World travel is cheap and easy. In fact, with a little practice and effort, you can travel the world for free.

The idea that travel is expensive and difficult is bullshit peddled by tour companies, hotel chains and corporate media.

The tourism industry wants you to buy cruise packages and stay at all-inclusive resorts.

They want you to choose a travel experience the same way you would choose a new jacket at the mall. They want your Credit Card number.

The tourism industry doesn’t want me to reveal the simple secrets of free travel, but I’m going to share them with you anyway.

It can be scary to venture into the world with nothing more than optimism and good-will, but personal freedom begins with a leap of faith.

1. Embrace the Simple Joy of Travel

Travel frees you from the grind of daily routine. You will explore new places, meet new people, try new foods and learn things about the world – and yourself – that you never imagined were possible.

The joy of new experience is the most wonderful thing about travel – and new experiences are free. Walk the streets of a city. Stop and chat with a local. People watch in a public park. Climb to the top of a hill and watch the sun set over the ocean.

The simple joy of being in a new place is just a matter of…wait for it…going someplace new. No tour package required.

2. Keep Your Needs To A Minimum

The modern American economy is built on the false premise that people need to buy new goods and services all the time. Again, I call bullshit.

People need fresh air, healthy food, clean water, exercise, creative stimulation, companionship, self-esteem and a safe place to sleep.

All of these things are simple to obtain. Most of them are free.

For fresh air, go outside. For exercise, take a walk. For creative stimulation, go somewhere new. For companionship, make a friend. For self esteem, turn off your TV, breathe deep and open your spirit to the basic goodness of the world.

Things like food and shelter are much cheaper once you get outside the United States. See # 5 below for ways to obtain food and shelter for free.

3. Go Slow

If you live in New York and want to take a 2 week vacation to Africa, it will be very difficult (though not impossible, see number eight) to travel for free.

Indeed, as long as you believe that time is money, you will spend money all the time.

Time is not money. Time is free. You have all the time in the world.

Instead of buying a plane ticket, catch a ride out West, or remodel an old sailboat, or just hop on your bike and ride away from town. The slower you travel, the less money you will spend.

4. Leave Your Possessions and Obsessions Behind

When you travel, you don’t need to pay rent. You don’t need a car. You don’t need an oven, a washer-dryer, electricity, Cable TV, a gym membership, a sofa and loveseat or a closet full of clothes.

You don’t need a suit and tie to wear to your job because you don’t need a job. You don’t need to worry about paying the bills, because there are no bills to pay.

You are free.

5. Trust People and you will Receive Free Food and Lodging

Many people are willing to open their homes to travelers. Chip in with a few chores, and they will give you a free meal, too.

CouchSurfing and WWOOF are two phenomenal online networks that help travelers connect with local hosts. CouchSurfing members are willing to give travelers a place to sleep for a night or two. WWOOF connects travelers with organic farmers who want to trade room and board for an extra hand.

Many members of both CouchSurfing and WWOOF are seeking an alternative to high-impact consumer culture.

6. Learn a Useful Craft or Skill

If you have a skill, such as cooking, animal husbandry, massage, musical ability or basic carpentry, you can barter for free food and accommodation as you travel.

Universally appreciated skills like cooking are best, though niche skills that are in high demand, like website design, are also useful. Native English speakers can often travel the world for free by teaching language classes in each destination they visit.

The slower you travel, the easier it will be to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement with a local community or host.

7. Get Out of the City

Although it’s possible to travel for free in a big city, it’s damn difficult. Cities are built on money, and necessities like fresh air, clean water and a safe place to sleep are difficult to come by in cities.

Go to the country, where people are more relaxed, food is plentiful and there’s ample room for one traveler to lay out her sleeping bag under the stars.

8. Find A Job You Love That Entails Travel

If you need an income in order to pay off loans or support a child, find a job that calls for extensive travel. There are millions of jobs available in the global economy that demand travel.

Of course, some jobs are easier to love than others, and much work that involves travel also involves the destruction of local ecosystems and traditional ways of life. Avoid unethical work if at all possible – it is bad for your health and worse for your soul.

For job ideas, check out the Travel and Adventure jobs section here at the Traveler’s Notebook.

9. Embrace Serendipity

Traveling the world for free requires a blend of advance planning and the willingness to seize opportunities and go with the flow.

Does your new CouchSurfing friend want company for a drive across the country? Grab your pack and ride along! Does an organic farm in Thailand need a farm sitter for the rainy season? Get in touch with Christian Shearer!

As Kurt Vonnegut wrote, “Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.”

Go Dancing.

UPDATE: How does $1,200 per month to travel in summer 2009 sound? There’s no catch – check out The Roads Scholarship, which Matador is co-sponsoring with The Digital Vagabond.

UPDATE: Read a response to this article at Brave New Traveler – The Tao of Vagabond Travel

What are your tips for cheap or free round the world travel? Share in the comments!

Photo by Rambling Rovers

After trying to break into travel writing for so long, you finally get the call. A PR agent is arranging a press trip to St. Lucia and you were recommended by so-and-so. Can you leave in two weeks?

Two hours later you wave your e-ticket in the air and do the happy dance. Then you stop. Umm, so what’s a press trip? What do I DO on a press trip? Can I bring my dog?

Full panic ensues. What do these people want from me? OMG, what did I get myself into?

If your first press trip invitation catches you off guard, these tips will help you sort through the chaos:

1. Define Your Mission

After coming off the über-high of being invited on an all-expenses paid trip to paradise, it’s a good idea to clarify a few things with the press trip coordinator: What are his / her publicity goals for this trip? Then discuss ways you can help meet them. Keep revisiting their goals until you’ve successfully published your work.

2. Do Your Research

Consult travel bureaus, chambers of commerce, books, magazines, travel blogs, and local newspapers for tourist information. Learn enough about your destination in advance so that you can start working story angles and request on-site interviews or side trips to nearby attractions.

Press trip coordinators know that each writer has a professional agenda and will try to accommodate your needs. While it’s their pleasure to help you meet your story objectives, don’t be difficult and keep your change requests to a minimum.

Surf online travel writer forums to learn what to expect on press trips.

3. Craft your story angle

Your job will be to “inform the reader by way of facts and enlighten him by way of impressions” (”Writer’s Encyclopedia”, Writer’s Digest). A few story angles should bubble to the surface while researching your destination, but don’t worry if they don’t. Sometimes the story you’ll end up writing won’t reveal itself until you’re back at home, flipping through all your notes.

4. Be Honest

Whether or not you have published travel stories, just be honest about who you are and what you’ve done. Never oversell yourself. The PR agent wants confidence that you can write well and can sell your story.

If you don’t have published clips to back that up, offer to share stories or blogs you’ve written and discuss where you plan to pitch your story. Novel ideas and a willingness to write and pitch hard just may suffice.

Honesty also applies to your writing. If service at the sponsoring hotel restaurant was rotten, are you obligated to publish this? The answer depends on the angle of your story.

Your readers may be future travelers to this destination. You have an obligation to be honest about what they should expect. But whether the restaurant service is relevant to your story is for you to decide.

5. Target A Publication

Most press trips are given to writers who already have a “letter of assignment” from an editor, but not always. Perhaps you have a demonstrated background in a special activity (e.g., fly fishing, scuba diving) that your destination wants to market. If so, work up some connections to a niche publication.

You will likely be asked where you intend to publish, so even if you have no connections yet, it is wise to identify a few possible outlets that accept new writers. Big Hint: National Geographic should not be on your list.

Check out 50+ Travel Magazines That Want to Publish Your Writing or join Travelwriters.com , where all members receive a list of 700 travel publications to pitch. Finally, check out online postings for assignments that may coincide with the place you’re visiting.

6. Be nice

Personality counts. Your hosts will put a lot of work into showing you a good time.

Being professional and courteous is a given, but you’re leagues above the rest if you’re also inquisitive, enthusiastic, and flexible—especially when things go awry.

If you have legitimate issues that affect your stay, particularly ones that future travelers should know about, then bring it up with your host and give them a chance to set it right. Also, be friendly to the other travel writers. You never know when one might help you get invited on their next press trip to Bali!

7. Be Prepared

Be sure to take business cards, digital camera with a large SD card, digital voice recorder (if you have one), extra batteries, phone, travel alarm clock, pens and paper and any activity-specific gear.

A computer is optional for short trips. There’s frequently so little down time during press trips that you might not have much time to write…a favorite notepad sure beats lugging around a six-pound laptop.

Editor’s Tip: A mini-stapler can save you headaches later on. As you travel around visiting restaurants, hotels, etc., you’ll end up with dozens of business cards and slips of paper. Instead of collecting them in a box, envelope, etc. staple them into a spiral notebook as you go.

8. Urge To Purge

After your trip, your brain will swirl with inspired phrases, imagery, and conversations that you experienced. Cater to your muse by carrying a notebook everywhere you go and set aside chunks of time to write.

Don’t resist the urge to purge your personal adventure story before getting to the business of writing for publication. Later, these inspired expressions might find a place inside your practical-info pieces.

9. Publish Your Destination

The faster you publish your travel story, the better you’ll feel and the happier your hosts will be. Publishing to your own travel blog is a great way to get material up quickly, but it is no substitute for outlets with high readership.

Target a list of several publications. Study them. Pitch them. Don’t stop until you’re published. And keep your hosts informed of your progress.

10. Breathe Easy and Enjoy Yourself

Don’t let the stress of writing and publishing burn you out. People are jealous of travel writers for a reason. You’re living the dream!

So live it up and really give your friends reason to hate their cubicles!

Photo by Barb. Feature cover photo by kelboa-productions

Group emails are a great way to quickly update a lot of people with what you have been doing. The only problem is that they often come off as a bit impersonal and can be very difficult to read. More often than not, you will spend an hour writing a detailed update, send it off, and get few, if any, responses.

You can keep sending the emails and hope that people appreciate the effort, even if they never read or respond to the messages.

Or, you could try these five tops to make people excited to find your group e-mails in their in-boxes.

Protect people’s privacy

This first tip is actually not a suggestion; it’s a rule. You should not place everyone’s address in the “to:” field because it will allow every recipient to see all the other addresses.

While there may be no problem with this for some, many people don’t appreciate it. Instead, place your own address in the “to:” field and everyone else’s address in the “bcc:” field. This will block out the addresses, while at the same time delivering a copy to yourself for review.

Pick one story

It is tempting to write long, detailed, updates every time you sit down in the internet cafe. This is an understandable impulse, but it tends to produce an email that is very difficult to read.

Instead, pick one story or anecdote that stands out and focus on telling it well. Keeping it short, not more than two well formed paragraphs, will make the email easier to read and help sharpen the writing.

When thinking of a story to send, try to pick something that is interesting and will encourage people to ask more about what you have been doing. Hopefully, your friends will read the email and then write back asking for more.

Use photographs

Everyone likes to see pictures and a group email is no exception. Pick a single, favorite, photograph that illustrates something you have done recently and attach it to the email.

When it comes to the message, try to think of the email as a postcard. A short, descriptive, message accompanied by a well chosen photograph can say significantly more than a long, overly detailed, update.

Ask questions

Email is about communication and, ultimately, you would like your messages to engage your reader enough that they will respond. A great way to elicit a response is to ask a question or two.

Of course, typical correspondence questions fall a bit flat and sound impersonal when read in a group email. Instead, draw some questions out of your experiences that might spark conversation.

For example, you could ask a speculative question like “I wonder if I’ve been missing an amazing ski season back home?” or something about more universal experiences like “why haven’t I been drinking wine with dinner all my life?”

Set up a blog on Matador

Perhaps the best way to keep people up to date with your travels is to give up the group emails all together. In their place, start a travel blog.

This allows you to share all of your favorite stories and photos, give thoughts and opinions, and engage a like-minded community. It givesyour friends the freedom to check in on your progress whenever they want, and the ability to comment on each entry.

A great place to create a free travel blog that you can share with existing friends and use to make new ones is Matadortravel.com. Set up a profile, start a blog, and send out your last group email providing a link to the blog and RSS feed!

How do you measure success? What is a travel writer? Baja, Mexico.. Photo by Laura Bernhein.

How do you become a successful travel writer? What is the most important step?

I recently posed those question to the Matador Community forum.

The responses reinforced a notion that applies, I believe, to most successful travel writers: they don’t think of themselves as travel writers at all. In fact, the few successful travel writers I know are too busy to sit around thinking about themselves as anything at all.

There’s a fundamental lesson here, one that should preface everything else: people who are truly doing something professionally—whether it’s travel writing, surfing, or whatever—have no illusions about it. They just understand what needs to be done and do it.

With that in mind, if your dream is to become a travel writer, stop dreaming. Make it happen today, right now. Follow these steps below and you’ll get there.

1. Dedicate yourself to becoming a writer.

This was Tim Patterson’s response to my question:

I think it’s most important to become a writer first, and then start to write about travel. Stuart Emmrich, editor of the NY Times travel section, put it well in a Q+A with readers last week:

“As the editor of the Travel section, I am not looking for good “travel writers” but instead good writers and — more important — good reporters with wide and varied backgrounds, who can bring their knowledge of such specific topics as history, art, music, literature, the environment, and world events to the subject of travel.”

Emmrich’s full Q+A is here.

2. Either go to school or train yourself as a journalist.

So how to fulfill Emmrich’s call for good reporters? You can try your hand at freelancing right off the bat, but an easier way is either going to school for journalism (where you’ll get experience at the school paper) or getting an internship at a magazine or newspaper.

This was a key move for me: a neighbor who also happened to be the publisher of a small town Colorado weekly needed someone to cover the local town meetings. I told her I’d give it a shot. There was one catch: the paper went to press the following day after the meetings, which meant I had to have copy turned in by 8:00 am the next morning. Oftentimes the meetings ran till after 11 PM.

After doing that for more than a year I’d learned how to take notes as quickly as possible, how to pare down a story to the important facts, how to insert quotes correctly, and finally, and perhaps most importantly, how to get it all done under a tight deadline.

For more on the importance of interning, check this interview with Outside’s Eric Hansen.

3. Consider starting with interviews and profiles.

Many people are drawn to writing—for good or bad—because of a need to satisfy their egos or to tell their stories. The irony however, is that writing well about yourself takes, in most cases, a much higher skill-level than other types of writing.

As Jacob Bielanski pointed out, “I honestly think my absolute worst writing came about through the belief that I had done something special, something that–in and of itself, regardless of my abilities–was worth reading about.”

So, all this being said, interviews and/or profiles are good first challenges for young writers. Make no mistake: crafting a good interview, like all writing, can take years to do well. But beginning with a subject that isn’t yourself or your adventures often makes it easier to identify the overall story theme and add supporting evidence without getting sidetracked.

4. Dedicate time to learning your craft.

Writing is a single endless progression from notes to story ideas to stories to better stories, then back to notes. For me the underlying questions are always: how can I describe this scene, reveal this character, express this idea, etc., more truthfully and clearly?

Numerous authors have expressed that writing is an extension of one’s love for reading. So that said, read all you can in the styles and genres you wish to write in.

Studying literary masters such as Hemingway (or take your pick) is always a good place to start.

5. Learn that writing is rewriting.

A common error of beginning writers is the notion that revision ruins the purity and spontaneity of their work. As Eric Hansen mentioned, most professional writers go through dozens of revisions and rewrites before publication.

If you’re new to the process of self-editing, go through a finished work and review it, asking yourself line by line: “is this what I was really trying to say here?” and “Is this really part of the story?”

Any places where you even hesitate should be cut or changed.

Go through this complete process again and again until the answer is 100% yes. You’ll find that most of the time you only needed half the number of words you used originally.

6. After editing, reassess your writing skills, identifying places for improvement.

Like beginning snowboarders getting down the mountain by scraping along or forcing crude turns, novice writing—no matter how well-intentioned—usually contains obvious mistakes such as overblown language, ineffective descriptions, oversimplified or unclear characters / ideas / conclusions, and rough transitions from exposition to description to dialogue.

Once you begin to recognize when you make these mistakes (and how to fix them), you’re well on your way to the next level of writing skills, which include making words and sentences serve multiple functions, and creating verisimilitude through convincing scene description and dialogue.

Keep in mind that for the best writers, this process of continuously learning and relearning new techniques and ways of expressing ideas, emotions, character, etc. goes on for their entire careers.

7. Learn how to pitch a story

Once you’re confident you can deliver the goods to an editor, learn how to pitch your story. I’ve explored this topic extensively here.

The main point is that you realize there’s no magic to pitching. It comes down to researching the magazine and realizing the editor is human, (with his or her own tastes, styles, and content needs), and understanding that if your story idea doesn’t fit—don’t take it personally. Wind up and pitch something new or somewhere with a better fit.

8. Cultivate a network of contacts.

Eric Hansen noted another key aspect of interning at a magazine was that you began to make contacts instantly. Through the internet, making contacts is easier than ever, as explained by Eva Holland: “Every break I’ve gotten has resulted from personal contact of some sort. . . .For me personally, the two most important steps have been: joining Matador, and days later, attending Book Passage.”

9. Persevere

For simplicity’s sake I’ve broken this advice down into numerated items when in reality all of it is one interconnected flow. For example, getting an internship helps with making contacts, which helps with pitching, which helps with editing your work, which helps with writing, and so on.

In a sense then, the one step which powers all the others is your own energy and perseverance. How bad do you really want it?

10. Choose empathy, compassion, and appreciation

It’s worth mentioning that one last way you can create a more successful path is to remember compassion and appreciation in your writing.

The very fact you have the health, time, money, resources, etc to be here reading this instead of somewhere else (choose your own adventure here—Darfur? Palestine? Guantanamo? The cancer ward?), count yourself lucky.

There are plenty of people out there writing self-congratulatory and / or derisive crap that will be forgotten tomorrow.

But your writing can become a chance to care for others, to shine light on otherwise hidden stories. To point out similarities rather than differences.To spread awareness. To educate. To see how all of us are really in this together.

What is the story you really need to tell?

Write it down.

Sailors making good use of an F-18 Hornet. Photo by Theodore Scott.

The U.S. Navy hires people for a wide range of positions. Photographers, mechanics, dentists, barbers, electricians, and many other jobs exist in the Navy. Unless you pick your job with the goal of getting into the middle of the fight (Navy SEALS ), then you probably won’t be anywhere near it.

The information below comes from my seven years in the United States Navy, but the lifestyle will apply to other navies around the world.

Where Can I Go?

In the Navy you can request to serve in a variety of locations. I know many sailors that lived in Italy, Britain, Hawaii, Spain, or Japan. While I didn’t live overseas, I moved up and down the east and west coasts of the United States – experiencing a variety of cities and getting paid for moving expenses each time.

Deployments

A naval ship will take you to many parts of the world. Deployment doesn’t mean that you are necessarily going to war. The United States sends ships all over the globe. It doesn’t concentrate them all in the hot spots. My first deployment was a slow trip around the Pacific Ocean, stopping at major port cities along the way.

On deployment, I regularly visited Japan, Guam, Australia, Dubai, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Other common port visits include Bahrain, Mumbai, Hawaii, Thailand, Alaska, South Korea and many more.

Other Benefits

Sailors earn 30 days of vacation each year. This is much more than the average U.S. citizen. Of course, working for the government means there are extra rules you must follow. When requesting your vacation, you must tell your superiors where you are going.

If you want to go to a country that the United States isn’t friendly with, then you will have to answer extra questions and fill out more paperwork. This will, of course, decrease your odds of going.

Another perk is the availability of military flights. If you don’t need to keep a strict schedule, this can be a great way to fly free. After signing up, you will be placed on a standby space-available list. More information about this can be found at MilitaryHops.

What Is The Downside?

Don’t ignore the physical danger you are in by being a member of the armed forces. Events like the USS Cole bombing do happen. However, most sailors never experience anything like that. Being on a ship a hundred miles off the coast of an enemy country is very different than slinging a rifle on the front line.

When you are on a naval ship, you won’t be the one picking the next port . You just try to enjoy wherever you end up. The only way to affect this is to choose your assignments wisely. When I joined I had already traveled much of Europe, but little of Asia. So, I requested to be assigned to a ship on the west coast. This made it more likely that my ship would visit Hong Kong, Thailand, and Singapore.

Travel Restrictions

Navy travel can feel constrained. Your ship will make rules about where you can go, often limiting you to the closest big city. I have visited Japan more times than I can remember, but I have only been to one city. The karaoke bars in Sasebo get old real fast.

The U.S. Navy has a buddy system. So, find a buddy that has a compatible travel attitude. Otherwise, if everyone else plans to get wasted at the nearest bar, then that is where you are going. Being caught out on your own can get you in trouble with your superiors. Of course, being used to solo travel before I joined, I usually just risked it. On my way back to the ship, I would join up with the drunks and help them get across the quarterdeck and to their racks.

The Navy Isn’t For Everyone.

For many reasons, military service has been growing less popular in recent years. However, if you are looking for an escape from the cubicle, then you might want to consider the Navy. It can be a great way to collect a steady paycheck while traveling the world.

photo by Roland Peschetz

Make sure you hit the comments and tell us some of your best wine stories.

Check out the traveler’s notebook on iTunes.

Photo by El Cabron

Whether you’re a seasoned or a beginning writer, the tips here will help build your portfolio of creative and published work. We hope you’ll join in on the conversation.

When to Blog

1. Use blogs as the “raw material” for a future pitches.

As Eva Holland explained, “Sometimes I use blogs as the raw material for a piece I want to submit.” As an example, Holland pointed to a recent blog she wrote about a trip to Nashville.

In that blog, she said, “I make some specific recommendations, but I’ll be trying to write a newspaper story that covers some of the same ground–where to go see live country [music] in Nashville…that sort of thing.”

Use your blog as a platform to test readers’ interest and reaction in a particular place and topic. Based on your readers’ responses, you can often develop a better understanding of your own experience, focusing on a specific aspect of your travel to pitch as an article.

2. Use blogs to tell the small stories…or to summarize the overall experience.

Lola Akinmade uses her blog as a medium for providing readers with a brief summary of her trip experiences.

“When returning from a place,” she wrote, “my blog is a brief summary that weaves in food/place/people/etc. with photographs.” These types of blogs are general, allowing the writer to reserve “meatier” stories for feature-length articles.

3. Use blogs to build a reader base and add to your portfolio.

In the diverse world of travel writing publications–both print and electronic–writers without access to conventional publication channels can begin to develop a voice and a readership by blogging. Lola mentioned that she tries to write “two blogs or so a month” to maintain an online presence without getting distracted from the articles she is writing.

As Abha Malpani pointed out, “If you blog with reputed websites in the travel industry, you are building your credentials alongside a portfolio.” You are also demonstrating to editors that you have a history of travel and place-based writing.

And you are, if successful, generating feedback from readers that lets editors know that your work is read and valued by an audience– and that you could bring that audience along with you to their publication. If you’re using blogs in this way, it’s important to remember that while blogs tend to be an informal medium, details such as spelling, grammar, mechanics, and accuracy are important.

4. Use blogs to have fun and show off your versatility

As Lauren Carter said, “Blogging is something I do for fun and to show editors the kind of creative writing I’m capable of.” As a
published writer, it can become all too easy to get assigned a travel writing niche–whether geographic or subject wise (adventure travel, for instance)–but as a blogger, you can document the extent of your interest, knowledge, and creativity.

When to pitch your story to an editor

1. Pitch when you have a unique story or angle.

Abha recommends that “if you have a solid and unique story with pictures to support [it], pitch it to death.”

How do you know if your story is unique? One way to check is to do a simple Google search, or to conduct a subject search on your favorite travel sites and the sites where you plan to pitch your story. Has anyone written about the subject you have in mind? If so, what was their angle, and how is yours different?

2. Pitch when you have time and patience.

All of the interviewees pointed out that pitching takes a lot more energy, time, and concentrated effort than blogging. You need to know the print or online publication to which you’ll be pitching, you need to make meaningful contact with the editor, and you need to follow up.

As eager as you may be to pitch a story, don’t do it unless you have the time and patience to invest in all of the steps between pitching and publishing. As Abha admitted, “I am blogging regularly for four websites, [so] when it comes to pitching a story, I lose patience.”

3.Pitch when you want to make money.

Most travel bloggers on the respected travel websites are not making money from their blogs. Many who maintain personal blogs, including Lauren, are aware they could use adwords to make money, but they “don’t have the time to invest lots of unpaid hours…to make it start earning” or they don’t want to clutter their pages with distracting ads.

Eva explained that she’ll save a story to pitch “if I think there’s a reasonable chance of selling something.” Lauren added that she never blogs about a trip if she is working on an article that has been assigned to her. “In this case,” she said, “my feeling is that the destination hasn’t hosted me or the publication hasn’t sent me just so I can write a glowing post on my own personal blog.”

It goes without saying that your starting point for any piece should be your love of traveling, collecting awesome stories, and writing to share with your readers. All writers have to establish themselves and there are no set guidelines, but rather a few best practices to keep in mind.

Blogging allows you to hone your skills as a writer and keep your ideas fresh. Pitching stories can help to bring you recognition and generate some income along the way..

The Interviewees:

Lola Akinmade is a photojournalist who maintains a personal travel blog on Matador. She has published articles in The Travelers Notebook, Traverse, and Brave New Traveler, as well as Black Travels.

Lauren Carter is a writer who maintains a personal blog and who has been published in newspapers and magazines, including The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, and Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel.

Eva Holland writes travel-related blogs for Vagablogging and World Hum, maintains a personal travel blog on Matador, and has published travel articles in The National Post, The Ottawa Citizen, and The Edmonton Journal. She has also published articles in The Travelers Notebook, Traverse, and Brave New Traveler.

Abha Malpani is a regular contributor to Written Road. She also writes for Madrid based expat websites Map Magazine and European Vibe — as well as her personal blog.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This article was co-written by Julie Schwietert and Peter Davision.

Peter Davison packed up his bags, left his really cool apartment in Toronto and is an emerging freelance writer based out of Shanghai, China. He enjoys a good cup of coffee, North Korean propaganda posters and hanging out with friends over a few solid drinks.

photo by brtsergio

Though green is not the color that usually comes to mind when you mention Milan, it is quickly becoming a hotspot for green activity. In January 2008 the Milan mayor introduced the “Eco-pass,” a toll that older cars have to pay to enter the center of Milan to discourage traffic within city walls.

Practical Information

Milan is a city that is navigated wonderfully without a car, though having access to one may be helpful on weekend trips.

To/From the Airport

The Milan Malpensa airport is located about 50 minutes away from the city center and is Milan’s biggest airport. Upon arrival, you can choose between a bus shuttle service, a train which are cheap and convenient alternatives to taking a (fixed price) 70-euro taxi.

Two different bus companies leave every 15 minutes to the Central Station (with a stop at the Convention Center). Upon arrival you can easily take the Green (M2) or Yellow (M3) metro lines, or several bus lines. The Malpensa Express train service leaves every 30 minutes and arrives at Cadorna Station, where the Red (M1) and Green (M2) metro lines are, or walking distance to the heart of the city.

Milan Linate is the smaller airport closer to the city. A taxi will cost anywhere from 15-30 euro, depending on where you need to go. Otherwise a public bus (Bus 73) leaves regularly and for the cost of a regular bus ticket, 1 euro, you can exit the bus near the Duomo (Piazza San Babila) in about 15 minutes where the Red (M1) and Yellow (M3) metro lines are.

A private bus shuttle leaves every 30 minutes and makes the trip from Linate to Central Station. Orio al Serio in Bergamo is almost the same distance as Malpensa from Milan and is a good option for short trips.

Two shuttle bus companies leave from Central Station to Bergamo airport every 15-20 minutes.

Metropolitana – Milan’s Metro and Public Transportation

While Milan’s metro system can be considered relatively small with its 3 lines and regional trains crisscrossing the city, when combined with the bus and tram lines, it is extensive and relatively easy to navigate. Many bus stops now have electronic wait indicators. Take a mid-century tram ride to enjoy a throwback to earlier times.

ATM’s website has an excellent “Calculate Path” function that helps you discover which public transportation will get you from one point to another. Bicycles can be brought onto the metro but only on weeknights after 8pm and on weekends.

Renting Bicycles

Milan’s bicycle-sharing program, similar to Paris’s Velib, is currently promised by the City Hall to be in effect in 2009. Still, there are already some 60km of pathways if you have access to a bicycle.

Be careful when riding in the city center as the tram rails can trap wheels and be just as dangerous as the traffic itself. Critical Mass Italy, the pro-bicycle group movement, also has a presence in Milan and gathers every Thursday.

Car Sharing

If you’re going to be traveling in and out of Milan often, or for an extended period of time, you should definitely consider utilizing their CarSharing program supported in part by the Milan City Hall and ATM.

After you pay the low yearly fee (currently: 120euro per nuclear family), you can rent a car with less than an hour’s notice from several CarSharing depots around the city. Afterward, just pay by the hour and kilometer.

Guidami (in Italian) and MilanoCarSharing (Italian).

Gastronomy

The wonderful thing about eating in Italy is that most dishes are made with simple, fresh ingredients, and celebrate vegetables and fruit in-season.

Slow Food was founded in Italy (and is also active in the US) as a statement against fast food, and they often have Slow Food events in Milan to expand your gastronomical horizons.

Slow Food publishes a book, “Osterie & Locande d’Italia: A Guide to Traditional Places to Eat and Stay in Italy” which lists restaurants throughout Italy that adhere to their principles. They also provide consulting for Eataly, based in Turin, which is billed as an Enogastronomic Marketplace and also has a small bottega in Milan in the basement of the Coin store at Piazza Cinque Giornate.

Outdoor Markets

Shopping for fresh produce in an outdoor “mercato” market is one of the finest pleasures of being in Italy. Milan is full of outdoor markets that are active different days of the week and on most Saturdays. A complete list of markets is available on the Comune website, but two that are very good on Tuesday and Saturday are the large Mercato di via Papiniano (Metro: Porta Genova/S. Agostino) and Mercato di Piazzale Lagosta (Metro: Zara).

Natura Si is one of many health food stores in Milan, and most Italian supermarkets have sections of products that are considered biologico (organic) or equosolidale (fair-trade).

Happy Cow has a list of vegetarian restaurants and health stores in Milan.

If you’d prefer to have a home-cooked meal in someone else’s home, Home Food is an interesting alternative. Dine in a “Cesarine’s” home with other travelers. A temporary membership is available for non-residents and special dinners can be arranged for a minimum of 2 people.

A visit to Italy just wouldn’t be complete without gelato, Italy’s form of ice cream. When looking for your next scoop, be sure to get the most natural ingredients possible and look for produzione propria or artigianale to indicate it was made in-store.

Grom (also now in NYC) offers “natural gelato” with detailed information about its ingredients. Look for more Milanese gelaterias on the Tour del Gelato.

Attractions

Green Spaces in Milan

On a beautiful day, Parco Sempione (Metro: Cordusio) will be full of joggers, families, and groups playing and enjoying a shade break under the many trees. This is also a good picnic spot if you’ve bought your own food. Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli (Metro: Porta Venezia) is slightly smaller than Parco Sempione but a stone’s throw from the busy shopping area on Corso Bueno Aires with plenty of benches for a picnic lunch.

Further away from the center, the very large Parco Nord offers many green spaces. Parks.it has a listing of all parks in the area. A quick train ride to Lago di Como or Lago Maggiore will have you surrounded with green.

Museums and Exhibitions

Attached to the Parco Sempione is Castello Sforzesco, inside of which are several museums. From there you can make use of the zona pedonale or pedestrian zone stretching from Via Dante in front of the castle to the Piazza del Duomo and its surrounding area. The Leonardo DaVinci Science and Technology Museum (Metro: Cadorna) often has exhibits related to the environment.

Recycling

While you’re out and about, you will notice there are several receptacles for trash and recycling. In many cases, their bags are color-coded to distinguish from Milan’s regular (and in this case, confusing) green trash containers.

If they are not color-coded or labeled in English, you can tell where to throw by noting these translations: Carta (Paper), Plastica (Plastic), Aluminio (Cans) and Vetro (Glass).

Another recent introduction in the metro are the free quotidiano newspaper recycling containers called salvagiornali, which in their first year, are purported to have saved 1 million kilos of newspaper. Take the time to throw your newspapers in these designated containers.

Accomodation

Renting an apartment instead of staying in a hotel will have a positive effect on all around you as you can control the amount of water and electricity being used as well as how often you change linens. You can also prepare simple meals at home using local produce.

Slow Travel is an organization that advocates “slow” vacations and staying in one place for an extended period of time to immerse yourself in the culture.

Some short-term apartment lets websites in Milan are Halldis and RentXPress. Ariston Hotel is billed as an ecological hotel, but there is no association for ecological hotels in Milan at this time. Legambiente, the ecological organization in Italy, has a list of hotels in Italy that are considered ecological.

Community Connection

Click here for more blogs, local experts, organizations, jobs, and volunteer opportunities in Milan as well as other places throughout Italy.

Photo by Rachel Sian.

Matador members know that there are plenty of memorable travel stories available on the web , but an old-fashioned anthology of essays can also be a great place to look.

For budding travel writers, anthologies are also a great way to sample a wide variety of styles and voices, rather than learning from just one writer.

Whether you’re looking for travel inspiration, mentors to model your writing on, or simply a good read, look no further:

10. Hyenas Laughed At Me and Now I Know Why: The Best of Travel Humor and Misadventure, edited by Sean O’Reilly, Larry Habegger and James O’Reilly. One in a series of humor titles from travel publishing giant Travelers’ Tales, this little book is packed with awkward situations and hilarious consequences, from writers known and unknown.

9. Tales from Nowhere, edited by Don George. A rare literary offering from guidebook publisher Lonely Planet, this collection features dispatches from “nowhere” – and the tales the writers come up with from that vague starting point are all fresh and often funny.

8. The Best Travelers’ Tales 2004, edited by Sean O’Reilly, Larry Habegger and James O’Reilly. All of the Travelers’ Tales annual collections are worth a look, but 2004 was a particularly fine vintage, including work from Mark Jenkins, Rolf Potts, and the excellent (but relatively hard to find) Jeff Greenwald.

7. The Kindness of Strangers, edited by Don George. Another Don George collection from Lonely Planet, with an introduction by the Dalai Lama. Features all the big names, and just might get you a little emotional about the wonder and goodness of the world.

6. Jaguars Ripped My Flesh, by Tim Cahill. One of several collections from founding Outside editor Tim Cahill, filled with his trademark stories: classic man-vs-nature adventure, with a healthy injection of humanity.

5. The Best American Travel Writing 2000, edited by Bill Bryson and Jason Wilson. Any of the Best American anthologies will be worth your while, but the inaugural edition is one for the record books, with impossible to forget stories featuring everyone from Dave Eggers to the Dalai Lama.

4. Wanderlust: Real-Life Tales of Adventure and Romance, edited by Don George. Salon.com’s “Wanderlust” travel section was a ground-breaker in quality online travel writing, and its demise was a huge loss. The 40 stories in this collection, including heavyweights like Isabel Allende and Simon Winchester, and the early work of Rolf Potts, will make you sad it’s gone all over again. (The online archive might console you, though.)

3. Video Night in Kathmandu, by Pico Iyer. Anthology? Debatable. But I’d argue that the essays in this book are distinct enough to warrant inclusion here. And even if Iyer’s collection of observations from a rapidly-changing 1980s Asia aren’t technically an anthology, they still make a remarkable read. (My favourite is the painfully poignant essay on the sad music-makers of the Phillippines.) A classic.

2. The Best American Travel Writing 2006, edited by Tim Cahill and Jason Wilson. I’m a little biased here because this is one of the first travel writing anthologies I ever read, and it got me hooked. But the stories in this book, originally selected by series editor Jason Wilson and then winnowed down by guest editor Tim Cahill, are top-notch.

Stand-outs include Ian Frazier’s retrospective “Out of Ohio” and a fantastic collaborative piece on the anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, “After the Fall” by Morgan Meis and Tom Bissell.

1. The World: Travels, 1950-2000, by Jan Morris. Widely considered to be the greatest travel writer of our time – and one of the best, ever, period – Jan Morris always offers lush descriptions of the places she visits, and remarkable insight into their deeper character.

This anthology runs from her first major break, covering the Hillary expedition from Everest Base Camp, to the hand-over of Hong Kong by the British. The essays are organized by decade and region, and are occasionally marked by more personal milestones as well – such as the powerful piece on Morris’ sex change in Morocco in the 1970s, completing her transition from James to Jan.

A must-read, and a great introduction before diving into her 30+ full-length books.

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More reading

For more recommendations from the Matador Community, check out the outstanding selections in Eva’s South Africa Reading Guide, and the “Books” section in Julie Schwietert’s Before You Go Guide to Cuba.

Travel Writer Spencer Klein on assignment (and between surf sessions) in Panama.

While cubicle-bound readers fantasize about the freewheeling lifestyle of travel writers, most travel writers are quick to point out the frustrations of their work: deadlines, living out of a suitcase or backpack, and increasing competition for bylines (and, ideally, ones that pay).

I say bah!

What these travel writers aren’t telling you are the secret benefits of the trade. And that’s because they either haven’t figured them out yet or they want to guard the secrets carefully because conventional wisdom says the number of publications is ever-shrinking while the pool of writers is ever-growing.

The truth is that good writers who tell important stories will always have work. And that’s why I’m sharing the top 5 secrets that most travel writers won’t tell you.

5. Travel writing is about much more than your own travels.

One of the specialized niches of travel writing is book reviewing. With the market for memoirs, travelogues, and place-based narratives exploding—as I write this, the two of the top five paperback non-fiction bestsellers fall into this category–developing your skills as a book reviewer is one way to break into travel writing.

And best of all… you get books for free.

Publishers reserve copies of new books for reviewers; these are referred to by the trade as “review copies.” Most major publishers will be happy to send a review copy to writers who contact the agent with a brief request detailing their writing experience and publication history.

In addition, publishers want to know that your review will be published by an online or print magazine that has a high circulation. To see successful request letters I’ve written and to learn more about how to request review copies, visit my website and click on Writers’ Resources.

4. Travel writing can land you free or heavily discounted travel opportunities.

Press trips are a controversial topic among travel writers, but the possibilities they offer are worth exploring. Trips and experiences are organized by various segments of the tourism industry, both domestic and international, with the goal of impressing writers and, in doing so, gaining favorable coverage.

Press trips are sponsored by chambers of commerce, hotels and resorts, conference planners, special events organizers, outdoor recreation outfitters, and many other representatives of the travel industry. Several online media forums provide regular updates about press trips.

If press trips interest you, it’s important to consider the following:

–Most press trip sponsors reserve trip spaces for writers with letters of assignment from high-profile print publications. It’s critical that you read the specifications for each press trip carefully and apply only for those whose criteria you legitimately fulfill.

–Clarify what the terms of the press trip agreement are prior to accepting a place on the trip. Don’t compromise your professional or personal ethics just to get a free trip—this will only undermine your travel writing career in the long run.

–Giving full disclosure in any article you write based on a press trip is important. Discuss this matter fully with your editor.

–Don’t overlook the possibility of writing stories outside of the established press trip itinerary. Extend your trip by a couple of days, if possible, to learn more about the unpolished, unscripted place the press trip organizers showed you.

If that place doesn’t resemble the place you were shown, you have an obligation to tell your readers both sides of the story.

3. Travel writing sources and resources are everywhere. Use them.

As you’re planning a trip, do some basic research and identify the obvious and not so obvious sources and resources in the community who can facilitate your trip.

First, scan members of Matador and see who lives in the area or who might have expert knowledge of the region. Send him or her an e-mail to establish pre-trip contact.

In the United States, chambers of commerce can be very useful sources of information about a city or state, and can provide you with maps, local statistics (economy, population, etc.), lodging information, and interview contacts—all of which give you a jump start on your on-the-ground fact-finding.

I’ll be traveling and writing in New Orleans in June, so I’ve e-mailed the city’s Director of Communications to request a press kit. Chambers of commerce and an area’s PR/Communications employees can often assist with discount lodging as well.

2. Travel writing isn’t always a solo venture.

Some travel writers are extroverts, willing to engage with people across differences of language, culture, and belief in order to get a great story. Many of us though tend to be an introverted, solitary lot, insistent that we write best when we write alone.

Because this description has always applied to me, I decided to challenge myself this year by testing some collaborative writing projects with other travel writers whose work I admire. I’ve been amazed by the results.

My collaborations with Peter Davison and Eva Holland have been more fulfilling than I could have imagined, producing articles I’ll be proud to see published, as well as fostering a network of travel writers who share information, resources, and support generously.

1. There are no sure-fire secrets.

If you haven’t figured it out already, a great deal of life’s successes can be attributed to being in the right place at the right time, with the right person and the right dose of luck. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work hard, write well, and develop a densely populated network of colleagues and friends whose work interests you and who are interested in your work

In fact, these are critical tasks of the travel writer and your diligence will likely position you well for all the conditions of “rightness.” But if you feel like your travel writing career is getting off to a slow start or grinding along, stick with it. The market for good writers isn’t shrinking; it’s always expanding. Be genuinely happy for others’ successes, and keep sowing the seeds so you can enjoy your own.

The Clan House B & B.

Temporary Apartments

1. ByT Argentina

Before you choose a hotel, well. . . opt not to stay in one at all. If you’re staying for more than a week, the best place to stay in BA is in a temporary apartment. Prices and accommodations will be better and you’ll get to feel like a local.

Residents rent out plush studios, one bedrooms, or penthouses with balconies, WIFI, kitchen, etc. Some spots even have a doorman or a swimming pool.

Studios start at $180 a week for double occupancy. If you plan to stay for a month or longer, you can also rent a room from a local and practice your Spanish over meals.

Boutique Hotels

If you are staying in Buenos Aires for a few nights, enjoy them by pampering yourself at a small, stylish hotel in one of the city’s best neighborhoods.

2. Home Hotel

Palermo is where you’ll find nightlife, great restaurants, cool boutiques, and Home. The bar at Home Hotel caters to your high-end cocktail desires and the Friday night pool party satisfies Ibiza cravings.

Located in Palermo Hollywood, walking distance from spots like Unico and Niceto, Home is where your heart is if you “heart” poshy décor.

3. Art Hotel

Elegant and cutting edge, Art Hotel is a popular boutique hotel in the upscale neighborhood of Recoleta that offers tasteful rooms starting $85. Wrought iron bed frames and fixtures, arched doorways, and a spiral staircase complement Argentine artwork hanging in each of the rooms.

Each month the hotel hosts an opening to celebrate a new artist and each morning starts with a fine continental breakfast. Art Hotel has all the charm of a stylish home with excellent service and a private art gallery.

4. Che Lulu

If small and stylish boutiques suit you, Che Lulu could be just right. This hotel seems to have been designed around the “Paris of South America” image with floral-print, upholstered chairs in the lobby and charming, tiny, private rooms.

The staff is helpful and the location can be ideal for your nocturnal meanderings, as Che Lulu is situated at the edge of Palermo Soho with Palermo Hollywood a block away.

Bed & Breakfasts

B&B’s with a penchant for design? Only in Buenos Aires where your continental breakfast is served in a visually stimulating space.

5. Bed and Baires B&B

If you’re no longer in the backpacking game but don’t plan to stay more than a few days in BA, Bed and Baires could be the perfect choice for you.

Private rooms with bathroom are $60 a night and spacious. The shared rooms are lovely and the location is convenient for shopping, restaurants, and tango in Palermo.

6. The Clan House B&B

If you like being downtown where all the action is by day, Clan House puts you on the border of Microcentro and San Telmo and offers cozy accommodations and warm, personal service.

A stylish, private room in this bed and breakfast runs about $35. The staff is gracious and helpful and the price makes this the perfect compromise between budget and boutique.

Hostels

Your choice of an inexpensive private room or shared dorm for $10 leave room in your budget for what you really came here for; steak, wine and other hedonisms.

7. Palermo House

Take one part faded elegance, one part modern design, mix it with a great, friendly staff and you have Palermo House.

This hostel is located in the heart of Palermo Soho and caters to budget travelers. There’s a spacious kitchen and common room with a wall of windows looking out on rooftops.

WIFI, two shared computers and DVDs and games are the campfire guests gather around in the evenings. Breakfasts are served mornings.

If you tire of the dorm, at $13 a night, there’s the option of a private room for $30 USD.

8. Art Factory Hostel

Individual rooms at Art Factory go for $20 a pop. Bright colors meet pipe sculpture decor to put you in a creative frame of mind.

Located in San Telmo, close to Plaza Dorrego and the antiques markets, Art Factory is a new hostel that offers a real bargain in the heart of historic Buenos Aires.

9. Carlos Gardel Hostel

If Evita Peron is the queen bee in Argentine legend, Gardel is the prince who invites you to tango. His image adorns ice cream shops and music store windows alike; he is the father of tango. He is also the focus of this theme hostel located in the heart of San Telmo. Disney though it may sound, Carlos Gardel Hostel manages to skip out on the campy vibe its name would suggest and is simply an excellent hostel in a convenient location. Housed in an old multi-story manse with great décor and an attentive staff, Gardel Hostel puts you minutes from some hot spots for tango, thereby inviting you to dance.

10. International Hostel on Brasil

If you’re on a real budget and haunted-looking, run down mansions are your speed, The Albergue Ester de Nadenhein, aka, International Hostel, in San Telmo, is just perfect.

The epitome of boho, this hostel has high ceilings, a garden terrace, and a lot of space.
Ester de Nadenhein was the first hostel in San Telmo and it’s still one of the biggest.

Staying there is relaxing, affordable, and no frills. The large kitchen and common rooms connect to a garden terrace all steeped in the personal history of the house.

There’s a “roughing-it” feel to this place so if you’re looking for shiny and new accommodations, this isn’t your hostel.

If you embrace BA’s faded elegance on a budget, this is the epicenter.

Photo by Ryan Libre

Click on the Play button to listen along and learn more including patience, positioning, and how to approach your photography thematically.

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Along with Ryan Libre, the Matador community is filled with talented and passionate photographers. Delacouri has amazing shots from her time working with endangered monkeys in Vietnam. Veronica has incredible images of Patagonia. Rob has taken hundreds of priceless shots from all over the world. Phishtopher has some amazing images from his life in Western China. And both Beija-flor and AsianInsights are experts at photographing people. Grady, MST and Reed Lindsay can give you tips on digital video production and goodman is without a doubt, one of the most gifted photographers on the Web.

Join them. Matador is blossoming…

It’s widely known that photographing natives is the most challenging part of travel photography. And while getting an adult to relax can be daunting, trying to capture their child in a memorable travel photograph can be the most difficult of all.

Here are a few pointers to help make it easier:

Befriend their guardians.

Babies are the most challenging to photograph especially when safely in the arms of a parent or guardian. Situations like this demand you seek permission from their guardian either verbally or through body language.

While hunting for handmade jewelry in Catalina, I was instantly reeled into a stall by deep, dark, and mesmerizing eyes of this Nicaraguan baby with her mother.

Approaching with a huge, nonthreatening grin, I started out with a few quick shots of her mother, and then finally asked for the baby shot I wanted with my camera raised in question.

If no common language is spoken between you and the guardian, body language and gestures go a long way in communicating that you don’t intend to harm them or violate their privacy. Once permission has been granted, you can get up close and personal for some great travel shots.

Shift focus from one to many.

Even the most rambunctious and spirited kids get intimidated when cornered by an adult.

On a recent trip back home to Nigeria, I was ecstatic to reunite with one of my favorite neighborhood kids, Ali.

Although he knew me well, my constant attention made him uncomfortable. By including his friends in the shot, while still focusing on him, I was able to get a more relaxed Ali in subsequent pictures.

Shifting focus away from one child to many while “focusing” on your main subject can improve the atmosphere of your travel portrait.

Keep your distance

Observing kids in their own world usually gives you the most candid, natural shots. By giving them adequate space, you will seem less threatening.

While strolling through narrow side streets in St. Georges, Bermuda, a young girl with flaming red hair carrying a red haired doll appeared around the corner. She was a fiery contrast to the mellow pastels of our surroundings.

Intrigued, I wish I could have stopped her for a picture, but I knew better. You should always keep distance when taking photographs of children who are alone. Do not linger around the child more than a minute. Children are usually taught not to talk to strangers so respect and enforce that lesson by refraining from small talk with isolated children.

Shoot at eye level.

Eye contact with a child takes you one step closer to connecting with them regardless of culture.

While working with kids in the remote village of Krang Yaw, Cambodia, I must have taken over 500 pictures. Weeding through, the most engaging shots I found were ones when I was eye level with the child.

Kids are naturally intimidated by large, overbearing shadows. Kneeling, sitting, or playing closer to their line of vision instantly relaxes them.

Entertain them.

Kids are kids the world over and love to be entertained. From goofy displays to showing them their snapshots in your viewfinder, connecting with children results in some of the most memorable travel photographs.

With a confident disposition and wisdom in her eyes well beyond her mere seven years, Amina was a child I met in the village of Awoyaya on the Lekki Peninsula in Lagos, Nigeria.

She wasn’t easily impressed.

But by spending time playing and laughing down at her level instead of towering over her, she gradually morphed back into a child and rewarded me with the most beautiful, scrunched-up-nose smile.

Be sensitive to cultural norms.

Sometimes you just can’t photograph children. In regions where sex trafficking and child abuse are being fought on a national level, natives are particular sensitive to strangers hanging around their children.

In 2000, a Japanese tourist was killed by a mob in a Guatemalan market for photographing children.

While such cases are extremely rare, it requires you to learn about the local culture and its attitudes towards children and their interaction with strangers.

Additional resources

While these tips cover more organic, travel photography experiences, Kodak provides a great resource on Photographing Children.

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Community Connection

In addition to Lola Akinmade, other Matador photographers with a special gift for taking pictures of people include Ryan Libre, (whose podcast: Studies in Travel Photography you can check out here on the notebook), Beija-flor and AsianInsights.

Enjoy their pictures, and if you’re interested in sharing your work in a supportive, creative community, please join them.

Puerto Rico’s south shore, from the mountains of Jayuya. Photo by Oqueando.

Say Puerto Rico and a palette of tropical greens and blues comes to mind. But the smallest island of the Greater Antilles archipelago is also among the most environmentally challenged.

Measuring approximately 100 x 40 miles, Puerto Rico is home to 4 million people and more than 2 million cars, and is the site of mega-development construction activities that threaten not only the coastal areas, but also the interior mountain regions.

Now, more than ever, making greener choices for travel in Puerto Rico is crucial.

Practical Information

Puerto Rico’s main airport is Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (airport code: SJU), located within the capital city, San Juan. At present, no train service is available from the airport and most hotels do not provide shuttle service. There isbus service however, as well as taxi service (look for the “Taxi Turistico” designation). When exiting the terminal, look for dispatch stands, where you will receive a receipt and be directed to a cab.

Puerto Rico is officially a commonwealth, or free associated state, of the United States. At present, no passport is required for American citizens who wish to travel from the mainland U.S. to Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico’s currency is the U.S. dollar. English is widely spoken across the island. The island’s area codes are 787 and 939.

Outdoor Activities

Puerto Rico has incredible geographic diversity, which means that you can enjoy a range of outdoor activities. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the north shore and the Caribbean Sea on the south shore, the points between are surprisingly mountainous and feature karst formations, coffee plantations, and El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in North America.

Bioluminescent Bays

Must-do activities include visiting one of the three bioluminescent bays (also known as bio bays or phosphorescent bays) on the island, which are located in the southwestern fishing town of La Parguera, the eastern port city of Fajardo, and the island of Vieques.

Fajardo and Vieques offer the greenest options for bio-bay excursions, as tour operators in these two areas use kayaks rather than motor boats to enter the bays. A recommended tour operator is Nestor Guishard and his company, Travesias Yaureibo, which is fully owned and operated by Vieques residents.

If you must go a bio-bay excursion in La Parguera, a recommended outfitter is Paradise Scuba and Snorkel. Luis, the owner of this family run operation, can also customize daytime kayak trips in the mangrove’s waterways, where you’ll see iguanas sunning, and windsurfing activities.

Sailing, Scuba, Snorkel

Sailing and snorkeling are also popular activities, and there’s probably no couple who knows the island’s waters better than Bill Henry and his wife, Dr. Ingrid Klich, an earth scientist, owners of the company, Erin Go Bragh Charters. Bill & Ingrid offer full day trips and are rated highly on TripAdvisor for their knowledge, warmth, and sailing skill.

Surfing

Puerto Rico has good surf, and few places are more popular than the northwestern city of Rincon. If you’re confined to the metropolitan area’s north shore, though, locals favor La Ocho, just a stone’s throw away from the Caribe Hilton, located between Condado and Old San Juan. Another favorite spot for locals is Ocean Park. Just off Park Boulevard, you’re likely to find some ripping surf, as well as a local shop owner who’d be happy to rent you a board or gear for windsurfing and kitesurfing.

Outdoor Education

If you’re interested in outdoor education, check out the Fideicomiso de Puerto Rico’s guided tours of its properties, Hacienda Buena Vista in Ponce (Puerto Rico’s second largest city) and Cabezas de San Juan in Fajardo. Hacienda Buena Vista is a former coffee plantation located on a massive and gorgeous property; guides offer walking tours of the grounds, particularly attractive to photographers and nature lovers. Cabezas de San Juan is an ecological reserve with several different ecosystems. Be sure to make reservations in advance; neither site permits same-day tours.

Eats

Puerto Rican cuisine is heavy on fried foods, surprisingly short on seafood, and is limited in its use of spices. Typical food can be sampled at any of the roadside kiosks (“kioskos”) along the highways and back roads, both on the coast and in the interior of the island. Favorite local dishes include mofongo, a mashed green plantain dish that can be elaborated with either meat, chicken, vegetables, or seafood, lechon or roasted pig (preferably a la varita—on the spit), and empanadillas, dough stuffed with a meat, chicken, or seafood filling.

Lodging

Hands down, the best and greenest lodging option in all of Puerto Rico is Villa Sevilla Guest House, located in Rio Grande, just outside the El Yunque rainforest and only 25 minutes or so outside of metro San Juan. Operated by hosts Marina and Wally Lawson, Villa Sevilla consists of four lodgings—ranging in size from the smallish La Casita to the three bedroom Chalet—all perched on the mountainside, offering views of the Caribbean. In 2007, Villa Sevilla built a non-chlorinated pool on their property, which is an amazing addition to their carefully tended properties. All lodgings have a kitchen.

For more ideas, please visit our Before You Go Guide to Puerto Rico.

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Community Connection

Several members of the Matador Community are from Puerto Rico, including Nadja, and Raquel.

Please follow up here for more blogs about Puerto Rico from Matador.

Buddhist temple of Borobudur. Photo by Trey Ratcliff

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For this inaugural edition of the Traveler’s Notebook Picks of the Week, we’ll check in with innovators and innovations in visual media.

High Dynamic Range in Video

Last year I interviewed Trey Ratcliff about his work on High Dynamic Range or HDR photography. One of my questions: could HDR be applied to video?

Trey noted only “HDR in video is possible.” It seems that this technology is still in the research and development stage. Examples of it online are scarce.

One exception: the standout work of Jay Burlage. I was stoked in particular, on this example of an HDR video, which begs to be seen on a large screen in higher resolution.

I can’t wait to see how this technology evolves and to see it applied in new ways and in new terrain: barreling waves, for example.

How much editing is enough?

Still, I have tons of respect for traditional photographers (like Paul Ferraris who can capture an image of a wave so perfect you can taste the saltwater) by sticking with patience, practice, and shredding on old-school equipment and darkroom techniques.

But for everyone else, especially those just learning digital photography and Photoshop, here’s a great new tutorial by Ryan Libre on “How much editing is enough?”

Photoshop Express

For those looking for free hosting of their photos plus innovative features for displaying your gallery as well as tools for cropping / remixing images, check out the new Photoshop Express.

Wend Magazine Online

Finally, our friends over at Wend Magazine have just put out an online, paperless issue. The layout and style are sweet–the closest thing I’ve seen to actually flipping through magazine pages. Check it out.

That does it for this week, folks. We have another huge week ahead of us with more travel photography podcasts on the way, plus new green guides and more.

One last note: if you’ve been feeling the Traveler’s Notebook, show us some love by Signing up here to nominate us for the Best Travel Blog at the Blogger’s Choice Awards.

Out.

Photo by Earthwise Valley

Visiting a rainforest can be one of the purest and most intense travel experiences possible. Stripped away are the comforts of air-conditioning, mosquito nets and antiperspirants that actually work. Enter the rainforest environment and you will face exhausting heat, extreme humidity and creatures that will consistently bite you in places least expected.

That said it is worth any discomfort when you’re experiencing the greatest nature show on earth.

Rainforests exist on the world’s equatorial continents – think of the Amazon jungle, tropical northern Australia or the wilds of Madagascar. It is believed that half the world’s species live in the rainforests.

These areas are dwindling at an alarming rate however. Eco-tourism, where the rainforest is a tourist attraction rather than a finite resource, is a key factor in their survival.

1. Mosquitoes – There’s Nowhere To Hide

The mosquitoes can be particularly persistent – ensure that you are protected by using effective repellents that contain DEET. It is also worth considering dabbing the stuff on your clothes as well as any exposed skin as I have even been bitten through my shirt on occasions.

Appropriate malaria medication is also a must and, as a course of tablets normally starts before your trip begins, you should consult a doctor at least three weeks before you leave.

2. Watch Out For Leeches

Another pest to look out for is the tenacious leech. On a night walk in Taman Negara (the rainforest national park of peninsular Malaysia), our guide made us spray our boots with an insecticide of some kind. Whatever it was, it certainly worked: my boots started to look like a leechy graveyard come the end of the walk.

If your defences are breached and you fall foul of a bloodsucking attack, don’t be concerned if you find a shocking amount of blood covering your sock. The most advisable method of removing them once attached is to use your fingernail to break the seal from the sucker. Squeezing the leech or burning it with a cigarette or lighter will cause the leech to disgorge the contents of its stomach into the wound. Definitely not advised.

3. Hire A Local Guide – Being Lost In The Jungle Is No Fun

For all but the easiest of jungle walks I would recommend the hiring of a guide. In doing so you will be supporting the local economy and you will also receive a much greater insight into life in the rainforest. Your guide will often make sure you have sturdy boots for walking in the rainforest, but will themselves wear only flip-flops.

You would be advised to listen to them – their feet are used to the jungle, yours are not. Don’t ever be tempted to wander through the undergrowth wearing a pair of sandals, as this would probably curtail any further expeditions you may be planning (painful blisters and twisted ankles don’t mix with forest floors covered in snaking tree roots and slippery wet leaves).

4. Maximize your experience by searching for specific flora and fauna

Travel to Borneo to see the dwindling numbers of orangutans, uncannily human-like in behaviour. Venture to South America to see vivid tree frogs, poisonous yet beautiful.

I haven’t yet been fortunate enough to spot a hornbill, a large tropical bird native to both Africa and Asia, but the almost deafening noise of one taking off directly above us from the thick canopy was incredible in itself.

Searching for lemurs at night in Madagascar was great fun, especially the way their orange eyes would just appear in the torch beam of our guide, who seemed to instinctively know where to look.

It is incredible what you can learn from someone whose job it is to search for wildlife and the knowledgeable Julien was no exception (he was able to name around 50 possible types of lemur we could potentially see on our quest).

5. Staying Calm Is Often The Best Policy

On one trip we stayed with a friendly Dutchman named Rob who lived on the edge of the Australian rainforest in Queensland. He regaled us with tales of having to share his home with a large number of insects and animals and the time that he came face-to-face with a very large cassowary bird (upwards of 6ft in height) in his back garden.

He courageously did what he had been told to do in such a situation – stare directly at the very colourful but menacing-looking bird. After a nerve-wracking few moments where he tried desperately hard not to blink, the bird turned away and stamped off into the bush, Rob having successfully protected his territory.

6. The Rainforests Are Endangered – Appreciate Them While You Still Can

There isn’t a place in the world so far removed from the hustle and bustle of modern life as the rainforest. Taking a boat ride, walking across rope-bridge or stopping by a cascade – these are all things that are good for the spirit. After a day walking in the jungle, when you are sipping a cold beer listening to the cacophony of noise from the wildlife around you, there isn’t a better place to be.

The rainforests of the world are rewarding and enchanting places to visit but they are under threat from the onward march of the human race. The deforestation and subsequent loss of habitat for many species is occurring at a devastating rate.

Eco-tourism and volunteering are the key their preservation and continued survival and I urge you to consider making the journey to see one for yourself. Get there while you can!

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Community Connection

Various members of the matador community have lived in the rainforest for extended periods of time. Check out Mei-Ling McNamara’s feature on one group doing incredible conservation work in Madagascar.

Ross Borden has recently returned from Colombia: check out his blog for a sweet account of hiking through coastal rainforest.

Most importantly, connect with these organizations doing conservation work in the rainforest:

Earthwise Valley

Amazon Conservation Association

Flor de la Amazonía Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Center

Iracambi Atlantic Rainforest Research & Conservation Center

Las Vegas skyline. Photo by Christopher Chan

Rafael Riviera left his Santa Fe scouting party on Christmas Day in 1829. He traveled west, getting lost before discovering a lush valley with native grasses, tall cottonwoods and cool, clear spring water. He called the oasis Las Vegas, Spanish for “ the meadows”.

Pristine riparian areas are not what comes to mind when traveling to a city even people in the quiet corners of the world know about. But a scan of the horizon beyond the strip finds snow covered mountains, forest wilderness and red rock geology on all sides of the valley. For anyone wanting more than a “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” experience, there’s plenty of outdoor excitement to lure you away from the gaming tables.

Once You Arrive

When I moved to Las Vegas in 2004, we called the metro buses, CAT, (Citizens Area Transit) by a different name: Call a Taxi. The schedules were so erratic your bus might never come. A French company took over in 2005, purchasing hybrid coaches and sand colored double decker buses called “Deuces.”

Now getting around Sin City on public transit is a snap. Once you arrive at McCarren International Airport, buses leave from the lower level every 15 minutes towards the strip and downtown. Shuttles are provided by every major hotel/casino and taxis plentiful.

If you are staying on the strip and want to explore, opt for ground transport via a Deuce or go airborne on the monorail. Walking along the famous boulevard is an adventure in urban hiking, sidewalks teeming with citizens from all over the world.

No reason to rent a car unless you venture out to the wild areas listed below.

Where It All Began

About 12,000 years ago climate shifts started morphing the southern Nevada terrain into desert. The valley’s meadows provided vital lifelines for the Southern Paiute, who used the springs as a gathering place for trade with other tribes. The tradition continued when others discovered the region, shifting from Conestoga wagons, trains and jet planes over the centuries until Las Vegas evolved into the adult playground we know today.

To get a sense of place and history, start with the Springs Preserve. Encompassing 180 acres where it all began, this state of the art facility opened in 2007. A complex of interactive museums, walking paths, gardens, Wolfgang Puck’s version of organic cuisine, and an amphitheater for outdoor concerts, the springs represent the true heart of Las Vegas.

Bridge through the Gardens at the Springs Preserve

Curiosity is rewarded with thorough investigations of the geologic, ecological and cultural history. Each weekend the preserve hosts events highlighting important conservation topics, with smart water use always in the forefront in an area averaging 3 inches of rainfall per year.

Classes and workshops on xeriscaping, irrigation, recycling and sustainable construction are ongoing, serving the Las Vegas community and others committed to sustainable living. The Gardens at the Spring are supported by the Southern Nevada Water District, encouraging home owners to displace water sucking lawns with desert friendly native vegetation, paying cash for every square foot of sod converted.

In a city associated with consumption, the Springs is a model for environmentally sound design. All the buildings are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified, constructed with recycled materials, utilizing solar energy and designed for sustainability in a harsh desert environment. The Inside Out section displays step by step how the buildings were put together in the context of a soft human footprint.

Hiking, Camping, and Skiing in the Forest

Thirty minutes from downtown Las Vegas discover the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area , 316,000 acres encompassing three wilderness areas, ten campgrounds, four hiking trails, Mt. Charleston Peak and the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort. Like all the mountain ranges in the Basin and Range, Spring Mountain is a biotic island, supporting flora and fauna found only in this part of the world.

An early summer hike from a base elevation of 3000 feet to the top of Mt Charleston at 12,000 feet, is a lesson in wildflower diversity and ecological transition. Camping requires a reservation four days in advance, but plenty of spaces are available if you plan ahead. This is where to go in during the summer, a perfect cool refuge from triple digit temperatures in town.

Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area

The Red Rock Conservation Area, is a 17 mile drive west from the strip on Charleston Avenue/ State Route 159. Take the scenic loop drive or advantage of 30 miles of hiking trails, cycling routes, or harness up and see the geology face to face. Red Rock Canyon is a favorite among climbers. Nevada’s only conservation area is in the center of the Mojave Desert; from the clean vistas it’s hard to believe Las Vegas is just over the ridge.

Tip: If you hit the visitor’s center at lunch time, watch endangered desert tortoises determinedly follow their human keepers for second helpings of sweet strawberries.

Buddhist Donuts Anyone?

Practically every conceivable ethnic cuisine is available in Vegas, with eclectic eating places tucked away in each part of the city. A personal favorite is Ronald’s Doughnuts, owned by a pair of Buddhists in the Asian Section on Spring Mountain Road. The doughnuts are 90% vegan. Being a lifelong Krispy Kreme addict, I scoffed; but the honey glazed, apple fritters or any of the other “healthy” choices will make even the most skeptical fried dough connoisseur leaving with a dozen to go.

For visitors preferring their meals uncooked, find one of two Go Raw Cafes to satisfy cravings for all things fresh, crunchy and fibrous. There is one right off the strip and another 7 miles west on Sahara

Walking distance from UNLV, (University of Nevada-Las Vegas), The Sunflower Farmers Market on Tropicana offers a complete selection of organic produce and earth friendly munchies plus an excellent deli . Stroll on campus to have a healthy picnic in the arboretum before taking in the Majorie Barrick Natural History Museum’s collection of Native American and pre-Columbian art.

It isn’t a Vegas trip if you don’t do at least one buffet. The Wynn’s version offers many vegan and vegetarian selections. This relatively new Vegas landmark has an open, airy interior and you’ll be patronizing a resort owned by the Springs Preserve most generous contributor.

Where: 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Desert Inn Rd.)

The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a must see. The hotel’s management rejects “better life through chemistry” in their horticultural practices, using biological controls such as lady bugs and other insects to keep pests and disease in check.

A café off the main floor and a pastry shop just down the way make for an idyllic breakfast.

A City Constantly in Flux

Las Vegas continually re-invents itself, tearing down old landmarks ( circa the1980’s) and building new. With all this rapid-fire change, the city planners finally recognize a need to embrace environmentally sound construction and manage it’s exponential growth. The MGM City Center opens in 2009 on the south end of Las Vegas Boulevard, another LEED project incorporating water reclamation, heat recapture technologies and energy efficient lighting.

Las Vegas can be more than “bright lights, big city”, Sin City style holiday. It can also be an exploration of a long established Mojave oasis and its evolution into the 21st century.