Your Vietnam

Enduring long queues in airports and crossing borders are par for the traveller’s course. But how about having a customs officer shuffle through personal photos of your partner, in a compromising state no less? A new Australian customs requirement asks that all travellers entering the country (including returning residents) declare any pornorgraphy in their possession.  Trouble is, pornography isn’t illegal in [...]

1 Comment »

When it comes to American cities, travel articles and deals often focus on just a few major destination cities over and over: New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas — and don’t forget New York. But the US is vast and dotted with cities of all shapes and sizes, so what [...]

No comments »

What is the best museum/art gallery in the world? This was the question put to our communities on Facebook and Twitter. Unsurprisingly, the most popular tourist destinations in the world came out on top. None of the top ten museums were outside North America and Europe. Is this a chicken and egg scenario…do more people go to [...]

No comments »

We asked our Twitter and Facebook communities, “What is the most beautiful bridge in the world?” Over 500 people answered the call.                     Image by Randy Son Of Robert     As to be expected there was a regional fight in America, with the Golden Gate [...]

No comments »

ANIMALS GONE WILD! If you hadn’t noticed, animals are going berserk lately. In Colorado, a bear took a Toyota for a ‘joy ride’ and smashed it into a tree; in South Africa, a whale jumped onto a sailboat (perhaps it had watched Duran Duran’s ‘Rio’ one too many times). Are they trying to stop travel? [...]

No comments »

People trying to make a travel decision often turn up on the doorstop of Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree forum, hoping that the community brains trust will help them work out where to go, when to go and who will join them on a ride from Paris to Jerusalem by horse. In this bustling land of [...]

No comments »

Orlando’s not the #1 destination in the USA for the city itself, which was an orange grove haven long before Mick Mouse showed up. But on a recent visit, to attend the opening to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I stayed in town and spent time talking with locals about the ‘other Orlando.’ And [...]

No comments »

Robert Verdi wants his own cartoon character, restaurant, island, airline, magazine, jewelry line and empire. Until then, the style/jewelry guru, at least, DOES have his own TV show, and he hosts Twitter parties at his New York studio. This Thursday, July 22, Robert’s turning his Twitter party focus to travel, and invited Lonely Planet to [...]

No comments »

One of these days Will Ferrell will do a reenactor film. The middle-management guy who needs a break from strip malls and polite weekend barbecues, he’ll see a Civil War film on a whim, a few days later he’ll drive by a blood-spattered, gray-bearded captain on horseback vainly raising his sword with a shout, and [...]

No comments »

The First Family are going to Maine this year for summer vacation, but we’re still fond of their choice last year: one the east coast’s great family getaways, Martha’s Vineyard. Our favorite sites for the family on the island: Flying Horses Carousel, Oak Bluffs. This 1876 carousel – some say America’s oldest – is irresistible [...]

No comments »