GLOBAL NOMAD// For the Independent Female Traveler

Loretta Henderson was not a cyclist, nor was she a traveler, but she had been obsessing over a dog-eared book about adventure bicycle travel for years — and coming up with every excuse why she couldn’t do something like that. But at the moment, the Cobourg, Ont., native is pedaling her way through Cyprus. In fact, she’s been pedaling since 2009, putting 33,000 kilometres on her bike through 18 countries to date. To read the full story, click here.

Sure, a moneybelt isn’t the most comfortable item to wear around your waist, under your pants. When it’s stuffed with foreign currency, credit cards and your passport, it can give you the appearance of a beer gut or pregnant belly. And if you’re traveling in a hot, humid climate, having it stick to your sweaty skin under a layer of clothing is even more unpleasant. To read the full story, click here.

Photo Credit: iStock

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — for movie-lovers, anyway. The 11-day Toronto International Film Festival has descended upon our city once again, bringing with it celebrity sightings, red-carpet galas and the inevitable Oscar contender buzz. To read the full story, click here.

Photo Credit: iStock

In Bocas del Toro, you might feel like you’ve stepped into an episode of Survivor. Which is not surprising, since a season of the reality TV game show was filmed here. You’ll find dense jungle with tangles of vines and forest palms spilling out onto empty stretches of white-sand beach, surrounded by an extensive coral reef ecosystem — in fact, it’s home to 74 of the 79 different types of coral in the Caribbean. To read the full story, click here.

Photo Copyright @ 2011 VH Media

He’s a man with a past. He’s intense, broody, dangerous. He makes you nervous, but you’re irresistibly drawn to him — perhaps against your better judgment. But you’ve seen another side to bad-boy Bogota. To read the full story, click here.

Photo Copyright @ 2011 VH Media

When I told people I was traveling to Colombia, the most common response was some sort of joke about becoming a drug mule. Unfortunately, this country has become synonymous with cocaine — and with violence, in the form of FARC guerrillas known for hiding out in the jungle and kidnapping people for ransom. To read the full story, click here.

Photo Copyright @ 2011 VH Media

Pondering your wardrobe options before visiting a mosque isn’t frivolous — it’s essential. Mind you, most mosques that allow visitors are prepared for foreigners who don’t have the appropriate attire and will gladly provide it for you (though at one mosque in Delhi I recently visited, this outfit consisted of a bright-orange-with-polka-dots piece of fabric that was embarrassingly conspicuous). To read the full story, click here.

Photo Copyright @ 2010 VH Media

It’s considered one of the modern wonders of the world, with legions of sculptures created from junk in mosaic courtyards linked by walled paths and twisting walkways, through gorges and past waterfalls. The 25-acre Nek Chand Fantasy Rock Garden in Chandigarh, capital of Punjab in India, is one of the country’s most visited attractions, seeing up to 5,000 visitors every day. But it’s also one of the country’s most effective recycling programs. To read the full story, click here.

Photo Copyright @ 2010 VH Media

After reading Climbing the Mango Trees, a memoir of a childhood in India by Madhur Jaffrey, you may want to replicate the experience of picnicking in the Himalayan foothills on meatballs stuffed with raisins and mint tucked into freshly baked spiced pooris. Here, ordinary picnic spots were not enough — they were “picked not only for their natural grandeur but for their inaccessibility in terms of distance or the climbing required.” To read the full story, click here.

Photo Copyright @ 2010 VH Media

It’s considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, with one of the most romantic stories behind it. But the Taj Mahal, an elaborate marble mausoleum, is only one of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Agra in India’s state of Uttar Pradesh. Here’s a rundown of Agra’s top sites. To read the full story, click here.

Photo Copyright @ 2010 VH Media