Feed Editor 5 Oct 2006 19:56:09 GMT Alternative Travel, Around the World travel, Nude Beaches, Destination Guides, Travel Articles on GoNOMAD.com http://www.gonomad.com/index.html en-us http://www.gonomad.com/images/gonomad-logo-travel-guide.gif Imagine eating an entire dinner that all came from within 50 feet from your house. In the US, we pat ourselves on the back for the 100-mile diet, and it's hard to do even that. But tonight we met a family that runs a museum, a farm, and a restaurant in central Sardinia where everything they serve comes from their own land and their own hands. Agostina Vargiu and his 79-year-old mom plus various staff and other family welcomed us with a glass of fruity white wine served from ceramic pitchers as we walked up the cobblestoned driveway in the town of Orroli, near the middle of this large island. It's called OmuAxiu, and it is a memorable place to spend the night or just a few hours over a long dinner. 6 May 2008 19:25:38 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/features/0805/sardinia.html 420F8BC8-4233-4DFB-AD42-15332AA4FE1E Gu-ge 9pronounced 'googay') was established in the 10th century along he banks of the Sutlej River at the bottom of this tremendous canyon system. It was an important and powerful center of commerce and Buddhism for 700 years, and then it mysteriously disappeared. There are theories of outside invasion or internal political strife leading to its demise, however, a sense of mystery still surrounds the place and the ruins left behind. There are several well-preserved monasteries that the caretaker will unlock for you to explore. These are rather amazing in themselves, as they contain some of the best-preserved examples of Tibetan Buddhist art. It seems that during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960’s, the Chinese left much of Gu-ge undisturbed, as it was a “dead” kingdom and posed no direct ideological threat. 6 May 2008 19:22:55 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0804/tibet-gu-ge.html 1F7FD006-238D-41E3-B53B-CE2100052CCA Rob Sangster and Tim Leffel have written the definitive guide to traveling in Mexico and Central America. It's a smart roadmap for any south-of-the-border traveler." —Christopher Elliott, National Geographic Traveler 2 May 2008 15:13:21 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/market/0804/tool-kit.html 2D1531AE-7F34-4977-A99A-4099FCDC48FB Traveling down one of Kenya’s major thoroughfares toward several of Kenya’s game reserves was a great way to see how the rural side of Kenya lives; at least once you get beyond the truck cluttered Nairobi section. While you can take the clear shot to Mombasa it is to two of Kenya’s premier game reserves that we are headed. Once we cleared the traffic it wasn’t long before the occasional Maasai herder could be seen in the distance and the patterns of waves to our vehicle began. Ostriches soon appeared as well as occasional zebras. Soon we passed through the village of Namanga for a dirt road that paralleled the Tanzanian border to Amboseli Park. The friendly waves continued. 2 May 2008 15:12:03 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0804/kenya-nairobi-mombasa.html 29BC6BBA-6722-4C73-8D66-2A4C539AB05C The travel industry is just waking up to the economic power of women, says Marybeth Bond, writer, editor, speaker and women’s travel guru extraordinaire. She knows of what she speaks. Her female-focused travel guide, 50 Best Girlfriend Getaways in North America, sold through its first print run in six weeks and sent her publisher scrambling. 2 May 2008 15:11:05 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/womens/0804/travel-guides.html BAAD6B6E-1D27-4246-93DD-AF980AF1A639 While many artists remain content displaying their masterpieces in galleries and museums, one of Spain’s most profilic and world renowned artists, Antonio Gaudí, made the entire city of Barcelona his living, breathing museum with instantly recognizable landmarks – series of twisting structures, colorful tiles and mosaics, and undulating patterns. 25 Apr 2008 20:07:38 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/features/0804/spain-barcelona-gaudi.html F8924D39-C911-4836-A34F-0421F7DC8D84 But one vital component of travel planning is finding the right place to spend the night. There is nothing like having a good night's rest in a good hotel. Sometimes the hotel you choose turns out to be a nightmare. TVtrip.com has taken the guesswork out of the equation. No longer will the average traveler have to stress about the quality and condition of his/her lodging. This website provides viewers with videos of hotels at their destinations showing exteriors, dining areas, lobbies, rooms, and even the view from the window. 24 Apr 2008 16:19:24 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/traveldesk/0804/tv-trip.html 8178BA78-ED72-4D3B-9120-69D8BC80E5EA It’s not just that we’ve had 17 feet of snow this winter in my part of Canada, that has me wishing I could emigrate to Mexico. I have fallen in love with the lifestyle, and culture of our southern neighbors. The Mexico I experienced was absolute paradise. Los Cabos, Mexico, where I spent a week in March this year, is home to the most charming Latino waiters, almost perfect weather, the world’s yummiest coconut ice cream, and now arguably the best couples resort in the world. 22 Apr 2008 14:52:30 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/alternatives/0804/desire-los-cabos.html 29803D2A-B82B-46A2-BC6D-0B5705170C6C As you may remember from that scene where hundreds of people are digging in Raiders of the Lost Ark, archaeology is a labor intensive enterprise. Unlike in Indy’s world however, there are few real riches to be discovered that would provide motivation for large numbers of people to dig in the heat. Faced with this problem, the US Forest Service came up with a unique resolution to the problem of finding budget to support the masses of people necessary to properly conduct a dig. They decided not to find the budget. Instead, Passport in Time was born. Passport in Time (or PIT) allows anyone to apply to help on digs throughout the county, throughout the year. The leader of each program reviews all applicants and selects the people he needs, who happily come from across the country to provide free manual labor. This summer I channeled my inner-Indy and joined a crew working at Dripping Springs in Utah. 22 Apr 2008 14:50:28 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/features/0804/utah-flaming-gorge.html 1B667BF6-F6AA-4826-9CF0-1F1666855D48 Looking to get away this summer without increasing the size of your carbon footprint? Just an hour north of Boston on Coastal Route 1A, you can relax on the deck overlooking the Atlantic, stroll on the cliff walk and sample New England’s finest seafood at historic York Harbor Inn, just a few steps from the beach. There's a lot to do in and around York Harbor. Besides touring museums and historic buildings, and strolling among the roses on the world-famous cliffwalk, there are the popular Long Sands and Short Sands Beachers, and the more secluded Passaconaway and Harbor Beaches. There are three 18-hole golf courses in the area, as well as opportunities for deep-sea fishing, horseback riding, kayaking and mountain biking. 22 Apr 2008 14:48:38 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/lodgings/0804/maine-york-harbor-inn.html D1A827C6-FED4-450F-968E-706D34EC63E7 I sat next to two young women on the long flight to Melbourne. One of the things they told me I should see while I was here was Australian Rules Football. So despite the jetlag, I took the tram down to Melbourne Cricket Grounds and soon I was holding a beer, chomping on a meat pie and watching the action. It's a fun game that to me blends many of the best aspects of other sports. It has football's laterals and punts, soccer's precision passing and nonstop action, and rugby's tackling and shirt grabbing. 17 Apr 2008 16:49:14 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0804/australia-melbourne.html 06412A46-EA2B-4A95-8127-281923DE144A Kentucky may be in the limelight because of its gleaming thoroughbreds racing down a track to glory in the annual fashionable gala that is the Kentucky Derby, but there is another draw the state is famous for: bourbon. I have never before been to a liquor store that has an entire wall devoted exclusively to bourbon, or driven through a drive-through liquor window, until I visited the bourbon-loving state of Kentucky. 17 Apr 2008 16:47:59 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/features/0804/kentucky-bourbon.html 023B341E-59D1-43B2-9B02-DBFFE984FDE6 While some people's idea of a great vacation is a beach chair and a cold drink, many travelers want to explore and understand the cultures of the places they visit, and to give something back to the communities that have welcomed them. Elevate Destinations of Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a tour company aimed at the high end of the philanthropy travel market, which caters to "luxury-oriented travelers seeking once-in-a-lifetime adventures to exotic destinations where they also have an opportunity to better understand the places they visit." A percentage of each trip is given directly to local non-profit organizations to sustain grassroots community efforts and make a positive impact on the community. 15 Apr 2008 19:16:22 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/helps/0803/elevate-destinations.html 014FDFAD-66AF-4828-B67F-27CE2E0EEA2A Although widely known as the summer capital of Poland, out of season the renowned Sopot Spa is a true mecca for peacefulness and natural beauty seekers. If you pop in there in July, you will find a lively vibrant town crowded with international tourists and joyful street musicians. Travel in winter or early spring and you will get lost among deserted beaches, melancholic alleys and little cozy cafes. I was fortunate enough to be rewarded by a fluffy snow layer on an early morning of mid-March in Sopot – something not completely unusual for the northern outskirts of Poland. Believe me that a walk on the beach with sun reflecting from white glistening piles and snowflakes landing playfully in bustling waves can make serious competition for Hawaii-style strolls. 15 Apr 2008 19:13:47 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0804/poland-sopot.html 1B9C4674-D865-45DB-8AF6-A02F28DFC6C0 The first thing that struck me when I arrived in Dubai was how utterly friendly the people were. Rather than the unsmiling and slightly intimidating officer who usually presides over passport control, we were greeted with a grin and a welcoming chat while being stamped into the UAE’s tourist hub. I was further amazed that evening when, hailing a taxi to take us to dinner, the driver announced that the traffic was too heavy, a cab would be too pricey and recommended that we head to a restaurant within walking distance. 14 Apr 2008 14:51:35 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0804/dubai.html 16849389-46E2-4498-8ECA-2786C36D04E2 Riding out of Addis Ababa, the world’s third highest capital, I’m totally stoked. Completing this route a year earlier, my Canadian cycling mate Scotty Robinson has promised me 450 miles of verdant views, epic climbs, screaming descents and cheap smooth beer in a region of Africa with virtually no tourist footprint. Our goal? Go on a low-carbon diet and pedal these two mountain bikes north from here through the mountains (“bumps in the road” in Scotty’s parlance) to the historic 2,600-meter settlement of Lalibela in Ethiopia’s northern fringes. 14 Apr 2008 14:50:25 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/bicycle-tours/0804/ethiopia-biking.html DCC021A9-652B-47F6-9A16-E5BB25846820 I had been to Thailand many times before but had yet to visit Koh Samui. I put that right after friends said that they loved the place so much they had bought a house there and invited me to stay. They loved the people, beaches, the spicy food, phallic rock formations, culture and the strange mummified monks. It was a short direct 1.5 hour flight away by Bangkok Airway. Koh Samui is the third largest island in Thailand at 280 square kilometers (108 square miles). It has a population of 40,000, but over a million visitors a year. Most of the population and activity is dotted around the coast and the island only takes a few hours to drive round. The interior is tropical jungle and hills covered by millions of well established coconut trees. Most visitors are beach lovers, bar and party hoppers or sun worshippers and rarely leave the main resorts of Chaweng and Lamai. 14 Apr 2008 14:48:47 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0804/thailand-koh-samui.html FBED983B-F45D-422D-9DDD-1B1B7908A8A9 Despite increasingly modern infrastructure, the USVI are still a long way from the level of mass commercialization and development so characteristic of the American mainland. Even busy St. Thomas, overrun by cruise ship passengers on some days, is still fit to be explored and enjoyed island-style. Then there is breathtaking St. John, widely considered to be the most beautiful within the USVI group. This nature hotspot, two-thirds national park thanks to Rockefeller’s land donation of the 1950s, is known for its lush forests and wild animals (even including the occasional donkey or mongoose). 8 Apr 2008 21:24:33 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0804/us-virgin-islands.html C92E86D5-9528-49F8-8819-ABDE36FC9F4B It was a hot humid afternoon on a lazy Jamaican day. My Mom and I had arrived by cruise ship at Montego Bay earlier that morning. When faced with an abundance of choices for shore excursions, we decided to go with one of the most popular tourist attractions in Jamaica, the famous Rose Hall. Located high on the hillside in lush St. James, Jamaica, Rose Hall is a dramatic looking three- storey white washed Great House. My Mom and I eagerly awaited our visit to the mysterious plantation (originally 6,600 acres in size) hoping the catch a glimpse of the famous Annie Palmer, the White Witch of Jamaica, who lived, or should I say ‘ruled’ the plantation and its inhabitants. 7 Apr 2008 21:09:06 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/features/0804/jamaica-white-witch.html B7B4373B-4DB0-44C1-8634-6EA47562AE78 The Baja peninsula is a long, narrow spit of land cleft from mainland Mexico by the San Andreas fault. Two states comprise the peninsula: Baja California and Baja California Sur. Though portions of the peninsula support agriculture, most of Baja is remote, desolate, and largely unpopulated desert. In many towns, amenities such as hot water and electricity are absent. On the other hand, cell service is practically everywhere. The best way to see Baja is on a motorcycle, preferably one equipped for off-road riding. On a bike, you immerse yourself in the scenery. You smell salt in the air, vegetables in the fields, and every taco shop you pass. You sense changes in coastal coolness and inland warmth. And perhaps because you are more unusual and less threatening on a bike, you are quickly accepted by the locals. 4 Apr 2008 18:49:21 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/transports/0804/baja-motorcycle.html 7723698E-CCC8-46A8-BF59-34611BC8B477 Hands down and without equivocation, Guatemala is the gem of Central America, offering more to the traveler than any of its half dozen neighbors, even if the equatorial heat had melted them into a tropical glob. World class sites stretch from the most fabulous Mayan ruin at Tikal in the north to the Rio Dulce and Lago Izabal in the south, sandwiching polychromatic markets and variously active volcanoes from Antigua to Lago Atitlan. This short list barely scratches the surface of flashy and vibrant Guatemala, a country I found safe and carefree outside the habitual suspects in the nighttime ghettoes of the ugly megalopolis pedantically named Guatemala City. Best of all the bulk of Guatemala sits high at altitude, a good place to be in the tropics, away from the sweltering lowlands of unfortunate neighboring countries. 4 Apr 2008 18:48:20 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0803/guatemala.html AB8FE047-CE3E-419E-941D-7FA80B2B41A4 As many college students took their spring break to head off to popular beach destinations, a group of 30 students from the University of Massachusetts, the University of Illinois, and Yale University chose instead to travel to Montevideo, Uruguay, and construct emergency houses for the poor. Through Hillel Uruguay, the three schools participated in a program called Un Techo Para Mi País — Uruguay, which means A Roof for My Country — Uruguay. Working on the outskirts of Montevideo, we spent two days of our community service trip working with Techo in 24 de enero (24th of January), a barrio that has been set up for Uruguayans living below the poverty line. 1 Apr 2008 19:46:04 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/helps/0803/uruguay-housing.html 93A4B836-33C2-4571-9370-9DDC8E7F03E1 Changes in passport requirements for travel to and from the US have changed a lot in recent years, largely due to new regulations promulgated by the Department of Homeland Security. So travelers need passports to go to a lot of places -- notably Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean -- that they used to be able to visit without them, or rather, they need passports to return from those places. It's all rather confusing. And there are still more changes to come in the near future. To make sense of the whole situation, especially for the first-time traveler, GoNOMAD turned to an expert, Robert Lee of Swift Passport Services, to explain when you need a passport and how to go about getting one. 1 Apr 2008 19:43:34 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/traveldesk/0702/passports.html 52C934EF-3526-4C91-9085-DD82F96CE3BB Air travel today has lost much of its romance and sense of adventure. Yet when it comes to the destinations that travelers flock to for business or pleasure, an air of mystery still can be found over many three-letter codes which don’t seem to make any sense: BNA -- Nashville Today’s Nashville International Airport still retains the airport code of BNA, which honors World War I veteran and air transport advocate Colonel Harry S. Berry. He was Tennessee’s WPA Administrator. The WPA was one of Frankin D. Roosevelt’s alphabet soup programs that helped put people to back to work during the Great Depression, and was responsible for the building of Berry Field in 1937. So despite the name change to Nashville International Airport in 1988, the three letter airport code remains to remind people of Berry Field NAshiville. 1 Apr 2008 19:41:46 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/traveldesk/0803/airport-codes-two.html 83ED987F-8FE2-4D74-957C-28E10EAE8BF4 A sea of humans swells and ebbs in Thammampatti, a small town near Salem in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. There are people everywhere, easily tens of thousands; they flood the roads filling the narrow alleys, their eager faces gaze down from rooftops, they are perched precariously on bamboo scaffoldings to get a better look. And then comes the juggernaut, the bull. Festooned with gulal [colored powder], ribbons and garlands and moving its head agitatedly showing off the razor-sharp horns it tears past the mass of humans. A hush engulfs the crowd and the excitement is palpable. The not-so-brave scamper to shelter themselves from the onslaught; the barricades are no match to the brute force of the beast. 1 Apr 2008 19:40:17 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/features/0803/india-jallikattu.html F5ABF535-D559-48C1-95FB-0B3EBD1F6FD1 My boyfriend Claus and I have gotten on a flight to America, rented a white Chevrolet, and set out from Oklahoma City on Route 66 to Los Angeles. To Europeans like us, the Historic Route 66 is somewhat mysterious, legendary and almost synonymous with the American way of life - the freedom and adventure of the open road. This is the real, authentic America. 28 Mar 2008 15:15:51 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/transports/0803/route66.html A089EDEE-136C-488D-B882-212E892EEC5D As in other Scandinavian countries, you won't find poverty, illiteracy or tacky tourist crowds in Helsinki. Everyone here enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the world and all those under 40 usually know how to speak three languages including English. When Finland joined the European Union in 1995 it showed the world just how evolutionary Helsinki was with a trajectory in nightlife, design, cuisine and accommodations. 28 Mar 2008 15:14:16 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0803/finland-helsinki-turku.html 04B59CC2-EF8A-4DCF-8C92-99F756DEEB9C In June 2001, NPR contributor Scott Huler read an essay on the radio show "All Things Considered" in which he made a simple claim: that he would forever give up trying to read James Joyce's Ulysses. Little did he know that his public claim not only would land him exactly where he had promised never to be - in a reading group slogging through Joyce's impenetrable modern masterpiece - but would launch an obsession with the book's inspiration: the ancient Greek epic The Odyssey, and with the lonely homebound journey of its Everyman hero, Odysseus. Odysseus made a long journey, and for millennia people have speculated on the Mediterranean sites where those adventures occurred. Seeking such heroic adventure, Huler stuffed a backpack with clothes, guidebooks, and the Odyssey. And he headed for the wine-dark sea. 25 Mar 2008 21:09:00 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/market/0803/no-mans-land-odyssey.html FE49590A-7FFA-4ABA-AA3E-6DE557ED70E7 What if I told you that I just had a whole week’s vacation in a four-star villa in a small beautiful village near Salamanca, Spain and it included three full meals a day with wine and it came with about forty new best friends… all for free? Well, I did. I know what you’re thinking, ‘What’s the catch?’ Well, there was one -- all I had to do was speak English. And considering it is my native language… how hard could that be? Pueblo Inglés is not exactly a school for English. It’s more like an intense English ‘experience.’ It’s a unique opportunity for native English speakers to immerse themselves in Spain’s culture and people firsthand in exchange for just chatting with Spaniards. 25 Mar 2008 21:07:49 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/alternatives/0503/pueblo-ingles.html 5A282559-A565-4811-9378-E1C49E30DECD You are overlooking the most breathtaking scenery in the world and the valley below looks like a tiny, indistinguishable speck. You begin to sway, have a headache, feel light-headed and dizzy and your legs begin to tremble. You think you’re about to toss your cookies and you can’t seem to think straight. Is it a heart attack? Are you dying? Chances are, you are experiencing altitude sickness. The mountain patrol has been called, you’re strapped into the rescue basket and the snowmobile whisks you down to a lower elevation and into the medic’s office for water and oxygen. 25 Mar 2008 21:06:46 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/traveldesk/0803/altitude-sickness.html D0FCD98B-A1FC-4647-8A8C-CCAA5BAB6D20 The signs being waved by costumed teenagers during Quebec City's Winter Carnaval Night parade said it all. "We get people outside for Carnaval!" I must agree, there is something fun about bundling up and taking on winter head-on. On my first afternoon in this city, that this year celebrates 400 years of settlement on the St. Lawrence River, I took a walk in the blowing snow. I had come prepared; hey, I live in New England, and we know cold. Not this cold! 25 Mar 2008 21:05:56 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/features/0802/quebec-city-winter-carnavale.html 50EC920D-2CA4-4C65-902C-30B1EBB7F565 Three years ago, popular, award-winning mystery writer Tony Hillerman did something almost unheard of for an author of his stature: he endorsed a special “Hillerman Country tour offered by Scottsdale-based Detours of Arizona. This laid-back literary road trip takes travelers, for five days and four nights, through miles of high desert mountain lands and rocky canyon paths that fictional characters, like Navajo Tribal Police Jim Chee, Officer Bernadette Manuelito and Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn have covered hundreds of times in Hillermans stories. 25 Mar 2008 14:13:00 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/features/0803/hillerman-four-corners.html 0FC27DEB-E7DA-4010-96D7-AD7148392B8B Consistently rated as one of the world's top culinary destinations, New Orleans has more restaurants open today than before Katrina. The French Quarter (“Vieux Carre) is where you'll find many of the well-known destination restaurants, as well as spots frequented by locals. Just beyond the Vieux Carre, other neighborhoods hold delicious rewards for diners willing to hop in a cab for a good meal. Ask anyone in New Orleans what their favorite restaurants are, or where they think you should have a meal while visiting and the answer will likely be, “How many days do you have? Then, they proceed to tell you their top five places and another few you might try to fit in. 17 Mar 2008 18:09:45 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/features/0803/new-orleans-food.html 6DB455D3-57A8-4924-A4EB-6B007F6291C7 Our first trip to Ch das Caldeiras had been in an air-conditioned tourist bus. Upon returning home, satisfied, and with a knowledgeable air of superiority, we explained to our friends and family, what a mysterious, odd, and surprising place Cape Verde was. We vowed to go back and try to understand better this not quite African, not quite Brazilian, not quite Portuguese, and not quite Caribbean country. Four months later almost to the day, we were on our way to Ch once again. This time not in an air-conditioned mini-bus, but in the back of a pick up truck filled with shouting children, squeaking chickens, and food provisions that would become dinner that night. Our heavy boxes, loaded with books and school supplies for the kids in the village, were the reason for our return to Fogo. 17 Mar 2008 18:08:26 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0803/cape-verde-fogo.html 12C26400-FEC1-433A-8149-13E62E670E92 GoNOMAD Book Excerpt - Inca Trails by Martin Li Inca Trails tells the story of a thrilling journey by mule through some of the most remote, rugged and beautiful wilderness in the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes. My quest was to trace the rise and fall of the Inca empire through a journey from its birthplace in Lake Titicaca, through the remote Apolobamba range of the Andes, to its pinnacle at Cuzco and Machu Picchu, and beyond to the scene of its final stand against the Conquistadores in the densely forested mountains of Vilcabamba. 17 Mar 2008 18:06:46 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/market/0803/inca-trails.html 2B3B3217-5564-4C22-9802-6571D68ADB6E Cars and roads are still a fairly recent phenomenon in Nepal. Just ten years ago, Kathmandu was a sleepy little city of a few million people running around on foot, bicycle and rickshaw. On any given morning outside of the monsoon season, clear views were to be had of the distant Himalaya. Today the place is choking in traffic, fumes and smog, and a new new road promises to bring more of the same to the Annapurna Sanctuary, possibly killing the goose that laid the golden egg, and driving away trekkers who come to see a region of beauty and grace. 17 Mar 2008 17:55:29 GMT http://www.gonomad.com/features/0803/nepal-trekking.html 294E0302-FDEB-4344-9643-84C7000BDDAA