archives: Travel News
Are Americans Afraid of Overseas Travel?
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Overseas travel continues to decline for Americans, while travel to Mexico and Canada is up. Does this have to do with the economic downturn, or deepe More »
Cocaine Bars: A Latin American Adventure or Playing with Fire?
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Route 36 has turned La Paz, Bolivia into a hotspot for drug tourism, tempting backpackers from all over the world. But is it a good idea? More »
Crazy Airport Antics: Intoxicated Man Hands Out $83,000 at Mallorca
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A large inheritance and having a little too much to drink prompts man's generosity with fellow travelers. More »
100 Goals in 100 Weeks: Authentic Adventure or Travel Gimmick?
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Ian Usher sold his life and set up 100 amazing worldwide goals to fulfill in 100 weeks. But are money and fame the driving forces? More »
Women’s Rights or Politics? French President Tries to Ban Burqa
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy's speech about a possible burqa ban in France reignites the debate about women's rights and religious freedom. More »
Incredible Branding: A New And Improved India
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The "Incredible India" advertising campaign is geared toward a particular brand of tourists, but is it good for the people of India? More »
Media Banned From Tiananmen Square By Umbrella Wielding Police
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On the 20th anniversary of the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy activists, Chinese authorities have blocked media access to the Square. And they hav More »
‘The Amazing Race’ Winner Takes On Competitours
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Here's your chance to travel Europe while challenging Amazing Race winner Tyler MacNiven. More »
Netherlands Running Out Of Criminals: Is “Immorality” To Blame?
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The legalization of taboos like prostitution and drugs may lead to fewer criminals. More »
Is Thai Corruption On The Rise In The Economic Downturn?
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In the wake of less tourist dollars, strained destinations like Thailand have seen a rise in corruption. More »
Romanian Teen To Pay Half Of Her Virginity-Auctioned Earnings To Gov
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The German government is demanding Alina Percea pay tax on money made through losing her virginity. More »
Spiritual Healer On Trial Over Actress’s Death: Justice Or Witch Hunt?
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Popular spiritual healer in Amsterdam is taken to court after convincing actress Sylvia Millecam she did not have breast cancer. More »
New York’s Fake Subway Advisory
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NYC "advisory" makes us contemplate our love-hate relationship with train systems throughout the world. More »
Overweight Charged For Second Seat On Airplanes: Is “Fatism” To Blame?
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Airlines make their seats smaller, then hit larger passengers with penalties. Is this the last acceptable method of discrimination? More »
Teen Training: Vietnamese Sex Education Goes On Holiday
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In a culture where parents struggle to educate their kids on a taboo subject, one travel company has stepped in to fill the void. More »
Terrorist Threat: Has London Become Hostile To Tourists?
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New anti-terrorism legislation expands police powers over London, including a ban on photographing some tourist landmarks. Is this the right way to fa More »
10 Key Destinations For The Historical Time Traveler
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If time travel were possible, when and where would you visit? From ancient Egypt to 20's New York, Turner Wright offers his own suggestions. More »
Chinese Government Manual: How To Beat Up Street Vendors
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Urban enforcement squads attack unlicensed street sellers as Chinese council introduces new human rights plan. More »
Dance And Drag Queens: Bringing The World Together
Does dance have the power to break through all sorts of physical and cultural stereotypes? More »
5 Compelling Reasons To Visit Banned Countries
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Some travelers morally object to visiting certain countries with poor human rights records. But is there a case for visiting these outcast nations? More »
New Study: Community Based Tourism Doomed To Fail?
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Inviting tourists to implement projects in poor, rural communities abroad may not be working. More »
From Twitchhiking To The Un-Roadtrip: Meet 5 Outrageous Travelers
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These days, all it takes for a memorable journey is a few bucks in your pocket and an idea. More »
Asanas For Sale: The Privatization Of Yoga
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Is this spiritually-based movement, practiced for free for thousands of years, becoming just another capitalist exploit?
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5 Exotic Animals That Are Smarter Than You Think
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New proof is emerging that animals, particularly exotic ones, possess mental abilities far exceeding those originally believed. More »
Obama Eases Travel To Cuba, But Will Exiled Cubans Return?
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The Obama administration recently "eased" travel restrictions to Cuba for those Cuban Americans who have relatives on the island. More »
Has Travel Channel Sunk To A New Low With Bridget’s Sexiest Beaches?
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Recently, while flipping channels on the tube, I came across a show flashing copious amounts of skin, blonde hair, and inane one-liners like they were More »
50 Year Anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Sparks Protests, Bombs
With the world economy in a shambles, will Tibet's fate fall to the wayside? More »
Yoga As Blasphemy? Muslim Clerics Ban Practice
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First Malaysia, now Indonesia follows suit. More »
Grocery Store Wars: May The Farm Be With You
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Classic parody that aims to get you thinking about the quality of your food. More »
A Closer Look at “The Best Job in the World”
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Craig Martin asks, is the best job in the world really just a marketer's wet dream? More »
How To Make Your Hostel Less Hostile
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Sometimes sleeping in a hostel can feel like a brave new experience. More »
6 Predictions For The Future Of Travel
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As technology changes so does the way we travel. More »
8 Ridiculous Political Ads From The 2008 Presidential Race
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From Chuck Norris, to Moses, To Paris Hilton, the ads are all here. More »
Goodbye To Bush: Europeans React To President’s Farewell Tour
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For many, the Bush presidency is already in their rearview mirrors. More »
How Travel Helps You See Past The Headlines
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Tragedy in the media is all too easy to forget, unless you've actually been there. More »
Do You Feel The Urge To Culture Dash?
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Get away from the soul-numbing influence of television, fast food, and consumerism. More »
When Will Online Writing Get The Respect It Deserves?
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Online writing just can't get no love. More »
Planet Love: How Will You Celebrate Earth Day?
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Join the party with 1 billion others around the world. More »
Would You Let A Stranger Sleep On Your Couch?
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Turns out there's a number of people who will, courtesy of sites like Couchsurfing.com More »
Does The World Discriminate Against Disabled Travelers?
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Being a disabled traveler involves challenges many others don’t have to face. But is movement getting easier or harder for disabled travelers t More »
Why Travelers Everywhere Must Resist Violence Against Women
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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 More »
Why Does Travel Writing Suck In Magazines For Women?
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It was a sunny Sunday afternoon in Corte Madera, California, at the closing ceremonies of the Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers Conference More »
Happy Birthday BNT! Our Top 10 Articles From Our First Year
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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 More »
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 More »
Support The Burmese Protesters
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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 More »
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 More »
How You Can Help Stop The Darfur Genocide Right Now
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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 thin More »
Review: Kill Boring Travel Periods With The Nintendo DS
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Picture yourself sitting in a train station, airport, ferry dock, or somewhere similar, with hordes of people going about their business. They’ More »
Is Time Travel Possible?
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We’re all familiar with the idea of traveling across geography, but what about time?
Theoretical Physicist Michio Kaku presents his case in th More »
5 Reasons Wiki Travel Guides Are Better Than Guidebooks
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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 More »
What’s The Worst Thing That’s Attacked You?
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Where there’s jungle, there’s nasty creepy crawly creatures lurking to sting, bite, or paralyze you.
Or at least that’s what we More »
Are You Afraid Of Flying?
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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 More »
Word Travels: New Reality Show About Travel Writers
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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 More »
Why Paris Hilton Is Front Page News
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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 More »
The Myth Of The Half-Assed Vacation
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Think the only qualities that make a vacation are foreign food and accents? Think again.
I was reading a magazine today that claimed (in large, bold More »
What Was Your Childhood Travel Dream?
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We dream of visiting far off lands. And if we’re lucky, we actually find them.
When you were growing up (or hitting your mid-life crisis), di More »
5 Places To Watch Free Travel Video Guides
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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 More »
Online Travel Guides: Essential Reading Or Too Much Information?
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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, experienc More »
And The Winner Is…Lee LeFever
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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 &# More »
5 Hilarious Travel Photos Contest: Voting Now Open!
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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 More »
What Is An RSS Feed And Why You Should Use Them Now
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There are two types of Internet users, those that use RSS and those that don’t. This video is for the More »
And The Secret Celebrity Judge Is…Ethan Zohn!
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On Monday, I announced the eclectic crew that would be judging the 5 Hilarious Photos Contest…with one exception. I mentioned a “secret c More »
Judges Announced For The 5 Hilarious Photos Contest!
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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 More »
My 5 Hilarious Travel Photos
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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, More »
The 5 Hilarious Travel Photos Contest
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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 More »
The Karmic Consequences Of Wal-Mart
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The high cost of low price ripples through the Universe, producing unintended consequences.
I rose from the television, my evening’s indulgence More »
5 Reasons Why I Blog
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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 More »
A General Theory Of Tourism
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When you break down travel into its essential elements, you start to see patterns emerge.
As I jaunted about town (town currently being Singapore) More »
Ask The Readers: Why Do You Blog?
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One of the many crowd’s at the blog conference held at UBC this weekend.
Darren Barefoot posed this question in advance of his discussion at No More »
Brave New Traveler Named Finalist For 2 Travvie Awards
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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 More »
‘Step Up Travel’ Delivers Authentic Cultural Exchange
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In an industry where most tourist dollars are hoarded by multinational chains, Step Up Travel aims to turn the tide.
Battambang is Cambodia’s s More »
The 2007 Travel Blog Awards
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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 More »
Scuba Diving In Thailand
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If there’s one activity that must be experienced in southern Thailand, it’s scuba diving. My friend Sean Aiken put together this excelle More »
It’s Official Delurking Week
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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 More »
Can You Trust A Travel Blog?
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A recent National Geographic article questions the transparency of travel bloggers who accept perks in exchange for favourable reviews. These perks ca More »
Lusaka Sunrise: Fighting For Life Through Football
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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 More »
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 More »
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 More »
A Loftcube To Call Your Own
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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 More »
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, More »
Musings On Mortality
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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 More »
Conserve Water, Not Irony
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In Bangkok, it’s common knowledge that you don’t drink the tap water. Everyone carries around their plastic water bottles instead. And More »
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 More »
Where’s Your Spot On The Global Rich List?
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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 More »
Tourism A Mixed Blessing For Siem Reap
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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 More »
BNT Featured On Travelistic.com
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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 ̶ More »
25 Movies That Literally Moved Us (According To Budget Travel)
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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 More »
Travel Film of the Week: Ko Lanta, Thailand
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“Ko Lanta” by backpacklife.com
The Good: This short film features a unique style that I almost found unfit for sites like YouTube — More »
What’s Your Travel Terrorism Score?
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The freedom of movement looks to take another blow this winter, with the introduction of two inititatives from the Department of Homeland Security. Th More »
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 More »
Travel Film Of The Week: The Nature
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“The Nature” by Tensing
As part of a new series, (actually everything here could be considered a new series), I’ve decided to highl More »
