step in travel and adventure."
"You tend to progress from New York to Europe to Africa," she says, "although some people say they want to do the more challenging destinations while they're still fit and leave easier places for later years."
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Google Maps Now Includes Bike Trails
[5 May 2010 at 2:22pm]
If I were to bike to work, my initial idea would be to take Route 116 from Amherst, Massachusetts, to the GoNOMAD office in South Deerfield. However, if I wanted to avoid bicycling on a highway with fast cars which could be potentially dangerous, I might want to plan another route.
Sure, it might take a little more time but it would be prettier and safer, so how do I figure out the best way to go?
Thanks to Google Maps, which recently partnered with trail map data site, TrailLink, run by Rails to Trails Conservancy, I can now use their new biking directions feature. Sure enough, the fastest route would be to take Rt. 116, however they provide another option to take the back roads which add on an additional five minutes.
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Visiting the Mormon Temple & Museum in Salt Lake City
[5 May 2010 at 2:20pm]
As part of an RV trip through and along the Rocky Mountains, my wife and I made a stop at Salt Lake City. Of course, we had heard and read about how Salt Lake City came about and that it is the world headquarters of the Church of Latter Day Saints, also known as Mormons, but had no idea what would await us there.
Right off the bat let me say that I am impressed with what Salt Lake City offers tourists, regardless of where they come from or what their heritage is. First of all, there is a free shuttle bus from the airport to Temple Square and back (this bus happens to pass by the KOA campground where we stayed, and it picks up and delivers anyone from there who wants to go downtown).
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Siwa Oasis, Egypt: Visiting an Ancient Oracle
[5 May 2010 at 2:16pm]
A few days later we are at Ayn al-Gubah, the Spring of Juba, a few kilometers from town. It's New Year's Eve and there is a gathering; fires are lit and goats roast over them on spits. A circle of Siwans play drums and pipes. One of them dances. The music is Berber and percussive, a folk music with a distinct, repetitive pattern.
We are deep in the date gardens of the oasis here and apart from a solitary streetlamp nearby, the only light comes from the fires. This is Amon territory, a temple erected in his honor mere steps away, and beyond that the Oracle itself, perched on the hill of Aghurmi. Alexander and his entourage cannot have failed to linger by this pool.
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From Camels to Cows: An Overland Trip Through Algeria
[5 May 2010 at 2:13pm]
After dumping our bags in our surprisingly pleasant room, we wandered out into the small market in the square outside and down to the main walking street, the Cours de la Revolution. We strolled past the dozens of French-style cafes almost exclusively patronised by underemployed men who could seemingly nurse a single espresso for several hours.
We eventually decided to join them and attempted to order a regular coffee with milk. I did what I thought was a fair demonstration of a larger coffee mug and Nong Buff mimed milking a cow. The waiter nodded encouragingly and brought us some espressos.
A guy at the next table introduced himself to us. He lived in Canada but tried to come back to Annaba every year to visit his family. “I know Annaba very well? he said. “Don?t wander about here at night?. Being careful not to get too lost, we continued to explore. We had yet to see any other tourists and were attracting quite a lot of attention. Groups of idle young men would stare at us as we walked past.
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Princes? Islands Near Istanbul: A Great Place to be Exiled
[5 May 2010 at 2:11pm]
have visited Istanbul, one of 2010's Culture Capitals of Europe, on several occasions, but I never got around to embark on a day trip to the Princes? Islands.
I really got tired of my Turkish friends telling me off for having missed: ?a small paradise, beautiful nature, steeped in history, sooo romantic?? you name it, every attribute is attached to the group of nine islands located in the Sea of Marmaris close to the Asian side of Istanbul.
Last week, when I came to visit again and had barely touched down in Atatürk airport, I made my way to my favorite little hotel in the Sultanahmed district, I went in search of the best way of getting there, ready to see for myself and remedy my reproachable omission.
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Mt. Kenya: A Beacon of Brightness in the Heart of Africa
[5 May 2010 at 2:10pm]
Beyond the shadow of Kilimanjaro lies a mountain with all of its neighbor?s glory but little of its fame. Cameron Fergus treks Mount Kenya and reveals the true light at Africa?s fabled heart.
On Mount Kenya it is the silence that gets you. Between the park gates and the glacier-encrusted summits lies impenetrable jungle, chilly shrub-covered moorlands, an alpine forest, and an all-embracing silence that was so unexpected.
Like a giant open-air cathedral, it is a place that encourages whispered thoughts and quiet contemplation. More than simply a jagged mountain range on the far horizon, Mount Kenya is also the spiritual heart of the East African nation that bears its name.
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Guatemala: Sunday Night In Antigua
[21 Apr 2010 at 3:14pm]
So it?s Sunday. The family I?m staying with is taking a break today. I?m on my own for dinner. It?s about 7:30 at night, therefore dark. It?s always dark here at 7:30; that?s what being close to the equator does to your day.
I?m hungry, and for awhile I wander the cobblestone streets waiting for inspiration to strike, which I hope it does not do in the form of a tuk-tuk, the noisy, three-wheeled motorscooters-with-canopy that give cheap, rapid, bone-jarring transportation within the city.
No, the inspiration I seek is gastronomic. There are restaurants of all kinds on these streets; I have already sampled a few.
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Luxembourg: Right In The Middle Of Europe
[21 Apr 2010 at 3:13pm]
From its central location, one would think that Luxembourg would be the perfect jumping off point for visitors to Western Europe. To the west is France, to the north Belgium and The Netherlands, to the east is Germany, and south through the beautiful countryside of France lies Switzerland and then Italy.
But somehow, Paris, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam became the main points of entry into Western Europe, and quite honestly, not too many people make Luxembourg a consideration when planning their European holiday travel.
Getting to Luxembourg from all points in Europe is fairly simple. There are four major motorways that converge there, the A1 from the east, the A7 from the north, the A6 and A4 from the west, and the 13 from the south. And trains regularly visit Luxembourg from many other European cities, as well.
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Traveling the World Without Taking Flight
[21 Apr 2010 at 3:10pm]
By Christa Romano
Grounded: A Down to Earth Journey Around the World by Seth Stevenson is a nonfiction journey that takes readers around the world without ever taking flight. As he circumnavigates the world with his girlfriend Rebecca, Stevenson describes each leg of each trip in extensive detail.
Their decision to travel the world and why they decided not to take planes revolves around one desire: adventure. By taking cargo freighters, trains, and even bikes, the couple is able to explore cultures and landscapes during their travels as well as during their stay. No stone is left unturned as they discover the challenges, humor, and beauty of spontaneous travel with no itinerary.
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The Top 10 Volunteer Wildlife Conservation Programs in the US
[21 Apr 2010 at 3:07pm]
Traveling has always been popular but giving back to the environment has never been so fashionable.
The book Ecotourists Save the World supports this growing trend by offering readers profiles of more than 300 volunteer programs around the world. Below is a list of the top ten volunteer programs in the United States with all the information and links you?ll need to participate in plant and animal conservation and sustainability, all the while seeing a different part of the country.
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Visiting a Wounded Giant: A Journey into American Adversity
[16 Apr 2010 at 5:22pm]
Hence I resolved to visit the US off my own bat because it felt odd to spend three years studying the intimate cultural details of a country and not take the opportunity to go there in person. But even before my student days I had always been fascinated by American books, films and music? but not so much the food or the political direction it had taken under ?King George II?, as the spoken word performer Jello Biafra described him.
I wanted to see the canyons and crap games of Johnny Cash songs, the pulsating ghettoes of Saul Williams raps, the endless highways depicted in the novels of Jack Kerouac and Hunter S. Thompson, the picket fence weirdness of David Lynch films. I wanted to immerse myself in the contradictions, to understand why the land of the free is also the land of the pious fundamentalist, how the home of the brave is also the home of consumer conformism, how this ?nation of immigrants? as Bill Clinton put it, is also a nation of violent prejudice, how the richest country in the world can have people living in it with ?food for sex signs? beside them on the street.
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Ecuador:Riding Down the Devil?s Nose: The Infamous Nariz del Diablo
[16 Apr 2010 at 5:20pm]
I am sitting on top of the front caboose when the wheels below began screaming and a sudden jolt nearly throws me from the train. I turn my head just in time to see the two rail cars behind me jump off the track and drag the rest of the train to a stop. We have derailed again, for the fifth time today.
Although this may seem frightening, it?s not, really. At no time do I or any of the other passengers riding atop the Nariz del Diablo train feel any terror, for the train itself is moving at the pace of a trotting buffalo and derailments are commonplace and seem to pose no danger. The first derailment, in fact, was quite amusing.
Nearly all of the 150 or so passengers crawled down to the ground to inspect and comment upon the matter before (after boredom set in) strolling around the countryside, waiting for something to be done. Cards were brought out. Picnics were arranged.
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Luxury Adventuring on BC's Sunshine Coast
by peterp
[22 Jul 2010 at 12:35pm]
Amber expertly paddles her kayak out of Malaspina Strait and into the narrow north channel of the aptly named Secret Cove. This is a complicated coastline, with islands, inlets and hidden channels nestled among the rocky shore and forest, and finding this passage requires local knowledge. So I leave it up to Amber, and follow along just enjoying the moment, focused on working through the narrow channel. It’s the kind of day on the British Columbia coast you dream about: blue sky, bright sun, and only the slightest texture put on the surface of the water by a gentle north wind. In fact, this stretch of shoreline has honestly earned it’s moniker Sunshine Coast: just far enough north of Vancouver to enjoy a rain-shadow effect, but close enough to make for easy access. And there’s no better way to enjoy this landscape than to explore it by sea kayak. Amber and I paddle out of the sheltered waters of expansive Secret Cove, past Turnagain Island, and back into the straight before turning south to cruise along the small islands and inlets of Smugglers Cove. read more
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Images of Jordan
by Mary Beth Kratsas
[4 Jul 2010 at 12:28pm]
Mary Beth Kratsas is an award winning photographer and artist who in over twenty five years of work has captured images of everything from revealing portraits and corporate boardrooms to the red carpet events of Hollywood. Earlier this year, Pennsylvania based Kratsas was invited by the Jordan Tourism Board to photograph scenes of her choice throughout the Kingdom during a three week expedition. Some of her images are below, and a larger collection will hang in the Jordanian embassy in Washington, DC, during a show in September 2010. And don't miss GreatOutdoors.com editor Peter Potterfield's story on the epic 50 mile hike from Dana Reserve to Petra.
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Jordan: Cultural Treasures, Sophisticated Living and True Wilderness
by Catherine Porterfield
[2 Jul 2010 at 1:10pm]
Catherine Porterfield of the Jordan Tourism Board accompanied GreatOutdoors.com editor Peter Potterfield and noted Jordanian backcountry guide Yamaan Safady on their recent 50 mile treking journey from the Dana Reserve to Petra. Here is her video of the both the trek and some of her favorite places in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. And don't miss GreatOutdoors.com editor Peter Potterfield's story on the epic trek from Dana to Petra.
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Jordan's Jewel: A Trek to Petra
by peterp
[2 Jul 2010 at 12:47pm]
We contour along cliffs of red sandstone, moving gradually higher as we follow the tilted topography as it cuts in and out of shallow drainages. Looking around at the complicated network of canyons sprawling below, I’m thinking, this could the Colorado Plateau of Southern Utah, not southern Jordan. But the Bedouin man crouched by a small fire making tea, his red and white keffiyeh, the traditional Arab headdress, tied in the flowing style of the region, reminds me we are most definitely in the Middle East and not Canyonlands. As we work our way upward, there’s one little fourth-class rock climbing move, easy but exposed, then more sandstone slabs before an elaborate staircase carved in the stone appears before us. It’s a hot day. The storied Khamasin, a wind that originates in North Africa and blows across the deserts of Saudi Arabia, is stirring. Tomorrow will be a scorcher, and already we sweat through our clothes as we ascend the rocky slope. At the top of the ancient stairs we follow a narrow defile around a sharp bend. Suddenly, we are stopped cold as we emerge into the open. There before us the exquisite carved façade of Al Deir, better known as the Monastery, perhaps Petra’s grandest monument, rises into the blue sky. It’s a stunning sight, made more so by the abruptness of it, and the fact there isn’t a human to be seen. Incredibly, we have Al Deir to ourselves. “What do you think, Peter?” asks Yamaan, with his big smile and ironic laugh.read more
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Jon Waterman's Running Dry
by peterp
[10 Jun 2010 at 12:05pm]
Perhaps the most striking thing about talking to Jon Waterman after his epic journey down the length of the storied Colorado River is that he remains optimistic that this great American river can, even now, be restored to flow once again from the Rockies of Colorado to the Pacific Ocean. read more
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Coming Up: The Wild Side of Jordan
by GreatOutdoors.com Staff
[26 Apr 2010 at 11:34am]
Don’t miss the adventure of a lifetime as GreatOutdoors.com editor Peter Potterfield takes an epic 50-mile backcountry journey through the mountains of Jordan. One of the most interesting routes in the Middle East, the hike starts from Jordan’s wild Dana Reserve and follows a rugged wilderness to the country's crown jewel—Petra. This is a journey made entirely on foot, day by day, hour by hour, staying in traditional Bedouin camps, savoring the Jordan countryside at a walking pace, having the time to appreciate this unique landscape. read more
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Andrew McLean's Dispatches from Alaska
by GreatOutdoors.com Staff
[20 Apr 2010 at 12:55pm]
Check in Daily as Andrew Mclean reports in via satellite telephone to keep GreatOutdoors.com readers informed on the action during his 2010 expedition the Alaska and the St. Elias Range in search of new ski lines. April 19: See Week One Dispatches April 28: See Week Two Dispatches May 5: See Week Three Dispatches
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Live on GreatOutdoors.com: Andrew McLean Skis New Lines in Alaska
by Andrew McLean
[14 Apr 2010 at 4:28pm]
Listen to Andrew McLean's Daily Dispatches via Satellite TelephoneAlaska is one of my favorite places to ski as it has so much variety and such wild terrain. It has three different snowpacks, high peaks, rugged mountains, huge ice fields, traverses, rivers, wildlife and everything in-between. I go there for the skiing, but often times the actual turns are secondary to the sense of exploration and adventure that Alaska provides. Good skiing conditions are just icing on the cake. read more
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Castle Mountain ? The Best Ski Area You've Never Heard Of
by gordys
[31 Mar 2010 at 8:04pm]
Diverging off the beaten track in southwest Alberta, we've headed east from 'The Powder Highway' (an area chock-full of ski area options and a propensity for deep fluff) in search of a ski mountain we had just heard of in local whispers. Traversing a region rich in coal deposits and lean on population, it's a backcountry drive that takes us over Crowsnest Pass, which is also the richest archaeological zone in the Canadian Rockies. Passing through the skeleton town of Frank, Alberta, it's an eerie site. In 1903 the cataclysmic Frank Slide occurred on the north slope of Turtle Mountain; where 82 million tons of limestone (seemingly half a mountain) caved-off and partially buried the town, killing 70 of the town's 600 residents. Taking in the visual, we seriously hoped that it was not a fore shadow of powder avalanches yet to come. Emerging onto the high prairie from our super scenic and melodic Rockies crossing, we hovered over the route map. Taking a right hand turn at Burmis, then again at Beaver Mines we make the approach up the Westcastle River Valley to its abrupt in-your-face mountain range dead end; having done an end run to the back door of the Eastern Rockies. Bumping into some 40 cars in the parking lot, we get a quick hint of the uncrowded slopes rumored at Castle Mountain. Due to the unusual skier density, stories float that fresh tracks typically can be found even at day's end within the mountain's terrain pockets. Additionally, the Continental Divide Chinook winds that sweep Castle Mountain tend to refresh its slopes; covering old tracks run after run. Unfortunate for us, we discover that regional storms often localize in these parts, and the pow we had experienced at Fernie just days before had missed Castle. It would be a sunny, windless Sun Valley like day on wind-buffed packed powder. Nice! We'll take some of that if you please. read more
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Dave Hahn Returns to Everest
by Dave Hahn
[30 Mar 2010 at 2:13pm]
It seems slightly dull to begin talking about a great adventure such as an Everest climb with a reference to numbers and repetition, but in my case, such figures are unavoidably part of the story. This will be my sixteenth attempt on Mount Everest. I’ve been lucky enough to tag the top on 11 of my 15 previous tries on the summit. The “standard” Southeast Ridge, from Nepal is my preferred route for guiding others, which is precisely what I hope to accomplish on this trip. I’m the climbing leader for the Rainier Mountaineering Inc. 2010 Mount Everest Team. This is my 24th year of guiding climbs for RMI and a typical year involves leading trips for them on Denali (in Alaska) on Vinson (in Antarctica) and –of course- on Mount Rainier in Washington State. Additionally, from time to time, I’ll squeeze in the odd trip to an odd place for other companies, but mostly I guide for RMI. I spend my winters at home in Taos, New Mexico where I ski patrol… trying to help injured folk, trying to bring down big avalanches and trying to ski and hike really hard when I know I’ve got an Everest trip looming. This trip is no longer “looming” -it is happening. I’m writing from Namche Bazaar, where my team is already assembled. There are 13 of us moving slowly toward the highest mountain in the world. We didn’t spend much time in the big city of Kathmandu, where our jet trip ended, and even less time in 9000 ft Lukla, where our prop plane put down. We hit the foot trail two days ago, stopping for a night in Phak Ding before taking on the big Namche Hill which delivered us to our home for the next couple of nights a little above 11,000 ft. This trip consists of four climbing guides working with four climbers joined by one very experienced cameraman. In addition to being the overall leader, it is my job to personally guide one of the climbers: Leif Whittaker. read more
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The Canyons Ski Resort--The New Big Kid in Park City
by Andrew McLean
[25 Mar 2010 at 12:49pm]
There is nothing boring about The Canyons ski resort in Park City, Utah, including its history. Starting life in 1968 as an extension of the Park City Mountain Resort, it was known as Park City West, before it broke off on its own to become ParkWest. I first visited the resort during this era (it is ten minutes from my home) and have fond memories of walking through mud puddles, being stuck on broken chairlifts and one day showing up to find out that they had just decided to close for the season. Day passes were $16 at the nearby 7-11, and you could buy a single ride pass for $5.00. The single ride passes were red lottery tickets which the lift attendants seldom collected, so by carefully preserving it, you could get in on the best deal in American skiing ever – the $5.00 seasons pass. Those days lasted until 1995 when ParkWest became “Wolf Mountain” and all of the classic runs like “Slaughterhouse” were renamed after endangered animal species. In the end, Wolf Mountain was the most endangered species of them all and after two years, it was sold and reborn as The Canyons in 1997. Since then, the area has expanded to claim the largest amount of lift serviced acreage in Utah, and become the fifth largest ski area in the U.S. And it is still growing. read more
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Staff's Favorite Gear for Winter 2010
by GreatOutdoors.com Staff
[25 Mar 2010 at 11:32am]
At GreatOutdoors.com, we live the life, so winter is a time we cherish—a time to get out on our skis and snowboards to enjoy the hills, to camp in the pristine winter environment, and enjoy the solitude of that quieter season. But we also ventured to the Middle East, to Israel and Jordan, where the weather was a viable preview to spring in North America, to try some gear new for this year. What follows below is a digest of some of our favorite gear, from editor Peter Potterfield, from ski correspondent Andrew McLean and from snowboarder Craig Bokesch. K2 Kung Fujas Downhill Skis
I love these skis, named for Pep Fujas, the K2 athlete known for innovative skiing. I first got them for kite skiing, because they have twin tips--both the front and back of the ski tip up. That’s crucial for kite skiing, because if you get jerked into the air and land going backwards, with the Kung Fujas you can land backward and still be skiing. But I use them for skiing at the resorts around my home at Park City too. This is a great all around ski, whether kite skiing or cruising groomers or skiing moguls. The guys at K2 say the 95 mm waist of the Kung Fujas and it’s rocker design gives it float in the powder and crud. It has a bidirectional sidecut that enables the ski to perform better riding switch, and the flex pattern makes it stable enough for charging lines in Alaska or hiking laps through the park. I use the 167 cm length. --Andrew McLean read more
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Island Lake Lodge ? the Grand-Daddy of Cat Skiing
by gordys
[12 Mar 2010 at 4:44pm]
Sometimes you get what you get, and upon passing through Mt. Fernie Provincial Park we weren't sure what we had. With a few parked cars and no sign of an Island Lake Lodge infrastructure, the remote snow-lot didn't build a lot of one's confidence. As we staged our gear for the 5pm pickup, two state-of-the-art 12 passenger ILL Snowcats emerged out of the forest; presenting the first sign that our intended adventure was really going to happen. As my long-time ski buddies, Eric and Marilyn, and I piled our overnight ski gear into the front loader box of Cat 2, extreme skiing pioneer Scot Schmidt jumps out of the adjacent machine. Apparently Scot had just finished a stint with clients under his business venture 'Going with a Pro'. In the mid-nineties Schmidt and snowboarding legend Craig Kelly had partnered with some 28 Island Lake investors to secure the Lodge's longevity and its unique mountain experience. Helping to define its destiny, Schmidt's return to the Lodge before our eyes foreshadowed that something special was about to happen. Jumping into the cab with our cat driver, Russ, I hear the local's perspective as we make our 10k approach to the Lodge. Unlike most cat skiing operations, Island Lake is close to the town of Fernie and logistically compelling as it sits in the next valley over from the Fernie Alpine Resort. For those workers and guides that are tenacious enough to secure a position, it means a near normal life for a typically vagabond career. After adventuring all day in the backcountry, workers head down to Fernie for townie living, and then return at 7am the next morning to begin their shift. With staff tenure typically cresting 6 years, experience and quality go hand in hand – defining job and lifestyle security. read more
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Skiing Fernie, The Friendliest Place on Earth
by gordys
[12 Mar 2010 at 2:52pm]
Riding the I-90 jet stream out of Seattle, Eric and Marilyn set their GPS for little known Fernie, B.C., compelled to go there by rumors of unchallenged powder stashes and abundant adventure alternatives. Nine visually entertaining hours later we land in the darkness of the Alpine Resort under heavy overcast skies; unable to make out much of anything except that we had arrived. read more
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Deer Valley, The Gold Standard in Skiing
by Andrew McLean
[26 Feb 2010 at 9:55am]
Since its first days, Deer Valley has been synonymous with the finest of everything resort skiing has to offer. From gold-plated faucets in the restrooms to pristine grooming on the slopes, it is almost impossible to come away from a day of skiing there without a gleaming Ultrabright smile on your face. Even among skiers who have traveled the world looking for the most gnarly off-piste terrain on the planet, Deer Valley gets enthusiastic high marks for being such a unique, high quality experience. When there is deep powder to be had, the high speed lifts and lack of crowds guarantee you will get all you can eat. If it hasn’t snowed for a while, get ready to dig into the daily house-special: miles of velvety corduroy grooming. Deer Valley has always been known as one of the most expensive resorts in the U.S., but that’s changing. This hasn’t occurred because they have lowered their prices, but because many other resorts have raised their ticket prices to the point that Deer Valley, at $86 for a full-day pass, is in line or less than resorts like Vail ($98), Park City ($86) or Sun Valley ($82). A major difference with Deer Valley is that once you are there and have a ticket, everything from parking to assistance carrying your skis (important if you have kids), to mountain tours is included so you are not constantly pulling out your wallet to pay for incidentals. read more
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Skiing Utah's Park City
by Andrew McLean
[10 Feb 2010 at 11:08am]
For such a small ski town, there is a lot of confusion surrounding Park City, Utah. First off, there is the city of Park City, then a ski resort named the Park City Mountain Resort, which is commonly referred to as “Park City”, and its neighboring resort, Deer Valley, which adjoins the Park City Mountain Resort although you can’t ski between the two, and finally there is The Canyons ski resort, which is not technically in the township of Park City, but in general terms is considered part of the Park City skiing experience. During the Sundance Film Festival or the peak holiday weekends, Park City becomes No Parking City and as a final linguistic twist, there is a Park City City Park in the middle of town. read more
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Art Wolfe Photographs the Southern Ocean and South Georgia Island
by GreatOutdoors.com Staff
[19 Jan 2010 at 10:58am]
In this episode of Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe, Art visits one of the earth’s most extreme environments — The Southern Ocean boarder Antarctica, and South Georgia Island. Known as the Antarctic Oasis, South Georgia is a haven for wildlife from the region, including albatross, king penguins, various species of seals, including elephant seals. But most striking is the landscape in this wild place. For anyone interested in adventure in pristine environments, South Georgia Island delivers. Art’s images tell a story of nature at its wildest. See Art's video introduction to this episode.
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Art Wolfe Previews The Southern Ocean and South Georgia Island
by peterp
[19 Jan 2010 at 10:50am]
As part of his ongoing collaboration with GreatOutdoors.com, photographer Art Wolfe previews another segment from his award-winning PBS series, Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe. This time, Art takes us to the remote Southern Ocean on the edges of Antarctica, and South Georgia Island.
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Olympic Hopefuls - Methow Valley USSA Super Tour
by gordys
[18 Jan 2010 at 2:21pm]
Two weeks have gone by since the nation’s elite sprinters, skate and classical skiers, competed at the Official 2009 US Cross Country Ski Championships (Dec. 31-Jan. 9th) in Anchorage, Alaska. Around 500 competitors made the journey in hopes of realizing their athletic dreams at arguably the most important domestic races of the season. Given the timing and proximity to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, the Nationals would typically be the final punctuation in helping U.S. coaches determine who makes the U.S. Olympic team, but last weekend (Jan. 16-17th) there was one more event that could impact the results of hopefuls. Providing the perfect final tune-up, the Methow Valley USSA Super Tour offered one last chance to lay down on the line years of focused training before the world descends on Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. The Methow stop, one of eight in a nationwide race circuit, that provides skiers the opportunity to compete for cash prizes and series points; with the many complexities involved in choosing the U.S. team — the fact that the Olympics are in Canada this year opens up the possibility for a larger contingent from the U.S. team, the Methow race could be what puts some skiers over the top for getting the nod. “We kind of lucked out securing this date,” MVSTA event director Kristen Smith said. “This is the last time the athletes will do a major race before they start to taper and get ready for (the Olympics). “The team will be chosen primarily on Monday (Jan. 18),” Smith said Leading Saturday's sprinting charge, two-time Olympian Torin Koos of Leavenworth, Wa. put his signature on the race while mixing it up with other hopefuls such as 2006 U.S. Olympians Leif Zimmerman and Chris Cook, 2006 Canadian Olympian Drew Goldsack, Kenyan Olympic hopeful Philip Boit, and Iranian Olympic hopeful Beejan Kangaloo. read more
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A Ski Trip to Antarctica
by Andrew McLean
[1 Jan 2010 at 5:34pm]
I had been waiting over a year for this moment, and wasn’t alone. Standing on the upper deck of the Clipper Adventurer staring down at the dock 30’ below, I wasn’t sure if I was shaking with anticipation or if it was just vibrations from the engines below. In either case, I watched as the gangplank was drawn up, last goodbyes were waved from the pier and two dock-workers stepped up to a massive steel cleat. With a signal from the bridge, the dock-workers hoisted the last hawser off the cleat and it was magically retracted aboard. We were off. Antarctic Peninsula here we come! On a trip to the peninsula in 2003 we had spent eight days in a leaking, cramped, two person tent while it gushed rain day after day. Far from jading me on the experience, I couldn’t wait to get back there and was even more excited for many of my 107 shipmates where were going for their first time. A trip to Antarctica is like a poor person’s version of a trip to the moon. Yes, the laws of gravity still apply, but the spectacular scenery, wildlife, weather and environment make you wonder if you are still on planet earth. We were on a quest to go backcountry skiing on The White Continent, but within a minute of leaving the dock, the trip was already a huge success. The energy level was akin to Frankenstein getting his first electrical jolt of life where his eyes fly open, his body shakes and suddenly… it is time to going skiing. This is going to be a blast. read more
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Rendezvous Huts ? XC Skiing Dream
by gordys
[9 Dec 2009 at 8:01pm]
"The thing to remember when traveling is that the trail is the thing. Travel too fast and you miss all you are traveling for." Louis L'Amour. Rolling up to the Cub Creek Trailhead, our Fab-Five of mixed ability XC skiers are locked into finding the meaning of life by removing all the clutter. As Phil loads the hauling sled with up to 300lbs of everything imaginable, we throw in our stripped down packs (like three quarters of those who have gone before) in order to move free and feel the flow. For Jessi and Matt, who are XC skiing newbie's, it's hoped that keeping the weight off their back will minimize the "Agony of Defeat" as we skate the 10km and 2000' vertical to our destination, the Rendezvous Hut. An original from the '80s, upgrades and improvements in recent years make it the perfect Refugio for our relaxed pace, and for filling our lungs with the crystal clean air of our mountain crossing. One of five evenly spaced huts, the Rendezvous with its pinnacle perspective is located 8 kilometers (5 miles) apart from the others along a 37 kilometers (21 miles) matrix of groomed trails. read more
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The Adventure Side to Israel
by peterp
[3 Dec 2009 at 9:02pm]
“Wadi” is the term used throughout Arabia to describe any wash, or drainage, in the vast deserts of the region, but when we dropped into Israel's Wadi Ze’Elim last month I wasn’t prepared for the deep, dramatic canyon looming ahead. This rocky feature cuts through Israel’s expansive Judean Desert and was reminiscent of some of my favorite canyons in Southern Utah. But with the turquoise waters of the Dead Sea—at 450 feet below sea level, the lowest place on earth--shimmering just to the east, it’s clear we’re not in Utah any more. Who could have known that here in the heart of the Holy Land we would find a desert canyon to rival any? read more
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Blazing Skis ? Wayne Wong the Face of Freestyle Skiing
by gordys
[6 Nov 2009 at 1:12pm]
In 1970 I was a high school student in Seattle when I first saw Dick Barrymore’s The Performers, a film about five skiers traveling the country in a van on the edge of a new style of skiing. It made such a huge impression on me that in 1972 I schemed my way to Sun Valley, and turned my college education upside down by taking winters off. All I wanted to do was live that vagabond life in front of the camera.??Three years later, through a bit of luck and good timing, I was living the dream as a member of the K2 Team. Along with Jim Stelling, Stan Larsen, Jim Garrison, Mike Grazier, and Wayne Wong, I strutted my stuff in Assignment K2, Barrymore’s sequel to The Performers.
We toured Europe for a month with Jean Claude Killy, an experience I would re-live in a heartbeat. Stelling, Bob Burns, and Corky Fowler were my heroes back then, but no one made an impression on me like Wayne Wong. As Skiing magazine's 1972 Freestyler of thee year, he was the poster child of the emerging hot-dog attitude. I remember standing at the top of Round House in Sun Valley, at my first Chevy contest in ’72, watching everyone flipping around and doing their tricks, and then Wong showed up. He had an aura about him. A year earlier he had taken third place at the Waterville National Exhibition, and his image—the white glasses and toothy grin, deeply tanned face, black mop of hair—was everywhere, in magazines and even in a nationally aired Pepsi commercial. I snatched an opening and jumped on the T-bar with him to learn all his secrets. Nearly 40 years later I still have questions for the man behind those mirrored lenses. On April 16, 2009, Wong was inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame for his impact on skiing culture. Not too shabby for a kid from Vancouver, BC who loved to ski but had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. GORDY: So you're actually Canadian... read more
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Staff's Favorite Gear of 2009
by GreatOutdoors.com Staff
[4 Nov 2009 at 5:59pm]
One of the best aspects of working in the outdoor industry is living the life: climbing, hiking, and adventure travel through some of the most fascinating landscapes on earth. Staff members here at GreatOutdoors.com (and our parent company, Altrec.com) spend as much time as possible pursuing outdoor adventure, so they take their outdoor equipment seriously. As we roll into the busy holiday season, a great time to pick up deals on the best in outdoor gear, here are some favorite pieces of equipment we found especially useful in 2009. Come along with editor Peter Potterfield, copy writer Gordy Skoog, and other staff members as they share what they discovered using all sorts of outdoor gear in the best laboratory of all: the backcountry. We traveled from the Beartooths of Montana to New Mexico's Chaco Canyon, from the Black Hills of South Dakota to the Sawtooth Range in Idaho, from the North Cascades to the Canadian Rockies to try out the latest in boots, solo tents, climbing gear, outerwear and stoves. Some of Our Favorite Gear for 2009 read more
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Excerpt from Planet Ice
by James Martin
[22 Oct 2009 at 4:03pm]
In Antarctic Bay, a southern minke whale circled our Zodiac raft, and I heard its grand, percussive exhalation, an octave lower than the lowest note of a pipe organ. As we waited for its next breath, we heard only the crackling of ice meeting water. Suddenly we heard the whale’s immense lungs contracting, then spray raining on the sea. On the other side of the world, walking a bluff above the ice fjord near Ilulissat, Greenland, I again heard the distinctive sound of whales, a spare rhythm of single-note exhalations and long rest notes. At the end of the fjord—a 40-kilometer-long (25-mi) channel filled with icebergs disgorged by the Jakobshavn Glacier—I saw spray like smoke signals in the open water. Humpbacks were feeding in the current, surfacing between small icebergs and crushed ice, flipping their tails skyward. On the Riiser-Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica’s Weddell Sea, I first encountered emperor penguins, the only large animals to winter so far south. I felt as if I had met Martians. The penguins huddle together against Antarctic winds in the dead of winter, in darkness and terrible cold. After a while in the wind, each male takes a turn moving into the warm center of the group. From above, it looks like an eddy in slow motion. As my understanding of ice has deepened, I have grasped how ice and climate interact and profoundly influence ecosystems and human civilizations, especially as we are altering this ancient balance. read more
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The Tourist Divide in Jamaica
by Colin Scott
[5 Jul 2010 at 6:06am]
Drinking cold beer on white beaches, the holiday makers never get to see the other side of the fence.
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Anybody tried SUP ?
[28 Jul 2010 at 7:04am]
I've done a bit of SUPing on the sea, lakes and rivers here in Spain.
Its fun and can certainly be done by all.
There seems to be plenty of places to do trips and hire boards in the US already but its been taking off in the UK and Europe over the last year too.
I think that once the hype is over , if the prices come down then they could be the ideal family beach toy (taking the place of those sit on canoes). Unfortunately the manufacturers seem to be concentrationg more on the hi tec side at the moment..
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Best Diving Place EVER
[28 Jul 2010 at 5:54am]
Ko Phi Phi in thailand and gili islands in Indonesia were the best places i have been for diving!.
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adventure in africa??
[28 Jul 2010 at 5:48am]
Morocco is good for adventure. you can climb mt toubkal, the highest mountain in north africa!.
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How do you plan your adventure?
[27 Jul 2010 at 8:39pm]
Yes I'm also prepare for my own travel but I invest more money to visit different places and countries. You really enjoy most your adventure travel if you have camera to capture all beautiful things that you encounter..
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adventure travel
[27 Jul 2010 at 8:36pm]
You really enjoy adventure of course if you are a group of friends and family and it also important to bring important things like cellphone and first aid kits..
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What was you most amazing tour?
[27 Jul 2010 at 8:34pm]
My amazing tour was in Philippines I enjoy surfing and mountain hiking there and I also encounter and taste different exotic foods. For sure you also enjoy bonding with Filipino..
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Where is the best place to visit in the world?
[27 Jul 2010 at 12:42pm]
There's so many, but if I have to go with one country, I'd say the Philippines! There's over 7,100 islands in the nation and each one offers a different experience. If only I have the time and the budget, then I'll surely visit them all!.
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Mountain Biking in the Alps
[20 Jul 2010 at 7:49pm]
Actually, there are a lot of great regions for mountain biking in the Alps. And if you are a bit worried about this one, there are plenty of safety features installed in the trails that you can take..
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Worlds 10 Highest Bungee Jumps
[1 Jul 2010 at 10:28am]
[quote:d674c9716a="aaron"]Bloukrans River Bridge, near Plettenberg Bay in South Africa, is officially recognised as the highest commercial jump by Guinness World Records - it is 216m (709ft) high. I guess there have been higher jumps, however, since you can jump from helicopters.
Aaron[/quote:d674c9716a]
My ex did this jump. I have seen the video it looks like the scariest thing in the world. He said he was so scared but by the time you are up there, there is no going back and he just jumped. However, he rates it as the best experience of his life. Its quite cheap to do though, it was about 50 when he went!.
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Best Canyoning?
[21 Jun 2010 at 12:34am]
I can see some of the good options..would definitely try few of these..
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What's going to be or has been your big adventure of 2010?
[20 Jun 2010 at 12:49pm]
We are planning a trip to Caribbean resorts to experience crystal-clear waters, powder-soft sands, sumptuous settings and world-class accommodations. I think Caribbean hot spots rank among the most luxurious and lavish in the world but cost fairly enough..
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highest Canyoning spot suggestion ?
[11 Jun 2010 at 10:58pm]
Just recently Nepal Canyoning Association has finished exploring Canyoning at the altitude of 5,000m. This probably be the World's Highest Canyonig spot. The exploration was carried in Manang (Trans-Himalaya) of Nepal from the base camp at 4,660m. The canyon head was at 5,200m above the sea level.
Does anyone know if there has been any canyoning event carried on at higher than this altitiude?.
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The best scuba diving places
[9 Jun 2010 at 5:06am]
Nha Trang beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world (in top of UNESCO) that's suitable for scuba diving. In Vietnam, you can visit Nha Trang or VungTau, both of them have ecosystem diversity with deep blue beach. Enjoy! :D.
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Rock Climbing
[5 Jun 2010 at 7:26pm]
I love climbing on the trees rather than rocks..... Rock climbing is a wonderful adventure that most of the people cannot do. Its completely risk involved.
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Visit Norway launch Postcard Models Campaign
[26 May 2010 at 7:12am]
Dan... would you like me to notify Visit Norway that the PR agency you work at is spamming message boards on their behalf?
Please play fair and read the board rules....
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Starting a travel adventure company - Feedback appreciate
[13 May 2010 at 9:49am]
I think sometimes the unique thing that an adventure travel group can provide is the community setting, where strangers can come together, get to know each other in unique and stimulating environments, and come out stronger for the experience.
Our friends over at Baja Trek do something like this, where they pile a bunch of kids on their bus and drive around Baja seeking out adventure. Their trips always seem to foster community and people-to-people connections in a very strong and unforgettable way..
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