World’s most dangerous destinations

by Iva Skoch on

When writing my blog about the recent violence in Chicago last night, I stumbled upon the Forbes list of the world’s most dangerous destinations for 2008.

Here they are:

  • Somalia
  • Iraq
  • Afghanistan
  • Haiti
  • Pakistan
  • Sudan
  • Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Lebanon
  • Zimbabwe
  • Palestine

Although some of these might not exactly be tourist destinations, it is interesting how that list has changed over the years.

Forbes writes that “in the 1970s, a traveler’s worst nightmare might have been a hijacked plane or hostage crisis. Today, the threats are equally perilous but reflect the changing times. Now, a tourist or business traveler might worry more about terrorist attacks on mass transit, getting caught in a spontaneous uprising or a bombing of a nightclub or hotel.”

Cities packed with billionaires

by Iva Skoch on

It has happened. Moscow has beat New York as the city most packed with billionaires, according to this Forbes research. Whereas New York has only 71, Moscow is now home to 74 billionaires (and probably also 740,000 starving people, but that is beside the point.)

  1. Moscow – 74
  2. New York – 71
  3. London – 36
  4. Istanbul – 34
  5. Hong Kong – 30
  6. Los Angeles – 24
  7. Mumbai 20
  8. San Francisco – 19
  9. Dallas – 15 (tie)
  10. Tokyo – 15 (tie)

The one that got me was Istanbul. Istanbul? What’s so lucrative going on in Istanbul? Why not Dubai?

What strange things have been found on planes?


Click the image to read the bizarre story…

Outdoor Gear for Metrosexuals

by Iva Skoch on

I was browsing through Forbes.com this morning and found an article titled Multipurpose Outdoor Gear. Needles to say, it caught my eye. What can Forbes possibly say about outdoor gear?

Actually, I learned a lot. Apparently, parkas by Prada are all the rage.

It is not a shocking revelation, I suppose. Just like Jeeps are no longer seen off-road; outdoor wear is not really for the outdoors anymore. The “ruggedly handsome” look is in. Facial hair, casual clothing…you get the idea.

David Makuen, vice president of marketing for Eddie Bauer said to Forbes that “George Clooney, Matthew McConaughey, even Brad Pitt really made an impact on casual clothing, with their rough-around-the-edges looks. The unshaven, disheveled look became mass, and it inevitably had an affect on clothes.”

REI is apparently packed with guys buying outdoor gear that “looks good” yet they have little intention to ever actually take it outdoors. Is it a strange world we live in, or what.

(By the way, the Loro Piana Outdoorsman Vest from the photo is available for $1325 at Bergdorf Goodman. It will look splendid in that $15/night hostel in Uzbekistan, trust me.)

The World’s Craziest Sports

by Justin Glow on

Forbes Traveler is running an interesting story on what they’re calling the world’s craziest sports, including chess boxing, typewriter tossing, cheese chasing, camel wrestling, and something called kabaddi, an Asian sport that’s a mix between the popular children’s game of tag, and swimming — without the water. The game “involves trying to ‘tag’ members of an opposing team and making it back to your side of the court,” explains Forbes Traveler. “all while holding your breath.”

Or how about the World Series of Elephant Polo? “… this sport can look freakish. Elephants move surprisingly fast (remember that on your next walking safari), but they’re not exactly maneuverable.”

For even more bizarre sports from around the world, visit Forbes Traveler.

America's Cleanest & Greenest Cities

by Adrienne Wilson on

The Ames-Boone area
of Iowa normally doesn’t get mentioned around here too much, but it’s time to turn things around or our travel
destinations at least. Forbes.com runs an
interesting health piece which highlights America’s greenest and
cleanest cities. The listing is based on ozone pollution and particles from data collected by the American Lung
Association’s 2005 set of statistics and according to other research studies pollution is costing a pretty penny. For
businesses it pays to be clean and  for the curious vagabond just looking to roam aimlessly – where better to
spend your time than in clean destinations like those found on their list?

Newton, Iowa or Sioux Falls, South Dakota may not
come off as exciting as NYC, LA or Miami, but who needs the smog and increased exhaust fumes leaking from almost every
vehicle in big city traffic jams? Not me and certainly not you, so if seeing is believing and better for our health
plan ahead before being clean suddenly becomes trendy. The top 10 cleanest and greenest areas in America are as
follows:

  1. Ames-Boone, Iowa
  2. Bellingham,
    Washington
  3. Brownsville-Harlingen-Raymondville, TX
  4. Cedar
    Rapids, Iowa
  5. Colorado Springs, CO
  6. Deltona-Daytona
    Beach-Palm Coast, FL
  7. Des Moines-Newton-Pella, Iowa
  8. Duluth,
    Minn., Wisconsin
  9. Eugene-Springfield, OR
  10. Fargo-Wahpeton,
    North Dakota., Minn

For a complete list with all
25 visit Forbes and be sure to check out the slide show. It’s so clean you won’t believe your own eyes.