Travel Notes Blog

Google a Plus For Photo Sharing

2011-09-30T23:52:00.000+02:00

With Google Plus opening its domain to the public, maybe the people who made accounts in July but didn't really do much more than add a profile picture, and perhaps a few words to their about section, might surf back over on the growing wave and find that there's some really good content being shared around.

If you sometimes feel that there's too much broadcasting noise on Twitter and an overflow of updates floating fast and furious through your Facebook feed, it could be worth expanding your social circle - on Google; or at least test the waters.

You might even find it to be the harbour that rocks your boat.

If you like pretty pictures there are some great photographers sharing their work on Google+.

You don't even need to worry about not being in their 'circle', just join in a hash tag theme or two on various days of the week and showcase your work alongside them.

These are some of the photography themes I like the look of:
Street Saturday; Sunset Saturday;
Sacred Sunday; Selfy Sunday;
Mountain Monday;
My Town Tuesday;
Waterfall Wednesday; Wildlife Wednesday;
Travel Thursday; Silhouettes On Thursday; Thirsty Thursday;
Food Friday and as it's the Fally Folly season - Fall Friday.

You can always save the searches that appeal to you to get easy access to the theme's latest additions.

For the full list, along with the relevant curators, see Daily Photography Themes on Google+ by Eric Leslie.

It looks like a lot of fun and I'm sure the list will expand. You might even have an idea for a subject of your own.

Google Plus looks like it could be quite a photographer's paradise, especially with how some of those awesome images display, that many are starting to Forget Flickr for Fotos,

SmugMug might be better in the image quality respect but Google has the mass photo-sharing capabilities within its tentacticles; served up from the free-hosting, Picasa Web Albums, back-end.

Serious photographers would probably not want to lock up their work solely on Google though, but the search giant is providing the ideal forum for showcasing their portfolios and making more contacts.

Excuse the pun, but the one thing you would probably hope for on Google+ is more exposure, especially if +1 starts to have an effect on search results served up to friends of friends; whose circles just keep getting wider.

Dynamic Views on Blogger

Even the new changes to the Blogger platform seems to be aimed more at the photo blogger.

There are a couple of problems with these dynamic views, as I see it, for your average blogger though.

Firstly, it appears all your own navigation and extras around the content is lost, so no more advertising or widgets when people read posts through those entry points.

Also, some of the themes like Flipcard, need your images to be stored on Picasa to work.

For photo sharing, it does look like a big plus for Google. Just make sure you store a hard copy of your portfolio elsewhere.

SmugMug to Google Plus

If anyone is trying to get their SmugMug travel photos into Google Plus you could follow the road I travelled.

First use the Photo Smuggler App to get them into Facebook, works with profiles or pages.

Then move your Facebook albums to Picasa and share it with your Circles with the Chrome Extension that was Move2Picasa.

+Michel Guntern.

9/11 Ten Years Ago

2011-09-11T14:33:00.001+02:00

Where Were You Ten Years Ago Today?

When asked where we were on a given date in the not too distant past, many of us would struggle to remember.

Mention the words 'nine-eleven' and almost everyone can bring back to mind where they were on the eleventh of September, ten years ago - when two hijacked aircraft unbelievably ploughed into the upper floors of New York's Twin Towers; rendering the World Trade Centre into a smoking ruin and sending shock waves around the world.

Just a few minutes earlier, I had been innocently walking along the promenade in Loutraki; on a pleasnt day-trip from Athens.

The sun was shining and everything seemed fine with the world; although the wind was picking up.

At least that's how it seemed to everyone soaking up the rays of the warm September sun; while hardened news editors around the world were about to fall off their collective chairs in shock.

Without understanding a word of Greek it was clear that something terrible had happened.

The following day, police presence around Athens was stepped up and flags flew at half mast.

The war on terror was about to begin and it would take almost ten years to find Osama Bin Laden.

Our thoughts are with all those who are no longer with us to remember where they were ten years ago today.

Chianti Classico - In The Tuscan Hills

2011-09-09T00:06:00.000+02:00

It may be a long drive for a bottle of Chianti Classico but you can't buy the views in a supermarket.

The best way to explore the Chianti Classico region, between Florence (Firenze) and Siena, is by car. I was quite surprised at how many people were making the effort to cycle around though, as it really is quite hilly.

If you head east out of Florence and cross the River Arno, towards via San Marco, you'll eventually meet up with via Chiantigiana, the scenic route that is marked on maps and signposts as the SS222.

Ahead of you awaits a twisting route of vineyards and olive groves, followed by narrow streets punctuated with fortresses, castles and village churches.

Strada in Chianti, Greve in Chianti, Panzano and Castellina in Chianti are all names that will soon come to life.

There are plenty of accommodation options in Chianti, from farmhouses and B&Bs to hotels and villas.

As we were only on a weekend visit, we searched for Radda in Chianti hotels before we hit the Autostrada.

With a forecast of 35 degrees in Florence, a pool with a view seemed to make a lot of sense, but as we were expecting to arrive towards the evening I felt we would be better off with a hillside restaurant.

As it turned out, the Relais Vignale had both. By booking online we even saved over 100 Euro on the advertised rates.

If you're not a vegetarian, be sure your Chianti Classico accompanies the famous Beefsteak Fiorentina. The meat here was grilled to perfection; a crispy bite into succulent beef.

If you are a vegetarian, just raise your glass and enjoy the view.

May in The South of France

2011-05-29T08:53:00.001+02:00

I've always enjoyed the South of France in May.

May in The South of France

Whether for star-gazing at the Cannes Film Festival, unique street-racing at the Monaco F1 Grand Prix, or a stroll along the Promenade des Anglais before it gets too crowded - or too hot.

When I was younger, I remember disembarking from the night-train at Nice and feeling in a whole new world; waking up to to a light that had so inspired Matisse.

It does sometimes rain on the Cote d'Azur at this time of year but when it does, as it did the other weekend, it may be sunny over in Var - from Toulon to Marseille; ideal for a drive along the coast and possibly a visit to Château d'If and and Frioul Islands.

Château d'If Off The Coast of Marseiille

You may even arrive early enough to see the morning's catch being sold at the Vieux Port.

Mareille Vieux Port Fish Market

Now where will I go in June?

Alsace in Spring

2011-04-10T06:52:00.000+02:00

Although the vines along the Route des Vins are cut back, Spring is still a great time to visit Alsace.

The narrow streets through old villages are still reasonably quiet at this time of year.

Spring blossom showers the countryside after what appears to have been a long, dark winter.

New born lambs are starting to test their legs.

Then there's the chance to taste the local produce at an outside table.

Merry Christmas From France

2010-12-23T15:40:00.002+01:00

Last weekend we were in Alsace, enjoying fresh snow at the Strasbourg Marché de Noël, and tomorrow (Christmas Eve) I'll be heading over to Nancy and Luxembourg; to continue our 2010 Christmas celebrations.

It's been a while since I've actually spent Christmas Day and New Year's Eve in France and I'm thoroughly looking forward to it.

From creative city lights,

to the small boxes decorated with Christmas wrapping in the village streets;

there's something special about how the French add the finishing touches to their towns and villages at this time of year.

Bonne Noël - From the 'Capital of Christmas'

If you're still looking for some last-minute Christmas ideas, the TravelNotes Guide to Christmas in Europe presents a gift-wrapped selection of European Christmas markets and last-minute shopping tips for unique gifts.

Or maybe you prefer some Top Alpine Skiing at Europe's Best Ski Resorts.

Whatever you're up to, Enjoy the Holidays and I wish you all the best for the New Year ahead.

Michel

Associated Content - Yahoo! Contributor Network

2010-12-11T15:24:00.010+01:00

'In November 2010, the Associated Content publishing platform became the Yahoo! Contributor Network'.

I received a link from a friend on Facebook promoting a recent travel article on a site called Associated Content. Or at least that's what the URL implied.

I read the article, found it helpful, then spent the rest of the day looking around; trying to figure out what was going on between Associated Content and Yahoo! Contributor Network - and how this connection might affect some of the freelance travel writers I know.

Apparently, Associated Content has been around since 2005; and so had quite a few of the Contributors I came across, it seemed - creating something of an unofficial 'you read me and I'll read you' type of circle. This is not uncommon when writers are paid for views, and the community has an easy trail of ready-made links from one face to another. It also keeps them on the site a little longer.

Anyone who remembers Themestream will know how this was used and abused by many; especially when Themestream paid out 10 cents a read to encourage writers to produce more material, market themselves, attract more readers, who might in turn then become content creators themselves.

There was an uproar when the rates were racked down to 2 cents a read - from registered members only. The quality of some of the 'content' on Themestream became something of a joke; as user greed helped milk the money cow dry.

Although Yahoo! boldly proclaims to have 'more than 400,000 contributors and growing', I actually found a large percentage of dormant accounts; while searching for travel writers. I even came across some faces famous for revealing all on Twitter, but their Associated Content portfolios remained bare.

Perhaps that's why this particular venture has not shown up on my radar, until now.

Enter Yahoo!

The move from blue to purple is not without its problems.

The day I chose to sign up was in the middle of a profile photo upload fail; which has left an unresolved trail of broken images. There have been a few other bugs - that are probably just another Yahoo acquisition thing.

I hope this doesn't signal the start of the demise for hardcore, former Associated Content producers. Many good (to some) things have suffered during and after such takeovers - Geocities, Webring and MyBlogLog are just a few that come to my mind.

Yahoo had a part to play in all of the above, along with the demise of Maven Networks, Farechase, Jumpcut, blo.gs and bix.

Right now they're probably thinking about how to tune everything in with Yahoo ids, or who to acquire to fill in the possible void to be left by Andrew Siegel (Yahoo’s head of corporate development, who is in charge of its mergers and acquisitions strategy).

Looking around some of the older Associated Content 'writing guidelines', written by their veteran 'citizen journalist' content producers, there is a concern that too much emphasis is being placed on writing for search engines. Sure the articles need to be found, but they also need to be informative or enjoyable for the human beings who take the time to read them.

There are signs that some content may be distributed on other Yahoo! properties (FAQ) but no mention of anything being used on Yahoo! Travel, as yet.

Fingers crossed that all goes well, and that the market for travel writers to reach more readers is helped by Yahoo's influence.

Making Money For Your Content on Yahoo

While some assignments claimed from the 'Assignment Desk' come with an up-front payment attached, most earnings will be based on the amount of traffic your content receives; with that micropayment increasing along with your 'clout'.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update - April 1st, 2011
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While looking through the 'Featured Travel Contributors' closer I did wonder about the terminology; especially as some of the writers seemed to write about almost anything and others didn't appear to have much to say about travel for almost a year - although they were willing to supply top tips for applying make-up, 'articles' about the latest television personality 'making the news', or even attempts at broadcasting news from what they'd just seen on the television.

No wonder some people and, recently (to uproar from some contributors on the website), Google avoid giving too much weight to such online material.

I thought that if I were a Featured Travel Contributor I'd want to be writing about travel and anything related to travel, and so expected to read such material from those who were. Travel is such a broad subject, it shouldn't be too much to ask.

But then I noticed that some Featured Travel Contributors were also featured contributors for a couple of other subjects and realised how diluted some of the material in a given subject might become, especially when rushing to complete end of the month deadlines.

While some writers hoped that the arrival of Yahoo might mean greater exposure for their articles, others - myself included - wondered if it might not signal the beginning of the end. I did mention my fears in the December blog post.

Yahoo! have now moved another step closer to confounding those fears by announcing that they will be shutting down another acquisition of theirs - MyBlogLog.

It therefore came as no surprise that Yahoo! decided to review all the featured contributors it had acquired with the purchase of Associated Content. It's what companies buying out others tend to do; review their assets and try to sift through the deposits to find the gems.

What did surprise me though, is the way this was handled. Contributors who were only recently accepted into the featured program now had to apply again and very experienced writers were being discarded with copy and paste style rejection notes.

To really sort out the wheat from the chaff, it might have been helpful if the writers had been offered more feedback over the last few months. The fact that they weren't seems to imply that this was a radical cost-cutting exercise from corporate head-office (in some departments).

It was announced that those accepted into the new featured contributor program would be informed on April 1st, but 'rejection slips' were going out earlier.

The rejections have obviously hurt a lot of people, judging by responses given in the Yahoo! Contributor Discussions, but freelance writers in the real world do well to get every submitted article or proposal accepted.

Some very famous writers have even had their first manuscript rejected by various publishers before finding the right editor who would help launch their career into the stratosphere.

Of course I was surprised to see some featured travel contributors I enjoyed reading being told that the 'application contained incomplete and/or blank fields', or just being discarded with some other 'template response' and that they could apply 'to each Featured Contributor subcategory up to three times in one calendar year' - once they found their voice (or other template response).

With so much of the process automated, it's not hard to include JavaScript in the application to inform candidates of blank fields (if indeed there were any).

Personally, I'd only been writing as a 'Featured Travel Contributor' since January so losing a little title was no big deal. It even appears that my response was on a more personal level, albeit without the editor's name nor his travel editor e-mail address:

Thank you for applying to the Yahoo! Contributor Network International Travel Featured Contributor program. Your application was not accepted at this time. While you have great experience, the content examples you provided reads more like blog coverage of events and relies too heavily on your own photographs.

Also, your pen name doesn't meet our guidelines for this program. Featured Contributors must have pen names that comply with our guidelines.

I'm sure they are the same pen name guidelines that were in use when I applied, and was accepted, just a few months ago.

Of course I rely heavily on my own photographs (being a travel writer AND photographer - it's what I do).

As for the examples being 'like blog coverage of events', two of the articles were originally published in travel magazines for more than ten times what the new featured contributor program would offer to pay for them; and at least five years before Yahoo! was even founded.

The terms weblog and blog hadn't even been used back then and I believe the Internet was still something that only the military and scientists knew about. Have I really been travelling around the world that long?

I may still continue to publish 'display-only' articles and read some of the travel content being written there.

Funnily enough, when I do submit an article on the 'travel guide' template I am encouraged to:

Use this template for travel tips, travel journals and hotel reviews.

Oh, the irony.

Zurich's Baur au Lac Hotel

2010-11-30T22:18:00.005+01:00

Zurich's Baur au Lac hotel was the scene of heightened security and media interest today.

With just two days to go before FIFA executives vote on who will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments, Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron flew in to try and add some political muscle to the England 2018 World Cup bid.

FIFA Vice-President and CONCACAF President, Jack Warner, arrives at Zurich's Baur au Lac hotel prior to a meeting with British Prime Minister, David Cameron ahead of Thursday's FIFA vote on who will host the 2018 World Cup.

British Prime Minister, David Cameron leaving Zurich's Baur au Lac hotel after his meeting with Jack Warner.

Warner, who controls at least two of the three votes from CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) is considered crucial to England's chances of getting the necessary votes to pass the first round.

With a cappuccino in the Baur au Lac lobby costing eight francs fifty - more than twice the price of a better tasting cup elsewhere in Zurich - rooms where much of the frenzied lobbying and deal making takes place do not come cheap.

Compare Zurich Hotel Prices.

Devecser Clean-Up Continues

2010-11-14T12:51:00.000+01:00

Five weeks after the toxic mud catastrophe engulfed Kolontar and Devecser, a resemblence of life is returning to normal: some people are returning to their homes and the train line between Devescer and Ajka is open again; although the red earth is still a disturbing sight and vehicles leaving the area need to be sprayed down.

Although the Torna creek continues to flow red and the Marcal river is still showing some signs of distress, disaster was avoided downstream of the Marcal river; in the Rivers Raba and Danube.

From Long Nights to Long Haul Flights

2010-10-26T16:59:00.001+02:00

As the clocks go back in the UK this weekend and the long nights start to smother our daylight hours, now's the time to think about a long haul break; to feel the warmth of the sun again, at 5pm in the evening.

Let's look at a few of the options for a low-cost holiday before Christmas.

The Turtle Beach by Rex Resorts Hotel is directly on a mile-long sandy beach at Great Courland Bay, on the north-west coast of Tobago. The beach is regularly visited by nesting Leatherback turtles, usually between March and July, who turn the beach into home to lay their eggs. The hotel is 7 miles from Tobago`s capital Scarborough and 2 miles from the Mount Irvine golf course. (£602 for 7 nights).

The Sandos Caracol Eco Beach Resort and Spa sits on the exclusive Mayan Riviera in Mexico, ten minutes away from the charming village of Playa del Carmen. This all-inclusive beach resort is in a naturally beautiful area at the edge of an exotic jungle surrounded by mangroves and natural lagoons making it the ideal destination for taking things easy. (£861 for 7 nights - all inclusive).

The Hotel Shaw Park Beach Spa sits on a private beach on Cutlass Bay, Jamaica. Ocho Rios is approximately two miles away. The hotel is next to the mouth of the White River and three miles from the Shaw Park Botanical Gardens, a 25 acre reserve with waterfalls and tropical plants in a stunning hilltop location overlooking the Caribbean. (£713 for 7 nights - all inclusive).

The Grenadian Hotel has the choice of two wide, white-sand beaches; one dedicated to water sports and the other for simply relaxing in the hot Caribbean sun. The hotel rooms are modern and spacious, some with ocean views across Tamarind Bay to the capital of Grenada, St George's - six miles away. (£612 for 7 nights).

If money's a little tight in the lead up to Christmas, you can't go wrong with Goa.

The Peravel Beach Holiday Homes sits on a quiet lane less than a five-minute walk from Candolim Beach. Candolim village has a modest selection of local stores and eateries and Panaji, the capital of Goa, is ten miles away. Candolim beach is wide and sandy and is quieter and more relaxed than some of the towns.(£444 for 7 nights - B&B).

If you are a fan of the long, cold, dark nights (I know my sister is) - try Iceland or Norway. A selection of chilly, ice hotels coming soon.

Build Websites That Sell

2010-10-19T01:23:00.003+02:00

Over the years, all sorts of website submissions have made their way to the Travel Notes inbox; from stylish, personal travel websites hosted on free domains to corporate productions that didn't do any favours for the brand.

I've also seen almost every search engine optimisation trick in the book and enough dubious domain name changes to wonder if there shouldn't be a law against such blatant misrepresentation of the Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

Travel and Tourism Websites - Then and Now

Back in 1997, most of our links pointed to 'real' travel and tourism websites; in that people had travelled to the places they were writing about, or a local tourist office presented the attractions for visitors to their country or city.

Travelogues still make interesting reading although many have now taken on the form of a travel blog; which is fine, as all the entries are date-stamped.

But when I read some of the blogs today, so much work has gone into them that it's almost as if the 'blogger' is trying to make an income, as a writer. And if they are, I wonder why they don't create an articles website and call themselves writers?

Blog vs Website:
Most people searching for information will find a website rather than a blog, so perhaps the blog is better served as an add-on to the website?

The Website Business

It seems that keyword-driven-hyphenated-domain-names are getting longer; almost becoming sentences in themselves, boldly describing what the website is about.

We've had a number of these sent in to us and I must admit that I initially thought it was just another scam from fly-by-night promoters, trying to get their website ranked higher in Google search results.

As there are no robots at Travel Notes, I do look at the domains and noticed a similar trend in how these websites were laid out too.

Although most of the designs were different, the basic concept remained the same.

It was as if one person was churning out numerous keyword-optimised, content-driven, (hopefully) money-making machines.

The biggest common denominator was at the bottom of the page:

I originally thought Site Build It was a web-building tool provided by a free-host looking for a greater market share, along the lines of the former GeoCities, FortuneCity, TerraShare (now parked) or Bravenet.

It said 'Powered by Site Build It', but the links pointed to Site Sell. What's more, SiteSell seemed keen in getting affiliates to do the selling for them; judging by the way the small banner slides across the screen before your very eyes.

If you're a blogger and can't give up the day job just yet, you might want to take a look at the SiteSell affiliate program.

Maybe you're not a blogger and you're wondering how the World Wide Web can help your local business. Perhaps you've always fancied the idea of an online business but didn't know where to start.

I'm assuming most people reading this would be interested in reading about travel sites using SBI, or how to make travel your business?

Bookmarks

I first bookmarked Site Sell a few years back but never really got around to asking the questions. I have a few dormant domains I still need to develop, so I'll let you you know how things progress.

Although $299 a year might seem like a lot to pay out up front, ordering the $29.99/month plan seems a little more friendly. At under $1 a day, that's less than most reputable web hosting plans. And you can pay by PayPal, if you wish.

Before you part with your money though, take a look at the tools to help you succeed. If you're serious about online success, make sure to read the SBI Action Guide. This is the 10-day plan that some people in the SBI forum wish you didn't have free access to.

The free-to-use, all-in-one Search It resource combines many pre-programmed advanced searches to help you 'brainstorm new topics for your site; deepen the research on your competition; get your domain naming, trademarks and other legalities right; and research material for your content pages'.

Beware - building websites that sell is not for everyone. Not only does it cost money to get started, it takes time and effort to keep going. But earning while you sleep is a good feeling. You might even come up with a new super-packed-keyword-domain-that-rocks.

Alptransit - New Gotthard Rail Tunnel

2010-10-15T23:05:00.004+02:00

Photo of a Poster Celebrating the New World Record

After 17 years of work, Swiss mining engineers finally drilled through the last section of rock, between Faido and Sedrun, to complete the 57km tunnel through the base of the Gotthard mountain; creating what will become the world's longest rail tunnel.

Going Down to Tunnel Entrance at Sedrun

Some two hundred guests were invited to witness the final breakthrough live, deep in the belly of the Alps, while celebrations were held in a marquee on a sports field at the mountain village of Sedrun; 2,000m above where the two ends of the tunnel became one.

Trains are expected to use the tunnel by 2017, reducing the travel time between Zurich and Milan to two hours and forty, instead of the four hours ten minutes the journey currently takes; but travellers in the tunnel won't get the mountain views.

The Glacier Express Passes by Sedrun

Around 300 trains a day will be able to travel at speeds of 250km/h (155mph), thanks to a project that has cost an estimated 9.8bn Swiss francs (about £6.4bn or $10.3bn).

That may seem like a tremendous amount of money, but due to the increasing freight traffic coughing out diesel fumes in the area, the project was considered a huge saving for the environment; althought the final cost may top 12bn Swiss francs - close to 5 billion over the initial cost plan.

Removing the Rock From the Mountain at Sedrun

Swiss voters gave the project the go ahead in a referendum held on 27th September, 1992 - with 63.6% of the voters in favour. A year later, on 22nd September, 1993 test drilling for the tunnel started at Polmengo.

Resculpturing The Alpine Landscape

About 2,500 people have worked on the tunnel, that cost the lives of eight people during its construction.

The End of The Road For The Gotthard Rock

All photos by Michel - Photos.TravelNotes.org.

Following The Tour de France

2010-07-13T17:45:00.008+02:00

There's something special about the Tour de France that, like all great sporting events, should be experienced live.

The best place to watch the race unfold is in front of the television.

Alberto Contador - 1st in Verbier

With cameramen on motorbikes and tv crews shooting from helicopters in the sky, you are treated to different visual angles of the cyclists rolling through a varied French countryside.

A good commentary team on board can share a wealth of background information on the various chateaux, regional foods, and even something insightful about the cycling itself.

If you're a fan of Eurosport, you can even join in with other cycling fans on the (Yahoo) Message Boards.

While watching the race on television you'll see places with a number in brackets. This number represents the French Department (département).

For real atmosphere though, you would want to get out on the road for a stage or two; especially after you've seen a few tours on the screen.

Where to See The Riders For Real

The first thing to do is to look at the Tour de France route and see if the peloton will pass by anywhere you intend to be, or anywhere you would like to visit.

If you're using public transport, the departure and arrival points are often the easiest places to get to and there's always a party atmosphere when 'Le Tour' comes to town.

Last minute accommodation may be hard to find though and large crowds can make it difficult to get good pictures, if you don't have a photographer's bib.

If it's photographs of the cyclists you're after, then it's better to stake out a place on the route itself. This needs thinking about too; or you could find yourself waiting for hours, only for the peloton to pass you by in seconds.

Lance Armstrong in 2009 - by Michel Guntern

Riders slow down at feeding stations and tend to go slower on the steeper inclines.

If you're fortunate, you might even be lucky enough to have a bidon (water bottle) discarded in front of you; as we did, just after the Delle feeding station in 2009.

Getting Into Position

The official Tour de France website gives an estimated time schedule for each stage but not when the roads close; check out the local municipal websites for that.

If you have a camper van (RV or motor home) and want to park it on the side of the route, you need to find your spot early; sometimes the night before. Choosing this option also means you could be stuck in traffic jams for hours after the race.

You may prefer to study a local map and leave the car close to where you want to be but not on the route itself; for a quicker getaway.

Keen cyclists can always get themselves into good positions on the climbs and then beat the traffic jams back down to the bottom.

Waiting For The Riders

The Caravane precedes the cyclists by about an hour and a half. This is when the decorated vehicles of the sponsors pass by; promoting their brands in something of a carnival atmosphere. When you see helicopters approach, you'll know the cyclists are getting closer.

It's also a good idea to check out the Weather in France for the coming week. Meteo.fr has a good weather map that you can zoom in on.

If you're really interested in travelling around France to follow the tour, then you should consider getting your hands on a copy of Graham Watson's Tour de France Travel Guide.

Paris Champs-Élysées

The last stage of Le Tour, with its prestigious finish on the Champs-Élysées, is always highly attended.

You may not get the best view of the riders at the finish but at least there's plenty of hotels in Paris and you can say you were there. If you can get there early enough (the night before) the fountain by the final run-in is a good place to be.

The Place de la Concorde is where the team buses are parked up and you may catch some of the riders around here after the race is over.

Tour de France 2011 - July 2nd to July 24th:
1 Saturday, 2nd July: La Barre-de-Monts to Mont des Alouettes.
2 Sunday, 3rd July: Les Essarts (team time-trial).
3 Monday, 4th July: Olonne-sur-Mer to Redon.
4 Tuesday, 5th July: Lorient to Mûr-de-Bretagne.
5 Wednesday, 6th July: Carhaix to Cap Fréhel.
6 Thuray, 7th July: Dinan to Lisieux.
7 Friday, 8th July: Le Mans to Châteauroux.
8 Saturday, 9th July: Aigurande to Super-Besse Sancy.
9 Sunday, 10th July: Issoire to Saint-Flour.
10 Tuesday, 12th July: Aurillac to Carmaux.
11 Wednesday, 13th July: Blaye-les-Mines > Lavaur.
12 Thursday, 14th July: Cugnaux to Luz-Ardiden.
13 Friday, 15th July: Pau to Lourdes.
14 Saturday, 16th July: Saint-Gaudens to Plateau de Beille.
15 Sunday, 17th July: Limoux to Montpellier.
16 Tuesday, 19th July: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Gap.
17 Wednesday, 20th July: Gap to Pinerolo.
18 Thursday, 21st July: Pinerolo to Galibier Serre-Chevalier.
19 Friday, 22nd July: Modane to Alpe-d’Huez.
20 Saturday, 23rd July: Grenoble (individual time-trial).
21 Sunday, 24th July: Créteil to Paris Champs-Élysées.

Large Map - Cycling on Twitter.

Digital Travel Photography

2010-04-15T14:07:00.012+02:00

When I first published my 'travel photography' article online, back in 1999, we were still using Fujichrome, transparency film. Now travel photographers carry spare memory cards.

The art of taking photographs hasn't changed since then; although it seems more people are using telephones to call the shots.

I still use my mobile phone to talk to people, but whatever works for you.

Being a Travel Photographer in The Digital Age.

The worse thing about being a travel photographer on the road used to be waiting to get the films developed and seeing the results.

I would shoot rolls and rolls of film to increase my chances of getting something close to what I thought might work; the kind of shots that busy picture editors were looking for, or didn't realise were even out there.

It would sometimes be months before I could see if the light and camera angle had played together well with the subject, to create the stunning image I craved.

Travel photography, in the digital age, has become instant. We can even take pictures on a sailing trip and view (chimp) them, before the yacht ties up in port.

Smart phones can be used to connect to online services like Twitpic, which in turn tweets a link to your picture through Twitter.

9:36 PM Jan 15th, 2009 via TwitPic

A famous example being when an US Airways Airbus A320 went down in the Hudson River and Janis Krums (@jkrums) was on hand to record the moment - with the presence of mind to tweet it!

It's actually a very good photograph; something most photo-journalists would have been proud of, with the dirty lens somehow adding to the visual drama. News editors too, would have liked how fast the picture circulated around the world.

Shame there wasn't a Pulitzer Prize for Citizen Journalists.

Gone are the days when a photographer's anticipation quickly turns to disappointment.

The tense feeling in our stomachs...... when our photographic memories returned from the lab, after a visit to far-off locations, and we discovered that the elusive, perfect shot, just didn't happen...... has been erased.

This is sometimes replaced, however, by a sense of disappointment when you click on enthusiastically-shared, Twitpic links.

Travel Notes Tips For Better Photography

Whether you're brandishing camera equipment that costs more than some people earn in a year or waving your telephone around in the air, really concenrate on what's in the frame - and what shouldn't be.

If you train yourself to look, then you will see better results; no matter how financially serious a photorapher you are.

When I had a whole bag of camera bodies and lenses stolen in China, three days before Christmas (1996), I bought a ten dollar instamatic from Tian'Men Square, and continued on to Vietnam with it.

Travel Photography Tips

Get in close - to focus on something specific.

Fill the frame with the scene - so that the viewer's eye doesn't wander.

When photographing the tourist sites, try a different angle of something that has already been photographed a million times, or try for a detail that really makes it special.

A natural border will lead the viewer's eye in to the subject. But don't overdo this, unless you want all your pictures to essentially look the same.

For people photographs, by all means take that picture of someone you know at wherever in the world it is you are, but try and make the image more stimulating. Perhaps think about photographing strangers; to give your pictures a more local flavour.

Images of architectural structures often look better in evening lighting conditions; and if you're looking, you may even see reflections.

Hortobagy, the oldest stone bridge in Hungary.

For sharing your images on the Internet, save photographs as jpeg files, and try to keep the sizes small. Not only will loading speed improve, but you'll also have room for more photographs if your storage space is limited.

Think Like an Editor

Digital photographers can throw away the misses and maybe even try again, on the spot - and should.

Not only does editing 'in camera' save time at the computer screen later, it also frees up memory space for better pictures.

Even if you're not a professional travel photographer, your social networking friends will be more impressed if you took the time to select images worth sharing, rather than rolling out your whole series of phone-snaps.

Sell Your Digital Photography Online:
Serious photographers need serious online solutions with unlimited storage, unlimited traffic and a built-in web commerce solution with credit card processing to handle sales of high-quality images.

Cyber Cafes Gone Cold

2010-04-11T21:15:00.010+02:00

When I first started Travel Notes we had Cyber Cafe listings on every country page.

I later wrote an article (Internet Cafe Guide) to feature the growing number of Internet Cafe directories; that I even used myself, when travelling.

How things have changed.

Much of what I wrote back then, with a great deal of enthusiam, now seems like cold coffee with three-day old cream curdling on top.

While many of us used to look for places to read our e-mail on the road because our computer work-stations were left at home, we can now slip a small netbook in our bag and pick up a wireless network in our hotel bedrooms before breakfast; sometimes even for free.

There are plenty of other wireless connection possibilities available when out and about for the day, and it's even possible to access the Internet and Google Maps from smart phones; whether your're travelling on a train, a bus, or sitting on the back of a donkey.

And to think that I did most of my travelling before I'd even heard about e-mail; when the only postcards I sent were ones with stamps on them, and tweet was something birds did.

Now telephones are put to the eye more than the ear, and looked at more than listened to; as a new generation of flashpackers tweet and upload videos to YouTube, faster than the old dial-up modems could crackle and gargle out their high-pitched tones.

Looking Back

When I was first thinking about getting on the Internet to learn HTML and inflict the world with my Web presence, I used a local Cybercafé to find out what it was all about.

I was an Internet geek right away; looking at what webmasters were doing by peeking at the source code. I had a new computer to play with at home, but was not yet connected with the wide world online.

We bought Internet magazines to find out about websites we might be interested in, and went down with our list of URLs on a Sunday morning and stayed there until well into the afternoon.

It soon became apparent that some of the websites needed us to register with an e-mail address. The cybercafés offered e-mail addresses, but as I hardly expected anyone to write to me, it seemed pointless to pay for an account.

Somewhere we read about free e-mail, and got connected. With these web-based (Yahoo) accounts we could keep the same address if we ever left the sheltered harbour of the Cybercafé, and went into the troubled waters of ISPs ourselves.

There was still something about viruses I didn't like the sound of, and would rather keep them away from my files and programmes.

Next step, a home on the Web. In two or three weeks we had become Cyber Citizens, and all it costed was access charged by the hour, and a few coffees; with two sugars.

Now it seems the Internet has taken over our lives and I find myself looking for WiFi connections, even on the phone.

How To Talk Like a Local

2010-03-15T10:24:00.001+01:00

Are you a dardledumdue, clemt and looking for a pub, or just interested in colourful words and phrases?

Whether you're a visitor to the United Kingdom, or a British resident, you might think you're listening to foreign languages as you travel around the island.

From Aberdeen to Warwick, dialect and regional slang plays an important part in the daily life of locals.

To understand the differences in lingo, from Cockney to Geordie, and get an insight into the meanings and origins of some lesser-known sayings and phrases used in the English language, you'll need a copy of How to Talk Like a Local; compiled by Susie Dent, an English lexicographer and long-time dictionary expert on Channel 4’s game show - Countdown.

Be gallus on your travels and chamrag with the people you meet.

Are they just jannicking or deadly serious? Now you'll know.

Browser Choice - It's Here

2010-03-11T08:04:00.004+01:00

Thanks to the European Union, I woke up this morning to a Browser Choice window that those outside of Europe, or not using Windows, might never get to see.

I'm quite happy with the browsers I use but did you know that there's (currently) a choice of 12 browers out there?

For those of you who might feel left out.

Click on the images to dowload the browser, or the text link to find out more.

Avant Browser - 'The best web browser: Tiny, fast, simple, highly configurable and extendible. Perfect for everyone'.

Firefox - 'Your online security is Firefox's top priority. Firefox is free, and made to help you get the most out of the web'.

FlashPeak SlimBrowser - 'Fast and reliable web browser loaded with features such as form filler, popup blocker, login management and privacy protection'.

Flock - Friend-based Navigation: the browser to get the most out of Facebook & Twitter'.

Google Chrome - 'Google Chrome. A fast new browser. Made for everyone'.

GreenBrowser - 'GreenBrowser is your best choice of flexible and powerful green web browser'.

Internet Explorer - 'Internet Explorer is the world’s most widely used browser, designed by Microsoft with you in mind'.

K-Meleon - 'K-Meleon is an extremely fast, customizable, lightweight browser based on the Mozilla Gecko engine and designed specifically for Windows'.

Maxthon Browser - '37
languages; tear-off tabs & video; split screen; mouse gestures; touchscreen; ad killer; swept Webware Awards twice'.

Opera - 'The powerful and easy-to-use Web browser. Try the only browser with Opera Turbo technology, and speed up your Internet connection'.

Safari - 'Safari for Windows from Apple, the world’s most innovative browser'.

Sleipnir - 'Sleipnir: A fully customizable browser for a new web experience'.

The choice is yours!

Win a Million Lufthansa Miles

2010-02-24T23:20:00.004+01:00

Now you really can be a part of Lufthansa's new A380 deliveries by choosing a name for one of the planes and maybe even win yourself 1 million air miles. That's enough to fly twice around the world - first class.

Find a blank space on the LH A380 silhouette to place your suggestion, and make it stand out with a background photograph. There are a selection of default images to choose from, or you may upload your own.

You can then encourage your social network to fly on over and vote for your choice of name.

From 31st March, the juding panel will choose a winner from the 50 best voted name suggestions.

Aero Cologne? Kölner? You decide!

Big Money Travel Domain Names

2010-01-20T13:09:00.003+01:00

It seems that the dot com bubble is still floating high - despite having gone through a global recession - if you have the right domain name to sell. Or should I say, if someone wants to buy that domain of yours.

While reviewing website submissions to Travel Notes, I clicked on the About Us link of a China tours company.

Apparently, in August, 2009 Beijing ANZ International Travel Service and Xian Yatu Networks Technology paid $200,000 to so-called 'domain king' Rick Schwartz for transfer of the domain ChinaTours.com. Nice money.

This domain purchase seems to be a serious one but since 1997 I have been constantly deleting old links, probably bought by unscrupulous buyers, that now point to web content that has nothing to do with what the domain name implies.

We still get the occasional e-mail from someone wanting to buy one of our domain names but I have never sensed an honourable interest in the purchase. At least no serious money, to really whet my appetite, has ever been put on the table.

What is Serious Money?

Well, in a time when the Domain Name Journal leads with an article titled 'The State of the Industry January 2010: We Asked 16 Domain Experts If We Hit Bottom in 2009 and Will See a Rebound in the New Year' I was interested to see what they had to say to justify such a long title.

Can you believe that Clothes.com sold for $4.9 million in 2008 and that Shopping.de checked out at $2,858,945? That's serious till receipts.

In the second half of 2009, Sedo.com made some of their best domain sales ever – with Fly.com (to Travelzoo) taking off for a reported $1.76 million and Russia.com (purchaser hidden through DomainsByProxy.com and currently parked up at Godaddy.com) just a snip away at $1.5 million.

A quick look at the weekly domain sales report didn't reveal much in the way of any 'travel' domains competing with these sky-high prices; although I did notice that CityHotels.com is currently parked up (with searchmagnified.com links) through Sedo for $40,000. Bargain.

Asia Welcomes 2010

2010-01-19T13:47:00.000+01:00

Do you like showing your photography off to the world? Have you taken a quality picture of New Year celebrations in Asian culture over the last decade? Then the Asia Society would like to see it.

You need to join the Asia Society Flickr Group to enter - before midnight EST on February 21st, 2010.

Taking great pictures of fireworks is not the easiest thing in the world, but thankfully that's not the only images allowed to enter. Nor does the picture have to be taken in Asia.

Whether it's praying, eating, or playing, photos may be of anything related to an Asian celebration of New Year; from preparing for the event with decorations and food, to people actively enjoying the traditional Asian New Year celebrations.

Asia Society.

Donate Reward Points to Haiti

2010-01-15T10:20:00.014+01:00

You don't need to fly to Haiti to help earthquake victims - if you're not properly qualified, you'll probably get in the way (and be another mouth to feed) - instead, you can put the travelling you have done to good use.

If you have reward points you haven't used (and maybe never will) then give them away to charity. Many travel companies are already getting involved in the Haiti relief efforts and we thank them for that.

Airlines

Air Canada - Donate Aeroplan Miles to the Red Cross or to Médecins sans Frontières.

Continental Airlines allow transfer to a number of charities but right now it's probably best to donate your OnePass miles to the American Red Cross or AmeriCares.

Delta Airlines - Donate SkyMiles through the SkyWish program.

United Airlines - Mileage Plus donations go to the American Red Cross. Choose from 2,500 to 90,00 miles to donate.

US Airways - Donate your Dividend Miles through the Miles of Hope program.

You can also earn air miles by donating hard cash.

American Airlines - AAdvantage members can earn a one-time award (until February 28th, 2010) of 250 bonus miles for a minimum $50 donation, or 500 bonus miles for a donation of $100 or more to the American Red Cross. Donate!

Spirit Airlines - The first 200,000 people to make a donation of $5 or more to Yele, UNICEF or the American Red Cross - through Spirit Air (until January 17th, 2010) receive 5,000 bonus miles.

Car Hire

Auto Europe - Pledges $5 per reservation booked by any US travel agent, for their clients through March 31st, 2010 (for travel through June of 2010). Auto Europe CEO, Imad Khalidi, vows to personally match the plege.

Cruise Lines

Royal Caribbean - The Independence of the Seas was loaded with badly-needed relief supplies in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for shipping to Labadee, Haiti. The Navigator of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas are also due to arrive on Monday and Tuesday.

Hotels

Best Western - 12,500 Best Western Reward points helps World Vision provide emergency safe water tablets.

Choice Hotels - Redeem Choice Privileges points. Every 1,000 points is worth another $5 to the American Red Cross.

Drury Hotels - Redeem 15,000 Drury Gold Key Club points for a $50 charitable contribution to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Hilton International - Every 10,000 HHonors point donation means $25 to the American Red Cross.

Intercontinental Hotels Group - Priority Club Charitable Donations are available in blocks of 10,000 points. Although UNICEF is the official charity partner of InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, you can also donate to the American Red Cross.

Marriott International - The Mariott Hotels in Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic are being used as staging areas for the relief efforts in Haiti and the Marriott Foundation is sending $500,000 to the Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund (audio).

The more Marriott Reward points you offer, the larger the Mariott Cheque to the American Red Cross: 18,000 points for $50; 33,000 points for $100; 60,000 points for $250; and 180,000 points for $1,000. Awesome!

Starwood Hotels and Resorts - Transfer Starpoints to the American Red Cross. Every 4,000 Starpoints is equal to a $50 donation. If you have 16,000 Starpoints doing nothing, that's two hundred dollars.

Wyndham Hotels and Resorts - Wynham Rewards can be redeemed for a Charity Choice gift card: 5,500 points for $25; 10,500 points for $50; and 20,500 points for $100.

If you know of any others, leave a comment, Tweet me on Twitter (@TravelTweet), or Message Me on Facebook.

How Far Can I Travel

2010-01-14T15:20:00.001+01:00

The other day, while planning a possible cycle adventure around Europe, I was trying to work out how far I could expect to travel each day and how long it would take for me to complete the trip; with one rest day every five.

I couldn't find the right distance calculator for my needs, as most tend to plot straight lines and require you to input the arrival and departure points.

I did manage to plan out the trip, by setting Street View to a 5km scale, and scrolling the map around; noting the places at about one map window distance away from Amsterdam. Continuing the procees for each subsequent day of the journey took a rather long time and is not for the faint of heart.

More about the possible cycle adventure later.

Today I found just the sort of tool I was looking for and just had to share it with you.

How Far Can I Travel
'Discover how far you can travel on land from a fixed point. Specify the start point, then input either how far you can go or your mode of transport with time available. This tool will then show you the range of locations that you can reach in that time'.

Eureka!

To put it to the test, I typed in Amsterdam, selected cycling and estimated 8 hours in the saddle.

There's also an option for speed vs accuracy - I chose 'Medium Accurate (medium speed)'.

Amsterdam to Bruxelles seemed a long way to cycle in a day.

Maybe that's a day's ride for Lance Armstrong but I didn't want to race around with my head down, aerodynamically poised to shave off the most time possible. I wanted to ride more slowly, with my head up; enjoying the sights and the freedom of the road. This thing needed some tweeking.

My initial plan had me cycling from Amsterdam to Den Haag in a day. I figured this would be reasonable and based the rest of the adventure on roughly those sort of distances; depending on what sight-seeing distractions might come up along the way.

To test this again, I needed some points I had cycled before; for real-life, travel-by-bike - complete with ice-creams and picture stops - conditions.

Sopron to Csorna (with a de-tour along Fertő-tó), Csorna to Komarom (rain forced us to take the train from Györ, after spending a few hours in an Internet cafe); Komarom to Esztergom; and Esztergom to Szentendre (after a late start, a visit to the Basilica and a side-trip across the Danube to Vac).

Toggling with the speed and hours I eventually found something that looked about right.

Sopron to Csorna.

Csorna to Komarom.

Komarom to Esztergom.

Esztergom to Szentendre.

To get these results, I chose running (12km) and 6 hours (with medium accurate).

If this is something you've been looking for too, create your own How Far Can I Travel map.

Helping Haiti

2010-01-13T15:26:00.023+01:00

When I heard news of the earthquake off the coast of Haiti last night, I thought of all the people who became friends during my visit to Hispaniola.

I remember sitting in a little restaurant and writing up my travel notes; long before I even knew about the Internet.

I wrote:

Port-au-Prince is snugly positioned in a horseshoe bay, at the foot of surrounding hills. An island at the mouth of the bay protects the capital from intruding gales, but the wide, treeless main streets do little to shelter the people from the bright light and the tormenting heat of the midday sun.

Ebony pores glistened with sweat in the continual competition for space. Baskets on the floor were continually being pulled aside, or pitches picked up completely, for the through passage of huge, laden barrows, or motor vehicles that should have had no right of way.

Others looking for places to sell, balanced the goods on their heads and stepped through dirty puddles and piles of waste; flicking splash marks up tender calves.

A white face in their midst is a strange occurrence:

"Hey Blanc, where you go? You want something?"

All anybody could want is for a big, fluffy cloud to scud over from the neighbouring mountains, or a gust of wind to swirl around the doorkeeper, Gonâve Island, and ventilate the stinky streets.

Haiti may be one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere, but there is certainly colour and resourcefulness in the lives of the people. Rickety old pick-ups and little lorries have been colourfully transformed into public transport (tap-taps).

Just like people on a crowded street, these vehicles weave in and out: pulling in close to a crowd to pick up and drop off passengers, and pulling out just as swiftly, without ever seeming to collide.

Perhaps there are occasional scrapes, but on the whole, cars seemed in a better condition than in the neighbouring Dominican Republic.

Then there are the evangelical signs on the tap-taps, like those on Filipino jeepneys, praising Dieu and Don Jesus: Jesus Roi des Rois, and Dieu avant tous among the many variants on the theme.

Even in the poorer mountain regions, groups of children could be seen walking to school in clean uniforms. If they succeeded with an education then they were less likely to suffer from the splash stains and constant sweating from the labours of the market streets.

Sandy left his birthplace to study in the United States, and subsequently rose to prominence in the world of engineering.

As well as bearing him three children, his wife also succeeded in business management.

From New York, they moved nearer home to Miami, and twenty years after his initial departure, Sandy returned to his birthplace with his young family.

"I have seen it all," he said, "What more can I do but return home?"

But he would always be grateful for his start in life, and now he was pleased to see a world-wide crackdown on the evil drug trade that threatened to ruin so many young lives.

"If you have the will, you can do anything. At college in the States, not once did I even smoke a cigarette," he offered; condemning those who are so easily swayed by others.

Sandy was into the third month of his six month leave of absence, and if things worked out with his little restaurant, and the political future seemed stable, he would stay.

"They have an American school here, but of course you have to pay! To have a chance today, it is important for my children to have that education," he shrugged. I was the only customer in the restaurant, and my bill would hardly pay for a satchel to carry the books.

The proud father would not have his son pushing a barrow three times his size, or his girls carrying their merchandise on their heads and squatting to trade in the dirt.

They would be the luckier ones, and if another unsavoury regime snapped upon them, he had his American passport and property in the States.

His heart was in Haiti, and even though he was tentatively testing the the shark infested waters with his big toe, the undercurrent of his birth would work strongly to keep him.

However, education had taught him caution, and I wished Sandy well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It wasn't until first light this morning that we could really see the devastation caused by last night's cruel earthquake and callous after-shocks; where even the Presidential Palace had crumbled to the awesome force of nature.

Embassy of Haiti.

Haiti updates on Twitter.

According to an International Red Cross spokesman, up to 3 million people may have been affected by the earthquake. At least the main airport seems to be working, which will make it easier for relief aid to get to the people who need it.

Helping Haiti

The American Red Cross has pledged an initial $200,000 to assist communities.

CARE is assessing the situation in Haiti.

Direct Relief International is responding to the 7.0-magnitude earthquake and its aftershocks.

Haiti earthquake update from Medecins Sans Frontiers.

International Medical Corps is deploying an Emergency Response Team to Haiti.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has joined its Red Cross partners to support the earthquake victims of Haiti.

International Relief Teams (IRT) is appealing for cash donations.

Operation USA announced that it will send medical aid to Haiti as part of the relief efforts.

Save The Children launches emergency relief aid to assist children and families in Haiti.

UNICEF is deploying necessary supplies to Jacmel and Port-au-Prince as quickly as possible to assist with recovery efforts.

United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.

World Vision staff members are assessing the situation and preparing for an emergency response.

World Food Program is mobilising all available resources to bring urgently needed food assistance to thousands of people affected by the devastating earthquake.

The United Nations has also set up a Haiti Response page.

Once the humanitarian needs are met, the International Fund for Animal Welfare will have an Emergency Response team ready to assist the animal victims.

We can also start to look at the smaller organisations in Haiti who could do with our donations: Partners in Health, The Lambi Fund and Yéle - set up by Wyclef Jean (@wyclef).

Where to Go in 2010

2010-01-12T00:10:00.001+01:00

I've already posted where I'd like to go this year, on Facebook, but what about where you might like to go?

Some people like to travel to major events around the world while others simply must know when the holidays and festivals are - to avoid them!

If you need more travel ideas for 2010, here are some suggestions.

Do you like it hot, or cold?

Hot this month is Sydney - where it's summer and the Sydney Festival is on until the 31st (also on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr).

If you're in Sydney, you can also catch the Flickerfest International Short Film Festival. Sydney's first beachside cinema is held at the Bondi Pavilion until the 17th.

There's also Australia Day to enjoy - on the 26th.

If you like it cold, the Jasper in January Festival (15th to 31st) adds a little extra to your entertainment on the slopes.

Good news across the Atlantic is that there's been plenty of snow in The Alps; for those who like to Ski Europe. The World Economic Forum also makes its annual visit to Davos (27th to 31st).

Party people love carnival time - officially held 40 days before Easter; this year that's from Saturday, February 13th through to Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), February 16th.

While Rio Carnival (Carnaval in Portuguese) is often regarded as the 'Carnival Capital of the World', Salvador (Carnival in Bahia) and Olinda (near Recife - which also has its own carnival) are other excellent venues to party in Brazil; especially with Brazilians.

I have been to all three and favour Olinda. It's smaller and the historic centre is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. If this is the place for you this year, see A gringo in Olinda (Twitter: @gringoinolinda).

One year I even flew from Recife to Rio; to catch the Champions Parade, on the Saturday after Carnaval. This is a great way to see the winning Samba schools performing in the Sambodromo. And it's cheaper.

Others prefer the São Paulo Carnival or the much smaller, carnival in Porto Seguro.

In southern Brazil, head to the Florianópolis carnival.

This is almost turning into an article about carnival so let's also quickly mention a few other places to celebrate carnival: New Orleans (for the raucous); Mobile, Alabama (where Mardi Gras was first celebrated in the United States); Trinidad and Tobago (jump up and celebrate Mas); Carnival in Venice (hide behind the mask - 6th to 16th); or maybe the Carnaval de Nice (12th to 28th) - on the cooler, at this time of year, Côte d'Azur (so take a sweater).

In German-speaking countries we're talking about 'Fasnacht' and you should be thinking about Cologne (Kölner Karneval), Lucerne (Luzerner Fasnacht) or Basel (Basler Fasnacht - 22nd to 24th).

There will also be plenty of celebrating in Vancouver; where the 2010 Winter Olympic Games will be under way, from February 12th to 28th.

Celebrating Chopin's bicentenary. On 1st March, 1810 Frédéric François Chopin was born in the village of Żelazowa Wola, 80km west of Warsaw.

Chopin 2010 will consist of around 2,000 separate events, from concerts and exhibitions to films and theatrical performances - with only 1,200 of them actually taking place in Poland. If you've done Warsaw and Krakow, don't miss Wroclaw.

Easter this year falls on Sunday, 4th April.

Favourite festivals of mine are Holy Week in The Philippines and Easter in Antigua (Guatemala).

For Christians, what could be a better than Easter in Jerusalem?

April is also a good time to visit Petra and Eilat, before it gets too hot.

Alternatively, the more adventurous might prefer a trip to Damascus (the Arab Capital of Culture in 2008); already being talked about as the 'next Marrakech'. Check out the Old Vine Hotel - where the website's background music will entice you to make a reservation, or hit the back button.

Better City, Better Life is the theme of Expo 2010 - in Shanghai (May 1st to Oct 31st).

If that doesn't appeal, how about a trip to Bavaria? The little village of Oberamergau - 80km south of Munich (München) - is expecting a large audience to their once-in-a-decade staging of the Passion Play (May 15th to Oct 3rd). Also appearing on Facebook and Twitter.

In June 2010, it has to be the Soccer Safari in South Africa, or stay at home to watch the 2010 World Cup Finals (11th June to 11th July); unless you don't like football (soccer) in which case, anywhere that doesn't have a television.

With the football over, how about some swimming?

Croatia is nice before the school holiday crowd arrives but maybe travel further south, to Montenegro.

When it's all hot and sweaty around the Mediterranean it's time to Visit The Oregon Coast.

The Greek Islands are still warm in September and Greek Island Hopping is a lot more fun when there's actually space to walk around the ferry's deck and enjoy the views.

The Fall Folly Season sees leaf peakers heading for New England, for the colourful sights of nature.

While in southern Europe Harvest Time in Andalucia means plenty of food festivals to get your teeth into. The article is from 2008 but it will whet your appetite.

This is the time to be in Colombia; and make sure it's colonial Cartagena - on November 11th. When you pass through Bogota, don't miss the Gold Museum (Museo del Oro).

It's hard to plan where to end the year when we've only just started a new one, but perhaps consider Ljubljana; where the Christmas market continues right up to New Year's Eve.

Or you could hang the Travel Notes Calendar on your wall and travel to a different country in Europe every month with photography from Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Search What's on When - the worldwide events guide from Frommers - direct from the Travel Notes Toolbar.

300 Unmissable Events and Festivals Around the World.

The Fall of The Berlin Wall

2009-11-09T18:06:00.004+01:00

When East Germans were squeezing themselves through cracks in the Berlin Wall, twenty years ago today, I was in Colombia enjoying the preparations for Cartagena's 'independence festivities'; oblivious to their cries of joy.

Even though chinks in the Iron Curtain appeared at the Hungary/Austria border - near Sopron - in August of 1989, I would wait until April, 1992 before I visited the former Soviet Republics; for a tour around what had recently become the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

I don't think I'd have stayed in Europe, even if I could have predicted the events of 9th November, 1989 but I would like to visit North Korea before the Korean peninsula is reunified.

Networked Blogs on Facebook

2009-06-24T17:33:00.002+02:00

Having upgraded the Travel Notes Blog to match the recent TravelNotes.org website changes - and made sure it looked fine in both IE8 and Firefox - I started reading around some of my favourite travel blogs and stumbled on the NetworkedBlogs Facebook application.

Now I can easily keep an eye on Facebook users who follow the Travel Notes Blog, and hopefully discover some more interesting travel-related blogs to read.

NetworkedBlogs also works as something of a blog directory and is easy to browse by Topic, Popularity or Region.

I've even added their search results to the Travel Notes Toolbar.

Branding on Twitter

2009-04-07T18:35:00.004+02:00

Hopefully, this will be my last blog post about Twitter. If I want to add anything else, I'll just edit this post or create a page on the Travel Tweet Directory.

Looking through (mostly) travel-related Twitter profiles it seems I could probably offer some of the people who follow me on Twitter a little advice.

For most people, it's pretty clear; they are on Twitter as themselves. They have a decently cropped photograph as an avatar, use their real name, fill in location and add a short bio.

Some people even jazz up their profile page with an interesting background image.

Perfect.

Far be it for me to tell you 'how to' use Twitter but if you're reading this, then you might be looking for some 'branding' tips; or at least my thoughts on them.

Your Twitter Profile

The first place most people will look, if they're thinking about following you, is your profile. So make a good impression; or at least the impression you want visitors to your Twitter profile page to have about you.

Remember, 'Honesty is the Best Policy'.

Of course, there are those who may just follow you automatically, through various websites and software applications that use the Twitter API. Or because it's what they do.

I wouldn't really class these as followers but number generators. The numbers might make you feel good but I'm sure you'd feel better if the numbers were lower and the people following you were genuinely interested in at least some of your tweets; maybe even replying to you and passing on (or referencing) some of your tweets to their own followers.

Username and Real Name

Account Settings is where you can make your changes.

The 'Username' will be on the Twitter URL - and changing this can create broken links, if other websites are already linking to you.

It's one thing having a Twitter username that relays what you're about, but unless you're representing a well-known brand, tourist destination, or large hotel, it's probably a wise choice to reveal your real 'Name' in your profile too.

This will help people connect to you, on a more personal level.

More Info URL

If you have a web presence, this is the place to link to 'more about you' or your website/blog front page.

I don't really understand why people link to their Twitter profile here, as it's the page we're already on.

I can't really get to grips with why people link to a LinkedIn page either, unless they don't have a web presence (outside of all their 'social' media haunts).

Add a link to your Twitter profile from LinkedIn (if you use it) by all means, but if you have an online property, then why not create an about page on your own URL as well - and send your Twitter profile link to there?

At least this will bring people directly into your own Internet space from Twitter, then link to LinkedIn from your own domain (if you must).

Let LinkedIn work for you, sure, but make your Twitter profile work for you before it works for LinkedIn.

One Line Bio

'About yourself in fewer than 160 chars' - Now how hard is that?

We're only allowed 140 characters for our tweets but Twitter has kindly given us an extra 20 characters to play with here.

I'm surprised at how many people choose to ignore this space; waste it with silly ✩♕ ☁ ☟♘ ☯; tell us what their website is about (except for established brands); or the property they're trying to rent out - and not about themselves.

Is your website or holiday home doing the tweeting?

Hopefully, you are!

Of course you can be the founder of a travel website or owner of a holiday home, and it makes sense to say so.

So who are you? What are you about?

Location

Please, is an iPhone number really a location?

I don't want to call you, or come round to your house, but I wouldn't mind knowing roughly where you're from.

Having a proper location also makes it easier for people to find you on Twitter (and related directories), if they're interested in a particular destination.

The Picture

This is not really doing you any favours at all.

Change the picture here.

But before you do, think about it; are you really that bike, that flag, that baby, or that front door?

Is a squashed up version of the logo you use on your website really something your potential new followers will want to look at when you tweet to them?

If you're not really a brand, just be yourself.

Another thing to think about - is that Twitter will squeeze your photo into a 73x73 pixel square for your profile page, so maybe submit a photograph that is already cropped into a square.

Submit a larger photo (but not smaller), by all means; as this will be seen when people click on your profile image. Just be careful that the picture is not too large, if you've taken the effort to create a stunning Twitter background in the next step.

Design

If you're really serious about branding yourself on Twitter, this is the place to polish it off.

You can change design colours to match the feel of your own website and, with a little imagination, you can make your Twitter background say almost anything about you.

Instead of using a logo, house or landscape on your profile picture, you can incorporate these sort of images here.

Getting the background image looking right can be a little tricky though, as it aligns top left and the content scrolling over your background image will vary depending on screen resolution and size.

Put the most important visual information in the first 245 pixels of the left column.

You can test how the background will look in different screen resolutions here (in Firefox Browser).

In most cases, choosing 'tile background' will not be the option you wish to select.

If you're not comfortable creating an original background image, Twitbacks offer a free service - with a little free branding for them thrown in.

Branding Yourself

Even if your goal on Twitter is to get more people to stay in your holiday home, use your travel agency, or visit your website, getting them interested in you (and what you can share) should probably be your first priority.

Once people are interested in you, the person, they may recommend 'what you're about' to their friends or followers later.

As more and more people follow through to your profile, make the most of this opportunity to get them interested in you.

Present a human image of yourself and use all aspects of your profile page to represent you better.

Then all you need to worry about is making an even bigger impression, with your tweets.

Travel Writers and Photographers - Think Like Editors

2009-04-06T13:25:00.002+02:00

Sorry folks, it's rants time.

The Internet medium has allowed just about anyone to call themselves a travel writer or photographer; even a 'published' travel writer.

However, some of the material I've been looking at recently almost makes me cringe and cry out for more editorial control.

There are articles about top things to do or see by people who have probably never left their computer screen to research a travel destination in their life, illustrated by photographs they've 'borrowed' from elsewhere online; often without even giving credit to the photographer.

There are also far too many blog posts created just to link to another blog, which again masquerades as something of a 'travel article'; inspired by yet another blog post, which may eventually lead us to the real source.

That wouldn't be so bad, if people didn't use Twitter to send the link to their hastily mashed up effort at writing; just for their following flock to waste their time clicking around to reach the real story.

If people can't create original content, then why not use editorial judgement and link to the original article from their tweet?

There's also the increasing use of Twitpic to push out photographs (through Twitter) of 'travel photography'. I was even duped into looking at some that were taken through a car window.

Then there's a link circulating to something claiming to offer tips on taking better travel photographs; but the photography used to illustrate this only shows that the photographer still needs to work on the tips.

Not one of the photographic examples stands out enough to be worthy of publication in traditional media.

Tip number 10 was 'Take a lot of photos and don’t delete them'.

Well, well..... I'd say take plenty of photographs by all means - but delete the duds; unless your intention is to show me how not to take photographs, as a way of producing something better.

My number one travel photography tip would be to look at magazines like National Geographic and be inspired by the great pictures produced by the professional photographers who do get published.

Look at the framing and exposure of these images and train your eye to see what makes them so special. Then be critical of the pictures you take that aren't.

So to all of you who claim to be travel writers and photograpers, perhaps it's time to start thinking like an editor and be selective in what you (as publisher) choose to publish.

Travel Notes 2.10

2009-03-29T12:25:00.003+02:00

I've made another tweak to the Travel Notes design and should probably call it Travel Notes 2.10 - as we look forward to 2010.

Hopefully, I won't be tempted to change the look and feel again; at least until we have upgraded all the pages; some going back to version 0.97 - when Travel Notes™ was first launched.

I know, it's embarrassing.

Since our first release, in 1997, there have been many changes in web design and what people expect from their Internet experience.

There is also a lot more competition for viewer loyalty and a lot more noise to sift through; to find the real gems.

Some websites we used to like haven't kept pace, while others have exceeded all expectations.

There's also a lot more e-mail in our inbox and the spam has become ridiculous.

We've also dabbled with database driven content, travel forums and open mailing/discussion lists.

While there were some advantages, the moderation and verifying of all the different forms of user-submitted content just took up too much time. Some sites don't bother to use the power of editorial control, and seem to do quite well, but it's not something that I'm comfortable with.

It takes a keen eye to spot the 'fake reviews' and see through the tricks of cunning marketing hopefuls. Just look at how many 'Press Releases' are around.

Social Media on Travel Notes

Social media has really exploded lately, which is very exciting as I have always embraced the idea of travellers coming together in the form of an online network; having established the 'Network of Travellers' - in The Tropics of Geocities, way back in 1996.

That's why I've now created a Directory of Travel Tweeters on Twitter and will be adding Google's Friend Connect to the newly designed pages on Travel Notes™.

This is a great way for fellow travellers to come together across a large number of websites, so please join us to add your comments.

Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan

This is really something I need to apply to myself more often, and have a new personal work plan to try and help me stay focussed.

Mondays - Africa & Middle East.
Tuesdays - Asia & Oceania.
Wednesdays - Europe.
Thursdays - Latin America & Caribbean.
Fridays - Canada and United States.
Saturdays - General Travel.
Sundays - Travel Articles and Videos.

Of course, 'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy' so I will continue to travel and connect with friends online; as work can be fun too.

Follow Michel on Twitter - @TravelTweet.

F1 Grand Prix 2009

2009-03-27T20:47:00.003+01:00

With the Australian Grand Prix getting the new Formua 1 season underway, on Sunday, I've done the research for you all again; to preview the season ahead, and refreshed the Monaco GP article.

Ayrton Senna - © Michel (@TravelTweet)

► Formula 1 Travel Article.

Google Street View - Where To Travel?

2009-03-25T22:30:00.006+01:00

Google's Street View has been making the news in the United Kingdom more than Twitter lately, as some people were quick to complain about privacy issues.

Offically launched two years ago (25th May, 2007), with San Francisco, Las Vegas, Denver, Miami, and New York City featured, 'Street View' finally rolled out across the UK; on March 18th, 2009.

The Tour de France route was trialed in July, 2008 and then the 'Google camera car' went driveabout Down Under; focusing the lens on Adelaide, Albany, Alice Springs, Brisbane, Broken Hill, Broome, Cairns, Canberra, Geraldton, Hobart, Karratha, Melbourne, Mount Isa, Perth, Rockhampton, Sydney, and Tamworth.

Major French cities (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Lille, Toulouse) were added on October 14th; closely followed by Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, and Valencia) and Italy (Florence, Lake Como, Milan, and Rome).

You can even view the Valencia F1 street circuit.

New Zealand (Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown, and Wellington) was then opened up to the eye of the world in December, 2008.

Although the Google Map now has plenty of blue markers, there's still nothing in Latin America, Africa, The Middle East or Asia; except for Japan (Chiba, Hakodate, Kobe, Kyoto, Osaka, Saitama, Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo, and Yokohama).

With so many places to choose from, it's now getting difficult to decide where to travel to from the comfort of your own home.

I zoomed into Europe, moved the map away from the centred United States and zoomed in some more.

Then, instead of trying to peer into the windows of the coffeshops and Red Light District in Amsterdam, I decided to take a drive with Google..... away from London and the new releases..... and down to Lake Como.

If you haven't used the new street view before, view the Google Street View Video.

Street View on Twitter.

Street View Cures the Homesick Blues:
Announcing Street View's arrival in The Netherlands and United Kingdom.

UK A to Z on Google Maps.

Getting Thousands of Followers on Twitter

2009-03-19T13:43:00.008+01:00

Firstly, the disclaimer:
I don't claim to be a 'Twitter expert' (like many people do, and probably are); nor claim to be a 'travel expert' (like many people do, and probably are not); although I have been to more countries than most and use Twitter in a way that appeals to me.

There are quite possibly more 'marketing pros' and 'experts', according to some of the Twitter profiles I've seen, than there are things to market; unless they're all supposed to be pros at marketing themselves - which some people clearly are, while others fail miserably.

Anyway

Having spent a lot of time on Twitter lately (probably too much) looking at travel-related Twitter profiles I have to ask: If you want - or already have - thousands of followers, is it really worth it?

To get thousands of followers - and keep them - (celebrities excluded) some people tend to follow, or follow back, thousands of people; presuming it's the 'done thing to do'.

This means you'll have more tweets pouring in than you can probably handle and may even miss the sweet tweets from the tweeps you're really interested in.

Credit to the Twitter masters who seem to cope with this, but even some of them admit that they aren't really reading the tweets of all the people they 'follow' but do check the @Replies.

I guess this could be a guage of who's really following and interested enough in what they're following - by the replies received.

The reply feature, however, can also be open to abuse; and with the thousands of people you're following, replying to the thousands of people they're following, it can soon seem like you're sitting in a communications centre with all lines open and plenty of wires crossed (unless you turn the @replies off in your settings).

To Some People, Twitter Seems To Be a Numbers Game

To keep up with the numbers, there are all sorts of tools available to help find people who are more likely to follow you back; to alert you of who isn't following you back; or - heaven forbid - decides to follow you no longer.

Then there are the people who get offended by others, who don't follow back all their followers, and are not afraid to make a tweet about it.

As Evan Williams, founder of Twitter (and Blogger) said, on Mar 12th; in reply to a concerned Natali Del Conte:

"Please ignore follow-ratio nazis. They're confused about what makes Twitter work. To each their own."

And that would be my advice: forget about the numbers; be true to (and about) yourself; use Twitter how you want to; and just be thankful that, beneath all the numbers, there are some people who really are interested about what you have to share online. Aren't there?

Personally, I like to see an interesing mix of tweets from the people I follow and hope to provide the same.

Do I really appeal to thousands of followers? Probably not, if they all expect me to follow them back and get offended if I don't.

To those who do follow me on Twitter, I thank you!

Upbeat About Offbeat Guides?

2009-02-04T16:15:00.006+01:00

Read about the latest travel guides to hit the Internet and see what all the fuss is about. Could this spell the end for Lonely Planet?

There's obviously going to be a lot of hype surrounding Offbeat Travel Guides, because David Sifry - founder of Technorati - is also behind this project.

The concept is simple, as David explains in this video interview: you enter where you’re going to, where you’re coming from, your name, and when you’ll be there. You can even add the hotel you'll be staying at, if you wish.

A behind the scenes search (Technorati knows all about live web-crawling) grabs background information on your destination from Wikipedia, Wikitravel and 'other sources'; uses the dates you entered, to search for what's happening according to Zvents, Upcoming and Eventful; then gives you a graphical AccuWeather weather forecast, to give you an idea of what to pack; and even produces street maps showing your precise location, if they found your hotel.

Try it, by all means.

Of course, you could just as easily search 'What's on When', Wikipedia, Wikitravel, other travel-related resources - and even the weather - by switching around in the TravelNotes toolbar; visit the official tourist information websites from the Travel Notes destination pages; or even watch the weather videos before you go. For free.

So What's so Upbeat About Offbeat Guides?

If you're strapped for time, don't have the TravelNotes toolbar installed, or just don't like searching around the Internet to do your own research on your travel destination (which is often half the fun) then Offbeat Guides could be made for you.

Marina Kosmatos, who spent four years working for Lonely Planet, is also on the team - to help curate some of the travel content.

However, I feel Offbeat Guides are a little ambitious by claiming to have over 30,000 destinations covered; as some of the more 'offbeat' destinations I tested didn't return enough quality information to justify the asking price.

At least you can try before you buy and deselect the information you don't need; to keep the weight of the guide down - but not the price.

Pricing

The full colour printed guide comes in at the hefty price of $24.95, while a downloadable PDF guide costs just $9.95.

Travel Guidebooks are considerably cheaper than Offbeat's printed guide, but are often out of date before they're published; and you don't get the money-back guarantee that Offbeat Guides offer, if you're not satisfied. There's also a support forum, if you're having problems.

Each seperate destination means purchasing another guide; but if you're doing your own research, all it costs you is your time.

Affiliate Program

Offbeat Guides also offer an affiliate program.

To make affiliate programs work though, you need to spend time on them - and believe in the product.

Just sticking up links and banners is easy enough but, to succeed, you will also need to know what's working and what isn't.

Therefore, the need for statistical data is vital.

Personally, I'd like to see 'which destinations people are looking into the most', 'which destinations are being purchased' and 'best conversion rate for destinations researched - to destinations purchased'.

At the moment, these sort of statistics aren't made public (even behind the affiliate dashboard).

There are banners and a widget available, for affiliates to promote Offbeat Guides with.

If you don't want to provide free branding on your site though, you'll need to make sure you put the correct affiliate links on the images provided and maybe even open up the widget javascript, edit it slightly and call the 'Powered by Offbeat Guides' edited (affiliate id on link) version from your own server.

Added 5th Feb, 2009:
The banner code in the affiliate section now generates the affiliate id.

Using Google Earth to Find Drugs in Switzerland

2009-01-31T13:00:00.003+01:00

Thanks to satellite images from Google Earth, Swiss police were alerted to a cannabis plantation outside of a small village in Eastern Switzerland.

In part of a larger police operation last year - that resulted in the arrest of 16 people and seizure of over a ton marijuana - Zurich police narcotics specialist, Norbert Klossner claims this was an 'interesting chance discovery'.

How long would it take you to find the field?

Click on the picture to reveal the cannabis field's location.

TravelTweet on Twitter.

Twittering, Twits and Tweets - The TravelTweet Directory is Taking Shape

2009-01-27T11:24:00.005+01:00

When I first looked around Twitter, I was a little overwhelmed by all the noise.

Searching for tweets about travel, or users with travel in their name on their profile, was easy enough; especially once I added the search to the TravelNotes Toolbar.

Note:
Searching for 'a term used in tweets' or 'name on user profiles' are two separate processes and meant going to different pages on Twitter to perform the search.

As a power user, I can now highlight a word on the page, and quickly switch the toolbar search - to get to my destination faster.

Try it!

Why The TravelTweet Directory

I'm sure there are already plenty of blog posts and lists around devoted to certain Twitter interests and 'top people' to follow; even software and websites specifically set up to try and help you choose who to follow - mostly based on 'popularity': MrTweet, Twitterholic, and Twitter Grader, for example.

If you just want to follow people that thousands of other people follow, it's easy enough to do (by following the 'followers'); but I didn't really see anything helpful that looked at travel and sorted the Twitter users into meaningful categories; to assist those looking for the 'right people' for them!

That's why I decided to try and make some of the travel twitter listings more meaningful, by sorting the Travel Companies and Travel Tweeters - by category.

The list is by no means complete; but as I continue adding to the TravelTweet Directory, I hope you find it useful.

Travel Companies on Twitter

Travel Companies are sorted according to the field they work in, to make it easier to find them.

As well as a direct link to their Twitter page, there's an @Link; where you can automatically tweet them (if you have a Twitter account and are logged-in).

Travel Tweeters

Travel Tweeters are individuals, listed by location.

Hopefully, if you need travel advice about a certain location, they'll answer your call for help.

You can tweet them by clicking on their photo or go to their profile by clicking on the link.

Getting Listed on the TravelTweet Directory

To stand a chance of being listed, the travel tweeters will need to have a photo on their profile, along with name, location and bio revealed.

After all, it helps to know who's doing the twittering; from where.

Listings are not subject to a TravelTweet following in any way (although you might get listed quicker if you do follow me), nor is having a Twitter presence a guarantee of a listing.

It's what you're doing with your Twitter account and your twittering coverage related to travel in general (or your location) that counts.

You can Send a Tweet to me on Twitter, whether you're following me or not; but you will need a Twitter account.

TravelTweet

Technorati Tags: Twitter, travel, directory.

A Twittering Must Have

2009-01-23T00:18:00.003+01:00

Useful Twitter Tools on The TravelNotes Toolbar:

As tweets need to be under 140 characters in length, it makes sense to use an URL shortening service when posting links to something worth tweeting about.

We have added tinyurl and bit.ly to the Travel Notes toolbar; so that users can create a short URL when they are visiting a page they want to Twitter about.

The bit.ly service even lets you track clicks (just put a + after the link).

These are located in the drop-down Travel menu - then Web Tools.

Long URL Please is also in there; handy for revealing all those shortened URLs - posted by others - when you're on a Twitter page.

And just to complete the experience; with 'Twitter' selected from the search box choices, you can easily search tweets when you're on another website.

You may also choose to search for 'Twitter Users'; and even select to 'Tweet From Toolbar' when a thought occurs to you (or highlight text on a webpage and press go).

You could even leave the 'Tweet From Toolbar' search field blank and press go, to tweet that you're tweeting from the toolbar.

To get to your own Twitter page from the toolbar, clear the toolbar search box and - with Twitter selected - just press go.

Toolbar users can also search bit.ly, Blinkx, Brightcove, Clip Syndicate, Daily Motion, Delicious, Digg, Facebook, Flickr, Gmail, MySpace, Technorati, Travelistic, TurnHere, WhosTalkin? and You Tube - as well as a host of travel-related sources.

Not to mention listen to Live Streaming Internet Radio and watch popular tv programs for free.

Just message me on Twitter (or through the toolbar) if you'd like to see anything else added.

Download The TravelNotes Toolbar.

Technorati Tags: Twitter, toolbar

Inauguration Day Live

2009-01-20T14:58:00.002+01:00

As the sun rises over America and sets in the Far East, millions - if not billions - of people who can't make it to Washington, D.C. will be glued to their television sets or sitting on the edge of their chair; close to a computer screen with an Internet connection.

If you're one of the latter, and overloaded servers don't start crashing under the strain, then here are some suggested online resources to keep an eye on.

Live Inauguration Day Coverage

Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies:
As THE official source from the United States Government, this should probably be the first place to click to.

If you arrive at the senate early, you could get yourself into the inaugural atmosphere with some historical background on inaugurations past; maybe with a briefing on the chronological order of previously sworn-in Presidents.

The Live Show starts at 9.30am EST for video coverage and 11-11.30 am for audio of the swearing-in ceremony.

CBS Inauguration 09:
The all-day simulcast will be followed by an exclusive Inaugural webcast at 10pm EST; hosted by Katie Couric, who will look back at the historic day with a host of CBS reporters, political experts, pundits and special guests.

C-SPAN's Inauguration Hub:
Watch the 'control room' live video feeds from key events surrounding the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. Direct your own programming by clicking on the streaming thumbnails that look the most interesting for that moment.

CNN on Capitol Hill:
Watch live streaming video with your Facebook friends right beside you.

Fox News:
Their Hulu coverage is not a lot of good for viewers outside of the United States, but you can catch up with the Inauguration Blog.

MSNBC Inauguration Dashboard:
Latest coverage from Washington, D.C.; with video, slideshows and blogs.

Twitter and Current TV:
Starting at 11.30am EST, real-time Twitter messages - or 'tweets' - will be added to the live broadcast of Barack Obama's Inauguration. You'll need to add #current to your 140 character tweet.

Before the event, you can keep up with what others are saying on Twitter by visiting #inaug09 or #inauguration.

You can even follow TravelTweet on Twitter - Tweet Tweet.

Other places you might like to visit are the Associated Press, BBC, New York Times, and Online NewsHour.

Latest Obama Videos.

Inauguration 2009

2009-01-19T13:23:00.002+01:00

Some two to three million people are expected to crowd into Washington D.C. tomorrow, for the inauguration of Barack Obama; as the 44th President of the United States of America.

Unless you get there very early, it's going to be extremely hard to get a good viewing spot along the parade route from the U.S. Capitol to the White House.

Washington hotels have never had it so good and DC restaurants began taking reservations right after the election day results were confirmed.

And today, on Martin Luther King Day, all roads to the nation's capital will be filled with coaches taking Americans wishing to be a part of the dream.

Washinton DC Weather Video.

If you're in Washington D.C for the 2009 Inauguration, you can submit your videos to the Travel Notes collection.

Metro Plans for Inauguration Day:
Washington Metro is running on a rush-hour schedule from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Inauguration Day. Stations closest to the festivities will be closed for security reasons Tuesday until after the parade. Others close to inaugural balls will close early.

The formal inaugural program - to take place on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol - begins at 11.30am on January 20th, but the musical prelude will begin much earlier (at around 10am).

Security checkpoints for ticket holders will open at 8am and ticket holders are encouraged to arrive by 9am at the latest, to allow ample time for security screening.

Inauguration Celebrations:
Along with the ten official balls, there are dozens of unofficial celebrations at venues throughout the region.

Technorati Tags: Washington DC, Inauguration, inaug09

Win a Trip to Western Australia

2009-01-18T09:42:00.000+01:00

You and a friend will fly with Emirates to Perth, via Dubai and stay for 3 nights at The Richardson hotel, Perth (4* superior), before flying north to the coastal town of Broome for 3 nights at the Cable Beach Club (4* superior).

Relaxed and refreshed, you'll begin a six-day, 4-wheel-drive overland adventure along the Gibb River Road through the stunning Kimberly region.

You'll spend two nights at Imintji Wilderness Camp, one night at Marunbabidi Wilderness Camp and two nights at Ungolan Wilderness Lodge (luxury tented camps, including all meals) and discover the beauty of Windjana Gorge, swim in cooling pools above outback waterfalls, marvel at Aboriginal rock art and then explore Mitchell Plateau.

The adventure concludes with a helicopter flight over the Mitchell Falls. After this, you'll take a scenic charter flight back to Broome, then return to Perth for your flight home.

All transfers are included and accommodaton is based on two people sharing and is room only (unless otherwise stated).

Terms and Conditions

Open to any resident of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, aged 18 years or over.

Entrants must locate places on a map of Australia in the fastest possible time and complete a tie-breaker.

The winner will be the person who correctly locates all the (five) places in the fastest possible time.

Closing date is 31st January, 2009.

Valid for travel Apr 16-Jun 30 and Aug 11-Oct 31 and must be booked by the winner at least two weeks prior to the departure date - and no later than 30th September, 2009.

Valid for flights departing from Heathrow, London Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow.

Note: Even if you're not eligible to win the competition, you could have fun testing your knowledge of Australia by placing the five pins in the right places - then plan your own Western Australia Tours.

Play The Game!

New Requirements For Entering The United States

2009-01-12T07:53:00.004+01:00

As from today - 12th January, 2009 - all nationals and citizens of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries - including the UK - will be required by law to obtain a travel authorisation prior to travelling to the United States under the VWP.

We used to be able to fill in this form on the plane but now travellers to the United States will be required to fill out the Electronic System for Travel Authorization online, before they travel.

Before attempting to register under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), it is advisable to first check your eligibility to travel under the Visa Waiver Program.

Visa Waiver Program travellers should also be aware that unauthorised third-parties have established Web sites, which charge visitors seeking to travel to the United States under the VWP, for information about ESTA and for submitting ESTA applications on behalf of the traveller.

These Web sites are not endorsed by, or affiliated in any way with, the United States government. The U.S. government does not charge a fee for ESTA.

You can submit your application for free at ESTA.

New Ice Rink in New York City

2008-11-29T20:49:00.005+01:00

When in New York City, enjoy the American Museum of Natural History's new state-of-the-art skating rink; open through February 28, 2009.

Located on the Arthur Ross Terrace, on the Museum's north side, The Polar Rink offers magnificent views of the glowing Rose Center for Earth and Space and is surrounded by Theodore Roosevelt Park.

Skaters glide around a 17-foot-tall polar covered in twinkling lights.

Non-skaters can enjoy the splendor of The Polar Rink from surrounding benches on the Terrace under trees adorned with lights, or from the glassed-in North Galleria adjacent to the rink; where hot cocoa and snacks are served.

Opening Hours:
12–8 pm Monday–Thursday
12–10 pm Friday
11 am–10 pm Saturday and holidays
11 am–8 pm Sunday

Tickets cost $10 for adults; $9 for students and seniors; and $8 for children between the ages of 3 to 12. AMNH Members get a $2 discount.

Enter the Museum via Columbus Avenue and 79th Street to purchase tickets for The Polar Rink.

Mumbai Madness

2008-11-27T18:41:00.004+01:00

Mumbai came to a halt as a co-ordinated terrorist attack in India's financial centre targeted two luxury hotels - the Taj Mahal and the Oberoi - a Jewish centre and even the Cama Hospital.

Indian Commandos Battle Islamist Gunmen.

Almost 24 hours after the initial attacks, Indian authorities fought fires at the hotels and continued to pursue the gunmen.

Mumbai Massacre.

Local police reported that 125 people had lost their lives and over 300 were wounded.

Mumbai in Chaos.

Christmas Countdown Starts Early

2008-11-06T19:53:00.004+01:00

Is it just me or does the Christmas countdown start too early?

Christmas is still seven weeks away yet the Regent's Street lights (London) have just been turned on; with the theme 'Wish Upon a Star'.

My wish is that they'd save the Christmas countdown this for the first of December - or even December 6th.

But if you're visiting London soon - Happy Christmas shopping.

World View - Phone Photography

2008-10-29T09:08:00.002+01:00

Do you like using your mobile telephone to capture those special moments?

Personally, I only use the mobile to make telephone calls, although it does have all the whistle and bells on it; including WLAN and GPS navigation.

However, when I'm lugging my back-breaking digital SLR kit around, I do see more and more people waving their telephones in the air to record what's in front of them; even my girlfriend does it.

If you have some amazing images on your mobile phone, you can show them off to the world and stand the chance to win the trip of a lifetime; courtesy of Sony Ericsson - in their World View 2008 Competition.

PRIZES

The global Expert’s Choice winner will receive a trip of a lifetime to one of five destinations worth approximately £10,000/12,500 EUR.

The global People’s Choice winner will receive a trip of a lifetime to one of five destinations worth approximately £5,000/6,250 EUR.

Closing date is October 31st, so enter today!

Down at The Planet

2008-06-04T14:48:00.002+02:00

My apologies for the on-off situation with Travel Notes lately.

Our server is located at The Planet (Houston); where there have been major problems over the last few days. I believe they had an electrical blow-out.

Not only were the servers affected with massive down-time (like two days) but the DNS servers were troubled too.

Then just when things started to propagate again, the generator failed.

The sites are working again (for now) but I was up until 4am trying to find another host. I've made a few contacts but still haven't moved anywhere.

I need reliabilty fast, because apart from the TravelNotes.org website I also have a number of other domains on the server - 1800-WorldCup.com, 1800-Olympics.com, Travel-Write.com, 1800-France.com, 1800-UStravel.com and 1800-Canada.com among them.

We did have a number of domains hosted elsewhere, until the hosts gave up the ghost recently. So basically I've had all my eggs in one basket; which is not a clever thing to do.

1800-WorldCup.com is also covering the Euro 2008 Finals live; held in Switzerland and Austria, over the coming three weeks. The tournament starts on Saturday and changing hosts right now will mean more downtime while the new DNS propagates again.

It's a catch 22 situation and I'm close to panic.

Website Hosting

2008-04-26T13:08:00.003+02:00

Just when I was feeling content that we had almost renovated all the destination pages and checked the dead links, the hosting service we used for 1800-Countries.com, Meta-Travel.com, 1800-Olympics.com and 1800-WorldCup.com websites pulled out of their data centre and closed down operations.

Sadly, although they had a notice on their homepage, I only found out about the closure the day everything went dead; having been on the road a lot lately.

Rather than spend time looking for another host, I've moved these properties onto the main Travel Notes server.

The Olympics and World Cup pages are static HTML, so that wasn't a problem to get back online, but the database tables for the favourite countries travel articles, meta-travel forums and topsites were lost.

While the travel forum was becoming too much hassle keeping the spammers at bay, we were using the topsites directory for our link submissions.

As I didn't keep a back up of the registered users on my hard-drive, I don't feel like building the database content up again from scratch; especially when there's so many other projects that need my attention on Travel Notes itself.

Alas, I now need to go through and change all these links; although we have hastily set up redirects and put 404 pages in the sub-directories to try and soften the blow of not getting to where you expect to go.

I apologise for the inconvenience and hope that the new projects we're working on will excite the travel community.

The Guide to Travel Guides

2008-04-03T01:37:00.004+02:00

Travel Guides are a Godsend and a tremendous amount of research has gone into them, but they can be a little patronising at times.

Don't cling to them religiously, as many travellers do. They are not the bibles that they are made out to be, and are often out of date before they are published.

Travel Guidebooks.

To get the most out of guidebooks, use them sparingly for basic orientation, then discover the towns and cities on your own.

The information on museums and places of interest are great when all other signs look foreign.
But when it comes to hotels and restaurants, every one to their own taste and budget. Believe me, the gems are never in black and white for all to see. If word gets out, the bargains rise in price with popularity and the 'recommended' places are usually full of foreigners - us, the tourists.

Wandering around on your own, you will be delighted when you discover reasonably-priced, quality rooms and gourmet restaurants dishing up a local ambience; without the need for reservations.

Just because it isn't in the book, doesn't mean that you are entering a hell-hole, or a den of thieves. More often than not, you will encounter a haven of tranquillity that didn't see you coming.

Don't be the type who can't wait to to write to say that 'it wasn't like they said in the book'. Open your eyes, and explore for yourself!

The publication date should be printed on the inside page of the book.

Lonely Planet usually gives the first publication date, the date of publication of the copy in your hands, and when reprinted with travellers' updates.

They have an army of followers who freely update their books; often without credit. The biggest of credits, must go to Tony and Maureen Wheeler, who started it all with their overland trip through Southeast Asia.

Don't be fooled by the rogues at Hachette, who took it all a little further.
Le Guide du Routard, Vietnam (in French), which I bought near the end of 1996, boldly stated 1997/98 on the cover, and even had ©1997 inside.

Ok, we're not talking Turner Broadcasting repeating yesterday's news here, but even new seems old already.

As an example of how quickly things change:

I wanted to praise a particular hotel in Hanoi that offered us a beautifully furnished, spacious double for $20 a night (a bargain), and a delightful restaurant not far from the station whose food and service were excellent for the moderate price. Well........

The Cuu Long hotel changed our room, after two nights, and only told us about it when we came in at eleven in the evening. (We paid $15 for the smaller room, and moved on the following morning).

And, after going out of our way to return to the Hanoian Bar + Restaurant, because of a special dish that was so tasty two days before, the noodles on the next occasion tasted like pre-packed Pot Noodles, without enough water added to them before being fried.

So take the guides' recommendations with a pinch of salt.

Which Guide Is Best?

This debate is always served up with a large dose of opinion, and our list does not serve to put one guidebook above the other.

Besides, we have no money for lawsuits.

Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet:
If you're travelling on a shoestring, then LP is probably the one for you. My favourite guides to China, India and Asia, but many people use them for Europe too.

Lonely Planet guides cover general history and give good detail about the places to visit. The 'Getting There and Away' sections are always good for the border crossings. Plenty of simple maps to give you an idea of where you are, and of course they always hunt out the cheapo cafes with the best banana milk-shakes; if you're prepared to trust the milk in some of those countries.

Use the prices as a reference point only, as some of the guides are a few years old, and as I've already pointed out, a lot can change overnight. Some Lonely Planet recommendations might even have closed down.

Let's Go

Let's Go:
Let's Go Europe, by a group of Harvard students, was the pamphlet that started it all. Let's Go now claim this to be the best selling international guide. There are a lot of Americans coming to Europe, granted.

Personally, I prefer them for Let's Go: USA. I figure the students can tell us more about their hometown in North America.

The Let's Go guides attract the young crowd looking for the low-down on nightlife as well as what to see during the day.

Rough Guides

Rough Guide:
I used the Rough Guide to West Africa, in lieu of Lonely Planet. Maybe not so good on the map score, but I found the music section and other cultural snippets more worthwhile than some of the opinionated comments in Lonely Planet.

Footprint Handbooks

Footprint Handbooks:
The South American Handbook (updated annually) is the daddy in this series; quite possibly the 'Mother of All Travel Guides'.

I first used this guide to South America when it was still a 'Trade and Travel Publications' title and included Central America and The Caribbean.

The hardback travel guide contained so much information that even the thin paper and fine print wasn't enough to save it; as The Caribbean and Central America sections became guidebooks in their own right.

In the 1990sTrade and Travel also published guides to India, Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Moving into 2008, Footprint have now printed 80 travel guides to hundreds of destinations; introduced city guides to London, Dublin, Edinburgh and Rio de Janeiro; and even a Surfing Europe (2nd Edition).

Rick Steves

Rick Steves:
Rick Steves has really come through the backdoor in the travel guide market, especially with Americans visiting Europe.

'Europe Through the Back Door' helped open the way for more travel guides on the most visited places in Europe: Italy, Paris, London, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Scandinavia.

The Mona Winks Guide is also a great travel companion when visiting The Vatican and other famous museums.

Michelin

Michelin:
I first travelled in Europe without a guidebook whatsoever, just a collection of Michelin maps. I still think their maps are the best, and their green guides are often overlooked by people covering guidebooks.

If you intend to really see a country, and that means by car and not by train, then you would do well to a have a Michelin or two in your glove compartment. They also have great pocket guides for many of the major cities in Europe.

Bradt Travel Guides

Bradt Travel Guides:
Bradt publish travel guides to all corners of the world, from Antarctica to Zanzibar, as well as guides on rail travel, wildlife, backpacking, and hiking.

The first Bradt travel guide was written by Hilary and George Bradt, in 1974, on a river barge floating down a tributary of the Amazon; in Bolivia.

From their base in Boston, Massachusetts they went on to write and publish four other backpacking guides to the Americas and one to Africa.

In the 1980s Hilary continued to develop the Bradt list in England, and also established herself as a travel writer and tour leader. The company's publishing emphasis evolved towards broader based guides to new destinations; usually the first to be published on those countries (such as Mali and Palestine), complemented by hiking, rail and wildlife guides.

Cadogan Guides

Cadogan Guides:
The Cadogan Series aims itself more at the culture vulture. Dana Facaros is credited with many titles, and really does know Italy.

I have also bought Peter Neville-Hadley's China: The Silk Routes.

Peter also ran the popular Oriental-List for people travelling to China, and you didn't need to buy the book to join.

Eyewitness

Eyewitness Travel Guides:
Eyewitness, from D.K. Publishing, have expanded on their popular Italy Guide series.

Eyewitness Travel Guides are illustrated guidebooks where every significant landmark, building, museum, and gallery (as well as major shops, hotels, and restaurants) are illustrated on the page alongside interesting and practical information.

These are great books to look at before and after travel too.

Fielding

Fielding:
A growing selection of guides here too. My favourite was Fielding's the 'World's Most Dangerous Places'.

Fodor's

Fodor's:
I've seen people carrying Fodor's Guides around Europe and the States, but I've never looked inside one myself. How do they rate?

Frommer's

Frommer's:
I've never used these guides either, but many people do. They're quite outspoken about their claims as well.

Insight Guide

Insight Guide:
These travel guides, from APA publications, are a little special. The quality of the photography is excellent; they even used some of mine in their Insight Guide: Peru, and the articles are written by journalists.

I would even recommend supplementing something like a Lonely Planet or a Rough Guide with an Insight Guide.

If you don't have the room for an Insight Guide on your travels, they really do give an insight into the people and culture and make a good read while you're waiting for your day of departure.

Be wise, and get an insight into your destination before you go. There are even slim-line (Insight Pocket Guide) versions to major cities around the world.

Karen Brown

Karen Brown's Guides:
Explore old towns and friendly villages with cosy cottages, quaint country inns and ancient castles in Europe and California.

Regardless of your travel budget, you will find delightful accommodations and sightseeing highlights that the editors have personally experienced.

Berlitz

Berlitz:
Pocket sized phrasebooks to get you out of a muddle.

It's one thing finding a hotel or restaurant without a guidebook, but it helps if you know a few words of the local language when you get there.

Berlitz are the world leader in language learning for the traveller, and their phrasebooks slip into your back-pocket or a hand-bag easily.

Mini travel guides are also available.

And There's More

That's already quite a list of travel guides I've presented but if you go into any travel bookshop you'll see even more travel titles.

AAA, Access Guides, Adventure Guides, Avant-Guide, Baedeker, Berkeley, Best Places, Blue Guide, Cheap Eats & Sleeps, Culture Shock!, Essential, Globetrotter, Great Destinations, InsideOut Guides, Insiders, Just Marvelous Walking Tours, Knopf, Moon Handbooks, National Geographic Driving Guides, National Geographic Park Profiles, National Geographic Traveler, Off the Beaten Path, Open Roads, Passport Travel, Sierra Club, Simple Guide, Time Out Travel and Travel-Smart among them.

If you don't want to go where the crowd goes, then you will use your chosen travel guide sparingly.

This list is also only a guide to the travel guides, and there are many more out there covering what might be termed as 'speciality travel'.

There are guides to Bed and Breakfast in New Zealand, guides to Travel in the Outback, the Complete Guide to Walt Disney World, and even guides to airports.

However you like your travel, there will be an author or two who have penned enough words about it to publish the book:

Adventure, Air Travel, Budget Travel, Business Travel, Ecotourism, Family Travel, Honeymoons, Senior Travel, Solo Travel, Special Needs, Student Travel, Travel with Pets.

Then there are the travel tips; the 'learning from the experience of others' type of book, or the travel book with pretty pictures:

Beaches, Cruises, Essays & Travelogues, Food & Lodging, Pictorial, Reference, Spas, Tips, Tourist Destinations & Museums and Travel Writing.

Travel Literature

I always like to read good 'travel books' when I'm on the road; sitting in a moving train or waiting patiently for a ferry.

Some of the best authors even make the humble travel book read like quality literature.

The Literary Traveller:
There are travellers who have returned to write a great book, and then there are great writers who travel. Find out more about travel writing at its best.

The Travel Guide Web Sites

Become A Travel Writer:
Travel writers and photographers can gain more exposure for their work (and maybe earn a little extra money) by getting published on Travel Notes - The Online Guide to Travel.

Bradt Travel Guides:
You don't get to read the travel guides here but you do get a snippet about the country, chapter outlines and a little something about the writers.

Fodor's:
Online mini-guides to destinations around the world.

Footprint Handbooks Online:
Get a foot in the door by reading snippets from their handbook destinations.

Frommer's:
The 'Frommer's Outspoken Encyclopaedia of Travel', as it used to be called, is quite a big one; with plenty of travel tips in destinations around the world.

Karen Brown's World of Travel:
Karen's website has improved tremendously since we first listed it and recommended that you buy the book rather than visit the website, as there wasn't much there. Now it seems that if you visit the website you might not need to buy the book.

Knowhere Guide:
Knowhere's not your average guide to Britain. No postcards and purple prose, but you will get to know where the youth hang out around the island.

Let's Go:
Selling guidebooks is the motto here; especially as their community section doesn't always seem to work.

Lonely Planet - Thorn Tree:
Sure they want to sell more of their guide books, but the Thorn Tree message board area is an excellent hangout for budget travellers.

Moon Handbooks:
Moon have improved their website tremendously; to now include destination information and maps.

Rick Steves' Europe:
If you're a fan of Rick's, you'll be able to read up on his latest tips, catch him on the television or even go on one of his European tours. Maybe we'll surprise him one day ourselves.

Rough Guides:
Rough Guide offer the complete text of their guidebooks online but when you're stuck in Timbuktu and your printed copy is all crumpled you may just wish that you had bought the book.

And of course, we like to sell ourselves too; so just choose your destination from our sitemap: TravelNotes.org - The Online Guide to Travel.

Travel Notes - April 2008

2008-04-02T12:40:00.001+02:00

The Africa section is now updated, we just have to hunt out the dead links.

While doing the link-checking on the North America pages I realised that the Canada page was getting too long and looking scruffy.

It really was time to split Canada up into Territories and Provinces - Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory.

When I get the time, I'll have to split those pages up even further but things are looking better organised now; although some of the pages need a little more content.

I'll be working on that.

Work in Progress

The time spent on the Canada project means that the Airlines and Airports sections were pushed back in the line list of things to do.

I was in Elba over Easter, so that material still needs to be added to the Italy section, which also needs some serious work on it. As I'm also off to France again this month, I really should spruce that section up too.

Did I also mention that we also have a large back-log of travel articles and links to add?

I'm sure you get the picture; there's just not enough hours in the day.

F1 Travel Guide - 2008

2008-03-13T19:17:00.003+01:00

With the Formula 1 season revving up for the 2008 start this weekend in Australia, I know I've left my F1 Travel Guide a little late.

But the article has been totally updated with all this season's race fixtures and all the links checked and altered where necessary.

There are two new street circuits to visit this season: Valencia (August 24th) and Singapore (for night racing, on September 28th).

I fancy making the trip down to Valencia myself but don't think I'll manage (or afford) to travel to Singapore the following month; unless anyone feels generous enought to sponsor me.

Hopefully I'll get around to updating the Monaco GP article soon.

If you want to travel to one of the Grand Prix races this season, read the article.

Tourism For Tomorrow

2008-03-05T11:50:00.001+01:00

The finalists for the 2008 'Tourism for Tomorrow Awards' have been announced by the World Travel & Tourism Council.

The 12 finalists showcase some of the world's leading examples in sustainable tourism development; from among a pool of 150 exceptional applications, from over 40 countries.

Destination Award

Blackstone Valley, USA:
Since 1985 the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council has been a force behind the rebirth of the Blackstone River Valley, Rhode Island USA.

Rinjani Trek Ecotourism Programme, Indonesia:
The Rinjani Trek Ecotourism Programme - located in Lombok, Indonesia - began in 1999; to strengthen conservation and to ensure that communities on the boundary of the National Park benefit from tourism revenues.

Town of Bouctouche, Canada:
Bouctouche was a typical, coastal Maritime village with a diminishing rural economy; until two tourism investments began its evolution to the vibrant community it is today.

Conservation Award

Ecotourism Australia:
Ecotourism Australia was formed in 1991 - as a not-for-profit organization, based in Brisbane - and has since then significantly contributed to long-term environmental sustainability; through its ground-breaking ECO Certification Program.

Grootbos Nature Reserve, South Africa:
Grootbos Nature Reserve, with its two 5-star lodges and luxury accommodation, is spectacularly situated on the fynbos and forest clad hills; overlooking the whale-watching haven of Walker Bay.

Turtle Conservation Project, Sri Lanka:
TCP was established in 1993, as a Sri Lankan non-governmental organisation.

Investor in People Award

Fair Trade in Tourism , South Africa:
Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) is a not-for-profit initiative that promotes equitable and sustainable tourism; through awareness raising, capacity building and the facilitation of the world's first tourism 'Fair Trade' certification scheme.

RARE / La Ruta Moskitia, Honduras:
Within the largest remaining tract of rainforest in Central America lies a remote region of Honduras known as 'La Moskitia', or the Mosquito Coast. For centuries, the expansive forest, wetlands, and rich indigenous groups of La Moskitia have intrigued adventure-seekers and explorers.

Rainforest Expeditions - Posadas Amazonas, Peru:
The Ecotourism Project that led to 'Posada Amazonas', is an initiative to demonstrate that a tourism joint venture between business and a local community can not only be successful in empowering that local community and conserving natural resources but is also sound business practice.

Global Tourism Business Award

Scandic Hotels:
Scandic pionieering activity in reducing carbon emissions on all levels of business operations is paramount. A strong focus on health and accessibility to healthy, good living is the driving factor behind Scandi's efforts.

Serena Hotels and Lodges:
In line with Serena's corporate philosophy of building a basis for an all fascinating holiday experience comprising of intact nature, environment and local people, Serena has anchored environmental protection as an important element of its quality standards since 1990.

Six Senses resorts and Spas:
Resort and Spa Management and Development company established in 1995, which manages luxury resorts and spas in the Maldives, Oman, Thailand, Vietnam, Spain and Fiji.

Winners will be invited to the 8th Global Travel & Tourism Summit held in Dubai (20-22 April, 2008) to receive their awards.

Travel Notes Linking Policy

2008-03-04T14:40:00.004+01:00

When I started Travel Notes, in 1997, it was a pleasure linking to other travel sites that expanded on our content. But with the explosion of the Internet, every little 'room for rent' and 'tour guide' is trying to promote their 'business' without giving anything back or, even worse, trying to get their list of affiliate links noticed.

There are no automated robots adding the links at Travel Notes, so reviewing websites is rather time-consuming; especially as we have to trawl through a lot of rubbish in our inbox to get to the gems.

Therefore, the Add URLs now go here first; to better seperate the wheat from the chaff - when I have the spare time.

We don't do 'link exchanges' at Travel Notes and don't like linking to websites with lists of links totally irrelevant to their content.

We do still like to help promote those who add some worthwhile travel tips or offer discounts to Travel Notes members. If this applies to you, then the Travel Notes direct lines are still open.

If all you're looking for is a link, then you might be better off here.

To cut down on spamming, links are no longer added automatically and sites not sending any traffic to the list might not even appear in the directory.

The alternative is to pay for advertising, or if you think we're taking too long - an express submission.

March 2008 Update

2008-03-04T11:54:00.002+01:00

As many of you may have noticed, we're now curating travel videos on Travel Notes.

Some of the videos I've seen are enlightening and very professionally produced, some are little more than company adverts and some are really quite personal.

Deciding which videos to keep and which to drop is never easy as what doesn't work for me might still interest you. Hopefully the community can help me decide.

Video Reviewers:
If you like to travel and are interested in the moving image, you can now join Travel Notes as a video reviewer and enlighten the community with your comments and general insights into travel and video content.

We've also added a cruise section to Travel Notes, something I've been meaning to do for ages, but still need to expand on all the cruise ship pages.

Work in Progress

Sadly, what with the videos and cruises, the Africa section was left on the back-burner. But I am on it now!

Then I'll have to run that way overdue link check, on the Africa pages, to get rid of the dreaded link rot.

After that, I know I keep saying it, it will be time to renovate and expand the Airlines and Airports sections.

Stay tuned!

Destination Videos

2008-02-29T10:39:00.003+01:00

After some of the feedback to our Video Blogging post, I'll comply with your requests to add the destination video previews; so that you can easily grab the video content for your own websites - by clicking on the 'embed this' link.

I'll add the Outdoor Activity Video previews later.

Michel.

Prince Harry at War in Afghanistan

2008-02-28T21:12:00.004+01:00

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth II's grandson and third in line to the throne, has been fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.

View the breaking news on video....

Prince Harry Fighting in Afghanistan.

Prince Harry at War in Afghanistan.

Prince Harry a 'Taliban Target'.

Video Blogging

2008-02-28T14:52:00.001+01:00

No, I'm not going to be talking to you into a webcam - well, not yet anyway - nor feature too many of those who are.

What we are doing though, is adding a video section to Travel Notes; listing some of the better travel videos that get submitted to us.

Travel Notes is going to be curating travel videos, to give you a selection of 'playlists' sorted by destination:

Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Europe, Middle East, North America, Oceania and South America.

You can even embed the video on your own website, to engage your visitors - and keep them coming back - with updated video content; and profit from any ads you have around the video playlists yourself.

Of course, if you have any travel videos that you would like us to feature, then submit them.

You may also want to be a video reviewer, to add your voice to the quality-selection process; with comments that help other video-makers improve their work or enable visitors to decide whether to sit through a video. Maybe even encourage discussion on the destination, or subject, that the video is featuring.

If you don't make video yourself but like looking at the videos then you can easily submit the videos you like through the Travel Notes Toolbar.

The toolbar also has live TV Stations from around the world and Internet streaming radio as well as the ability to search video sites like YouTube and Revver.

As well as destination specific, video playlists the Travel Notes Network also features Cruise Line Videos, Hotel Videos and Outdoor Activity Videos:

(Camping, Canoeing, Caving, Climbing, Cycling, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback, Mountain Biking, National Parks, Offroading, Skiing, Surfing, Swimming, Theme Parks and Wildlife).

You can also embed videos on any of those subjects to have your own travel video portal that gets updated for you, by clicking on the 'Grab Widget Codes' link.

Enjoy!

Interview With Arthur Frommer

2008-02-28T13:11:00.006+01:00

Listen to Arthur Frommer, founder of Frommer's Travel Guides, in this three part video-interview series.

Interviews With Arther Frommer:
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3.

Frommer's Travel Guides.

More Travel Videos.

Uncovering America by Horseback

2008-02-27T13:53:00.003+01:00

To 'Uncover America' and document the adventure, horseman Bill Inman travels across America on horseback; slowing down the pace to find interesting places, individuals, groups and history that inspire pride or lift the spirit.

Bill and his horse Blackie started the journey from their home in Lebanon, Oregon - destination North Carolina.

This video shows clips of the journey while Bill talks on radio.

Tallest Hotel on Earth

2008-02-26T12:53:00.001+01:00

One of the most incredible buildings on the planet stands off the coast of Dubai; at 321 metres it soars higher than the Eiffel Tower.

Currently the tallest hotel on earth, the Burj Al Arab (Arabian Tower) is also the most luxurious.

But how did they go about building an icon to compete with the Eiffel Tower and Sydney Opera House?

It started with a few sketched lines; a sail rising out of the water like a massive yaght. But it needed an island to stand on.

View The Video.

Get Paid to Travel

2008-02-26T11:12:00.006+01:00

There's no secret really and the talking heads, Mark Ewing and Carl Meadows, take over twenty minutes to let you know how a former carpenter now travels for free; by organising group travel.

Get connected with the right people and do the numbers, then one day you might be flying to Rio with 200 people too.

But start out with a group size of ten; fifteen to thirty might be the next step to aim for.

By getting a group of ten, you'll start qualifying for group discounts.

Just do your site inspection first.

Of course there's a sell here - Write Your Own Ticket wants your money; to share the 'secrets'.

More Travel Videos.

Weather Updates

2008-02-08T21:07:00.000+01:00

I've finally made the effort to renovate and expand the Travel Notes Weather Centre; to include more animated weather maps and regularly updated weather videos.

We've also added more weather links to destinations in every country (also available on our destination pages) and have improved the US Weather section; to split the weather centre into regional forecasts and included weather forecast links along the Interstate driving routes.

If you're making a road trip across the USA it's now even easier to find out what the weather conditions will be like along your way, and you can click on the 'City Hotels' link, from the weather returns, if you need to book any overnight accommodation before you set out on your journey.

We've split the Interstate Driving Conditions up in North-South (Odd Numbers) and East-West (Even Numbers).

I'm also planning to make even more radar maps and weather videos available for specific US cities, so keep an eye on 1800-UStravel for that.

Travel Notes toolbar users have been able to access all of this information while they browse the web, for some time now, but it's now being made available to the click-happy surfers as well.
It's been a lot of work on my part but I hope you'll find it useful.

There are still of lot of extras that will only be available on the toolbar though; like listening to pre-selected radio stations from around the world or watching live-streaming TV stations without any flashing website advertising to disturb you.

If it's cold and rainy where you are, why not download the Travel Notes toolbar and start listening to some sunny Caribbean sounds or rhytmic African beats to cast away your bad-weather blues.

Luxury Villas in Costa Rica

2007-12-20T20:27:00.000+01:00

We get a lot of website submissions at Travel Notes and some of them are really not worth the free hosting they take up.

It was therefore a pleasant surprise to look at the Villas Corcovado offering; a luxury accommodation website, actually looking luxurious.

If you're thinking about visiting Costa Rica's Golfo Dulce and are interested in a little luxury, then this could be the place for you.

The rates are probably out of reach of most budget travellers but they do include three meals per day and there's the private ocean view.

If nothing else, just take a look at how a website promoting luxury should look.

Hostelling International Celebrates 75 Years

2007-11-07T21:20:00.000+01:00

It's been a while since I've used Youth Hostels but while I was updating our Budget Travel section (and adding to the Budget Accommodation listings) I went onto the Hostelling International site; remembering the days when I carried a hostel membership card on my hitch-hiking travels.

Wow, an anniversary!

Hostelling International was founded on 20th October 1932, by member youth hostel associations from around the world.

Since 1909, when hostelling was born out of the excursions of German schoolteacher Richard Schirrmann and his pupils, it has become one of the world's biggest international membership organizations for youth, with over 3 million members.

To celebrate 75 years of Hostelling International, German radio station WDR 5 broadcast a special podcast: 20 Oktober 1932: Jugendherbergsverband gegründet (in German).

Today, Hostelling International provides some 35 million overnight stays a year through more than 4,000 hostels in over 80 countries.

Four Days in Switzerland

2007-09-18T15:31:00.000+02:00

I'm often asked what are the 'must-see' places in Switzerland and what's best to see in only a few days.

A similar question was posed in the Travel Notes forum, and as I spent a lot of time on the answer I thought I'd post it on the blog; to reach a wider audience.

Basically, kelly wants to fly in to Zurich on a Thursday or Friday morning and fly out again around noon on the Monday. In this time, kelly wanted to know what there is to see in Zurich and aims to travel to Geneva (for a cruise on Lac Leman) and hopes to see The Alps.

If you plan to do a similar itinerary, then this post is for you.

Luckily Switzerland is a fairly small country and the train/bus connections are very good. The downside is, there are no night trains where you could save on accommodation.

With the short amount of time you're allowing yourself, I'm not sure if you'd really want to stay in Zurich or not.

If you do, the Hotel Central is close to the main station and there's a tram hub 'Central' right outside.

Zurich Sightseeing

Zurich is fairly compact, for the visitor, and 'essential sights' are easy enough to do on foot.

First stop would probably be some window-shopping along Bahnhofstrasse.

The 'old town' is over to the left of here (off Rennweg, near the Baly shoe shop) and the little back streets will lead you up to a nice view of the Limmat (from Lindenhof - a shady square with an outdoor chessboard).

The Schipfe, is a little artisan's street along the bank of the Limmat (below Lindenhof).

Walking along the Schipfe will bring you to the Rathaus and Rathausbrücke (bridge). You could cross over here, but I would continue up past the Münsterbrücke and up to the Quaibrücke. This is where boats leave for tours on Zürichsee.

If the weather is fine, a popular excusion is out to Rapperswil by ship - for a fish lunch - and return to Zurich by train.

Crossing over this bridge brings you to Bellevue.

As you walk back down the Limmat, be sure to look in at some of the back streets on the right; especially after the Grossmünster.

The Münstergasse leads down onto the Niederdorfstrasse (Dörfli); home to trendy shops, bars and pubs - the area is a popular part of Zurich's nightlife.

Niederdorfstrasse then ends and opens out onto 'Central'.

Getting Out of Zurich

The Swiss Pass affords you unlimited travel on Swiss Travel System's public transport network on either 4, 8, 15, 22 days or 1 month.

It costs about 255 Swiss francs for 4 days.

If you do buy the Swiss Pass, you might find yourself spending most of your time on public transport; as you try to get the most out of it. It is a very good way 'to see the country' in just a short time though.

An option here, to save you checking in and out of hotels and travelling around with your bags, would be to use Zurich as your base and make a different train/bus/boat journey every day.

Fastest trains are the Inter Citys.

When you go to Geneva (on the fastest route), you could even stop off at Berne (the capital of Switzerland) for a couple of hours.

Scenic Routes and Excursion Ideas

The more scenic option would be to do the 'GoldenPass Line' (timetable); travelling from Zurich to Lucerne (Luzern, in German) and getting on the panoramic train through Interlaken and Zweisimmen to Montreux (home of the yearly Jazz Festival - in July).

The 08:55 panorama train from Lucerne arrives in Montruex at 14:15 and from Montreux, there are good train connections to Geneva (Genève in French, or Genf in German); with the best connection departing Montruex at 14:19 and arriving in Geneva at 15:24.

Boats on Lake Geneva (Lac Leman):
The cheapest way to 'cruise on Lake Geneva' (free with a Swiss Pass) is to take the boat from Geneva to Nyon and return to Zurich by train from there (if you're doing day-trips).

We're entering the Autumn timetable now (18th Sept to 28th October), so you might find that some services are reduced.

The journey would be possible to do in a day, with a very early start from Zurich (07:35 or 08:04 - arrives Luzern 08:25 or 08:49), but it's probably better to get to Luzern in the late afternoon of day one (after some Zurich sight-seeing) and overnight in Lucerne.

Stay in Interlaken, if you prefer to break up the journey with a visit to Jungfraujoch.

Interlaken even deserves a visit in itself. But if time is limited and you want to see more of the country, then you'll have to see less of the towns.

The last train (best connection) from Geneva (21:45) gets into Zurich at 00:38, while the 20:14 from Geneva will get you to Zurich at 22:56 and the 20:45 at 23:30.

Swiss Train Timetables.

Lake Geneva

Or you may prefer to stay the night in Geneva; especially if you want to go on a 'proper tour' with the Lake Geneva Cruise Line.

Another option for 'Cruising Lake Geneva on the Cheap' is to use the Mouettes Genevoises shuttle service.

Swiss Boat also offer a number of Lake Geneva cruise options: along the Rhône, of the Castles, of the Mermaid, or of the Parks.

The Alps

As for the Alps, there are many beautiful spots. Zermatt (The Matterhorn) is one of my favourites. This is in the Valais, where you can get the red, mountain train from Brig. Saas Fe is also nice (Postbus from Brig), but probably for those with more time.

Another popular 'Alpine' area is around Interlaken. Or more to the point, Lauterbrunnen/Grindelwald. Especially for those who want to see the Jungfrau, Eiger and the Revolving Restaurant featured in the James Bond film 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' on the Schilthorn, at Mürren.

The third popular area is Graubünden. Head out of Zurich towards Chur; for Arosa, Davos, Klösters, Lenzerheide and St Moritz.

Postbus - Swiss Alps

A good way to really experience The Alps is to travel by bus; over the mountain passes.

If you're an early riser and would like to get in a good cross section of Switzerland, in just a short time, it is possible to combine St Moritz with Ticino - the Italian part of Switzerland, just south of the Alps.

Departing Zurich at 06:37 (or 07:37), the train arrives in Chur at 07:52 (or 08:32).

Julier Route Express:
You then need to walk across to the Postauto depot for the bus to St. Moritz - departs at 08:00 (or 09:10).

The bus arrives in St Moritz at 10:34 (or 11:34).

Times are valid until 14th October, 2007.

Palm Express:
After a light brunch, the bus to Lugano leaves at 12:20 and arrives at 16:10. The journey offers superb views of Lake Como.

If you're lucky with the weather, you'll be able to stroll around Lake Lugano in the late afternoon and eat some Italian cuisine before taking an evening train back to Zurich. The journey takes about three hours. The last train from Lugano to Zurich is at 20:35, although the 19:46 might suit you better - arriving in Zurich at 22:29.

The Glacier Express

Another one of the 'Great Train Journeys in Switzerland' is the Glacier Express; connecting St. Moritz with Zermatt.

Trains leave St. Moritz at 09:02 and 10:02, arriving in Zermatt at 17:04 and 18:04.

Alternatively, trains depart Zermatt at 09:08 and 10:08, arriving in St. Moritz at 16:58 or 17:58.

The shorter option, is to just do the Brig to St. Moritz part of the journey; departing Brig at 11:41 for a 17:58 arrival in St Moritz.

An 08:50 departure from Geneva arrives in Brig at 10:46; or an 08:32 departure from Zurich arrives in Brig at 11:06.

The Grand Tour of Switzerland

Putting this all together, you could do a very grand tour of Switzerland in just 4 days.

Assuming an arrival in Zurich on the Thursday morning, you could see the sights in Switzerland's 'Little Big City' and move on to Luzern; for the night.

Friday could be spent on the 'Golden Pass', with a little early-evening cruise on Lake Geneva thrown in.

If you stay near the station, in Geneva (on Friday night), you'll be nicely placed for an early departure to Brig and across to St. Moritz.

On Sunday, you could take the 'Palm Express' to Lugano and get back to Zurich late in the evening; ready for your flight out at noon on Monday.

Destination Jersey City

2007-09-14T12:49:00.000+02:00

With plenty of art galleries, historic buildings, museums, parks, restaurants, shops and theatres, visitors to New York City should also consider a trip across to Jersey City - by either using the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) Subway or the more scenic, NY Waterway ferry-ride across the Hudson; with plenty of sailing routes to choose from.

Boasting one of the most diverse populations in the United States, Jersey City can be called a 'Tapestry of Nations'; with communities of African, Arab, Asian, Cuban, Dominican, Filipino, Indian, Irish, Italian, Jewish, Polish and Puerto Rican decent all helping to make up the cultural potpourri.

Ellis Island is within its borders, and Jersey City’s close proximity to New York City has also contributed to the development of its own impressive skyline; the 238-metre Goldman Sachs building is one of the 200 Tallest Buildings in the World.

To help you plan a trip, Destination Jersey City offer advice on 'Things to Do'; along with a handy little guide to Jersey City's ten diverse districts.

You may even decide to stay in Jersey City and make a day trip across to New York City instead.

Blogasian

2007-09-14T11:03:00.000+02:00

I'm often wary when asked to look at a blog by someone whose main aim is to sell hotel bookings. But I do always look at all links submitted to Travel Notes (eventually).

I was pleasantly surprised with the blog from Asia Hotels.

Instead of blog entries describing different hotels, there's actually some very useful and interesting articles for travellers wishing to visit Asia and in need of some ideas. So good, that we've added the Asia Hotels newsfeed; for our visitors to reach in a click, from our Travel News page.

Some of the recent entries that you might find interesting are: Best Beaches in Asia, Three Cheapest Cities For Shopaholics (one of them was not in Asia); and Guide to Taj Mahal (they did slip an hotel link in this one).

Blog posts only started in July, 2007 so let's hope they have a lot more new material to add and don't give up when the comments don't flood in.

Last Call on Airline Tickets

2007-09-01T06:36:00.000+02:00

Airline Tickets will soon become a collector's item, as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that it had just placed its final order of around 16.5 million paper tickets, from 7 specialised printers; to supply the 60,000 accredited IATA travel agents, in 162 markets around the world, until the end of May.

From June 1st, 2008 all tickets issued through the IATA Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) will be electronic.

It is estimated that each e-ticket will produce a saving of $9 (£4.50) to the industry - or some $3 billion US dollars annually - and save the planet another 50,000 mature trees a year in the bargain.

Quick Tour of The Travel Notes Toolbar

2007-08-21T18:02:00.000+02:00

- The logo is the direct link to the Travel Notes homepage; especially useful if you want to run a quick flight search or get to one of our other sections from the front page.

- The pull-down arrow, beside the logo, presents you with a list of toolbar options.

As we improve the toolbar, there's no need to install an 'upgrade'; just refresh the toolbar and you'll be where we are.

Using The Travel Notes Toolbar Search

The quickest way to search is just type your keywords into the search box and use the power of Google.

On the search-returns page, you'll also get links to other search resources we think are useful. No need to type the search terms again, just click the link you want to re-try the search on.

- Alternatively, you could click on the arrow in the search box to select the particular source you want to use, to get to your destination faster.

We'll be adding more regional and country-specific search engines to the list.

The 'Travel Community Search' actually searches across up to ten authoritative travel sites. We can always change the sources we use, if needed.

- To set the search rolling, you can either click Go or 'press enter' on your keyboard.

Highlighting Text

- The highlighter on the toolbar is dimmed by default.

- The highligter glows when you select some text on a webpage, or have something in the search box. Selecting text on the webpage also enters it in the search box.

You can then click on the glowing arrow, to find out how many times the selected text appears on the page.

- Or you can click Go and search for the highlighted term.

Travel, Notes and New

- The 'Travel' menu takes you to our country pages, where you can find all the latest travel notes and related links. There's also an option to 'Add to Travel Notes', right at the top.

- The 'Notes' option allows us to stay in contact with our users and our users to reply to us, right from their browser.

- While the 'New' section keeps you up-to-date with all the latest RSS feeds from some of the best travel articles being written on the Internet.

Radio

- I've already pre-tuned the radio with music stations from around the world.

While we'll be expanding this list, you can also add your own radio stations, or files from your computer, to personalise 'your' radio even more.

Visual Media and Chat

- This is where we have international television, with live streaming, and a collection of travel vidoes.

- The 'Travel Photography' section is for professionally illustrated travel features.

- The online chat opens up in a new browser window. To be honest, we'll need more toolbar downloads for this feature to be a success.

And Finally

- There's only so much we can fit on a toolbar, without it all getting messy and confusing, so tucked away on the right is access to your e-mail notifier settings, pop-up blocker and live weather.

It's also where the 'gadgets' get stored.

The weather symbol is a dynamic weather icon according to the current weather conditions where you are.

As you can see, it was quite cool outside when I took the screen shot.

Click on your dynamic weather icon in the toolbar and you can get quick access to weather conditions for anywhere in the world.

Privacy - Toolbar Help - Toolbar Privacy - Uninstall Instructions

=============
Toolbar Feedback
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I look forward to your toolbar feedback; especially suggestions for other search engines, radio stations, visual media and gadgets to add - or what's not working and might need deleting.

Go to Download Page - or download the toolbar for your preferred browser direct from here:

Toolbar Download For Internet Explorer

Toolbar Download For Firefox

TravelNotes Toolbar

2007-08-17T13:42:00.000+02:00

I've been working away behind the scenes on a new feature for the travel community.

Now you can get to your destination faster with the TravelNotes Toolbar.

Download our personalised toolbar for all the latest travel news (from a variety of influential sources), links, features and special discounts; available to toolbar users only.

You can narrow down the millions of Google search returns with our pre-selected 'quality' travel domains (and we're looking at more), or use the full power of Google if you prefer.

Make good use of your time online with quick access to the best in travel, with speciality search engines at your fingertips and a pre-tuned, world radio; where you can also add your own favourite stations or music files.

Our ideal is to give you the toolbar that you not only want, but a toolbar you need, enjoy and just can't be without!

Downloads are available for Internet Explorer and Firefox (Mac users too) and more features are planned; especially when we hear your feedback.

So let me know what you think - straight from the TravelNotes Toolbar itself.

Maps and Travel Books

2007-08-14T11:27:00.001+02:00

To help travellers find the best country maps and newly released travel books, we used to have affiliate deals with Stanfords and Barnes and Noble.

These affiliate programs have now ceased and we're aware that this has left a lot of broken links and images on the Travel Notes website.

We're trying to clear this mess up as fast as possible, replacing the links on our country pages to specific Country Maps and Travel Guides; through our Amazon Store, on 1800-Countries.

We also continue to add some of our own graphical maps to Travel Notes, which are free to use on personal websites; provided the copyright notice is used with a link back to us.

Thanks to those of you who continue to support the work we do by making some of your purchases and online reservations through Travel Notes.

Travel Notes Submissions

2007-08-14T11:16:00.000+02:00

I'd like to apologise for the time it takes for us to get to link submissions. If you want to jump the queue, it's best to pay for the Express Submission service or add some beneficial travel tips.

We're more interested in adding useful content to Travel Notes and updating the material we do have, than just adding thousands of links. And yes, we do have thousands of link submissions waiting in the review folder.

With that said, we're currently updating the Middle East section and will be searching through the link submissions we have for that region.

Direct Line Cruises

2007-03-08T14:09:00.000+01:00

'Since its humble beginning in 1995, Direct Line Cruises has grown to become one of the largest official agencies for the cruise industry'; says the official blurb.

Since falling in love with cruising, Helen Coiro has turned her low budget, home-based, hobby/business into a company with new corporate headquarters in Hauppauge, New York; handling reservations for more than 25,000 cruise passengers throughout the United States, with hopes that the increases in booked sailings will stay afloat.

Direct Line Cruises Website

The Direct Line Cruises website offers a 'Cruise Quick Search' to find cruises by destination or departure port.

While they concentrate on US departures, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Civitavecchia (Rome), Dover (England), Harwich, Istanbul, Piraeus, San Juan, Southampton, Stockholm, Sydney, Valparaiso and Venice are also included as departure ports.

Popular cruise destinations and the three major cruise lines they deal with are linked to from the top of every page: Alaska Cruises, Bermuda Cruises, Caribbean Cruises, European Cruises, Hawaii Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean .

Interestingly though, their logo (stuffed with keywords in the alt tag) doesn't link back to the homepage; they prefer a text link for that. They're also proud to advertise that they use 'Search Engine Optimization Services', so I took a look over there to see what the 'experts' come up with in their 'free web site analysis'.

Anyway, back to the website review.

While Direct Line Cruises want your cruise booking (they even have a toll-free number: 1-800 DLC-8088), there are a few sections that help to answer your questions; although the 'Cruise Facts' and 'First Cruise' links both go to the same page.

The Port Directions are outlined for those arriving by car. Some maps would be nice, as would details for travellers preferring public transport. Maybe even put each port on a different page. Parking charges ($10-15 a day) are not included in the cruise price.

Direct Line Cruises also have a 'Cruise Blog' but there's not a lot happening there and the 'Cruise News' link on the main website is a page of links; to the blog entries. So if you're looking for the latest Cruise News, look elsewhere.

The 'Shore Excursions' link doesn't work, as their 'poweragentnet sub-domain' has been disabled.

You can find out more about the ships in their three preferred cruise lines though. After all, what's the point of cruising to somewhere fantastic if you don't like the sound of the ship you're on; or you might as well just do 'budget cruising' with Easy Cruise.

Price Comparison

I tried a quick search comparison with 1800-Cruises.com and Cruise Brothers; putting in Europe as the destination and the travel date as July 2007.

Direct Line: 20 results (1st July to August 31st).
1800-Cruises.com: 138 results.
Cruise Brothers: 276 results (1st July to August 31st).

On the Celebrity Cruises Constellation (July 21) prices for Interior and Oceanview were the same while Direct Line offered MUCH cheaper Balcony and Suite cabins; although they were cheaper still on CruiseBrothers. So it might pay to shop around, if you have the time.

On the Norwegian Jewel, with more sailings, Direct Line compared well with Balcony and Suite cabins but we could do better with Interior and Oceanview cabin prices on some sailings.

Direct Line do offer Travel Insurance in their price though.

Britain's Heritage Cities

2007-03-07T22:23:00.000+01:00

A lot of people visiting England tend to concentrate on London, but in doing so they are missing out on a lot of Britain's heritage.

So next time you plan a trip to 'London' consider venturing out of the capital and take in the sights of Bath, Brighton, Chester, Durham, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon and York.

Bath: (Hotels in Bath)
The Roman Baths, historical Abbey and Georgian stone crescents have attracted visitors to Bath for centuries.

Bath is located 120 miles west of London and can be reached in 90 minutes by train from London Paddington. If you choose to travel by car, it's a short drive from the M4/M5 motorways, or just 15 miles from Bristol International Airport.

Brighton: (Hotels in Brighton)
From the unique Royal Pavilion to the Victorian Brighton Pier, the Volks Railway to Brighton & Hove Museums, Brighton's attractions are a mix of heritage, seaside fun and cultural experiences.

Brighton is less than an hour by train from London Victoria. By car, Brighton is some 30 minutes from London Gatwick.

Chester: (Hotels in Chester)
Chester, the most complete walled city in Britain, is also home to the largest Roman Amphitheatre in the country. Chester Cathedral is the fourth most visited in the country and it was here that Handel first rehearsed 'The Messiah'.

Chester is about 2½ hours by train from London Euston, or some 40 minutes by road from Liverpool and Manchester airports.

Durham: (Hotels in Durham)
After the Norman conquest of 1066, King William found Durham to be the ideal location from which to rule Northumbria and defend the region against the Scots. The panoramic view of Durham Cathedral and Castle is so magnificent that they have been designated a World Heritage Site.

Durham is on the main London-Edinburgh train route; under 3 hours from London and about 2 hours from Edinburgh. By road, you'll find Durham on the A1(M); between Darlington and Newcastle.

Oxford: (Hotels in Oxford)
Famous as a city of learning, Oxford also has a castle (used as a prison until 1996) and an old Saxon Tower at the North Gate. Blenheim Palace (just 8 miles from Oxford) is a World Heritage Site, home of the 11th Duke of Marlborough and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.

Trains to Oxford leave from London Paddington. If you prefer to drive, Oxford (west of London) is linked to the M25 by the M40.

Stratford-upon-Avon: (Hotels in Stratford)
Famous as the birthplace of playwright, William Shakespeare, the famous Bard has a picturesque resting place at Stratford's Holy Trinity Church, on the bank of the River Avon. Warwick Castle is also only eight miles away.

Trains leave for Stratford-upon-Avon from London Marylebone.

For those looking for an activity holiday, Shakespeare's Way is a 146 mile long-distance footpath connecting Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon with Shakespeare’s Globe in London; clearly marked both ways.

York: (Hotels in York)
And last but not least, the walled City of York is steeped in history.

Eboracum (York) was founded in AD 71, as a Roman military fortress, on the north-east bank of the River Ouse, and went on to become the capital of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior.

Revived as the Anglo-Saxon trading port of Eoforwic, it was captured by a large army of Danish Vikings in November 866 and acted as the capital for the Viking kingdom of Jórvík.

Today's King's Square (Konungsgårthr) is where the Viking rulers built their palace.

From 1976 to 1981, the York Archaeological Trust conducted a five-year excavation in and around the street of Coppergate, which uncovered well-preserved remains from the time of Viking Jorvik, preserved in anoxic wet clay. The Jorvik Viking Center is a must see for visitors to York. Tourists can journey through the reconstruction of Viking-Age streets, as they would have been in the year AD 975.

The York Castle Museum is best known for its recreated Victorian street, Kirkgate, which combines real shop fittings and stock with modern sound and light effects, to evoke an atmosphere of Victorian Britain.

York is a 4-hour train ride from London King's Cross. But well worth the visit.

London Language Schools

2007-03-05T22:39:00.000+01:00

I've met quite a few people on my travels who have studied English in Brighton or Bournemouth, for a summer beside the seaside, but none who have studied English in London.

If you're thinking about studying English in London, Answer English review a number of London Language Schools.

There are plenty of choices for English Courses in London: Burlington, Camden College, Central School of English, Excel, Frances King, Hampstead School of English, London School of English, London Study Centre, Malvern House, U.I.C. and Wimbledon School of English.

And then there's all all the cultural highlights that the capital of the English language provides.

So maybe you should forget about an extended summer by the sea and head for the bright lights of London instead.

Total Lunar Eclipse of March 3rd

2007-03-03T22:00:00.000+01:00

If you're reading this shortly after I post it, you might want to get away from your computer and look at the night sky.

Tonight's Lunar Eclipse is unique in that it will be partly visible from every continent in the world.

The entire event will be visible from Europe, Africa and western Asia.

At the moment of greatest eclipse (23:21 UT), the Moon will lie in the zenith for observers in Nigeria and Cameroon

In eastern Asia, moonset occurs during various stages of the eclipse.

The Moon sets while in total eclipse from central China and southeast Asia.

Western Australia catches part of the initial partial phases but the Moon sets before totality.

Observers in eastern North and South America will find the Moon already partially or totality eclipsed at moonrise.

From western North America, only the final penumbral phases are visible.

Timetable in Universal Time (UT)
Penumbral Eclipse Begins: 20:18:11 UT
Partial Eclipse Begins: 21:30:22 UT
Total Eclipse Begins: 22:44:13 UT
Greatest Eclipse: 23:20:56 UT
Total Eclipse Ends: 23:57:37 UT
Partial Eclipse Ends: 01:11:28 UT
Penumbral Eclipse Ends: 02:23:44 UT

Universal Time is the astronomically derived time system referred to as Greenwich Mean Time or GMT.

Lunar Eclipse For Beginners:
An eclipse of the Moon (or lunar eclipse) can only occur at Full Moon, and only if the Moon passes through some portion of the Earth's shadow. These events are quite striking for the vibrant range of colors the Moon can take on during the total phase.

Lunar Eclipse Photography:
Unlike eclipses of the Sun, eclipses of the Moon are perfectly safe to watch with the naked eye.

Solar Eclipses:
Where to go to catch a total solar eclipse, or find out if one is heading in your direction, between now and the year 2020.

Lunar Eclipse March 3rd

While we have bad cloud cover here, I'll scour the web to see if we can find some nice photos of the eclipse.

Katie from Cambridgeshire viewed the moon at 21.15 (during the penumberal eclipse), through her scope and camera. Check out her eclipse photo taken at 22:39, just before totality at 22:44. It's a nice glowing red.

Joey @ darxr updates lunar eclipse photos throughout the night.

Keryn and Brendon Doran had clear skies in Brentwood...... Here comes the shadow.

Destination Clubs

2007-03-02T00:53:00.000+01:00

What's the deal on destination clubs?

For those who like the comforts of home when they go on holiday, and feel that a hotel doesn't quite offer them that, there are a number of other options: homeswaps, timeshares and currently making the news: destination clubs.

As always, there are advantages and disadvantages.

Homeswaps

You can choose a different house every time you go away but then you'll also have strangers in your home. If you don't like the thought of that, then perhaps villa rentals would suit you better.

Timeshares

Owning a part of your holiday home is fine, if you like going to the same place every year, but there's been a lot of bad publicity with timeshares; caused by the over persuasive and pestering tactics of some timeshare touts trying to pay for a life in the sun, or on the slopes, based on the commissions they make off 'the punters'.

Destination Clubs

And now the big one.

A destination club is not for the financially strapped at all.

Like most clubs, there's an initial membership fee that could cost much more than the price of a second-home. Some people even sell their second home to join.

There's also an annual fee that would make a budget traveller weep.

All this money and you don't even own anything; except for a taste of luxury. But if you can afford the membership fee, then you have enough luxury in your life already.

So it's a luxurious change of scenery.

Some destination clubs have stepped up a gear and are now offering luxury homes based on a single theme; as a way to stand out from the crowd.

While money might not be an object for many affluent travellers thinking about joining a destination club, shrewd research and attention to contract details should be applied as poorly-run and under-funded clubs can disappear faster than the value of shares in a Wall Street crash.

Spanish Language Schools

2007-02-27T23:52:00.000+01:00

At Travel Notes, we get a number of website submissions from language schools; most of them for learning Spanish. Unfortunately, we don't list them all and sometimes it's hard to explain why one was listed and another not.

I was therefore intrigued when we were asked to review 123TeachMe - a Spanish Language Schools Directory.

The colour scheme of the website looks a little passive and some of the clip art in the Matching Game is a bit naff, but by moving the words across to the 'graphics' I did learn a few new Spanish words.

While billed as a 'Spanish Language Schools Directory', there's plenty of practical help for those wishing to learn Spanish online; from Beginner Spanish Lessons to Intermediates.

Looking at the directory again, schools are supposedly sorted by location and activity.

The location part is easy enough but I found the 'activity' section rather confusing; especially as when I clicked through to a few of the websites I didn't see much about the 'keyword' activities they claimed to offer.

Some of the websites 123TeachMe list, we definitely wouldn't have linked to; like the 'one page' on a Fortune City free webspace. And for one of the schools in Paraguay, the link went to Lonely Planet.

I was wondering how schools went about getting themselves listed and eventually found out in the FAQ section. I also learnt that some 'language school' websites were fronts for sales agents.

No wonder we get so many language school submissions to Travel Notes. And maybe that's why we don't list them all. Something just doesn't feel right when we read the details on our submission form, or visit the so-called language school webite; although 123TeachMe claim that 'it is often impossible for a student to differentiate between the website of a legitimate language school and the website of a sales agent'.

I hope for your sake that we can, otherwise try 123TeachMe.com.

Celebrating The Best in Travel Blogging

2007-02-18T22:45:00.000+01:00

Things move fast in Blogosphere, so fast that once something is announced, and a 'ripple of buzz' is created, it's already over; lest the blogging attention span is gone, or worse - the spammers arrive.

No sooner had Chicago-based Mark Ashley, of Upgrade Travel Better, announced (during the headline-grabbing, build up to the award-ceremony season for performing artists - The Oscars and Grammys) that he would create The Travvies....... than nominations had closed.

You had to travel there fast to make the list, or have a loyal fan with an ear to the ground to touchdown in time and nominate you.

The 2007 Travvies Timetable
Tuesday, January 30th, 2007
Announcement of intent: 'Any travel blog that existed in 2006 and that generated at least 52 posts in 2006 is open for consideration. The primary focus of blogs should be on some aspect of travel'.

One post a week would have made a travel site eligible.

Monday, February 5th, 2007
Nominations begin, from the general public; where readers could 'post their nominations for the appropriate category via the comments section of the post announcing that category'.

Monday, February 12th, 2007
Nominations are closed.

So What Happens Now?

'A panel of invited judges will investigate and select their top 3 selections in each category. The five blogs in each category that are most often chosen by the judges as finalists will be presented as the finalists for each respective category. Judges have been invited on the basis of their expertise in travel, media, and web culture. To prevent conflict of interest, no one who themselves writes a travel blog can serve as a judge. To prevent "tampering," the judges' names will be announced along with the finalists, not before'.

Finalists will be announced on February 21, and voting will begin immediately via an online poll.

Polling closes February 28 at 6pm, Chicago time (CST).
The winner in each category will be the finalist who receives the most votes from the general public.

Winners will be announced on March 2nd.

As there's often a lot of media speculation and comment on the merits of the performers nominated for 'Oscars' and 'Grammys', here at Travel Notes we'll be doing the same with the 2007 Travvies.

And the categories are......

Best Travel Blog:
'As the overall winner, this award will go to a blog whose travel-related writings have been consistently interesting, entertaining, useful, well-written, or otherwise worth spending time reading'.

Best Destination Blog:
'This award celebrates the best travel blog focusing on particular destinations — cities, countries, whatever. Quality writing and/or photography that make you want to book a flight to that location'.

Best Informative/Practical Travel Blog:
This award goes to a travel blog that provides news, commentary, advice, or general insight into the workings of travel. Unlike a destination blog, this blog is more practically minded.

Best Group-Written Travel Blog:
'This award celebrates travel blogs consistently written by two or more authors, regardless of subtopic'.

Best Single-Author Travel Blog:
This award celebrates the best travel blog writing by a single blogger. Again, the topic is open, as long as there is only one regular poster.

Best Photography on a Travel Blog:
'Some blogs focus more on the visuals than the writing. This award celebrates the best in visual media on a travel blog'.I know blog entries usually start with new posts at the top but as this is the introduction index it's posted, for effect, after the reviews.

The reviews will follow down from here in reverse order: so that we post the review you'll hopefully be reading last, first - that's if you read the whole review in a linear fashion.

Best Photography on a Travel Blog

2007-02-18T22:40:00.000+01:00

2007 Travvies Nominations: Best Photography on a Travel Blog

Some blogs focus more on the visuals than the writing. This award celebrates the best in visual media on a travel blog.

Posted in order of nomination.

Exposed Planet:
Not a photo a day here, rather Harry Kikstra's collection of landscapes, mountains and South America. Starting from the image on the index page, you have to work backwards or click on one of the categories. As Harry is a mountaineer, he gets up to the places that not many people go. Too many close-ups of faces though.

Michael Simon On The Road:
New York City to South America overland. The photographs are too linear for my liking and lacking in descriptions. Some editing and better use of the material would have helped. Since this has been moved from blogger to its own domain, Michael needs to get into his document source and correct the feed URLs in the head tag.

Notes From The Road:
There is some excellent use of compelling photography as background images, blending into introductions to various regions. There's a lot of content around the site in general. Using links in the RSS feed is not so compelling though; especially as some of the different feed headlines linked to the same article.

Fred Miranda:
An overall stylish presentation from Digital Darkroom, presenting their 'weekly assignment' winners together with product reviews. There were over 1,000 'photographers' online when I looked - some 400 of them registered members. Each snippet links to the other entries in the assignment (viewable to guests) but non-members can't access the WA board and there's no RSS feed. Not really devoted to travel but more to photography with some images that could be considered travel-related.

lifevicarious - pixelpost:
I'm afraid a 'daily photograph' with technical camera details and no further comment does little for me; unless the images are outstanding. And these are not.

The DC Traveller:
I'm on cable modem and the loading of this site caused my browser to hang. Nice and clean enough, except for the flashing new message and cheap smiley ads, but nothing special. Use the RSS feed if you want your browser to load faster.

My Travel Backpack:
User-submitted photos of themselves, or friends, standing in a scenic setting. This is followed by details about the 'pack' and a location map of where the photo was taken. Seems like a unique concept and the site is clean. Sadly, someting was wrong with the image paths and they didn't show up in the Feedburner feeds.

Melody's Travel Blog:
Illustrated adventures in Goa and Singapore but it doesn't look like there's enough posts there to make the cut. The place was quiet for almost a year before the nomination; two posts since then.

Let's Visit Asia:
Like the DC Traveller, this is another b5media production and a browser-hanging website waiting for cheap ads to load on the main page, so use the RSS feed for best results.

Select World Travel:
They may have 'won a couple of travel agent awards' but they shouldn't really be in contention for this one. Too many glossy, promotional campaigns (obviously not created by themselves) and not enough real visual stimulation.

Flickr Blog:
Content supplied by the snap-happy community in a major way. Being the 'online photo management and sharing application of choice', for a large cross-section of the blogging world, images are not hard to come by; some of them really very good. But it's what Flickr do with them on their blog that should count, in my opinion.

True Flavour Memories:
'A blog by Donald Woo, co-founder of Trufflers (Thai boutique travel host); about living, travelling and eating' [in Thailand]. May be to your taste, if you like a glaring pink frame around every picture. Their attempt at branding with every image distracts the eye from what it should be looking at.

Flight Level 390:
Sorry if my bleary eyes are getting to me but this is nothing more than a blog with some very average pictures on it. Fly over there at your peril.

Final Verdict

We all know what Flickr is great for and My Travel Backpack is a nice concept.

But in my opinion, Notes From The Road edges slightly ahead

Technorati: travvies

Best Single-Author Travel Blog

2007-02-18T22:35:00.000+01:00

Best Single-Author Travel Blog

This award celebrates the best travel blog writing by a single blogger. Again, the topic is open, as long as there is only one regular poster.

With some 70 nominations, and a few coming in after the nominations had closed, this is a popular section and will take some serious reviewing to make the deadline I've set.

Posted in order of nomination.

View From The Wing:
Plenty of useful information for jet travellers looking for a little 'flyer talk', along with some use of images but not really a contender.

The Cranky Flier:
Brett, the airline dork, has worked in aviation and the travel business. The second nomination in line edges up the runway ahead of the first.

Killing Batteries:
'Leif Pettersen’s battery-powered rise to the zenith of travel writing rapture' is a nice enough read but as far as awards go, it's just a little flat. There's plenty of substance to the posts, so worth going along with your jump-leads to help spark the blogger-reader interaction that the writing deserves.

Tim Leffel’s Cheapest Destinations:
'Bargain destinations, travel values, and cheap places to vacation'. Rich enough to deserve its nomination.

Andy HoboTraveller:
The Hobo has been around for ages, both travelling and blogging, so will not seem like a tramp off the street to most of you; even Forbes and The Guardian have mentioned him before.

AviationDaily on Airports:
Probably in the wrong terminal here and might take-off better in the 'Best Informative/Practical' category; depending on the competition.

AviationViews:
Spicing up airline news is not the easiest of things to do. Grounded due to fog.

The World, My Playground:
Adventuregirl puts on a good display in the playground. Sharp photographs blend in well with the soothing colour scheme, making it a pleasure to read the writing.

Learning Cantonese:
My thoughts are that the guest blogger's entries invalidate Daisann McLane for this nomination.

Vagablogging:
Again, invalid due to the number of posters.

How Conor is Spending All His Money:
The travelling is done and we're moving to Nepal to start an orphanage.

MaxaBlog:
Rudy Maxa's 'savvy traveler news' is another I would prefer to think about again, if it's in the 'Best Informative/Practical Travel Blog' category.

Funchilde:
Around the World in 100 (or so) Days - is the tagline and I'm still pondering with this one. It hasn't really thrown me overboard. It's not that there's anything wrong, I just can't find that extra-special, what's really right with it, kind of feel. Maybe I need 100 or so more days for it to grow on me.

Megan Lyles:
Megan's bus trip from New York City to the tip of South America, with photographer-partner Michael Simon. Sadly, as it's more of an archive now, the entry has a flat tyre as far as the awards are concerned.

The Tranquilo Traveler:
Joshua Berman is the author of numerous award-winning guidebook titles with Avalon Travel Publishing's Moon Handbooks series. I've a feeling it's not the winner here though.

Fly Away Cafe:
Another b5media blog to stall my browser; which kind of puts me in the wrong frame of mind before I start. There's almost enough time to make a coffee while I'm waiting. And I could do with one right now, especially after clicking a link - and then sadly, right-clicking the mouse; back to lag-city.

Escape Blog:
'Getting there is only part of the equation, making sure you don’t piss off the locals is where the excitement begins'. If you say so, but won't break out of the shackles here.

The Seattle Traveller:
Sadly, b5media again.Which makes me feel that any aspiring, travel-award-worthy scribe should trek off to somewhere more reader-friendly.

Online Travel Review:
Daily airline news by Jared Blank; a former travel analyst with Jupiter Research who's a slave to Continental's OnePass, complains frequently about the 737 being used on transcon flights, is obsessed with Icelandair and has a little fan club in the nomination comments.

Travel Sweeps:
The link was posted badly in the nomination thread but we won't hold that against them. Writing on the web is not just about the words and what it does for the reader. It helps if it looks appealing to tired eyes too. Barbara Benham has done this well and is up there with the best of them. The subject is worthy too. Who doesn't want to win a travel sweepstake? Bookmarked and subscribing to feed.

Budget Globetrotting:
Nick is an 18 year-old, aspiring world traveller from the 'United States’ mundane Midwest', as he puts it. The purpose of this blog is basically to find budget travel ideas for his own future shoestring trips around the world. He's put a fair amount of work into it already and could be one to keep an eye on; especially if budget travel is your thing.

'Melody’s Travel Blog' was nominated again in this category but we've already reviewed it, slightly negatively, in the 'Best Photography on a Travel Blog' category. It certainly doesn't sound any better for being nominated here. As with 'Lets Visit Asia'.

Travelistic Blog:
It's a shame this travel site was nominated in what I consider to be the wrong category. The writing isn't sharp enough here, which isn't surprising when it mainly presents videos for travellers. It would not have pushed our top two choices but it may well have closed down a stop and focused itself somewhere between Flickr and My Travel Backback; with some cosmetic changes on the layout and a free link check to weed out the broken images; on the internal, archived pages.

Wendy Perrin posted in the comments to nominate 'Upgrade: Travel Better' - 'For recognizing that travel blogs deserve recognition, starting The Travvies, and raising the profile of those lesser-known but great travel blogs out there'.

Now as Wendy is so humble, the PerrinPost gets our honourable mention. It really is what travel writing on the web should be about. The writing is crisp and the photography; especially the currently-running 'tropical' blues and greens, really makes you want to be there; if you don' already feel that you are.

Then a few posts later I saw that 'Perrin Post' did get a nomination. Quite right, too!

TravelerWire:
I almost cringed when I saw a blog from a site called 'Directory of Hotels' but it's
actually a very professional-looking production. The writing doesn't waffle and the
photography is sharp. A real contender.

Travel Happy:
Chris Mitchell, a British writer currently based in Bangkok, offers his own personal guide to travelling in South East Asia and Australia up for nomination. And why not? It's actually quite deserving.

Dive Happy:
Chris also has a companion blog for travellers who like to spend their time under water in Thailand and South East Asia.

Select World Travel was added to this category as well, but as with in the 'Best Photography on a Travel Blog' category, I don't feel it makes the final selection here either.

Smarter Travel put forward two of their blogs for nomination: Up Front with Tim Winship and Ship to Shore by Erica Silverstein. Both might have looked better in 'Best Informative/Practical Travel Blog' categories but don't feel right here.

Corporate America Runaway:
'Sherry escapes from NYC to travel the world' and sometimes has fun not acting her age while she does it.

Exposed Planet was already covered in the 'Best Photography' category and looks rather bare alongside the travel-writing competition here.

Happy Hotelier:
'A happy doorman, bellman, concierge, front desk agent, technology engineer, Limo driver, valet parking attendant, cleaning boy, gardener, pond- and central heating technician, personal assistant, butler, cook, designer, developer and owner of a small and very luxurious Hotel in The Hague', Dutchman Guido J. van den Elshout likes looking around for hotel-related news, publish his own hotel reviews and has a nice list of travel blogs he likes to read.

A Luxury Travel Blog:
Not quite five-star treatment here. What really bugs me is all the 'bookmark this' and 'tags' lined up before we get into the post; which are mostly just snippets, so nothing to really get into.

I don't think Nerd's Eye View deserves linking to as it's just not 'travel' enough.

Chronicles of On The Road Travel:
An online resource for independent travellers in South and Central America. I actually came across this one on MyBlogLog just the other night and added myself to the Community, which I don't very often do. I hope to see this one in the 'Best Destination Blog' category, as I feel it's better placed to do well there; considering it's not really 'written by a single blogger'.

Flight Level 390 didn't really impress me in the 'Photography on a Travel Blog' category and it didn't reach the right level here either.

And there we have it. The total number put forward didn't come out as high as I expected, due to duplicate nomination calls and one Russian nomination that I didn't bother to look at.

Final Verdict

While 'The Cranky Flier' might take-off ahead of the other aviation-related blogs, with some competition from 'Online Travel Review', I think a less-specialised travel blog has more of an all-round appeal and deserves to win this category.

'HoboTraveller' has probably been left at the side of the road this time, with 'The World, My Playground' and maybe even 'Travel Sweeps' both creatively nudging ahead (I hear a fan club over there scream with delight).

Considering Nick is yet to get seriously on the travel road, Budget Globetrotting could be one to keep an eye on in the future.

In my opinion though, the Best Single-Author Travel Blog is a close call between the equally professional productions of Perrin Post and TravelerWire.