The same man that wrote the lyrics “I’m a lumber jack and I’m okay” introduced me to Bhutan, a tiny Himalayan country the size of Iowa. Comedian Michael Palin of Monty Python fame has gone on to a successful career as a travel presenter for the BBC. The 2004 series “Himalaya with Michael Palin” chartedRead more
Royal wedding fever led to tourism increases in 2011, but not just in the U.K. The Kingdom of Bhutan recorded a an almost 57 percent increase — the highest in the history of the remote Himalayan country — which can be partly attributed to the nuptials between King Jigme Khesar and commoner Jetsun Pema. “TheRead more
I recently met a woman, who since the birth of her two daughters, has saved a dollar a day for each kid’s travel fund. Upon turning 14, and with more than $5,000, they can choose where in the world they’d like to go. Her youngest, who reaches that magical milestone this year, has chosen Australia.Read more
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to kill a sheep or something,” says Chris on our way to a cooking class at the Petra Kitchen on Sunday (November 6, 2011). “If there’s any day that I would have to, it would be today.” He’s referring to Eid al-Adha, also called the Festival of Sacrifice, anRead more
I don’t think I can lift a finger tonight after spending nine hours hiking through the ruins of Petra, followed by a scrub and beat down in a nearby hammam. I may be sore, but the pain was worth it. Petra is truly amazing. They say that pictures don’t do it justice, and I agree.Read more
A line of speeding white 4x4s emerges from a thick fog of airborne desert sand, and they are heading directly at us. Munir, my taxi driver, pulls off the pavement just as the herd blazes past at lightning speed — the occupants honking furiously, but not at us. Their attentions are turned toward the adjacentRead more
“We are lucky to have the sheiks here,” says Mohammed Labeeb, of Arabian Adventures. “They have really invested in the country.” Look around Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and chances are Sheik Mohammed had something to do with it. He dreams it, he builds it. Take, for example, the Burj al-Arab, the sailboat hotelRead more
Clothes make the man. But what about a woman visiting the United Arab Emirates? As it turns out, it’s not totally clear. Yeah, I know Dubai promotes itself as a cosmopolitan destination that is fairly liberal when it comes to accepting a western lifestyle, but then I found an article on The Epoch Times websiteRead more
a.k.a. A Near Miss on the Nile Deep breath. I was suddenly under water with bodies coming down on top of me. I am not sure how I managed to stay calm in all the chaos, but it was crucial to surviving. There were five of us in the same boat; a raft to beRead more
“We’re going to cry when you leave,” said Patricia, the 13-year-old girl with the beautiful singing voice. I was touched and started to tear up. She, Gorrett, Erin and I sat together on the cement stoop on the back porch of the parish house under a light that was swarmed by flying termites. It wasRead more