Jan 6th, 2013 at 2:00PM: Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be young, broke, or drunk to stay at a youth hostel. I'll be the first to admit not all hostels are created equal, but as a perpetually cash-strapped journalist in her 40s, they're often my only option for indulging in the snowy outdoor pursuits I love. Fortunately, there are clean, efficient, well-run hostels throughout the West that make a stay ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
backpackers posts
The West's Best Hostels For Winter Sports Enthusiasts
Jan 6th, 2013 at 2:00PM: Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be young, broke, or drunk to stay at a youth hostel. I'll be the first to admit not all hostels are created equal, but as a perpetually cash-strapped journalist in her 40s, they're often my only option for indulging in the snowy outdoor pursuits I love. Fortunately, there are clean, efficient, well-run hostels throughout the West that make a stay ...Study Shows Travel Can Increase Your Sex Appeal
Jun 15th, 2012 at 4:00PM: According to a study done by Intrepid Travel using the online dating site RSVP.com.au, people who travel a lot are seen as more attractive than their non-traveling counterparts. The study found that daring travelers are seen as the sexiest, while 23 percent say adrenaline seekers make their heart race. Moreover, off-the-beaten-path travelers were most attractive to 22 percent, while culture buffs ...What's in a name? On pronouncing difficult country names
Sep 7th, 2011 at 10:00AM:
When I traveled through Southeast Asia some years ago, I was amazed by the number of fellow backpackers who ridiculed me whenever I pronounced the "s" in Laos. Apparently, I was supposed to pronounce it "Lao," just like locals do.
The thing is, those same "s"-dropping travelers never insisted on calling Bangkok by its proper name ("Krung Thep Maha Nakhon") when they were in Thailand -- ...Sydney's Darlinghurst neighborhood: charm, croissants, and cocktails
May 27th, 2011 at 2:00PM: In a city chock-full of charming, Sydney's Darlinghurst neighborhood is a tough contender. Not that it's an easy choice. If it's parks, quirky boutiques and specialty food shops, cafes, cheap ethnic or fine dining restaurants, bars, lattice-bedecked row houses, cliff-top beach paths, or Harbour views you want, there's no shortage of neighborhoods that deliver.
Me, I'll take Darlinghurst. This ...My year in adventure travel: a look back and a look forward
Dec 26th, 2010 at 10:30AM:
Happy Boxing Day everybody! As I sit here stuffed with my mother-in-law's cooking after a traditional Spanish Christmas, I'm thinking back on all my travels in 2010 and looking forward to 2011. One of the best parts about my travel year has been sharing it all with you. I love the comments you've sent suggesting sites to see and trails to take, and was especially amazed by the outpouring of ...Sydney hostel more than budget accomodation: Wake Up! backpackers reviewed
Jun 14th, 2010 at 1:30PM: While I don't expect anyone to ooze sympathy for the plight of travel writers, the fact is, when we're not getting hooked up at swanky hotels, we're often left to sleep on airport floors and bus seats. I actually enjoy those experiences; it's the eponymous "youth" hostel I've grown weary of. I should add that despite their name, hostels (also known as backpackers) aren't only used by young'un's. ...Buy stamps - Souvenir tip
Feb 19th, 2010 at 12:55PM: If you're traveling abroad on a tight budget with absolutely no extra room in your suitcase for a souvenir, then buy a stamp. Even the lowest denomination stamp of any country is colorful, cheap, and easy to find.
When you get home, mount the stamp in the middle of a piece of poster board, write the details of your trip on the back of the poster board, and put in an inexpensive frame. You'll ...British backpackers spreading sexually transmitted diseases
Oct 23rd, 2009 at 10:30AM: "No sex please, we're British." That old joke has been proven wrong by a new medical study that found British backpackers in Australia are picking up more than just short-term partners; they're picking up infections that they spread around Australia and back home. A survey of 1,008 backpackers at youth hostels in Sydney and Cairns revealed that 24 percent of British backpackers had unprotected sex ...Dim Sum Dialogues in Thailand: Street music
Sep 12th, 2009 at 9:00AM:
It's 3 o'clock in the morning and most of the rowdy backpackers have deserted Bangkok's Khao San Road. A large rat scurries down the gutter of the street, stopping only to inspect trash and empty plastic buckets that have been strewn about the pavement. A few dispersed food vendors finish packing their stalls for the day and roll them towards wherever home may be. Compared to the energy of the ...Fake Canadians go home
Aug 30th, 2009 at 4:30PM:
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.gadling.com/2009/08/30/fake-canadians-go-home/'; tweetmeme_source = 'Gadling';
I'm as mad as a polar bear reading about global warming. Everywhere I look I see Canadian flags on backpacks. A maple leaf seems to be as important an item of budget travel gear as daddy's credit card, but there's one problem--many of the people flashing the good old red, white, and red ...Work and play in Queensland, Australia: Fruit Picking
Jun 16th, 2009 at 10:30AM:
Most people go on vacation to avoid work. But, as I discussed yesterday, many young people are going to Australia on Working Holiday visas and participating in Specified Work to extend their time in the country and put extra money in their pockets. One of the most popular forms of Specified Work is fruit picking. In Queensland, the fruit picking opportunities exist year-round because of the ...Backpacker Tourism "booming" Down Under
Apr 26th, 2009 at 9:31AM: While the travel and tourism market in general is suffering, thanks to the international economic crisis, Australian newspaper The Age is reporting that that country has seen a steep increase in backpacker tourism in recent months. In fact, visas from the U.K. and Germany alone are up more than twenty percent. Deeply discounted airfares are helping to spur the budget travel trend as well it seems. ...Backpackers learn how to steal Australian travel
Apr 7th, 2009 at 12:00PM: It's really pretty simple. Foreign backpackers go to Australia. For several weeks, they'll wander the country, get drunk and ... I don't know ... go to the opera. When the trip's over, these visitors file fake income claims, which get them thousands of dollars in tax refunds – despite not having actually worked (and thus not having paid any taxes). Through word of mouth, and probably a few ...Daily deal - Swiss Gear Montreaux backpack for $8.54
Dec 27th, 2008 at 11:00AM: My daily deal for today is for the Swiss Gear Montreaux technical daypack. This high quality bag has 2 side pockets, one large main compartment and an iPod/mp3 player pocket with a headphone pass-through jack. The bag is available in several colors, but to get the low price of $8.54, you'll have to select pink, red, black or gray, if you select any of the other colors, the price will shoot up to ...Aussie Backpackers Look to London Sperm Banks to Fund Their Travels
Nov 20th, 2008 at 12:00PM: London fertility clinics are reporting that up to one-third of their sperm donors are from foreign countries. Many of these donors are Australian backpackers on extended tours of the UK and Europe. They have found fertility clinics to be a decent source of income. Though the money is not great, repeat donors (always welcomed by the clinics because they only have to be screened once) can make more ...Top 10 places in 2008 for backpackers
Jan 15th, 2008 at 11:30AM: What I love about all these lists you find online and in print is that they're great for finding that one nugget you haven't really come across yet. The truth is, most of the time, almost all of the places on these lists turn out to be duds. But I came across one list of relatively off-the-beaten-path destinations for this year, courtesy of BootsnAll.com, and now many are on my to-do list.
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