GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of September 24

Time for another weekly wrap-up of some delicious Gadling finds from the week that was. I’d like to think of it like seconds of a most incredible dessert.

5. Locals Only, Whatever:
Iva blogged about this issue just yesterday, but she gives you a little food for thought on the big locals only issue most travelers tend to face. To go where the locals only go or to hang with your tourist friends in new cities and places? I don’t know. Some days it’s good to kick it with the locals and on some it’s cool to hang with someone who is just as clueless as you in your fancy foreign travel destination. What to do?

4. Mt. Biking the Land of Rising Sun:

When I read this piece I had the same feelings Erik did – mountain biking in Japan? Sure we would never put it past a place with such spectacular beauty, not to mention mountains, and to give us a clearer picture of the mountain biking scene he points us to a fine piece out of Mountainzone. Check it out.

3. Packing Your Bike:
While I’m on the subject of biking here’s a blurb everyone whose traveling with their bike for the first-time, second-time, or tenth-time might want to read on packing your bike and shipping it with you. Make sure you’re getting less hassle and more bang for your buck. For instance some airlines charge an additional fee for boxing your bike and shipping it while others are said not to.

2. Volunteer Vacation Day One: Shovels, Buckets & the Pit:

If you may have noticed I was away for a sweet three weeks in the Central Asian land of Tajikistan. What was I doing so far off and away? Glad you asked. I was helping to build homes with Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village program. If you’ve ever wanted to do a volunteer vacation of your own and need ideas check out this one and tell me what you think.

1. Yahoo’s New Video Travel Site:
I love hearing about new travel sites just as much as the next man or woman. With Neil’s watchful eye we are alerted on Yahoo’s new video site which in fact looks very much like bookmark material. So head on over to Yahoo, give it a look and tell them Gadling sent ya!