archives: Travel News

8 Ridiculous Political Ads From The 2008 Presidential Race

From Chuck Norris, to Moses, To Paris Hilton, the ads are all here. [...]

Goodbye To Bush: Europeans React To President’s Farewell Tour

For many, the Bush presidency is already in their rearview mirrors. [...]

How Travel Helps You See Past The Headlines

Tragedy in the media is all too easy to forget, unless you've actually been there. [...]

Do You Feel The Urge To Culture Dash?

Get away from the soul-numbing influence of television, fast food, and consumerism. [...]

An Appeal For Myanmar (Burma) Aid

There are ways to help the helpless. [...]

When Will Online Writing Get The Respect It Deserves?

Online writing just can't get no love. [...]

Planet Love: How Will You Celebrate Earth Day?

Join the party with 1 billion others around the world. [...]

Would You Let A Stranger Sleep On Your Couch?

Turns out there's a number of people who will, courtesy of sites like Couchsurfing.com [...]

Does The World Discriminate Against Disabled Travelers?

.post .storycontent .subtitle { width: 52%; float: left; margin-right: 3%;} Being a disabled traveler involves challenges many others don [...]

Why Travelers Everywhere Must Resist Violence Against Women

This New Year’s, I was horrified to read in The Hindustan Times that in Mumbai, India, outside of the JW Marriot Hotel, two women were felt up a [...]

Why Does Travel Writing Suck In Magazines For Women?

It was a sunny Sunday afternoon in Corte Madera, California, at the closing ceremonies of the Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers Conference [...]

Happy Birthday BNT! Our Top 10 Articles From Our First Year

1 year. 365 days. 52 weeks. Ummm…8760 hours? You get the idea. It’s been a long time since I first created Brave New Traveler. Durin [...]

Zombies In Plain English - Happy Halloween!

Here’s an early treat from my friends at Common Craft. Have a great Friday! I’m still looking for my own costume…anyone have any [...]

Support The Burmese Protesters

I’m sure many of you know about the current uprisings in Burma. Reports are now pouring in that the military regime has begun killing the peac [...]

One Week Job: New Web Show About Finding Your Passion

If you didn’t know your passion in life, would you throw everything aside to search for it? Such is the premise for my friend’s One Week [...]

How You Can Help Stop The Darfur Genocide Right Now

As many of you probably know, there has been an ongoing genocide occuring in Darfur. It is as complex as it is horrific - though with one thing for [...]

Review: Kill Boring Travel Periods With The Nintendo DS

Picture yourself sitting in a train station, airport, ferry dock, or somewhere similar, with hordes of people going about their business. They’ [...]

Is Time Travel Possible?

We’re all familiar with the idea of traveling across geography, but what about time? Theoretical Physicist Michio Kaku presents his case in th [...]

5 Reasons Wiki Travel Guides Are Better Than Guidebooks

Guidebooks. Love them or hate them? Some travelers wouldn’t be caught dead with one, but there are others who enjoy the comfort and security th [...]

What’s The Worst Thing That’s Attacked You?

Where there’s jungle, there’s nasty creepy crawly creatures lurking to sting, bite, or paralyze you. Or at least that’s what we [...]

Are You Afraid Of Flying?

A few weeks ago, my wife and I boarded the plane at Vancouver International Airport, on our way to Costa Rica. I was flipping through the in-flight m [...]

Word Travels: New Reality Show About Travel Writers

Seems the time for travel/internet hybrid shows has finally come. First there was 5 Takes, then more recently, GlobeRoamer TV. Now there’s Wor [...]

Why Paris Hilton Is Front Page News

Some people may believe my occasional forays into the topic of news and media is diverging from our mandate of brave new travel. But when you think [...]

The Myth Of The Half-Assed Vacation

.post .storycontent .subtitle { width: 52%; float: left; margin-right: 3%;} Think the only qualities that make a vacation are foreign food [...]

What Was Your Childhood Travel Dream?

When you were growing up (or hitting your mid-life crisis), did you have your own personal travel dream? Was it scaling Mount Everest? Dining under [...]

5 Places To Watch Free Travel Video Guides

A few weeks ago, I asked if online travel guides were useful, or just too much information. Some readers agreed with me, believing an information ove [...]

Online Travel Guides: Essential Reading Or Too Much Information?

If you’re like me, a large allure of travel is the element of mystery - of heading out into the unknown. Of meeting new people, experiencing ne [...]

And The Winner Is…Lee LeFever

The results of the 5 Hilarious Travel Photos contest are now in. Based on your votes, Lee LeFever secured his title as the winner! (It appears the &# [...]

5 Hilarious Travel Photos Contest: Voting Now Open!

After a few days of sweating and debating over their choices, the judges in the photo contest have named their top 5 finalists. Thanks to everyone who [...]

What Is An RSS Feed And Why You Should Use Them Now

.post .storycontent .subtitle { width: 52%; float: left; margin-right: 3%;} Click To Play play_blip_movie_209879(); There are two types of [...]

And The Secret Celebrity Judge Is…Ethan Zohn!

On Monday, I announced the eclectic crew that would be judging the 5 Hilarious Photos Contest…with one exception. I mentioned a “secret c [...]

Judges Announced For The 5 Hilarious Photos Contest!

We’re now in Week 2 of the 5 Hilarious Photos Contest, and the action is heating up. The word is spreading thanks to mentions in Gadling, Jaunt [...]

My 5 Hilarious Travel Photos

If you missed the big announcement on Monday, this is my entry in the 5 Hilarious Travel Photos contest. Entries have already started trickling in, [...]

The 5 Hilarious Travel Photos Contest

Travel photographers usually try to capture a variety of subjects and emotions with their shots. Whether it’s a sunset framed by Fijian palm tr [...]

The Karmic Consequences Of Wal-Mart

.post .storycontent .subtitle { width: 52%; float: left; margin-right: 3%;} The high cost of low price ripples through the Universe, produci [...]

5 Reasons Why I Blog

Last week, Stacy from Rambling Traveler tagged me with the ongoing “5 reasons why I blog” chain. For those not in the know, it’s a [...]

A General Theory Of Tourism

.post .storycontent .subtitle { width: 52%; float: left; margin-right: 3%;} When you break down travel into its essential elements, you sta [...]

Ask The Readers: Why Do You Blog?

.post .storycontent .subtitle { width: 52%; float: left; margin-right: 3%;} One of the many crowd’s at the blog conference held at UBC [...]

Brave New Traveler Named Finalist For 2 Travvie Awards

A little while back, I’d mentioned the open nomination for the Travvies, the brand new travel blog awards initiated by Mark Ashley. Yesterday, t [...]

‘Step Up Travel’ Delivers Authentic Cultural Exchange

.post .storycontent .subtitle { width: 52%; float: left; margin-right: 3%;} In an industry where most tourist dollars are hoarded by multina [...]

The 2007 Travel Blog Awards

It was bound to happen eventually. In fact, I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner. Mark Ashley over at Upgrade: Travel Better has final [...]

Scuba Diving In Thailand

If there’s one activity that must be experienced in southern Thailand, it’s scuba diving. My friend Sean Aiken put together this excelle [...]

It’s Official Delurking Week

Yes, it’s true. According to a number of websites I frequent (such as Nerd’s Eye View and Cognitive Daily) it’s delurking week. W [...]

Can You Trust A Travel Blog?

A recent National Geographic article questions the transparency of travel bloggers who accept perks in exchange for favourable reviews. These perks ca [...]

Lusaka Sunrise: Fighting For Life Through Football

I spent 2 years of my life trying to get on the US reality tv show Survivor. (Don’t ask me why). While I didn’t quite make it on, I was [...]

War On Terror: Fun For The Whole Family

All I want to know, is why didn’t I hear about this before Christmas? Everyone starts with the best intentions. Then things start to get crampe [...]

TravelBlogger Gets A Facelift

You may know I’m the co-founder of the online travel journal community TravelBlogger. I started developing the site back in the summer of 200 [...]

A Loftcube To Call Your Own

I lived in Sydney, Australia for 4 months. During that time I worked a variety of jobs, including (failed) bartender, deejay, and junk mail stuffer [...]

Road Warrior Becomes Globally Aware

A year around-the-world taught me a lot of things: never turn down an invitation, bargain hard and always carry a roll of toilet paper. Most of all, [...]

Musings On Mortality

The following is from my previous personal blog, written just after the London tube bombings in summer 2005. I’m republishing it here because I [...]

Conserve Water, Not Irony

In Bangkok, it’s common knowledge that you don’t drink the tap water. Everyone carries around their plastic water bottles instead. And [...]

Scotty & Fiddy Prove They Can Hitchhike To 50 States In 50 Days

For all those naysayers out there (wasn’t there a few?) who thought Scotty and Fiddy from Hitch50.com couldn’t make it to Hawaii, youR [...]

Where’s Your Spot On The Global Rich List?

I came across an interesting website recently called Global Rich List where you can type in your annual income (in a variety of currencies) and find o [...]

Tourism A Mixed Blessing For Siem Reap

Above: Short film of Angkor Wat and surrounding monuments that I shot during my visit last spring. The incredible place was mired only by the touris [...]

BNT Featured On Travelistic.com

A big shout out to Travelistic.com for featuring me (and Brave New Traveler) in their User Spotlight yesterday as well as their new travel show ̶ [...]

25 Movies That Literally Moved Us (According To Budget Travel)

Budget Travel Online recently published an interesting list of 25 Films That Literally Moved Us, as in caused a great many people to visit the destina [...]

Travel Film of the Week: Ko Lanta, Thailand

“Ko Lanta” by backpacklife.com The Good: This short film features a unique style that I almost found unfit for sites like YouTube — [...]

What’s Your Travel Terrorism Score?

The freedom of movement looks to take another blow this winter, with the introduction of two inititatives from the Department of Homeland Security. Th [...]

Lonely Planet Film Contest: Less Than Three

Lonely Planet recently announced a new contest, asking for three minute films about anything travel related. Grab your digital camera or mobile phon [...]