It has a landscape harsher than Canada’s, geological wonders to rival New Zealand, and an altitude that will quite literally take your breath away. You may already have seen the ubiquitous optical illusion photos on the Uyuni salt flats, but there is so much more to Bolivia’s southwest. The surroundings seem to change with every […]

I’m not an avid biker. Nor do I have any sort of bike tech knowledge. I’ve been procrastinating giving my own bike a spring tune-up for about 6 years (and I’ve only owned the bike for 5 years). Although I don’t even own a helmet (much to the distress of my family and friends) or […]

On my recent holiday to Cape Town, all I wanted was more time. After two weeks I had climbed mountains, swam with sharks, cycled cities, and ate my weight in food, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. In a city that has so much to offer, you’ll find it’s hard to sit […]

A great trip is the sum of its parts. But picking the best parts and then figuring out how to piece them together, well, that can be a challenge. Perhaps more than anywhere I can think of, planning a silky smooth trip to Indochina usually boils down to a mathematical equation (not to be confused with a […]

Bangkok has long been known for great hotels. We love them. Mandarin Oriental, The Peninsula, to name but two. From big to small, there is always a good choice for any traveller. In some moments of backpacking weakness (years ago mind you), we even sampled the questionable accommodations along Khao San Rd. Those are memories we […]

Every time our Africa trip planner, Dan Achber, returns from a research trip (which he did just a few days ago) I hound him for photos from his journey. Dan has a knack for taking the kind of in-your-face wildlife photos that remind me it’s not merely what you see when you’re on safari, but […]

New Zealand is hardly a country of beaten paths. Nevertheless, foreign visitors tend to flock to certain towns and regions, whilst other areas remain untouched or visited primarily by vacationing Kiwis (as in the people of New Zealand, not the national bird of New Zealand). The Coromandel Peninsula is a prime example of a classic […]

Hitting the open road in New Zealand is one of our favourite things to do. When on said road, one of the most noticeable things you see is the large variety of campers, or caravans to use the vehicular vernacular. Every time I see one, it brings me back to a point in my childhood, reminiscent of […]

In Spain a number of really excellent hotel chains that have figured out how to combine consistent quality, with character, style and vernacular, making the search for a great city hotel a whole lot easier. In most of the major cities and towns of Spain, you’ll find an AC Hotel, a Hospes hotel, or an NH Hotel. Totally different […]

This is not a post for complaining about spelling (although I wouldn’t be opposed to writing one of those). This is the ultimate South American showdown: Argentina vs. Brazil, who will win it all? It’s a tough match, of course. How can you choose a winner in a battle of Buenos Aires vs. Rio de […]

Practically everywhere you look in Brazil you will find a fabulous stretch of beach. They’re not exactly in short supply. It isn’t every day, however, that you’ll find desert dunes and freshwater lagoons in the same place. Lencois Maranhenses National Park is a landscape so crazy that naturally the way to arrive there is a […]

Any traveller to Morocco will inevitably come across these lonesome shrines dotted across the landscape of the Maghreb, from Tetuan to Tan-Tan. These “Marabouts” are the final resting places of Islamic holy men, “saints” if you will, although Islam officially frowns upon the concept. Morocco being Morocco, however, has traditions that stretch back before the arrival of […]

What is it? “La Via Verde de la Sierra” is one of Andalucia’s best kept secrets. If you’re looking to get away from the crowds of monuments and get out to the real Andalucian countryside for that natural high (and burn off the extra calories of that jamón ibérico at the same time), this is a day […]

Nestled in the depths of the somewhat obscure Katavi National Park, far out in the western reaches of Tanzania, is a camp called Chada Katavi. If you look at a map it’s a touch closer to the Democratic Republic of Congo than to the Serengeti. In other words, the beaten path is nowhere to be seen. […]

Sometimes we all need a vacation from our trip. That sounds confusing, but bear with me. There are two types of travel: a trip, and a vacation. A trip is busy. There are places to go, things to see, perhaps some mountains to climb. A vacation, on the other hand, involves sitting beside a body […]

Semana Santa or Holy Week, the period between Palm Sunday and Easter, brings out all the colour, sight, and sound that make Spain such an irresistible destination. Jerez, a small town in Andalucia most of you have probably never heard of (but you will, as our new Spain trip planner is located here) celebrates the […]