Archive for February, 2010

Travel Tip #61: Find Local Food Specialists

Whether it’s the street vendor serving this best Pho in Saigon, the restaurant in Osaka whipping up the best okonomiyaki or a delightful farm in Upstate New York churning out the best apple cider donuts, it pays to seek out specialists who make…well…the best something. Have you sought out a specialist to fix you a [...]

Travel Tip #34: Learn to Sleep Anywhere

Sure, it would be great if you could always have a pillow top bed with 800 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets on which to sleep after a long day of traveling. But, all too often, we find ourselves in airports, buses, train cars and other sundry places when the sun sets and bedtime comes. Other [...]

Travel Tip #48: Pick Your Battles

Whether it’s some drunk kids looking for a fight in a bar or a street gang looking for your wallet, it’s best to know when to just concede. Leave the bar. Hand over your wallet without a hassle. It may hurt your pride, but that’s a lot better than it hurting your chances of seeing [...]

Travel Tip #16: Make the Best of Layovers

Long layovers (especially the overnight variety) can be mind-numbing. But why be in a bad mood? Moping, throwing a hissy fit and being cranky won’t solve anything and will only make the time pass excruciatingly slowly. Best to stay positive, make the best of it and, perhaps, have a little mischievous fun. Ashley Klinger decided [...]

SkyMall Kitties

SkyMall Kitties is the brainchild of the talented and amazing Nina Katchadourian. As a fan of all things SkyMall, I had to find out what inspired Nina to create such an epic ode to cats and gadgets. So, I did. Check out my interview with Nina on Gadling and then download the song.

Travel Tip #15: Don’t Panic

Problems that you encounter when traveling often seem more daunting than they actually are. Just because you are out of your element doesn’t mean that you can’t find a solution to most travel conundrums. Unless you were foolish enough to get yourself on an episode of Locked Up Abroad, odds are you can get yourself [...]

Miami Bound

I’m heading down to Miami for a long weekend. As always, I’m looking forward to enjoying some Latin food, warm weather and the leatheriest skin on the Eastern seaboard. Be sure to follow me on Twitter for updates. The people watching in Miami is fantastic (and often better than the weather, which doesn’t appear ready [...]

Travel Tip #47: Enjoy the Sunrise

Sunsets get a lot of love in the travel world. Lord knows I have too many sunset photos to count. And virtually every place you visit touts its “Best Spot to Watch the Sunset.” In all the hubbub over the sun calling it a day, the beauty of the sunrise remains silently humble. Sunrises are [...]

How to decide if a tour is right for you

I already discussed why it’s OK to take tours. Now, over at Gadling, I cover what questions to ask before booking a tour. From language issues, to cultural issues to how much size matters, there are many things to consider before embarking on a guided tour. How to decide if a tour is right for [...]

Travel Tip #22: It’s OK to Take Tours

Some people are so intent on being independent travelers that they dismiss all tours as commercial, disingenuous and inauthentic. Those people are idiots. Am I being harsh? Perhaps. But those holier than thou travelers don’t make the rules for everyone who travels. They simply make rules for themselves and project their ideologies on the rest [...]