For most of us trip planning involves things like guidebooks, maps and maybe a tour of Flickr to check out some photos of the area. All of those a great tools, but don’t forget some other things — like music.

No I don’t mean a new iPod, I mean local music — bands, musicians, clubs and shows that are happening in the area your headed … Read more »

You can often land up wasting a lot of time in airports during layovers. Because I, as an Indian, need a visa to go practically anywhere (except Jamaica!), I get frustrated by the visa process and try my best not to have layovers where, if I don’t have a visa, I have to vegetate at the airport.

However, I have hosted many friends flying through Dubai and Madrid, with layovers for a day or two, … Read more »

As a vagabonder, and a woman, I sometimes reflect on how it is I ended up feeling like a Vagabonder in the first place.  Especially since it has caused a lot of difficulties in my personal relationships…being the one who’s always on the go means being the one who’s always leaving people behind.

As vagabonders, we find ourselves seeking, not running away.  We’re not necessarily looking for anything except adventure, enjoyment, meeting new people.  “So … Read more »

“I see narrow orders, limited tightness, but will / not run to that easy victory: / still around the looser, wider forces at work: / I will try / to fasten into order enlarging grasps of disorder, widening / scope, but enjoying the freedom that / Scope eludes my grasp, that there is no finality of vision, / that I have perceived nothing completely, / that tomorrow a new walk is a new walk.” –A.R. … Read more »

Missing home is an integral part of being away from home. You’re in a strange place, you may be away from a partner, you don’t have the same ‘in’ jokes that your buddies back home have, no one can pronounce your name (let alone your home town) correctly, and nobody makes a roast chicken dinner like your mom.

There are ways to combat the misery of loneliness. Rather than run off a list of all … Read more »

There are so many times when I associate food with a travel destination. Crepes and Paris, gelatto and Rome, China and kung pao chicken, the list is endless. One of the saddest parts about going home is missing out on all the great eats you had while traveling.

That’s why the good folks at National Geographic have set up Foods of the World, a shopping site and online community for international cuisine fanatics.

What … Read more »

Whenever we make general observations about people from a specific state or country, we’re a step away from stereotyping or, at worst, racism. But anyone who travels extensively tends to make their own generalizations about an area’s personality, regardless of how inaccurate our own observations might be.

The Wall Street Journal recently featured a study led by Peter Jason Rentfrow, a lecturer in the University of Cambridge in England. The study shows the different … Read more »

Okay. So I know I go on and on about the power of social networking sites to connect travelers from around the world. What can I say? I really see them as a game-changer.

This week, there’s more anecdotal evidence to support my case. First up: An interesting post over at the great quit-your-job-and-travel-the-world blog, Almost Fearless: The Brave New World of Twitter. In the post, Christine lists a couple of examples … Read more »

There are long trips, years spent on the road — and many of us have been fortunate enough to take them — but then there are epic journeys that go somewhat beyond what most of us will ever do.

Consider the journey of husband and wife team Alex and Sonia Poussin: for three years the French couple … Read more »