Intelligent Travel

Indiana Jones DVD Giveaway Contest

So it seems like all of America is abuzz about Harrison Ford's triumphant return as Indiana Jones in this summer's sure-to-be-blockbuster, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. And the travel industry is more than willing to satiate the public's appetite for adventure. Expedia is now running a whole series of experiences that celebrate the films (Swanky Shanghai nightclubs? Check. Exploring ancient Incan ruins in Peru? Check.) And Spanish travel company Vacations with Imaginations is now offering a smattering of Indy-inspired tours that add an element of danger to the itinerary: staged robberies, kidnappings, and visits from otherworldly spirits (we have to agree with Gadling that this creeps us out).

But we're not going to lie, as the preeminent arbiter of adventure travel, Indy has set our imaginations aflame more than once with his acts of derring-do (see our tribute to "Indy-pendence" in The Source in our current issue). So we're pretty darn excited to announce that our very first Intelligent Travel Contest is in the spirit of his heroic, dangerous, and exotic excursions.

Here's the deal: We have a whole mess of Indiana Jones DVD box sets, and we're giving them away to those of you who can best evoke Indy's spirit of adventure with your photographs or prose. There are two ways to enter:

For the writers – Send us 300 words or less about your most ridiculous Indiana Jones moment; the time when you couldn't help hearing the notes of Dun-dun-dun-daaah swell up as your adrenaline kicked into gear. Whether you were whitewater rafting or just rushing for your flight, we know that travel can be complicated, and it's those complications that often make the best stories. We want to hear them.

For the photographers – In the spirit of our Global Eye series, we want to know the back story to your most adventurous pics. Did a pack of mad dogs come running at you as you clicked the shutter? Or were you still huffing from a treacherous hike as you snapped an amazing view? Send us your photo along with the tale.

Send entries to intelligenttravel@ngs.org with "Contest" in the subject line. We'll pick the best from the bunch and will feature the winners all next week.

Photo: Courtesy Paramount Pictures

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Promise and Peril: Baja, Mexico

In the Destination Watch column in our May/June issue, "Promise and Peril," Traveler's Geotourism editor Jonathan Tourtellot's tells us that travelers should put a value on authenticity, and make "intelligent choices" when you visit a place. "When you seek authenticity, and pay for it, you're not only sending a message, you're helping protect a local asset," he writes. He mentions IT editor Janelle Nanos's recent trip to Cabo San Lucas as an example of a place on the cusp of tourism overload. Nanos offers her full story here.

Yachts crowd the harbor in downtown Cabo San Lucas

Settling into my flight home from Cabo San Lucas, I struck up a conversation with my sunburnt seatmate. Our trips, we both agreed, were tremendous, but we quickly realized they were also very different. He'd spent much of his time sipping margaritas at his all-inclusive resort, and spoke of tallying up a $500 tab at the bars following an afternoon booze cruise. I too swilled a few margaritas, but I also wandered up to the artist community of Todos Santos, explored Pacific coast beaches, and stumbled upon a local semi-pro soccer game. He’d gone to relax and get away. I went to experience the place, but had to wander outside its tourist precincts to find a true sense of local culture.

It’s been a long time since Cabo San Lucas resembled the Baja of Steinbeck’s novels. Now it’s most commonly referred to as the “next Cancun.” Timeshare hucksters shill “beautiful” condos that have yet to be built, and driving the corridor from Cabo San Lucas to San Jose del Cabo is like watching time-lapse photography of construction.  Grabbing my ocean kayak from JT Water Sports, on the tip of Playa el Médano, I gawked at the eight-million-dollar Hacienda condos rising from the shoreline like monstrous sand castles. None of the hotels and bars that lined the beach were there 15 years ago.

Tours of a Lifetime: On Sale!

Looking for a deal on a tour? How soon can you leave? Senior editor Norie Quintos, the magazine’s resident tour expert, says, “Now is a good time to find bargains on summer tours because some outfitters still have openings for their May and June departures, which typically are not as popular as departures later in the summer.” We queried outfitters from our Tours of a Lifetime list to see what discounts they had to offer, and here is the best of the lot. And check out Norie's other tips on how to stretch your dollar when booking tours.

CLASSIC TOURS

• Micato Safaris—"An extravagant safari with an emphasis on activities for tots and teens," says Traveler's contributing editor Margaret Loftus—has crafted a special offer exclusively for Traveler readers who book the "Family to Family Safari, Kenya and Tanzania" [download brochure] featured in our current Tours of a Lifetime issue. When travelers book the safari before May 30, each child on safari will receive Micato Safaris' children's safari backpack, complete with safari-themed games, wildlife viewing checklists, and African kids' toys. Especially cool, we think, is the fact that kids also have the chance to become pen pals with children living in Kenya before they travel—meaning they can share stories, customs, drawings, and plans for their upcoming adventure. To book the offer, mention code MSNG508. Travel must be completed by December 31, 2009.
• Check out G.A.P. Adventures's specials page for discounts up to 20 percent off a dozen of their global offerings.
• Maris Freighter & Specialty Cruises lists monthly news and special discounts on their website's "News & Specials" link on the left column of the screen. Click on "June 2008," to find the "Along the Americas' Coasts" voyage to South America, which is highlighted in the current issue of Traveler. "This is the cruise for passengers who have the time—and temperament—to sail long voyages," writes Loftus.

Check out Deals on Active and Cultural Tours after the jump.

Tours of a Lifetime: Now on Newsstands

It's May Day and we're very happy to celebrate the release of our new May/June issue, featuring 50 incredible Tours of a Lifetime. The third iteration of our annual series is even more jam-packed with great trips, and we'll let Senior Editor Norie Quintos, who headed the project, tell you why.

“This is the third year we’ve done the list, and we were thrilled to discover that many more outfitters now share our vision that travel should ultimately not be acquisitive and superficial but connect us more deeply to the planet and to the people in it," Norie reports. "The other wonderful thing we found is that one doesn’t necessarily have to rough it to travel authentically and sustainably."

Along with the complete list, we also feature three top-notch tours in depth in the issue: An adrenaline-fueled trip to the North Pole, a cultural immersion in Guatemala, and a self-guided hiking tour through the Douro Valley wine district in Portugal. All of which make us ready to pack our bags. Just wait, we're sure you'll feel the same way.

Check out the rest of the issue for more great content from Traveler. And check out IT all this month for interviews, deals, and photos from our 50 tours.

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Trip Lit: Wolf Totem's Inner Mongolia

"Life on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia is hard and brutal, but it embodies an edifying nobility and symmetry too," writes our literati leader Don George in April's Trip Lit book column. He's describing one of the central themes of the "electrifying" Chinese novel Wolf Totem, which was written by a publicity-shy, 61-year-old former political science professor at a Beijing university, under the pseudonym Jiang Rong. George continues:

Like Jiang, the protagonist of Wolf Totem, Chen Zhen, is an "educated youth" who has moved to the grasslands from the city in the mid-1960s, at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution. There he quickly becomes fascinated with the wolf, at once the adversary and the totem of the local Mongolian people. The wolf is fierce, ruthless, cunning, and essential to the delicate balance of the grasslands ecosystem—and becomes a key for Chen to unlock the intricate riches of grasslands life. During the course of the novel, more and more Han Chinese move into the region, bringing their naive ideas about land use and animal control. As a result, the wolves are exterminated, which contributes to the grasslands beginning to turn into desert.

Read more about Jiang's international phenomenon here, and keep up-to-date on the rest of this month's new travel literature round-up, from beautiful photo-driven coffee books (think Mother's Day gifts!) to modern Middle Eastern fables sure to delight fans of The Arabian Nights, plus a fascinating portrait of the Dalai Lama and Tibet by the prolific Pico Iyer.

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One on One: Rudy Maxa

If you watch public television, you've probably seen the popular show Smart Travels, which our own contributing editor Rudy Maxa has hosted since 2001. In May 2008, the show debuts its sixth season with a fresh title, Rudy Maxa's World, reflecting a new worldwide focus after concentrating heavily on Europe and the Pacific Rim during the program's early years. Prior to his work in television, Maxa spent over three decades as a Washington, D.C., journalist—first with the Washington Post, then Washingtonian magazine. Over the past six years, he's written several stories for National Geographic Traveler. With every job he's held, Maxa has wrangled assignments that have allowed him to travel the world. Amazingly, he still can't get enough of gallivanting about. Here Rudy is interviewed by Keith Bellows, Traveler's editor in chief. Check out the print version of his story in our upcoming July/August issue, and more of Keith's One-on-One interviews online.

Project Manila

While fact-checking Traveler’s City Life department, I frequently discover intriguing city-themed blogs — irreverent, beautiful, informative, and hilarious slices of life. And on some occasions, I reach out to local bloggers to help me track down elusive facts, like phone numbers for tiny cupcake shops in the Philippines or nightclubs in Senegal. Meet Rick Manzano, photographer and author of Project Manila, a photo-driven blog that aims “to change how people perceive Manila.” Read more about Manila in the April issue of Traveler (on newsstands now!).

If you could recommend one part of Manila to visitors hoping to catch an authentic glimpse of the city, what would you suggest?

That would be Malate. The buildings are just fantastic. They may be old and some of them dilapidated, but they tell a lot of stories of how the culture and lifestyles were decades ago. I'm a sucker for good architecture and rich history.

What are a few must-do Manila experiences, in your opinion?

Our Indian friend, whom we met in Kuala Lumpur, flew to Manila a few months ago. My friends and I agreed to have her drink San Mig Light, a famous local beer, and try duck embryo ("balut") and grilled chicken intestines ("isaw"). Personally, I think that's one of the many authentic Manila experiences I'm sure she's going to remember, because certainly she doesn't have that at home. 

How would you describe Manila to someone who's never been before?

I'm pretty sure everybody's got a bittersweet relationship with this city. It's not exactly the cleanest nor the safest. But the contrast makes it all interesting because, I think, more often than not, we find beauty in the midst of imperfections.

What's your favorite neighborhood in Manila? Tell us about it.

I grew up in the southern part of metro Manila (Alabang, Muntinlupa area), which is considered the suburbs. I lived inside a very peaceful subdivision where trees are abundant and birds wake you up in the morning. It's a few minutes' drive to the malls and there are a lot of food joints around. I always enjoy going to a nearby gasoline station—we have coffee shops and restaurants there—to catch up with close friends and enjoy nice conversations.

Photo: Rick Manzano

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World Wise Quiz: Porkopolis

It's no secret that here in Traveler's office that we're suckers for trivia (Marilyn's encyclopedic mind can attest to that). But even we get excited when Assistant Art Director and resident quiz-master Stefan Caiafa's WorldWise quiz goes live on our website, as we're able to indulge our inner nerds under the guise of "work."

This month, Mr. Caiafa's quiz is called "Also Known As" and he's rounded up a gaggle of monikers, nicknames, and sobriquets that are sure to stump you. Do you know which midwestern American city was once dubbed Porkopolis? Or what the Aboriginal people of central Australia call Ayers Rock (pictured)? Or which Middle Eastern city was once called Philadelphia? Test your geography prowess and let us know your score in the comments below. Good luck!

Photo: Nagelestock.com/Alamy

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One on One: Rolf Potts

Author, blogger, journalist, and inveterate traveler—Rolf Potts has made a name for himself as a champion of vagabonding—spending extended time on the road, often without a hard-and-fast itinerary. His book, Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term Travel, and website, www.vagabonding.net, are chock-full of tips and first-person accounts about how to journey frugally and well.

Brought up in Kansas, Potts traveled mostly in neighboring states as a youth. But the travel urge was planted, and he’s spent the past several years roaming the world, for long stretches with no fixed address. It’s a life many of us dream about but seldom undertake. Though Potts has semi-settled down on a farm back in Kansas, travel remains his abiding passion. Here he is interviewed by Keith Bellows, editor in chief of National Geographic Traveler magazine. Read more about Potts in the April 2008 issue of Traveler, and check out his list of favorite bookstores from his travels here on IT.

Intelligent Travel in New York!

There are few places that evoke more gut-reactions than New York City: love it or hate it, it's a place with dozens of personalities, many of them eccentric, but all of them wonderful. In our April issue, now on newsstands, we interviewed New Yorkers on New York - getting their picks for the most authentic restaurants, shopping, sites, hotels and nightlife. We had a blast putting together this issue, but even we admit we couldn't cover it all, so all this month we'll be offering more insights, secrets, and tips on the Big Apple. And of course, we want yours as well. So leave us notes in the comments below, or email us with your favorite places, buildings, restaurants, and experiences. We'll do our best to feature as many as we can on the blog, and we look forward to hearing from you.

To get you inspired, check out our online photo gallery, and our guide to exploring New York (for free!).

Learn to Shoot like a Pro

The Traveler Photography Seminar season is underway! Click on the video below, shot by resident Traveler videographer Susanne Hackett, for a sample of the Travel Photo seminar recently held in Washington, DC: 

We still have eight seminars left this spring in cities throughout the U.S. and Canada: 

• March 29, 2008 - San Francisco - Nature Photography

• March 30, 2008 - Portland, OR - Travel Photography

• April 6, 2008 - Chicago - Nature Photography

• April 20, 2008 - Boston - Adventure Photography

• April 27, 2008 - Denver - Adventure Photography

• May 18, 2008 - Seattle - Adventure Photography

• June 1, 2008 - Minneapolis - Digital Photography

• June 8, 2008 - Vancouver, BC - Digital Photography

For more details and to register, visit ngtravelerseminars.com. 

Mobile World Photo Contest Winners

Check out the winner of National Geographic Traveler's first ever Mobile World photo contest!

While photographing the Ruby Mountains from her deck in Spring Creek, Nevada, Jodi Esplin snapped this photo of her dog Tango as he watched wistfully from behind a window. A self-described "serious amateur" photographer, Esplin has dabbled in photography for two years, taking a class from the local college and three online courses, as well as working as a part-time chemical engineer and the full-time mother of two boys. "I often shoot outside with the dog," said Esplin, explaining his watchfulness. "We have a couple of acres where he can wander, and we live in such a pretty area that I end up taking a lot of outdoor scenic and wildlife pictures."

This shot was taken with a Motorola RAZR cell phone, and Jodi won a ten day cruise through the Galapagos with National Geographic Expeditions for her pic. Check out the second and third place finishers here, and be sure to sign up for our current contest: The Great Outdoors, for a chance to win a trip to Hawaii. The extended deadline ends on March 30.

Photo: Jodi Esplin

Traveler's Best of Ireland

Top o' the morning readers! We're wearing o' the green here at Traveler  today and wanted to present you with some of our favorite Irish offerings from our pages.

Novelist Maeve Binchy reveals her very own Place of a Lifetime: Dalkey, Ireland, home to a host of literary greats.

Set off on the ultimate Irish road trip and using our detailed plan for navigating the Ring of Kerry. But be sure to master the right way to drive on the left.

Get the lowdown on the best places to see, eat, and of course, drink, in Dublin.

Introduce yourself to Ireland's Aran Islands, whose beauty ranked high on our most recent Destinations Rated list.

Check out our Trip Lit book critic Don George's review of Roddy Doyle's collection of Irish short stories, The Deportees, then peruse other Irish titles from our Ultimate Travel Library.

Relax at the Lisdoonvarna, a Victorian pumphouse-turned spa, and Ireland's addition to our Top 50 Wellness Destinations.

Know which sweaters and pottery are worth taking home with tips from our Authentic Shopping Guide.

Photo: Dublin; by Hon Lau/iStockphoto.com

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The Great Outdoors Photo Contest

Register now for National Geographic Traveler and PDN's Great Outdoors Photo Contest!

"Celebrate the world outside - vistas, landscapes, adventures, and the big beyond." That's the motto for Traveler's latest photo contest, and it's certainly got us inspired. Think you can beat the competition?  The deadline ends March 15, so register and send in your best shots!  Even better: You got a chance to win a 7-day trip to Hawaii as the Grand Prize. Good luck!

Photo: Michael Melford

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Trip Lit: The Lost City

"For a certain kind of traveler, the Indiana Jones fantasy is irresistible: You machete through tangled jungle vines and stumble upon an overgrown passageway; plunging through clawing underbrush, you emerge to see an intact stone city of elaborate temples and plazas," writes Don George, our resident bookworm, in this month's book column about Henry Shukman's new novel, The Lost City.

George explains the book's "tantalizing premise":

Jackson Small, the protagonist, became interested in South American ruins when based with the British army in Belize. His passion was fanned on forays with his closest comrade, Connelly, who was subsequently killed in a skirmish with guerillas. Connelly claimed to have glimpsed a vast, ruined city in a little-explored region of the Peruvian highlands, and after leaving the army, Small vows to find the lost city. 

We love the mental imagery of undiscovered worlds sequestered deep in the jungle. Read the rest of the column to learn more about The Lost City and this month's literary landscape.

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Top 50 Wellness Destinations

Just as more travelers are visiting foreign lands for affordable medical procedures, the popularity of "wellness destinations"—spas and other retreats where you can nurture your physical, mental, or spiritual well-being—is also growing. In this month's issue, Traveler investigated hundreds of wellness destinations worldwide to come up with the following selections. We looked for spas that reflect the local culture, offer authentic treatments, and are set in attractive destinations. We avoided chain spas, preferring one-of-a-kind facilities. Find out where to chill out in each continent at the links below:

• Africa
• Asia
• Europe
• North America
• Oceania
• South/Central America

For an in-depth look at three of the spas listed here, see the March 2008 issue of National Geographic Traveler, where you can share the experiences of our writers at an old-time Czech Republic resort, a Colorado meditation retreat, and a Bangkok temple day spa. And see our online glossary of wellness-related terms to better understand this type of travel.

Photo: Joanna Pinneo

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Words of Parisian Wisdom from Taras Grescoe

In Traveler’s March issue, renowned travel writer and former Paris resident Taras Grescoe takes readers through the streets of authentic Paris, a city through the eyes of Parisians themselves. IT had the chance to grill Grescoe on his first Parisian encounter, his favorite little rue, and how those Frenchies are holding up under the new smoking ban.

Describe your first meeting with Paris. What stuck with you? What remains the same?

I was bumming around Europe with a rapidly diminishing stock of travelers checks; Paris is where the last of them ran out. I ended up staying for four years, teaching English, living in four different arrondissements, and doing a great deal of walking.

Paris in the 1990s was a somewhat grittier place. Cigarettes cost ten francs a pack, less than two bucks at the time (now they’re five-plus euros), and people smoked everywhere—metro platforms, elevators, toilet stalls (they had convenient ashtrays set above the toilet paper rolls). There were still first-class cars on the metro (identical to second, but less crowded), and cell phones had not become the chief means of flirting and conducting a love affair.

In many ways, Paris has become greener since I lived there. Bicycles are everywhere, as are bike paths. There are far more pedestrian-only sectors, and vast new parks (like the one at Bercy). But Paris is still Paris, and there are still passages, museums, and café-tabacs I’d like to discover. I wouldn’t mind running out of money and getting stranded there all over again.

In Authentic Paris, your friend Hélène Lurçat says that, “Parisians still shop in it [Paris] like it’s a village.” What is your personal favorite petite slice of Parisian “village” life?

I always make a beeline for the Rue Montorgueil in the second arrondissement. It’s a pedestrian street near the former site of Les Halles food market, and it’s full of fishmongers, cheese shops, bakeries, pastry shops. I grab a seat at a café terrace some time before noon (if I can find one—competition can be fierce) and watch the parade: check out which pattern of scarf everybody seems to be wearing this year, which breed of dog is fashionable.

Nose to Bottlenose

Senior Editor Norie Quintos likes going nose to bottlenose with dolphins...

The Baltimore aquarium's new Dolphin Encounter program, which takes you backstage with the trainer and the marine mammals, is a close encounter of the interspecies kind. The 2 1/2 hour program includes reserved seating at the dolphin show and a short educational seminar. But the highlight is a play session at the edge of the pool with the high-diving creatures. It's hard not to anthropomorphize these clearly intelligent beings (They like playing catch! They're so happy!). I grew up watching Flipper reruns, see, and entertained dreams about become a marine biologist. But fulfilling one's fantasy doesn't come cheap. The program costs $195 and reservations are required. I'm not going to enter into a debate on the ethics surrounding the use of captive animals; suffice it to say that the aquarium follows best practices in the care and keeping of its charges, and focuses on education.

Read More: Learn about what's happening in dolphin's brains (and other animals as well), in the cover feature of National Geographic Magazine, "Animal Minds," in this month's issue.

Photo: Courtesy National Aquarium in Baltimore

"Glaring Taxidermied Owls"

Traveler magazine's been popping up in surprising places lately, from Real Simple's "best blog" list to the business pages of the New York Times.  At the Henry Art Gallery in Seattle, there's a macabre art exhibit called "We're All Going To Die (except for you)," in which our May/June 2007 issue plays a part. From a review by Jen Graves in The Stranger ("Seattle's Only Newspaper"):

One room in Dawn Cerny's magnificent, dark installation is for the dead—rows of glaring taxidermied owls, a stand of funerary flower arrangements, watercolor paintings of macabre T-shirts in heavy-metal style, and 150-year-old photographs of dead infants with their families. The other room is for the not-yet-dead—it's a waiting room. On the coffee table is a National Geographic Traveler magazine. Its headline reads, wickedly, "Sudden Journeys: Adventures in Last-Minute Travel." (Henry Art Gallery, 15th Ave NE and NE 41st St, 543-2280. 11 am–5 pm, $10 general/free for students.)

We didn't have taxidermy in mind when we ran the Sudden Journeys story; it was really about being spontaneous, not stuffed.  It's a collection of mini-stories of unplanned adventures, and we liked it so much we posted it on our website. There's Mark Jenkins and his daughter pretending to be nomads in Wyoming; Pico Iyer, on the spur of the moment, abandoning Calcutta and hopping a plane to Bhutan; and Rolf Potts biking haphazardly through the Burmese countryside rather than following through on his meticulously planned itinerary.

What would your Sudden Journey be if you were sitting in Cerny's waiting room?

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Trip Lit: In Arabian Nights

Our book critic Don George is back this month with an alluring new travel title: In Arabian Nights by Tahir Shah. As Shah explores his adopted home of Casablanca and wanders through Morocco, he also seeks to find a Berber tradition - the story in his heart. George writes:

Simply as a work of art and imagination, In Arabian Nights is an enthralling triumph, but in our lamentably divided modern world, it assumes an even greater importance, for Shah's account poignantly humanizes Arab culture, penetrating deep into usually unseen social and psychic layers. Like the bearer of a precious key, Shah leads us along meandering alleyways to an ancient door, which he unlocks and throws open onto the rich courtyard of traditional Arab custom and belief.

Visit Traveler's website to read the rest of the review, as well as George's take on two new India-inspired novels and a selection of photo books that offer glimpses into the "enigmatic colussus." And check out George's Trip Lit archive and our Ultimate Travel Library for more place-inspired reading suggestions.

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Get Outdoors with Traveler's Photo Seminars

Today's photographer is bombarded with choices—cameras, hardware, software—but in the end, memorable photographs come from the synthesis of a great eye and solid skills. Overwhelmed? Now you can learn from the best with National Geographic Traveler's photo seminars.

Join photographer Michael Melford and well-known nature photographer and lecturer Eddie Soloway as they unearth the mysteries of nature and outdoor photography. See inspired photos and learn the methods our experts used to create them. Find out how to sharpen your skills and fine-tune your technique to turn your nature photos from so-so to so spectacular. Let Eddie and Michael show you how to capture the spirit of nature, whether you’re in Big Sur or your own backyard.

Check out the Putting the Wow in Your Nature and Outdoor Photography Seminar spring schedule:

• Houston, Texas - March 15, 2008
• San Francisco, California - March 29, 2008
• Chicago, Illinois - April 6, 2008

Register online and learn more about our Adventure, Travel, and Digital photography seminars as well.

Photo: Eddie Soloway

Belizean Musician Andy Palacio: A Remembrance

World music enthusiasts around the globe are mourning the unexpected death of Andy Palacio, Belizean musician and leader of the international movement to preserve Garifuna language and culture.  Palacio’s latest album Wátina (“I called out”), released in 2007, propelled him onto the international stage and sparked a cultural revival in his home nation of Belize. 

In November 2007, Traveler’s Susanne Hackett had the fortune to meet “Andy P,” as he is affectionately known in Belize, and travel the country’s Garifuna coast with him and his band, camcorder in hand.  The trip was a homecoming for Andy, who had just finished a whirlwind international tour, during which he won the prestigious world music WOMEX award and the UNESCO Artist for Peace award. His arrival also happened to coincide with the annual Garifuna Settlement Day celebrations, where Andy was the headliner and received a hometown hero’s welcome. 

The video below is a compilation of the footage gathered on this trip.

The Genuine Article: Parisian Passementerie

Traveler's authentic shopping columnist Laura Morelli is back this month with an lesson in scouting out the ornamental trimmings, fringes, tassels, and pom-poms that make up the distinctively French art of passementerie .  This "art of embellishment" fed the desires of wealthy French nobles for opulent flair on nearly everything they could touch. Morelli writes:

The French monarchy and noble classes kept the city's artisans busy churning out deluxe interior fabrics and table settings, prestigious coaches, along with shimmering jewelry, lace collars and cuffs, custom shoes, and powdered wigs to adorn themselves as fancifully as their abodes.

Though sadly, the popularity of powdered wigs has declined, Paris remains the world's fashion capital thanks to the work of these artisans. Morelli writes that authentic passementerie shops can still be found in pockets of the city:

Some of today's best artisan passementiers are clustered in the Bastille district of southeastern Paris. In the Middle Ages, this area of town was home to the furniture trade guilds: cabinetmakers, joiners, metalworkers, and specialists in inlay and marquetry. Today, though undergoing gentrification, the area retains some of the flavor of an old-fashioned working-class district, with hole-in-the-wall workshops that transport visitors light years away from the posh avenues of the rest of the Right Bank.

Read more: Check out Traveler's website to find Morelli's current article and to see her columns from months past. Look through IT's own archive of shopping tips. And visit Traveler's Authentic Shopping guide before heading out on your next trip to ensure you can do better than souvenir T-shirts this time.

Photo: Jacqui Hurst/Corbis

Nominate Your Favorite Geotourism Changemaker

Here at Intelligent Travel, we're always looking to promote innovations in sustainable travel. And now, National Geographic and Ashoka Changemakers' Geotourism Challenge offers you a way to join the global dialogue on protecting the places we visit.

If you're a geo-savvy traveler, alert to the quality and character of the destinations you visit, and you know of people who work to sustain, enhance, and preserve the culture and environment of a place for future generations, we want to hear from you. Let us know where you have been and what you found.  Based on your travels (or experience in your own locale), nominate a person, place, business, or organization that’s doing things right.

Join National Geographic and Ashoka's Changemakers in the global search for the most innovative ways to demonstrate and advance geotourism, defined as "tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place – its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents." Help preserve unique places for future generations of travelers.

Visit the Geotourism Challenge site to nominate, debate, and collaborate on ideas and learn more about how you can get involved. The Challenge is open for nominations now, and for entries beginning January 30.  All nominators who tell their first-person stories become eligible to win one of two trips from World Hotel Link.

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Trip Lit: The Deportees

Traveler book columnist Don George is back this month with a roundup of great travel-inspired books. In it, he reviews Roddy Doyle's new collection of stories, The Deportees, which he found captivating. He writes:

"Doyle's writing is so conjuring and compelling that I finished the entire book in one sitting, unable to put it down. Each of the eight tales unfolds from the same plot: A traditional born-in-Ireland protagonist encounters a denizen of the new Ireland, born in Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Russia, or the States, and complications careen ineluctably along. Doyle's staccato rat-a-tat-tat dialogues and descriptions impart the edgy energy of contemporary Dublin, and he portrays his characters—native and immigrant alike—with a taut empathy that evokes the drudgeries and terrors of their worlds."

Visit Traveler's website for the rest of George's picks for this month, and check out our travel library for other great stories to inspire your next trip.

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Traveler Magazine Wins Seven Awards

Pardon us a moment for a bit of dutiful inside-the-office reporting, but we're very happy to share the news that Traveler magazine was just awarded seven, count 'em, seven, awards from the North American Travel Journalists Association, including their award for Best Travel Magazine for our October 2007 issue.

The NATJA is a professional group of writers, photographers, editors and tourism professionals who are dedicated to promoting high-quality travel writing. The panel of NATJA judges sifted through more than 500 entries to pick the 2007 winners.

Here's a complete list of the Traveler wins:

World In Focus Photo Contest Winners

Our annual Photo Issue, now on newsstands, features the World in Focus contest winners drawn from over 27,000 entries. The Grand Prize went to Mark Unrau of Ontario, Canada, for this haunting image. Unrau snapped this image on the train that runs from Beijing to Lhasa, Tibet. The rail line—one of the world's highest railroad routes—had been completed just a month earlier. Many Tibetans feel the train is bad for their people and culture, but the Chinese have hailed it as a major technological achievement and said it will promote tourism. Unrau wanted to document the controversial new train. He took the photograph early in his 26-hour journey. "The woman was sitting in front of me for the duration of the ride," says the photographer, "and was glued to the window staring out at the expansive scenery."

Visit our website to see more winners from this year's contest. And add your own photos to our Flickr pool to have them featured on the blog.

Photo: Mark Unrau

Inside the Shaolin Temple

The Shaolin Temple in central China, recognized as the birthplace of both Zen Buddhism and the martial arts, doesn't give up its secrets easily. American photographer Justin Guariglia made repeated visits over five years just to get permission to photograph the monks who live there. Watch Traveler Editor in Chief Keith Bellows' One-on-One interview with Guariglia now:

Photo Gallery: My China

Check out some of the amazing new photos we just put up online in the My China Photo Gallery like this shot of Mongolia herders on camelback by Adam Wong. The slideshow accompanies the cover feature for this month's issue.

Photo: Adam Wong

My China: Now on Newsstands

The January/February issue of Traveler is now on newsstands. Our sixth annual photo issue features a portfolio of pictures taken throughout China, and the winning entries from the World in Focus photo contest. It also has a bounty of great new online goodies for you to enjoy, which we'll be showing off this week:

• Check out the My China slideshow, featuring pictures from photojournalists with strong ties to the country and the stories behind the shots.
  

• Watch Keith Bellows' video interview with Justin Guariglia, a photographer who got amazing access to the monks living in the Shaolin temple. His pictures also appear in his new book Shaolin: Temple of Zen.

• Laura Morelli's newest column for The Genuine Article, where she explores the ancient art of Chinese silk.

• Test your geography skills in the latest WorldWise quiz.

• Stay classy with San Diego's Destination Guide.

• Check out our latest Free City guide to Seattle.

And if you're desperate for a last minute gift - don't forget a subscription to Traveler this year. Our two for one deal means you can give one and get one for yourself!

Happy Holidays from National Geographic Traveler and the staff at Intelligent Travel!

The Genuine Article: Chinese Silk

We're loving Laura Morelli's new column for Traveler's website, The Genuine Article. This month, to tie in with our China-centric issue, Laura guides us through the process of buying traditional Chinese silk. She writes:

Many travelers to China are overwhelmed by the choices for silk fabrics, garments, and smaller accessories. The number of silk shops in Shanghai and Beijing alone is staggering. For the most authentic shopping experience, head to one of the regions known for silk. The city of Suzhou, west of Shanghai, for example, developed a reputation as a silk capital because its silk-makers turned out imperial garments from the seventh to the early 20th centuries under the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties. At the Suzhou Silk Museum, you can view silks dating back to the seventh century, and train your eye for the many silk shops and factories that lure travelers across the region.

We had no idea, for example, that the Chinese still use a "burn test" to determine whether their silks are authentic. But we think it's best to let the experts handle that, for fear of singeing your souvenirs.

Photo: Mark Thiessen/NGS

Marilyn's Miscellany

Who doesn't need a little Marilyn in their day? Welcome to Marilyn's Miscellany.

• Pie in the Sky: Between now and December 21, you can have mince pies and mulled wine served to your guests in your private capsule of the London Eye high above the city, if you're willing to spend $900 for the capsule and $33 per person for the wine and pies. Prices go up after January 1.

• Rainbow Bright Night Cycle: If you insist on biking in the dark, you can put your mom's mind at ease by outfitting your bike with the Down Low Glow kit, which creates an eerie neon cloud all around your bicycle that drivers can't miss. Make Magazine says: "A rare instance where something unimpeachably cool also enhances safety." They're made by the Rock the Bike shop in Berkeley, California, and available in Ice Blue, Envy Green, Hot Pants Pink, Fossilized Amber, Plush Red, and Royale Purple ($99 U.S.).

• Sonoran Lights: For great stargazing, try the Kitt Peak National Observatory, which is located on the Tohono O'odham Reservation in the Sonoran Desert 90 minutes southwest of Tucson, Arizona. They have a three-hour Nightly Observing Program (includes a box dinner) where they let you look through their dome-mounted telescopes. From Tucson, take Highway 86 west for 40 miles, turn left at the Kitt Peak sign onto Highway 386, drive 12 miles up the mountain until you see the giant concrete donut with the mural painted on it, where you turn left and park. Dress warmly! If you want to stay overnight, consider the nearby Paca de Paja B&B, a cozy, adobe-covered straw-bale house run by a former park ranger and visited by wildlife such as this cute little javelina.

Photo: Down Low Glow bike, Chugrad McAndrews