Lately, I’ve encountered a number of backpackers who believe that a ten bed dorm means they’re the only one sleeping there. Or that their mom will clean up their mess in the hostel’s kitchen. Sometimes I think that before everyone goes away, there should be a class on how to properly behave in a hostel. That way you are remembered for being the totally awesome person you are instead of the jerk that woke everybody up at 3 AM. So [...]

When most people travel, they open their guidebook and visit the major tourist spots listed. In Paris, we go to the Louvre and the Eiffel tower. In Amsterdam, we see the Van Gogh museum. In New York, Times Square. In Sydney, the Opera House. In Peru, Machu Picchu. In Bangkok, the Grand Palace. You get the idea. Now, big destinations are big for a reason. They are fantastic. They are beautiful. They inspire. They may be touristy and expensive, but [...]

Colin Farrell in the movie In Bruges said that to like Bruges, you must either be a farmer or a retard. To him, Bruges was hell. But I disagree. For me, Bruges was very beautiful and very boring. I’ve wanted to see Bruges for a while, and that movie only increased that desire. But Bruges, as beautiful as it is, is like Venice. Or Siena. Or Bordeaux. It’s seen best with someone, not solo. But I found the city beautiful, [...]

August is a big month for travel. People from around the world use the end of summer as an excuse to take last-minute vacations with their families before the school season begins and the cold weather returns. Europe practically shuts down as people take the month off to travel. So there is no better way to start August with some great travel tips to make your vacation go a bit easier, more enjoyable, and a lot cheaper: Flying 1. When [...]

Back in 2008, I joined my first frequent flier program. Despite having traveled around the world for close to two years, I never saw the value in signing up for one – I’d always been more concerned with price than brand loyalty, so I switched networks and carriers all the time. The lowest price always won. Another reason I had never signed up before? All my favorite carriers are spread out over different alliances. Japan Airlines (JAL) is on the [...]

A few months ago, it was reported that Thomas Kohnstamm made up stories he wrote for Lonely Planet, saying he never went to the country he was supposed to review. The story received wide press coverage and brought up the credibility of guidebooks and travel writers. In reality, he was assigned to write about the culture and history of Colombia, not review destinations. All the reviews and local information were done by people who actually live in the country. There [...]