Our journals are as varied as we are. Some are highly decorated; others are plain. Some are spiral-bound; others lack lines. Regardless of how we choose our journals, or what we choose to fill them with, it’s always fun to get a look at someone else’s trusty travel buddy. Compared to some, my journal is...

Celebrate summer with a harvest festival. That’s right. In Barbados, the exhausting sugar cane harvest ends in June, and Crop Over is an over-the-top summer carnival to mark the relief at the delivery of the last crop. Started in the 1780s, when Barbados was one of the world’s most important sugar producers, Crop Over celebrated...

We all have them, whether it’s the extra time we could have spent in a destination, or bringing far too much gear on our travels. Many times, travel regrets don’t stick with us for very long after we return home. When they do, they can be a lesson for future trips. One of my biggest...

While markets often get the prize for variety and amazing local color, grocery stores also allow great insight into a culture. Not the supermarkets we see back home, but small, neighborhood grocery shops. The necessities on store shelves can serve as a cultural study, souvenir source, or simply a place where you can restock your...

The next time you’re in a forest, imagine a building hiding in the earth just steps away from where you’re walking. According to National Geographic , a 2009 survey using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) equipment revealed images of an ancient Mayan city stretching over 68 square miles in western Belize. Presented at the recent...

At some point in our travel planning, many of us consult a guidebook. How much we each rely on it differs, of course—from those who give a cursory glance early in the process to those who carry it around like a totem from place to place. And some have thrown over guidebooks nearly entirely for...

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....

Just got back from India. For some reason, I thought this homecoming would be like all the rest. What I didn't expect was to wind up in a stampede of my friends' forward momentum: A graduation party two hours after arrival, an NYU commencement in Radio City Music Hall, and Facebook pictures aplenty of caps...

If you’re in South America and looking for a grand cultural festival in June, head to Cusco, Peru, for the Southern Hemisphere’s winter solstice. Every year, on June 24, more than 200,000 people gather at the Incan fortress of Sacsayhuamán for Inti Raymi —the celebration to honor Wiracocha, the Sun God. The original festival was...

Travelers with a preference for environmentally sustainable practices don’t have a wealth of resources when on the road. As with travel in general, it’s often necessary to carve together information from a variety of sources—from books and magazines to online resources to word of mouth. Sometimes it’s like a treasure hunt to find the ideal...

Becoming even a part-time expat with a home in a developing country can change your travel style. If you’re in the midst of building, your bags may be stuffed with power tools, hurricane ties and various pieces used to put your home together. If you’re living in a completed structure, your luggage may contain replacement...

In July 2010, the 34th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee will meet in Brasília, Brazil, to determine what new properties it will add to the UNESCO World Heritage List . Currently, the list includes 890 properties (689 cultural, 176 natural and 25 mixed) that the World Heritage Committee has determined have “outstanding universal...

As the possessor of two X chromosomes, this means that I am considered by pretty much everybody, myself included, to be a woman. I menstruate, I have a high-pitched voice (as much as I try to convince myself it sounds all nice and low like Marlena Dietrich), and I tend to wear bikinis to the...

When you research upcoming travels online, do you often feel like you’re hunting through the results to find relevant information? A new search engine, Kaweinga , is trying to make it easier for you to get the specific travel info you need. Started by Daniel Guttentag in February, Kaweinga’s search results are powered by Google,...

The practice of circumambulation, or walking around a venerated object, is incorporated in many contemporary beliefs and practices, but predates most of them. These ceremonial pilgrimages can go around an entire mountain, a small stupa, a shrine, or even a person. Some religions prefer to follow a clockwise path—others choose a counter-clockwise route. A well-known...

Do you have friends and family who write off travel as impractical? Sometimes good strategies can work in both travel and business, as this blog post by tech company 37 signals illustrates: Getting Real with Travel . The post cites the experiences of Marcel Uekermann, who's a fan of 37 Signals' unconventional approach to business....

When we travel, we often scrutinize our interaction with residents of the areas we’re visiting. How do we get up close and connect in a way we might miss if we were just passing through? How can we get a local perspective on what life is like in a different place? The answer is often...

We all have different souvenir styles. Some focus on shot glasses, others on local crafts, and some folks shop for home electronics or clothing while on vacation. There are travelers who prefer unconventional mementos , like recorded music, rubbings, or even words. And plenty of people follow the advice: “Take only pictures, leave only footprints.”...

I'd never thought much about senior travel until a wrinkled yet muscled man sat down next to me on the Pokhara to Kathmandu bus. Preston had lived in Mexico, Hawaii, Nepal, Thailand and more -- he'd been on the road for most of his life. He'd relied on his wits and his skills to take...

With the current war on Mexico’s drug traffickers erupting into violence in certain border towns, some folks with travel plans to Mexico are confused about whether to keep them. Here are some tips on how to study up on the current situation and the likelihood of events affecting you on your travels. Check travel warnings...