Galavanting Women's Travel Magazine & Web Series

Go Glamping: Adventure and Luxury in the Great Outdoors - 226

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:25:39 -0800

A Darn Good Contest - 227

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:56:00 -0800

Win the Rough Guide or a Rough Guide Earth Bound photography book of your choice by nominating a Darn Good Dig. Darn Good Digs is a resource of budget-friendly, independent hotels, guest houses, bed & breakfasts all over the world — all digs are priced at the equivalent of US$150 or less!

From eco-friendly safaris in Africa to theme-room motels in New York, all housing is nominated by the people who have seen it all — travelers just like you!

And Darn Good Digs is currently running its 2nd Nominate-a-thon until December 17, 2009. The more nominations you submit, the more raffle tickets you’ll have entered.

To enter a nomination go to: http://www.darngooddigs.com/nominationform.html

1 raffle ticket: Sign up for the quarterly newsletter.
2 raffle tickets: Nominate your favorite place to stay that’s independently owned with rooms under US$150.
3 raffle tickets: Do both of the above.
5 raffle tickets: Sign up for the newsletter and nominate two places that fit the bill.

There’s no limit to the number of nominations you can submit! The winner will be chosen at random on December 18, 2009.

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Shanna Quinn is a Galavanting contributing editor and based in Chicago, IL. She likes lattes, going barefoot, when public transit is on time (not that it happens…ever) and of course traveling! Follow Shanna on Twitter >>

Travel Gear Review: Aon Box Eco-Friendly Speakers - 225

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:38:57 -0800

Cutting Through the Noise: Ecoscene tries portable eco friendly speakers to see if they can hold a tune

Tunes and travel go hand in hand. Whether it is a hotel room, a beach, or a camping excursion, finding the right music to set the mood is crucial. Ecoscene recently tried out a set of Aon Box, eco friendly portable speakers, in hopes of amplifying the experience of music on the go.

The product packaging and speaker housing are made with 100% renewable resources, a good start with limited impact on the environment. They require no batteries and no electric outlet, to pack for your also keeping energy consumption low. A standard 3.5mm audio jack, makes them compatible with iPods, iPhones, many multimedia cell phones and portable DVD players. And, boy are these speakers compact! Each one folds down to the size of a wallet; you can boast, “the party’s in my pocket!”

Aon has delivered a boom-free box, with sound quality high on treble and low on bass. The packaging may be renewable, but there is quite a bit of it - two layers of plastic packaging and another shell of paper labeling add less-than-green hassle to jumpstarting the fun. Details about the speakers’ green characteristics are vague at best, the description noting only that the speakers are housed in polypropylene. The speakers are made in China, increasing the product’s carbon footprint for most US users; however the company does purchase carbon offsets for the production of their products.

While the size, weight and convenience of the Aon Box speakers are impressive, the sound is unfortunately a bit underwhelming for a music enthusiast. With a reasonable $20 price tag and low power consumption, the speakers are a good option for those looking for some music on the go.

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Ecoscene takes a closer look at living green by providing authenic and honest consumer reviews about eco friendly products and services. See more travel related green product reviews at Ecoscene >>

Alternate Universe: Anthony Bourdain's New Web Series - 224

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:59:02 -0700

If you’re like me and love travel, you probably also love Travel Channel’s Anthony Bourdain No Reservations. What’s not to love? There’s food, there’s local culture, there’s wit. So when my inbox chimed at the arrival of an email from one of the show’s publicists, the last thing I expected was to read that Bourdain got a new show.

Photo courtesy of Travel Channel

Have no fear, nothing is being replaced. In fact, come November 2nd, Bourdain and his team will release the first episode of a new animated web series (titled “Robo Chef”).

The promo trailer (below) says the series was created to answer the question of “what really goes on inside his head”, for those who wonder. Frankly, I never knew I had to wonder. I mean, this is a guy who fits three hours worth of soul-searching voiceover into a 43-minute show each week. But after watching a sneak preview of the comic-book style animated series’ first episode…I do now.

As I watched the cartoon version of Tony Bourdain, dressed as a mad scientist and cracking jokes about celebrity chefs while building himself a robot from scrap material, the first word that crossed my mind was “surreal” — which I guess is the point. It has none of the great landscape imagery, or food porn of his television show, nor does it seem to have much to do with travel at all (so far). But it will be a sure crowd pleaser for those who are die-hard fans of Bourdain’s writings and who follow his career as a chef. And I’m no expert, but the animation looked pretty high quality as well.

Travel Channel’s description of the show:

From the creators of No Reservations and from the mind of world traveler, chef and best selling author Anthony Bourdain, comes a new animated web series — Anthony Bourdain’s Alternate Universe.

In this imaginative, exclusive new web series, Tony shares his personal and unique view of the world that lives in his imagination, mocking not only himself but others that cross his path, literally and figuratively.

Here’s a preview trailer — the first of six monthly web episodes will be posted on Travel Channel’s website November 2nd, 2009.

And if traveler is your name and internet your game, be sure to check out our own great (non robot-building) web travel series, Galavanting.tv.

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Kim Mance is Galavanting’s editor-in-chief and host of the Galavanting.tv web travel series. She’s based in Chicago, IL and some of her other writing can be found at MarieClaire.com, The Huffington Post, and Babble.

On the road to Santiago de Compostela - 222

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:11:42 -0700

Win a 3 night stay on Turks and Caicos - 221

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:40:55 -0700

Travel Book Review: A Journey into Michelangelo's Rome - 220

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 06:51:06 -0700

Disney Announces that Volunteers Get a Free Disney Day - 219

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:42:02 -0700

Hike the Inca Trail with Firestone Wines - 217

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:39:58 -0700

National Public Lands Day - 216

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:51:32 -0700

How-to Check Hotel Rooms For Bed Bugs

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:25:06 -0700

How to Eat Well on a Shoestring Budget

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:59:46 -0700

Happy Trails: 6 Tips for Traveling Well with a Friend

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:17:17 -0800

Wardrobe Confessions of a Traveling Mom

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:15:13 -0800

Protecting Your Laptop While Traveling

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:17:56 -0800

Travel With Kids: Skipping School

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:13:59 -0800

Top 10 Family Travel Tips You Can Actually Use

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:12:03 -0800

Family Travel Tips for the Thinking Impaired

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:52:15 -0800

Staying Safe While You Travel

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:49:27 -0800

Protecting Your Health: How Not to Crap Your Pants

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:37:28 -0800

Tokyo's Tsukiji Market

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:10:00 -0800

From scouting for the freshest ingredients to the way food is prepared and presented in both restaurants and private homes, Japanese people are serious about their fish.

Altared States

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:09:43 -0700

What if death was not the last destination, but just an exit on a larger cosmic freeway? This is the way many Mexicans have programmed their philosophical GPS systems, and their Dia de los Muertos—or Day of the Dead—holiday, celebrated each autumn, is the result.

Pivo, Prosim: My Introduction to Czech Beer

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:12:32 -0700

Dark lagers of the Czech variety are often sweeter but maybe the Czech myth about women and beer had something to do with my decision as well. According to local legend and the wise bartender at my favorite pub, consumption of dark beer enhances the size of a woman’s bust resulting in dark beers often being favored by the ladies.

MonicaZ Photography - Destination Wedding Photographer

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:00:11 -0700

With a fresh perspective and ready to take it all on attitude, Monica Zibutis is slowly photographing her way around the world. Monica, along with her husband of three years, is a destination wedding photographer.

The Amazing Pot Woman of Benin

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:57:01 -0700

It is not published in any guidebooks and perhaps not even known outside the Bariba-speaking community, but in this little hamlet lives the finest potter in all Benin. Her very name, Mamawekegii, means “amazing pot woman”.

Practical Guide to Traveling in Costa Rica

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:48:45 -0700

This Costa Rica travel guide is based on the itinerary the GoGalavanting editors took during the recent shoot of our pilot Galavanting.tv Costa Rica episode. We’ll show you some great places to visit, what to bring, and what to expect.

A Trip to the Feira in Maringá, Brazil

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:16:38 -0700

It seemed every person I talked to asked, "Have you been to the feira?" After hearing multiple descriptions from my Portuguese teacher about foods that were sure to stop the heart dead in its tracks, I was geared up for a fair food fest.

Cambodia’s New Dawn: Seeing Angkor Wat and its children

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:44:58 -0700

Across Asia, people ring in the solar New Year not with a sinking sparkling ball but a rising bright orange sun on the first new dawn of the year as it ascends over the horizon as quickly as bygone years.

Journeys Within -- Siem Reap, Cambodia

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:19:33 -0700

Journeys Within

Owner: Andrea Ross
Location: Siam Reap, Cambodia

Five-Star Backpacking in South Africa

thegals@gogalavanting.com (Galavanting) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 11:32:51 -0800

Twenty drunken snorers sharing a dorm, hour-long shower line ups and questionable mattresses: not the ingredients of a perfect break, but this is what my mum was fearing as I dragged her on a backpacking tour around South Africa.