Tahiti ain't cheap. And, at least in the past several decades, it's also had a reputation for crappy food, cheesy resorts, a seriously sketchy scene in Papeete, and a general lack of sustainable tourism. But that's all changing.

CNN reports that small-scale, eco-oriented tourism is thriving in Tahiti, especially in the mountainous interior, and on the peninsula of Tahiti Iti. An influx of B & B's, guesthouses and bungalows have cropped up, making a visit to the island paradise more affordable to budget travelers (after you cough up the plane ticket, but Air Tahiti Nui offers promotional prices and family discounts). The less-populous inland has loads of hiking trails, waterfalls, and remote beaches accessible only by foot, and outfitters such as Tahiti Evasion offer guided hikes for non-DIY'ers. On the luxury end, some properties, like Bora Bora's InterContinental Resort, are reducing their carbon footprint by using high-tech cooling systems that use pumped-in, deep-sea water, instead of A/C units.

Additionally, great public transit and a thriving local food scene make it easier for culturally-inclined travelers to get a true taste of Tahiti. Roulottes, small food trucks found along Papeete's waterfront, offers local ingredients and traditional dishes, while the central market, Marche Papeete, sells all manner of locally-grown produce. On rural Moorea, check out family farms, and slip into the relaxed, local way of life.

[Via Mother Nature Network]

[Photo credit: Flickr user D.[SansPretentionAucune]]

Some of the best travel photos tell a story or capture a stranger in a private moment. This candid portrait of a woman in Tel Aviv, Israel reading in a window by Flavio@Flickr does both beautifully. What is she so absorbed in reading? It could be an alarming news story or a love poem, or she could just be catching up on the latest Lindsay Lohan antics. At any rate, her image tells an interesting story and invites the viewer to contemplate what could be going on inside the window.

Do your photos have a great story to tell? Upload them to Gadling's Flickr group and we might use one for a future Photo of the Day.

Even the most exclusive hotels know where to come when they want to offer an exclusive deal. That's right, luxe-lovers - today's Daily Pampering is an exclusive deal from the Miami Delano, just for you.

For $395/night, the Delano is offering Daily Pampering readers a night of unbridled luxury, complete with accommodations, a bottle of house champagne and priority access for up to four guests at the legendary Rose Bar or The Florida Room.

The Rose Bar in the Miami Delano is, well, as elegant as a rose is meant to be. The sophisticated space has rose-colored walls and custom Venetian chandeliers, and exudes a certain sense of intimate luxury that appeals to discerning guests.

The Florida Room has all the appeal that Miami Beach nightlife should have. The modern day piano lounge has been a favorite of celebrities including Lenny Kravitz and Jamie Foxx. Sit back and chill out under the smoky-bronze mirrored ceiling and custom-designed chandeliers before heading up to your room for the night. The guest room's white-on-white design is enhanced with rich textures and colors that captures the essence of Miami. From the floating mirrors to the billowing white curtains, you'll feel like a celebrity in your Delano room.

Use this link to book a package. Blackout dates do apply, but the offer is valid through Dec. 30, 2010.

Want more? Get your dose of daily pampering right here.

Traveling cross-country with kids in tow can make fitness more difficult. You can't leave your children to take a long run, or spend an hour in a gym. But you can pack a selection of family friendly items to keep everyone healthy on the road.

The following choices will not only provide a good workout, but they have the added bonus of building memories with your family.

Playground Pump This application for your iPhone or iPod touch features 50 exercise cards designed for the playground. This is a fun way to get a full body work out while traveling. Make a pit stop at a playground and let the cards guide your routine. You are given 6 cards/exercises to perform using typical playground equipment during each workout: 2 upper body, 2 lower body and 2 abdominal cards equals a 30 minute session.

Fit deck Purchase a set or two of these exercise playing cards to carry on the road. Each 56 card fit deck has a different focus. Travel-friendly decks include body weight, yoga or the stretch deck. Each card features three fitness levels to accommodate different abilities. Shuffle and let your child become your trainer by pulling out the next exercise.

I'm sure we've all stayed a night in a hotel where we wished that there was a ban on sex because of the couple in the room next door, but I can honestly say I never thought I'd see a day when an actual hotel sex ban went into effect.

That's exactly what has happened in some hotel rooms at the Alton Towers Resort, a giant theme park and water park in Staffordshire outside London.

After complaints from families about noisy hotel neighbors louder than the screams from the roller coasters, Alton Towers' owners have designated certain rooms as quiet "family friendly" zones and others as "adults only." The family friendly zones have been set up in both the Alton Towers Hotel and Splash Landings.

To be fair, I've been awakened by loud kids more often than I have by couples getting it on in the room next door, so perhaps those adults-only zones are the place to be.

[Image credit: Flickr user Annika Leigh]

Well, we got to Rome in style and now it's time to hit the streets & explore. The city's history spans over two and half thousand years and it seems like everywhere you go, there's something interesting to discover.

This episode, we'll take you on a whirlwind tour of some of Rome's most iconic monuments & show you one of the city's best kept secrets: the American Academy in Rome. On the couch, we'll do an impossibly brief look at city's history as the capital of three major eras; the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. So put on your tourist hat (we won't tell), get your running shoes on and come check out Rome!

The sleek, black gondola is Venice's most well-known symbol. Hand-crafted down to the smallest detail, this ancient method of transportation is often viewed as a try-before-you-die experience for tourists. But what about the man behind the oar?

Today, there are 425 gondoliers who ply the waters of the Venetian lagoon, and, contrary to appearances, they are not just pretty faces with great bodies. Competition for the medieval occupation is fierce, and licenses are limited. If selected, gondoliers go through intensive training for about a year, studying the history, architecture, landmarks and lagoon system of Venice, in addition to English, French and Venetian languages -- not to mention the practical method of learning how to master the difficult boats that are sometimes compared to "fillies."


The gondolier stands facing the bow, holding a long, single oar. He rows one stroke forward, then a backward stroke, performing a graceful ballet. The gondola is asymmetrical, the left side longer than the right, so that it doesn't veer to the left on the forward stroke. To qualify for this extraordinary job, gondoliers must also spend a period of time as an apprentice, and pass a comprehensive exam.

Simon, tanned, blond and handsome, Venetian-born and -bred, has been rowing a gondola for about ten years. "It was hard and difficult at first, until I understood the work. Now, I love it. It is a beautiful job that allows me to be free. The gondola you see is just a tiny piece of Venice's history, a story that starts back in the year 421. It is a story that is 1500 years old. People escaped here from the mainland, fleeing from invaders. They settled first on the island of Torcello. The gondola evolved over the centuries as a way to travel around the waters of the lagoon and the canals. It is a boat designed specifically to fit its environment."

Here are the hottest gear deals for today, Thursday July 29, 2010. Remember, these deals are often valid for just one day, so act fast before they are gone.

Today's first deal is for the new version of the Amazon Kindle - for $139, you get this ebook reader with WiFi (but no 3G), better battery life and an improved screen. Click here for this deal.

Next up is a scorching deal on an 8GB media player. Yes - this looks very much like another popular player on the market, but I'm sure that is just a coincidence. This player features music, video and photo file support, as well as an FM radio and voice recorder. On sale for just $29.99 over at Jizbee.com.

Today's third deal is for the Maximo iM-490 noise isolating headphones. These buds come with a variety of earpieces, a carrying pouch and an extension cable. On sale for $9.99 at sellout.woot.com.

And finally in today's lineup is a slim point and shoot camera case. The case is just $5.99, and features a magnetic snap and wrist strap. Click here for this deal.

Varanasi, City of Death, City of Passage to Worlds Beyond.

Founded by Lord Shiva on the banks of the holy Ganges, Varanasi (once known as Benares) occupies the most sacred land in India, and is a reputed tirtha (passage point to the Other World). For at least 3,000 years Varanasi has drawn India's dying, specifically those dying Hindus seeking release from Samsara, the burdensome cycle of birth, death, and rebirth in which all beings are karmically rewarded or punished for their deeds on earth with a new round of existence, accordingly torturous or pleasant. However, if you expire in Varanasi, have yourself cremated in a pyre beneath the handless clock of Manikarnika Ghat, and have your ashes consigned to the Ganges, you achieve moksha, the highest release possible, the most munificent mercy of all: freedom from Samsara, everlasting surcease of suffering and dispatch to the ethereal Void beyond the world of the flesh.


Well-read travelers to India probably know this much about Varanasi even before arriving. But Varanasi is not only a citadel of mortal passage and spiritual relief. Soot-stained, chock-full of crumbling temples and hostels for the moribund and screeching monkeys, reeking of incense and sandalwood and less salubrious odors, ostensibly holy Varanasi is also home to some 3 million human beings with entirely mundane, even profane, proclivities. I found myself with an unexpected chance to see this for myself during my third sojourn there, two years ago, during the springtime Hindu festival of Holi, when people ritualistically splash each other with colored dyes and ignite corner bonfires in celebration of the deity Prahlad´s escape from the flames into which the demoness Holika had cast him. There are other rites associated with Holi, but for some youths celebratory antics have recently taken more serious turns involving drunkenness and debauchery, the groping of female tourists foolish enough to wander the streets, even assault and rape.

All of which prompted me to wish for Holi's end even before it had started. As it was, an undercurrent of violence seemed to flow through the city, born of overpopulation, caste-related violence in the surrounding countryside, and desperate poverty. My Varanasi-born Indian friend, whom I will call Rajiv here, to protect his identity, sensed my trepidation, and invited me to festivities he was arranging for later in the day.

"Holi out on the streets is one thing," Rajiv said. "But I will show you another." He winked slyly. "If you attend my party, I promise you will not regret it."

We were rather blown away by this shot from Ryan Pemberton of Spokane, Washington. Ryan managed to capture a challenging formation flight of the oldest flying Boeing airliner flown by his dad, Addison Pemberton, along side the newest model, the 787.

Some credit the Boeing Model 40 as the first successful 'airliner' in the U.S., and to see it alongside the 787, which will be delivered by the end of this year, is rather amazing. While heritage flights involving WWII aircraft flying with more modern jets are somewhat common, this formation was a bit more challenging given the differences in speed of each airplane. The 787 is unable to fly as slow as the maximum cruise speed of the Model 40, so some quick shooting was required as the jet flew by. Ryan captured a number of shots, and to see the rest, check out the gallery below.

We covered the first flight of the Boeing model 40 in the past at Gadling. Be sure to check out the video of this amazing aircraft that helped usher in air travel to America.