Nine wonders in 26 days

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Planning ahead has never paid off quite so much. If you’re thinking about a big trip for the fall, kick around Abercrombie & Kent‘s “Nine Wonders of the World” excursion. A private jet will cart you to the most impressive destinations our planet has to offer over 26 days, and you just won’t want to come back to reality.

The experience kicks off on October 19 at the Four Seasons Hotel Miami, where you enjoy a welcome dinner with your fellow travelers. The next day, you dash off to Lima, Peru, which is your gateway to the former world of the Incas. Explore Machu Picchu, and roam around this part of the world for a few days.

Your next stop is Easter Island, which includes a walk through the caves of Ana Kai and a horseback archeological excursion. The lava tunnels will be particularly interesting. After Samoa, it’s off to Sydney and the Blue Mountains. Other stops on this trip include the Angkor complex of temples in Cambodia and the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities (home to relics from Tutankhamun). The full list, it feels, is endless.

Of course, this sort of life-changing experience isn’t cheap. You’ll spend close to $90,000 to enjoy the luxury that A&K puts together, but you’ll never doubt your decision.

To get a sense of the trip’s full scope, take a closer look at the itinerary.

Circus with its roots in helping refugees is in its sixth year

by Jamie Rhein on

If a trip to Cambodia is in your future this coming March or April, here’s an event to look for. Tini Tinou 2009 is a megawatt circus-type festival that has its roots in doing good works. The non-profit group Phare Ponleu Selpak, started in the l980s to help Cambodian children in Thai refugee camps by using the visual arts, has been putting on the Tini Tinou Circus Festival for the past five years.

This spring for the sixth year in a row, a bevvy of professional artists and performers from around the world will come to entertain and teach. This is a two part venture. The first part takes place in Phenom Penh from March 10-28. Along with two-weeks of workshops where artists from countries ranging France to Japan teach young Cambodian artist some tools of the trade, on the 28th, the public can enjoy the action. There will be a parade, a light show and a cabaret.

From April 2 to April 5, the festival circus moves to Battambang where Pare Ponleu Selpak (meaning Light from the Arts) is based. Here, 120 different acts from 10 different countries will dazzle and delight throughout the event.

If you want to find out more about the circus and how to pair a visit to Cambodia with a trip to this event, there are two tour operators to check out for the details. One, Asia Adventures Ltd who sent out the press release about Tini Tinou 2009 is planning tours that will take in the circus and other sites in Cambodia.

The other I found is asia trails. As the CEO of this company states in a letter posted last year, going to events and places helps boost the economy and sustain people. Tourism, then, is like a non-profit circus when you think about it.

Budget Travels’ top 10 budget destinations and a Gadling twist

by Jamie Rhein on

As you may have noticed, Gadling’s been busy this month with budget destinations. Each one we’ve found deal worthy from personal experience. Budget Travel magazine has picked top 10 budget destinations for 2009. The variety is such that anyone should be able to find a deal to his or her liking whether it’s a particular city you’re after, or a whole country. Instead of presenting them in a rated fashion, the magazine lists them according to what makes them list worthy.

Each of the suggestions offers details that range from what to do to where to stay and describes exactly each place was chosen to highlight.

Throughout the past few years, we’ve had personal experiences with these destinations ourselves. Here are the destinations with a Gadling blogger’s angle. Some bloggers are alumni and others are current.

Closer to Home

Tumbling Currencies

  • Budapest, Hungary–Erik’s first visit to Budapest was after college where he found the architecture and the women sublime.
  • Reykjavik, Iceland–The economy has helped make it a bargain. Although Brook Silva-Braga didn’t talk about Iceland’s economy in this post of his, he did give a close-up look at a pretty wild and fun camping experience.
  • Mexico– If you’re going to be driving in Mexico, Kelsey gave the tips on how to survive the experience. She and her husband drove the length of Mexico from north to south

Major Events and Anniversaries

  • Berlin–Iva headed to Berlin in June 2008 and offers her first impressions. The anniversary is the 20th year after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
  • Vancouver, B.C.–Ember Swift who spent some time at Gadling blogging about her travels in a band, spent time in Vancouver riding the SkyTrain. The upcoming Olympics have the city going through some additions that will add to the traveler’s experiences.

Before They Become Overrun

  • Cambodia–For a perfect way to see Cambodia, Erik suggests a boat trip from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, one of the most interesting trips he has had.
  • Panama–Kent’s version of Panama is from the unusual perspective of the cockpit. He was there during the riots in Panama City earlier in 2008.

Perhaps you’ve have your own ideas of budget destinations, and we have more on the way.

Top Destinations for Independent Travelers in 2009

by Kraig Becker on

BootsnAll, a great online resource for independent travelers, has put together their list of top 10 destinations for 2009. The locations on the list are lauded for the options they offer the experienced traveler who is looking to explore on his or her own.

Last year’s list was compiled by the writers and staff from BootsnAll, but for the 2009 edition they opened it up for suggestions from their very well traveled community as well. The results are ten great suggesions for experinced, adventurous travelers hoping to go abroad this year.

Some of the places on the list are a bit more obvious than others. For instances, Tasmania comes in at number ten, as Australia has long been considered a great destination for independent travelers, and the remote island maintains helps to maintain that reputation. On the other hand, the number one spot is held down by Columbia, which has not always been a great destination for visitors, independent or otherwise. But in recent years, the country has undergone a bit of a resurgence, and has now become a favorite destination for savvy travelers everywhere.

The other eight locations on the list are quite ecclectic as well, and span the globe, offering a wide variety of experiences and settings. There is something for everyone, from the outdoor adventurer to the more relaxed traveler looking for a more quiet escape. If you’re an independent traveler looking for a destination this year, you could do worse than starting with this list.

The fall of the Khmer Rouge’s 30th anniversary

by Brenda Yun on

Yesterday, the country celebrated the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979). The festivities were concentrated within the walls of the country’s capital and the site of the start of Year Zero, Phnom Penh. Based on conflicting reports, around 60,000 people crowded into the city’s Olympic stadium to remember the 2 million Cambodians who lost their lives during this horrible five-year genocide.

Ask anyone who has visited Tuol Sleng (otherwise known as the “S-21” torture prison during the Khmer Rouge) in Phnom Penh what his reaction was to this museum, and I’m certain everyone will agree they were appalled by the grim reality that nearly one half of Cambodia’s population was eliminated in one of the worst genocides in the world’s history.
I paid my visit to the museum two years ago. Its history and its people (who are some of the friendliest you will ever encounter) are living testaments to the perserverence of the human spirit. I arrived in Khmer country not knowing who Pol Pot was; I left Cambodia forever changed. This country still holds one of the dearest places in my heart.

Very little has been done to punish the members of the Khmer Rouge, but five of Pol Pot’s senior officers will likely be tried this spring — if not by 2010. Cambodians, while eager to see these men pay for their hideous crimes, are just as eager to look beyond this 5-year blip in their past. These are a most resilient people, and this country is one of the most fascinating in the world.

[via Reuters and the Associated Press]