Travel Blog: News and Briefs

Photo by ReefRaff via Flickr (Creative Commons)

Last week the Indian government unveiled the first 41 miles of a groundbreaking railway line in Kashmir -- a line that will eventually link the troubled region to India's main rail network for the first time ever. The line has been under construction for eight years, and under consideration by India's various rulers for more than a century. The Times of London's

Jeremy Page writes: “Thousands of engineers worked on the project ... braving the constant threat of attack by militants as well as appalling conditions during Kashmir’s long, harsh winters.”

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U.S. Business Travelers Abroad Facing ‘Blunt Questions,’ ‘Heated Discussions’

by Michael Yessis | 10.21.08 | 9:58 AM ET

It’s because of the worldwide interest in the U.S. election. Says one traveler: “I have been doing this for almost 20 years, and never before have so many people from so many different cultures been so interested in our government and asked my opinion of who I think will win the election.”

‘The Big Necessity’: Plumbing the Global Politics of Human Waste

by Julia Ross | 10.21.08 | 8:41 AM ET

Ah, cross-cultural toilet culture: It’s a fascinating topic we’ve broached with frankness here before. Still, I’m in awe of British journalist Rose George, whose new book, “The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters,” tells you everything you ever wanted to know about human defecation and more. In a riveting interview with Salon, George provides a round-the-world tour of bathroom behaviors, expounding on paper versus water cultures, high-tech Japanese washlets, Kenyan “helicopter toilets,” and Mumbai’s grim sanitation situation.

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How To ‘Visit Your Dog’s Ancestral Home’

by Michael Yessis | 10.21.08 | 7:47 AM ET

Great travel idea for pooch lovers from Jean Tang at Budget Travel.

The Truth About Fuel Surcharges

by Eva Holland | 10.20.08 | 2:30 PM ET

The Telegraph crunches the numbers to find out just how much jet fuel those surcharges are buying.

Ryanair: The World’s Least Favorite Airline?

by Eva Holland | 10.20.08 | 1:30 PM ET

The Ireland-based budget carrier earned the title in an annual TripAdvisor poll—for the third consecutive time. Nonetheless, 42 million passengers are expected to take their chances with Ryanair this year, braving stingy legroom, unfriendly staff and frequent delays (the most common complaints against the airline) in exchange for those irresistible £10 tickets.

Photo by paolo margari via Flickr (Creative Commons)

‘There’s an Old-School Charm to the Indian Train Experience’

by Michael Yessis | 10.20.08 | 11:05 AM ET

I often hear the Indian train experience described as intimidating or uncomfortable, so I was intrigued by the latest installment of the Washington Post’s Time Zones series. “I love the train, because you don’t have to be in a rush,” says one passenger. “You can think.”

Goldberg: ‘Airport Security in America is a Sham’

by Michael Yessis | 10.20.08 | 10:41 AM ET

A chilling story in the Atlantic by Jeffrey Goldberg, who tested security at various airports in various ways, almost always getting away with suspicious behavior.

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Are These Chinese Villages Resting on the Fountain of Youth?

by Joanna Kakissis | 10.20.08 | 10:07 AM ET

An unusually large number of very old people live in hamlets near the Vietnam border in China’s scenic Guangxi Autonomous Region, creating a so-called “longevity cluster.” So how do you market a place like Bama county, home to 250,000 and 74 centenarians, to the Western world? Bill it as a haven for health tourism, reports The Wall Street Journal. Visitors can have a low-cost spa vacation by simply breathing the air, drinking the local water and eating meals here.

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