Fiji is best known to travelers as a destination of exclusive white-sand beach resorts, catering more to honeymooners than backpackers or budget travelers. However, the more remote – and unspoiled – Yasawa Islands have a …
July 16, 2012
Travel Stories
Fiji for the Rest of Us
An American in Dublin
"Just pretend they’re all leprechauns, and I bet it’ll start to get much better." That’s what we temporarily agreed on after our first few cold, terse encounters with Dubliners, as the light rain poured down …
July 13, 2012
Bangalore – India's Silicon Valley
Popularly known as the “Silicon Valley” of India, Bangalore, also known as Bengaluru, is the country's IT industry hub and one of the world’s preferred locations for startup companies. It's also India's third-most populous city. …
July 12, 2012
Searching for E.T.: Hat Creek Radio Observatory, CA
Far off the main road in northeastern California, follow the signs to Hat Creek Radio Observatory and you'll come to outer-space terrain, dotted with what my six-year-old calls "Dish Aliens." It's the Allen Telescope Array …
July 12, 2012
Antalya, Turkey
After working in the mental health field for three years, it was time for an adventure. I purged my life of almost everything I owned, packed two old-fashioned trunks, and moved to Antalya, Turkey, with …
July 10, 2012
Summer in Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has some of the nicest people on this planet. They go above and beyond to help you. If you need to know where the nearest bus stop is and ask someone, they …
July 10, 2012
Mysterious Encounter in Bangkok
There are events that happen occasionally while traveling that are destined to remain mysterious and unexplained. It may be a chance encounter, a brush with fate, or something that brings to mind the Shakesperean quote …
At the World’s End: Ballarat Ghost Town, Death Valley
Death Valley must be seen to be believed. From the turquoise flats rolling out beneath lofty Dante’s View to the salty vertigo of Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, it is a place …
July 7, 2012
Beer in Bruges
At first glance, Bruges in Belgium doesn’t have a lot going on. It’s small. Tourists often outnumber locals in the summer. And in recent years it’s most famous for a quote from Colin Farrell in …
July 3, 2012
Discover Dubai (and Unchecked Capitalism)
When you step foot in Dubai, you realize the country’s quite liberal compared to the rest of the Middle East. Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates and has adapted the influx of other …
July 3, 2012
Enlightenment in Mérida, Mexico
The walls of my hotel room looked clean enough as long as the light stayed dim, which was usually the case. The only illumination came from a 40-watt bulb stuck in the ceiling and a …
July 3, 2012