The results are in: Lonely Planet has released its 2010 version of the ten destinations they think will be the hottest. As always, there is a mix of mainstream spots and places off the beaten track, and although I’m not really sure how the Lonely Planet people can be so certain that these are the places everybody’s suddenly going to be heading for, it makes for a nice list of possible trips. Basically, the list looks like this:

• Europe: Germany, Portugal and Greece all make the top ten, and all have plenty of familiar sights to see and interesting culture to experience.
• Mainstream: New Zealand and the United States are also on the list – but we figure people are already pretty used to traveling around these parts.
• Central and South America: El Salvador and Suriname are two lesser-known destinations on the top ten list, but they sure sound interesting, with key features being the lack of crowds and the wildlife, respectively.
• Off the Beaten Track: Rounding out the list are Malaysia (now easily reached by low-cost carriers from pretty much anywhere in the world), Morocco and Nepal, all of which are unique places with experiences for tourists which you won’t easily find elsewhere.

photo credit: Fr Antunes

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Top 10 Travel Destinations for 2010

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Below is a list of travel news and stories for 12/7/2009

A holiday travel survival guide: 5 things you absolutely must know

“We’re staying home,” says Bennett, who works for a water treatment company in Linwood, Kan. “Or we’re driving.” Why? Like many other travelers, Bennett is tired of the nonexistent customer service that seems to be the standard these days, and which only gets worse as the inevitable crush of passengers descends on every airport, bus station and train terminal between now and New Year’s Day.

Space agent Upchurch: Virgin Galactic flights will be “life changing”

Life-changing. That’s the best way to describe it. I’ve never aspired to be an astronaut like many others who want to take this flight, but I am dedicated to travel and seeking out the best possible experiences as it relates to travel.

‘Mileage Runs’ to Maintain Elite Status Easier This Year

Every December, thousands of travelers try to end the year on a high note by taking “mileage runs” — cheap-ticket flights whose sole purpose is racking up enough frequent-flier miles to earn or maintain airline elite status. Their reward: another year of free upgrades, expedited check-in and boarding, waived fees for checked bags and other perks.

15-year-old Wis. cheddar sells for $50 per pound

A 15-year-old cheddar made in Wisconsin, possibly the most mature cheese for sale in the country, is selling well despite the $50-per-pound price tag, its producer said Saturday.

Top 10 Free Things To Do In New York City This December

Already broke your budget just staying in New York this holiday season? Try these 10 tips to enjoy the city for free.

Nifty gifts for your favorite traveler

It’s not entirely unthinkable that there are travelers for whom, secretly, one of the biggest motivations of going on the road is to play with, er, I mean “try out” the host of cool gadgets and accessories marketed specifically as travel gear.

Airline secret societies

There’s a special type of membership level, but the airlines don’t want you to know about it … unless you’re dropping an easy $50,000 a year on full fare tickets with the same airline. The topic, which comes up from time to time, is in the headlines again thanks to the work of George Clooney and Vera Farmiga in Up in the Air.

World’s Most Extravagant Meals

The finest ingredients and world-renowned chefs are key components in the best dining experiences.

photo credit: albertopveiga

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Travel News for 12/7/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories for 11/27/2009

The Hajj and Women’s Dress
Making the Hajj pilgrimage while abiding by strict codes for women proves challenging.
http://blogs.abcnews.com

Getting What You Want on Vacation
How to successfully appease yourself and others while traveling.
http://abcnews.go.com

Southwest Airlines strikes out in airline food survey; Continental tops the list
Airline food. No, that’s not the punchline to a joke.
http://www.elliott.org

Thank you! United fixes “last vacation” for terminal cancer patient
Here’s a heart-warming story for the Thanksgiving holiday: James Thomson and a longtime friend, who is suffering from terminal cancer, ran into trouble with their flights from San Francisco to Bali. One leg of Thompson’s flight was canceled, which threatened to end his friend’s final vacation.
http://www.elliott.org

Icy Hot Spots
From hotels made of solid ice to Hollywood’s winter retreat, Forbes and Travel Channel give you ways to heat up the winter.
http://www.forbes.com

GIS: A New Generation of Maps
I grew up hating maps. On every road trip we took (and there were too many to count), even if my mom knew exactly where we were going she made me show her on the map. It was torture. But as I’ve gotten older and explored the world on my own, I am grateful for my compulsory map education. I don’t own a GPS and would rather pull out my awkward, folded maps than type in my destination online and get directions.
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com

I Heart My City: Ashley’s Albuquerque
The first place I take a visitor from out of town is Sandía Peak Tramway, the world’s longest aerial tramway. From Sandía Peak, you can take in views of the entire valley–and adjust to the high desert altitude.
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com

The Top Five Tips For Surviving Budget Bus Travel
TIt’s okay to admit that you travel by bus, or even better—by $1 bus specials. The era of cool bus travel has arrived, when it just no longer makes sense to fly between New York and Philadelphia when the bus costs under $20 and usually takes under 2 hours, and it has free WiFi and power outlets. Take that, regional jets!
http://www.jaunted.com

CA: All Calm On The Western Front, Or Is Chaos To Come At Cali Airports?
This Thanksgiving, story after story about poor economic conditions and travelers’ hermetically-sealed pocketbooks have flooded the newswires, and we’re wondering if this miserly attitude is affecting your Thanksgiving air travel on the West Coast and beyond.
http://www.jaunted.com

Snow Summit has Thanksgiving opening
Add Snow Summit to the SoCal resorts now open for skiing. The Big Bear resort opens on Thanksgiving (8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ), joining Bear Mountain, which opened Oct. 29. Meanwhile Mountain High in Wrightwood will also be open during the day on Thanksgiving and will offer night hours (till 10 p.m.) Friday and [...]
http://travel.latimes.com

America’s smartest people
Sure, smart people live all over the United States, but maybe some cities really do have more collective brainpower than others. Read on to see the results.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

10 Black Friday Shopping Tips By Urban Ninjas
Black Friday . . . are you preparing to battle the holiday shopping crowds? With the economy in a slouch, you had better be ready to fight for the best sales. You have to be fast and first into the store. You need amazing skills to navigate parked cars, blocked aisles, any obstacle that comes between you and that steal of a deal. Can you run faster, climb higher? Perhaps you should brush up on your ninjas skills before you go into the battle of the urban ninjas?
http://weburbanist.com

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Travel News and Stories for 11/27/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories for 11/26/2009

Airlines Fined for Stranding Passengers for Six Hours
Three airlines were fined $175,000 by the government for tarmac nightmare.
http://abcnews.go.com

Thanksgiving Special: Air Travel
Flying for the holiday? Check out what is new for better or worse.
http://abcnews.go.com

Tourists In Cuba: Not Exactly Freedom Fighters
Because of years of environmental abuse, a number of species are rare in Cuba, but none more so than a foreign tourist willing to speak up in the face of political repression there.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com

Help, my travel insurance company won’t answer the phone!
It’s every traveler’s worst nightmare: You’re in trouble, so you reach for your phone to call your travel insurance company. The line rings. And rings. And rings.
http://www.elliott.org

The Amazing Race
Tahiti’s Hawaiki Nui Va’a is the largest and longest outrigger canoe race in the world. This year, I was lucky enough to watch it in person.
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com

The Winners And Losers of the Zagat 2009 Airline Survey
The newest Zagat Guide on airlines is up. 5,900 fliers averaging 17 flights per year were polled about 16 domestic and 66 foreign airlines. After all the results were tallied the major US winners – rated on comfort, service, and food – turned out to be Virgin America and low cost carrier Midwest Airlines. If you’re just flying coach your best bet is apparently JetBlu, which tallied up 19 out of 30 points. And if your top concern for some reason is your luggage, Southwest should be your airline of choice. Full results are posted at the Zagat site.
 http://www.jaunted.com

Five Ways To Speed Through Security
There are only three sure things in life: death, taxes, and the cluelessness of the guy in front of you at airport security. You can’t do anything about that guy — has he even flown since 9/11? — but you can not be that guy with our tips to come through clean and quickly. Here are our Five Ways To Speed Through Security.
http://www.jaunted.com

The Most and Least Busy Airports For Traveling Today
We’re sure that by now, we don’t have to tell you again about how today will be crazy busy in terms of travel around the US, and internationally too with people escaping from their families for warmer climes or some European culture. Thus, airports will be clogged, security lines will be long, and any little weather rumbling could possibly through a wrench into the system.
http://www.jaunted.com

Catalina Island: Avalon and Aurora hotels offer midweek getaway deals
Could you use a midweek time-out from all of the holiday madness? On Catalina Island — closer to us Southlanders than we sometimes realize — two island hotels are making it really easy, on you and your bank account, to indulge in a relaxing mini-vacation. Deal: The “Holiday Getaway” package features a round-trip ride for two aboard the [...]
http://travel.latimes.com

NYT: Penny-pinching holiday fliers start early
The holiday crush at the nation’s airports has taken hold several days earlier as travelers sought less expensive flights.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Popular Hong Kong Theme Restaurant Lets You Lick Food Out of Toilets! Yum! [Video]
For reasons we’ll get into below, we’re kind of torn about this newest Hong Kong hipster sensation. Suffice to say that Japan’s status as “creator of the world’s weirdest stuff” is in jeopardy. How deep is it in jeopardy?
http://www.vagabondish.com

Five ways to get the person in the seat next to you to stop talking
Some people don’t mind a little chat on the airplane, but what do you do when you’re sitting next to the world’s most effusive babbler and all you want is to read, work, sleep or jump out the window?
http://www.gadling.com

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Travel News and Stories for 11/26/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories for 11/25/2009

Tiny Caribbean Jewel for Food and Fashion
Francophiles, foodies and fashionistas pack their bags for St. Bart’s.
http://abcnews.go.com

Shanghai Disney Theme Park Gets Green Light
China’s planning agency okays Shanghai Disney project.
http://abcnews.go.com

The Ten Worst Things People Do On Airplanes
Eat fried chicken – Don’t bring it on a bus, don’t bring it on a train, and definitely don’t bring it on a place: smelly, greasy, messy food. Airline meals might suck for the most part, but we’re pretty sure that a bucket of chicken isn’t the appropriate carry-on option.
http://www.jaunted.com

Thanksgiving on Treasure Island
Thanksgiving evokes memories of cold weather and warm Turkey dinner, but here in Florida it’s a great time to go to the beach.
http://www.elliott.org

Hawaii’s Disappearing Beaches
Could Hawaii’s idyllic beaches soon be gone forever? According to the Associated Press, "geologists say more than 70 percent of Kauai’s beaches are eroding" and Oahu has lost almost a quarter of its shoreline. The devastation is occurring throughout the Hawaiian island chain and is a huge blow to a state whose largest employer is tourism–raking in $11.4 billion annually.  Even worse, if this continues it would mean the destruction of many already endangered and threatened animals’ habitats.
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com

Samoa Says It’s Still Beautiful, So Please Come Back
The pretty islands of Samoa have a had a rough time lately. As if switching from right side to left side driving wasn’t enough, the poor Samoans endured a tsunami in late September which killed close to 200 people, some of them tourists, and that meant a bunch of canceled bookings by future travelers. This is all not great news for a country with tourism as 25% of GDP.
http://www.jaunted.com

Cash In On Your Travel Disasters In ‘World’s Unluckiest Traveler’ Contest
Everyone has an adventure horror story they like to tell. The unfortunate reality, though, is that most of those stories are just overdramatic whining. Yes, it sucks you had to sit next to a crying baby on a Southwest shuttle between Vegas and San Jose. No, it wasn’t the worst flight ever.
http://www.jaunted.com

Yalapa, Mexico: Stand-up paddle surf workshop in paradise
Stand-up paddle surfing. The first time you saw it at the beach you probably exclaimed, “What is THAT?” Or you rushed right out, rented a board and tried it yourself. Stand-up paddle surfers (or boarders) have been in the Los Angeles Times’ Outposts blog in recent years for coming close to humpback whales in Australia [...]
http://travel.latimes.com

Extreme excursions for thrillseekers
Sure, there’s always an adventure that’s more dangerous or more expensive, but adrenaline junkies without hedge funds still have plenty to chose from.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Best New Trips in the World: Hiking California’s Sierra High Route
CALIFORNIA: Thru-Hike the Sierra “What makes the Sierra High Route so unique,” says Ian Elman, owner of Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides, “is that it’s not a trail, it’s a concept.” That concept—invented in the 1970s by a guy named Steve Roper, who wrote The Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country—is to trace the highest points across the Sierra while staying above tree line and away from other hikers.
http://ngadventure.typepad.com

Itineraries: Some Rediscover the Benefits of Business Travel
While most companies have cut their business travel budgets, a few have decided to travel more, and are profiting.
http://www.nytimes.com

Leopard Seal Discovers The Hard Way That Nature Photographers Lack Basic Survival Skills
Via Neatorama, a story and video being conveyed by National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen in the context of his new photography book. Nicklen was in the Antarctic doing some filming and got “adopted” by a 12-foot leopard seal, which tried to feed him and teach him how to hunt. Twelve feet is a little over three and a half meters for our European audience, which is in turn “way too effing big to approach” for our rational non-crazy-photographer audience. Cute! Stupefyingly scary. But cute!
http://www.vagabondish.com

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Travel News and Stories for 11/25/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories for 11/24/2009

Flying an Engineless Plane Is Closest Humans Can Get to Soaring Like a Bird
"GMA Weekend" anchor Kate Snow breezes through the sky in a glider plane.
http://abcnews.go.com

Hong Kong Citizens Are Living in Cages… Literally
Hong Kong is a vibrant city chock-full of people — so much so that the quality of life for those at the bottom tier is atrocious. And I’m not talking about, “Oh my goodness, I have to share a bathroom with my brother and sister.” I’m talking about up to 18 strangers being smashed into a tiny 625 square foot flat with just one toilet to share.
http://www.weirdasianews.com

Low Ryanair Jet Blows Roof Tiles, Puts 82 Yr-Old in Hospital
Apparently, a Ryanair jet flew so low over her house, that it actually blew roofing tiles off the roof. One villager told the local paper that she actually had to duck when the plane came in for its landing at the local Lübeck-Blankensee airport.
http://www.gadling.com

‘Keystroke error’ turns $289 rate into $28
Terry Capps finds a $28 a night room rate at a Westin hotel in Orlando. Turns out the hotel made a mistake, and that the real price is $289 a night. What now? Should the resort honor the original price or can it change the rate and force Capps to pay?
http://www.elliott.org

Continental’s little PIN problem is fixed — finally!
When Tim Milller tried to cash in a travel certificate to buy a Continental Airlines ticket, the system didn’t accept his PIN number. But instead of working with him to fix the problem, the airline charged him for the full amount of the ticket and told him he was out of luck.
http://www.elliott.org

The Top Ten Gross Things People Do On Airplanes
We all know about the rare instances of airline passenger misconduct that make it to the headlines, like the case of the naked, angry flyer or the fighting Lohan, but every day little instances of pure gross occur unnoticed or just unreported.
http://www.jaunted.com

Could Cockpit Conversations Soon Be Available For Review?
Remember when some pilots were recently screwing around on their laptops instead of paying attention to the whole flying-the-plane thing? It would have been nice to hear portions of their conversations in the cockpit—just to see what was actually going on. Well a new bill might allow airlines to listen to portions of cockpit communications.
http://www.jaunted.com

San Diego: Whale-watching charters for the whole gang
Just in time for the holidays, the migration of the California gray whales will soon be viewable to us Southern Californians. Whale-watching season, which typically begins in mid-December and continues through February (though sometimes the season stretches to March or April), presents the perfect incentive to get out into the water and see these [...]
http://travel.latimes.com

Top 25 American hot spots
From inventive restaurants to chic hotels, T+L chronicles a burgeoning of homegrown innovations across the heart of the country and beyond.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Best New Trips in the World: Sea Kayak, Snorkel, and Swim with Whales in Tonga
The world’s far corners are now well within reach. TONGA: Whale World Each June, some 450 humpback whales arrive in the shallow waters off Tonga’s Ha’apai Islands to mate and calf, transforming the archipelago into an oversize nursery until September. The Ha’apai are one of the only places in the world where you can snorkel with the 50-foot-long mammals
http://ngadventure.typepad.com

Great coffee shops around the world: What makes a great one anyway?
Hank Leukart, while savoring blueberry pie and a cup of chai at the University of Zoka in Seattle proclaimed it the best coffee shop in the world. As what happens when one proclaims something the best in the world, he immediately began to wonder if he overshot by his gushing. What does he know anyway? After all, had he been in every coffee shop in the world? Of course not, but he has been to a few.
http://www.gadling.com

The coolest job in the world? I’ve got it, says captain of Oasis of the Seas
How cool a job is it to be the captain of the world’s biggest cruise ship?
http://www.usatoday.com

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Travel News and Stories for 11/24/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories for 11/23/2009

Your Car’s Computer Brainier Than the FAA’s?
A new air traffic control system is years away, but could make flights shorter.
http://abcnews.go.com

Takeoff, Rip Off: Beware Those Airport Scales
New York authorities find problems with the scales at JFK and LaGuardia.
http://abcnews.go.com

5 Common Travel Scams Exposed
We all enjoy going on vacation. Taking that welcome break from standard everyday life in order to maybe go abroad and relax in a different environment to what we’re used to. However, there are always those out there seeking to ruin it for us in order to make a quick buck for themselves.
http://www.tripbase.com

Man visits every country on earth in record time
An Indian businessman has visited all 194 countries on earth in a record six years, 10 months and seven days. But the holiday snaps to show for it are less than gripping…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Gobble, Gobble: TSA Helpful Holiday Travel Tips
Can you believe it? It’s that time of year again where turkeys head for the hills and people head for the airports. It’s the busiest travel time of the year and a time when people who rarely fly, or have never flown, take to the skies, so we wanted to provide some clarification and tips for those who might come to the blog looking for some information.
http://www.tsa.gov

Festive Budapest
Two weeks ago, Budapest’s Winter Festival–a massive four-month event–kicked off.  The festival includes a variety of activities, but its five-week Christmas Festival is by far the most popular. This year, the 10th annual Christmas Festival takes place today through December 29th. Attended by 600,000 people annually, it is considered one of the largest Christmas fairs in Europe.
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com

New York: Discover President Obama’s Lost Years on a Tour of His New York Haunts
President Obama is most closely associated with the city of Chicago, but he spent five years in New York as a student and community organizer, and a local actor has created a walking tour that shines a light on what he calls Obama’s "lost years" here. The AP introduces us to Jeremiah Miller, whose two-hour "Obama’s New York" tour takes visitors to some of the places the 44th president spent time during his 1981-1985 stint in the city.
http://www.jaunted.com

Five Ways To Score Better Airline Seats For Holiday Travel
Like it or not the holiday season has arrived, and chances are you’ll be spending some time at the airport. We’ve jotted down a few of our experiences that have helped make the whole getting there process a little better, even if it’s just as simple as getting out of the middle seat. We can’t promise that these will work, but they have worked in the past, and it never hurts to ask!
http://www.jaunted.com

Coeur d’Alene to the North Pole: An Idaho resort goes all out for Christmas
When not in Vegas, 1.5-million lights can only mean someone’s putting on one heck of a holiday party. Northern Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene Resort, which claims to hold the world’s tallest living Christmas tree, puts on a family-friendly Holiday Light Show annually on the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene. This year, the event runs Nov. 27 [...]
http://travel.latimes.com

Swine flu puts airlines, travelers in tough spot
As outbreaks of the H1N1 virus inject more frazzle into already-frayed travelers, airlines and their approach to sick passengers are being scrutinized.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

36 Hours in Rajasthan, India
The country is modernizing rapidly, sometimes too fast, but this spectacular old region endures, evoking rulers with giant mustaches and spectacular forts and palaces.
http://travel.nytimes.com

Antarctic Travel Guide
In recent years, one of the most popular destinations for adventure travelers has been Antarctica. The lure of visiting one of the most remote, and rugged places on the planet is a strong one for travelers who have already trekked, paddled, and climbed their way across the other six continents. But for the less adventurous traveler, it can be difficult to understand why someone would even want to venture so far south, and spend their vacation in an arctic environment.
http://www.gadling.com

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Travel News and Stories for 11/23/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories for 11/20/2009

FAA Computer Glitch Delays Flights Nationwide
Controllers forced to manually enter pilots’ flight plans.
http://abcnews.go.com

One wrong turn results in a 600km trip
An 81-year-old Australian takes a wrong turn on the way to the shops and keeps driving for 600km.
http://news.bbc.co.uk

LA Oil Rigs Hidden as Buildings, Islands & Palm Trees [vid]
Before L.A. was firmly established as a movie and TV town it was an oil town. In fact, Los Angeles is part of a region that is third largest oil producer in America with over 20 billion barrels of oil yet to be extracted under our feet! Who knew?
http://www.thisisbrandx.com

After car rental disaster, angry customer mails “gesture of goodwill” back to Thrifty
Like most travelers, Bette Waterstreet doesn’t expect much when she rents a car. A clean, running vehicle that’s in the same car class she ordered will do just fine. But that’s not what she got when she rented from Thrifty in Ontario, Canada, recently.
http://www.elliott.org

FAA Glitch Delays Flights Across USA This Morning
Flying this morning? If you’re reading this from a US airport, then you may have already noticed some flights showing up red with delays on the departure screens. The reason is an "FAA glitch" where their computer systems are having issues with processing flight plans, causing the FAA to process flight plans manually and significantly slowing down the system, since we rely on computer so much for this sort of high-volume, fast-paced work.
http://www.jaunted.com

Random Airline Fees Continue Into 2010, Including Super Bowl Travel
Remember all those airline fees that were pouring in a few months ago related to this season’s holiday travel? Well the airlines must have really enjoyed what they were seeing, as they are now looking to tack in some additional charges for days well into 2010. Delta, United, and American Airlines are busy adding these presents to our tickets anytime they think travel will be busier than usual.
http://www.jaunted.com

Newport Beach’s Christmas Boat Parade: Plan ahead to cruise in its midst
If you’re not going to be in the popular Christmas Boat Parade in Newport Beach, then one of the next best places to see the lights and action may be aboard a Hornblower yacht. On five consecutive nights, Dec. 16-20, the Christmas Boat Parade Dinner Cruise, put on by Hornblower Cruises & Events, sails “right through [...]
http://travel.latimes.com

Top budget resorts in the U.S.
Forget everything you thought you knew about resorts. These 10 escapes deliver thrilling activities, plush amenities, and sweeping views, from $119 a night.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Best New Trips in the World: Surf, Hike, and Mountain Bike Pristine Sri Lanka
The world’s far corners are now well within reach. SRI LANKA: MIA No More After the tsunami of 2004 and the resolution of a decades-long civil war, Sri Lanka is finally starting to look like its old self: a peaceful destination where surf lineups are nonexistent despite world-class waves and centuries-old tea estates are lined with mountain bike–ready trails.
http://ngadventure.typepad.com

Abroad: Unveiling the Hanging Gardens of Armenia
The Cafesjian Center for the Arts is a mad work of architectural megalomania and one of the most spectacular museum buildings in ages.
http://www.nytimes.com

The Way of the Hermit Crab: 4 Rules for Better Backpack Living
Though we all begin life bare-ass naked and devoid of any possessions, none of us stay that way for long. The doctor swaddles us in a cozy new blanket, cooing relatives hand us stuffed animals and baby toys, while mommy and daddy shower us with gifts and buy us whole wardrobes of clothing.
http://www.vagabondish.com

"Nationwide system outage" grounds flights
Only when I arrive at my gate do I learn of the FAA’s "nationwide system outage" grounding flights across the country. Gate attendants are reading from prepared FAA statements, explaining they don’t know what caused the delay, but that they’re working to fix the problem as quickly as possible.
http://www.gadling.com

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Travel News and Stories for 11/20/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories 11/19/2009

Ship With 100 Tourists Stuck in Antarctic Ice
Russian icebreaker carrying tourists is stuck in the ice around Antarctica.
http://abcnews.go.com

United’s Denny Flanagan: “Being nice is contagious”
United Airlines Captain Denny Flanagan had his 15 minutes of fame — and then some — when he was "discovered" by several prominent print and broadcast outlets two years ago and profiled for his many random acts of kindness. But long after the TV crews left, Captain Flanagan continues to do good at…
http://www.elliott.org

Hong Kong: Disneyland Hong Kong Isn’t Such A Small World After All
Disney seems to have decided where its future lies, and surprisingly it’s in the one major country that isn’t convulsing from an economic disaster. A couple weeks ago we posted about how the Corporation is building an entire new theme park in Shanghai, China, with a projected opening date somewhere of 2015. In the meantime they’re not exactly neglecting the Disneyland in Hong Kong.
http://www.jaunted.com

Start Planning Your North Korea 2010 Trip Now, Or Else
They won’t take our advice, but they’ll still take our money: Despite an absence of diplomatic relations between the countries, Americans can still travel to North Korea, so long as you go when they want you to go, and with whom.
http://www.jaunted.com

FlyAway bus service links LAX to Irvine
For Orange County residents and visitors, access to our country’s third-busiest airport has just gotten a little easier. This week, a new nonstop FlyAway bus service began carrying passengers between Los Angeles International Airport and the Irvine Metrolink Station. The new service on a 22-seat bus running on compressed natural gas is available to travelers six [...]
http://travel.latimes.com

Airlines boost peak-day surcharges
It could cost you even more to travel next spring and summer. US Airways said Tuesday it will add a 5 percent surcharge to all U.S. flights on or after May 8.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Best New Trips in the World: Hike and Snorkel in the Philippines
The world’s far corners are now well within reach. PHILIPPINES: Summit to Sea The Philippines has a PR problem. While it harbors as many islands as the Caribbean and some of the most spectacular reefs on the planet, the nation sees only a fraction of the visitors of nearby Thailand. Even travel companies, it seems, have bought the bad rap: Other than the occasional sea kayaking trip, U.S. guides have largely avoided the archipelago.
http://ngadventure.typepad.com

Frugal Traveler: Finder’s Keepers: Souvenirs on the Road
What makes a great souvenir, especially when you don’t want to spend a lot of money? And how do you find unique items of real value?.
http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com

War on Fun Goes Airborne With “No Drinking On Flights” Campaign
Christopher Elliott, ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine, is indignant. He knows someone who knows someone who was on a flight this one time and there were other people on the flight and those other people were having fun and – oh! – it was all so annoying.
http://www.vagabondish.com

Explorer hopes to visit "three poles" in one year
Polar explorer Eric Larsen has just begun an epic adventure that will literally take him to the ends of the Earth over the course of the next year. Eric has set out on his Save The Poles Expedition, in which he plans to travel to the "three poles" within one calendar year.
http://www.gadling.com

Tips for tippers: it isn’t what you expect
Tipping’s a tough nut to crack. Should you tip a housekeeper? Back in the day, the rule was leaving some cash only if your stay was 30 days or longer. Since then, however, it seems to have changed.
http://www.gadling.com

Cruise analyst: Fares for Oasis of the Seas will drop ’significantly’ over time
Are you in shock over the sky-high fares Royal Caribbean is charging for cabins on Oasis of the Seas? Don’t worry. They’re coming down.
http://www.usatoday.com

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This post originally came from Kathika Travel Blog. Stop by and read our most popular travel blog posts.

Travel News and Stories for 11/19/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories for 11/18/2009

Hawaii’s Famed Beaches Are Shrinking
Hawaii’s beaches are shrinking; scientists blame global warming.
http://abcnews.go.com

Kingdom of the Little People in China
Community opened with more than 100 participants, all shorter than 4-foot-4.
http://abcnews.go.com

Here’s a receipt for your airline ticket (PS, you don’t have a ticket)
Doris Weller booked a set of roundtrip tickets from Wichita, Kan., to Houston on AirTran recently. Her husband, Lawrence, needed to be in Houston for an important medical treatment. The airline sent her a confirmation. But it wasn’t the kind of confirmation she expected.
http://www.elliott.org

Holiday Travel Refresher: What if I Lose or Forget My ID?
It’s been a while since we talked about IDs and what happens if you lose or forget your ID on the way to the airport. With the busiest travel time of the year quickly approaching, I thought it would be wise to do a quick refresher on the subject.
http://www.tsa.gov

The Spiritual Experience That Wasn’t
Frequent Traveler writer Margie Goldsmith just returned from Arizona, and gave us this perspective on the recent sweat lodge tragedy.
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com

Allegiant Air Bounces Mom and Unruly Kids Off Flight
On one hand you want to say something like "other people also paid for the flight, and they’re entitled to a decent amount of comfort and quiet." On the other hand you’ve got "well do you just expect every parent of every toddler to not travel any more?" There’s definitely an argument that most travelers in most circumstances should just put on their noise-canceling headphones and deal.
http://www.jaunted.com

Dr. 90210 To The Rescue On Newark-Bound Flight
Pretend for a moment that you fall suddenly ill on a coast-to-coast flight, so ill that the flight crew asks over the PA system for any medical personnel to come and help. A doctor is located, and just when you being to hope that everything will be okay, the man pictured above shows up—a reality show plastic surgeon. Sure, Dr. Robert Rey is trained in medicine, but you’re not exactly having a breast lift mid-flight.
http://www.jaunted.com

People traveling less often, spending less
Forty-five percent of U.S. consumers will take a vacation or leisure trip between Thanksgiving and March that involves paying for overnight accommodations.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Relics Recovered: A Pair of World-Class Climbers Goes Where Archaeologists Can’t
 Last summer, the seven-time Everest summiter co-led a National Geographic expedition to Mustang, in north-central Nepal, to explore mysterious man-made cave systems carved 700 feet high into the cliffsides.
http://ngadventure.typepad.com

Bowermaster’s Adventures — Conservation International on the Galapagos Islands
Fernando Ortiz grew up on mainland Ecuador and has lived in the Galapagos the past twenty years. His career path has led him from tour guide to dive guide and eventually dive company manager. Along the route he decided that talking to tourists about conservation was not enough, so he made the leap to fulltime environmentalist.
http://www.gadling.com

Galley Gossip: 5 tips for getting through airport security quickly
With Thanksgiving fast approaching and Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year’s following right behind it, more people than ever will be flying in the upcoming weeks. That means only one thing. Holiday travelers will soon be taking over the airports.
http://www.gadling.com

‘Unruly’ Scot arrested in Boston after allegedly forcing trans-Atlantic flight to divert
A US Airways flight from Philadelphia to London made an unscheduled stop in Boston last night after the cockpit crew became concerned about an …
http://blogs.usatoday.com

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Travel News and Stories for 11/18/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories for 11/17/2009

‘Rebel Monkeys’ Run Wild in India
Thousands of "rebel monkeys" invade Indian city in search of food.
http://abcnews.go.com

Whoops – Missed The Airport By 150 Miles (w/pic)
This one will stay in our minds for quite some time. Two Northwest Airlines pilots overshot the Minneapolis airport by 150 miles. Ignoring all radio contact and text messages from their dispatcher, these guys were "distracted" when they failed to notice they were miles away from their original destination.
http://www.gadling.com

In an Interstellar Burst, Leonid Meteor Shower to Pass Earth on Tuesday
If you find yourself outdoors this Tuesday, November 17, 2009, do yourself a favor and look up. In the right place under the right conditions, you just might be a witness to the Leonid Meteor Shower. Every year at around this time, hundreds of meteors associated with the Comet Tempel-Tuttle streak by the earth, giving observers an amazing show of cosmic activity, and if you’ve never seen it before, it might be worth the lost sleep.
http://www.jaunted.com

Sneak peek: A scene-by-scene look at Hong Kong Disneyland’s Mystic Manor
Mystic Manor takes visitors on a circa-1908 tour of an ancient artifact collection belonging to a world-renowned adventurer and explorer. Inside the Victorian home on a remote jungle hilltop, Lord Henry Mystic’s museum comes alive when his mischievous monkey opens an enchanted music box. Set to open as early as 2013, Mystic Manor is part of [...]
http://travel.latimes.com

World’s top late-night restaurants
T+L invited six famous chefs to dinner and set them loose on their favorite subject: the best places to eat and drink after hours — we learned some interesting nuggets about them too.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

The world’s New Natural Wonders
Can’t make it to the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Galapagos Islands or China’s Great Wall? While these are spectacular destinations, there are other sites luring curious travelers.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Next Stop | The Caribbean Issue: Kingston: Trading Beach Chairs for Bar Stools
High-end amenities and a cosmopolitan vibe are poised to change the public face of Jamaica’s capital.
http://travel.nytimes.com

Sketch for a Swiss escapade
I just wanted to share with you some details of my recent stay in Switzerland: half for pleasure and half scouting for places to soon offer a new tour in Switzerland.            As usual, my main concern was to find authentic places and people, interesting places to visit and a fun ambiance for our future groups.
http://traveltofranceandmore.com

Explore London with Sherlock Holmes
In anticipation of the Christmas Day release of the new Sherlock Holmes movie (starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law), Visit Britain has developed a microsite to help guide fans to the London locations used in the film. The site also offers possible itineraries for a Holmes-themed tour of London.
http://www.gadling.com

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Travel News and Stories for 11/17/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories for 11/16/2009

Ryanair Hits Turbulence Over Sexy Pin-Up Calendar
Airline under fire for its charity calendar featuring scantily clad employees.
http://abcnews.go.com

Leaving Time At The Zoo: Indian Elephants Go wild
India orders all circus and zoo elephants to be moved to wild life sanctuaries.
http://abcnews.go.com

11 Deadliest Overseas Spots for American Tourists
If you’re planning a trip overseas, the odds overwhelmingly suggest that your vacation will be nonfatal. However, here are some of the deadlier overseas spots for Americans.
http://www.chicagotribune.com

Don’t fly high: 7 reasons to lose the booze
Don’t drink and fly. Words to live by, not just if you’re a pilot, but if you’re a passenger. Sandra Langer explains why: On a recent trip from Amsterdam to New York, she watched a good number of her fellow passengers get hammered. “Red-faced men blocked the aisles, puked in the bathroom and groped…
http://www.elliott.org

Extreme Excursions
Ernest Hemingway once said, "Auto racing, bullfighting and mountain climbing are the only real sports … the others are just games." He had a point. Hemingway reckoned that the element of risk is an integral part of the sporting life–perhaps the essence of the experience.
http://www.forbes.com

In Russia, Seven Wonders Find You
Russians do not like to be dissed, so when the so-called Official New 7 Wonders of the World list came out recently without one Russian wonder, the great bear sprang into action. More than 26 million people cast their online ballots for the most amazing wonders of Russia, and we can now debate whether any of the Seven Wonders of Russia belong on the global list.
http://www.jaunted.com

Big Grizzly Mountain coaster coming to Hong Kong Disneyland
The Big Grizzly Mountain roller coaster at Hong Kong Disneyland will take riders through an abandoned gold mine packed with dynamite and overrun by grizzly bears. Set to open as early as 2012, the runaway mine train ride is part of a nearly $500-million expansion at Hong Kong Disneyland that calls for the addition of three [...]
http://travel.latimes.com

Dad to baby: Happy 1st birthday, world traveler
Traveling with an infant is a bit like a troop movement. Detailed strategy, support crew, heavy machinery and contingency planning is vital.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

133 Places Rated
In our sixth annual survey, discover where some of our most celebrated destinations rank, based on such factors as pollution, cultural authenticity, and tourism management.
http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com

Practical Traveler | The Caribbean Issue: In the Caribbean, Good Deals but Not a Fire Sale
Although resorts in the region are being more selective with sales this year, it’s still possible for travelers to nab a deal, especially if they’re flexible.
http://www.nytimes.com

World Heritage Sites done in Legos
The World Heritage Sites are some of the most amazing places on the planet. The list, maintained by UNESCO, spotlights places from around the globe that hold particular cultural or natural significance. Many of the places on the list are amongst the top tourist attractions in the world, so what better way to do them honor, then to replicate them with Legos?
http://www.gadling.com

10 great places for famous photography
Follow in the path of photographer Robert Frank’s famous 1958 road trip The Americans, honored with a major exhibition at the Metropolitan…
http://www.usatoday.com

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This post originally came from Kathika Travel Blog. Stop by and read our most popular travel blog posts.

Travel News and Stories for 11/16/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories 11/13/2009

Wind Your Way Along the Blue Ridge Parkway
Drivers have little choice but to take their time enjoying the serpentine Blue Ridge Parkway; the route’s speed limit is a strictly enforced 45 mph, which at some points is lowered to a mere 25 mph.
http://www.travelchannel.com

Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities for Pedestrians
Transportation Groups Identify Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities for Pedestrians.
http://abcnews.go.com

Worst. Honeymoon. Ever.
Adam Salamon’s honeymoon did not go well.His all-inclusive resort wasn’t what he expected. The food was lousy, the staff was rude, there were bed bugs and his travel agent didn’t care, he claims.
http://www.elliott.org

9 Astonishingly Asymmetrical Buildings
Marvel at daring designs from around the world that challenge gravity
http://www.womansday.com

Next Stop: Kingston: Trading Beach Chairs for Bar Stools
High-end amenities and a cosmopolitan vibe are poised to change the public face of this capital city.
http://travel.nytimes.com

A Civil War Camping Weekend Just Beyond DC
To mark Veterans’ Day, here’s a bit on the Civil War-themed camping trip I took last weekend with my husband and our goofy dog. It was our last camping trip of the season. Smoke inhalation (we had a little trouble with the cabin’s stove) and frozen digits aside, we had a great time. It’s amazing how much history and wildness is so close to Washington, DC.
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com

If Continental Combines WIth United, They’d Oust Delta As World’s Largest Carrier
Continental Airlines has made a pretty smooth transition over to the Star Alliance. We’ve been talking about them dumping their former pals at SkyTeam for some new friends for quite a bit, but now the airline might just be rekindling an old flame.
http://www.jaunted.com

Malaysia’s Diversity Puts It Into Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Destinations For 2010
The latest list for 2010 travel trends put out by the Lonely Planet people says something we’ve been saying for ages: Malaysia is hot.
http://www.jaunted.com

World’s most unique places to visit
Some travelers are trading beach vacations for unforgettable experiences in faraway lands like Bhutan, Socotra, and beyond.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Best New Trips in the World: Dive off the Coast of Montserrat
MONTSERRAT: Dusting Off a Volcano Fourteen years after Soufrière Hills Volcano first sent pyroclastic debris flying and two-thirds of Montserrat’s population fleeing, the Caribbean island is hanging out its shingle for tourism again.
http://ngadventure.typepad.com

Miners accused of destroying part of Great Wall of China
It was built to keep out foreign invaders, but apparently the Great Wall of China can’t protect itself from the greed of Chinese corporations.
http://www.gadling.com

Gaborone: Tourists Go Looking For Clues In Botswana With ‘The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency’
Think of it as the 21st century’s 221B Baker Street: Fans of the book series No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency have taken an interest in the country of Botswana, where the book’s action takes place, thanks in part to a small-screen adaptation.
http://www.jaunted.com

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Travel News and Stories for 11/13/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories for 11/12/2009

Road Trains Concept: Real solution or pie in the sky?
The EU is planning a study on Road Trains – but is this scheme a fantastic idea for cutting fuel consumption or a guaranteed pile-up waiting to happen?
http://www.euinfrastructure.com

Help! My airline charged me for a car seat — and it’s keeping the money
There are certain items for which domestic airlines will probably never charge, like strollers and child safety seats. Cashing in on babies is just seen as tacky by most airline passengers. So when Continental Airlines inadvertently charged Greg Sykes for his child’s car seat, he expected a quick…
http://www.elliott.org

Veterans Day: Thank You
Veterans Day is a time to remind our nation to reflect on all of the people who served and sacrificed as members of the United States military and thank them for that service. From the battles of Lexington and Concord to the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this nation has always had a strong core of people who were willing to serve, fight, and sometimes die for their country and that is truly honorable.
http://www.tsa.gov

Sustainable Surfing in Peru
Today, they offer travelers trips to Peru’s other superstar attractions through their company, Machapu Adventures ("Machapu" means "wave" in Quechua). The 20-room resort is ten hours south of Lima; visitors must fly to Trujillo, about 45 minutes from the hotel.
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com

Rio de Janeiro: Skip The Macy’s Parade For Four Nights In Rio This Thanksgiving
If it’s good enough for Madonna and Jesus, then it’s good enough for you. As we reported today, the transformative Queen of Pop recently landed in Rio de Janiero for "humanitarian" work and quite possibly to meet her boyfriend’s parents.
http://www.jaunted.com

United suspends pilot suspected of being drunk
United Airlines has suspended a pilot who was arrested in London on suspicion that he was about to fly a Boeing 767 with 124 passengers while drunk, the airline said on Tuesday.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Top 10 fun fall foliage adventures
These alternative leaf-peeping adventures offer a one-of-a-kind perspective on autumn.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Best New Trips in the World: Sail (and Kayak and Snorkel) in Madagascar’s Waters
Today, we present Madagascar. The world’s far corners are now well within reach. MADAGASCAR: Sail the Indian Ocean Known for its 70-plus species of lemurs, Madagascar has the market cornered in trips focused on exotic leaping animals. But few travelers are aware of the country’s marine life.
http://ngadventure.typepad.com

Stupidly Careless Airline Pilots Kind Of Becoming A Thing
We’re not usually ones to complain about airplane safety. You don’t need to be able to cite all those statistics about how flying is safer than driving – though it’s true – to realize that we live in the safest period of commercial air travel ever. At the beginning of this year there had been exactly zero fatal crashes in the US in 2.5 years. You were more likely to land in the Hudson and escape unscathed than you were to die in a crash. That’s how weirdly safe flying had become.
http://www.vagabondish.com

7 Wonders Of The Modern Shipping World
For those who think that the glory-days of boat-building are over, think again – for there are modern-day Brunels, eager to build the next generation of ocean-faring superstructures. Here are 7 wondrous examples of epic modern ship design, from passenger liner to man o’ war, from staggeringly large to stealthily small – all demonstrating that when it comes to innovation, technology and breadth of ambition, the best designs are the ones making waves.
http://weburbanist.com

The part of Belize nobody sees: Five reasons not to miss the country’s <em>other</em> side
The Caribbean coast of Belize is known the world over for its spectacular scuba diving and snorkeling. In addition to the 180-mile barrier reef just off the coast and the famous dive spot known as the Blue Hole, the Belizean coast features the backpacker paradise of Caye Caulker, the more upscale San Pedro, and the laid-back one-horse town of Hopkins in the south.
http://www.gadling.com

The comeback of New Orleans as a cruise hub continues with debut of new ship
It was a long time coming — more than four years, in fact — but New Orleans finally has its big ship back.
http://www.usatoday.com

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Travel News and Stories for 11/12/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories for 11/11/2009

From Swimming Pools and Saunas to Daggers and Felines, The Best and Worst Airports in the World
Folks who do catch some shut-eye between flights rank the world’s airports according to snooze-ability (the rather straightforward motto for SleepingInAirports.net is, "Looking to save on hotel bills? Why not sleep in the airport!").
http://abcnews.go.com

7 Historic Hollywood Landmarks
Whether it’s Grauman’s Chinese Theater or that iconic nine letter sign, Hollywood is rife with historical landmarks. Here are seven that had a small part in making Hollywood the movie capital of the world.
http://www.mentalfloss.com

Queen Mary’s little gas problem
When Mel McBeth and his wife booked a cruise on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 last year, they weren’t expecting any additional charges. But that’s exactly what they got when the cruise line helped itself to another $180, which it claimed was a fuel surcharge, on the day they paid for their vacation.
http://www.elliott.org

Victim of seatback police: “It felt like we had somehow landed in a World War II movie”
Beware of the airline seatback cops. They recently nabbed Cheryl Smith, and they could be coming for you.
http://www.elliott.org

TSA Stops Medical Supplies for Cape Verde?
Over the weekend, an article ran stating that TSA Officers in Boston had stopped medical supplies from traveling in checked baggage to Cape Verde.
http://www.tsa.gov

Niagara Falls: New Niagara Airport Has Free WiFi But No Flights
If Pam and Jim’s wedding on The Office got you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, then a new airport wants to help you experience Niagara Falls for all its worth. The Niagara Falls International Airport is almost ready to go as the finishing touches are being completed on the almost $32 million terminal.
http://www.jaunted.com

Hurricane Ida Is In Your Caribbean, Messing With Your Cruises
You know the cruising season has begun when the hurricanes and tropical storms lay into the Caribbean; it’s just a hazard of the peak season. Still, this week we’ve been watching the progress of Hurricane Ida, which began way down in Central America and worked its way due north, eroding beaches in Cozumel and Grand Cayman before just not being downgraded back to Tropical Storm in advance of landfall in Mississippi.
http://www.jaunted.com

Feeling hungry? World’s scariest foods
Welcome to our international culinary chamber of horrors.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Wife/mother/worker/spy: When Jet Lag Comes With the Booty
After traveling through three foreign countries, a mother sees jet lag in a whole new way.
http://www.nytimes.com

How Technology Is Indelibly Changing the Ways in Which We Travel
When Google Street View recently hit the roads of my native Canada, it blew my mind. Here I was, sitting 6,426 kilometers away at my desk in Aarhus, Denmark staring at my green aging front door in Toronto, Ontario, as if the time and space between us was a figment of my imagination. As I peered into my laptop’s glass screen, looking for hints of familiarity, I was struck with a feeling of unease.
http://www.vagabondish.com

Remote African nation saves rare giraffes from extinction
Niger doesn’t get in the news much. This landlocked Saharan nation doesn’t have much in the way of national resources, is listed by the UN as one of the world’s least developed countries, and yet it has a serious attitude towards conservation.
http://www.gadling.com

Today’s debate: Is Oasis of the Seas too complicated for a first-time cruiser?
There’s never been a cruise ship with as many onboard diversions as Royal Caribbean’s soon-to-debut Oasis of the Seas. But there’s a corollary to that statement, say some Cruise Log readers: There’s never been a cruise ship that has required quite as much advance planning and knowledge to experience fully.
http://www.usatoday.com

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Travel News and Stories for 11/11/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories for 11/10/2009

Victim of seatback police: “It felt like we had somehow landed in a World War II movie”
Beware of the airline seatback cops. They recently nabbed Cheryl Smith, and they could be coming for you.
http://www.elliott.org

Minimum-wage pilots? Here’s one way of looking at flight deck salaries
The average cockpit wage cost per average passenger fare per hour of flight is just $3.73 — almost half the minimum wage — according to analysis by Robert Herbst of the Web site Airlinefinancials.com.
http://www.elliott.org

Missed your flight? Your airline may help — if you know what to ask for
If you’re delayed on your way to the airport because of a summer thunderstorm, you might think you’re out of luck. Most airlines now gladly charge you a full walk-up fare for the next flight when you don’t get to the gate on time — even if it’s for a reason beyond your control.
http://www.elliott.org

AA Flight Attendants Practice Their Strike Skills Later This Month
Just in time for the holidays, the flight attendants of American Airlines are getting ready to strike. Well, not exactly, but they are trying to prove a point and are hoping to do so with a simulated strike on November 18. They’ll be fake striking this month to get some practice under their belts, because if they don’t get what they want, there might be some real strikes once 2010 rolls around.
http://www.jaunted.com

The Top Three Ways To Remember The Fall Of The Berlin Wall
Today in Berlin, a united city celebrates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Twenty years is not such a long time, and thus the partiers are peppered with those who not only remember the division of the Wall, but perhaps also participated in the breaking down of it in 1989.
http://www.jaunted.com

Roosevelt: More Airplane Shrapnel Rains Onto Long Island
Over the weekend, Delta Flight 799 was on its way to Tokyo from JFK when it lost a pretty big piece. Thankfully the Boeing 777 made it to Japan without any difficulties, and the issue was actually only discovered when it had landed. Apparently the part wasn’t essential, but we doubt that Boeing felt that way when they designed the airplane.
http://www.jaunted.com

Where Americans die abroad, and why: By the numbers
Of course you should beware of crime while planning and making your next international trip. But the numbers say that if you’re among the unlucky few to die, a car, bus or motorcycle is more likely to kill you. Death by traffic is a recurring theme in a fascinating State Department Web page that I came across last week. For [...]
http://travel.latimes.com

TV tours a big attraction for N.Y. tourists
Climbing the Statue of Liberty or catching the view from the Empire State Building are still top New York attractions but tourists are also scrambling to see where their favorite TV shows are filmed.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Best New Trips in the World: Exploring Laos’s Northern Hill Country
The world’s far corners are now well within reach. Laos: An Off-Limits Jungle Traveling in Laos has always meant either a quick jaunt to Luang Prabang (the former royal capital city) or a monthlong expedition into terrain that wasn’t always worth the trip—think mosquitoes and a hothouse climate. But a new lodge in Laos’s hill country, north of Luang Prabang, is ushering in a fresh era of tourism.
http://ngadventure.typepad.com

Traveler’s Best Photos of 2009
See a slideshow of Editor-in-Chief Keith Bellows’ favorite pictures published in Traveler magazine.
http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com

Bijagós, a Tranquil Haven in a Troubled Land
To visit this spattering of 88 palm-fringed and thinly populated islands off the coast of West Africa is to enter both another world and another century.
http://travel.nytimes.com

Blown To Smithereens: The Secret Story Of Survival Town
One pleasant spring day in 1955, an atomic bomb blasted an American city into oblivion. This is the story of Survival Town, a purpose-built collection of structures, buildings, even mannequins designed to measure the effects of an atomic weapon used against urban centers. Its optimistic name notwithstanding, Survival Town was destined to become, in a flash, Loserville.
http://weburbanist.com

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This post originally came from Kathika Travel Blog. Stop by and read our most popular travel blog posts.

Travel News and Stories for 11/10/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories for 11/09/2009

Airbus Freighter Makes Maiden Test Flight
Airbus aircrafts are scheduled for take off by summer 2010.
http://abcnews.go.com

Flu Threat Looms As Mecca Readies For Pilgrims
The H1N1 virus is a major concern for Saudi Arabian authorities, who are gearing up to host millions of Muslims on the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Health officials are making recommendations and monitoring pilgrims, but otherwise can do little to mitigate the virus’ spread.
http://www.npr.org

Top Ten Reasons that Road Trips Rock
Road trips make the journey the adventure. The act of being in the car, seeing the sights and not having to rush becomes your trip. The destination is secondary. They should be celebrated. To all of you whimsical travelers who have ever made a mix tape specifically for a road trip, this one’s for you.
http://www.gadling.com

They stepped up to the plate and overpaid for my hotel — now what?
Dale Nielsen did everything he could to confirm his Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu. He booked the trip through an online agency that offered a notification of flight schedule changes. He called his airline. It wasn’t enough.
http://www.elliott.org

Response to: “Oops: Backscatter X-ray machines tear apart DNA"
This article has been receiving quite a bit of attention and it’s leading people to believe the Backscatter Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) used by TSA emits terahertz radiation. Recent studies are showing that terahertz radiation may “unzip double-stranded DNA, creating bubbles in the double strand that could significantly interfere with processes such as gene expression and DNA replication.”
http://www.tsa.gov

Fort Lauderdale: New Oasis of the Seas Hits Monster Waves in First Transatlantic Crossing
The brand new, unbelievably huge Oasis of the Seas cruise ship has been rocked by some serious waves on its first voyage. As USA Today points out, the 5,400-passenger vessel encountered hurricane-strength winds and waves over 60 feet high in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic.
http://www.jaunted.com

Phoenix airport luggage thefts: 10 tips to protect your bag and belongings
Worried about your bag getting stolen in baggage claim? You’ve got plenty of company, especially since the news broke this week about police arresting a suburban Phoenix couple on suspicion of stealing nearly 1,000 bags from carousels at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). Nearly 60% of 1,830 people who responded to an online poll, conducted [...]
http://travel.latimes.com

Airplane part falls onto N.Y. home’s front lawn
An engine tail cone popped off a Delta airlines jet shortly after takeoff from New York’s Kennedy Airport. It
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Where Art and Faith Embrace in Gura Humorului, Romania
The Bucovina region in the far north, wrote the scholar Silviu Sanie, is “one of those blessed realms where sacred and secular monuments have enriched the enchanting natural landscape.”
http://travel.nytimes.com

Spectacular Glacier Photos Document Earth’s Disappearing Landscape
The folks at Wired have collected thirteen pictures of various glaciers from around the globe, all shot from space and all of them amazing. The conceit of the article is that glaciers are a veritable blur of geological activity, moving, flowing, and breaking apart fast enough for us to actually observe changes. Much more exciting than mountains! Each page has specific information on the individual glaciers, and there are general insights sprinkled throughout.
http://www.vagabondish.com

Why the TSA insists on screening wheelchairs
Screening airline passengers in a wheelchair has often been a bit of a hot topic. For some reason, people get wound up when they see the TSA searching every corner of a wheelchair, as if disabled people should automatically be trusted and allowed to pass through without a search of their chair.
http://www.gadling.com

10 great places to let your imagination fly

http://www.usatoday.com

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This post originally came from Kathika Travel Blog. Stop by and read our most popular travel blog posts.

Travel News and Stories for 11/09/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories 11/06/2009

Picky Penguin Gets Her Man Back
Love is lost and found again between a picky penguin and her devoted zookeeper.
http://abcnews.go.com

No Tall Tale: World’s Tallest Building to Debut Next Year
World’s highest skyscraper in Dubai won’t open until early 2010.
http://abcnews.go.com

Take a Bow Atlanta, You’re the Most Toxic City in America
Forbes has ranked the 40 largest metro areas to determine the most, and least, toxic cities in the United States. Atlanta and Detroit were named the dirtiest, while Las Vegas and Sacramento rank among the cleanest.
http://greenbiz.com

World’s Most Unique Places To Visit
If the options for your next vacation come down to the usual beach relaxation period or volunteering at an elephant shelter in Thailand, which would you choose?
http://www.forbes.com

After the Monsoon in Oman
In Salalah, Oman, the annual khareef, or monsoon season, brings cool relief from the oppressive summertime temperatures felt throughout the rest of the country. Each year, many Middle Easterners travel to this town of 180,000 in the Dhofar region of Oman
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com

Phoenix airport luggage thefts: Did you lose a bag? [Updated]
Take a look at the photo above. Recognize your bag?  If so, you may be one of possibly hundreds of passengers whose luggage may have been stolen off carousels at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) in Arizona. Police are asking travelers who think they might have been victimized to call the property crimes section at [...]
http://travel.latimes.com

Best New Trips in the World: Hike and Kayak in Iceland’s Nature Reserve
For our annual Adventure Travel issue, we scoured the globe to find the 25 Best New Trips in the World for 2010, complete with a Best Trips photo gallery. Today, we present Iceland. The world’s far corners are now well within reach. Iceland: Into the Arctic Circle At first glance, the fjord-y, fragmented northwest corner of Iceland looks like a country apart.
http://ngadventure.typepad.com

Frugal Traveler: Inside the Beltway, With Baby Aboard
Dad, daughter and 20 pounds of baby gear go to Washington, D.C., for a frugal day trip.
http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com

A taste of Seoul, Korea: Three nights
Korean food is hot! "Spicy" is probably the most prominent flavor in Korean cooking, but it’s also a sign of the increasing popularity of Korean cuisine. Everywhere you turn these days, it seems like someone is talking about Korean food, from New York’s superstar chef David Chang to the insanely popular Kogi food truck in Los Angeles
http://www.gadling.com

Man denied first-class seat on United for wearing track suit
An executive with Best Buy claims a United Airlines gate agent refused to allow him to take a first-class seat because he was wearing a track …
http://blogs.usatoday.com

Today’s debate: Has cost-cutting gone too far at cruise lines?
Over the past year, as the economy has swooned, many of the big lines have racheted down spending on everything from chocolates on pillows to bunker fuel in a bid to maintain profits (the latter by tinkering with itineraries to operate ships at slower speeds or over shorter distances).
http://www.usatoday.com

Got Ideas for a November or December Escape from Atlanta?
If you prefer to drive rather than fly, some obvious options for culture vultures are Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, Georgia.  But if you’re looking for a beach-resort-style break, since you’ve got a good chunk of time, consider the Caribbean: Several of the islands are a pretty quick flight from Atlanta, and pre-holiday prices are about half what they’ll be in peak season (mid-December through mid-April)
http://www.concierge.com

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This post originally came from Kathika Travel Blog. Stop by and read our most popular travel blog posts.

Travel News and Stories for 11/06/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories for 11/05/2009

Top Six Travel Tactics for Surviving the Holidays
These six tips for holiday air travel will keep you jolly this season.
http://abcnews.go.com

Take a Bow Atlanta, You’re the Most Toxic City in America
Forbes has ranked the 40 largest metro areas to determine the most, and least, toxic cities in the United States. Atlanta and Detroit were named the dirtiest, while Las Vegas and Sacramento rank among the cleanest.
http://greenbiz.com

The World’s 18 Strangest Bridges: Gallery
Some bridges are engineered with nothing but utility in mind—for them, aesthetic design is secondary to safety and longevity. But advances in design software and construction materials have given bridge architects opportunities to focus on designs that impress, while keeping function in mind. Here are some of our favorite unusual bridges.
http://www.popularmechanics.com

You call that a Grand Deluxe Room? And about these pastries!
Lynn Kamimoto thought she was staying in a Grand Deluxe Room at The Fairfax at Embassy Row, Washington, D.C. She thought her stay included a full American Breakfast at the Jockey Club. She thought wrong.
http://www.elliott.org

Response to "TSA Takes Big Gulp over Britney"
A video was posted earlier today by a popular celebrity tabloid showing Britney Spears traveling through airport security at LAX with a large drink cup.

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This post originally came from Kathika Travel Blog. Stop by and read our most popular travel blog posts.

Travel News and Stories for 11/05/2009

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Below is a list of travel news and stories 11/04/2009

Hard Times in the City of Sin
The bar on the 64th floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel offers what could arguably be the best view of Las Vegas at night. A mile-long strip of brightly colored neon lights and gigantic, floodlit casinos glitters through the bar’s floor-to-ceiling windows. Still, as you survey the otherwise dazzling city of nocturnal light, you can see conspicuous patches of darkness dotting the landscape.
http://abcnews.go.com

Ex-Pilot Lives in Brazilian Airport After Being Dumped
A 46-year old German citizen has taken temporary refuge at the airport terminal in Campianas, Brazil after finding himself out of money and down on his luck, reports the Associated Press on October 29th. According to airport employees, Heinz Muller allegedly flew to Rio de Janeiro on October 2nd for a romantic rendezvous with a local women he met..
http://travel.aol.com

The World’s Most Terrifying Towers & Glass Balconies
Whether you’re clinging for dear life to a rickety wooden rainforest observation tower or staring straight down through a glass floor at city streets thousands of feet below, frighteningly tall spires and lookouts give us humans a look at our environment that our ancestors would never have imagined possible.
http://webecoist.com

Plane passenger accidentally activates ejector seat & lives
A civilian passenger in an air force display plane accidentally activated the ejector seat while reaching for something to steady himself during a mid-air manoeuvre.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk

World Series Travel Tips
Going to the World Series this year? Whether you’re a Phillies or Yankees fans (I’m just upset my hometown Nationals forgot how to play ball this year), here are some tips on traveling in both cities.
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com

Spring In New Zealand Brings Extreme Biking, Surfing And Golfing
With sunshiny days flooding into the southern hemisphere, New Zealand is getting ready to host a whole bunch of sporting events that will no doubt attract a few tourist-fans too. Whether you’re into tough endurance sports, sedate strolls or hitting the waves, there is an event to suit your New Zealand plans.
http://www.jaunted.com

Travel + Leisure online airport guide to restaurants, shops and bars
It’s a common dilemma when passing through an airport: What should I eat? Where’s the bar? Are there any good gift stores, because I forgot to get my kids/spouse/mother something on my trip. If you’re racing through the airport with 20 minutes before boarding or stuck on a layover for four hours — Travel + [...]
http://travel.latimes.com

Delta flight returns to Phoenix after bird strike
Authorities say a Delta Air Lines flight headed to Utah has safely returned to Phoenix after one or more birds hit the aircraft.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Medical Tourism Booms In Ghana, Of All Places
The west African country of Ghana hasn’t been too high up on our list of wanna-visits, although its position improved a lot when we heard Ghana is the second highest producer of cocoa – maybe that chocolate bar we just downed came out of Ghana. Anyway, Ghana is actually going for a different target now: the health tourist.
http://www.jaunted.com

First space hotel to open in 2012
Adventurous travelers hoping to one day go into space received good news yesterday when the Barcelona based company behind the Galactic Suite Space Resort announced that their orbiting hotel will open for business in 2012, ushering in a new era in travel.
http://www.gadling.com

Laptops to be banned in cockpits?; Labor-friendly rule proposed for union votes; Anchorage airport overhaul
Here is the Tuesday morning news round-up. It includes recent aviation-related stories posted on USATODAY.com. The stories listed below include …
http://blogs.usatoday.com

Frequent-Flier Superhero To The Rescue
Having trouble using your miles to fly when and where you want to?  For years now, Condé Nast Traveler readers have emailed me asking me to point them to a human being who can help them redeem their considerable airline mileage for the international flights they need.
http://www.concierge.com

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This post originally came from Kathika Travel Blog. Stop by and read our most popular travel blog posts.

Travel News and Stories for 11/04/2009

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