Destination: Central America

Interview with Rick Steves: ‘Travel as a Political Act’

Jim Benning asks the Europe travel guru about his new book -- and where Americans can go for a politically eye-opening experience

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Video: Alison Stein Wellner: The Heat Seeker

Alison Stein Wellner traveled around the world to eat the hottest food she could handle, a quest she chronicled for World Hum

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Can Eco-Travelers Save the World’s Rainforests?

Can Eco-Travelers Save the World’s Rainforests? Photo by leszekwasilewski via Flickr (Creative Commons)
Photo by leszekwasilewski via Flickr (Creative Commons)

I’ve been thinking about this question since I saw a public awareness video released on YouTube by Prince Charles’s Rainforests Project. His Royal Highness rightly points out that climate change is the “greatest threat facing mankind” and that deforestation worsens global warming. (Burning trees releases their stored CO2.) At home, we can buy coffee tables and cabinetry made from sustainable wood. But what can we do when we travel?


Eight Great Family Travel Stories

Eight Great Family Travel Stories iStockPhoto

To mark World Hum's eighth anniversary, we've collected eight favorite travel stories from our archives that explore the family vacation in all its forms

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Guatemala City, Guatemala

Guatemala City, Guatemala REUTERS/Daniel LeClair

Performers take part in an exhibition game of Maya Ball during an intercultural event in Guatemala City.

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Given the Dire Economy, Should I Travel Overseas This Year?

Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel and the world

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Street Kids in Enzo’s World

Street Kids in Enzo’s World REUTERS/Desmond Boylan

On a trip to Granada, Nicaragua, JD Roberto confronts hungry children and considers how to explain them to his son

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The Critics: ‘Fast & Furious’

The Critics: ‘Fast & Furious’ Publicity still via IGN
Publicity still via IGN

When I listed Fast & Furious as one of my travel movies to watch for in 2009, I have to admit that my tongue might have been straying towards my cheek. I certainly never expected that the movie—the fourth installment in a fading franchise—would smash box office records and enjoy the biggest April weekend opening ever. But with an unexpected $70 million (and counting) in the bank, I suppose the movie qualifies as a phenomenon of sorts. With that in mind, I decided to check it out and see if there were any vicarious travel thrills to be had in between all the lingering shots of hot (auto) bodies.

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Should My Black Friend and I Worry About Race While Traveling Overseas?

Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel and the world

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Morning Links: The Zion Curtain, Pynchon and Baedeker, and more

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Bring the Comfy Chair!


Video: How to Filet Conch

It takes a bit of a fight and some handy knifework. Ian Cacho explains how to get to the "white meat."

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‘Greenwashing’ Costa Rica

‘Greenwashing’ Costa Rica Photo by mikesten via Flickr (Creative Commons)
Photo by mikesten via Flickr (Creative Commons)

Eco tourism is a Costa Rican brand. This lush Central American country has long topped green and sustainable travel lists, marketing many of its accommodations as eco-lodges and eco-resorts. It promotes itself as a tropical paradise with stunning biodiversity and “no artificial ingredients.” While that may be true in the country’s forests and national preserves, the scene at the beach town of Tamarindo is not exactly one for the eco-travel brochures.

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Seven Great Time-Lapse Travel Videos

Jim Benning sifts through YouTube's accelerated videos to find the seven best

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Morning Links: Science Pubs, Staged Plane Crash and More

Morning Links: Science Pubs, Staged Plane Crash and More Photo of a pint of Guinness by Arkangel, via Flickr (Creative Commons).
Photo of a pint of Guinness by Arkangel, via Flickr (Creative Commons).

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