Oooh . . I totally need this blender. And I can't leave without my stuffed muskrat collection. Responsible and ready for anything: it can be done, with our pick of the best products that help make traveling lighter on the planet - and your backpack. Take the essential items that will make your trip safer,…
Nature & the Environment
Live fast, die young, leave a good-looking corpse. As explored in a recent article, most of the world’s airport runways are paved with concrete or asphalt. However, there are certain exceptions to this trend. We have previously explored gravel and ice runways, but what about beaches? Let’s take a look at where passengers should…
In this time of uncertainty and - sometimes - guilt about traveling, you can never go wrong if your destination is Europe's Nordic countries - in this case, Denmark and our new affiliate friends, Dancenter. The people of the north have a long history of taking care of their health, and - in this day…
"I last found myself here, inadvertently, in March 2020. My planned journey from the Saudi tourism hub of Al Ula to the Yemeni island of Socotra collapsed when the flight to Cairo was cancelled as frontiers slammed shut. Rather than taking that as an early sign of an impending travel shutdown and seeking the fastest…
When people think of Colombia, it is usually of marvelous places such as Bogota, or Cartegena or Medellín - all genuinely wonderful destinations that you must put on your list.
But, there is a relatively unknown part of Columbia that goes beyond into an almost magical realm: Chiribiquete. Chiribiquete National Natural Park is the largest national…
Location, location, location. It's all about the location and your neighbours. It can make all the difference in the world. For example, this quaint home in the coastal village of Plougrescant in Brittany, France, dates all the way back to 1861 and was sandwiched - in an incroyable manner- betwixt two huge rocks to help…
As the seasons pass, so does control of them. In this case, we're talking about The Four Seasons hotel chain. Bill Gates (you, um, know him from Windows and stuff) will take control of the Four Seasons hotel chain after his investment firm agreed to acquire a stake from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom…
This is a different kind of cold war. Russian Fort Elizabeth is a National Historic Landmark and is administered as the Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park just southeast of present-day Waimea on the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi. It is located at the site of the former Fort Elizabety, the last remaining Russian…
If you visit our site, you will know how much we like and promote India. It is a massive, crowded, bewildering, lovely and intoxicating place. The people are uniformly kind and helpful and funny. The sites are breathtaking. The cities are a swirl of activity. If you haven't been, please do so. And, know that…
To many of us, this may come as a surprise, especially in this day and age of corporate efficiency.
For decades, KLM Airlines have been creating miniature ceramic collectibles of Amsterdam canal houses, and they share them with loyal customers. Each house is a miniature replica of an existing house, almost all of them in the…
After the world has been decimated by Covid-19, now that the fog is clearing somewhat, it's time to focus our thoughts on those businesses and their employees who have been so profoundly impacted. In other words, when you can, buy local. Eating locally produced food on your travels may seem like small potatoes, but the…
China is set to enter the space tourism business. This should come as no surprise to anyone who is awake in this day and age. We wonder why we haven't seen this kind of offering sooner than this: the Chinese know how to get things moving. ANU astrophysicist and cosmologist Dr Brad Tucker says it…
Nuclear power - is there anything that is more confusing and even divisive than that? On one hand, it has the promise to literally power our homes and factories, and with the possibility of doing it cleanly. But, on the other hand, despite decades of opposition by the people, the threat of nuclear arms still…
We all (I assume) live on this lump that we call earth. It is very old. We use it every day. We usually don't pay much attention to it, although it is becoming increasingly and scarily apparent that we should. Earth is mostly made of rock. But what exactly is rock and what can we…
There are places in Europe that are well-known: Rome, Paris, London etc. They're all wonderful, but you really begin to fall in love with the hidden places. One such place is Wales - specifically North Wales, and even more specifically Llangernyw. Here there is a church that has a tree, and that tree is special.…
Some things are easier to comprehend. But, when governments - especially those who may not agree with each other - make decisions, sometimes you just have to scratch your head and go back to bed. May we present two islands in two countries, two miles and twenty-one hours apart. Not much else to add here,…
Those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, but they should throw caution to the wind — especially in this shiny glass palace that you'll find just outside of Joshua Tree National Park.
Known as the Invisible House, the elongated 22-story “horizontal skyscraper” is like a shiny, dreamy mirage in the sand. This once-in-a-lifetime stay is one of the…
You're in the clouds!
China has never shied away from big projects, and this is just one. Visit Shimian County and drive this amazing feat of engineering yourself.
Ganhaizi Bridge is located in Shimian County, Ya'an, Sichuan on the Ya (An) Lu (Gu) Expressway. It has a total length of 1811 meters, a bridge width of 24.5…
It must be evident now that our planet's climate is changing, and not for the better. Are we culpable for this? Likely yes, in many ways. Can we do something about it? Yes, but it appears that our governments (most of them) are in no hurry to address the problem - with lack of money…
Do you cry when you look at the price of flights, and are forced to take the 2:00am option? Do you find yourself with a black cloud over your head when you are compelled to stay at a 2-star hotel? And is sitting on a park bench eating out of a bag enough to make…