Sheet Dreams

This was originally posted by our friends at Gracefuledge.com, and is re-posted here with their permission. How does one get upgraded to first class for free? Will I get lucky by kissing the Blarney Stone? Who else has slept here? Just some of a globetrotter’s mysteries. And while sometimes it pays to seek out the truth, other times…oblivion is blissful. Like when you rest your travel-weary body in your personal set of travel sheets. Made from soothing fabrics like silk, Egyptian cotton, or SeaCell, a super ...

BoomerangIt

This was originally posted by our friends at Gracefuledge.com, and is re-posted here with their permission. Despite road-tripping across the country, backpacking through Europe and gallivanting your way Down Under, home is where your heart is. And also where your iPod, bicycle and camera ultimately should be - like when you use BoomerangIt to register your valuables. A global lost and found service, BoomerangIt helps you get reunited with your wayward belongings, no matter where you may have parted ways. Simply apply the temper-resistant labels to your gear and register the unique serial ...

Questions on Swine Flu (H1N1) Answered

This series of answers on H1N1 virus comes from Dr. Michael Kirsh, who writes the Travelogue Blog and co-founded www.travelclinicsofamerica.com. The fear of swine flu, the H1N1 virus, has decreased.  A few months ago, the swine flu pandemic was front page news all over the world.   Everyone was worried that he might be struck by this dreaded H1N1 virus.  Many schools were closed and many people avoided public places like the plague. Experts, however, warn us to brace ourselves for an avalanche of H1N1 this fall.  Vaccine manufacturers are working feverishly to develop an effective vaccine. Will there be enough vaccine for everyone? Not at first.   ...

See it Before It Disappears

WorldChanging.com recently posted an article on "See it Before it Disappears," type tourism - which is becoming increasingly popular as climate change puts many must-see destinations in peril.  The idea being, if we don't take advantage and visit places like the Galapagos or Easter Island now, we may never have a chance. The author points out that there are other good reasons to visit places like Greenland, increasingly, locals are depending on your tourism dollar. She also mentions the certification initiatives that exist to regulate tourism, including one of our own projects, ...

A Mini Safari in Grand Teton National Park

Check out the Mini Safari in Grand Teton National Park led by non-profit Wildlife Expeditions as part of the National Museum of Wildlife Art’s annual Western Visions fundraiser. Guests will enjoy firsthand advice and commentary from the featured artists, Lindsay Scott and Leo E. OSbourne, as they travel through the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, experiencing a variety of native birds and animals during prime early morning viewing hours. The Mini Safari takes place from 6:30 – 11:00 ...

News from the High Atlas Foundation

The following items were taken from the High Atlas Foundation's newsletter. The 2009-2010 planting season is fast approaching, and you can join HAF and our partners in planting a community tree nursery of 60,000 fruit tree saplings! Twenty villages neighboring Toubkal National Park, in the Rural Communes of Ourika, Oukaimden, and Asni, will participate in this project. The Regional Direction of Waters and Forests-Marrakech has contributed land to build the nursery. In four to six years the household income of 500 families will at least double through the sale of the fruit at local markets. Our current project partners - G4S, ...

Four Slovenian Villages

This article was first published by our friends at whl.travel, who have agreed to its republication here. Pince in the east, Budinci in the north, Kot pri Damlju in the south and Robidišče in the west are the four villages that pin Slovenia to the map at its four extremities. By Mojca Peterka Photos by:  Iztok Bončina. Annual meetings in the 1990s brought the people of these villages together. These special events took place in a different village each year, but to the great disappointment of the inhabitants, ...

Responsible Tourism in Marmaris-Datça, Turkey

This article was first published by our friends at whl.travel, who have agreed to its republication here. View the original article on their blog. The port city of Marmaris, set in southwest Turkey, is one of many of the country's summer hotspots. Although little remains of the quiet fishing village that survived until a building boom in the 1980s, further down the Datça Peninsula is a place that has little to do with the hubbub of the resort city, a place where the community has come together in opposition to mass-tourism gigantism and instead opted to take a ...

Waunita Hot Springs

Just 27 miles east of Gunnison, Colorado is Waunita Hot Springs.  True to their name, they have  one of the largest private pools in Colorado  that is fed by natural hot springs and provides the perfect way to relax and treat your muscles after a day of rafting, riding through the mountains or any of the other activities they offer. The hot springs have a long history.  In the early 1900s, the area was used as a health spa, and patients were brought out to spend time in the hot springs.  The ranch ...

Free Airfare to Bhutan…

This just popped into our inbox - Free Airfare to Bhutan from Bangkok when you book one of the following trips by Boundless Journeys by August 17th, 2009: a) Bhutan: A Journey Into the Peaceful Kingdom - October 13–24, 2009, November 17–28, 2009 b) Bhutan: Festivals of Bhutan - September 24–October 2, 2009; $3895 per person c) Bhutan: The Chomolhari Trek - October 26-November 7, 2009 Check their site for more info: Boundless Journeys. Or call them at 800-941-8010.

August, 2009 Photo Contest

Think you know the location of this famous square?  Be the first to send an email with the correct answer to editor@travelofftheradar.com and we'll reward you with a prize from Eagle Creek. Last Month Congratulations to Marie Timmermans from London, UK who correctly identified the Katun from Montenegro in the July issue.

Meander Through Montenegro – Guided or On Your Own

The tourism scene in Montenegro is still mainly focused on the country’s gorgeous coastline, where boats and beachgoers flock to the sparkling Adriatic Sea.  But the government is now trying to find ways to bring responsible, sustainable tourism and nature-travelers into the country’s northern areas, hoping to extend the economic benefits of tourism to more remote areas, without trashing the place in the process. We spent three weeks this past June in Montenegro – and the highlight was a bike trip that roughly followed "Top Trail 4" in this map which you can order here.  We ...

Adventure Travel World Summit

The 6th Adventure Travel World Summit will be held in Quebec City from October 19-22, 2009.  As you might expect, the adventure community puts on a rocking summit - who else gets the CEO of Cirque du Soleil and a renown astrophyscist as keynotes?  The event starts with a "day of adventure" and is followed by three days of conference.  The ATWS examines all issues that affect the adventure travel industry, from climate change to marketing.  Click here for more information.

Rock Climbing in Sardinia

The polished whites, grays, and oranges of limestone cliffs are enough to bring rock climbers from around the world to an area—but add the brilliant azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea, as well as climbing routes of every difficulty, and you have a rock climbers paradise.   The Italian island of Sardinia, closer to north Africa than Italy but just a short flight from Rome, maintains a cheerful character of independence amid a harsh history of conquest. Fly from Rome or Munich to the capital city of ...