Ajungo, the new social network platform just for travelers

by Jessica Festa on

Sick of searching through advice sites and hearing reviews from who only knows? Wish you could connect with other travelers about past or upcoming trips and events? Love social networking but wish you could interact with others in your travel niche? Then there is a brand new social media website just for travelers that brings together all of these platforms into one site.

Ajungo, created by Ben Barton and Steve Shea, is a brand new networking site that allows travelers to connect before, during, and after a trip. Here is how it works:

1) Create a profile and link all of your social networking sites. What this does is allows the site to funnel through your social networking platforms to pull information and funnel it around specific
destinations.

2) Find others who have been to your destination of choice and look through their posted trip or ask them for advice. Or, you can find others who will be in your destination of choice and plan to meet up or travel together.

3) Create your trip canvas, which consists of enabling the sites real-time travel guide feature so that the site can pull your photos and updates while you’re on your trip. This allows other travelers to learn from your experience as well as acts like a blog or trip journal by keeping your trip memories organized and sharing them with friends.

The goal of the site is to make travel more social as well as more comfortable for people going to new destinations. And, if there is any information that you do not want shared, the site will not post it without your permission.

Make connections with travelers, view their trips, find travel buddies, or just interact with others in the travel community. It is all possible on Ajungo.

Interesting indoor spaces around the world

by Laurel Miller on

I love the outdoors, to the extent that I tend to bypass or overlook exceptional indoor spaces when I’m traveling or recounting a great trip. Fortunately, Lonely Planet author/former Gadling contributor Leif Pettersen’s recent list on LP’s website has reminded me that—as many a grandmother has said—beauty is on the inside.

Pettersen says only in recent years has he developed a special appreciation for the indoors. He had ample time to contemplate his new interest “during two sadistically cold weeks last winter when I voluntarily confined myself to the Minneapolis Skyway System as a livability experiment for an article I was working on.”

He’s since started a list of “singular, practical” indoor spaces (traveloguebookdealforthewin!) of note, including (obviously) Minneapolis’ Skyway System (“The largest contiguous skyway system in the world, connecting what may be the largest contiguous indoor space anywhere.”); Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar; Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest structure; NYC’s Grand Central Terminal (aka Grand Central Station); St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, and the Queen Mary 2. Here’s to keeping warm indoors this winter.

[Photo credit: Flickr user davedehetre]

Aircruising: a new way to see the United States

by Kirsten Alana on

If you’ve grown weary of the full-body scanners, long lines and tumultuous flights hallmark of today’s typical flight experience or endured a long land cruise and found it lacking, you might be surprised to know there is an alternative.

It’s called an air cruise, or more specifically, a Mauiva AirCruise. The company, first started in Florida as an air charter company, recently released a new travel product combining the multiple itineraries of a traditional cruise with the quick connections of air travel into a new hybrid product. The experiences allow one to enjoy landmarks and activities scattered across the continent in a more timely manner than could be accomplished alone and with less overall hassle because Mauiva utilizes a combination of private plane travel and motor coach service. The consumer is thus given more time to actually experience a destination without the delays of typical commercial plane and car travel.

Each trip accommodates groups ranging from 5 to 30 people, and the company takes care of baggage and check-in services, registration and payment for key tourist attractions, a bilingual guide as well as breakfast, dinner and a snack on board every flight. Currently, there are two experiences in North America: the All American East and Western Wonder; both are guided group vacations. Travelers can book either the Comprehensive Package, which is designed to be the full Mauiva AirCruise group travel experience or a Fly & Drive, which allows the flexibility to see destinations independently while still enjoying the major amenities of private group travel.

%Gallery-134970%


So how much does it cost? The company tells us that an average adult couple will spend approximately $3,500 for a 6-day, 5-night Comprehensive Package trip on the east coast that includes lodging at an upscale chain hotel. Fly & Drive packages cost about 1/3 less.

Itineraries and dates can be researched over at the Mauiva AirCruise site, but make sure to also check back on Gading in the coming few days — rumor has it that we’ll also be reviewing one of the trips.

Partial solar eclipse highlights the 2011 Antarctic travel season

by Kraig Becker on

A visit to Antarctica is high on the list of “must see” places for travelers looking to get off the beaten path. It is the highest, coldest, driest continent on the planet, and yet it still holds an undeniable allure for many adventure seekers. They come to kayak amongst the massive ice flows, visit penguin colonies, and to step foot in a place that few people ever get to see. This year, a few lucky visitors will also get the opportunity to witness a solar eclipse.

On November 25th, a partial solar eclipse will take place in the southernmost regions of the planet, making it only visible in New Zealand and the Antarctic. While the kiwis will have just 20% of the sun obscured from view, the Antarctic Peninsula will see nearly 90% of our star blocked from sight as the moon passes in front of it. Anyone traveling through the region on that day is sure to have a once in a lifetime experience.

Adventure travel specialists Quark Expeditions is not only preparing for the impending Antarctic cruise season, which begins in November, they’re currently offering a 15% discounts on all of their cruises scheduled to take place during the eclipse. The company has two different itineraries available and four separate cruises that will be in the Antarctic when the celestial event takes place.

It isn’t often that you know that a travel experience is going to be truly unique and special before you even go. But I’d say witnessing a solar eclipse over the Antarctic Peninsula ranks as an unforgettable sight.

[Photo credit: sancho_panza via WikiMedia]

AdventureSmith announces new line of adventure cruises for 2012

by Kyle Ellison on


AdventureSmith Explorations, one of the world’s leading companies for small-ship adventure cruises, has announced a new line of cruise packages for the upcoming winter and deep into 2012.

Having just concluded a summer season of small boat adventure cruises throughout Alaska, Canada, and deep into the Arctic, AdventureSmith is gearing up for cruises that leave the cold winter weather behind and head for the warmth of the tropics.

What kind of adventures you ask? How about an 8 day tour through Hawaii that includes kayaking, whale watching, and waterfall trekking through one of the state’s most secluded valleys? Or perhaps you’d rather snorkel the turquoise reefs off of Panama‘s Las Perlas Islands and scour Costa Rica‘s Manuel Antonio National Park in search of three-toed sloths?

While I love tropical destinations as much as the next person, I also enjoy straying far from the beaten path every once in a while as well. That’s why I’d probably look into a late-spring trip that navigates the sparsely populated islands of the Ring of Fire between northern Japan and eastern Russia. Eventually concluding the journey at a Russian submarine base, clients have the option of helicoptering to the Valley of the Geysers, a UNESCO World Heritage site that’s potentially home to the largest amount of geothermal activity found outside of Yellowstone National Park.

Helicopters, geysers, and submarines? Count me in.