No matter where you go, there's always danger in being oblivious. Quicksand, scams, and plain old disease wait for those who don't know any better. But travel also plunges us into a healthy oblivion -- the sort of state that reminds us just how little knowledge we carry with us. I could spend all day...

Spring is just around the corner, as are a handful of festivals in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America. If you’re looking for a break, but want to avoid typical Spring Break destinations, here are the spots to hit in late March through early May: The BVI Spring Regatta lures sailors and landlubbers...

After the 8.8-magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck central Chile on the morning of February 27, the country is focusing on cleaning up, getting aid to affected regions and attempting to return to functionality. What do you do if you’re traveling or scheduled to travel in the country? Citizens of the United States are...

I can’t count the amount of times I heard, “Oh yuck—too crowded with drunk college kids” when I told people I was going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. The problem is, the folks who commented had never been there, and their perceptions of the annual event stemmed from TV news footage of just one...

Have you ever returned from a trip and wished there were an easier way to show your friends and family the exact route you took on your journey? Check out Wikiloc , one of three winners of the 2009 Geotourism Challenge , sponsored by Ashoka’s Changemakers and the National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations ....

The idea of packing light is nothing new. Henry David Thoreau famously explored simple living . Rick Steves advocates one 20-pound bag . Many airlines now penalize travelers with even one checked bag by imposing a baggage fee . And in this BootsnAll interview , Rolf suggests that a small pack keeps the traveler from...

When you’re researching a trip, it’s not always easy to determine whether your tour operator or hotel cares about sustainable travel. And when you’re paying a middleman instead of giving your money straight to a business in your destination, you may not know how much of that money goes to the local communities. Some tour...

Got a craving for Carnival? If you can’t get to Rio, don’t just give up and stay home. There are plenty of places in Mexico and the Caribbean, from Mazatlan to Dominica, to celebrate the annual bacchanal. And there’s still time to get there! The Mazatlan Carnival lasts six days (in 2010, it’s from Feb....

Kayaking is a great way to explore a place. The skinny craft is multi-faceted: It goes through churning whitewater, along lake and estuary coastlines, and can even catch a wave. But when you’re traveling, how do know which operators are truly professional and which you should avoid? Prices for kayak rentals and short, guided trips...

Over at Flyover America , the old traveler's conundrum was brought up. Do you go back to a place you know and love, or do you continue your exploration of the world? With limited time and money, it seems you have to make a choice. But when you find a place that affects you in...

Have you ever considered travel to Antarctica? By bus? OK, maybe not the bus part, but you have to admit that it would certainly be an adventure. Andrew Evans, contributing editor for National Geographic Traveler , just boarded a bus on New Year’s Day in Washington, D.C.—headed for the frozen continent. His bus trips will...

The philanthropic community might consider changing its approach to fundraising by making people feel good, rather than guilty if they don’t help, according to author and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof in his December article in Outside magazine: “ Nicholas Kristof’s Advice for Saving the World .” Frustrated by the lack of major public...

I’ve been accused of always finishing a destination-related book with the comment, “I want to go to … (the name of the destination).” Fiction or nonfiction, it doesn’t really matter. If it’s a good book, the text allows me to conjure in my mind what the place is like. If it’s not so great, I...

Brett’s post from earlier this week, “ Everywhere is a destination ,” struck a familiar note with me. I live in a popular tourist town, and while I love where I live, I’m guilty of often avoiding “touristy” things. When we’re not as open to our surroundings at home as we are when we travel,...

OK, I’ll say it. I actually like packing for a trip. From figuring out which bag to use, to cracking open my closet, to deciding if the laptop comes along or gets to rest—it helps me kind of warm up for travel. I don’t always need warming up. Sometimes, the suitcase never gets fully unpacked,...

In my traveling about the web, I keep an eye out for beautiful art that you can take with you. This little illustrated web story , about an exchange student who comes to visit, is from the Guardian. Everyone can use a little art to brighten their day.

Travel can be exciting—immersing yourself in a new culture and attempting to see and do everything you’ve dreamed of. But even the excitement of a new place needs to be balanced with quiet time, and often, these moments serve as more than just time to reflect and process. For me, those quiet hours come in...

Although there are a lot of people in other developed countries who don't travel, Americans tend to get singled out as the worst offenders. Backpackers love to repeat the statistic of how few Americans hold passports as proof ( read more about this myth ). This article from Brave New Traveler, Are Americans afraid to...

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...

Mice, hamsters, geese, and toads display impressive skill in finding their way to their food or shelter. Even when they are blindfolded and sent through winding paths they can easily get back home. The same can't be said for humans. In similar tests, we don't do as well as other animals. In a recent conference...