Intelligent Travel

Put World Heritage in Your Sights (and Win a Trip)

As you already know, IT (and our mothership, National Geographic Traveler) digs the World Heritage program. Given our pedigree, it won't come as a surprise that we're also into photography. And, as the whole Travvies thing has demonstrated, we're also pretty keen on contests. As avocational chefs, we love throwing random ingredients into a pot together, and a culinary experiment with these three faves adds up to something pretty tasty: the Friends of World Heritage Photo Contest.

The Rules and FAQ page says the contest is only open to Friends of World Heritage members, but we can't find anything in the entry form that asks about membership. No professional photographers though, sorry shooters.

Guatemalan Gifts

Just back from a five-day trip to Guatemala, National Geographic Traveler's editor-in-chief, Keith Bellows, shares his shaman search (and a video) with IT:

So you travel to Antigua, Guatemala, with the idea that you're simply going to hang out. Some reading, a little R & R, maybe even a little pool action. You're staying at this hotel called Quinta Maconda, which is an authenticity-lover's treasure trove of Guatemalan artifacts, religious icons, hand-woven rugs, masks, paintings, sculpture, and colonial furniture. Its owner is a chap named John Heaton, who has an accent that's a mellifluous blend of French, British, American, and perhaps some patois picked up from the countless islands he's lived on and visited. This was once his home, and is now a breathtakingly intimate gallery of Guatemala where you are welcome to stay—in an atmosphere no chain hotel could ever duplicate—for $200 a night. (He also owns a very impressive convent nearby, which, if you're inclined to throw a party for, say, 120 would do quite nicely).

And the Travvy Goes To …

… us, we hope! Yesterday IT was named a finalist in the Best Travel Blog category in the first ever Travvies, awards started by Mark Ashley at Upgrade: Travel Better to honor the best travel sites in the blogosphere. Oscars? What Oscars?

We're up against old faves Gridskipper and NewYorkology for the top honor, as well as Brave New Traveler and Girl Solo in Arabia, whom we'll start reading as soon as we finish writing this post. The Gridskips and NewYorkologists are each up for two awards, though, so if you're torn you can vote for them in those other categories (group-written and destination blog, respectively) without hurting us in the only competition that really counts. Being older and more well-established than little 10-month-old IT, those sites have a lot more potential voters, so if you love us (and we know you do), vote early, vote often (just kidding, one ballot per computer), and, most importantly, tell all your friends.

Also nominated are friends-of-IT The Lost Girls and Michael Simon, so feel free to share the love with them.

Voting ends at 6 p.m. central standard time on February 28, so don't delay!

Anchorage Away!

IT asked former Traveler staffer Meghan Aftosmis (who currently works in PR) to ask her Alaskan colleagues for their favorite wintry things to do in Big Wild Life  (a.k.a. Anchorage) besides watching the start of the Iditarod or viewing the Northern Lights. Here's what she came up with:

The Chugach Mountains tower over the Anchorage skyline and are hardly a secret. In winter, trailheads are accessible, views are unbelievable and options are limitless. Try the multi-purpose Powerline Pass trail from the Glen Alps Trailhead high above Anchorage. It leads to views of the city and the seemingly never-ending Chugach Range. Enjoy the trail and surroundings on Nordic skis or snowshoes.

It's never too cold to go ice skating in the city's outdoor rink on Town Square with its beautifully colored and lit ice sculptures. Or try the ice on Westchester Lagoon, a pond known to attract local skaters.

This Week's Bloggers

Emily King, Traveler's assistant to the editor, received her first ever Valentine's Day bouquet last week. Researcher Jessie Johnston helped pick it out.

Ahead of the Pack, Part 2

In our endless and disheartening attempt to become more efficient packers (Emily just returned from a weekend trip with 13 unworn items), IT has stumbled upon another website (thanks Gadling) that promises to perfect our packing practice. One Bag, like its name suggests, teaches its readers how to pack everything into one bag, regardless of destination or duration. Written by an expert packer—the guy's actually attended seminars on packing techniques—this exhaustive (and nerdy) niche site, sometimes laughable in its detail, is sure to teach you something useful. IT's favorite tips:

To avoid wrinkles and creases in clothing, bundle wrap your clothing—that is, start with a core (a pouch filled with socks and undergarments) and wrap each of piece of clothing around one another into a "bundle." (NB: Jessie's mother has been packing this way for year, much to her family's amusement.)

Return of the Reader Roundup

IT loves our readers. But lately we've been so caught up sharing our own discoveries with you that we haven't published any of their (your) travel insights on the blog. But there's no time like the present, so, without further ado, a long overdue reader roundup:

Elizabeth Chabot of Canaan, New Hampshire, wrote to tell us about her trip to Italy, during which she stayed in a pair of hotels recommended in our April 2002 issue: "Fortunately we only booked one night at the Hotel Romae. The rooms were clean and spacious, but there were no other amenities. It was particularly hot when we stayed there, but the air conditioning had been turned off for the season. The windows (which we had to leave open because of the heat) faced a busy and loud street; needless to say, it was a sleepless night.

Mumbai Munching

National Geographic Traveler has a Forster-like obsession with India, so when IT's Turkey dispatcher, Michael Lukas, pitched a story about Mumbai restaurants (IT loves its food), we gladly accepted. He writes:

Mumbai is like New York City and Los Angeles combined. A sprawling, multi-cultural metropolis right on the beach, this city of 16 million is the financial and entertainment capital of India. With its bustling mix of Punjabi, Gujarati, Parsi, Maharashtrian, Goan, and European cuisines, it might be the gastronomic capital as well. If not the capital, certainly an oasis, as I soon realized after spending a recent vacation eating my way through the city. My suggestions:

IT's Dirty

Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans will soon be in as full swing as before Hurricane Katrina. However, Katie Howell won't be eating king cake with Taylor Hicks and James Gandolfini this Fat Tuesday (February 20); instead, she'll be wearing some Big Easy-themed apparel to bring a little piece of the Carnival celebration to D.C. Here, she writes about her favorite witty T-shirts:

Dirty Coast Press, one of the greatest things to come out of New Orleans post-Katrina, has been plastering the world since January 2006 with their 'Be a New Orleanian. Wherever you are.' stickers. The stickers have cropped up everywhere from the Big Apple to the Berlin World Cup to Brad Pitt's script folders. And their T-shirts have become wildly popular as well. Not your average, cheesy three-for-$10 French Quarter rags, Dirty Coast's shirts boast messages to 'keep NOLA on folks' minds.'

Choc-a-blog

We've made no secret of our love for chocolate, but it's been a while since we dedicated an entire entry to our favorite indulgence. So, we thought to ourselves, what better time to do so than Valentine's Day? While your devoted bloggers have their fingers crossed that boxes of their favorite hometown cacao products will await them when they check their mail this evening (Purdy's Peanut Butter Bars for Jessie, Idle Isle Almond Cream Toffees for Emily), we have learned (thanks to the glory that is the linkblog known as Growabrain) of some unusual chocolate products that will surely be enjoyed tomorrow in various corners of the globe.

Korea: Chocolate-covered seaweed and kimchi.

Hong Kong: Chocolate mahjong.

Florence: Chocolate soup.

The Name Game

Ottawa: The Venice of the South

Stefan Caiafa (Traveler designer, traveler extraordinaire, world citizen, photographer, and general polymath) chose to sprinkle some of his many pearls before our delighted snouts this week, with an erudite post about city nicknames:

What's in a name? Much, of course. But what's in a nickname often says more. Take Venice, the enchanting Italian tangle of canals and gondolas, as an example. Once called La Serenissima (The Most Serene, a title originally used for the ruling doges), Venice itself has become a nickname for countless cities encompassed by water. Wikipedia lists almost 50 such centers, including Venices of the North (Amsterdam, Ottawa, Stockholm, and St. Petersburg), the South (Tarpon Springs, Florida, and Zakynthos, Greece), the East (Bangkok, Thailand and Udaipur, India) and West (San Antonio, Texas). Some countries single out a specific city with a Venice reference meant to entice prospective visitors (Suzhou, China, and Recife, Brazil, are often marketed with the doges' hometown in mind).

V is for Vow

For those of you married folk still looking for a Valentine's Day activity, head to Sarasota, Florida, to rekindle (or at least reiterate) your love for one another at the country's largest annual vow renewal ceremony. Each year, more than 400 husbands and wives gather at the Pavilion on Siesta Key's public beach to reenact their nuptials. The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. on February 14 and is free of charge for all participants. (Note: Pre-registration ends February 10). After the ceremony, sweethearts may take a "Valentine Stroll" through Key Village, where shops and restaurants stay open late.

Not wowed by Sarasota? The U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii, and Atlantic City all offer their own group ceremonies. Not that IT will be in attendance; we'll be here, between the peanut butter cup and coconut truffle.

Wired Wanderlust: Contri-blogging Editors

In addition to their regular columns, travel news reports, and podcasts, Traveler's contributing editors also blog. Well, a few of them do—not for IT (ahem), but for their own, self-generated and -edited sites. Here are three we think you'll like:

Chris Elliott, National Geographic Traveler's ombudsman and travel reporter, writes Ellipses, a blog featuring news, travel tips, and commentary. He updates almost daily with his take on recent headlines (i.e. Delta + U.S. Airways = No Go), suggestions for travelers (How Not to Complain About Your Trip), and more personal stuff like Hello, Fine Living Network—his announcement that he'll be hosting a travel show on the cable station. For all you Trip Fix fans, Chris also maintains a consumer-advocacy blog called CSR (Consumer Service Report) and a hefty website (whoa there, Chris!) containing all of his archives, columns, and newsletters.

Canada is the New Estonia

Indefatigable web-troller Marilyn Terrell came across a fascinating diagram that documents the above unlikely statement along with all other uses of the phrase "is the new" from various media sources (including the New York Times, the Telegraph and the Village Voice) from 2005. On the surface, a list of claims like "Subaru is the new Saab" and "House Music is the new Dylan," has nothing to do with travel (which, apparently, is our beat here). And we're not sure claims like "new is the new new" or "black is the new black" (along with "tartan," "cruelty" and "vegan") have anything to do with anything. But we were intrigued by the potentially itinerary-changing consequences of the following statements:

"South Korea is the new Hong Kong."
"Ohio is the new Florida." (Does that make Columbus the new Palm Beach? And they say there's no global warming.)

Brussels and Mussels and Beer, Oh My!

National Geographic Traveler intern and sometime Foreign Service brat Amy McKeever shares some tips from a recent stay with her Belgium-based folks:

The greatest thing about being an expat—even if just for a few months at a time, like I usually am—is learning insider tips about both the tourist and local scenes. Below are a few of my favorites from Brussels.

Shopping—The Marolles district is the best place in Brussels to shop for antiques, vintage clothing, and unusual gifts. There's an excellent antiques market at the Place du Jeu de Balle, but if the weather is looking gloomy (as it often does in Brussels) you may want to check out the shops along Rue Blaes or Rue Haute. Among these is the eclectic New De Wolf (Rue Haute 91/Rue Blaes 40; +32 [0]2 503 3836). The two-level store stocks home decor and furnishings, which are sometimes classy and mostly kitschy.

This Week's Bloggers

Emily King, Traveler's assistant to the editor, is happy Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow; she's ready for cherry blossoms. Researcher Jessie Johnston, on the other hand, is sad the little guy didn't catch a glimpse; she is hoping there will still be pink on the trees when she gets to Japan in April.

Not Another Croatian Blog Entry

Last fall, chief researcher Marilyn Terrell spent a week in Croatia, and then couldn't stop blogging about it. The tide of Croatia-themed entries did eventually ebb, but one remaining bit of trivia has been lapping at IT's shores, and we felt it was time to let this last Balkan wave break over you, our Croatia-thirsty readers.

Croatia hasn't joined the EU yet, so it still has its own money, called the kuna. Kuna is also the Croatian name for the marten, a furry weasel-like mammal related to the mink. The website Croatia-in-English has the story (complete with a photo of a coin from about 1250) of how this currency came to be named after a weasel:

Are We There Yet? Family Travel Tips from the Blogosphere

IT's recently taken a liking to Parent Hacks—the "collaborative weblog of practical parenting tips"—so we asked founder and editor Asha Dornfest to send IT her favorite family travel tactics. She writes:

We at Parent Hacks believe that travel is one of the greatest gifts a child can receive. Even if they are 'too young to appreciate it,' every kid beyond infancy will take away something from the experience—not necessarily full-formed memories, but a general awareness that the world is a vast and wondrous place. We also recognize the challenges inherent in traveling with little ones, so we've collected a number of real-world tips to smooth the road (or flight) ahead.