“Adrift in a faraway land, there is nothing quite as reassuring as the hermetic comfort of a five-star hotel. Long driveways, modern-day moats, separate you from the country out there. Once inside the sliding glass doors, life is air-conditioned in every sense of the word. The message is clear: Why leave this palace when everything you need is right here? Within the hotel compound, you can eat, drink, exercise, fax, email, get married, have a … Read more »

Happy New Year, travelers! I don’t know about you, but I’m really excited about what’s in store in 2009. If you’re having a little trouble shaking off the holiday haze and getting inspired about a new year, though, then let’s see if the January multi-stop airfare specials available on BootsnAll can help you with a little jump-start. After all, there’s no better way to get going on that resolution you made to travel more than … Read more »

New Year, new lists.  The New York Times travel section just published a list of 44 Places to Go in 2009.  While some classic locations like Hawaii and Las Vegas made the list, there are also intriguing suggestions, such as Beirut and Kazakhstan.

The list is also filtered into different categories, like “frugal” and “eco.” It would be easy to waste an entire afternoon reading through the various profiles, so if you have any … Read more »

The National Geographic Adventure Blog recently posted an article entitled “Deep Survival With Laurence Gonzales: How to Control Panic”.  The article raises some important points about the effects of panicking and how it may help or hurt you during a threatening situation.  An excerpt from the post:

“Panic was really useful to us once. We have inherited the structure and function of our nervous … Read more »

The best job in the world is any job that you love. That said, who wouldn’t love a job that primarily involves strolling white sand beaches, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef and take care of “a few minor tasks” on a tropical island?

Australia’s Queensland state government is currently offering what it calls “the best job in the world” — earning 150,000 Australian dollars (105,000 US) … Read more »

Traveling is often seen as a solo endeavor, and that image has an undeniable romance to it — the archetype of the solo explorer traipsing through the jungle à la Dr Livingston is, for better or worse, well-ingrained in the collective consciousness.

But, as I argued in my very first Vagablogging post, traveling with a significant other or small group of friends is sometimes … Read more »

Yes, Lonely Planet has finally joined the bandwagon of weblog awards! Nominations for the Lonely Planet Travel Blogger Awards are now open. You can nominate as many blogs as you want, in the following categories:

# Best Destination Blog # Best Expat Blog # Best Travelogue # Best Consumer Travel Blog # Best non-English language Blog # Best Video Blog (including YouTube Channels) # Best Micro-Blogging (Twitter etc) # Best Image Blog # Best Themed … Read more »

Sometimes you might need some extra inspiration of places to go and things to see.  So here are some magazines to give you the urge.

Wend Magazine, for adventure travelers, conservation trips, and the wandering lifestyle. Wanderlust, a British magazine devoted to picking up and moving around.  They have a very useful “Job Shop” section, mostly for adventure guiding or tours. Outpost, a Canadian magazine mostly given over to adventure tours, but … Read more »

“But the routine of the beggars is heart-rending. The little girl who suddenly appeared at the window of my taxi, the utterly lovely smile with which she stretched out her hand, and then the extinguishing of the light when she drew it back empty. I had no Indian money yet. She fell away from the taxi as if she were sinking in water and drowning and I wanted to die. I couldn’t get her out … Read more »

Sometimes the best way to avoid crowds is to go to a place that’s only recently been hit by a crisis. For example, Thailand is usually choked with package tourists and backpackers. But after the recent airport shutdowns by protesters, the streets are appreciably quieter.

This Guardian UK article talks about the advantages of such a strategy: more vacancies in guesthouses, discounts on accommodation, and having beaches to yourself. There’s also the added satisfaction … Read more »