Learn photography skills while trekking the Himalaya

by Kraig Becker on

A few days back we listed some of the top opportunities for learning new skills while traveling, and today we have a similar opportunity that will give you the chance to build your photography and videography skills while trekking through Tibet next spring.

The Everest Trek 2010 is being billed as “the highest photography and videography workshop in the world” and it is being put hosted by Chris Marquardt and Jon Miller. Marquardt has one of the best known photography podcasts on the Internet in Tips From the Top Floor, while Miller is the producer of the Rest of Everest, a video podcast that is the most comprehensive look at climbing the tallest mountain on the planet that you’ll find anywhere. Both will give their fellow travelers insightful and important tips on improving their skills as photographers and videographers in daily workshops set against the dramatic backdrop of the Himalaya.

The duo’s first trek and workshop combination, was held earlier this year and was a huge success. On that first trek trip, the destination was Everest Base Camp on the South Side of the mountain, in Nepal. This year, the journey will take the team to Tibet, where they’ll explore the North and East Sides of Everest, on a four week long odyssey that will begin and end in Kathmandu.

If you are interested in joining the expedition, registration will open on Sunday, September 20th at 9:00AM MDT (UTC -7). Last year the entire trek sold out in less than a minute, and demand is expected to be high again for the 2010 edition as well. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis, giving those first to apply, the first chance to join the trek.

This is a learning vacation that offers an adventurous trek through one of the planet’s most stunning environments. And while the North Side of Everest gets a lot of traffic in the spring of each year, the East Side of the mountain is seldom visited, and remains a remote, and rugged wilderness. That alone makes this a unique experience, but add in the daily workshops, and you’re sure to have a once in a lifetime vacation.

Indie Travel Podcast launches new magazine

by Katie Hammel on

Craig and Linda Martin have been traveling the world together since 2006. In that time, they’ve launched the Indie Travel Podcast and turned it into a successful website (they were named Best Podcast in Lonely Planet’s 2009 Travel Blog Awards) and an excellent source of information for the independent traveler. Now, in a time when major glossies seem to be folding right and left, they’ve launched a magazine. You’ve got to admire that kind of moxie.

The Indie Travel Podcast website combines inspiring destination features with practical advice, like how to use Skype and other internet phone services or what to look for when booking a hostel. There are also entertaining and informative podcasts, videos and hotel reviews. The newly launched magazine combines the best features of the website with the same Indie Travel focus – it’s geared towards independent, adventurous travelers, and budget and long-term travelers.

The Indie Travel Podcast Magazine launches September 1. There will be four issues per year, available at NZ$40 (around US$27) including postage. I had a chance to take a sneak peak and was quite impressed with the quality of the production and the writers (familiar names in the blogosphere) attached to the project.

The feature articles are fresh and interesting – Tim Patterson’s article on the Kachin Independence Army in Burma put a human face on war, and Lola Akinmade’s photos of Lagos were stunning – and the regular columns promise to be informative and helpful – Kim Mance will offer practical advice for woman traveling solo and Christine Gilbert will show us how to be “location independent” so we can earn a living while traveling the world. In the premier issue, there are also blog reviews, an interview with round-the-world traveler Gary Arndt, a guide to tapas in Seville, book reviews, and profiles of Tonga, Egypt, Alaska, Angor Wat and the Baltic capitals of Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius.

If you’ve ever felt out of touch with the Travel + Leisure set (you know, those who file a $200 per night hotel under “budget options”) or if you’re just looking for more inspiration and practical information to feed your wanderlust, check out the Indie Travel Podcast Magazine. I think as the mag continues to grow, the quality will get even better. Plus, I’m a sucker for moxie, and I like the idea of supporting two “indie” travelers with the courage to follow their dreams.

Listen to Times Online’s eco-holiday discussion today!

by Brenda Yun on

The Times (UK) is launching a new series of online chats with a discussion on green travel this morning at 8 a.m. EST (1 p.m. London time). Richard Hammond and Jeremy Smith, co-authors of ‘Clean Breaks’ the new Rough Guide to eco-friendly holidays, will answer questions on green travel.

Richard Hammond, the founder of www.greentraveller.co.uk and the co-author of Clean Breaks – 500 new ways to see the world’ will answer questions and recommend fun holidays that tick the right green boxes. Hammond also wrote an article about 10 green trips for The Times last week, which was based on his Clean Breaks book. He wrote a second article for Times Online on the ‘opposition’ – his five favourite green travel guidebooks.

Jeremy Smith, the former Editor of The Ecologist and co-author of ‘Clean Breaks’ will also be on hand to give advice. They will be joined by Steve Keenan, Times Online Travel Editor and Ginny McGrath, Times Online Assistant Editor.

To join the discussion, go to http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/holiday_type/green_travel/article6741434.ece.

The Worlds Highest Photography and Videography Workshop

by Kraig Becker on

A unique trek is about to get underway in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is a combination of adventure travel and photography/videography workshop that will see ten lucky people spending the next three weeks exploring the Himalaya, while receiving expert instruction in how to shoot better photographs and video.

Everest Base Camp Trek 2009 is the brainchild of professional photographer Chris Marquardt, who hosts the Tips from the Top Floor photography podcast, and professional videographer Jon Miller, who hosts The Rest of Everest, a video podcast that is the most comprehensive look at climbing in the Himalaya you’ll find anywhere. Each day, Chris and Jon will provide lessons, tips, and inside information to those joining them on the trek, all the while hiking up to Everest Base Camp, located at 17,500 feet.

Right now, Chris, Jon, and the rest of their team are gathering in Kathmandu, and the trek/workshop will get underway in the next few days. They’ll spend a little time siteseeing in Kathmandu, before flying off to Lukla and begin the actual trek up the Khumbu Valley. Most days will be spent on well marked trails which lead to Himalayan villages, and like most visitors to the region, they’ll spend the night in traditional tea houses.

But the aspect that sets this trek apart from all the others, is the workshop. Several hours each day will be set aside for photography and videography instruction. The students will then have the chance to immeditely put what they’ve learned into action in one of the most scenic settings in the world.

The team will be posting regular updates to their website over the next few weeks, sharing their experiences along the way. Hopefully they’ll be sharing some of those amazing photos as well.

Amplified Journeys

by Brenda Yun on

Road trips can often be infuriating if you don’t have the right musical ambiance. That’s why the Hong Kong-based company Amplified Journeys is introducing an easy, pain-free way of compiling a special soundtrack for your journeys cross-continent.

Whether you’re driving from Maine to California or from Paris to Istanbul, Amplified Journeys will help you create a personalized music collection for your journey. The way it works is quite simple:

  1. From the Amplified Journeys website, enter your destination starting and ending point
  2. Then, select your preferred genre of music and a musical artist within that genre
  3. Hit “Play” and you will be given driving directions as well as cool tune suggestions that are easily downloaded from the site itself!

It really is that simple, and even the least computer savvy individual can figure it out. When I tested the site (entering Boston to New York City and rock/Boston music), I was transported to a page with a split screen where I could view my journey on a map (with driving directions), as well as a pretty eclectic playlist that matched the locations I would be driving through with songs that would match my genre preference.

You can further personalize your soundtrack by selecting the ones that you want and ignoring the rest. Within minutes you will have a great soundtrack to your awesome, amplified journey. It’s a pretty cool tool for your iPod or iPhone, or just download the songs into your iTunes library and burn your own CD!

One little tip: search for shorter (maximum 5 hours travel time) destinations, as it takes longer to compile music for lengthy trips. Just piece your trips together later.

[via Springwise.com]