Even before setting foot on the red soil of Madagascar I knew one of my greatest adventures would be taking a trip on a camion brousse. These beasts of transport are like normal trucks but instead of carrying goods they are fitted out to hold passengers. Long steel seats with padding to make them more comfortable are lined up in rows in the body of the truck. This is not a one person one seat job but more of slide along the bench and make room … [Read more...]
The World’s First Dreamworks Animation Water Park will open on March 19, 2020
The largest indoor water park in North America will open at American Dream on March 19, along with the beginning of retail EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (March 1, 2020) — American Dream, the unrivaled destination for style and play, is set to usher in its next chapter on March 19, 2020, with the highly anticipated opening of the world's first and only DreamWorks Animation Water Park, and the celebration of American Dream's first retail offerings. … [Read more...]
Brady Trautman, Round the World Sailor, The Delos Project
Q. Please introduce yourself to our readers. Hi, guys, my name's Brady Trautman, I'm 33 years old, and I'm originally from Florida, USA. For the past ten years, I've been part of The Delos Project, a YouTube sailing channel which started out as a bit of fun but has grown into a way of life and sustainable business. Sailing across 75,000 miles of the world's oceans aboard our sailboat 'Delos' and visiting 45 countries, has inspired us to … [Read more...]
Transported into the World of Eden: Three Unique and Enjoyable Aspects of One Quiet, Leisurely Location in the Philippines
Let me hook you on a trip to the Philippines - to Davao City in particular. Imagine the change in feeling from being trapped in one's daily life and the rush and constant demands on your time to a place where life slows down - where one can absorb the peacefulness of a mountain environment. A mountain that surpasses all nearby landmarks. Well, it must be paradise. Higher up in elevation, the cool breeze comforts you. You find that the … [Read more...]
Vanessa Pirotta, Whale Researcher
I first stumbled across Vanessa Pirotta's fascinating work involving whales through Twitter. She is an Australian based wild life conservationist working with cetaceans (a word that refers to whales, dolphins and porpoises). Her investigative work has led her to locations around the world collecting various data. She is most known for her research in collecting whale snot through the use of a customized collection system carried by drones. She is … [Read more...]
Seychelles, an Introduction
Warm tropical waters - aquamarine colors layer, upon layer - clear waters and white warm and inviting sandy beaches. Perhaps those are the thoughts that come to mind when one mentions the Seychelles. Rightly so! However, geographically their location may be a bit hazy and one may grasp for their exact location. In fact these small islands are a part of Africa. The Seychelles are located about 1600 km east of Zanzibar and the Eastern African … [Read more...]
A Few Words About Mauritius
Full disclosure: We had never heard of the Republic of Mauritius until the day we bought a ticket to go there. When we arrived people seemed shocked to meet two people from the United States-hotel clerks, cab drivers, and vendors who've worked on the island for years said they never met Americans before. Yet, this is clearly America's loss because sitting in the middle of the Indian Ocean is one of the most incredible countries we've ever … [Read more...]
A Few Words about Madagascar
Sometimes it's good to be cautious--and other times it's better to go with your gut. People told us not to visit Madagascar, that political conflict made the country unsafe for tourists. But we decided to go anyway because if we had listened to those voices, we'd never have gone to Nairobi, Kampala, or Kigali. We are cautious when we travel, but aware that our best and most eye-opening experiences are places well off the beaten … [Read more...]
Countries still to Visit
Long bus rides are a great time to sit back and think about travel and upcoming trips. During one such recent 16 hour ride in Brazil I thought about which countries I would like to visit on each continent. Here are countries still to visit: North America - last one to visit is Panama (done late 2010) South America - Bolivia - Ecuador (done 2013) - Venezuela Africa - Botswana (done) - Egypt (done) - South Africa (done) - Namibia … [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...]