Category: Outdoor Adventures

Years ago, the website Earth Porm reposted my article “The Ultimate Guide to Traveling When You’re Broke.” As I went through the comments on the post, I was dismayed by the mean and dismissive comments people shared as well their misconceptions about travel. These comments made me realize that, despite all the detailed websites and…

When you’re traveling, staying connected is essential. Whether you’re figuring out the best route to your hostel, finding a place to eat, or translating a train schedule or menu, having reliable data makes life on the road infinitely easier. I still remember my early days of travel carrying a physical guidebook around as I wandered…

Travelers can be a fickle group of people to buy gifts for. We’re constantly coming and going, we usually don’t carry a lot of stuff with us, and no two travelers are alike. Finding the perfect gift for the traveler in your life can be tricky. While a plane ticket is never a bad idea…

I’m a sucker for a good travel rewards card. Over the years, I’ve collected a small handful of them — not because I love juggling annual fees, but because the right cards can save you a lot of money on flights, hotels, and travel perks you’d otherwise pay out of pocket for. Not only do…

I’ve been traveling for close to twenty years. In that time, the airline industry has changed a lot. The use of points and miles has become widespread, round-the-world tickets have gone the way of the dodo, airlines have consolidated, and there has been an explosion of budget airlines. Over the last few years, the cost…

Tokyo is one of those cities that feels endlessly deep. You can visit a dozen times and still discover new food stalls, hidden shrines, late-night bars, quirky subcultures, and neighborhoods that feel like completely different worlds. (I know because I’ve visited about 10 times already!) One of my favorite ways to explore Tokyo is by…

I’ve been in love with France ever since my first trip to Bordeaux in 2010. Friends I had met back in Thailand showed me around the area and introduced me to French culture. It was my first time in France and I loved the food, the wine, and the people. But that love became an…

After 19 years, I finally went back to Ko Lipe, the Thai island I spent close to a month on in 2006. Back then, it was one of those super off-the-beaten-path destinations that few but the most intrepid travelers visited, where electricity only ran a few hours a day, basic bungalows right on the beach…

Most travel is extractive and passive. You show up somewhere, take photos of the same landmarks everyone else takes photos of, eat at a restaurant the guidebook recommended, and hit up some bars. You take some tours to learn about the place and, if you’re lucky, get to meet some locals on your trip. You…