Dubai Plans Seven Wonders of the World in Falcon City

Like what you see? Subscribe to the full RSS feed.The Dubai construction juggernaut rolls on … A new project called Falcon City will see grand replicas of some of the seven wonders (and some also rans) of the world, all positioned in the shape of a falcon when seen through an aerial view (???). […]

109 Year Old to Receive First Passport … Several Decades Too Late

Maria Kostova is receiving a welcome gift on her 109th birthday – her very first passport … several decades after she initially applied for one. Kostova, who was born on February 7, 1898 in the Macedonian town of Shtip, did not have a birth certificate issued at the time of her birth. Twenty years ago […]

Pilot Reportedly Has Nervous Breakdown Mid-Flight

MSNBC is reporting that a copilot in an Air Canada Toronto-London flight reportedly suffered a nervous breakdown mid air and had to be removed from the flight. Passengers say they saw the copilot being forced into the cabin area in restraints. He seemed completely out of it, and kept saying he wanted to talk to […]

12 Google Shortcuts Every Traveler Should Know

Did you know the plain ol’ Google search box you use every day is good for a whole lot more than you’re asking of it?

Forget Your ID? Just Show Your Magazine Cover at the Gate

Charleston Mayor Danny Jones found himself in a bit of a fix at Orange County’s John Wayne Airport. He had lost his driver’s license, and the one he had was an old expired one that wouldn’t do. The honorable mayor remembered just in time, a magazine that he had picked up in Charleston, featuring an […]

The Sandy Ghost Town of Kolmanskop

In the town of Kolmanskop in Southern Namibia, the houses are empty, rooms are filled with hypnotizing swirls of sand, and the open windows look out into empty stretches of desert. No, it isn’t yet another high fangled artistic exhibit – it’s actually a ghost town near the port of Luderitz in the south of the […]

Drug Smugglers’ Latest Tool: The WonderBra

Drug smugglers go to great lengths to deceive customs officers, and the ingenious ways they devise to smuggle cocaine never fail to astound. Now, they have zeroed in on a new method, and it involves stacking … er … stashing pouches of the drug in women’s bras. It supposedly works extra beautifully on […]

Introducing the World’s First Nude Flight

In the former Communist ruled East Germany, naturists were a pampered lot. Nudism was not just popular, but authorized under the Commies. Now, a travel company aims to bring back those days of naked glory by offering special nude flights. The nudists who in the former Communist bloc country were known as Ossis, will […]

Grief Tourism: Straddling the Boundary Between Sympathy and Snooping

Amanda Kendle explores grief tourism - traveling to visit the scenes of tragic, often horrific, world events.

The Bizarre Wagah Border Crossing Ceremony

A border dispute has become a daily party. India and Pakistan share a single border that cuts straight through the town of Wagah: the eastern half sits in India, and the other half in Pakistan. Border conflicts killed countless people in both countries back in 1947 - and decades later, skirmishes still kill thousands. At the sound […]

Why Kids These Days Don’t Know a Damn Thing About Travel (Viator Guest Post)

Viator’s Scott McNeely discusses why kids these days, they don’t know a damn thing about travel.

Irritating Pilots Compel Passengers to Jump from Plane [Video]

A classic John Cleese sketch detailing one of many ways to irritate people:

Hitching a Ride on an Airplane

© Joshua Davis Flying can be frustrating to say the least. Hours upon hours in airports, praying for checked baggage to arrive at the same place that you do, increasingly stringent security measures - it all makes for a stressful day to be sure. Add onto that the sheer cost of flying, taxes, fuel surcharges, and other […]

Keeping Austin Weird: The Cathedral of Junk

The motto of Austin, Texas is ‘Keep Austin Weird.‘ Part of Austin’s inspiration is the ‘Cathedral of Junk.’ Sequestered along a quaint surburban street, a whimsical side project which began in 1988 has blossomed into a gargantuan mass of circuit boards, lawnmower parts, forks and knives, car bumpers - everything, most likely including at least one […]

Brave New Traveler Makes Good on Their Promise: Booze, Nudity and More Booze

Congrats to BraveNewTraveler.com for reaching 1,000 RSS subscribers (what’s RSS?) and for making good on their promise of celebrating in the best way they know how: booze and nudity. Without a doubt, the best video the BNT crew has ever posted. Here’s to another 9,000 subscribers! (And if you haven’t already, I highly recommend subscribing to Brave […]

Lost in Thailand: Surviving Fire Ants and Jungle Rot

I was green; a guide with the Thailand Jungle Adventure Tour Company all of two weeks. Maow, the tiny but tough boss of the operation, decided to test me, see if I could keep up with her. She took me to a remote corner of Khao Yai National Park where visitors never go. The jungle […]

Photo of the Moment: Mekong River, Laos

Mekong River, Laos © Jody Morris

How to Get Rid of All Your Crap

In my journey from being a North American Entrepreneur to a Professional Hobo, I had to shed a lot of crap. The crap took the form of everything from the emotional to the physical, but for the purposes of this article I will focus on the process (which proved to be quite effective) of shedding […]

Explosive YouTube Video Reveals Security Issues with U.S. Passport Cards

Since the switch to passport cards to be used for border checks was announced, U.S. security concerns have been high. Now, the LA Times is reporting that a YouTube video showing an explosion being triggered by a passport card has added grist to the rumor mill. The creator of the video, Kevin Mahaffey insists it’s […]

Buzkashi: Afghanistan’s Bloody National Sport

Buzkashi is Afghanistan’s national sport: it involves whips, horses, and a dead calf. The calf itself has been beheaded, cut off the knees, soaked in cold water for twenty-four hours to make it tough, and occasionally filled with sand. It is placed into a shallow hole, and a circle of quicklime is drawn nearby: this circle […]

Contest Reminder: Win a Free “A Map for Saturday” DVD

Just a reminder to our loyal readers that the Vagabondish weekly contest drawing to win a free A Map for Saturday DVD is tomorrow at noon. To enter to win, simply subscribe to Vagabondish by entering your e-mail address in the box on the right. (We promise never to spam you. Ever.) Note to RSS […]

Bizarre Culture: Japanese Marshmallow Eating Contest [Video]

Were I given an entire lifetime to imagine some of the ideas seen on Japanese game shows, I’m not confident I could devise anything nearly as bizarre as this: I’m honestly jealous of the sheer amount of creativity the writers of these shows are able to muster.

Kitten Survives Airplane Flight Inside Suitcase

Stunt cat reenacting Gracie Mae’s horrific adventure © Lazy_Lightning A ten month old cat managed to jump into her owner’s open suitcase, and then survived a flight from Florida to Texas in a cargo hold where temperatures rarely go above freezing. After Gracie Mae jumped into the open suitcase, her owner who didn’t notice that he had […]

Scots to Lobby United States to Lift Haggis Ban

Haggis, nips, and tatties © wili_hybrid Scotland plans to pressure the US to lift its current ban on haggis – the Scottish dish made of sheep’s heart, liver, and lung wrapped in its stomach lining. The US clamped a ban on the Scot favorite after the outbreak of Mad Cow Disease. According to a rep, the […]

Photo of the Moment: Inside Notre Dame, Lyon

Inside Notre Dame, Lyon © Stuck in Customs I am, as I always am with Trey’s photos, speechless.

Possible “Lost City” of Paititi Found in Peru

Ancient ruins found in southern Peru have sparked excitement about their potential for being remnants of the lost city of Paititi. Explorers have long searched for the elusive city, which has been described as having stone settlements with golden statues. According to some archaeological experts, the location of the ruins runs counter to the previous […]

Soothe Your Road Weary Soul with Last.fm’s Music-on-Demand Service

Nothing sets the mood for a road trip or all-night train ride like a kick-ass soundtrack. Today, the blogosphere is all atwitter - and rightly so - with the latest news from Last.fm: As of today, you can play full-length tracks and entire albums for free on the Last.fm website. Something we’ve wanted for years—for people […]

Dark Tourism: A Fine Line Between Curiousity and Exploitation

Most travelers say they’d never involve themselves in dark tourism, but the term is broad. Amanda Kendle explores why you may be a dark tourist without realizing it.

66% of Australians Are Members or Hopeful Members of Mile High Club

Forget personal LCD screens, 199 music channels, and 3-D games – Australians are in the mood for higher end in-flight entertainment. Reuters is reporting that, according to a survey, two in three Australians would either like to be a member of the Mile High Club, or have already been initiated into its cramped, hallowed halls. […]

Niche Couch Surfing Site Caters to Euro ‘08 Goers

Travel accommodation doesn’t get cheaper than couch surfing, or the practice of sleeping on a couch in a stranger’s home. Not only is it free, but it’s also a great way to connect with a city and its people. The growing popularity of couch surfing has prompted the growth of niche websites like Sleep In, […]

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