Populated by the mysterious Scythians, settled by the Greeks, taken over by the Roman Empire, overrun by the Goths, the Huns, the Khazars, expanded into by the first tzar of Kievan Rus, lost to the Byzantines, swept through by the Mongols, used as an economic muscle by the Genoese, blossomed by the Tatars, fortified by the Turks, annexed by the Russians and finally given as a present to the Ukraine. How many more places can boast such a motley … [Read more...]
The Crimean Peace
Known only perhaps for its 19-th century war with the English, Crimea remains largely unknown to the traveller. Yet there can't be that many places on the planet that are so multi-dimensional it makes your head spin. Populated by the mysterious Scythians, settled by the Greeks, taken over by the Roman Empire, overrun by the Goths, the Huns, the Khazars, expanded into by the first tzar of Kievan Rus, lost to the Byzantines, swept through by the … [Read more...]
The Great Pillow Conspiracy – And Other Mysteries of the Cutback Crisis
As long as there have been planes in my life, there have always been a few inalienable rights I have taken for granted as an air traveler: My soda will be free, pillows will be present, and the interior climate of the plane will usually be twenty degrees cooler than wherever we just took off from, because Lord knows it's beastly hot outside when you're 3000 feet above ground, and that much closer to the sun. Well, newsflash: These rights have … [Read more...]
Planning Your First South America Vacation
South America presents a beautiful world with a wide range of unique landscapes. Choosing a place to visit is quite difficult with highlights like Machu Picchu, the Perito Moreno Glacier, regions like Patagonia, Pantanal and Amazon and cities like Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. This article is written to serve as an introduction to some of the best places to visit in South America and how to combine the best highlights in one trip. Each … [Read more...]
Exploring Mallorca: From Wine Tasting to Luxury Hotels
After travelling half an hour through wooded mountains and lush valleys, we reached the winery of Santa Catarina in the area of Andratx - located in one of the most beautiful valleys of northwest Mallorca. Nestled in the southern foothills of the Tramuntana Mountains, the winery, part of a larger company (Macia Batle), is a real paradise for those who love fine wine. Wine production has been known for hundreds of years in Mallorca. The … [Read more...]
The Land of Fire and Ice
I don't know how many times I have flown between Europe and North America and each time, about halfway over the North Atlantic, glanced down on a mysterious and rugged looking island. Big swaths seemed covered in glaciers. But not everything. It looked largely empty, but I could still make out clear imprints of humanity from thirty five thousand feet in the air. Mostly along the coastal lowlands, where the fields had a fresh green color. Just … [Read more...]
The Beach Culture of Buzios, Brazil
Brazil is world renowned for its beaches. With a coastline of 4,578 miles and beautiful weather nearly year-round, it's not surprising that the small town of Buzios near Rio de Janeiro is a phenomenal beachside destination. Buzios sits on a peninsula of twenty-two sparkling beaches where any day of the week you'll see beautiful people basking in the sun at popular spots or relaxing in the tranquil atmosphere at one of the peninsula's more … [Read more...]
Exploring the World as Paying Crew
Unlike chartering which requires experience, and that you start and finish from a charter base, you usually don't need any sailing experience and you have many more choices of where in the world your trip will start. This is exactly what I did during August 2006. I had briefly tried the "paying crew" option in Thailand several years ago, and after having a great experience there, was ready to try it again. Since I would be traveling alone on … [Read more...]
South Africa, Surf and Safari – 2006
Here we are more a traveler than a tourist as we set out on safari changing hotels each night. We follow the Garden Route, the premier tour route preferred by locals. I (Adventures for Solo Travelers, 770-432-8225, $1824 land) bring in a way-cool group of 45 singles which includes a fighter pilot, 2 physicians, 2 psychoanalysts (who came in handy for me), mother/daughter, father/son, the uncle of Julia Roberts and one of my favorite clients whose … [Read more...]
Traveling to Cambodia
Despite being called a weirdo and hearing them tell scary travel stories about Cambodia - without packing much, I was soon boarding the second hand budget flight on the way to Cambodia, a world so much different from where I now live! The flight was about three hours from Kuala Lumpur. I felt so bored with my seatmate who was carrying a SONY recording video and talked to herself, as if she was a guide on a travel channel and was going to film … [Read more...]
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