Destination: Greece
Happy 25th Anniversary Rough Guides
by Michael Yessis | 05.07.07 | 7:50 AM ET
They’re half the age of Arthur Frommer’s guides, and not quite as old as Lonely Planet, but for many travelers Rough Guides are equally influential and loved. Mark Ellingham started the company 25 years ago with a volume on Greece, and several British papers have put together packages celebrating his vision and his travels. The Times compiles a list of 25 wonders of the world, the Independent spends a day with Ellingham and the Guardian asks him and his long-time colleague, Martin Dunford, for their 25 all-time favorite travel experiences.
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Yahoo! BuzzThe World Hum Travel Zeitgeist: Viva Video and Las Vegas
by Michael Yessis | 04.06.07 | 9:35 AM ET
Lots to see in the Zeitgeist this week. Travelers are taking a long look at racing in Las Vegas, sinking ships in Greece, dancing in China and Lonely Planet’s new video channel.
Most Viewed Travel Story
Los Angeles Times (current)
Bright Lights & Formula One Engines Rule in Las Vegas
* Two reasons for a look: Pulitzer winner Dan Neil wrote it, and there’s video.
Most E-Mailed Travel Story
USA Today (current)
Greek Cruise Ship Sinks After Rescue
* The AP has the video.
Most Watched Video
LonelyPlanet.tv (current)
miniclips
* Lonely Planet debuted its travel video channel this week.
Most Read Weblog Post
World Hum (this week)
India’s ‘Spiritual Backbone’: Two End-to-End Explorations Down the Ganges River
* The last of Morning Edition’s five-part series runs today.
Most Viewed Travel Story
Telegraph (current)
A Little Italy on Board
Top Travel and Adventure Audiobook
iTunes (current)
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Most Popular Travel Podcast
iTunes (current)
Travel With Rick Steves
* This week Steves covers the pilgrimage on El Camino de Santiago in Spain and tourism in Iran.
Most Popular Travel Story
Netscape (this week)
If Apple Designed A Private Jet
* It would, of course, be called the iJet.
“The Odyssey”: The Sir Ian McKellen Audio Version
by Frank Bures | 11.02.06 | 9:35 PM ET
Match the world-class thespian with the iconic travel tale, and Frank Bures believes you get one of the best readings ever recorded.
Writers on Ruins: An ‘Anthology of Archaeological Travel Writing’
by Jim Benning | 07.25.06 | 5:31 PM ET
Most contemporary travel writing focuses on the here and now, with only brief glimpses back. But recently, Oxford University Press published a collection of travel stories about visits to ruins entitled From Stonehenge to Samarkand: An Anthropology of Archaeological Travel Writing. The book features old and relatively new stories by such writers as Tom Bissell (a World Hum contributor), Paul Theroux, Robert Byron and Mark Twain. The New York Times called it a “smart” collection, and the Washington Times declared it “an admirably well-produced survey of the personalities and accomplishments of those pioneering people eager to recapture past relics of human history.”
“Are Cities the New Countries?”
by Michael Yessis | 07.18.06 | 7:27 AM ET
As cities turn into megacities—often defined as metropolitan areas with more than 10 million citizens—many academics are asking if, given their size and power, they are becoming more important than the countries that contain them. “Greater Shanghai has a population that has passed 20 million. The sprawl of Mexico City is estimated to house another 20 million. And Mumbai too,” the BBC News Magazine’s Finlo Rohrer writes. “These cities are bigger than many industrialised nations. And they are growing at a dizzying rate, sucking in workers from rural areas.”
Chinese Cyclist Aims to Ride Solo Around the World
by Michael Yessis | 02.14.06 | 11:52 AM ET
The Olympic spirit has really gotten into Yang Guangwen. The 46-year-old plans to ride his bike around the world beginning in March, visiting the cities that have hosted the Games since their modern inception. Beijing will host the 2008 Games, and Yang wants to do his part to promote the Olympics through travel.
The History of Guidebooks
by Jim Benning | 11.16.05 | 11:24 PM ET
Written Road today pointed to good read in the Sydney Morning Herald about the history of guidebooks. Written by Andrew Bain, a former Lonely Planet editor, the story traces their history back to “Descriptions of Greece,” the oldest surviving guidebook, written in about 160 A.D. for wealthy Romans.
The Critics: “Route 66 A.D.”
by Michael Yessis | 05.03.02 | 10:41 PM ET
In his latest book, Route 66 A.D., Tony Perrottet travels through Greece, Turkey and Egypt along the route that Roman tourists are believed to have taken back in the heyday of the empire. It’s a brilliant idea, and the critics like it. Outside’s Caroline Fraser writes that Perrottet has “a fresh, funny take on this beaten path.” Flak magazine’s Elizabeth Kiem calls it “thoughtful, interesting and absolutelyhilarious.” Check out the first chapter on the Barnes and Noble Web site.
How to Travel With Children
by Jim Benning | 04.11.02 | 5:13 PM ET
In his latest column, Lonely Planet’s Don George offers tips on traveling with kids. He also points out unexpected benefits: “Around the world, from France and Greece to Singapore and Japan, my wife and I have been astonished by how our children have become the ice-breakers, leading to intimate encounters with local residents that we would almost certainly never have experienced on our own.”
Coming Soon: Zeus World!
by Jim Benning | 04.03.02 | 3:49 PM ET
There’s further evidence that the world will one day become one giant theme park. The nation of Greece has announced plans to build a Greek mythology theme park near Athens. According to a report on MSNBC, the Greek Tourism Organization has begun an international competition for proposals. Details are sketchy. Nevertheless, we at World Hum submit several ideas for attractions. First: the Happy Prometheus Fire Show, a first-class flames-as-art exhibition held nightly. And how about “Mount Olympus,” a high-speed roller coaster ride through an imposing Matterhorn-like peak? Finally, we envision the River Styx Rapids, a dizzying whitewater boat ride featuring winding turns and a 200-foot vertical drop into Hades. Who knows? After that, the kids might even take up reading.
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