Video of the Day: Antarctic baby seals

by Meg Nesterov on


Antarctica has been the subject of several Photo and Video of the Day posts in the last few months, but it’s hard to resist adorable penguins and jaw-dropping icebergs. So sharing a video of baby fur seals frolicking in the sub-Antarctic was a no-brainer. National Geographic nomad and past Gadling contributor Andrew Evans is currently crossing oceans on a Cape (Horn) to Cape (Good Hope) trip and caught up with these cuties on the island of South Georgia, home to 95% of the world’s population of fur seals. Andrew explains in the video how the female seals will spend much of their lives breeding and the little ones will have to quickly demonstrate how “fierce” they are to survive. You can even catch a glimpse of a rare “blondie” fur seal as your jealousy of Andrew’s fabulous travels mounts.

Tell us about your fiercest travel videos and leave us a link in the comments, or add your photos to the Gadling Flickr pool.

Video of the day: How to achieve your one travel dream

by Melanie Renzulli on


“What is your one travel dream above all other travel dreams?”

This is the opening question from Gadling friend Andrew Evans, who was recently invited to the TEDxDanubia conference in Budapest to present a talk on pursuing your travel dreams. Andrew’s one travel dream was to see Antarctica and he details how he managed to get there by planning less, trusting more, and always traveling with a sense of wonder.

If you are in need of a push to go after your travel goals, spend 15 minutes listening to Andrew’s incredibly inspirational talk. I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.

Crossing Japan in a day with National Geographic’s Digital Nomad

by Kraig Becker on

With its unique culture, diverse landscapes, and rich history, Japan has long been a popular destination for travelers visiting Asia. The country offers everything from sprawling high tech cities to beautiful countrysides, and is as captivating for its food and art, as it is for its people. National Geographic’s Digital Nomad Andrew Evans has been traveling through Japan for several weeks now, posting on everything from the country’s love for baseball to the therapeutic experience that comes with a “sand bath.”

One of the more interesting aspects of traveling through Japan is the bullet train, so named because of their distinctive shapes and the fact that they routinely hit speeds in excess of 150 mph. The trains are well known for being safe, efficient, and on time, making them a popular way to get around the country. Recently, Andrew, who has written for Gadling on numerous occasions, wanted to see if he could cross the length of the country by train in a single day – a journey of more than 1200 miles. The result is the video below, which gives us a glimpse of the urban landscapes that dot Japan, while providing insights into what its like to travel on their famous trains – sushi box and all.


Want to win a trip to Australia’s Northern Territory? Hie thee to Twitter.

by McLean Robbins on

Here at Gadling, we’re not above shameless self-promotion. Particularly when the prize is a free trip to Australia for one lucky winner.

Our blogger-at-large, Andrew Evans, just returned from a month-long trip to Australia and he’s hosting a Twitter-based contest to send a winner (plus a friend) on a similar journey.

The best part? Entering is simple. Just tweet @WheresAndrew with the reason that the Northern Territory is the place you’d most like to visit in Australia. Be sure to include the hashtag #Takeme2NT or your entry won’t count – that leaves just 130 characters!

The rules are fairly simple. You must follow Andrew on Twitter, Fan the Northern Territorry on Facebook, and compose a tweet answering the above question.

The winner of the “best tweet” (decided by an external body in the Northern Territory) will win two round-trip tickets from the winner’s nearest flight departure city to either Darwin or Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia and a five-day rental of a Britz 4WD camper van.

Hurry, the contest ends February 11. Full contest details are avaiable here.

Follow Andrew Evans and Intelligent Travel on an adventure around the world

by Grant Martin on

Our good friend and writer-at-large Andrew Evans is on the road with National Geographic for the next few months, writing, video blogging and tweeting his adventure around the planet.

As part of his engagement with readers he’s leaving clues and tidbitds about his journey scattered across the interwebs, like tiny bread crumbs of travel fodder for his faithful fans to gobble up. Our favorite so far? From @wheresandrew:

My take on #Vegemite: If “oil spill” was an artisanal cheese.

Check out one of the opening videos from his journey below. You can follow the rest over at Intelligent Travel or on the Twitters.