Aswan is a Nubian city in the south of Egypt, on the first cataract of the Nile - where Agatha Christie wrote her murder story.

Here, I fall into a pattern; up at four thirty in the morning; I dress and put my photo gear together.  Then, for eight cents, I take an engine-powered ferry and cross the Nile.   I sit knee to knee, the only white man in a boat filled…

A week before our trip, Japan was rocked. The triple whammie was capped by a nuclear “problem” that as of this writing could still result in a meltdown, and possibly burn a hole straight thru the planet. This very unlikely event is called “The China Syndrome” in the west. In Japan they probably call it the New Jersey Syndrome.

We therefore came to China. Well Hong Kong anyway. Fragrant Harbor. Victoria’s Island. These are the names the brits used for it when they colonized it. I call…

The Republic of Uzbekistan - a rich tapestry of architectural wonders, diverse natural reserves ranging from the sweep of the steppe and vast deserts of the Kyzyl Kul and Kara Kum to grandiose mountain ranges of the Tien-Shan and Pamir-Alai, has been top on travel agenda for adventurous people interested in exotic destinations.  Uzbekistan travel is truly an adventure with something for everyone!

The country boasts an invaluable heritage of…

They are instead three islands near Hong Kong, which my wife and I took whirlwind tours of this week. All three deserve more time, alas our time is limited.

I suppose if we were 25 again, we would sample the night life in Hong Kong, which I hear is responsible for this smile on Buddha.

Happy is as…

India can be one of the best countries in the apple to appointment and its mix of age-old and avant-garde is a alluring experience. The majority of westerners that appointment are abiding to feel a little ability shock on accession at the arduous cardinal of people, signs of abjection and all-embracing anarchy which is India. However already you get accomplished this it is a absurd country to appointment and has some amazing…

by Tripatini staff

Having released her third album, Kulture Noir, last summer, Simphiwe Dana, a 30-year-old preacher’s daughter from rural Transkei, has become one of South Africa’s top musical sensations in just half a decade. Often compared to the late, great Miriam Makeba, she sings both in English and in her native Xhosa, mixing traditional Bantu musical idioms with contemporary…

San Diego has some wonderful hotels, but none are better loved than La Valencia. “The Pink Lady” has been a landmark in La Jolla since 1926.

For many years, I naively thought I was the only one whose heart skipped a beat at the sight of La Sala, where potted palms and traditional furnishings welcome guests to have a drink and enjoy the ocean…

How Not To Run A Travel Media Lunch





It may be that I’m hypercritical, but I don’t think so.



After the umpteenth Travel Media/Press lunch,  I declined the last few simply because  they promised to be  photostatic copies of most every other press lunch held.



In spite of some web sites that offer…

A region with thousands of limestone and jungle covered peaks rising out of the bay, the UNESCO World Heritage listed Halong Bay is widely considered to be among the natural wonders of the world and should be on everyone’s must see list while planning their tours to Vietnam.

Resting on the top deck of a conventional junk basking in the beauty of this magnificent bay is a wonderful way to rest while traveling…

Group Messaging: SXSW’s Hot Topic, And Good News For Travel



It’s not easy  to wrap your mind (or your body) around this year’s South by South West (SXSW)  music festival and industry conference just completed in Austin, Texas.



There seemed to be, as Allison Fenterstock writes in…

San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica, a city with history, that has been changing throughout the years, whether for good or for bad. Leaving aside the reasons why the city is considered unpleasant and unsafe, this place has several points in its favor, and its never late to stand them out.



As any capital in the world, it concentrates all the services and principal offices. If it is about food, you will be able to find any kind of restaurant, small ¨sodas¨ serving ¨casados¨, in the…

On January 9, 2011 whilst the rest of us were busy doing our own stuff, a new country was created. The people of Southern Sudan voted for an independent country. The new state will be officially created in July of 2011. The news came and has been forgotten by many however, it is important to become aware of the trend and where we are going.

The creation of Southern Sudan is not an isolated incident. In fact since 1990, some 33 new countries have been born. This is more than…

1. Look Good (=Nice & Simple)

Creative web design is all about making a website visually appealing. A visually appealing website is a site that is easy to read and easy to navigate. To create a site that visitors will not click away from immediately, follow some basic design standards, and think about the usability and accessibility of the design.

2. Content is Key

The content on your site is your vehicle to…

NAGALAND is India’s Land of Festivals, the Switzerland of the East, the land of the mighty Naga warrior tribes. Unparalleled in its natural heritage, steeped in ancient legends of tribal royals and warriors, of chivalry, courage and integrity, this tiny tribal state is one of the most beautiful, eclectic and fascinating hill-states in India’s remote North East India Region (NER).…

Newfoundland: Sea, Solitude And Song





There’s something about Newfoundland, Canada, that gets under your skin.



I think it comes from the disarmingly warm and open people.



And it comes from the aching loneliness of the surrounding sea where Lilliputian…

Three Great Non-Travel, Travel Books



Often a non-travel novel creates the vividness and depth of a town or village or city better than  travel book might.



But recommending a book is always tricky, so here are three recent reads and likes:



In Travels with a Tangerine, Tim Mackintosh-Smith  sets out to follow the footsteps of…

Rivers of wine streamed down craggy roads lined with grape vines and surrounded by mountains. At Casa Lapostolle, 350,000 bottles shattered as scores of oak barrels rolled off their rackings. It was February 27, 2010, in the Colchagua Valley (right) Chile’s main wine region.…

Now, twenty years on, that same garden again provides vegetables and herbs, the house foundations have been reborn with a new house above them, knarled olive trees have been brought back into fruit, yet more fruit trees have been planted and an expansive garden of Mediterranean flora occupies the hillside.

 …