New stories added this month:

Destinations
Healdsburg, California--A Wine Heaven
Surrounded by three of Sonoma's best known wine counties, Healdsburg is the perfect base to chill, unwind and savor the best of California. Two hours drive north of San Francisco, just off Highway 101, lies the small town of Healdsburg. The secret to its growing popularity is its charm and location. With Alexander Valley to the north, Dry Creek Valley to the west and Russian River Valley to the south you are within short driving distance of over 80 wineries set amongst stunning countryside. Continue story...

Destination Mini Guide: Dubai
Why go?  Dubai is unlike any middle-eastern holiday you will ever take. It is not a place you have to worry about visiting due to political unrest or crime situation. In fact, Dubai is a luxurious city destination offering a contrast of east meets west, where the traditional and modern blend in harmony. Continue story...

The King and I: Climbing Bhutan's Most Sacred Summit
I'm not accustomed to being followed by royalty, but then I'd never before visited Bhutan. While I was on a trek
to Jomolhari, Bhutan's most sacred summit, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck strode in my footsteps as he travelled to meet subjects in remote corners of his Himalayan kingdom. The king's realm is no ordinary place.

Almost all of Bhutan is mountainous and over 70 percent is densely forested. Furious rivers sourced in the high Himalaya carve ever deeper ravines through the landscape. Following the royal example and walking is the best, and often the only, way to reach isolated settlements and experience the real soul of this pristine and little-explored land. Continue story...

Lodgings
Seeing Sorrento and Ischia
"The Amalfi coast".just hearing those three words conjures up images of beautiful but expensive and crowded southern Italy.  However, I recently discovered that it is more affordable than the image, exceptionally beautiful, and as for the crowds.yes, it's a crowded place with a long history of foreign tourism, and as my boyfriend remarked.our encounters with fellow tourists proved to be a special part of our time there.  English, Irish, German, and a few fellow Americans, all eager to relax and absorb the experiences that come only from foreign travel. 
Continue story...

Alternatives
Learning Spanish on the Go in the Mexican Caribbean
It was 10 a.m. on a Monday at my office in New York. I was thinking about planning out my next vacation during some holiday time coming up next month. I was flirting with the idea of enrolling in an intensive Spanish course overseas and thinking some language skills might come in handy for my new job or during my future trips overseas.

My ultimate goal was to develop practical Spanish survival skills with which I could travel throughout the Spanish speaking world and have contact directly with the locals without the need for a bilingual guide or English tours. I knew I had been missing out on a huge part of traveling overseas and wanted to experience my next trip through the eyes of a native.
Continue story...

Features
Cooking In Italy: Being Part of the Family at Mami Camilla
"I want you know the simplicity of the Neapolitan cuisine," Giuseppe Longo told us. "It is about the simple way we cook our food and the wonderful ingredients we use here," he said, setting before us a plate of very ripe yellow melon draped in prosciutto paired with the local fruity white wine. We had stepped off the bus from the Naples airport in Sant 'Agnello, a suburb of Sorrento on Italy's southern Mediterranean coast. We sat under the shade of lemon and olive trees in the courtyard, and contemplated the week ahead at Mami Camilla's Taste of the South of Italy. The delicious snack was a prelude to what would be a series of lessons, field trips, and big candle-lit dinners with plenty of wine and fascinating conversation. Continue story...


Ten Travel Commandments of Air Travel
We've all experienced security hassles, spilled wine, headaches, and boring plane rides. While, unexpected quirks seemto happen at the most inopportune moments, traveling by air is definitely one of those times. As you're starting out on your journey even the slightest discomfort can spoil your much-needed vacation. By simply following the Ten Travel Commandments you will have no flying nightmares to report upon your return-at least that were in you control. Continue story...

Free T-shirts for our Newsletter Readers! Yeah, we love ya! Come meet us, visit our booth, ask us about the latest trends in travel, and pick up your FREE GoNOMAD T-shirt at the ADVENTURES in TRAVEL Expo, at New York City's Jacob Javits Center. It's a dynamite show with tons to see and do! January 10-11, 2004. Visit this link for details on this great adventure travel show...perfect for GoNOMAD readers!

Let the JET Program Take you to Japan to Teach English! Are you looking for international living and working experience? If so, then you may want to consider the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. ALL MAJORS WELCOME TO APPLY!! The JET Program hires American college graduates and young professionals to live and work in Japan as English teachers in Japanese public schools. Japanese language skills and teaching experience are not required! The goals of the JET Program are to enhance foreign language education and internationalization in Japan through the interaction of Japanese and American youth at the local level. General information and applications for departure to Japan in summer 2004 are now available at our website: www.us.emb-japan.go.jp. Any questions can directed to jet@embjapan.org (202) 238-6772/6773. Omachi shite orimasu!

Susan Miles, a JET participant and GoNOMAD contributor, wrote about her experiences as an English Teaching in Japan. Read her story here on GoNOMAD.

Cindy knows that life is too short to stay at home...see the world like she does, read GoNOMAD and buy tickets here when you're inspired!

Would you like to add your travel-related link to GoNOMAD?

Here are some recently discovered cool links we recommend

www.travelintelligence.com
An overflowing bin of wonderfully inspiring travel stories from top travel writers

www.wildwritingwomen.com
The Wild Writing Women, a San Francisco group of travel writers, offer readers the type of entertaining
narratives found in their award-winning anthology, Wild Writing Women: Stories of World Travel; recommendations on
their favorite hotels, restaurants, books and movies; and—best of all—practical tips that will make your own travels smooth
sailing. To subscribe visit the link above or simply click on the magazine link to read their debut issue. Bon voyage!

Get the new GoNOMAD T-shirt FREE WITH ANY AIRTREKS Around the World ticket! (Or order one to wear while you plan your trip!) Hanes Beefy Tee, white, only $12.95, including shipping and handling . FAX US YOUR ORDER (PDF Form) or email us      Safe Travels!

READY TO GO? You can find the lowest fares, car rentals, railway tickets , or hotels anywhere by visiting these links:
Airfares--U.S. and Abroad  Round the World Airfares    Car Rentals  Railway Passes Hotels Around the World Vacations and Cruises Hostels Around the World

Write for us. We are interested in your travel stories. We want stories about places you don't read about everywhere. Different, faraway places in the U.S. and around the world, that will make for exciting reading. If you can provide us with lots of details on where to stay, where to eat, what not to miss and of course, the many websites about the place, we'd love to hear from you.   Visit this link to read our writer's guidelines.   We are especially interested in destination guides to your hometown.