Happy Fourth of July

---

World Hum’s Most Read: June 28-July 3

---

What We Loved This Week: Def Leppard in Greece, Austrian Competence and Freedom in Colombia

---

The LAX Theme Building, Then and Now

---

As a Woman, Can I Really Travel Without Much Fear for my Safety?

Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel

Inside Slum Tourism

With mixed feelings, Rob Verger recently signed on for a tour of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas. He looks back on the experience—and the photos he was allowed to take.

Break Bread and Brie in France

Great cheese abounds in the land of Gaul, but dig in and you risk committing any number of faux pas. Terry Ward explains how to partake of the nation’s famed fromage with savoir faire.

10 Wanderlust-Inducing Summer Concerts

Call it world music or global pop or the sound of the world hum. Ben Keene reveals 10 acts on tour that are sure to transport you. Plus videos.

Bryan Mealer: ‘War and Deliverance in Congo’

The former AP correspondent traveled up the Congo River. Frank Bures asks the author of “All Things Must Fight to Live” about following in the wake of Joseph Conrad. 

‘The Worst Guidebook Writer Ever’?

Lonely Planet author Robert Reid reviews Thomas Kohnstamm’s “Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?” and weighs in on the controversy surrounding it

5.22.08

A Journey Into ‘The Second World’

Some bureaucrats joke that they would never claim expertise about countries they had not at least flown over. In an excerpt from his new book, Parag Khanna argues that real global understanding can only come from serious travel.

5.9.08

In Patagonia, In Patagonia

Tim Patterson packs his fleece and long underwear, and enters the Twilight Zone where corporate branding meets the multilayered reality of place. 

4.29.08

Why I CouchSurf

The first time she crashed at a stranger’s home, Kristin Luna feared she’d wind up an Agence France-Presse headline. Now she looks forward to sleeping on others’ furniture—and not just to save money.

4.4.08

Why the World is Avoiding America

U.S. policies keep many international travelers out of the country. Eric Lucas says he and his fellow Americans are missing out on more than just money. 

3.20.08

Talking Trash in Taiwan

Julia Ross thought she knew something about waste disposal. Then she moved to Taipei and watched masters in action.

2.5.08

Traveling While Texan

Sophia Dembling hears a lot about her home state while she’s on the road, particularly from other travelers intent on steering clear of the land of George W. Bush, Jasper and big hair. Her response: Get over it.

1.30.08

Sipping Starbucks, From Bloomington, Indiana to Shanghai, China

Westerners often assume that a Starbucks is a Starbucks is a Starbucks, but are they right? Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom recalls the big green coffee machine’s arrival in two very different cities.

1.1.08

The 2008 U.S. Presidential Candidate Travel Scorecard

What travel guide best suits John McCain? Where’s Hillary Clinton’s dream destination? Julia Ross examines how the White House contenders stack up as global travelers.

12.12.07

Confessions of a Cross-Border Shopper

What’s the thrill of buying socks and parmesan-flavored Goldfish crackers in Syracuse, New York? Eva Holland took advantage of the surging Canadian dollar and hit the road to find out.

12.4.07

Into Uncharted Waters

The sinking of the cruise ship Explorer didn’t surprise Jason Anthony. He has worked out of McMurdo Station in Antarctica for years. 

11.18.07

A Vagabond Finds a Home

Rolf Potts finally has a place to call his own—a double-wide overlooking the Kansas prairie. It’s infused with the lessons he learned from 13 years living out of a backpack.

10.12.07

Women’s Travel E-Mail Roundtable, Part Twelve: Hitting the Road

All this week, four accomplished travelers—Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Liz Sinclair, Terry Ward and Catherine Watson—talk about the rewards and perils of hitting the road alone as a woman. 

10.12.07

Women’s Travel E-Mail Roundtable, Part Eleven: (De)Parting Words

All this week, four accomplished travelers—Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Liz Sinclair, Terry Ward and Catherine Watson—talk about the rewards and perils of hitting the road alone as a woman. 

10.11.07

Women’s Travel E-Mail Roundtable, Part Ten: Ode to the Mother Road

All this week, four accomplished travelers—Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Liz Sinclair, Terry Ward and Catherine Watson—talk about the rewards and perils of hitting the road alone as a woman. 

10.11.07

Women’s Travel E-Mail Roundtable, Part Nine: Girl Power, and the Get Up and Go

All this week, four accomplished travelers—Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Liz Sinclair, Terry Ward and Catherine Watson—talk about the rewards and perils of hitting the road alone as a woman. 

10.10.07

Women’s Travel E-Mail Roundtable, Part Eight: The Home Dilemma

All this week, four accomplished travelers—Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Liz Sinclair, Terry Ward and Catherine Watson—talk about the rewards and perils of hitting the road alone as a woman. 

10.10.07

Women’s Travel E-Mail Roundtable, Part Seven: Loosing Gender

All this week, four accomplished travelers—Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Liz Sinclair, Terry Ward and Catherine Watson—talk about the rewards and perils of hitting the road alone as a woman. 

10.10.07

Women’s Travel E-Mail Roundtable, Part Six: Wanna See My AK-47?

All this week, four accomplished travelers—Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Liz Sinclair, Terry Ward and Catherine Watson—talk about the rewards and perils of hitting the road alone as a woman. 

10.9.07

Women’s Travel E-Mail Roundtable, Part Five: Settling Down on the Fringe

All this week, four accomplished travelers—Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Liz Sinclair, Terry Ward and Catherine Watson—talk about the rewards and perils of hitting the road alone as a woman. 

10.9.07

Women’s Travel E-Mail Roundtable, Part Four: Being a Woman—Wherever

All this week, four accomplished travelers—Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Liz Sinclair, Terry Ward and Catherine Watson—talk about the rewards and perils of hitting the road alone as a woman. 

| More Speaker's Corner >>