There's always trouble going on somewhere in the world, but 2011 has been a particularly wrenching period. Revolution has swept the Middle East; Japan has endured disaster after disaster; America is carrying out military operations in three countries. One has to ask, "Is it safe to travel now?" The answer is "Yes," according to travel...

Qadisha Valley, Lebanon There are places in this world that urge you to pause, and Lebanon’s Qadisha Valley is one. As the day ends over this historic landscape, you look around and sense that the sun has set here for thousands of years, well before you were born, and will continue to set long after...

As usual, the media is full of stories of disasters rocking foreign countries. For a good status report, check out this CNNMoney article: 5 tourist spots in turmoil . Savvy travelers are cashing in on the deep discounts being offered by travel providers. I know an American expat in Thailand who's been booking Air Asia...

Travel can be like walking on a frozen lake. Although logic tells you it's safe, it's hard to ignore the stomach-churn of vulnerability. Your first few steps might be cautious, but soon you're jumping, stomping, and sliding. Here are some other similarities between travel and ice fishing, courtesy of a family trip to New Hampshire's...

With all the bad news from the media, positive trends don't get that much coverage. It's easy to find news about where not to go. But how about an update? What often goes unnoticed is when dangerous places get safer. Forbes Traveler had an article called Not-So-Dangerous Destinations . It goes in the opposite direction...

Brave New Traveler, one of the sites in the Matador Network, recently posted an essay on fear, specifically, on how fear can hold us back from our travels. In the piece, " Fear and Loathing: How Risk of Injury Can Inhibit Travel Plans ," the author writes that after she was badly injured in a...

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...

If you're not second-guessing yourself about making that trip, plenty of relatives and friends are ready to remind you just how dangerous it is to travel abroad. This article on Brave New Traveler about Why Bad Things Happen to Good Travelers discusses the issue in detail. The author shares his personal perspective, in that he...