Traveling slowly with my husband across Southeast Asia has been a great way to leave our jobs and lives in Canada behind to explore the world on a small budget. It also means we spend a lot of time together. Every meal, every walk, every bus ride to a new city, is together. Where once...

"Of course, writers of any kind are never the norm; those of us who write about travel are different from the start, since we usually head out alone. The reason cited most often is freedom from distraction; when you’re by yourself, you're more attuned to your surroundings. Less discussed, but just as important, is the...

In 1885, a young lady just 21 years old read an article titled “What Girls are Good For” in a Pittsburg newspaper. Her written response to the paper impressed the editor so much, that he offered her a job as a writer, with the pen name “Nellie Bly”. Nellie went on to prove that women...

Cost/day: $0.8/day Guyana isn’t really that cheap. However, if you’re creative and have some skills, anything is possible. I worked at Dadanawa Cattle Ranch for two and a half months in exchange for food and board. Most of my money went towards toiletries, insect repellant and beer. Being frugal was easy because the nearest town...

"You are simply not lonely enough when you travel with companions… Spells of acute loneliness are an essential part of travel. Loneliness makes things happen." --Jonathan Raban, Driving Home: An American Journey (2011)

Traveling solo has its benefits. Want to change your itinerary? No problem. Want to stay out all night? Go ahead. Want to wander sans clothing through your hotel room? There’s nobody to object. You can do whatever you want within your own budget and not have to worry about convincing your companions to buy in....

Part of the fun of being on the road is the experiences to be found with the great new people you meet while traveling. The road can bring us some hilarious, wise, and challenging characters. However, like many vagabonders, I relish my solitary travels. There’s nothing quite like striking out on your own, literally all...

Cairo, Egypt Stability and control: that's the role of an aircraft spoiler. As your jet prepares to land, the spoiler may rise to decrease lift, increasing the rate at which the aircraft descends or slowing the speed of the aircraft down. The Wright brothers would have been impressed. For the long-term traveler, however, the spoiler,...

I recently got an email from a woman who suffers from a diagnosed case of social phobia and is worried that this might compromise her travels. "I am afraid that my introverted personality is going to effect the way I travel, and I won't be as opportunistic when it comes to the social aspect of...

The number one question I've ever been asked by anyone when I'm preparing to go anywhere is: Why on earth are you going alone? There is a pervasive fear that solo travelers, particularly women, will probably be raped, maimed, or at the very least, incredibly lonely within seconds of setting foot outside your apartment. Instead,...

When I was nineteen, I went to Morocco, by myself. It never occurred to me to go any other way, actually -- I wanted to go, nobody else I knew either wanted to travel or had the means, and I couldn't think of anyone I even *wanted* to go with me. Far from being an...