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Alternative TravelColleen KaledaArticlesSurprises on the Panama Canal: A Travel Journal After spending 14 hours on a bus getting to Panama from Costa Rica, I was ready to stretch my legs along the famous waterway. Little did I know that I was in store for a different -- and much more interesting -- experience. Packing Up: Leave the shaving cream home (and other advice) A few tidbits on how to pack right, culled from my personal packing successes and mistakes. Here I describe three "alternative" places on the Big Island of Hawaii that truly gave me pause. If you go, tread lightly, tell only a few, and ENJOY. Dreaming about escaping to another place? If intriguing trips and amazing deals perk your interest, then you'll want to check out some of my recent web discoveries. Here I describe a handful of travel web sites that are so addictive that I couldn't keep them to myself. If you become addicted, ... Here's how a cracking road, some flexible travel companions, some Good Samaritans with a truck, frolicking humpback whales and an ancient temple made for a memorable day in Hawaii. Celebrating Travel: Here's to 2000 As a new millenium dawns, I invite you to resolve to travel -- to wander farther and learn more. Spoiled on Waterfalls: How to deal with travel blahs You don't have to love everything you see -- or everything others think you should see -- on a trip. When you reach a saturation point, listen to your gut. And don't feel guilty about it. In a historic move this week, the Sein Finn and the Ulster governments came together to govern -- together -- Ireland's troubled north. The good news sparked some fond memories of meeting some Dubliner cousins recently, where I learned why they call Ireland "land of the welcomes." Beyond Boring Politics: Washington D.C.'s Alter Ego Washington, D.C.'s neighborhoods are where it's at! Skip The Mall and find the soul -- yes, one actually exists -- of America's capital city. Behind the Desk: Confessions of a Former Hostel Worker So many nationalities all gathered in one place made me feel like a globe was spinning around my body as I stood still. Algeria, Slovenia and Pakistan might walk by one night; South Africa, Chile and Indonesia the next. Traveling is not about glitz and glamour, unless of course, you're headed to Monaco. So why spend the equivalent of the presidential suite at the Ritz just to get somewhere? Answer: There is absolutely no good reason to spend a lot of money on airfares. None. Nada. Zip. Look here for ... Here I share five local hotspots that no visitor to Seattle should miss. From a native who loves to go back again and again, enjoy. Just don't tell anyone. The Rugged West Coast of Vancouver Island, Canada Autumn travels recently took me into the rainforest of Pacific Rim National Park. The remote western coast of this uncrowded island is an alternative traveler's dream. Natural wonders abound and totem poles appear in the strangest places. And sometimes, like I did, you'll find your animal spirit guide waiting for you. ... Mexico: An Alternative to Mass Tourism? Is Mexico overtouristed? In some places, yes. But that's no reason to give up on an budget travel destination full of culture, natural wonders and of course fabulous food. There's nothing like traveling on your own, especially if you're a woman. The adventure! The exhiliration! The sense of accomplishment! But do so without safety precautions, and your trip could have a early ending. Here I offer some easy safety tips for both city and country travel, plus some great travel ... Eco-Tourism for Dummies: A How-To for First-Time Ecotourists With the help of The Ecotourism Society and The Center for Responsible Tourism, I've outlined 15 questions and 10 tips to get you started as an ecotourist. Independent Travel in Costa Rica: What You Should Know Headed to Costa Rica? Here I give the lowdown on independent, eco-friendly travel to the country, offer up my itinerary, plus add a few nuggets of advice to the not-so world weary. Enjoy! Time & Tide: Journal from the Osa Peninsula Another dispatch from Central America -- this time from a tiny community called San Josecito in Costa Rica's remote Osa Peninsula. Here, schedules stop in favor of fresh fish, an impromptu football game or just watching the coconuts fall. Livin´ La Pura Vida, Costa Rican Style Hola from Centro Americano! I´m writing from Costa Rica, the home of some of the richest biodiversity in the world. Come alone with me as I backpack through "la jungla" of this gem of a country. Viva Costa Rica! Cash and Culture: How to Get an Overseas Job Need some money to travel with? Just want to see the world? Working overseas not only fills your pockets, but gives you a locals-eye view of a different country. Same Focus, Different Name: Alternative Travel is for Everyone GenerationX Travel recently morphed into Alternative Travel. The search for an authentic, socially responsible, "alternative" travel experience spans age boundaries. Independent travelers beware: cruise and lose. Here I describe my struggle to get some travel out of a cruise vacation. The end result? Try as I might to create my own experience, the cruise industry has a tight (money-sucking) headlock on passengers. Twentysomethings on the Trail: Kauai's Na Pali Coast Another lesson disguised in a true story, this time when I and a companion tackle one of the most challenging hiking trails in the Hawaiian islands: the Na Pali, on Kauai's inaccessible Northwest coast. Woman on the Move: Yours Truly in Portugal Okay! Time for some stories from the road! I'm prepared to share some of my travel experiences with all of you Internet readers. The first article recounts a particularly hairy overnight train ride in Portugal. I'm sharing my story as an example of a situation that a woman travelling alone probably ... Independent Travelers: Remember the Three G's Keeping it real in travel means remembering why you do this in the first place. Closely connected to the reasons we go are the "three g's": gumption, gregariousness, and good humor. Five Thousand Places to Meet People: Youth Hostels To get the most out of a trip, stay at a youth hostel. You won't regret it. The best trips come to those who wait - for the off season The delights of off-season travel Travel for Twentysomethings: Why Now? Welcome to GenerationX Travel! What better way to begin this site than talk about the Who (the twentysomething) What (travel) When (now) Where (anywhere) and Why (why not?) of travel? |
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