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March, 2010:

Travel Tip #86: Cook Your Own Meals

Mar 31st, 2010
by mike barish.
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It may be nice to visit fabulous restaurants and intriguing food stalls, but there’s nothing more delicious than meal that you cook yourself with local ingredients. Stroll through the markets, shop at bazaars and get your hands dirty in the kitchen. If you’re not comfortable with knives and raw meat, find a cooking class in your destination and learn to cook like a local.

There’s nothing wrong with splurging on a few nice meals, but you’ll never forget the dish you whipped up yourself with fresh, foreign (to you) ingredients.

Travel Tip #60: Visit Family

Mar 30th, 2010
by mike barish.
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Looking for an idea for a great trip? Desperate for a friendly face or a home-cooked meal? Seek out family members – even distant ones – and pay them a visit. Looking up old relatives may seem awkward, but you never know how you’ll get along unless you try.

I visited my second cousin in Paris. We hadn’t spent any time together since we were kids, but after speaking at my great uncle’s funeral, we realized that we had grown into similar adults. Once I knew I was going to be in France, I immediately sent her an email asking if she’d like to get together while I was there. Being able to see Paris with a local, hang out with her friends and enjoy the city through the lives of peers made for an amazing trip.

Why not get on Facebook and find a long-lost relative? Or ask your mother for your third-cousin-once-removed’s phone number. You may end up discovering a new friend…and a family resemblance.

Hot Tub Time Machine Review

Mar 29th, 2010
by mike barish.
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Most travel movies involve a family road trip or a romance in Tuscany. Who can relate to that? Finally, there’s a travel movie that mirrors the average lives of the everyday working man. Hot Tub Time Machine is a travel movie for the people. I saw it this weekend and shared my thoughts in a Gadling Movie Review.

Not sure if HTTM is for you? Worried that you won’t understand the physics behind navigating the space-time continuum? It’s all a lot simpler than you think (and a lot funnier, too).

Check out my review to see why Hot Tub Time Machine is a great travel movie, as well as a pretty fantastic comedy.

Gadling Movie Review: Hot Tub Time Machine.

Travel Tip #29: Pack Your Toothbrush

Mar 29th, 2010
by mike barish.
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It’s easy to get lazy with your hygiene practices when you’re traveling. But oral hygiene is important not just for your health, but also for your popularity. You’re going to be sharing rooms with your friends. You’re going to be in close quarters on trains and buses. Rather than be the dude with chronic halitosis, brush your teeth regularly and be the minty fresh guy that the cute Brazilian girl wants to kiss.

Travel Tip #35: Personal Space Varies

Mar 26th, 2010
by mike barish.
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Every culture has their own comfort level with personal space. Americans tend to prefer much more room to maneuver than almost any other people. As such, many Yanks find themselves uncomfortable when they travel to Asia and Latin America, where the cultural norms involve people sharing close quarters with little anxiety.

When you travel, don’t expect everyone else to adjust to you. You’ll have to squeeze into a subway car in Tokyo. You’ll need to share a seat with three other passengers on a bus in Quito. And you’ll have to navigate a souk with thousands of other people in Marrakech. Take a deep breath, relax and enjoy the action that is all around you.

Did you know that the study of personal space is called proxemics? Read more about it here or visit your local library.

Travel Tip #27: Always Carry a Bag

Mar 25th, 2010
by mike barish.
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While it may seem like a nuisance to carry a bag with you everywhere you go, you’ll be glad to keep your hands free as you buy souvenirs and food. It will also make carrying extra layers much more pleasant. A daypack will be easier on your back than a messenger bag. A large purse may do the job, but it will also strain your arm and may draw the attention of petty criminals.

A small backpack  is more than just a simple convenience. For me, it’s a necessity. I always bring a packable daypack with me. It takes up no room in my luggage and allows me to have a bag that is just for walking around. I got mine at EMS but I’m sure you’re smart enough to find one of your own.

New Segment on Gadling’s Travel Talk

Mar 24th, 2010
by mike barish.
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Stephen Greenwood and Aaron Murphy host a bang-up show on Gadling called Travel Talk. They were in New York City last weekend and invited me to film a segment. I figured, “Hey, if you’re in NYC, we might as well film a camping piece.” A quick trip to my roof later and we had the tent set up while I was dished out advice on how to venture into the great outdoors.

The whole episode is great, but if you’re eager to see me go camping with a view of the Empire State Building, skip ahead to the 2:50 mark. And then get out there and enjoy the wilderness!

Travel Tip #61: Wash Your Hair

Mar 24th, 2010
by mike barish.
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Looking like a greasy, hippyish backpacker may work for Aussies bumming around Thailand, but if you’re above the age of 22, not living in the 60s and care about personal grooming at all, you’ll run some shampoo through your hair occasionally. Besides, don’t you want your locks to shine?

Travel Tip #84: Pack a Dressy Outfit

Mar 23rd, 2010
by mike barish.
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Whether you’re going on a cruise, visiting your grandparents or backpacking across the Middle East, you never want to be caught without the proper attire for a formal event. While most of your meals and activities will be casual affairs that allow you to wear your favorite t-shirt for the fifteenth day in a row and maintain your streak of not washing your hair since you left home, occasionally you will be invited to be a grownup. When that time comes, you’ll be glad that you packed one nice outfit.

Whether it’s a simple dress shirt and slacks, a classic little black dress or a tuxedo t-shirt, being able to dress the part while at a nice restaurant or wedding reception to which you were unexpectedly invited while hanging out in India (trust me, it happens) will keep you from embarrassing yourself. At least until you use the wrong fork during the salad course.

It may seem like a nuisance to cram a formal outfit into your pack, but why limit yourself to only casual events when you are on the road? For the world to truly be your oyster, you need to be able to dress for any occasion. And that may mean throwing on a tie at some point. Suck it up, because if you want everything from soup to nuts, sometimes you need to put on everything from hat to tux.

Culture at the Wrong End of a Cricket Ball

Mar 20th, 2010
by mike barish.
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Travel is humbling. Having a nine-year-old make you flinch in your first cricket match is downright embarrassing. That’s what happened to me when I tried to hold my own in between the wicket’s in a dirt-covered park in Noida, India. Read more about how I was knocked down a peg in this week’s San Francisco Chronicle Travel Section.

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