nod 'n' smile

We decided to cap off our trip to East Africa with one final day tour with Urban Adventures, what we thought was a walking safari through Hell’s Gate National Park. We had read that this was what the park was known for and between our desire to spend our last day with animals, and the [...]

My trip to Africa was the first time I’ve ever participated in an extended group tour. I’ve signed up for an adventure excursion here or there where I’ve spent a couple of days at a time with strangers, but certainly never a whole week through two countries. Frightening? A bit. Here’s what a typical day [...]

Confession: sometimes I dread organized tours. Actually, a lot of times. Following a large group of people around, taking perfunctory photographs before being rushed off to the next stop, sticking out like a sore thumb among the locals- it can be painful. But I have to admit, even though they can feel like a chore, [...]

I’ve always felt very strongly that vacationing and traveling are two distinct things. While I enjoy both, I think it does a disservice to travelers to call what we do “vacation” because it somehow implies that it’s easy or that we’re running away from life, when in fact, it can be a richer, more substantive [...]

Capital: Lima Month visited: November 2008 Superlative: Most in Touch with its Heritage Ease of travel (1=completely lost all the time, 10=like navigating around my own neighborhood): 6 __________________________________________________________________________ This is the place for you if: you are a culture buff. Or just buff. Don’t forget to: allow at least one day to acclimate to [...]