Mar 15th, 2013 at 2:00PM:
Have you ever been to a country that just seems to give tourists the cold shoulder? Now, there are some figures behind those unwelcome feelings; the World Economic Forum has put together a report that ranks countries based on how friendly they are to tourists.
The extensive analyses ranks 140 countries according to attractiveness and competitiveness in the travel and tourism industries. ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Iran posts
Survey Ranks 'World's Most Unfriendliest' Countries
Mar 15th, 2013 at 2:00PM:
Have you ever been to a country that just seems to give tourists the cold shoulder? Now, there are some figures behind those unwelcome feelings; the World Economic Forum has put together a report that ranks countries based on how friendly they are to tourists.
The extensive analyses ranks 140 countries according to attractiveness and competitiveness in the travel and tourism industries. ...Cyrus Cylinder, 'The First Bill Of Rights,' Tours US
Mar 12th, 2013 at 1:00PM:
The famous Cyrus Cylinder, a baked clay tablet from the 6th century B.C. that's often called the "first bill of rights," has made its U.S. debut at the Smithsonian's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C.
The Cyrus Cylinder was deposited in the foundations of a building in Babylon during the reign of the Persian king Cyrus the Great. It commemorates his conquest of Babylon and ...My Year In Adventure Travel: A Look Back And A Look Forward
Dec 19th, 2012 at 3:00PM:
We're approaching the end of 2012, so it's a good time to assess what we've done and where we're headed. There's a whole year of adventures and opportunities awaiting us in 2013, despite what the New Age crystal clutchers say. The world is not ending and that's a good thing!
I've had some interesting adventure travel this year. My family and I spent a week on the rugged Orkney Islands north ...The Caucasus, Central Asia And British Airways
Dec 14th, 2012 at 11:00AM:
I traveled to Beirut earlier this year with bmi (British Midland International), the East Midlands-based airline partially absorbed into British Airways in the spring. My Beirut trip was meant to be the third installment in an ongoing series called "Far Europe and Beyond," which reached a premature end in the lead-up to the airline's sale to International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent of ...Other Countries A US President Has Never Visited
Nov 19th, 2012 at 1:00PM:
President Barack Obama will land in Myanmar (aka Burma) this week, a first-time visit for any President of the United States. Never mind that Myanmar is best known as a brutal dictatorship, not exactly in line with U.S. foreign policy. Disregard any political or geographically strategic reasons for befriending Myanmar. Today, this is all about the President being the first to visit Myanmar and ...The Greatest Photo I Never Took
Sep 24th, 2012 at 11:00AM:
The Iranians love Ferris wheels. When I spent a month in Iran back in 1994 I saw them everywhere. The parks in the big cities had the big, brightly painted ones we're familiar with in the West. Smaller towns and villages had more modest Ferris wheels, some small enough that they could be cranked by hand.
I saw dozens of them. The one that stands out most in my memory was in a dusty little ...A Conversation With Rick Steves
Sep 18th, 2012 at 10:00AM: Rick Steves doesn't want you to go to Orlando. For more than thirty years, Steves has been trying to sell Americans on leaving the country in his work as a tour guide, author and host of the PBS Series "Rick Steves' Europe." These days, Steves thinks that it's more important than ever for Americans to travel overseas, both to broaden their own horizons and to serve as citizen diplomats who can ...Video: Violinist In The Mountains Of Iran
Aug 29th, 2012 at 4:00PM:
I love hearing different music when I travel, and often it's the music I remember the most. One of my clearest memories of Bulgaria, for example, is an elderly woman on the streets of Sofia singing a folk song. Even though I didn't know the words, the song stuck with me.
Here's a video of another chance encounter with traditional music, this time in Iran. Youtube poster bornainspain was ...
Video: Finding Love In Iran
Jun 6th, 2012 at 2:30PM:
When people think of Iran, dating isn't the first thing that comes to mind. It's a conservative country with a strict form of Islamic law. Natural urges are unconquerable, though, and young people will always find a way to hook up. This video from Alessio Rastani describes how the young and well-off find love in Tehran, Iran's capital. Rastani talks with his cousins, who live there, about how to ...
Uncornered Market Q&A: Audrey and Dan on Iran
Dec 8th, 2011 at 11:00AM: Uncornered Market is one of the most popular travel blogs out there. A quick gander will demonstrate why this is the case. Audrey Scott and Dan Noll's labor of love boasts some of the most arresting travel photography around. The subjects the two take on are of broad interest as well--from reflections on cultural traffic to recipes, to reflections on the importance of diplomacy on a personal ...Yerevan: Covered food market
Nov 2nd, 2011 at 10:30AM:
Markets are great places for getting a sense of what makes a place tick, for grasping both the local agricultural bounty of a place and its culinary inclinations. Yerevan's covered food market presents no exception to this general principle.
It's physically a very impressive site, looking for all intents and purposes like an ornate Jugendstil airplane hanger. It is lively and fascinating, a ...Video of the Day - IranAir 727 makes emergency landing
Oct 25th, 2011 at 4:00PM:
Just one week ago on October 18th, an IranAir Boeing 727 landed at Tehran's Mehrabad airport without the use of its front landing gear, after the bay of the nose gear failed to open on approach.
The crew performed a landing without the nose gear on runway 29L and came to a stand still on both the main gear and the nose of the aircraft. The flight, traveling from Moscow to Iran, held ...
Battle of Marathon to be fought again
Sep 5th, 2011 at 12:00PM: While the U.S. is having lots of Civil War reenactments lately, it's not the only country where avid hobbyists like to refight old battles. This year Greece is marking the 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon, an epic clash between the Greeks and Persians that saved Europe from invasion and allowed Greek culture to thrive. To commemorate the battle, there will be a reenactment on the ...10 countries Americans need advance visas to visit
Aug 17th, 2011 at 12:00PM: We live in an increasingly borderless world and we have access to many countries that were closed (or non-existent) 20 years ago. As reported earlier this week, Americans are especially lucky with access to 169 countries visa free. Still, there are still many countries that Americans need advance visas to visit. Visa applications and processing services can cost several hundreds of dollars and ...Iranian aircraft crash caught on new video
Jun 3rd, 2011 at 2:30PM: 2009's crash of an Iranian military aircraft was a terrible loss of life and technology. Emerging this week is a new perspective of the crash, captured from the back of a C130 that happened to be refueling an F-4 Phantom in the area. In the video, you can clearly see the Iranian aircraft spiraling out of control and tumbling down to earth, a haunting image captured purely by accident.
The new ...
Qatar Airways expands into Montreal; reaches 100th destination milestone
Mar 7th, 2011 at 9:30AM: Qatar Airways will become the first Gulf area airline to serve Canada when it expands into Montreal with service on June 29. The non-stop journey from the airline's hub in Doha to Montreal's Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport will be a total flying time of 13 hrs 20 minutes and will be offered three times weekly, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Montreal will become the airline's ...Backpacking the Axis of Evil
Feb 3rd, 2011 at 12:15AM:
Some people look at the US State Department travel warnings as a guideline of countries to stay away from. If you consider Thailand, etc overrated by the "nomadic" set, why not look the other direction and see what countries aren't considered tourist hotspots?
After doing the Trans-Siberian/Trans-Mongolian railway two years ago, I figured why not take another epic train trip? And epic train ...Gadlinks for Friday 11.13.09
Nov 13th, 2009 at 5:00PM:
It's Friday the 13th! I am hoping that makes it a lucky day for me. It's been yet another tough week on the home front for many non-travelers, so maybe some travel reads will help to lift our spirits. Have a look at these....
The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is under way on the North Shore of Oahu, and Pupukea is right in the thick of things. [via Honolulu Magazine]
Speaking of surfing, ...Gadlinks for Friday 8.7.09
Aug 7th, 2009 at 6:00PM: This has been quite a week! I don't know about you guys, but I'm eager for the weekend to begin. Here are some green-themed Gadlinks (to honor our green travel theme this month).
I always have a hard time choosing the best travel shoes. This article helps to sort out the different kinds of footwear to bring with you on your travels. [via GoGreenTravelGreen]
While you may think you have to ...Gadlinks for Monday 6.22.09
Jun 22nd, 2009 at 7:00PM: I just watched "The Hangover" last night and the exorbitant amount of money that was spent in just two evenings in Las Vegas made my head spin. There's something about Vegas and road trips that throw reason and budgeting out the window, I think. For a more realistic view of the travel experience, you might want to read these great
The National Geographic Adventure blog provides a list of ways ...
