Destination: India
Where in the World Are You, Amber Hildreth?
by Jim Benning | 08.24.07 | 12:17 PM ET
The subject of our latest nearly up-to-the-minute interview with a traveler somewhere in the world: Amber Hildreth, a freelance graphic designer. Her response landed in our inbox this morning.
World Hum: Where in the world are you?
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Yahoo! BuzzThe World Hum Travel Zeitgeist: Less Money, More Adventure
by Michael Yessis | 08.10.07 | 2:54 PM ET
Lisbon, Portugal (pictured) and the rest of Europe are top of mind this week—particularly Europe on the cheap. The Big Apple, the debut of Virgin America and the Island of Tiki round out the Zeitgiest. Have a look.
“Hot This Week” Destination
Yahoo! (this week)
Lisbon, Portugal
Most Popular Page Tagged Travel
Del.icio.us (recent)
10 Ways to Keep Europe Within Reach
* We’ve unearthed some fine tips, too.
Most E-Mailed Travel Story
New York Times (current)
10 Ways to Keep Europe Within Reach
Most Popular Travel Podcast
iTunes (current)
Beautiful Places with Tony Farley
* This week: North Dome
Most Read Feature
World Hum (posted this week)
James Teitelbaum: Escape to the Isle of Tiki
Most Viewed Travel Story
Telegraph UK (current)
New York Shopping: The Best of the Big Apple
Most Read Weblog Post
World Hum (posted this week)
How I Scored a New U.S. Passport in One Day
Most Viewed Travel Story
Los Angeles Times (current)
Virgin America Returns the Frills to Flying
U.S. State Department’s New Cultural Ambassadors: Ozomatli
by Jim Benning | 08.02.07 | 2:05 PM ET
Heading…
In India, an Antidote to Monsoon Hair Drama
by Terry Ward | 07.18.07 | 11:04 AM ET
There’s another great slice of life piece—this one from Delhi, India—in the Washington Post’s enlightening Time Zones series. It’s the start of the monsoon season in India, writes Emily Wax, and well-heeled Indians are making their ways to city salons in Delhi to battle a universal enemy—the bad hair day. For both sexes in India, healthy, long hair is a major beauty symbol, and Indians take tress management seriously.
Leo Hickman: In Search of the True Cost of Travel
by Frank Bures | 07.13.07 | 8:44 AM ET
Are travelers destroying cultures, economies and the planet? Are they making the world a better place? Frank Bures chats with the author of "The Final Call" about the ethics and consequences of world travel.
New Seven Wonders of the World Named
by Michael Yessis | 07.09.07 | 7:51 AM ET
British Food in India: Fish and Chips With Turmeric and Chili Powder, Anyone?
by Terry Ward | 06.15.07 | 11:48 AM ET
When I visited London for the first time earlier this year, I was torn. For my first UK meal, would it be fish and chips in a pub or a bowl of curry on Brick Lane? Both meals are about as typically British as you can get. In fact, according to the”‘Curry factfile” on a UK Food Standards Agency Web site , there are more Indian restaurants in London than in Bombay and Delhi. Britain’s first curry house opened in 1809, and Indian food has since become a UK favorite, accounting for more than 40 percent of all ethnic food sales. The love affair, however, is decidedly one-sided. British cuisine—the term alone elicits snickers from food snobs worldwide—hasn’t exactly taken the Subcontinent by storm. But that’s a fact that one British celebrity chef is out to change.
Global Warming, Tourism Among Threats to Cultural Sites
by Jim Benning | 06.07.07 | 10:43 AM ET
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The World Monument Fund has issued its 2008 list of 100 Most Endangered Sites. Threatened landmarks making the cut this time include Leh Old Town in Ladakh, India (increasing rainfall due to climate change is damaging medieval buildings); Machu Picchu (facing too many visitors and increasing ease of access); Old Damascus, Syria (pictured, where historic buildings are being “abandoned and demolished to make way for modern construction”); and Route 66 (as we recently noted, many sites are deteriorating).
Western-Style Supermarkets Threaten Traditional Indian Vendors
by Michael Yessis | 05.22.07 | 2:04 PM ET
Local markets where Indians—and many travelers—have traditionally purchased their food staples are losing about 40 percent of their business to Western-style supermarkets, according to a BBC story. And that’s before Wal-Mart and Tesco move in with markets of their own next year.
The World Hum Travel Zeitgeist: Hawaii, Highways and One Hot Book
by Michael Yessis | 05.04.07 | 5:14 PM ET
Indians: Would Somebody Please Move the Boeing 737 in the Street?
by Jim Benning | 05.03.07 | 3:15 PM ET
A decommissioned Boeing 737 that was being towed through Mumbai five days ago has been abandoned on a busy street, the BBC reports. Apparently the driver reached an impasse in the road and simply took off, leaving the fuselage behind. It was reportedly being transported to a flight school with its wings and tail removed. While some are angry, others see the plane as an intriguing new tourist attraction. Here’s the real kicker: “The driver has not been seen since and no-one is assuming responsibility for the 737.”
‘Terminal Men’ Spend Almost Seven Weeks Living in Delhi Airport
by Michael Yessis | 05.03.07 | 7:16 AM ET
Two Bangladeshi men recently lived in the Delhi airport for 48 days after being turned away from Riyadh and having their passports held by Saudi Arabian authorities, according to a Reuters report. The duo reportedly “would often request the eatery staff to give them some work—not to earn money but to pass time.” It’s an epic stay, but no comparison to Merhan Nasseri‘s legendary residence at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Nasseri inspired the 2004 Spielberg-Hanks flick “The Terminal” and Alfred Merhan’s book “The Terminal Man.”
Related on World Hum:
* Adventures in ‘Airworld’
* Tale of a Travel Martyr
* Airports Get Their Pop Culture Close-Up
* What a Difference Between the Quality of the Items Handed Out by Air France and at the Shelters!
Theme Parks Bound for Mumbai and Dubai
by Jim Benning | 05.02.07 | 3:24 PM ET
Here at the Planet Theme Park desk, it’s hard to keep up with all the projects in the works, but we try. In the latest news, a $100 million Bollywood theme park is planned for the Indian city of Mumbai—or Bombay if you’re a certain UK newspaper apparently still in denial about that whole name change thing that was so 1995.
The 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.
India’s ‘Spiritual Backbone’: Two End-to-End Explorations Down the Ganges River
by Michael Yessis | 04.02.07 | 7:34 AM ET
National Public Radio’s Morning Edition begins a five-part series about the Ganges River today, following its 1,550-mile length to explore India’s past and future. “The Ganges provides sustenance to more people than the population of the United States,” says Philip Reeves, NPR’s India correspondent. “She passes through India’s most populous state, its most lawless state, its holiest city and Calcutta, the country’s cultural capital and latest aspiring technology hub.”