Matlacha and the Art of the Technology Shabbat

Matlacha and the Art of the Technology Shabbat

I first heard of a Technology Shabbat a few years ago from its most vocal proponent, Webbies Awards founder Tiffany Shlain. Modeled on the principles of the Jewish observation of the Sabbath, where from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday you do no work, the idea is that you take a mini-break from all … Continued

Huffington Post Travel: Traveling in Sin

As seen on Huffington Post Travel: A Review of Traveling in Sin: I love reading travel books; memoirs are enjoyable and well-written accounts make me feel like I’m truly present in another part of the world. For this reason I was looking forward to reading Traveling In Sin, a memoir about an adventurous couple from the … Continued

The Truth About Travel to Egypt

Thank you to Halle for donating your book to the raffle for  our Inspiration Travel Writing Contest. YOU can decide the WINNER of our VAGABONDS CHOICE AWARD– Click here to VOTE now! And GET READY for our Independence Writing Contest with BIGGER Cash PRIZES starting May 11! HALLE EAVELYN INTERVIEWS MOHAMED NAZMY Things look bad … Continued

Searching for Reality in Rennes-le-Château

Conspiracy theories and conflicting reports of treasure has existed in Rennes-le-Château for years, culminating in the famous Da Vinci Code novel by Dan Brown, which caused up to 100,000 visitors per year to visit the medieval town.  But what of the local village makes it a worthwhile stop on a tour? It the castle, the church dedicated … Continued

Nile River Cookies: Travel Tips Learned While Baking

On our current tour of Egypt, some members of our group asked for home-baked cookies. We were sailing up the Nile aboard our private cruise ship, the Afandina, so I asked our chef to take care of it. Since individual requests happen often (everything from raw food to vegetarian to a personalized birthday cake) I … Continued

Sweating it out: Experiencing the Temezcal

I’m in Hacienda El Carmen, a delightful old Spanish estate that has been turned into the kind of hotel that is both wedding destination and respite from the everyday world — you can walk the restored rooms full of antiques, inside walls over a foot thick, and imagine the footsteps of the generations that called this place their … Continued

Should I Still Travel To ____? Taking Trips During Civil Unrest

First, a caveat.  I’m in the travel business, and not the armchair, I’ll-book-your-trip-for-you type. I lead trips myself.  Trips to Bali, where bombs killed tourists less than a decade ago; to Spain, where thousands rioted in the streets against austerity measures; to Egypt, where the recent US embassy attack marked the latest in a long … Continued

Sea Turtle Rescue at the Casa Magna

It’s nearly midnight on the beach in Puerto Vallarta and I am crouched down over a small open pit, watching something that looks like a scene from Alien — strange pink flesh and lots of drippy goo.  Over the pit, right at my eye level, an enormous sea turtle is heeding the strongest call of nature and … Continued

OMG: Falling through Delta’s cracks

I’m in the travel business, right? I’m also a bright cookie (I know this because my mother’s been telling me that my whole life).  So, really, WTF happened that I found myself on the phone with Delta, ten days before leaving for Bali, saying: “What do you mean we have a ten-hour layover in Tokyo? … Continued

A new perspective on Egyptian Tourism

Once again, Egypt has been in recent news; this time for an attack in the Sinai that has absolutely nothing to do with tourism, but is reported as yet another reason for tourists to stay home. The recent kidnapping of an American minister and two other tourists by Bedouin intent on gaining prison release of a family member was … Continued

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