Your backpacking travel planner

Do you use itineraries when you travel? Do you rip out those '48 Hours In...' or '3 Perfect Days in...' pages from travel magazines and newspapers when one catches your eye? Do they end up staying at home lost among your paperwork or do you slip them into your guidebook and take them with you when you go some place? And when you get there, do you actually use them? And what about guidebook itineraries? All travel guidebooks feature them these days; I've just written a bunch myself. They're either organized by duration ("one day in Milan", "weekend at the Lakes" etc) or by theme, with sights and activities suggested by subject or interest, such as "'3 days of food and wine in The Veneto". You get the idea. I'm curious to find out who uses itineraries and how you use them. Or do you simply make up your own? We met a couple of Italian travellers in Australia last year and the woman methodically underlined sights in her guidebook and then wrote out day-to-day itineraries. Her boyfriend was happy for her to do although he didn't seem to mind either way. My interest is partly motivated by comments from readers, in particular Sarah, who in response to my post on casual tourism wrote: "My other half is definitely a casual tourist! Which drives me slightly nuts... I like to plan to ensure I don't miss anything. On our last two holidays, I'm there with the map and the tourist book and he's just like... "can't we just wander around and see where we end up?!" Argh!" I'm interested in hearing from planners like Sarah to find out if you use itineraries and how you use them - what do you do if they're not working for you, say, if you don't like the author's choices, or order of selection, or if there's too much to do on one day? Do you abandon them and create your own? If you're an itinerary user, I'd love to hear from you.

Leaving the traveller versus tourist debate aside, what kind of tourist/traveller are you? Would you consider yourself to be a 'casual tourist'? Or a 'casual traveller' if you object to being called a tourist at all? While my husband Terry was cooking dinner one evening in the big country kitchen my uncle and aunt have here in Bendigo, Australia, where we're staying while we write some books, we were dissecting a couple of trips they recently did to Spain last year and Mexico a couple of months ago. I'd asked Uncle George if they went to the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City as I'd suggested. They have a gorgeous garden here - a wild wonderful garden that's a cross between a romantic 'English cottage'-inspired gardens and something you'd see at a Russian dacha in a Tarkovsky film (there's a mini Birch forest) - plus my uncle's an artist and my aunt's very creative when it comes to interior design so I thought they might appreciate Frida Kahlo's garden and house. But they didn't go. In fact they didn't go to a lot of places I'd recommended. But they assured me they still had a great time. Flabbergasted, I asked: "But what did you actually *do*?" "Well, we just walked," my uncle replied, with a shrug of his shoulders and roll of his eyes, "We did a bit of this, a bit of that... we like to walk." I'm guessing the look on my face must have been one of dismay, but still somewhat enquiring, because then he declared - after swallowing a glass of wine (not that I'm suggesting he needed guts to tell me this - but maybe he did!) - "I think I'm a casual tourist..." "Uh-hah!" and I quickly splashed some more wine in my own glass. And so, over a bottle of wine, and Terry's preparation of another very fine meal, we developed a theory... my uncle's idea of travel can be described as 'casual tourism'. The way he likes to travel is very low key and laidback. He likes to explore, but he doesn't like to do much planning or preparation, and certainly doesn't want his day crammed with sightseeing. In fact, when he arrives he doesn't like to *do* much at all. But he's not the kind to lie on a beach and do completely nothing. He wants to experience a place, and the more atmospheric it is the better. For instance, Jerusalem is a favorite. But he and my aunt like to wander around a bit, see a sight perhaps, maybe do a short tour, eat some lunch some place, but it doesn't have to be very spectacular at all - they certainly don't feel obliged to base their choice on reviews. Then they'll do some more walking, perhaps browse in a shop, stop for a drink and a nibble at a cafe... and so it goes. They don't have tremendous expectations, and so they're not terribly disappointed either. They just seem to appreciate a place for what it is. Wandering around, walking the streets, taking in the vibe... that's their idea of a good time. And actually, when I'm not working on a travel book, that's mine too. Oh, except the bit about the restaurants of course. So, what do you think? Are you a casual tourist? Or casual traveller?

Before we moved overseas a decade ago we thought Australian restaurants were some of the best in the world. And it wasn't that we hadn't travelled much. We had. But a meal at Testuya's, Rockpool or Aria was better than any we'd eaten at overseas - even in New York. Yet since returning to Australia last year to research a couple of books, we've been so disappointed by Australian restaurants. (Admittedly, we've not yet had the chance to return to Tetsuya's, Rockpool or Aria - we'll try those again next month). We spent over four months on the road, eating out at least once (or twice) a day, and, sadly, we can count the truly memorable meals we've had on both hands - ten great meals out of 120 (minimum) is not good at all. In Italy, where we spent three months researching books before returning here, it was the opposite. (I'll share our top Aussie restaurants with you in another post.) On Saturday night, we took my aunt and uncle out to dinner here in Bendigo to thank them for having us stay at their beautiful house for so long. We took them to what The Age's Good Food Guide considers to not only be Bendigo's best restaurant (for four years running!), but one the reviewer would travel far to eat at. We've used the book a lot this trip and have been disappointed so many times with their selections. The quality of their best choices just doesn't compare to some of the world's best restaurants. So either the quality of restaurant offerings around these days is not very high, the Good Food Guide's standards are no longer as high as they once were, they reviewers are not looking very hard, or they simply need to get out (of the country) more. It's very disappointing. Terry has one theory: read his post What is the price of an average meal?

Pictured? One of Terry's recent dishes, a Tortilla Soup, just one course in a five-course authentic Mexican menu (not Tex Mex!) we made for my aunt and uncle who recently returned from a trip to Mexico. We might not get out much while we're in write-up mode, but we certainly eat well. Better than we do when we go out in Australia it seems! So, what do you think? Has the quality of Australian restaurants declined? And the standards of reviewing too? Or are we just too critical?

"The mountains shall bring peace to the people" a sign along the road welcomes travellers to Radium Hot Springs.

Misty River Lodge is the perfect place to experience everything the mountains have to offer. Hike, bike or ski till your legs hurt; canoe, raft or kayak till your arms fall off; then head to the Hot Springs to soak your aching muscles and finally, kick back on the deck at the hostel and watch the sun set across the Valley - or maybe you want to bypass all the action and just chill out on the deck and enjoy the view.

Kootenay National Park is at our doorstep, the climbing mecca of the Bugaboos just around the corner, Banff, Lake Louise, and Yoho only a short drive away. But beware, while you are out exploring the mountains and looking for wildlife, Big Horn Sheep will be sampling the buffet in our garden, deer will be picking plums from a tree across the road and mamma bear will cautiously herd her cubs through the woods beside the lodge - which brings us back to the idea of just hanging out on the deck...

Hostel of the Week, March 22nd to March 29th, 2009
submitted by Kennedy Jones
Backpackers Hostels Canada

A major incident was averted last week when Terry's Mac died. Had we been forced to buy him a new one (it would have been his second in 18 months) to ensure our project workflow wasn't interrupted and a book didn't miss a print deadline, we would not have been very happy. Fortunately Apple came to the rescue, had repairs sped up and the local business Office Everything who did the job gave him a loaner while they fixed his MacBook Pro. The fact that Terry has his (and my) back-ups organized so beautifully meant he could continue working on the borrowed Mac while he waited for his to be repaired. You can read about what happened and how he manages his back-ups here.

Me? I'm not a professional photographer like Terry, I don't shoot for books and magazines (just my little blog, and memory), so I don't have hundreds of thousands of images to manage to deliver to publishers, so my back-up process is a lot more simple. Equally as important is my workspace. Thanks to my uncle and aunt, whose place we're currently holed up at writing these books, we have a big desk, a cosy and comfortable office (their library), and a cute cat curled up next to us.

Capitol Square International Hostel, in Woodstock, New Brunswick.

Capitol Square is located in the heart of downtown Woodstock, New Brunswick's first incorporated town. Located just off the Trans Canada highway, 100 km north of Fredericton at the junction of Interstate 95, the Town of Woodstock is considered to be the gateway to the USA from the Atlantic Provinces.

Incorporated in 1856, the Town of Woodstock features many designated historic properties, a history walk and miles of walking trails along the waterfront. Capital Square is one of Woodstock's oldest historic landmarks. It was built in 1888 with over a million dollars in renovations completed in recent years.

With two community rooms, two fully-equipped kitchens, laundry facilities, a restaurant, Simply Dining and a supervisor on the premises, Capitol Square has all the amenities to ensure your stay in Woodstock is an enjoyable one.

Whether you're traveling alone, as a group or as a family, Capitol Square can provide enjoyable and affordable accommodations 12 months a year.

Hostel of the Week, March 16th to March 22nd
submitted by Kennedy Jones
Backpackers Hostels Canada

So what is it that's so inspiring about travel quotes? About reading profound snippets of writing plucked from novels, memoirs and diaries that have already been repeated countless times? And taken out of context too. Picture this: a tired travel editor, half listening to the banalities of backpacker conversation, and wishing he was down the beach surfing instead of reading copy submitted by his writers, is suddenly engaged and inspired to travel again - by reading great travel quotes! Like these: "People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home." (Dagobert D. Runes) and “To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” (Freya Stark); “Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.”(Paul Theroux); “There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” and “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” (both by Robert Louis Stevenson). And this one from the comments following the post from one of the readers, Cedric Pieterse: "When you get back from your travels, and tell your friends of all the interesting people you have met in obscure bars and hostels. Only to realise after years of travel, you are the guy they talk about." Somehow I don't think Cedric was the first person to say that, but anyway... now, I didn't go trawling through Brave New World's archives this morning to find these '50 Most Inspiring Travel Quotes of All Time', compiled by travel writer Lola Akinmade, rather they found me... a link to the story was forwarded to me by a friend who obviously things I need to get inspired. But the fact that these tidbits did get me thinking has indeed got me thinking... about the ability of words to inspire us. And in this case, to inspire us to travel. I've been noticing a lot of travel quotes being tweeped on Twitter too. And Twitter's 140-character requirement is the perfect vehicle for sharing quotes, right? So how is it that 12, 14 or 16 words or so, taken out of their original context, can have such power and work such magic? What do you think? Do quotes work to inspire you? Or do you just read them, shrug them off and think "not bloody Robert Louis Stevenson again!" I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Pictured? More people sitting around a fountain, like they have nothing better to do... this time in Krakov, Poland. See my last post.

I did stop to smell the roses today in my uncle and aunt's garden. There are roses just outside the French doors to the library, which has become our office for the time that we're holed up here writing, so I have no excuse for not taking a sniff more often. And the roses are smelling especially fragrant at the moment. There's been rain this week and the garden is in full bloom despite it being the beginning of autumn (or fall, for my North American friends). But as I inhaled the scent, I did think 'Damn, I don't do this enough!' And I was reminded of a friend I used to work with who called me a robot and who frequently told me I needed to stop and smell the roses more often. So as I was looking for a photo today - no time for reminiscing, I simply had to identify a building in a city in Italy we wrote about which I'd become confused about (and that's what you get for travelling as much as we do) - I spotted this photo I'd taken in Bologna last summer. And while I've looked at the photo several times - mainly so I could describe the fountain for a book I was writing - I'd never really stopped to look at the photo properly. Because I had never noticed the kids sitting on the steps of the fountain before. All I had seen was the photo. Which led me to think about how many times I've passed fountains on our travels, especially in Europe (we spend a lot of time in Europe), and noticed locals and travellers alike sitting on the steps of fountains, eating their lunch, drinking whatever, reading books, or just fooling around, and how many times I've been rushing past going somewhere, doing something (always working), and thinking how nice it would be to be able to stop and sit on the steps of a fountain sometime... to be on holidays, or just to be taking life more slowly. Just to be living the kind of life that allows one to stop and sit on the steps of a fountain. Because it's not that I don't have the opportunities. I probably see more fountains in piazzas than most people. I definitely see more fountains than roses when I travel. So 'sitting on the steps of a fountain' is going to be my 'stopping to smell the roses'. My way of measuring the pace of my life, of keeping my work-life balance in check. Because now... well, it's a little out of whack. So, how often do you take time out to sit on the steps of a fountain when you travel?

Do you want to trade links? If you're a travel blogger, leave your URL in a comment at the end of this post, but, unless you just want to say hello and talk travel (then I'd love to hear from you) but please don't email me your URL to link to as it may get lost. I've had a lot of links trickling in recently but unfortunately when I'm on deadline (as I am now) I have to ignore emails that aren't coming from editors (and sadly I also have to ignore my little blog a bit), so emails sometimes slip through the cracks. If you leave your URL here then I've got them all in one place and I'll check this from time to time and I'll upload them in one hit. I have no hard and fast rules. If you've got a travel blog that you write yourself, the content is original, it's good quality stuff, and I like it, then I'll link to you. If it's a commercial travel site, then that's different, you'd better email me. Because I'm a professional travel writer, my credibility is everything, so I don't automatically link to commercial sites. I need to use the site first, try your product and like it before I link to it or write about it. There are very good reasons you don't see me linking to Expedia or Asia Rooms for instance.

Here are some tips on how to avoid being disappointed when you travel from other travellers and travel bloggers. These gems of advice were in response to my request for suggestions from readers:
* Cautious optimism and a focus on the everyday and unexpected is what Sandy recommends: “I do think it's much more exciting to be the cautious optimist ... the human observations, stuff like getting a good breakfast and the moments that that brings, or meeting someone who surprises you, is so much more meaningful to me than getting a look at the Mona Lisa, ya know?”
* Look for news ways of seeing from different points of view, Jessie at Wandering Educators suggests: “As a person with disabilities, I am often disappointed that I can't get in, go to, or actually see things close up. What I've learned is to enjoy things from a distance, and also to look around where I actually am. Sometimes, the benches around the Eiffel tower are infinitely more interesting than looking (or going) up.”
* Go with a good travelling companion and a willingness to spontaneous, says TravelMuse: “Having a great travel companion is my way to overcome disappointment. When my husband and I found Tybee Island in Georgia to be disappointing we decided to stop off at an old fort on the way back to Savannah. This last-minute side-trip turned out to be fascinating and a lot of fun. If you stay open to other possibilities you can always find something amazing!”
* Travel with children, suggests Carolina, who says her son is her favourite travelling companion: “I find that my disappointment usually has to do with things other than the actual place. Maybe I ran into a rude person, or I'm overtired, or it's overcrowded. But these instances are rare. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world just to be out and about… Kids have a way of seeing the cool things we often miss, and I've learned to have a much better sense of humour about disappointments. They often make for the best stories anyway.”
* Use your camera to discover the hidden beauty in places is Miss Expatria's advice: “I'm currently HQ'd in a city that is a hugely popular tourist destination, but that I find hugely disappointing. I keep myself from getting too down about it by taking my camera with me wherever I go, and forcing myself to find the beauty to capture. It's worked - so far!”
* Learning about the stories behind places works for Mark at TravelWonders: “I have had the odd disappointment but I try to keep things in perspective and still enjoy the sight for what it is. Trying to understand its history, cultural impact or reason for being helps salve any disappointment as I think there is nearly always some story that makes sense. That being said, I've almost never been disappointed with natural attractions (nature is always impressive to me). A far greater disappointment is when I travel far to see something to find it closed for some unexpected reason or encased in scaffolding or heavily restricted.” Most of the time, anyway!
* Staying in the moment is what Clearly Enlight recommends rather philosophically: “Accepting the moment, and taking the time to absorb the moment will defeat the emotion of disappointment. Avoid expectations and preconceived ideas. I have not been disappointed with anything, because there is nothing to be disappointed about if a person remains in the moment and accepts the precise moment… Remaining in the moment, which the ego hates, is the remedy. Accepting the moment as it is, and not what a personal fantasy, based on ego, wanted it to be. This process works for myself as a long term traveller.”
Now, you'll never be disappointed again, will you?

I wanted to share with you some more reflections from readers on disappointment on the road that I found insightful. These philosophical responses came in reply to my call for suggestions on how to avoid disappointment when travelling (which in turn was inspired by Eric’s post on TravelBlogs.com) and I’ll post those tips next.
* “… travel is often about the new, and the new needs some preparation, so we have to move ourselves into that zone where we imagine, prepare and then experience… how much research should I do before I get there, will it take away the moment of experiencing and therefore lead to that disappointment… that the expectation then will be either too high or too low, and I guess I'm fearful that expectations become the point of it... how much does it deviate from what I expected... how well am I prepared for this? Should I have brought this, that or the other? Should I have contacted more or less people? And I suspect then for me the disappointment would be in not meeting the expectations that I have of a place. And that feels really pedestrian…" says Sandy O’Sullivan.
* “I think it's important to remember that the icon is just a representation of a place and a time when ‘wonderment’ was not within everyone's grasp. We are a shrinking world. The Pyramids may not appear as huge against the numerous high towers being built today, however, hitching a ride in a lorry to get there, sitting on a crate of figs between the driver and passenger with a chicken on my lap... priceless? Perhaps not, but surely memorable in terms of generosity and storytelling, both by me and I'm sure the driver,” writes Gregory.
* “The only time I remember I've been a bit disappointed was when I came to New York. After reading different travel articles and guidebooks I expected the city to be (even) bigger. Since then I haven't really had any expectations before visiting a new city. I think it's possible to not have any expectations at all - that doesn't mean you don't have any thoughts/views/images in your mind about how a city or certain aspects of the city will be. You just don't expect it - it's all in your head. Not a fact. For example, I have thoughts about how Rio, Sao Paulo, Barcelona, L.A., Chicago and other cities will be. But I don't expect this to be true, so there's no risk that I'll be disappointed - no matter what,” says Erica, from Travel Blissful.
* And from Gregory again: “I grew up 25 minutes from Niagara Falls. I never visited much, because of the tourist trap status. After 20 minutes of watching copious amounts of water tumbling down, you're done. But, now when I go there I get this huge smile on my face as I watch travellers/tourists mulling around the kitsch and tacky commercialism, families with children cramming to see the falls, dropped ice cream cones, picnic blankets spread like quilts over the park. It's a bit of madness and somehow warming at the same time. Don't be disappointed. Don't let your hopes become your expectations. Take it all in, every little visual morsel and watch the spectacle unfold. It's much more than the tower, the building, the natural beauty… it's what the place has been, what it has become, the people who visit, and the people who have made it home…"

What inspiring reflections, and now for those tips...

Wildberry Adventure Lodge, St. Anthony, NL

Ideally located, on Route 430 Tip of the Viking Trail, Northern Newfoundland, the full service rustic styled accommodation is a solid base for visitors to explore the Northern Peninsula (by bike or by car). The lodge is suitable for the single adventurer, nature loving couples, families, fishing enthusiasts and moose hunters. We are located 20km south of the Town of St. Anthony, a day trip from the Red Bay Basque whaling historic site (Southern Labrador), and short distance from L'Anse aux Meadow's UNESCO World Heritage Viking Site.

Wildberry Country Inn offers a warm, safe, comfortable and friendly atmosphere. A home away from home, breakfasts are included. The lodge has a large open dining area with fireplace and view of the Long Range Mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and local ponds. Cost is $29.00 + tax for a dorm bed in a large, clean rooms. As our lodge is located in a rustic natural setting, guests awaken to the sounds of birds singing and of moose rustlings. The Wild berry also offers a great retreat for northern bird and moose watchers right on the door step! A wonderful and natural place to stay in winter or summer.

Hostel of the Week, March 19th to 15th, 2009
submitted by Kennedy Jones
Backpackers Hostels Canada

Here's my response to an invitation from Eric over at TravelBlogs.com to reflect upon disappointment on the road:
"Giza’s pyramids were smaller than I’d imagined and their suburban location a surprise, Paris’ Eiffel Tower was little more than an elegant oversized transmission tower, Victoria’s Twelve Apostles tinier than I remembered, and, there weren’t even twelve anymore, and that hot air balloon ride was noisy, cramped, chaotic, and uncomfortably hot. As a travel writer, avoiding disappointment is a constant challenge. Because I know disappointment occurs when expectations are too high. Lower expectations and the chances of disappointment are lower. Raise them and we increase the risk of having a bad time. The irony is the very things we find inspiring – the stirring images we enjoy gazing at, the evocative stories we like reading – are the things responsible for our disappointment if our experiences don’t measure up. To have no expectations, we must read nothing, look at nothing, and listen to no travel tales – impossible for a writer. So the way I counteract disappointment is to seek out different ways of experiencing ‘familiar’ places – to look beyond the main attraction to the overlooked and under-written about (often beneath our very noses or right around the corner), to discover and communicate the wonder of everyday things and people, to write honestly about places, and to encourage others to seek out and appreciate the beauty of the authentic and everyday."

Drop over to Eric's site to see what other travel bloggers have to say, but I'd love to hear from you and find out how you overcome disappointment on the road, or whether you have any tips for avoiding it? Is this even something you think about and are conscious of? Or do you just deal with it when it happens. And if so, how?

"Expectation is a dangerous thing. The higher the expect- ations, the greater the chance they’ll be dashed," writes Eric over at TravelBlogs.com, "But when it does happen, know this: it happens to many travellers." To prove his point, Eric rounded up 19 travel bloggers (including myself) and asked them to share their thoughts on 'Disappointment: when places don't live up to your expectations' and to reflect on their experiences of trips and places that haven't met their expectations. Drop by and see what they have to say.

But I'm keen to hear from you about your travel disappointments, and why you think they came about. Do you think you might have been less disappointed had your expectations been lower? Or were there are other reasons for things not ending up as you'd hoped? And do you have any ideas or suggestions as to how people can prevent or avoid disappointment on the road? If you do, and you don't mind, I'd love to publish your best tips not just in the comments section, but in a separate post on this blog on 'How to avoid disappointment on the road: cool tips from travelers'. Let me know what you think.

A travel story 'Sydney Beyond the cliches: Hidden Gems' is so not full of 'hidden gems' and is so completely full of cliches that I couldn't resist that little nod to American 80's humor (I just love that scene in the satirical mockumentary Borat where he's mislearning how to be funny). But what else would we expect from The Sydney Morning Herald Travel section which has only itself to blame for destroying the fine reputation it once had by publishing stories that seem to either have been penned by teenagers for school newspapers (read this gushy teen diary-style entry about learning to surf: am I wrong to think that the SMH's readers are mostly over the age of 15?) or poorly written pieces without narratives or angles. Take this one on Sydney, which, for want of a better angle, they lazily pass off as a 'going local'/'insider' take on the city. The amusing thing is that to a Sydneysider (I was born and bred there) none of these things are 'hidden' (but then the writer was a guest of Tourism NSW which leads me to believe she doesn't live in the city), certainly not Campbell Parade North Bondi (every backpacker in the world makes a beeline for Bondi Beach around the corner), definitely not Nielsen Park and Shark Beach, Vaucluse (which even Tourism NSW's site says is a popular family picnic spot; I hazily recall a night skinny dipping there some 16 years or so ago), probably not the 'swanky hotel' she doesn't name, and obviously NOT the Hilton hotel's Zeta Bar. It's the Hilton. That alone should preclude it from being a 'hidden' gem, especially as it's on the front page of the hotel website. The bar looks very stylish - it's designed by Tony Chi after all (which oddly enough she doesn't mention) - but don't call it a hidden gem. What's worse is the 'writer' goes as far as to provide a long list of the many celebrities (which alone can't make it a hidden gem) who have been there from the bar's website:

From the story: "You never know who you might spot, the bar has played host to lots of celebrities, including Jessica Simpson, James Blunt, Snoop Dogg, Nicole Ritchie, Hugh Jackman, The Veronicas, Perez Hilton, DJ Samantha Ronson and Jimmy Barnes".

From the website: "Zeta Bar is fast becoming a Sydney icon with visiting international celebs. Jessica Simpson, Kimberley Stewart, James Blunt, Nicky Hilton, Snoop Dogg and Nicole Ritchie have all partied there... And Aussie A-listers Jennifer Hawkins, Hugh Jackman, Ian Thorpe, and Megan Gale often stop by for a beverage..."

Now that's really lazy. Hang on, let's give her some kudos for some research - it appears she asked the PR people for a couple of extra celeb names to drop. If these 'insider' secrets and the writer's local knowledge and travel savvy haven't impressed you enough already, read these priceless last sentences about the bar's cocktail list: "The extensive menu features everything from the classics, a pina colada in a pineapple topped with cream and a sparkler (p-lease! Was this the first time this writer ever looked at a cocktail list - or had even been to a bar?!), to a cool martini, and the more unusual. If you're really brave, try the bacon-infused cocktail. Tipped to be the next big trend in cocktails, it comes with a rasher on a swizzle stick and a maraschino cherry. It's odd. But it's interesting." What I find odd (but less interesting) is how these 'writers' actually get published. Could an editor have read this story and actually thought this is a good insightful piece of travel writing? I'd be asking for a re-write or an ending at least. What's happened to the Herald? Read Terry's more thorough analysis here: Sydney's odd unfinished weekend. Yep, this one's really had us scratching our heads this week - along with Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck food poisoning scandal and the even more scandalous media coverage of course.

Pictured? Not a hidden gem but definitely a local favorite, and it does do interesting cocktails: Tamanya Terrace at the Radisson SAS Dubai Media City.

"Blogging has exploded over the past few years, opening the door to endless opportun-ities. A number of bloggers have been able to have professional writing careers, quit their desk jobs to travel the world, or prolong that backpacking trip indefinitely," writes Gennaro at Enduring Wanderlust in his latest post Road Warriors: Bloggers in Motion, looking at the travelling lives of 'digital nomads'. Through interviews with four globetrotters (including myself), Gennaro explores the challenges of blogging from the road. It's a revealing post that compares the experiences of the four of us, written in a journalistic style, rather than straight Q&A, which is nice to see. I might clarify though that travel blogging didn't lead me to my career as a travel writer. I began travel writing first, co-authoring with husband Terry The Sydneyside Guide, a compact city guide within Gregory's street directories, almost 14 years ago. Terry took up full-time travel writing around six years ago, while I began to dabble in it again (I had a full-time academic job at the time), and we both threw our heart and soul into it, taking to the road to travel continuously, bouncing from one assignment to another, just over three years ago. For me, blogging came in 2007 as a creative release and space to reflect. I don't get paid to blog at Cool Travel Guide. I wish I did! But I'd hate aspiring travel writers to think that travel blogging is an easy way to establish a successful travel writing career. The two are mutually compatible, but professional travel writing is a different kettle of fish with its own set of challenges and involving the development of a huge skill set - which can partly be developed through blogging of course. What I found interesting in Gennaro's post was how people manage the tech side of things, and I might expand on that in another post. Do check out Gennaro's post. He poses the question at the end "How has running a blog influenced your life?" I can't wait to hear what travel bloggers say...

Pictured? Terry making tea at the side of our road warrior, one of several vehicles that took us around Australia on our most recent 4-month research trip. I just wished I would have been able to blog from the thing! But it's a bit hard when you don't even have cell phone access for most of the day!

As I'm way too busy writing books at the moment to blog, I'm going to post about the things I'm taking pleasure in reading during my coffee breaks. For starters, I'm enjoying catching up on my co-author and husband Terry's blog Wide angles, wine and wanderlust, and his recent post on Hester Blumenthal's food poisoning scare at the Fat Duck and how some journalists have been 'reporting' on the incident. Horrifying stuff! I also enjoyed Terry's post Don't believe the hype on how serving Hollandaise sauce in a Tetra Pak is not cool at all, and is a sure-fired way of getting your cafe crossed out of a popular guidebook. I'm glad Terry mentioned the Indian waiter in Abu Dhabi at a Korean restaurant we ate at years ago who showed us the Yalumba wine cask (wine 'box' for North Americans?) to demonstrate that the house wine was indeed a decent Aussie drop! But I was disappointed Terry didn't tell you the guy brought it out from behind the bar on a silver platter with a white linen cloth over his forearm. It was a 5-star hotel after all. Keep in mind this was nearly 11 years ago. As dreadful as the stuff was to drink, I was both bemused and touched by the gesture. I wasn't amused by the Tetra Pak of Hollandaise on the other hand. Mainly because that was my revolting breakfast and my $18 wasted (add another $30 to that, because Terry's breakfast was mediocre too and both the coffees were bad); because it's a place that gets glowing reviews in the guidebooks; and because it's a cafe that's in a rather hip Victorian surf town not far from Melbourne that should know better. Their reaction to my complaint was also appalling. Once again, something I might have expected from a waiter in Abu Dhabi 11 years ago who didn't know any better, but not from a... well, you get the picture. Now, Terry's Eggs Benedict (pictured) on the other hand, I'd gladly pay $18 for. This is the kind of food I get to eat when we're holed up writing. As busy as we are, he always makes time to cook good food. Rather spoilt, aren't I? So, go take a look at his blog and tomorrow I'll let you know what else I'm reading. Back to the writing...

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (no, Dubai is not the capital, as much as it likes to think it is), has been getting loads of media coverage in the travel press lately. You know when a tourism body and airline has hosted a junket as a spate of stories appear as they have recently in Australia, such as these: Abu Dhabi's match for the Taj Mahal (Jan 09), A higher plane at the world's costliest hotel (Jan 09) and The future of the Emirates' Capital (Feb 09) (the last of which reads like a few other stories published in early 2008, including my own). All of this recent attention has resulted from the opening of a monumental mosque dedicated to late President and UAE founder, Sheikh Zayed. But the travel press were already starting to cover Abu Dhabi in 2007 with the announcement of the $14.5 billion Saadiyat Island cultural precinct with its Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim and branch of Paris’ Louvre among other stunning museums, and the city’s inclusion on the Formula One Grand Prix circuit. The announcement of Abu Dhabi's innovative new Norman Foster-designed eco-city Masdar also sparked some coverage in 2008, including this story Seeing the Light, which we wrote for Gulf Life, Gulf Air's in-flight magazine. Don't get me wrong, we're pleased to see the city-emirate starting to steal some of the spotlight from Dubai, as it's a city we've always loved, and one we immediately fell in love with when we first moved there in 1998. So, you want to know what we love about it? Well, take a look at this story we wrote for Viator: 10 things we love about Abu Dhabi. Let me know what you think - especially if you've been there, or live there. Planning to go there? Then get a copy of DK's Top Ten Dubai and Abu Dhabi guide, which I co-authored and Terry photographed; I don't get royalties, it's just a book of which I'm very proud.

I find it curious how reporters work sometimes. I answered a few questions last week for a reporter who was writing a story on Dubai for a travel news syndication site that produces 'news' stories that are then picked up (or not) by their subscribers. Although I answered just a couple of questions from a long list of questions I suggested were better directed toward a Dubai Tourism spokesperson and a real estate expert, a brief part of one of my responses in effect became the story. So far it's appeared on a travel insurance website (take a look here at: More to Dubai than Glamour Alone). What I find odd is that the suggestion was that my answers would contribute to a much larger story but instead they became the story. Which leads me to wonder... was there ever a 'story' in the first place? Or had the reporter's editor just directed the writer to come up with a story on Dubai, any story on Dubai? Which explains the odd combination of questions directed to me. Or perhaps there was an idea for some kind of story initially but because the writer couldn't find anyone else to comment, my quote simply became the story. What do you think?

Generator Hostels in London and Berlin

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Feature of the week, Jan. 7th to 13th 2008
submitted by Kennedy Jones
Backpackers Hostels Canada

Frankfurt Hostel in Frankfurt Germany

Backpackers Hostels Canada recognizes and thanks Frankfurt Hostel, in Frankfurt Germany for their assistance to us.

Rolf Buchenau and Andrei Politoukhin, the owners of Frankfurt Hostel, besides financially sponsoring our booklets and maps, have given generously and with open hearts their time and energy in a number of different ways, including helping us build our web presence, and giving us general and specific advice and assistance on other matters relating to networking internationally. We wanted to take the time to say a big, 'Thank you!!' to Rolf and Andrei and the Frankfurt Hostel. We wish you both the best year ever in Frankfurt.

Feature of the week, March 3rd to March 8th, 2009
submitted by Kennedy Jones
Backpackers Hostels Canada

You probably think there is no comparison, right? The freelancer has all that wonderful freedom, can pick and choose her jobs, sleep in if she wants, and be all creative all day. The retail job is mundane, monotonous, dull, and pays badly. Well, think again, and take a read of this insightful piece by freelance writer, Caitlin Kelly, who sometimes writes for the New York Times: 'My Retail Job, Crazy as it Seems, Keeps Me Sane'. As for me, I'm too busy with the guidebook writing to even blog at the moment. I'm rising around 7.30-8am most mornings (too late for my liking), after three attempts that start with the first alarm that goes off at 6.30am - ah, how I remember the days when it only took one alarm for me to bounce out of bed. But the late starts are because I'm not going to bed until 2am. I'm working 15 hour days at the moment. I should be doing 18 to meet these deadlines, but 15 is all I can manage, as I've been leading this crazy existence for a while now. So, a retail job is not sounding too bad after all, after reading Caitlin's story. Well, these guys look happy, don't they?

A flurry of comments from a reader on a topic that obviously hit a nerve, comments that I don't particularly want to post, has got me thinking about two things: the protocols of posting comments, and what Cool Travel Guide is about for me. But first, the protocols of posting. Let me describe the scenario... a reader writes a comment in response to one of my posts, and it's a very detailed comment, which I usually love. I don't agree with what the person has written, but that's fine, because they're the kinds of comments that provoke thought, right? So I respond. And because the comments have got me thinking more about that topic, and another related topic which I blog about a lot, I write a new post. The reader comments again, but this time there's a flurry of lengthy comments from the person to several posts. Now normally I love to receive a bunch of comments on different posts - don't we all? A flurry of posts often come from new readers who've just discovered the blog and are excited by what they read, or readers who haven't checked in for a while and are catching up, and it's wonderful. I do the same, do you? But in this case the posts are negative and somewhat antagonistic. They're on the same subject as the first post, and even repeat some of the same things. Add to that, a couple of comments are insulting to. So, here's where the dilemma lies... if I don't post them, is that an act of censorship? Now I may be a professional travel writer, but this is not a professional product. This is my personal space. I began Cool Travel Guide to write about things I can't write about in the content I get paid to write. It's a place for me to express myself and to engage in dialogue with like-minded people who love travel as much as I do. Which got me thinking about a 'real life' scenario. If I was at a party chatting with a group of people about this topic, and someone joined the conversation... that person expressed their difference of opinion and at first there was some spirited debate which was initially engaging. But then the person continued to make their point, imposing their opinions on others, taking the topic to a place that we really weren't interested in going. It was no longer a dialogue, no longer an exchange of ideas. The person was even a little obnoxious, and somewhat insulting. So it got to the point where I, for one, really couldn't be bothered engaging anymore... what would I do? Well, I'd probably wink at my friends and walk away, hoping my friends would follow and we could continue our conversation in another room. So that's what I decided to do with these posts. Walk away from them. What would you do?

Read Terry's take on yet another racist and sensationlist story on Dubai today over at Wide angles, wine and wanderlust. The Australian media's abysmal coverage on Dubai has stooped to new lows today where a so-called 'investigative' journalist writing for The Age newspaper demonstrates that in the eyes of the Aussie media Dubai is clearly the guilty party after its arrest of Aussies over alleged dodgy property dealings in the city-emirate. I've never read such over-hyped and trashy 'reporting' before. Somebody clearly needs to go back to journalism school. I love the opening: A vision of gleaming new cities in the desert has proved to be a mirage for Australians lured by Middle East riches. Um, not all Australians, thank you very much. On both accounts. Since we moved to the UAE in 1998, we've not seen one mirage, but nor were we "lured by Middle East riches" in the first place. For those of us who came for the cultural experience and quality of life, Dubai has delivered in spades. The Sydney Morning Herald (sister-newspaper to The Age) is no better, with slightly edited story of the beat-up. What I love about this 'report' is the suggestion that 'the Sheikh' (assuming they're implying Sheikh Mohammed) is involved in these shonky dealings. If I was a certain Sheikh I know who I'd be suing. Anyway, take a look at Terry's post...

Don’t you think there are some destinations where a guidebook is invaluable? There’s been a backlash against guidebooks in recent years, since the rise of freely available online travel content. And while there are certainly cities I’ll go without a guidebook, cities where you can stroll around and stumble across places of interest pretty easily, there are some destinations where you really need to know where to go to have a good time – whether those tips are coming from trusted locals, or if you don’t know anyone, a trusted guidebook or trusted online source, (note my use of ‘trusted’) is up to you. But Dubai so it seems is definitely one of those destinations where you're going to have a far better time with a guidebook.

How to experience Dubai on a budget and dispelling myths about Dubai are topics I find myself increasingly writing about, both for paid assignments and on this blog (see Dispelling the biggest myth about Dubai and Dubai on a budget: the best things in life are free). Yet, I still feel like I have a lot more work ahead of me when I receive comments like those from Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere to yesterday's post. I wish I could turn back the clock for poor Gary to his arrival at the airport and hand him one of our guidesbooks, because Gary came away thinking: “Dubai is expensive and there isn't much to do other than shop. If you want to sit on a beach, I can think of dozens of other places in Europe or in the Indian Ocean which would be more attractive as a destination. The malls seem very orientated to luxury brands. Every month there is some sort of news story which comes out of Dubai about someone getting arrested over something trivial.” If ever there was an argument for using a guidebook, there it is. Guidebooks may quickly become out of date, but in Gary’s case, our 4-year old Lonely Planet Dubai city guide would have shown him a much better time than he seemed to have. And while some people don’t like shelling out money for a guidebook, there is a lot of stuff freely available on the web, including many of the articles we’re written on Dubai for magazines and newspapers. I’ll pop up another post with links to our Dubai content that's freely available online, and I’ll also write another Dubai myth-busting post. Because seriously, there are few cities in the world where it's easier to have a good time - without lying on a beach or stepping into a shopping mall.