Gadling

Valentine's Day inspiration from travel blogging couples

Jessica Festa — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Festivals and Events, Blogs, Stories

Ryan & Laura of Round We Go
As told by Ryan

We're both from St. Louis, but met on a beach in Destin, Florida. I went to study abroad in Ireland and Laura came over to visit and we traveled through Ireland and Scotland. Laura studied in Spain the following year and I went over to visit her. When Laura finished college, we decided to attack a different continent and booked a one-way ticket to South America, traveling Brazil for six weeks, setting up shop in Buenos Aires for five months, moving to Santiago, Chile, and traveling through Bolivia, Peru and Patagonia before returning home to the U.S. We moved to Chicago, worked, saved, and left again, this time on a 14-month trip around the world. We estimate we've spent more time together as a couple than our parents' combined 70 years of marriage.

Funny travel moment: It was one of our first nights in Buenos Aires. Laura had been trying to teach me Spanish words and phrases, although I had no real desire to learn. We were still learning our way around the city when we were heading out one night. Switching subway lines, I stepped onto the train with Laura a step back. The doors closed quickly behind me with Laura still on the other side of them. Looking baffled at each other through the subway doors, I mouthed, "What should we do?" Lucky for us, the Argentine woman next to Laura had understood what I had said, "la proxima parada", in Spanish. Laura got on the following train and greeted me at "the next stop" with a cross between a grin and a scowl. I still have no idea why her Spanish lesson had popped into my head at that moment, but we still laugh about it.

Couples' travel tip: Communication is very important. We are often forced to push ourselves when traveling in ways we don't living comfortably at home. By listening to one another, we've been able to work through problems more quickly and have avoided falling into the same traps, or fights, that couples do.

This Valentine's Day: We'll be at home in Chicago brainstorming a more interesting way to spend Valentine's Day next year!

Continue reading Valentine's Day inspiration from travel blogging couples

Valentine's Day inspiration from travel blogging couples originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How much does it cost to travel the world for a year?

Chris Owen — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hiking, Blogs, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Camping

$15,000 is how much, according to travel bloggers Kyle and Briana of RollGlobal.org who traveled to 19 countries in Asia, Africa and Europe, tracking their daily expenses to prove that it is not only possible to quit your day job and travel the world, but it can be affordable, too.

As we see in this infographic, it could have been less too but bad weather put them in a hotel a few nights and replacing some equipment added some unexpected expenses.

by visually.

How much does it cost to travel the world for a year? originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Upcoming travel blogger conferences for 2012

Laurel Miller — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Learning, Business, Festivals and Events, Food and Drink, Blogs, Photos, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America, Antarctica, Italy, Switzerland, United States, Hotels and Accommodations, Books, Transportation, Ecotourism, Budget Travel, Cruises, Middle East, Central America, Caribbean, Women's Travel, Luxury Travel

If the word "conference" immediately conjures images of tipsy, poly-suit clad conventioneers, comic book geeks, or coma-inducing workshops, you obviously haven't attended a travel blogger gathering.

'Tis the season for some of the year's biggest travel industry blowouts. Each has a different focus--some are for accredited travel writers, others hone in on the burgeoning travel blogging industry or events tailored for the public. What they all share is an emphasis on networking with industry professionals, travel trends, and continuing education in the form of field trips, workshops, seminars, panel discussions, and yes, a fair bit of partying.

Below, our picks for the best in travel industry camaraderie and information exchange:

Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX)
The year's most anticipated travel scribe gathering will be held June 15-17 in Keystone, Colorado. Expect a mix of over 350 fledgling and veteran writers, PR and travel industry experts, guest speakers, and workshops. In your downtime, take advantage of Keystone resort and environs by hiking, mountain biking, paddling, fly-fishing, or riding. Psst. Europe TBEX will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland, October 11-13.

New York Times Travel Show (NYT)
Held March 2-4 at Manhattan's Jacob C. Javits Convention Center, this is a great event if you're an accredited writer with a specific niche (Industry Professional Sessions include topics like "Focus on Africa," and "Focus on Travel Media"); there's also a "trade-only" day. The public and and newbie writers can explore the Exhibition Hall, check out a variety of cultural events to be held on five stages, and let the kids run amok in the Family Fun Pavilion. Bonus: Accredited travel professionals can attend the Friday Exhibition Hall and travel industry welcome reception, and Saturday and Sunday seminars and Exhibition Hall free of charge.

Travel Bloggers Unite (TBU)
Feel like a tax write-off trip to Umbria, Italy (did I just say that)? From April 20-22, this UK-organized conference unites travel writers and bloggers with travel PR experts, tourism boards, and travel companies. Seminars include photo walks and workshops, and using social media. Best of all, delegates will be able take free post-conference tours of Umbria.

Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers Conference
Lonely Planet guru/Gadling editor Don George co-founded this renown industry event with Book Passage owner Elaine Petrocelli in 1991. Held annually at Petrocelli's Marin County bookstore (located 15 minutes north of San Franciso; the other Book Passage is a tiny shop in San Francisco's Ferry Building). The event has attracted in the past luminaries such as Tim Cahill, Larry Habegger, and Gadling's David Farley. This year, esteemed writer Susan Orlean will be in attendance, and the schedule includes four days of seminars, workshops, panel discussions, and optional evening field trips. If you're serious about travel writing--and few places provide as much topical diversity as the Bay Area--sign up, stat.

Be sure to check out Don's article on "Top tips for TBEX and other writers' conferences" before you sign up or get on a plane (they say advice doesn't come cheap, but this is free, baby).

[Photo credit: Flickr user Dia[TM]]

Presenting Xtranormal's "I want to be a travel writer"

Upcoming travel blogger conferences for 2012 originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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National Parks Conservation Association launches official blog

Kraig Becker — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Learning, Blogs, North America, United States

The National Parks Conservation Association, a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect and preserve America's wild and historic places, officially launched their new blog earlier this week. The site, which can be found at ParkAdvocate.org, went online just as America's first Summit on National Parks was getting underway.

As you would imagine with any new blog, content is a bit sparse at the moment, but already filing in nicely. Eventually the site will be home to a wide variety of news stories and features on the parks and NPCA efforts to protect them, as well as photos and videos from those amazing places. The blog already features a four-minute video tour of Yosemite and a great overview of the proposed Lone Star National Recreation Area, which we told you about last week, with plenty more content to come soon.

The blog's first official post came from NPCA President Tom Kiernan who discussed America's Summit on National Parks, a symposium that wrapped up yesterday in Washington, D.C. At the Summit, a number of leaders in conservation, tourism, education, and a variety of other fields, came together to discuss the future of the national parks in the U.S. as we approach the 100th anniversary of the Park Service in 2016. The parks currently face a variety of threats, including climate change, pollution, and massive budget cuts, just to mention a few, and the attendees of the conference discussed ideas on how to continue to preserve America's wild places for future generations to enjoy, while meeting those challenges.

Judging from the attendance numbers - which continue to rise to historic levels - travelers see the value of protecting the national parks too. Now, thanks to this new blog, they have a tool for staying connected to parks and staying informed of the efforts to protect them.

National Parks Conservation Association launches official blog originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More Istanbul shopping and dining secrets from Daily Secret

Meg Nesterov — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blogs, Asia, Europe, Turkey, Internet Tools, Luxury Travel

Last week, Gadling included Istanbul in our picks for 2012 luxury travel, and introduced you to Daily Secret, a web-based "guide service" offering insider intel to 12 cities, including Istanbul. We got so many more great Istanbul secrets from editor Laura Wells (many with special discounts and exclusive access), we're posting them for Gadling readers to add to their itineraries. Happy shopping (and tasting)!

Local designer fashion: To buy designer clothing for men & women from multiple up-and-coming Turkish designers, this is a really cool, brand-new co-op: Fashion Tunnel in Galata

Turkish wine: Turkey has amazing wine, but it's difficult to export as it's heavily taxed. To try the best Turkish wines (even local sour cherry wine wine, which is delicious) and get ideas for what to buy at duty free, check out Rouge in Taksim. They have free tasting every Saturday, but you can try anything by the glass in the restaurant above, which also serves amazing rare Turkish cheeses and cure meats.

Waterside dining: For a gourmet, organic meal that few know about with a view of the Bosphorus, head to Fark-et-mez in Sariyer. The chef & sous-chef are both Turkish, and Daily Secret members get 15% off their meal. They also have live jazz on certain nights.

Continue reading More Istanbul shopping and dining secrets from Daily Secret

More Istanbul shopping and dining secrets from Daily Secret originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Locked up Abroad: It's only Christmas, why are the shops closed?

Dave Seminara — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blogs, Europe, North America, Austria, United States

I'd never seen such a long line at a supermarket in my life. It was December 22, 2006 and I was hoping to buy a few items at a chain supermarket in Vienna, Austria. After waiting in line for about 15 minutes, it was almost my turn. But then an announcement was made, in German, the lights were dimmed and the people behind me in line dispersed- some left their items in their baskets, others took the time to replace their groceries on the shelves.

"Veer closed now," said the cashier, in English, sensing my confusion.

"But can't I pay for my things?" I asked, hopefully.

"We close at six," she said, pointing to a clock which proved that it was exactly six o'clock.

"Do you know if there are any other grocery stores in the area that are open?" I asked.

"Oh no," she said. "Everything will be closed until Wednesday."

My wife and I had just arrived in Vienna for a four day weekend, and it was only Friday night. We assumed that the shops and museums would be open on Saturday and again on Tuesday. It turned out that the city was practically sealed shut for four full days. Some shops had limited hours on Saturday, December 23, but all were closed on Sunday and Monday, and again on Tuesday for St. Stephen's Day.

Some restaurants remained open, but all the museums and other tourist attractions were closed. I didn't actually mind that, but the real kicker was the fact that the streets were so eerily empty. Part of the joy of walking a great city like Vienna is the people watching, and the site of empty streets and shuttered storefronts was depressing. As Morrissey once crooned, "I want to see people and I want to see life."

Fast forward to Christmas Day, 2011 in Falls Church, Virginia. I was about to make a sandwich from some leftover ham from our Christmas Eve meal and decided that some Swiss cheese would be the perfect complement to my lunch. I drove up the street from my house and found that both supermarkets we frequent were open. Not only that, but there were plenty of shoppers out and about. If the woman at the deli counter hadn't wished me a Merry Christmas, it might have been just any other day.

Continue reading Locked up Abroad: It's only Christmas, why are the shops closed?

Locked up Abroad: It's only Christmas, why are the shops closed? originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Want to win a flight anywhere in the world?

Kyle Ellison — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blogs, Transportation, News, Travel Deals

Yes. Anywhere in the world. Provided the ticket is under $1,500 (no business class to Cape Town, in other words).

If you're in need of a travel fix for 2012, this seriously couldn't be easier. To celebrate the launch of their new site, The Ambler, a site that focuses on Central American travel and culture, the creators of the site are offering readers the chance to win a $1500 travel voucher to the airline of their choice.

All that's needed for entry is to leave a comment on a life-changing travel experience in order to be entered into the grand drawing. Vote for your favorite travel stories left by fellow users, and, as online contests usually go, the person with the most votes at the end of the contest period will be the winner of a spanking new ticket to a destination of their dreams.

So what are you waiting for? 15 seconds of your life could put you 15,000 miles around the globe, with $1,500 to get you there. When it comes to global travel, I'll hop at any opportunity for a way to get back out on the road.

For more information or to enter the contest, visit the contest site and start thinking how travel has made you who you are today.

Want to win a flight anywhere in the world? originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Traveler in the Foreign Service: Can a guy who didn't get high get a security clearance?

Dave Seminara — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blogs, North America, United States

I was sitting at my kitchen table with a former law-enforcement official feeling nervous about the fact that I'd never taken any illegal drugs.

"In the last seven years, have you illegally used any controlled substance- cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, hash, narcotics, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, steroids, inhalants or prescription drugs?" the man asked, reading from a list of prepared questions.

"No, not at all," I answered.

The man looked up from his yellow legal pad and put his pen down.

"You never smoked marijuana?" he asked, squinting his eyes as if struggling to see me.

I had no pony tail, I wasn't wearing a tie-dyed t-shirt, and there were no half eaten cartons of Cherry Garcia in sight. Was my story really so unbelievable? I half-considered concocting some recreational drug use just to be a bit less boring.

I had passed the Foreign Service written exam and the oral assessment and had received a "conditional" offer of employment from the State Department. The offer was contingent upon being able to pass background and medical examinations, and having the good fortune to be invited to join an A-100 class, which is an introductory class for incoming Foreign Service Officers.

My kitchen table non-confession was with a contract background investigator who had been retained by the Office of Personnel Management to delve into my background to ensure that I wasn't a spy, a terrorist, or a drug addict.

Continue reading A Traveler in the Foreign Service: Can a guy who didn't get high get a security clearance?

A Traveler in the Foreign Service: Can a guy who didn't get high get a security clearance? originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Travel meets journalism at Roads and Kingdoms

Meg Nesterov — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blogs, Asia, Burma (Myanmar)

Last month, writers Nathan Thornburgh (a contributing editor to TIME and recent guest of Fox News) and Matt Goulding (food & culture writer and author behind the Eat This, Not That! book series) launched a new website with the intriguing tagline: "Journalism, travel, food, murder, music. First stop: Burma." Combining on-the-spot reporting on current events and politics with in-depth cultural observations, rich photography, and engrossing narratives, Roads and Kingdoms feels like a travel blog we all want to write: a bit daring, occasionally foolhardy, and often inspiring. Fresh home from their first major trip and recovering from Burma belly, Gadling talked to co-founder Nathan about Roads and Kingdoms.

How would you describe your blog in one sentence?

Travel meets journalism.

How did it come about? How has your background in news helped (or hindered) your travels?

Matt and I felt like our work - he writes about food, I'm a foreign correspondent - actually had a lot in common. As writers on assignment, we found that the best parts of being on the road - the amazing meal on the street corner, the back-alley bar with the great live jams, the sweaty tuk tuk ride through the outskirts of the city - are left out of the final product. It's those parts that we want to provide a home for. It's a different kind of travel mindset, whether you're going to London or Lagos. Journalism is all about being curious, which is a quality great travelers have as well.

It's not meant to remain a blog: we'll be launching our full site soon, which won't just be our travels, but a variety of dispatches in the Roads and Kingdoms style, from writers and photographers and videographers around the world.

Continue reading Travel meets journalism at Roads and Kingdoms

Travel meets journalism at Roads and Kingdoms originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Traveler in the Foreign Service: Not much of a diplomat

Dave Seminara — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blogs, Malta, United States

My journey into the U.S. Foreign Service started as a Colonel Muammar Gaddafi impersonator in a school auditorium near Buffalo, New York in 1986. I was taking part in an 8th grade Model U.N. assembly, and had been given the difficult brief of dressing up like a citizen of Malta and delivering a speech advocating Maltese interests, whatever those were during the Cold War.

According to my trusty Encyclopedia Britannica, (remember those?) Libya was one of Malta's primary trading partners, and since it appeared to be relatively close to Libya on the map, I went ahead and donned a flowing white Arab-style robe with matching headdress and aviator sunglasses for my speech. A photograph of me in my Gaddafi costume appeared in The Buffalo News, and someone at my school decided to send a copy of the press clipping to the embassy of Malta in Washington, in the absurd belief that they might find some amusement in the fact that a 13-year old boy was photographed grossly misrepresenting their country.

A few weeks later, I received a package from the office of the Prime Minister of Malta with some books about the country, along with a scathing letter, which darkly and absurdly hinted at a sinister, anti-Maltese conspiracy perpetrated by our "so-called free press" in Buffalo. My school was convinced that I'd created an international incident and forwarded the letter to the State Department. Five months later, I received a letter from the State Department's Desk Officer for Malta, which contained an unlikely piece of advice: consider a career in diplomacy.

My parents bought me a shortwave radio and the crackling sounds of far-off places fed my desire to see the world. After college, I took jobs in advertising and publishing more or less to fund travel opportunities, and took off as soon as my bank account allowed for extended overland trips in Europe, the Middle East, Russia, Central Asia and China. The trips left gaping holes in my resume but renewed my interest in joining the Foreign Service.

Wanderlust is a romanticized concept but it can also be an affliction, a malady that prevents people from becoming settled, productive members of the rat race. After returning to Chicago, my adopted hometown, after along overland trip in 2000, I resolved to make a serious push to get into the Foreign Service, in the hopes that it would be a career that could channel my wanderlust into something productive. Rehabilitate me, if you will.

Continue reading A Traveler in the Foreign Service: Not much of a diplomat

A Traveler in the Foreign Service: Not much of a diplomat originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Want to have your travel stories published in a book?

Jessica Festa — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Arts and Culture, Learning, Festivals and Events, Blogs, Stories, Books, Consumer Activism, Women's Travel

Have you ever wanted to have your travel stories published in a book? Well, now here's your chance. The bloggers behind wegetthere operate under the strong belief that "travel means freedom", and they strive to create a community of travelers, explorers, and adventurers. Taking their mission one step further, the bloggers have decided to put together a book, relevantly titled "Travel Means Freedom", written by the travel community.

Anyone is eligible to share their travel stories. All that you must do is click here to be guided through the 3 steps:

Download the Microsoft Word template for your story.
Write a travel story that is about 1,000 words long.
Submit the contact information form.

That's it! Submissions are being accepted through November 22, 2011. The book will be available in print and digital format, and selected contributors will receive 80% of the profits made from digital book sales. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

Want to have your travel stories published in a book? originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oklahoma's largest Civil War battlefield may become National Park

Sean McLachlan — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: History, Learning, Blogs, North America, United States, News

The Honey Springs Battlefield Park in Oklahoma may become a new addition to the National Park Service, the Tulsa World reports.

The U.S. Department of the Interior said in a report that there's "potential action" for "support designation of Honey Springs as a National Battlefield Park." Now Oklahoma history buffs are scratching their heads over just what that means. The Tulsa World couldn't get an answer. Hopefully that government-speak translates into real action. The Battle of Honey Springs was the largest Civil War battle in Oklahoma, which was the Indian Territory back then. The battle was notable in that white soldiers were a minority on both sides.

On July 17, 1863, a Confederate army was gathering at Honey Springs in order to attack the Union position at Fort Gibson. About four or five thousand rebels had assembled, mostly Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw. More reinforcements were coming, so the Union troops at Fort Gibson, which only numbered 2,800, decided to attack before it was too late. The Union side was mostly black and Indian troops, some from the same tribes as the rebels.

After a night march, the Union army attacked the Confederate position in a pouring rain. The rain ruined much of the rebel gunpowder, and this helped decide the battle. Nonetheless there was enough powder left for the rebels to put up a hard resistance. After a few hours they were forced to retreat, having to burn part of their wagon train to keep it out of Union hands.

The Confederates lost 150 men killed, 400 wounded, and 77 taken prisoner. The Union lost only 17 killed and 60 wounded. The rebels lost control of the Indian Territory north of the Arkansas River. This helped open up Arkansas for invasion and led to a Union army capturing Little Rock that September.

Prominent in the fight on the Union side was the First Kansas Colored Volunteers, a black unit of mostly escaped slaves that was the first American black regiment to see combat when they defeated a larger force of rebel guerrillas at the Battle of Island Mound in Missouri on October 29, 1862. The victory made headlines across the country and helped dispel a widespread belief that black soldiers wouldn't fight.

The First Kansas Colored Volunteers fought in several engagements in Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas yet they aren't very well known. The justly famous 54th Massachusetts has inspired books, a monument, a movie, even a rap video, but the First Kansas remains largely forgotten. I've been sending a book proposal on the regiment around to publishers for a few years now, and despite being an established Civil War author I keep getting told there's an "insufficient market" for the subject. Apparently the American public can only deal with one group of black heroes at a time.

Here's hoping the Honey Springs battlefield will become a National Park and the First Kansas will get some of the recognition they deserve. Thanks to Jane Johansson over at the The Trans-Mississippian blog for bringing this to my attention. Jane blogs about all aspects of the Civil War west of the Mississippi and is worth reading.

Photo courtesy farmalldanzil via flickr.

Oklahoma's largest Civil War battlefield may become National Park originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Henry Rollins, Punk Rocker and Travel Philosopher

Pam Mandel — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Blogs, Photos, Books

World Hum's Jim Benning spent some time talking with musician Henry Rollins about his new book and the results are freaking excellent. Henry Rollins says one awesome thing after another about travel, photography, climate change, globalization, and lots more.

I had a hard time choosing, but here's one short excerpt:

I hit the streets every day with no real plan besides walking and seeing what happens or taking a taxi across town and finding my way back. Or I look out the top of the hotel and see an area and say, okay, I'm going there today-that slum, that village. I go through souks and bazaars and stores. People come up and ask, "My friend, what are you doing here?" My icebreaker is, "I'm here to meet you." Which is true, and also sometimes cracks them up. They say, "Me?" I say, "Oh yeah, man, I'm Henry, what's happening?"

Go read the whole thing on World Hum.

Henry Rollins, Punk Rocker and Travel Philosopher originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Travelbloggers Fundraiser Passports with Purpose Enters Year Four

Pam Mandel — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blogs, Zambia

Disclaimer: I helped found this initiative and I'm hardly neutral on it. I'll do my best to stick to the facts here but first, I'll say this: It's been awesome.

Passports with Purpose, the travelbloggers fundraiser, turns four this year. Founded in 2009 by four Seattle based bloggers, the initiative pulls together bloggers and travel providers (and their PR reps) to raise money for carefully vetted nonprofit causes that focus on education as a channel to alleviate poverty and improve quality of life. Oh, and there are fabulous prizes, too -- for example, last year, Gadling's Mike Barish gave away a SkyMall gift card.

This year, Passports with Purpose (PwP) is supporting Room to Read, the literacy program founded by John Wood after he'd trekked through Nepal. PwP aims to raise enough money to fund the contstruction, staffing, and provisioning of two libraries in Zambia.

In 2010, PwP raised more than $60,000 for Land for Tiller's Freedom (LAFTI). The funds were used for construction of 25 homes for families in Southern India. PwP co-founder Beth Whitman attended the ground breaking ceremony for the village in Karrungani, Tamil Nadu. On the conclusion of last year's fundraiser, PwP recieved this note from Peggy Burns, Exective Director of Friends of LAFTI:

We are so excited that 25 families in Karunganni will soon have a decent place to live. It is all thanks to you, your generous sponsors, and over 300 caring individuals who wanted to make this world a better place. Bravo to all of you.

In 2009, PwP raised nearly double the original goal of $13,000 and funded the construction of a school in rural Preah Vihear, Cambodia. The overage was allotted to additional services that ensure the continued success of the project. Michelle Duffy attended a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Passports School in March, 2011.

Passports with Purpose uses social media, blogging, and the generosity of sponsors to achieve success. Repeat sponsors for 2011 include Round the World with Us, Traveller's Point, and HomeAway.

But it's individual bloggers that are the key to PwP's continued success. Bloggers who want to participate will find detailed information on the Passports with Purpose website.

Travelbloggers Fundraiser Passports with Purpose Enters Year Four originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A profile of travel writing school Matador U

Jessica Festa — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Arts and Culture, Learning, Business, Festivals and Events, Food and Drink, Gear, Blogs, Photos, Stories, Hotels and Accommodations, Books, Transportation, Ecotourism, Budget Travel, Internet Tools, Nightlife, News, Consumer Activism, Cruises, Women's Travel, Luxury Travel, Theme Parks

As someone who has been traveling around the globe since before I can remember, I have always dreamed of being a travel writer. While I would often blog about my trips to my friends and family, write about my trips for school papers, and create websites and content for (unpaid) internships, I never realized that travel writing was something that normal people could actually make a living out of.

Matador has always been one of my favorite travel websites, so when I saw that they were offering a MatadorU travel writing course, I became interested. I did a bit of research, read reviews and feedback from other students, contacted the instructors, and, after deciding it sounded worthwhile, signed up. Plus, I liked the fact that they allow you to try the course for a week for $10 to see if you like it, risk free.

Continue reading A profile of travel writing school Matador U

A profile of travel writing school Matador U originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man sets out on 5,000 mile hike throughout Asia to raise money for charity

Jessica Festa — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Arts and Culture, Hiking, Blogs, Stories, Asia, North America, Senegal, Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, United States, Ecotourism, Budget Travel, News, Consumer Activism

Winston Fiore, a 26 year old Marine from Bloomington, Indiana, has set out on a 5,000 mile journey, by foot, throughout Southeast Asia and China. Fiore arrived in Southeast Asia on September 25, 2011, for what is called "Smile Trek", and is projecting it will take him a year to walk the entire route, which begins and ends in Singapore.

The goal of the journey is to raise $50,000 or more for the International Children's Surgery Foundation, a not-for-profit that provides children in developing countries with free corrective surgery. Through fundraising efforts, such as giving presentations at rotary clubs across the United States as well as having help from the CouchSurfing community who have helped organize benefit dinners, charity walks, and media interviews, Fiore has been able to raise over $28,000 for the cause.

Fiore's inspiration for Smile Trek stems from an experience he had when training for the Marines in a very poor region of Lingure, Senegal. When he returned home, he read a newspaper article about a successful plastic surgeon in the United States who gave up his career to perform free surgeries in developing nations for children with cleft palates and lips. From there, the idea began to grow.

To follow Fiore's Smile Trek or donate to his cause, visit his blog here.

Man sets out on 5,000 mile hike throughout Asia to raise money for charity originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Download Wikitravel to your smartphone for free

Grant Martin — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Gear, Blogs

One of the biggest difficulties for the modern traveler in a foreign country is in acquiring smartphone data. Domestic telecom companies, still stuck in the stone age of pricing models charge a ridiculous amount for international data, and horror stories about $85,000 phone bills have flooded the internet.

Without a data plan to download Google Maps or reference the cloud for research, dynamic and engaged travel becomes difficult, and a great deal of planning needs to be done in preparation to avoid connecting.

Of course, a full range of smartphone apps have entered the market that are capable of alleviating part of this problem. Lonely Planet and a variety of other guides for most cities are available to download online. But each of those guides is for a singular city, and in many cases, the guides cost a moderate amount of money.

For a free alternative, Gadling Labs discovered a great set of apps tied to Wikitravel that allow you to download the entire database of destinations to your phone (minus the pictures) and use that as a wireless-data-free reference. For android, use OxygenGuide. All that you have to do is download the database (about 55Mb or 10 songs), put it on your phone and link to it in your browser -- there are instructions on the site. The more user-friendly iPhone has an app called iTravelFree that allows users to download data and store it locally.

A recent trip to Seoul brought an excellent opportunity to test out the OxygenGuide. With no internet on the plane, the Seoul Wikitravel page was loaded to research a few different hotel options and learn the layout of the city. During the brief layover in Osaka, a reservation could quickly be made before scrambling over to the Asiana flight bound for Korea.

As far as interface goes, since no pictures are involved (that would take up too much space) the Wikitravel guides are a fairly bulky, word-heavy read, with spartan menus linking directly to each destination and very little search functionality. But on the flip side of the coin, it's free, it gets rid of the nasty need to rely on international data plans and it's a public project with good intent.

Consider this the food co-op of travel guides - by the people, for the people and with no frills to distract you.

[flickr image via Mr. T in DC]

Download Wikitravel to your smartphone for free originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New online class teaches travelers how to make money on the road

Jessica Festa — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Learning, Festivals and Events, Blogs, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America, Antarctica, United States, Budget Travel, Internet Tools, News, Travel Deals, Middle East, Central America, Caribbean

On Wednesday, October 12, 2011, at 9PM EST (6PM PST), Unconventional Guides will host an online class on working from the road and how to make a living while traveling. The class promises that "if you are determined and committed, you can make this happen".

The class will cover the following topics:

The truth about passive income
A 5-step plan that will allow you to make money on the road
Providing a service vs. creating a product
Different forms of work and various travel styles
How to handle taxes, mail, and health insurance
Non-profit and for-profit business creation
Volunteering abroad
Freelancing
Answers to more than 40 frequently asked questions

The class is only open to a limited number of students, so if you're interested, click here to sign up.

New online class teaches travelers how to make money on the road originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 09 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ajungo, the new social network platform just for travelers

Jessica Festa — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Learning, Business, Festivals and Events, Food and Drink, Gear, Blogs, Photos, Stories, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America, Antarctica, United States, Hotels and Accommodations, Airlines, Transportation, Ecotourism, Budget Travel, Internet Tools, Nightlife, Airline Reviews, Cruises, Central America, Caribbean, Women's Travel, Luxury Travel, Theme Parks

Sick of searching through advice sites and hearing reviews from who only knows? Wish you could connect with other travelers about past or upcoming trips and events? Love social networking but wish you could interact with others in your travel niche? Then there is a brand new social media website just for travelers that brings together all of these platforms into one site.

Ajungo, created by Ben Barton and Steve Shea, is a brand new networking site that allows travelers to connect before, during, and after a trip. Here is how it works:

1) Create a profile and link all of your social networking sites. What this does is allows the site to funnel through your social networking platforms to pull information and funnel it around specific
destinations.

2) Find others who have been to your destination of choice and look through their posted trip or ask them for advice. Or, you can find others who will be in your destination of choice and plan to meet up or travel together.

3) Create your trip canvas, which consists of enabling the sites real-time travel guide feature so that the site can pull your photos and updates while you're on your trip. This allows other travelers to learn from your experience as well as acts like a blog or trip journal by keeping your trip memories organized and sharing them with friends.

The goal of the site is to make travel more social as well as more comfortable for people going to new destinations. And, if there is any information that you do not want shared, the site will not post it without your permission.

Make connections with travelers, view their trips, find travel buddies, or just interact with others in the travel community. It is all possible on Ajungo.

Ajungo, the new social network platform just for travelers originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crossing Japan in a day with National Geographic's Digital Nomad

Kraig Becker — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, Blogs, Asia, Japan

With its unique culture, diverse landscapes, and rich history, Japan has long been a popular destination for travelers visiting Asia. The country offers everything from sprawling high tech cities to beautiful countrysides, and is as captivating for its food and art, as it is for its people. National Geographic's Digital Nomad Andrew Evans has been traveling through Japan for several weeks now, posting on everything from the country's love for baseball to the therapeutic experience that comes with a "sand bath."

One of the more interesting aspects of traveling through Japan is the bullet train, so named because of their distinctive shapes and the fact that they routinely hit speeds in excess of 150 mph. The trains are well known for being safe, efficient, and on time, making them a popular way to get around the country. Recently, Andrew, who has written for Gadling on numerous occasions, wanted to see if he could cross the length of the country by train in a single day - a journey of more than 1200 miles. The result is the video below, which gives us a glimpse of the urban landscapes that dot Japan, while providing insights into what its like to travel on their famous trains - sushi box and all.

Crossing Japan in a day with National Geographic's Digital Nomad originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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