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Two new features you'll notice right away on GoNOMAD are our new vacation rentals directory and our instant passport service. If you're looking for a place to stay on your next vacation or you're worred about getting a passport in time, no worries! We have listings of thousands of vacation homes, villas, cabins and estates, and we can get you a passport in 24 hours.
Sumo wrestlers on their way to
work - photo by Lucy Corne |
On the content side, we have some great stories from our regular contributors this month, and we also feature some newer writers that we're equally excited about. We're always delighted to introduce talented travel writers to our readers.
Senior Travel Editor Kent St. John connects with his inner pirate in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Kelly Westhoff reports on all the cultural offerings in Minneapolis, and Larry Parnass takes us to North Texas to some of the most famous horse farms in the world.
Lucy Corne, who has officially become a regular, offers a guide to Sumo wrestling, complete with videos, and first-time contributor Daniel Gold tells us what it's like to bicycle 7,456 miles from Egypt to South Africa.
We also feature a second story by Suruchi Dumpawar about visiting a 57-foot statue of Lord Bahubali carved from a single piece of rock, in Shravanabelagola, India. Lucia Byttebier, a pergrinatious Agentine, writes about a tranquil vacation in Sardinia in the off-season.
Matt Genner, another first-time contributor, describes the passion for sport in the Eternal City -- Rome. And be sure to check out a beginner's guide to Beijing by Jemima Price.
Just another month of top-notch travel writing on GoNOMAD. |
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New Stories recently published on GoNOMAD:
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Sardinia: Serene in Autumn
As the plane approached the island, I was pleasantly surprised to look down and see that no, it was not covered in grey clouds and that yes, the sun was beating down on a magnificent coastline lined in threads of turquoise and green.
But the gods were definitely cheering for me when I disembarked the plane and felt the warm breezy air hit my face, instantly telling me I was clearly overdressed. Suddenly, it was a glorious day... |
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"Roma, Roma, Roma!" -- The Eternal City's Passion for Sport
Surely, I ponder, there is no greater journey to a sports stadium than the walk from central Rome to the Stadio Olimpico. In the ninety minutes it took me to reach the ground, I had gazed upon some of the most famous buildings of Ancient and Papal Rome. Alessandro was right, sport means a great deal to the citizens of Rome, and as I had also seen, since Imperial times, it always has done... |
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St. Vincent and the Grenadines: A Pirate's Dream
I believe that there were sequels to "Pirates of the Caribbean" just so Johnny Depp and the film crew could return to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I don’t blame them. In the Grenadines there's an island for everyone. If jetsetting is your thing, fine. It is doable, but most head down to reconnect with the pirate or child inside all of us. You can even return with some doubloons if you play your cards right... |
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A Beginner’s Guide to Sumo Wrestling
Witnessing something like sumo is always going to be a thrill. It’s weird and unique, you’ve seen it on TV and it seems to epitomize the culture of a nation. But in truth if you don’t really understand what’s going on, sumo wrestling can soon become pretty dull. Once the novelty of actually being at a real sumo tournament wore off, I felt the need to get a little clued up so that I could really enjoy the last few bouts of the day.... |
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Cairo to Capetown: Biking Through the Heart of Africa
The Tour D’Afrique is the longest most grueling bike race/expedition in the world, covering 12000 kilometers (7,456 miles) through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. My uncle, Henry Gold, started the tour in 2003 as a way to promote sustainable transport and introduce adventurous travelers to a continent he fell in love with... |
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Beijing for Beginners
Arriving in China is a bit like arriving on the moon; you’ve seen all the pictures, you think you know what to expect, but it’s more alien than you can imagine. We endured a hair-raising journey to our hotel; cars driving inches apart or reversing down motorways. Not so different to other cities you might say; except here it's almost like a dance, with everyone seamlessly managing to avoid each other... |
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Mini-Apple No More: Minneapolis Steps Into the Spotlight
While "The Big Apple" -- New York -- has many theaters and museums, so does Minneapolis. The past few years have brought a lot of national recognition, art funding and gallery openings to Minneapolis. The arts are exploding here and the city is moving out of the shadow of New York to stand on its own as a cultural center. Minneapolis is no longer the Mini-Apple... |
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Smugglers Notch: Screaming Fun on Groomers and Glades
With 50 years of experience, Smugglers Notch is also known as Smuggs and it’s billed as ‘America’s Family Resort’ -- the quintessential fun spot for people of all ages and abilities. But, I’m a solitary alpine skier, sans husband and kiddies, and not too keen on crowds, commercialism and tiny tow ropes. I’m in luck - Smuggs is still locally-owned with acres of elbow room...
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Visiting Lord Bahubali in Shravanabelagola
Shravanabelagola, a major Jain pilgrim center, is a sleepy town settled around the two hills, Chandragiri and Vindhyagiri. The 57-foot tall statue of Bhagwan (Lord) Bahubali Gomateshwara, the largest monolith in the world, at the top of Vindhyagri Hill, is the city’s claim to fame. There was a quite crowd climbing the hill; school children, families, foreigners alike on their quest for Lord Bahubali on that particularly sunny day... |
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Traveling Tokyo Solo: What Every Woman Should Know
It’s always been a dream of mine to travel alone. I got the opportunity recently when I found myself in between jobs, bored, and in possession of more frequent flyer miles than I knew what to do with. With a week left before I started a new job, I threw caution to the wind and decided to burn the miles and visit Tokyo. My friend’s parents, both teachers at the American School in Japan, were my gracious hosts... |
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Readuponit
Fly with me as I meet, read and listen to the world.
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Travel Tales From India
Professor
Mridula looks at travel from India.
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Be Our Guest
Share the trips and travails of the travel writer's life |
The Er Files NEW!
Kelly is a writer, reader, traveler, speaker and editor.
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Cross That Bridge
She quit her steady job and struck out to make travel videos.
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Round World Photo
Thought-provoking photos from all over the world. |
Armchair Travel
A literary gadfly writes about books he finds at tag sales. |
Traveling Food NEW!
This blog tracks the mix of travel and food in all its glory.
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LA Nomad
Bill Karz writes about life and travel on the West Coast. |
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Travel Reader
Great travel writing in
short bites from the best travel websites. |
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More Recently Posted Travel Articles
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Riding into North Texas Horse Country
For a place destined to surpass Los Angeles in size and sprawl, a tract just northeast of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex keeps a tight rein on its country ways. Every mile or so along the blue highways of Denton County, the pickup banging along ahead of you pulls off into another horse farm.
Down long driveways they go -- and visitors to North Texas armed with the right maps and guides can follow along behind...
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Taos Ski Valley Opens Up For Snowboards
As of March 19, 2008, the Taos Ski Valley will become snowboarding country. '"The biggest reason for the decision is we feel we're turning away families who came here before," says marketing maven, Adriana Blake. "We've known for a long time there were guests who could not come to Taos Ski Valley, such as clubs or groups of people from metropolitan areas... |
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Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic: An Emerald World of Enchantment
From Puerto Plata, we crossed a landscape of tree-covered mountains, seemingly with very few inhabitants, until just a few miles before reaching Santiago, a city of 1.2 million, we entered the large Cihao Valley, the most verdant area in the Dominican Republic. Here, the majority of agriculture products in the country are produced and much of these are processed in Santiago, the second largest urban centre in the country... |
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Horseback Riding in Chiloe, Chile
Nelson, accompanied by a stray black Labrador and his mongrel, leads us through the deserted village, down a path through whin-covered dunes. The icy Pacific wind hits us as we get our first glimpse of the ocean. The sky has cleared to cobalt with splashes of foamy white clouds. Closer to the salty spray, the whin is replaced by low bushes with giant prehistoric-looking leaves. Nelson tells us it’s nalca, an edible plant... |
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