Tripwolf Blog

I was sure that I was in the wrong place. It looked like a living room done up by Ian Schrager – gorgeous wooden floors and big ceilings filled with stark, modern edge (including a deer head sculpture made out of plastic). A mojito bar was set up in the corner and the DJ was spinning some ambient something-or-other. Everyone had the same what-the-hell-are-we-doing-here look that I had.

I was in a youth hostel. The Lisbon Lounge Hostel, to be precise.

They’re popping up everywhere. The rage right now seems to be converting old homes or hotels and turning them into eye-popping digs. Only a few bucks more than most hostels, it seems unbelievable that these places will ever recoup. Most of them sell out quick, but a dorm still doesn’t generate the kind of bread that a hotel does.

I spent a couple of nights this summer at Villa Saint Exupery in Nice. It’s a grand old monastery that’s been turned into one of the most-recognized hostels in the world, and with good reason. The place comes with a chef (six euro meals that you’d die for) and a massive common room, complete with a wall of stained glass. The Internet Chapel is stacked with eight computers and it’s easy to grab a beer afterhours because the vending machine is stocked with cold ones. I paid $25 USD for a bed and didn’t flinch upon checkout – it was worth the extra money.

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The honeymoon days in any new place are often an exciting blur. Sometimes, that sense of wonder gets marred by the shame of making a cultural faux pas. As Vincent Vega said in “Pulp Fiction,” “It’s the little differences.”  Just as with Irish-English, there are a few cultural twists here in Ireland that have embarrassed me in the company of my new peers. Fool me once, Ireland.

Paper or Plastic … or Nothing? 

In America, supermarkets give shoppers their choice of free paper or plastic grocery bags. Irish supermarkets are a bit more eco-conscious so to minimize waste, they give away … nothing. Until you catch on you’ll stand there, dumb as a stone, faced with the prospect of juggling loose cartons of orange juice and cereal boxes all the way home. Chains like TESCO sell reusable bags, which are grand. Unless you forget yours. 

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Many travelers undertake religious pilgrimages – dusty hajis to Mecca and reverent strolls through the Vatican. I enjoy literary pilgrimages myself. I’ve paid respects to Thomas Hardy’s “Wessex,” Margaret Landon’s Siam, and Jonathan Swift’s Trinity College Dublin. Nothing whets my appetite for exploration like exotic literature; the original travel writing. Why not let a favorite story shape your next trip?

Some trip suggestions:

• Go back to school: Anne of Green Gables (Prince Edward Island, Canada), The Catcher in the Rye (New York City), To Kill a Mockingbird (the deep American South), Grimm’s Fairy Tales (Germany), Oedipus Rex (Greece).
• Stop letting fiction satisfy your historical passions and head to the scene of the crime. Love Le Morte d’Arthur? The castles of the British Isles await, my lord. Into the American Great Depression? Follow Steinbeck to California’s Central Valley. World War II buff? Make like Michener and dive into your own tales of the South Pacific.
• Visit a favorite author’s stomping grounds. Tours are available of places like Edgar Allen Poe’s basement in Philadelphia, William Faulkner’s office in Mississippi, and Shakespeare’s birthplace in Warwickshire, England. Revel in the moveable feast of French scenery that inspired Ernest Hemingway.
• Ditch your cultural comfort zone. Think novels like King Solomon’s Mines (Africa), One Hundred Years of Solitude (Colombia), A Passage to India, and The Joy Luck Club (China).

Once you’ve picked your destination, get psyched by rereading the tale. Thumb the pages on the plane or reread the story in the actual locale itself, when you can literally see the images coming alive.

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Welcome! We are beginning a new series in which we will regularly highlight lesser-known regions in Europe’s popular tourist destinations like Italy, France and Spain!

The northwest region of Italy, Piedmont, is in many ways Tuscany’s big sister. A culinary queen, Piedmont’s Old Europe charm seems even grander in the absence of hordes of tourists. Sick of the ol’ Rome, Florence, Venice route?  Beat the crowds and still taste the best of Italy.

Piedmont is known for quaint, family run hotels and restaurants that provide personality and local gastronomic glamor at the base of the Alps. Appropriately, Piedmont is home to the Slow Food movement founded in the town of Bra. The legendary Barolo is produced here, as well as Barbaresco and the heavenly white, Gavi.

Tour the beautiful Cagliero S.S. Agricola estate in Barolo, which produces Barbera d’Alba and Nebbiolo da Barolo, as well as providing a Bed and Breakfast on their property. Homemade cheeses, locally gathered truffles and unlabeled house wine are just a few of the everyday surprises in this region. For a more luxurious tour and wine-tasting, visit the Barbaresco Regional Wine Cellar. Read More »

Hope all you fellow travel bloggers were able to attend the first annual Travel Blog Exchange in Chicago, yesterday!

During the BlogHer ‘09 weekend, Travel Blog Exchange decided to host a special event for travel writers and bloggers in the Chicago Cultural center.

Experienced bloggers shared success secrets, while others from within the travel industry discussed how to work in Public Relations.

How was your experience? What would you like to see next year, and should there be a next year? We’d love to read your thoughts!

Also, check out one of the cool videos made my the Travel Blog Exchange crew, road-trippin’ their way to Chicago!

With the global economy in crisis, many of us have had to learn to do without, whether we’re missing our paycheck or our weekly tee time. The travel industry has responded by slashing airfares; fantastic deals if they fit your plans and budget. Alternatively, the media has latched onto “staycations.” Recently, I tried out another economic crisis travel option: visiting the town where I grew up.

The economic upsides to a “trip” like this are obvious: 1) you’re likely to know someone who’ll put you up 2) your souvenir allowance can go towards practical things like “thank you” dinners or gas and 3) you know the land, so you can get the best deal. Barring the economic benefits, revisiting your roots can always be an interesting trip. You’re older. You have the benefit of an enlightened perspective. If enough time has passed, the community might have changed enough to illicit wonder. If it hasn’t, you might have changed enough yourself to see your home town through the eyes of a traveler and find beauty in unexpected places.

I call New York City “home,” but like many New Yorkers, I grew up elsewhere. A trip back to my roots takes me to Crystal River on Florida’s Gulf Coast – beloved by tourists for its population of gentle manatees. As a teenager, I was desperate to leave; I dreamed of glittering cities and exotic travels. Since moving to Manhattan 11 years ago, my trips back are always few and far between. Each time I return, the town seems less familiar, even though apart from some new chain restaurants, it hasn’t changed very much. That strange unfamiliarity is where the discovery comes in. That’s when I stop focusing on the things I never liked and start to enjoy exploring the place I used to call home.

Crystal River is a quiet place that demands little. After hectic cities, I find the slow pace and open skies relaxing. Go ahead, leave your car doors unlocked when driving through town. Enjoy a smile from your waitress. Don’t take offense to being called “ma’am” if you’re 20; all women are “ma’am” in Crystal River. Read More »

I moved to Japan in January 2007. After 2 years of Japanese study and ceaseless eating, I came back home to New York City this May. That was a little over two months ago. You’d never know it, though, because two months after coming home, I still start sentences with, “In Japan ….”

In Japan, one melon can cost 40 dollars. In Japan, you can buy a tie in a vending machine. In Japan … honestly, I even annoy myself. I’ve become a prodigal expatriate; someone who expatriates and can’t stop talking about their experiences once they come home.

Perhaps you’ve known people like this. Because they’ve spent time in Perugia, they’ll tell you that no one in Italy eats spaghetti and meatballs. They correct your French pronunciation. They’ll tell you how tea is served in Russia and how movie theaters are different in Malaysia (answer: they sell mashed potatoes). You might have enjoyed their stories at first, but after their 500th wistful sigh, you’ll probably wonder why they didn’t just stay in Turkey.

The prodigal expatriate is easy to malign, but little is said on their behalf. Perhaps their most obvious defense is that repatriation is difficult. Read More »

What would you do if you were set free in Taiwan with just 4 days and 28,000 dollars? The Taiwan Tourism Board wants to know.

Taiwan has jumped on the hype generated by Queensland’s Best Job in the World contest and come up with their own alluring prize for travel lovers – the Best Trip in the World. This trip will have 50 winning teams, each who will be given 7,000 USD per day, to complete a four-day itinerary of their dreams.

Taiwan Tourism has realized the popularity and importance of travel bloggers’ influences on travel trends. To apply, you must have your own personal travel blog, and have a travel partner or group of travel buddies willing to come with you! (Shouldn’t be too hard to find.)

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Whatever your ailment, be it something similar to early onset Alzheimer’s or a simple personality disorder, Morocco Therapy is the cure. If the world’s economic situation is getting you down, or if the hysteria over swine flu has affected your morale over the past few months, find others similarly affected.  Check your symptoms and find your elixir!

This unique, interactive flash site subtly suggests that your next holiday should be spent in the new land of plenty, Morocco.  Don’t think simply desert, Morocco’s got some of the world’s best surf, cities unmatched in color and culture, not to mention the cuisine.  Read More »

…so that’s what a winning application video looks like. Ben Southhall, 34, from Hampshire, England, has won the world’s most coveted position. Beginning this July, Southhall will move to Australia’s Hamilton Island for six months, writing weekly blog posts and feeding fish.

…and ok, he’ll also be living in a house on one of the most pristine tropical islands in the world with free range to do anything he wants – with a $150,000 salary to boot. Read More »