Global Nomad

The devil is in the details: Why the Internet is changing the way we travel

vawn — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 11:00:14 +0000

I realize an hour has passed, as I search online for a hotel in San Francisco for an upcoming trip. A whole hour has passed, and I’ve come no closer to finding a room — unless I’m willing to pay more than US$300 a night or stay in a 12-person dorm with a shared bathroom. To read the full story, click here.

Photo Credit: iStock

The best $10 you’ll spend on travel gear: The backpack rain cover

vawn — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:00:29 +0000

When people ask me what item I never travel without, that’s easy to answer: a cheap piece of waterproof urethane-coated nylon. My trusty backpack tarp has accompanied me around the world — and has saved my gear (and my pack) on more occasions than I can count. To read the full story, click here.

Photo Credit: MEC

How to avoid being killed in a war zone

vawn — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:00:52 +0000

Perhaps you’re not expecting to dodge bullets on your next vacation, but would you know how to react if you were attacked or caught up in a riot? Would you recognize the signs of severe dehydration, heat stroke or hypothermia? And what if you couldn’t find tampons anywhere, or ran out of your birth control pills? To read the full story, click here.

Photo Credit: Rosie Garthwaite

Moral ambiguities and ethical conundrums

vawn — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:00:47 +0000

The reality is, if you travel, you’re going to come across situations that make you uncomfortable. Things may seem black and white from the comfort of home, whilst flipping through guidebooks and daydreaming about your upcoming trip, but they’re every shade of grey when you find yourself in a foreign country and completely out of your element. To read the full story, click here.

Photo Credit: iStock

Fuel your wanderlust with 501 Must-Visit Wild Places

vawn — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:00:48 +0000

There’s one problem with 501 Must-Visit Wild Places: There are now several hundred more places to add to my ever-expanding list of places I want to visit in this lifetime. Whether you’re an armchair traveler or an adventurer in search of wild places to camp, hike or mountaineer, there are literally 501 ideas in this book to fuel your wanderlust. To read the full story, click here.

Photo Credit: nasa.gov

The adventures of a solo cyclist — 18 countries, 33,000 km later…

vawn — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:00:54 +0000

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.

Photo Credit: Loretta Henderson

A travel-inspired gift guide

vawn — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:00:42 +0000

If travel is on the agenda for 2012, consider a travel-inspired gift for your significant other, best friend or family member (or even yourself!). Here are a few picks that will come in handy for that next trip. To read the full story, click here.

Photo Credit: Palomar

Review: Fujifilm’s XP30 shockproof, waterproof camera

vawn — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:00:47 +0000

I put my camera through a lot when I travel. It’s accompanied me while trekking in sub-zero temperatures to Everest Base Camp. And it’s been at my side while hiking in the jungles of Guatemala during the monsoon rains, protected from the elements by a zipper sandwich bag. To read the full story, click here.

A food lover’s guide to Montreal

vawn — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:00:01 +0000

Food is a huge part of the experience of travel — whether it’s honey-roasted crickets at a street stall in Bangkok or the best pizza of your life in Naples. As I get ready for an upcoming trip to Montreal, I’m perusing Food Lovers’ Guide to Montreal, by Patricia Harris and David Lyon. To read the full story, click here.

Photo Credit: HungryTravelers.com

What a Type A gal can learn from travel

vawn — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 11:00:57 +0000

I’m a Type A personality. I like making lists. But when I get to the point where my ever-growing to-do list causes me more anxiety than sense of accomplishment, I realize it might be time to get on a plane and go far, far away. Though I don’t advocate travel as a way to run from your problems, I do believe it can serve as a much-needed wake-up call. To read the full story, click here.

Photo Credit: iStock