Having Best Job in World Risks Best Job in World Contest

by Tom Johansmeyer on

We all know about “the best job in the world” contest. Well, it seems as though one entry could be, um, tainted. Tourism Queensland is digging into claims by London newspaper The Sun that one candidate for the Hamilton Island gig spread her legs for an illegal Russian porn studio.

All we know so far is that someone will get screwed.

Julia Yalovitsyna, one of the top 50 in the contest worked as both a model and a “coach” for other performers, according to reports from The Sun. She plied her trade in her hometown of Petrazavodsk. Allegedly, of course. Yalovitsyna is being prepared as a witness against her husband, Alexei, who is being prosecuted. Yet, she denies this, too, saying she is “shocked” by the news.

Clearly, she’s done something that resonates with fans, as her entry has garnered 42,319 votes – putting her in second place behind a Taiwanese woman named Clare (who, at least so far, does not have any clear connections to the porn business).

Thankfully, a spokeswoman from Tourism Queenland has said that Yalovitsyna will be permitted to continue in the contest. Thankfully? If work in porn (SFW) were a disqualifier, Gadling would have me out on the street.

Catch her entry video after the jump! Sorry, it’s got none of her previous “work” in it. Hell, vote for her anyway.

[Via Sydney Morning Herald]

More sexy women from the travel world


Heart-shaped Croatian island attracts curious, lovebirds

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Croatia’s geography lends itself to love. The country is blessed with a scenic coastline along the Adriatic Sea – a stretch of land that is dotted with picturesque rocky islands and scenic beach towns like Dubrovnik and Hvar. Not surprisingly, Croatia has long attracted tourists and couples – during the summer months, it’s the perfect spot for laying on the beach, island-hopping and plenty of outdoor fun.

According to the Daily Mail, Croatia’s coast is also home to another unintentionally romantic destination – a heart-shaped island recently highlighted on Google Maps. Though the island is uninhabited, tourists have recently caught on and have been clamoring for access. The island’s owners, overwhelmed by requests to visit, have renamed the small landmass as “Lover’s Island” to capitalize on the demand. I guess the original name, Galesnjak, didn’t exactly roll off the tongue…

As romantic as it may sound to head off to this remote heart-shaped landmass, take note – the island has no buildings and no access to fresh water. February temperatures are also hovering in the high 30’s. Still for some, access to one of the world’s more remote destinations (and with a theme to boot!) is powerful motivation. I guess when it comes to love, emotion sometimes trumps proper logic.

[Via Buzzfeed]

Romantic island inns

by Brenda Yun on

With Valentine’s Day approaching, the internet is teeming with romantic getaways. Forbes.com recently came out with an article about America’s most romantic places to visit, and now Coastal Living writer Steve Millburg some of his own advice about where to spend a romantic island holiday. Unfortunately, I find Millburg’s “Top 10 romantic island inns” list rather disjointed and not fully comprehensive enough to qualify as an accurate Top 10 list.

These are the places Millburg identifies in the top ten:

  1. Petit St. Vincent, Grenadines
  2. The Inn on Peaks Island, Maine
  3. The Inn at Mama’s Fish House, Maui, Hawaii
  4. The Collier Inn, Useppa Island, Florida
  5. Hotel del Coronado and Glorietta Bay Inn, Coronado Island, California
  6. English Country Garden Bed & Breakfast, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
  7. Casita de Maya, Cozumel, Mexico
  8. MacKaye Harbor Inn, Lopez Island, Washington
  9. A Water’s Edge Retreat, Kelleys Island, Ohio
  10. Jekyll Island Club Hotel, Jekyll Island, Georgia

I understand that as a magazine intended for American readers interested in coastal living, the list may need to be limited to destinations within arm’s reach of the mainland and it appears to cover the important regions in the U.S., but I would like to think this list would try to be as realistic as possible too. Starting with an inn in the Grenadines, however, Petit St. Vincent at $675 a night doesn’t just qualify as a “splurge,” but a costly investment I imagine few readers can or will be able to afford. The rest of the destinations cost within $150-300 per night.

While I’d like to think that seven of the world’s most romantic islands are in the United States, I’m almost POSITIVE that there are much more noteworthy romantic island hideaways that Millburg doesn’t account for here. I mean, if Maui qualifies as an romantic island, then what about the Maldives, St. Kitts, Bora Bora, Sardinia, Corsica, Korcula, Bali, or New Zealand while we’re at it!

The more I read these kinds of lists, the more I realize how little readers are able to expand their horizons with the content they are given. I would love to see travel writers like Millburg stretch the reader’s imagination by going global rather than staying local and regional.

Take off that swimming suit in Grenada

by Annie Scott on

The Caribbean island of Grenada has banned bathing suits! Unfortunately, they don’t want to see your bits and pieces; they want you to put on something else.

Wearing your g-string at the beach is still okay, but walk around inland with just your bikini top on? You could be slapped with a $270 Indecent Exposure fine. No shirt, no shoes, no Grenada.

It’s fair enough, we suppose, considering that walking around in your swimming suit is akin to walking around in your underwear — and they don’t like that, either, the law also applies to low-slung gangsta pants.

Recently, a group of tourists who were at a Grenada fort in beachwear were sent back to their cruise ship to change. This ain’t no St. Tropez!

[via The New Zealand Herald]

Get a tan and feel good about it.

by Annie Scott on

Catalyst Concierge, which was started by 29 year old Simone Callender, creates luxury Caribbean vacations for people who care about children.

Callender was inspired to found the company after a tenure as Governess to four children of a Middle Eastern Royal Family. Traveling the Caribbean with them, she always found the hotel concierge services, even at the grandest of resorts, insufficient. Special dietary needs? Need a private jet? Steel drum lessons? Got an unsightly rash? Callender is on top of all that.

I would imagine that dealing with four royal children for any length of time would make organizing the logistics of lying on a beach look pretty good. Most importantly, the company is doing good:

A portion of Catalyst Concierge’s profits go to benefit children internationally, including charitable organizations such as Keep a Child Alive, UNICEF, The Homeless Children’s Fund of America, and such as.

For sample itineraries and more information, visit the website! And feel good about it.