A Rolf Potts interview mash-up

Though the Interviews page at RolfPotts.com features an extensive roundup of media dialogues I’ve done over the years, not every Q&A I’ve done has reached my typical audience. Sometimes this is because the interview is for an academic project; other times it’s for a non-English-language periodical; and yet other times it’s part of limited promotion that doesn’t reach a wide online audience.

In the interest of re-examining the subject matter of these Q&A … Read more »

Posted by | Comments (6)  | July 13, 2009
Category: Travel News

Safety Tips for Danger Zones

While many intrepid backpackers talk up the joys of traveling to “dangerous” countries, it still pays to be exercise some good sense.  New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristoff assembled an excellent list of safety tips.  Some of the humor is very tongue-in-cheek, such as his advice on dealing with terrorists.

One tip I would add is to have a copy of your travel insurance policy on hand, with the policy number and international … Read more »

Posted by | Comments (2)  | July 10, 2009
Category: Travel Safety, Vagabonding Advice

Swiss bomb shelter “No Star Hotel” slashes rates

Times really are tough. According to The Daily Telegraph, the Null Stern Hotel (meaning “No Star Hotel” in German) has slashed rates to £5.99 for a night in the old Swiss bomb shelter, located in Teufen.

The hotel provides a shared room with no windows, no central heating (though they do provide hot water … Read more »

Posted by | Comments Off on Swiss bomb shelter “No Star Hotel” slashes rates  | July 9, 2009
Category: General

Traveling the world on two wheels

Several months ago, I found myself unexpectedly riding the backseat of a motorcycle through some mountains in the southern Philippines. While that experience had its fair share of problems, it inspired me so much that when I came back home, I took out my rusty scooter from the garage, had it serviced, and practiced riding it again. My goal is this: to … Read more »

Posted by | Comments (4)  | July 9, 2009
Category: General

New UNESCO World Heritage sites announced

For anybody aiming to visit all of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, you now face a greater challenge—the list just got longer.

In total, 13 new sites were added last week during the World Heritage Committee’s 33rd session—two are natural sites and 11 are cultural sites. On top of that, three extensions to previous World Heritage sites were added. Special kudos to the three countries that have their first World Heritage site: Burkina … Read more »

Posted by | Comments Off on New UNESCO World Heritage sites announced  | July 8, 2009
Category: General

Twittering the World for Vagabonders

By now, I’m sure everyone has heard of Twitter, the social networking micoblogging site/iPhone app/time suck that purports to connect you to your friends and your cabal to the rest of the world through succinct 140-character statements on what you had for breakfast.  I remember back when Twitter was first around and everyone was sort of … Read more »

Posted by | Comments (9)  | July 7, 2009
Category: Notes from the collective travel mind

Special July fares for multi-stop tickets on BootsnAll

For months we’ve been simultaneously grimacing at the bad economic news and rejoicing at the fantastic travel deals that resulted from said bad news. We know we’ve been repeating ourselves on this subject, telling everyone who’ll listen, but some of the prices on airfare, cruises, hotel rooms, and vacation packages were just too good not to go on about. We kept wondering when the deals would stop.

We might be able to stop wondering now.

Read more »

Posted by | Comments Off on Special July fares for multi-stop tickets on BootsnAll  | July 4, 2009
Category: Notes from the collective travel mind

The right budget for Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asia is one of the most popular regions in the world for vagabonds.  The low cost of living, exotic cultures and fantastic food make it a permanent fixture on most itineraries.

But how much money do you need?  On the New York Times travel blog In Transit, a writer attempts to map out a Southeast Asia budget.  Writer David G. Allen wrote a detailed, informative breakdown. Most helpful, there are lots of … Read more »

Posted by | Comments (4)  | July 3, 2009
Category: Vagabonding Advice

Take a hike on the “Recession Trail”

NPR recently discussed how the recession is luring some to lace up their hiking boots and hit the Appalachian Trail. It has become particularly popular with recent graduates and laid off workers – to the extent that some have started calling it the “Recession Trail” this season. It typically takes six months to “thru-hike” the … Read more »

Posted by | Comments Off on Take a hike on the “Recession Trail”  | July 1, 2009
Category: General