Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Asian Excursions

One place I've always wanted to travel to, but never had the chance, is Asia. China, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand...they all seem like such intriguing places to visit.

On Peter Greenberg's site, there are several articles that delve into Asian tourism. Check out the Off the Brochure pieces on Beijing, Tokyo and Bangkok for the inside scoop on what to do and where to go in these cities.

For the foodie traveler, check out Noodling Around Asia: Culinary Vacations in the East. Learn what and where to eat, and the dishes that you just have to try when you're abroad.

Read David DeVoss's musings on Hong Kong in his article "A 'Belonger' Looks Back at Hong Kong as its Capitalist Heart Beats On". Read about how Hong Kong has changed since its return to China, from the perspective of someone who lived there for five years as a correspondent for Time magazine.

After reading all these Asian-inspired articles, my desire to visit these far-off lands has only increased. Hopefully I will get there someday soon!







Thursday, November 15, 2007

Voluntourism

Giving back while you travel is a growing trend among vacationers...and something I've been looking into recently. You can head to an exotic location, see news sites and do something good for the community. Great combination if you ask me.

There are tons of new companies popping up that help organize volunteer vacations, for both groups and solo travelers. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity set the standard for these giving-back vacations. Now, you can travel to Thailand or South America and help rebuild homes destroyed by natural disasters or help save an endangered species. Check out the Voluntourism section on Peter Greenberg's web site.

Also, check out other companies like Airline Ambassadors which organized trips to places like Haiti, South Africa or Vietnam. Or look into organizations like the Sierra Club or the Oceanic Society.

Why not try and give back a little when you're planning your next vacation?





Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Culinary Travel

People's favorite travel stories to tell often involve food. You'll hear about a great restaurant, a horrible dish or a crazy new entrée in whatever city they traveled to. I always love hearing these stories, because, let's be honest, food is one of my favorite things.

I love reading about ways to incorporate food into travel and Peter Greenberg's travel site has a bunch of those articles. Check out the new piece on destinations for cheese-lovers. It details where to head for the best varieties of cheese, where you can go to make your own cheese and tips for cheese connoisseurs.

Cheese not your thing? Read about Asian culinary vacations, which takes you on a foodie's tour of the East. Learn where you can take private cooking lessons from the masters or, if you are more adventurous, where to enroll in cooking school throughout Asia.

For more culinary travel articles, head to www.petergreenberg.com!






Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Off the Brochure

When you're traveling to a new city, it's sometimes tough to escape the tourist traps and overcrowded cliché destinations. On PeterGreenberg.com, the Off the Brochure section highlights places to visit, restaurants to try and things to see that you might not find out from the guidebooks.

Since I lived and studied in Madrid for 4 months last spring, I felt qualified to write one such article on the city. Check it out on Peter's site. Instead of heading to the areas where all the American tourists go, try some of my suggestions in the Spanish capital.

Also on the site, learn about cool things to see and do in other cities such as Istanbul, Amsterdam or even Austin, Texas right here in the U.S.