The mygola blog

For the love of food and travel – a conversation with Gwen Pratesi

April 29, 2013 – 5:32 am

Gwen is infectious. While good food and travel form an irresistible concoction by themselves, it’s another matter altogether to take it to the level of recall value that Gwen’s bunkycooks has given to the food loving world (and specially friendly Southern US). Gwen Pratesi is recently back from the amazing Virginia food and wine festival that we covered recently. I had another opportunity to catch up with her and talk more about growing up, the love for food, travel and more.

In conversation with travel addict, food connoisseur and inspired entrepreneur of On The Roads culinary travels:

Gwen at the Manakintowne farms

On growing up, boats on the beach and the food connection

I was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and lived there until I attended college in Richmond, Virginia. Two of my early interests and passions were cooking and travel and they both continue to play a large part in my life.

While I did not venture too far from home at an early age, I did begin to travel primarily with my mother (my parents were divorced). We went to London one year, visited a number of cities and and vacation destinations (like Williamsburg, Virginia) along the East Coast, and we traveled to the Caribbean several times. These trips definitely sparked a greater interest in travel and the desire to see more of the country and the world.

While I took most of my trips with my mother, my dad had a boat at the beach in New Jersey and I would travel with him there and go fishing in the ocean. I always loved spending time at the beach and still find something very peaceful and calming about being on the water to this day. My least favorite part about those trips would be when we came in and my dad would clean the fish we caught. The good news is that it taught me early in life the connection to our food and where it comes from.

On traveling as a local

We recently traveled to Friuli, Italy where we stayed in an agriturismo and were taken through Friuli by someone who has lived there for many years. He showed us the region from a unique local perspective and we visited many of the small artisan food producers, winemakers, and restaurants. It was an unforgettable experience and our favorite part of the entire trip. Visiting with someone from the region is truly the best way to see and learn about the places you visit. Nothing can replace that insider’s experience.

exploring the wines of friuli-venezia giulia

It’s all about the authentic stories

Travel has become a way of life for us over the past few years. We are in constant search of a story about a unique person or place. I am inspired by the desire to learn more and to write about that knowledge and share it with others. I am also inspired by seeing beautiful and intriguing new places, learning about and meeting the people of the region, and experiencing their food, wine, and other local specialties.

I always loved to travel from the early days of going to the beach with my dad or traveling further away (like to London) with my mother. I wanted to go to Paris to attend culinary school after high school, but was strongly encouraged to attend a regular college instead. That would have been a life changing experience, I am sure, but once I went to college, I was able to do some local travel in the Southern U.S. and a take a few trips to the Caribbean that sparked more of an interest and a desire to venture further from home.

Checking out pumpkin risotto at Burt’s farm in the North Georgia Mountains

The footprints

I have traveled to many places in the U.S. and have lived in a number of cities. Some of my favorite places in the U.S. are Portland, Napa Valley, San Diego, Boston, New Orleans, and New York. I also love the coastal region of South Carolina and the city of Charleston. Outside the U.S. I have traveled to most of the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada, England, Germany, Italy, France, Monaco, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Turkey, Croatia, Greece, and Montenegro.

The top three experiences have to be Friuli, Italy, the South of France, and Barcelona, Spain. They are all amazing destinations with incredible scenery, history, architecture, and fabulous food and wine.

While interviewing Chef Sean Brock – Charleston, SC

Where is Gwen now?

We live in Atlanta, Georgia, but travel frequently. This is our base for our food and travel business. Our next big travel adventure was to Jefferson’s Virginia April 21-23, 2013 with our culinary tour business, On The Road culinary adventures.

“Everyone should travel as much as they can. Leave the country and see another way of life, learn about another culture, meet different people, and try the food specialties of the region. Your life will never be the same.” — Gwen Pratesi

Read more about Gwen’s adventures in Virginia (A travel, food and wine revelation in Jefferson’s, Virginia) and more about her at bunkycooks.com.

The daily catch

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On a Weekend in Paris with Priscilla Pilon – being a global local

April 22, 2013 – 6:30 am

What comes to your mind when I say, “A weekend in Paris”? For me, it’s a whole lot of romance. Romance in many variations – with the city, the romance of travel, of wanderlust, the evening lights, with food, with culture, and evermore.

Our endless search for authentic and moving stories of travel and inspiration from people with extra-ordinary travel thirst took us places we never thought of. We heard stories about a man who walked the length of China. Of folks who covered a continent on a bike. A roadtrip spanning over two decades. A lady who made a foreign land her home to come at a deeper understanding of herself.

This time, our search lead to “The Weekend in Paris” and it’s enigmatic curator, Priscilla Pilon. Priscilla travels the world but is a self-confessed Paris addict. An established travel blogger, she shares her stories and her tips on where she stays and eats, on good wine and where to shop and much more, on her blog; Weekend in Paris.

Priscilla with Phil and Jack Pilon at Notre Dame © Priscilla Pilon

We talked travel, growing up, inspirations and about what made her the travel nomad that she is today. Priscilla shares her thoughts:

Of early days in New England, station wagons and penny candies

I grew up in a small New England town just south of Boston, MA. We rode our bikes everywhere and spent long summer days at the beach and evenings playing neighborhood games. It was an idyllic childhood where we did not lock the doors to our homes or cars and played in the woods until our mothers would shout for us to come in for dinner!

Every summer my family would pack up the station wagon and travel to Cape Cod to visit my cousins. We brought our sleeping bags and slept on the floor in the living room with our cousins and had the best time going to the beach during the day and playing hide and go seek on the Cranberry bogs at night and try not to get caught by the “bog men” who yelled at us and chased us. If we were all good and stayed out of parent’s hair, they would take us for ice cream after dinner in our pajamas. Everyone did that back then in the summers.

We always had a contest riding in the car. The first kid to see the Sagamore Bridge (the gateway to Cape Cod) would shout the words Peanut butter. I don’t know why, but my cousins started the tradition and it stuck. We always went for penny candy (yes, it was a penny each back then) and used to beg our parents until they took us. We called it the “PC” store and would yell, “PC, PC, PC” until they gave in.

On traveling like a local

I always meet up with locals living in Paris when I travel there. In fact, I host a Tweet Up annually where expats and local French business people come meet up at a fun bar or restaurant. They are always full of helpful advice and give me tips of what’s new and hot in Paris. Because we have lived in many places, we usually know a local in each city and definitely hook up with them whenever possible to eat out at their favorite spots or tour with them.

Visiting the local markets in Mumbai © Priscilla Pilon

The hidden mid-west and Paris – learning from a local

I live in Houston, Texas and Newport, RI and split my time between them. I travel to Paris at least yearly and have done so for over 20 years. The best place to buy a present for someone in Houston is at a small shop called Out of the Box where you can get personalized, one of a kind items for the special people in your life. In Newport, the best chowder is at the Black Pearl restaurant, but the best place to sit outside right on the water is the Atlantic Beach Club, the locals call this place the ABC and they have live bands inside (jazz for the older crowd) and outside a DJ or band playing top hits for the younger crowd. The younger crowd come right off the beach and typically dress in nothing but swimsuits and tend to drink too much.

At Cafe de Paris Monte Carlo © Priscilla Pilon

For Paris, I advise people to stay in the 6th or 7th arrondissements at boutique hotels. My favorite small hotel, the Hotel Left Bank, uses lovely lavender laundry soap for their linens making everything smell fresh and the staff are the friendliest hotel staff around! Just a couple doors away is a no name hole in the wall creperie that is open late at night which serves hot, delicious crepes starting at just over 2 euros. It’s the cheapest and best “fast food” in town!

On savouring globetrotting

Every part of travel is a joy to me, from the planning (I begin a year in advance for big trips) to the eventual end where I return safely home and put my head down on my own pillow. Hunting down the perfect hotel in the perfect location at a decent price has always given me a “high” and I insist on eating at one new restaurant at the least and try a new tour or experience each time. When I visit a new museum or exhibition each time in Paris it makes the trip seem like the first time to me. I would NEVER want to get bored with Paris and make a point to push myself out of my comfort zone each trip. I prefer to be busy on my trips to new places, but also love to relax at some of my favorite travel spots I visit yearly, like the Bitter End in the British Virgin Islands. I love to sail, read on the beach under a thatch hut, sipping a local pina colada and nap on the porch of my hillside room in the hammock. Talking with and getting to know the locals who work at the hotels I stay at is a priority for me. That is how I get to know a place and the real culture, not the advertised ideal, but the real essence of a village, town or city. I love the change of scenery, weather, and pace – all of which is what makes travel interesting.

Sailing in Newport © Priscilla Pilon

On the first college roadtrips and falling in love with travel

I chose to go to college a 16-20 hour car ride away from home and I enjoyed every minute of the trip – stopping in small towns or big cities to fuel up and taste local foods. I think it was then that I first decided that travel was a good thing, but then when I married and moved to London I became seriously hooked! Every chance I got, I went with my husband to new places in Europe and then when we moved back to the US he got a job which requires travel all over the world and I accompany him often! When I am not with him jetting off to the likes of Mumbai, Oslo, Athens I am on my own travels to Paris, Nice, Monte Carlo, Dijon, Brugges, Brussels, etc.

I have been to most of the states in the US and other countries: Israel, Norway, France, England, Austria, Belgium, Mexico, Canada, Caymen, Jamaica, British Virgin Islands, Italy, Greece, Germany, India, Monaco. I lived in the UK for 3 years and Italy for 3 ½ months and traveled extensively in Germany. I of course am obsessed with Paris/France and go back all the time since I now feel “at home” there.

I love the BVI because it has the best sailing in the world and the resort we stay in has no locks on the doors, no televisions in the rooms, no Wifi in the rooms and is very peaceful! I love skiing in Telluride, CO because the lift lines are short and the majestic mountains are very serene. The town of Telluride is unspoiled – no chain restaurants for fast food!

The top 3 favorite travel experiences

Trekking with my kids in the mountains near Chamonix, France and then taking the train to Paris and seeing their joy when they discovered the giant hall of paintings in the Louvre – pure magic. My first trip to Maui where I overcame my fear of snorkeling (I am claustrophobic) and the first time I saw the Eiffel Tower with my husband when we were poor and stayed in a dive hotel in Paris. We bought food at the local markets, put the champagne on the widow sill to chill and window-shopped! Very romantic!

Telluride skiing with Jack and Phil Pilon © Priscilla Pilon

For the love of travel

Travel is a huge part of my life right now. I travel to see my children who go to school very far away and that is my first priority when it comes to travel. I always love to travel with my husband on his business trips as most of them involve very interesting cities or experiences (dining, museums, excursions) and of course I now travel for my own business of travel writing for both my own blog, The Weekend In Paris, but also for The Daily Basics.com. All this means that travel is one of the most important things in my life and I am so lucky I enjoy every minute of it!

Where is Priscilla now?

I am in Houston, but about to take off for NYC for a night followed by some time in Rhode Island to see one of my sons and enjoy the Easter weekend at my favorite local spots. I am busy planning my July, 2013 and January, 2014 trips to Paris and working on an article on my recent stay at a five star hotel in Cabo, Mexico for TheDailyBasics.com.

In Brugges © Priscilla Pilon

**Note** Photos property of Priscilla Pilon. Must obtain permission before use.

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A travel, food and wine revelation in Jefferson’s, Virginia

April 17, 2013 – 10:55 am

It is almost surreal that when you decide to strip off everything you thought was right and decided to start from the bottom again, you can only go upwards (read ‘Starting at the bottom’). And then, the people you meet, the stories you hear, only push you further upwards.

Two years we helped travelers overcome travel planning nightmares. Got lots of user love and some press love as well (bless you NY Times). But in the last one year, while we have been working on something totally unthought-of, to give travel an all new meaning, we found ourselves conversing with ever more real travelers with authentic stories.

In fact, that is what all our efforts have been towards, curating and hand-picking the most spectacular, moving, subtle but essentially true travel stories. In the process, we spoke to people who did roadtrips spanning continents, people who traveled the world with a growing child, and much more.

When I first reached out to Gwen Pratesi, I was looking for some similarly unique (call that an oxymoron!) story to hear, to capture in our new mygola, and tell it to the world. Her’s is a fascinating world of food travels. It is not easy to burn a trial that is both succulent and fresh after the world has been dominated by Anthony Bourdain. But if your monkey-on-the-back is food and travel, the freshness and Southern charm does not come as a cliche at all! You can read more about her and her culinary exploits on bunkycooks.com.

Understanding Culinary Adventures — Gwen

Something about a never-ending travel and food celebration

Through one of our conversations, Gwen introduced me to ‘On The Road culinary adventures’. The name coined a number of ideas when I heard it – all of them good. But none as good as what they actually do – bringing you the absolute finest in culinary travel, trotting across Southern U.S.

Matt Jamie – Bourbon Barrel Foods — covered by On the Road Culinary Adventures

It is all about the experience – sure there are award winning chefs, fantastic pool side restaurants and vineyard pickings. But it’s more about the authentic experiences coming from real people. These ‘culinary outings’ if I can call them so, are exclusive and limited to 20 people. Each such adventure includes cooking classes and hands on experiences. On the Road Culinary Adventures has meandered across from Louisville through a ‘Chef’s Table Dinner Series’ touching everything from Thai Cooking with Chef Jessica Ray to catching the perfect fall colours in ‘Fall Culinary Tours adventures’ series.

Both Roger and Gwen have beautifully encased the essence of personal stories – sharing with us the passion of the people they have met and what they have learned from farmers, chefs and businesses they encountered.

A travel, food and wine revelation in Jefferson’s, Virginia

Fodor’s recently blogged about 7 Reasons to Visit Monticello. The piece was by the author of ‘Thomas Jefferson‘, Jon Meacham. Makes for a very informative read. But let me give an eighth reason (though for a foodie, it would much rather be the first) to make your way into Virginia this spring.

On The Road culinary adventures is traveling to Virginia this April (21-23). The highlight is to take in the rare culinary scenes found at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.

It’s going to be a three-day, two-night adventure with a few exclusive guided tours (of the gardens of Monticello with Gabriele Rausse, the property’s famed Director of Gardens and Grounds). But what strikes me even more are conversations and insights from one of the early pioneers of Virginia wine. Harvesting the produce from the garden with your own hands, which will then be prepared for lunch, served in an orchard at the top of the mountain – you already have a food epiphany!

The first special dinner

Powhatan has a short approach; from Richmond. Here live Jo and Rob Pendergraph. And they have been growing some stunning produce since 1985. Manakintowne Growers – a 21 acre farm in the county that for some reason brings to mind the computer game “Youda Farmer”. Red trucks wheeling in on mornings, carrying supplies to some of the most renowned chefs in the region. Jo and Rob play hosts at their farm for the first special dinner of the food trip.

Gwen with Jo at Manakintowne

Being in eastern Piedmont, there will be rolling terrain for company. The soil is rocky at times or else, it’s clay soil. The farm sits high on the pasture roll. The produce is grown in the fields, in three greenhouses – growing almost anything and everything. Ask for those edible flowers. And ask them what’s new. Jo and Rob go by the mission of being good stewards of the land that sustain them and provide for the people.

Manakintowne Growers – tools of the trade

The farm dinner at Manakintowne will see the best chefs of the region, Walter Bundy from Lemaire at The Jefferson Hotel, Richmond; Lee Gregory of The Roosevelt, Richmond; and Aaron Cross of Fossett’s and Keswick Hall in Charlottesville, use those beautiful produces and do justice to them.

Chef Lee Gregory

Lee Gregory’s Roosevelt has been open for just about nine months, but it’s simple dining room and bar in Church Hill has done enough to already be a reckoning legend. The Roosevelt’s been coined as a place that “looks fictional but feels familiar”. As a food lover, I know that’s one statement of appreciation. The building too, has character – it’s been a chitlin store, a florist and even housed apartments. Somehow, it feels like history imbibes into food here.

T (Thomas Leggett) the bartender is cocktail wizard – fused with Southern delights (Sourced: styleweekly.com)

Walter Bundy of the Lemaire was recently interviewed by Gwen and the conversation flows around growing up, the delight of good food and the art of making it.

For over a year we have been On the Road in search of some of the best farms and chefs that we can find. We are always intrigued by our chef interviews and this interview with Executive Chef Walter Bundy of Lemaire at The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia was certainly no exception. Our conversation with him was different than many interviews we have done in the past. Listening to Chef Bundy’s philosophy on being a chef and relating it to his personal life was refreshing.

Gwen with Walter Bundy

The evening at Manakintowne is set to roll into good wine – from the Barbousville Vineyards; vintage selections picked and explained by winemaker, Luca Paschina. The Barbousville creations started in 1976 by the Italian maverick Gianni Zonin.

Winemaker Luca Paschina at Barboursville Vineyards

Virginia has a story to tell. Are you going to listen?

Virginia has a story to tell. Of food and love for the land. And few others tell it as well as Gwen does, through her blog Bunky Cooks. The On the Road culinary adventure’s affair with Virginia will happen from April 21st to 23rd. To quote (for it can’t be better told):

Spring has finally arrived and everything is in bloom. In fact, it is Historic Garden Week across the state of Virginia. What better way to celebrate than to visit and dine outdoors at Manakintowne Specialty Growers and in the historic orchard at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello!

Thomas Jefferson’s 270th birthday is this Saturday, April 13th, so we are offering special pricing for you to join us on this truly once in a lifetime tour to Jefferson’s Virginia.

If you go:

To book this trip, call (404) 380-1010 or email Gwen at OTRculinaryadventures@gmail.com.

View the itinerary, accommodation options and logistics on – On The Road culinary adventures post.

About Gwen:

Gwen Pratesi

Gwen Pratesi began her blog, Bunkycooks, in 2009 as a way to share her lifelong passion for cooking with friends and family. Bunkycooks quickly grew, evolving into a food, travel and lifestyle blog. In June 2010, Gwen transformed her website by creating her now well-known On The Road adventures and Chef Interviews series.

Coachella Music Festival 101: the only guide you will need (2013)

April 5, 2013 – 7:10 am

Scott Kannberg (Pavement’s rhythm guitarist) rolled his voice into the microphone, “We’re Pavement, back from the dead,” to thousands of people gathered in the middle of an otherwise dead-dry Californian desert. That was one year ago. This year, even more people (if 75000 folks from 2012 was any less) are heading over to the dance and music magnet.

Blur, The Stone Roses, Lou Reed, Phoenix and Red Hot Chili Peppers are among the big acts hitting the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California for the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. It’s like giving the term “weekend getaway” a whole new meaning! Founded by Paul Tollett, organized by Goldenvoice, the Coachellafest certainly has come a very long way.

We have created the ultimate guide to the Coachella Music and Arts festival. The only guide you will need!

Coachella

The time and place: when: April 12-14 and April 19-21 | where: Empire Polo Club in Indio, California

We are here for the music

3 best headliners not to miss out on

We all know about Red Hot Chili Peppers and Blur. For some, it would be a crime to miss out on those. But cut out some time for the Stone Roses. While they are not as well-known as Blur, this Manchester based British foursome led by vocalist Ian Brown and guitarist John Squire have been around ever since their 1989 debut.

These folks are the undisputed pioneers of the Madchester movement combining alternative, garage rock, and sometimes even punk and soul with psychedelic dance elements. A slew of issues saw their breakup but now they are back!

The Stone Roses

Watch out for the Phoenix: Europe’s calling! The Phoenix rises from Versailles, France and this sextet walked the path to popular acclaim through their catchy pop tunes like “Lisztomania” and “1901″ that featured some interesting garage-rock influences. Phoenix comes with fans such as the legendary Daft Punk and filmmaker Sofia Coppola.

I am a sucker for uber cool band names. Yeah Yeah Yeahs is a rare female-fronted act getting some well earned stage time. Lovely Karen O and her Siouxsie and the Banshees are known to set stages on fire. Among their popular hits are “Maps” and “Gold Lion,” and a new album “Mosquito” is set to launch on April 16. Maybe you can catch a preview at Coachella!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

The coolest non-headliner acts

Arguably, this is the century of Indie performers all over. So apart from the headliners, there’s going to be a lot more to watch out for.

For instance, the Wu-Tang Clan. Heavyweight members like Raekwon and Ghostface Killah are seen often enough at gigs around the country. But it’s not so common to see the entire band together in all its glory – something for all you hip-hop heads.

The indie world has been waiting for the reunion of The Postal Service for quite some time now. Finally, the Ben Gibbard-Jimmy Tamborello reunion will come to pass at Coachella’s Saturday night lineup. While there might not be a new album on the offer, rest assured to hear classics from albums like the 2003 “Give Up”.

The Postal Service

How to get yourself in

Tickets and passes

Going, going, gone! Last year it took a bit over three days. This time around, it was even lesser: as big as this festival gets, Coachella 2013 is officially sold out. Tickets were for the 1st weekend sold out in record 20 minutes. 2nd Weekend passes were still around the rest of the day of launch and till next morning. Coachella tweeted the below photo within 2 days of it’s tickets going on sale:

2013-01-30-soldout

You can still get your hands on the tickets! E-commerce to the rescue: As it always goes, there are places where you’ll still be able to get your hands on some of strangling passes, albeit at bloated up prices. Tickets are still on sale on craiglist and ebay. Try this custom search or this for craiglist. And ebay’s listings are here. Beware of the authenticity though and always try collecting in person. Prices are floating around $350 to $500 per ticket. Looking around, we even found camping and car parking passes on sale.

Coachella Passes 2013

Reaching Coachella – what works for you

Flying yourself in

Nearest airports are Palm Springs (23.3 miles, takes about 30 mins along I-10 W), Los Angeles (146 miles, takes 2 hours 30 mins along I-10 W and CA-60 W), San Diego (165 miles, about 2 hours 40 mins through I-10 W and I-15 S).

The two other major airports are San Francisco (503 miles, usually takes about 7 hours 30 mins along I-5 N) and Las Vegas (251 miles and a good 4 hours 20 mins drive along the CA-62 E/Twentynine Palms Highway.

Even though technically Palms Springs is the closest airport, it almost always connects from either Los Angeles or San Diego. This jumps the price and the time. Best advice is to fly into San Diego (most straightforward) or Los Angeles for international flights.

Make it a roadtrip

Roadtrips have this unique ability of adding glamour and fun to any kind of trip. And it only gets even better if the destination is the year’s biggest music fest. It does not have to be a cross-country affair (totally cool if it is, though!). You can do the drab options till you reach any of the closest points of civilization – Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Palm Springs or Las Vegas! It’s like living wild-wild west while you drive through Arizona and California.

Make sure you do not go for an RV though, specially if you have yourself an on-site camp pass. Those romantic vehicles are out of bounds from the festival premises. If you have a hotel or even better, a holiday rental booked (read further below for some great options), go for it!

Nathalia Median, Dominican designer and stylist on a roadtrip to Coachella

Nathalia Median, Dominican designer and stylist on the roadtrip to Coachella

The official directions are:

From Los Angeles – Interstate 10 East towards Palm Springs. Pass Highway 111. Exit 10 at Jefferson Street or continue on and exit at Monroe Street. Travel South. Traffic personnel and/or signs will direct cars to the Empire Polo Club, and event parking & camping. Please carefully obey all signage and staff directions.

From San Francisco – Interstate 5 South to the 10 East or take the 101 South to the 10 East. Exit 10 at Jefferson Street or continue on and exit at Monroe Street. Travel South. Traffic personnel and/or signs will direct cars to the Empire Polo Club, and event parking & camping. Please carefully obey all signage and staff directions.

From San Diego – Interstate 15 North to the 215 North to the 60 East to the 10 East. Exit 10 at Jefferson Street or continue on and exit at Monroe Street. Traffic personnel will direct cars to the Empire Polo Club, and event parking & camping. Please carefully obey all signage and staff directions.

From Las Vegas – Interstate 15 South to the Interstate 10 East. Take 10 east towards Palm Springs. Pass Highway 111. Exit 10 at Jefferson Street or continue on and exit at Monroe Street. Travel South. Traffic personnel and/or signs will direct cars to the Empire Polo Club, and event parking & camping. Please carefully obey all signage and staff directions.

From Arizona – Interstate 10 West towards Palm Springs. Exit 10 west at Jackson Street. Turn left at the stop sign, and follow the Festival Parking signs to the event parking lots. Please carefully obey all signage and staff directions.

Driving to Coachella

Beware of the traffic!

Needless to say, traffic is going to be a nightmare unless you get there really early, like from early morning to around 2 pm. Be prepared to sit a while in the car.

A significant majority of the visitors arrive between 3 pm to 7 pm so try to beat those times. What you will be missing out on is the particularly beautiful desert sunset over the valley. As Hollywood culture goes, it will be around this time that all the good bands start playing.

Make sure you have enough gas pumped in as it often takes almost an hour or more just to get through that last mile.

It never hurts to be prepared. LocalConditions.com gives a very in-depth and live view of the traffic congestion in the area. Head over here for it.

Coachella Traffic

Doing it Coachella way – the CARPOOLCHELLA

It is one of those times when a smaller subculture develops within a bigger one. Like beads in Mardi Gras. The management since the last few editions has been trying hard to inspire more folks to carpool in order to reduce congestion and be lighter on the environment. And it’s not doing badly at all! Together with Global Inheritance, the concept of carpoolchella was started in 2007.

There are some prizes to win as well : “VIP for life” passes, an “all access guest” pass, VIP wristband upgrades. $50 worth merchandise, and more.

Carpoolchella

Participation is simple enough: write the word “CARPOOLCHELLA” on a 8×11 piece of paper (or larger) and paste it on your car where it will be easily visible.

Or, get as creative as you can get, be easy to spot. Take a print of carpoolchella.pdf and place on the dash. Do any of these and make sure you arrive at the festival anytime over the weekend before 2pm on Sunday.

Over the weekend, starting Thursday through Sunday, a “secret spotter” will be out at the parking and camping entrances watching people drive in.

“At random times, random cars with 4 or more people with a CARPOOLCHELLA on their dash or written on their car will be approached for questioning and might possibly win a VIP ticket/pass for life starting in 2014 or one of the other prizes drawn randomly (listed above).”

The fine print on the official rules and regulations can be found here. Need some inspiration?

carpoolchella

Please Note: Absolutely NO PEDESTRIANS will be allowed on Monroe Street between Avenue 49 and Avenue 52 or on Madison between Avenue 50 and 52. There will be NO FESTIVAL ACCESS for pedestrians on Monroe Street.

If you are not driving all the way down from your backyard, chances are that you’ll need a car rental service. We looked up some pretty nice deals. From San Diego: Dollar and Thrifty rentals for $18 per day. From Los Angeles: Advantage at $21 per day.

Alternatively, Avis and Budget Car Rentals are offering Coachella fans special discounts for their car rental needs. These special discounts are good from one week before to one week after the event. Go here for Avis and here for Budget.

Fun is in the sharing: It’s basically carpooling with a twist. Hop in with other festival goers and “get the party started before you even reach the gates!” On Zimride, you can post your trip details and sell the empty seats in your car. Or do it the other way round, by buying empty seats for yourself. Check out the Zimride event page.

Zimride Coachella

Where to sleep in

Go Camping

There is a lot of ambiguity surrounding the feasibility of camping in Coachella. You will find numerous one-liner or half blog posts on the best practices, horror stories or the mad party scene that you will be right in the center of. However, all those views make the prospect pretty confusing for first timers.

Let us be honest. Camping can be pretty rough. But only if you are not prepared or well informed. Before we tell you about the logistics, let’s take a look at an essential survival guide.

Coachella Camping Scene

The survival guide:

Manage your own ice: The heat is going to be cracking down on you. And ice packs are not given free. From what we found, while most overlook this detail, folks landup buying ice packs multiple times over the day. And it is not just the price. It is also the availability of the packs and the long lines at the boots that become an issue. Get an ice-chest and fill it up in the morning from a store.

The Coachella water dance

Get your sleep: Pretty basic? Think again. It’s not easy to get an slumber when people around you are partying. And if you keep up too late, rest assured you can’t sleep late. The desert sun rises early and that means, so does the heat. 6 AM and you will be on your toes.

Pack your shower clothes: The onsite camps are known to have a pretty good water recycling system and good showers. However, expect the cubicles to be always wet and getting out of multiple layers to wear them back again is not an inviting prospect. Get simple overalls that you can quickly step out of.

Coachella water queue

Carry empty bottles to the shower: The water refill stations are usually close to the shower sites. Go along with a friend. One of you stand in the water lines while the other takes a bath. Interchange. Kill two birds. One stone. You know the drill.

Slots for camping next to your car are sold out. “Companion Car Parking” slots are still on – lets you parking overnight at $30 per slot. Details are over here.

The best thing about camping at Coachella, is that you are there, right at the venue; no long walks, or being stuck in traffic.

Coachella Camps

The next option is camping at Lake Eldorado. In the official words:

This campsite offers ready to go camping surrounding the serene setting of the redeveloped Lake Eldorado. Enjoy Coachella with flair as your party is ready to start the moment you step onto the park-like scenery of your own private access camping community.

The 2 person tee pee tents are all sold out. The 4 person tents are still on sale, at $3400 (tent + festival pass) and $5200 (tent + VIP festival pass) per tents. Get them here.

Views from the camps

If you are into luxury, there’s more – essentially, camping for people who aren’t campers! Called the Safari Tents.

Exclusive secluded area includes offsite private check-in, fully furnished Shakir style tents w/air conditioning, access to restrooms & showers, free adjacent private parking lot, gear drop off area, breakfast/late night snacks, onsite concierge, dedicated security/secure fence lines, outdoor chairs, shade tents, outdoor lighting, games and more. Choose 1 or 2 Queen Beds or as a Lounge with ample seating.

At $6500 for 2 people. More information and bookings can be found here.

The Safari Tents

About hotels and renting vacation homes

For hotels, Coachella does not give too many options. Needless to say, prices are going to be bloated up and availability is always going to be a problem. It is not advisable to drive down there without either an onsite camping slot or hotel booked. The Coachella website has enlisted a huge number of hotels with website links and contact numbers.

However, most of the hotels are actually in Palm Springs – the closest resort town. If you need help picking and budget is what you are aiming for, try Palm Tee Hotel (Tel.: 760-327-1293 | 1590 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs) about 25 miles away and comes at about $50 per night.

There’s also Palm Canyon Resort (Tel.: 760-866-1800 | 2800 South Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs) which comes well recommended – $75 per night on an average, is located 25 miles away.

If you traveling with friends (chances are that you are), we recommend vacation homes. Less expensive when compared to amenities and for the duration of the festival, and closer to the venue.

For budget, we found a cozy option at Avenida Juarez, La Quinta (just 10 miles from the venue) with some great reviews. The place has character and even a pool to boot. Go here. $100 per night.

Budget not an issue? Try Warm Sands Ultimate Private Retreat. $399 per night but sleeps as many as 6 people in 3 bedrooms. Has a spectacular pool, comes with rave reviews. A bit far though, 26 miles from venue (takes about 35 minutes of driving). Details and bookings here.

Warm Sands Ultimate Private Retreat

Where to Eat

While you are on your way, specially along Highway 111 from Palm Springs to Indio, you will find numerous places where you can grab a bite or even a full sized meal. Apart from the local options there are chain choices as well like McDonald’s, Jack in the Box, Del Taco, etc. Quite a few of the local grocery outlets have deli counters. Particularly great for made-to-order sandwiches. Remember though, that you cannot carry outside food into the festival arena. You can bring it to your campsite.

There will be many food vendors on the festival site, as well as a buffet in the campsite, water will be sold and be available in bottles and at drinking fountains. While no liquor is allowed into the arena, if you are of the legal drinking age you can take one case of beer into the festival.

Coachella food vendors

The best places to eat Out

Our recommendation, try Taqueria Guerrero (Tel.: 760-775-9020 | 83103 Avenue 48, Coachella) for some good tacos and other Mexican fare. There’s Andy’s Burgers Shakes & Fries (Tel.: 4-760-398-2933 | 9950 Us Highway 111) for the best desert burgers.

For some heavier and more serious eating, go for JEM Steakhouse (Tel.: 760-775-5566) at Dillon Road, 46-200 Harrison Place, Coachella. Fabulous steaks and great wine list. Try the filet mignon.

Vegan or vegetarian alternatives

I am afraid, best picks are in Palm Springs. Make sure to pack before leaving town for the festival. There Nature’s Health Food and Cafe (Tel.: 760-323-9487 | 555 S Sunrise Way, Ste 301, Ramon Rd) – mainly a cafe with organic juice bar and organic coffee espresso bar but much more too.

Another good option in Palm Greens Cafe (Tel.: 760-864-9900 | 611 S Palm Canyon Dr 6, between Dunes and Ramon, Palm Springs). Serves meat but has vegetarian options too. Large vegetarian menu, juices and smoothies, soups, sandwiches, hot meals and party platters.

Nature’s Health Food and Cafe

What else is there to do

The festival takes place only on the two weekends. If you are driving down from a decent distance, chances are that you will stay the week there. If pool-side does not sound good enough to cover the day, there are a few picks that can be visited.

Local Fare: Head over to the Certified Farmers Market (Tel.:760-898-5250 | 78100 Main Street . La Quinta). Check out the local life and vendors selling produce and fruit from local farmers along with cut flowers, herbs, bread and cheese, among other good things. A lovely sight in the Old Town La Quinta.

Dining at the Certified Market

The Street Colours: Must visit is the College of the Desert Street Fair (Tel.: 760-568-9921 | 43-500 Monterey Avenue, Palm Desert) – a weekend open-air street fair sponsored by the local college’s alumni association. Sells arts and crafts in the courtyard, has a farmer’s market, clothing, accessories, jewelry, antiques and has refreshment booths.

If you have kids along: There’s the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert (Tel.: 760-321-0602 | 71-701 Gerald Ford Drive, Rancho Mirage) – nice, inventive and interactive exhibits and programs, the Museum houses 50 hands-on exhibits including a rope maze, rock climbing and a gravity ball fall.

Active pursuits: Joshua Tree National Park (Tel.:760-366-3448 | 6554 Park Blvd, Joshua Tree) has over one million acres of spectacular Mojave and Colorado desert landscape provide dramatic views plus hiking, rock climbing, picnicking and great opportunities for photography.

Joshua Tree National Park

For some casinos, shopping and nightlife

Fantasy casinos: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino (Tel.: 800-827-2946 | 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio) – Vegas-style casino with big-name entertainment, a variety of cafes and restaurants plus Fantasy Lanes with its 24 state-of-the-art bowling lanes, arcade and sports lounge for family fun. Alternatively, there’s Spotlight 29 Casino (Tel.: 760-775-556646-200 | Harrison Place, Coachella) – all your favorite casino games, from slots to tables, restaurants and special events.

A great way to move: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway (Tel.: 760-325-1449 | One Tramway Road . Palm Springs) – world’s largest rotating tramcar gives a spectacular 360 degree view of the valley floor and surrounding area as you travel to the 8,516 feet high Mountain Station.

Shopping: Desert Hills Premium Outlets (Tel.: 951-849-5018 | 48400 Seminole Drive, Cabazon). Take a pick - Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Versace, Giorgio Armani, Escada. Over 130 outlet stores featuring an impressive collection of the world’s leading designers and brand names, usually offering offs of 25% to 65% every day.

Desert Hills Premium Outlets

Last minute checklist and some resources

You can still win VIP Passes: Sony Entertainment has launched a couple of contests. One is over, the othe still has time. Dress up as your favorite Playstation character and Instagram using the tags #PlayStationFan and #CoachellaVIP. The best one will win two VIP passes to Coachella. Starts March 18 to March 29th.

Map out the bands: Before the festival begins. Get a bearing of what is happening where and when, so that you don’t miss out on the seeing the bands that you love. Line up has been around for a while now.
Cell phone reception: Cell phone services are know to be terrible so plan ahead. On any given day, there’s usually over a 100,000 people packed together resulting very shoddy cell service. Make plans to meet up at a landmark in case you get separated.
ATMs and money: Although ATM’s will be stationed all over the venue, if you want to avoid the line and fees, bring along a decent amount of cash but make sure to stash it somewhere safe.
Have lots of water: Coachella Valley can get scorching hot. If you’re camping you’re going to be living right in the center of the heat for 3 days. Drink loads of water.
Nights will be cold: The days will be very hot, but as any desert goes, the nights will be equally cold. Don’t overpack or overdress though. Make sure you have a decent sleeping bag.

And the Golden Rule:

We will keep updating this guide as and when new information comes up. We’ll also try to pool in veterans and regulars and share their insights with you. So keep in touch! The golden rule is simple: have fun, stay hydrated and safe!

A couple of cool resources to check out:

Instagram’s post on Coachella.
I need a camping spot for Coachella! It’s a facebook page on camping collaboration and information. Not maintained by Coachella.

Coachella 07: An Unearthly Visitor

Index to the Guide:

1. Entrance and Participation
a. Tickets and passes
2. Getting There
a. Flying in
b. Driving Directions
c. Traffic
d. 2013 CARPOOLCHELLA
e. Car Rentals
3. Where to stay
a. Camping
b. Hotels and Apartment Rentals
4. Where to Eat
a. On-site vendors and buffet
b. Eating Out
c. Vegan or vegetarian
5. What else to do
a. To See
b. Casinos, Shopping and Nightlife
6. Checklist and Other Resources
7. The Golden Rule

News Update: 26th April

Coachella saw a fantastic attendance since we wrote this post. If anything, the festival literally, rocked it’s way to music lovers. However, Coachella can give you a nasty bout of performance anxiety as Jimmy Kimmel showed.

Jimmy Kimmel Live ran this remarkable segment where he interviewed Coachella attendees about bands that do not, in fact, exist. Unfazed and bent on proving that they were really “in”, these folks sure had some strong and “informed” opinions. To quote, ” (they knew) about the great “energy” of The Chelsea Clintons, and the album DJ Cornmeal, which one guy claims he used to play all the time at his community radio show.” Check it for yourself:

While we can’t vouch for the video’s authenticity, at least, even if it were not true, it sure must have taken a lot of effort and takes to make this!

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Hong Kong first impressions: Asia’s World City

March 12, 2013 – 9:17 am

I tucked my ball point pen and took out my passport in the hope of not trying to be clumsy while falling in line at the Hong Kong Immigration. My toes have gone red from wearing high heels all the way from Mactan, Cebu. I schlepped a step or two moving my fifteen kg luggage closer to the immigration counter.

It was my turn. The Immigration Officer was clamoring, “One pah! One pah!”. Without the hand gestures, I would have really thought she meant I was traveling with a bad luck on my passport. She was only trying to say she’s entertaining one person at a time.

Luggage Battles at the Hong Kong International Airport

Because I do not have a Chinese tongue aside from the simple Xie Xie and Ni Hao Ma, the encounter with the Immigration Officer taught me to rely on nonverbal cues and broken languages in order to survive the trip. We took the Airport Express Travel Pass to Kowloon. I unfortunately had to battle with my luggage again from the MTR Station to the ground floor where the bus station is. I finally took the K4 bus bound for Tsim Sha Tsui where I was staying. I was expecting a long wait before the bus would be full but no. Buses in Hong Kong have no issues leaving even almost empty.

Hong Kong is like a grab bag of trains, buses, cabs and subways. Transportation moves around lifeless buildings like bugs crawling for food in long queues. Every station however has instructions and directions written so I wasn’t too intimidated.

At West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade

From the moment I stepped out of the bus, I figured out that it’s seriously cold in winters. Fellow travelers wore things that looked like they were made of duvet. Locals of both sexes lit cigarettes around busy street sides. The cold breeze whiffed in and out my unmentionables. And I’d like to state for emphasis that I was already on my fourth layer of cloth.

At the Mc Donald’s, I gestured with my head and lips to signal the front register that I did not have any other orders to place. I brought my tray of burger and walked towards my seat. There were two observations that I made: one that food chains in Hong Kong are solely for eating (read: no teenager leafing through a John Green book and no casual conversations), second is that you should be ready for local fast-food stalls ignoring you if they don’t like you. I cannot hold contempt over their way and culture of dealing with people of different race but it is certainly extremely annoying trying to follow what an outlander is trying to tell you when you are not so used to the language.

This 5 dollar worth of hot shot was a huge help from the cold

After Tsim Sha Tsui, I crossed towards Central, Hong Kong to continue my urban trek. I glimpsed at the crowd of locals and tourists alike and sneaked glances at the towering hotels the likes of Giorgo Armani. I saw local femmes in fiery auburn tresses and Korean sock buns though their fine eyes and pale skin gave away a distinct Asian feel. Quite unlike citizens of the tropics (like me) who wear clipped onyx hair and have taste buds used to higher sodium content than them.

Double-decker bus and right hand-drive cabs rushed along the highways. Engines starting up, jabbering tourists, and the tiny voice inside my head told me there was more to see.

In Central District, Hong Kong

In Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

At times it smelt like freshly opened can of mackerel and at other times, the aura of a hustling Times Square. The things that I felt the most however were my four-in-hand knotted scarf that added warmth and my exhausted phalanges from the overwhelming walks.

By night, everything looked like lights promenading from one building to another. Jaws dropped and upbeat emotions cascaded as we walked towards the highest peak of Hong Kong looking over the city. However, reaching there only made it even colder.

Sky traffic! — at Ocean Park Cable Car

Among all this though, Hong Kong had a way of surprising tourists with entertaining shows and great attractions. I walked of the Avenue of Stars, visited The Peak, Madame Tussaud’s, Ocean Park, Disneyland, and several others. They create undeniably perfect replicas of the things that matter to the world – Main Street, USA in Disneyland, North Pole in Ocean Park, the celebrity wax figures in Victoria Peak, and even the house of Tarzan.

Main Street USA

I usually like discovering a more ‘local’ thing to do and not be restricted to the “touristy” stuff only. So I gave a buy-and-microwave-it-yourself meal that’s a favorite among the locals a try. I talked to the long-time residents, the kind that comes atypical from when you buy souvenirs from a shop. Some of them were Singaporeans while the others were Caucasians, Pakistani, and Indians. They were immigrant residents or overseas workers who choose to live and travel with an open mind to know different cultures. Thanks to them!

The van rides back to the Airport run by Middle Eastern folks were a fraction lesser in cost than the regular single ride of MTR. I gave them a shot. They helped carry my now 20 kg luggage at no extra charge, and made sure I was comfortable the whole time, smiled and were polite. That’s when I realized I don’t always have to believe what the culture news say about other countries.

Here we are again – at Hong Kong International Airport

About the author:

Syril Tañala is the ultimate travel junkie. A nurse, blogger, travel show host aspirant photography enthusiast, with inclinations towards fashion, she’s a travel writer who is inspired to bring Tacloban on the world’s travel map. She blogs at Pens and Paper.

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54 countries and travel addiction – a conversation with Theodora Sutcliffe

January 31, 2013 – 12:30 am

In the last two months, I have spoken to six world travelers. Rediscovered over a hundred countries and half as many customs. There was no other higher motive than the simple hunt of stories. And were there stories to tell! Tales of the world’s most sinful peaches, bikers who spanned continents, tiny towns and midnight truck rides. There are tales of running away and something to do with a lovely Citroën Diane and so much more.

This time, my conversations are with Theodora Sutcliffe. In early 2010, she sold her house in London, packed up a backpack and along with her then nine-year-old son, took off to see the world. It was meant to be a year long trip. It’s been much longer than that and Theodora has braved a lot more than bandits and mud slides. In her own words, “I’m Theodora. I’m nomadic.” Here are the threads of my conversations with her:

I’m Theodora. I’m nomadic — with Zac

Growing up

I was born in a little town called Stroud, in Gloucestershire, England, and moved to London with my family when I was five years old, to the suburb of Tooting, home of Citizen Smith. My father’s a book seller and my mother’s a retired headmistress – we didn’t have television until I was fifteen because they didn’t believe in it.

A Citroën Diane, a ferry to France and running away

My earliest memory of foreign travel is being piled into the back of a Citroën Diane onto heaps of duvets with my brother to drive us to a ferry to France. We were three and four, I think, and it was so exciting. We were supposed to sleep on the duvets. I’m not at all sure that we did.

About my only other memory of that holiday is running away. I can’t remember what I was cross about, but I insisted on getting out of the car. My dad let me out and then I ran, and ran, and ran, down the hill. Then I realised I wanted to come back, and turned to find my father had been trailing me in the car all that way (no doubt, as a parent myself, pissing himself laughing). I also remember my brother, then three, eating an entire baguette, and I think that was the starting point of my addiction to French cheese.

A tell tale Citroën Diane

On being a global local – tribal weddings and pickup trucks

As a child, the closest I got to being local was doing a French exchange with a girl who had an apartment in Biarritz and one in Montpelier, which was good for my language (and I got the worst sunburn I’ve ever had sunbathing topless in Biarritz – ouch!).

I’m not entirely sure of the concept of living like a local. When we’re staying with friends around the world, be that in Tel Aviv or Barcelona, that’s local: you’re eating local style, living like a local, because you’re with a local.

In Halmahera, Indonesia, we slept on wooden sleeping platforms in the temporary houses of hunter-gatherers, attended a tribal wedding, ate their food, drank their boiled water and rice wine – that was authentic, I think, on a level that arranged “home-stays” can’t be, but we were still very much outsiders to their world.

In Mauritania, also, in some village in the deep Sahara accessible only by irregular pickup trucks, we were put up by a local family – that was authentic, again, because we were sleeping outside on carpets just as they did, washing with the girls of the family at the spring, and so on. But that was 20 years ago! The girls will be grandmothers now.

Watching a fire being made – something about learning from the locals

Travel inspirations – motorbikes, peaches, undersea volcano

So many reasons. It’s a big beautiful world, and there’s so much to see. Part of why we travel is so that my son can see the world and understand the many types of cultures and people, so cultural travel is definitely part of what we do, and nature travel has been a big part of his science learning. (You learn a lot about ecosystems helping release baby turtles into the wild, for example, and a lot about geology bombing around the Sinai collecting fossils and climbing canyons.)

Quadbiking in the Sinai Desert

I love big, dramatic landscapes – deserts, seascapes, the Himalayas, vast expanses of jungle. I love nature. I love having adventures. I love freedom. We like physical stuff – diving, skiing, hiking. But I also like the food and drink side (I have a food blog as well, Worldfoodist.com) – that could be anything from high-end cocktails in a Japanese bar in Beijing through to the best hummus ever in Lebanon or the freshest peaches from a street vendor in Turkey.

From worldfoodist: Food for a Quid – Spicy Buff Momo, Kathmandu, Nepal.

We’ve been travelling for three years on 18 January, with the odd pause in places that we like, and my son has had more experiences in his twelve years than many will pack into a lifetime: he’s dived an undersea volcano, walked to Everest Base Camp, hot air ballooned over Cappadocia, ridden 3000 miles across Indonesia on a motorbike, cuddled baby yaks, baby camels, baby elephants, kittens.

About living on the move

Travel was part of my childhood – we took a lot of holidays, often quite long ones, because my mother worked as a teacher and my father is self-employed (they travelled overland to Afghanistan in the 1960, back when travel was difficult). And I’d been taking Zac away on holiday since he was a tiny baby: he’d visited six continents before he was seven, and we’d always talked about taking a year out to travel.

Travelling with Zac – on bikes in Laos

Then in 2009 I had the year from hell and crashed my life into a ravine, so 2010 looked like the right time to take that year out and travel, be with my son without the distractions of work, and work out what to do next. Then I worked out I could make money on the road, and sell travel writing, and do the whole freelance shebang and live better and more cheaply while working, so we decided to keep going. There wasn’t a grand plan. There never really is.

From the UN country list, I’ve visited 54 countries and many of them with Zac. Some people use that silly Travelers Century Club list, and that puts me at 71 “countries”. I’m not very well travelled in either the US or Latin America, though, and that’s something I need to rectify.

From travel observations – other exotica you’ll find on the menus of the riverside bars in Laos

Revisiting the best of the travel years

I’d go back to every country on that list but Gambia and Monaco without a second thought. I’d love to walk the Great Himalayan Trail in Nepal, which would be a multi-month project, and I’d be fascinated to go back to Mauritania. We’re on our second visit to China at the moment, and that looks like being a life-long love affair, we’re likely to end up being based in Bali, Indonesia, my parents have a house in Greece, London’s our hometown, Zac’s father’s in Australia , and we have a special connection to Dahab in Egypt, as well, so those are all places we do and will go back to.

On the Up in Flores: Bajawa Ikat weaving

The top 3 favorite travel experiences?

The Spice Islands, Indonesia – we walked a long way into the jungle to meet nomadic hunter-gatherers, people who live like all humanity once did, wandering the forests living off what they hunt and forage. We dived an undersea volcano, hung out with treasure hunters, attended a séance with the governor of the region at his mansion, picked fresh spices, my son learnt to use a bow and arrow, and make one out of bark leather.

Learning Bird Calls and Spear Fishing in the Wild

Everest Base Camp by way of Gokyo, Nepal – we’ve just completed this trek, and, though I kind of wish we’d done the Three Passes trek, Himalayan high landscapes are just incredible, Gokyo lakes are awe-inspiringly beautiful, and crossing a glacier at 5330m is not something I’ll forget in a hurry. I want to see more of the Himalayas when Zac’s grown.

At the Everest Base Camp

Hitch-hiking Around South Africa – an incredibly stupid thing I did when I was nineteen or twenty, but also an amazing experience. I went to stay with a friend who was teaching there, and rode lorries and cars around the country, picking up lifts from petrol stations, seeing all sorts of things, meeting all sorts of people, and coming out of it, miraculously, unscathed and with a great faith in humanity. South Africa is beautiful. I’d love to see the new South Africa, and how it’s changed since those apartheid years.

Where is Theodora now?

I’m in Hong Kong, arranging our visas for our return to China, where we’ll be getting a base in the north so that Zac can go to Chinese school and get his Mandarin up to scratch and we can both work on our skiing.

Tomorrow, we’re going to Ocean Park, a fab theme park here, which is Zac’s Christmas present because the rivers were too low for good rafting in Nepal and the weather too cold for a theme park in Beijing. The next day we’ll bag a museum or two, hop on the metro and cross the border to Shenzhen.

On my blog? We’re still in Nepal, alas. Don’t worry, though! There’s good stories in China too.

On a slow boat in Halong Bay

“I love the freedom of movement that we have, the fact that we can just pick up and go to a new place without looking back. I can’t imagine a life where I’m stuck in one place.” - Theodora Sutcliffe

———————————————————————————————————————————————————-

I usually end these conversation posts with words from the traveler. I figured, there is nothing better than the beautiful stories doing their own justice and refueling the travel fire in the readers. On this occasion however, there is one more story that needs to be told. Theodora and Zac’s inspiring take at education while on the move and what they call the “World School” and “It’s All About The Cross-Hatching“. It is not just worth a great read, but a good deal more. It’s about learning at the grass-root level.

Zac has been blogging his own for the last two years. Read his side of the story on kidventurer.com. Follow Theodora’s travel adventures on her blog.

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Understanding the travel itch – with Doris Neubauer

January 22, 2013 – 12:02 am

When I started talking to world travelers as a part of editorial features on our blog, I knew it would be a great experience. But was I proved wrong. Great was such an understatement! I now know that when Anton Chekhov wrote “In your books I have climbed to the peaks of Elburz and Mont Blanc”, he meant it. From tales of cross-continental roadtrips to tiny towns in Indonesia and Philippines, the experiences have been fascinating! The search for inspiring travel personalities this time leads to Doris Neubauer of Austria.

A “writing nomad on the road”, she blogs about her adventures on her blog Little Miss Itchy Feet. Alongside, Doris is also a travel journalist for an online magazine. She blogs about sustainable travel, eco-tourism and about people who not only explore the world, but also change it for the better, one step at a time. Here are some snippets from my conversation with her.

Doris Neubauer

A country upbringing and cycling Pakistan and Bali

I was born in 1978 and am a typical Sagittarius: loving my freedom, loving the travel bug and constantly have itchy feet. My early memories are basically growing up in the countryside, knowing that I wanted to leave soon and dreaming of being on stage, exploring the world. Well, I am not on stage now (if you don´t call the internet a stage) but I do explore the world. And connect people, that’s what I love doing!

I think I got caught the travel bug at the age of 12 or 14 when I traveled with my aunt. She was a traveler, went to Bali and Pakistan with her bicycle in the 70s and 80s. And she did all kinds of crazy trips to the former Eastern Europe as well. So I think, she handed it down to me and showed me the greatness of planet earth.

Growing up to love travel and those several rolls with jam

As a family, we did not travel a lot – basically, we only went for week-long skiing trips during wintertime. But I remember I loved these trips, especially, when my aunt was with us. Then, when I was about 10, I joined my best friend and her family for rather typical beach trips to Italy.

I discovered I did not like these kind of travels too much – only hanging out on the beach, but I did it nevertheless and loved to see new things. At the age of 12 or 14, I did some city trips with my aunt – and that´s when I fell in love with traveling for good. I remember sitting together playing cards in the evening or walking through the snow. And I remember the huge amount of breakfast we ate – like several rolls with jam and butter. I cannot even imagine doing that now!

For the love of food: on a roadtrip through Emilia Romagna

The importance of couchsurfing, language and a kitchen

As a couchsurfer, I love to get local – the more the better. I usually stay with locals, families, couples, singles, whoever is offering a place to stay – once, when I was in Malta, then in Florence and rather recently in Bogotá – all of these occasions where for learning and improving a language.

I just love to get in touch with the local culture – and it´s great to have a knowledgeable local friend wherever you go. It´s convenient, makes things easy and especially as a long term traveler, I highly appreciate having a kitchen to cook in, people to eat with and just share stories in the evening.

As a couchsurfer since 2007, I have hosted many people and showed them around in Vienna. It´s mostly about giving back what I receive all the time when on the road. The reason is not because I am proud of my city. I don´t feel connected or patriotic about my country – or any other country. It´s just the feeling of showing them the “right places” which I love and feel comfortable with.

For me, traveling is all about the people I meet and experiencing the connection between all of us. Culture is fascinating for sure, and so is history and nature. But in the end, it´s all about the people you meet, the friends who bring their culture closer to you.

The global footprint so far

So far? Trifled with Australia and South America. Been to Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil. Traveled to the Latin Americas, including Guatemala, Belize, Mexico. Parts of USA: Oregon; Washington State, Florida, Nevada, Arizona, New York City, California, Hawaii. Hopped on to Canada and to Cuba, Sri Lanka and Egypt. Explored bits of Europe.

I love to re-visit places where I made great friends. And there´s hardly any place I would not go back to. That said, at the moment, I try to explore new countries and places. I am rather up for new discoveries than re-visits. But I am forever in love with Berlin, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Australia, Ecuador and, oh my gosh, so many other places!

Indulging in figs after a great weekend in the Soca Valley in Slovenia.

There are a lot of places on my bucket list. One dream coming true is a visit of Bhutan. I am invited as one of the few journalists from the German speaking countries. Why I would love to go and look so forward to it? It´s a very fascinating country, very different to where I am coming from and I feel very attracted to these Asian parts of the world that I am yet to eplore.

The top 3 favorite travel experiences

That´s a hard one. Every single trip where people were involved, I suppose. Recent one where re-uniting with a couple I met in Bogotá once again in Oruro, Bolivia for the Carnival. Or spending Christmas in Ecuador with a bunch of people from all over the world at a distant farm. And traveling three countries with some random guys I had met only a day before – and overcoming the prejudices of being “different”.

Where is Doris now?

At the moment, I am sitting in the kitchen of my old apartment in Vienna. I just moved back in a couple of days ago after being away for two years. Nothing is set yet, but I am happy to have a base again.

“Traveling is one of my biggest passions, it´s something which keeps me going – it includes both the inner and the outer journey.” - Doris Neubauer

Doris Neubauer.

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What’s up with mygola anyways?

January 8, 2013 – 3:11 am

It was the year 2009, when the thought of mygola first emerged in our heads. Anshuman was in New York, negotiating some badass deals for Google. I was in Bangalore, building the first of the meaningful internet infrastructure in India with the local telcos. The thought sprang from a very personal grouse. On all trips, we had taken way too much time to figure out all the details. I love looking at pictures of Machu Pichu, but how do I figure out a way to beat the tourist rush? And who was supposed to tell me that the hiking trail needs to be booked months in advance? Currency rates? Can we book a last minute ticket to Puno? All very important questions to be answered but took a huge amount of time and effor to find answers for.

Looking at Machu Pichu from Huayna Pichu peak

We realized that this is clearly an area that the travel biggies had not even bothered to look at. “You do your research, read books, talk to friends, whatever. Come talk to us when you are ready to spend some money” – that is what every big travel company seemed to be saying. Someone had to make things right and so we jumped in. Our vision for mygola was simple – Simplify the travel web. We wanted to become an intelligent layer that could ingest all the vast complexity of the travel web, and create a simple, yet powerful view of all this info for the traveler.

The first version

The first version of mygola that we built was a simple Q & A. The traveler just asked a question about their trip. A travel expert would pick up that question and come back with a super detailed and very personalised answer. Behind this simple interaction, though, was a huge, sophisticated system that we had built. The system had 2 components – people and technology. On the people front, we created a massive community of travel enthusiasts who would do this travel research on behalf of travelers. Along with this community, we also built systems to grow and educate this community. We built a tech platform which would scan through content on mygola and the rest of travel web and throw up relevant suggestions. This gave our travel experts an unfair advantage. Now they just had to choose from some top notch recommendations, instead of doing the web research themselves.

This version of mygola worked really well. Our users were thrilled! Never before had they found this level of personalised info ever. People would ask questions and come back some time later, expecting 5 lines of vague data. Instead they got 5 pages of solid recommendations containing content, pictures & videos. See what they said about us here – userlove. Here are some stats:

Helped close to a million people in planning their trips over the last 2 years!
Sent people to over 150 countries and 1000 cities & towns!

We learnt a lot of stuff during this time. When I say lot, I mean a lot! Since travelers were asking us questions, we had direct access to the problems that they were facing in their planning process. Let’s look at this graph, which tell us about the type of questions we were being asked.

Type of questions that travelers asked mygola

As you see, people wanted to figure all kinds of things – what to do, where to stay,where to party and what not! Things to do in a city or country was clearly the top request. Figuring out where to stay was apparently a hard one for travelers to do as well.

The Key Insight

The most interesting insight that emerged from all this data was about Itineraries. We noticed travelers asked us a lot of questions about what to see and do in a country or a city. We realized that they best way to answer these question would be in the form of an itinerary. We decided to look a little closer at how travelers use itineraries. Here is what we found.

Before the trip
The itinerary is a really important during trip planning. Travelers are either working to finalize our itinerary or using the itinerary as the structure to decide on other aspects of the trip. They ask their friends for their itineraries or look for itineraries on the web. They even share their rough itineraries on forums to get feedback from other travelers.

During the trip
When they travel, people carry a copy of the itinerary with to keep track of what they are doing every day. The itinerary also helps with some last minute planning on the trip -” Hey, I dont feel like going to the museum, what else can we do today?”

After the trip
On blogs, we saw that lot of travelers wrote a trip report, which was basically an itinerary with stories. Facebook albums are essentially itineraries with pictures!

This is what inspired us to get started on building the next version of mygola. In my next post, I will talk a little more about how exactly we discovered what travelers really wanted. I’ll also go into the specific details of the product we are building. You can sign up for early access at next.mygola.com. Coming soon!

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Traveling Tacloban and about the Filipino spirit – with Syril Tañala

January 7, 2013 – 5:04 am

My recent conversations with world travel personalities has taken me from New York to a seven year travel rendezvous in India to Yogyakarta and Jakarta in Indonesia. These conversations have been nothing short of fascinating. I am closer to believing that travel is by far, one of the most enchanting things ever. The series of conversations this time leads to the small town of Tacloban, Philippines. Here lives the travel junkie Syril Tañala.

Nurse, blogger, travel show host aspirant, photography enthusiast, with inclinations towards fashion, she’s a travel writer who is inspired to bring Tacloban on the world’s travel map. She blogs at Pens and Paper.

Little Tacloban and the budding of big travel dreams

I grew up in the small city of Tacloban, located more than 300 miles southeast of Manila, Philippines. Tacloban is probably one of the places in the world map that is infrequently thought of as a great travel destination. And given my druthers, I’d like to show these Lonely Planet six degree-ers that Tacloban can be one of the places they’d like to include in their places-to-go-before-you-die list. I’m not lying about that. The San Juanico Bridge for example that is the longest bridge in the Philippines spanning a body of seawater and the neoclassical structures.

Our parents made permissiveness as one of their parenting strategies so I had the chance to travel to places since junior high. That permissive opportunity allowed me to call up independence and responsibility as significant characteristics to imbibe when having the dreams to contribute or explore the world for whatever its worth.

Our house is adjacent to the city’s airport and I recall getting the chance to hear the sound of planes taking off the landing strip. I usually straddle from outside the house to see the plane hover. And when I see it blend in midair, I tend to fuel up my travel dream tank.

On United Nations, monkey thieves and midnight Coke trucks

I’d particularly like to mention the first travel I took to Subic, Zambales, Philippines in 2004. That trip was sponsored by the United Nations Population Foundation in cooperation with different non-profit organization all over Asia. It was for the Asia Pacific Youth Camp, delegated by youths aged 14 to 21, from countries including China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Singapore, Western Samoa, Nepal, Tajikistan, Iraq, Philippines, and India.

It was a good experience to wander about the entire place with no tour guides and maps on tow. Only a “Camp Admission Passport” which we usually presented wherever we went. The best part was being able to explore the environment and the people like any other pro backpacker.

I recall eating rice the way Iraqis do—with meat, brawn, veges, and oil combined, that at first tasted bizarre. I also recall running after a monkey who steals backpacks and laughs at everyone like human.

Another time, we went riding on a Coca-Cola truck at 2AM together with 2 other friends on our way back to the place we stay in, all because we missed the last transport. Sometimes, it’s the little misadventures that make a travel lasting in the mind.

Zambales, Philippines

On being a local

I recently went on a vacation in the eastern coast of Samar, Philippines. The resort I stayed in is adjacent to calm blue sea water, surrounded by secluded coves, coral gardens, and rock island formation. I toured from one island to another together with the local fishermen, who, for good reasons, know the place better than the paid tour guides. Rare species of bonsai plants, secret bat caves, these are few of the many things I got the chance to see that my tour guide would’ve probably not told me.

Sightseeing the top attractions of a country or a destination is what makes a tourist while taking a chance to converse with the local people is what makes a traveler. And the latter always gets the constant privilege of discovering more.

Kalanggaman Island, Palompon

I have this conviction to be able to travel without being in a foreign country. That’s where the city I live comes in. Try the Lush Gardens for the best thrift shops to get good home and travel finds. The Ulot and Sohoton rivers for Torpedo adventure, river cruising and white beaches that are even better than Boracay. Or, head over to Ayo, the Sunzibar Café, or Uncle Sam’s for the best places of foreign cuisines— Gourmet, Mexican, Middle Eastern, French, and more. It’s like finding Europe and Mediterranean in one city.

Ayo Cafe, Tacloban

On being a host

My idea of a local-travel is more than just couchsurfing, moving from one friend’s house to another. It’s more of setting a travel itinerary that is dedicated to discovering the place, the food, the culture, and the people. It will always be an amalgamation of these four.

Maybe walk visitors around which I believe is a better way of transferring from one place to another since you’re more likely to see the details of the city.

I’m not sure though when walking becomes too much when I become all wound up with touring. I have these tiny tendencies of going to several places out of excitement and missing the more important ones. That makes me a poor tour guide. I might as well take visitors for a ride to the other must-sees in the city.

The inspiration behind travel

There is this quote by one of my favorite traveler/presenter, Andrew Zimmern that I always try to live by. He said, “Please be a traveler, not a tourist. Try new things, meet new people, and look beyond what’s right in front of you. Those are the keys to understanding this amazing world we live in”. To me, it’s like realizing that all people and destination are not really different from each other or that the difference is what makes the world worth discovering. And that’s what inspires me most.

When I see photos of the place I visit in prints, pleasant remembrances pop up. And most of these remembrances come from the people I come in contact with.

A Philippines coast

When travel became a passion

In grade school in the ‘90s, I often see the people in the house travel to and fro a country. My parents to other cities, my uncle to Algeria, Middle East, New Caledonia, Laos, and Paris. The strangest of all reasons had to be when I began to love the smell of freshly opened travel books and luggage that still has the scent of the airport wafting on it when they come home.

The travel keepsakes, the unique stories of the places and people in every postcard, and when finally all passengers are called to check in the airport; those little things, really.

Most of my travels are within the confines of my country. The country is my first travel road. But I have a trip coming up to East Asia in January—Hong Kong, Macau, and China. I, together with three other travel fanciers will be staying there for roughly two weeks. Then probably would whip on over to other destinations—Vietnam, Cambodia, Norway, Singapore, Paris, London, to name a few. No matter which, it will be all worth it.

That illusive favoutite

I haven’t yet found my most perfect travel destination. If I had, I would already have packed my things and stayed there for good. Every place I visit has a unique feature in them. Each is worth coming back to. Only that travel is a continuous desire for me, a constant probe for the undiscovered. But if one day I realize that one place I always love visiting again and again, you’ll be the first to know.

Where to next?

Three to six months each of stay in Malaysia, Singapore, and Bali, Indonesia where I’d like to meet Ketut Liyer, the medicine man in Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love. A few days stay in Jakarta where I’d to personally meet the batik fashion designer I first featured in my weblog; the same duration of stay in India, Shanghai, Bangkok, Taipei and Okinawa.

Maybe a summer staycation in French Polynesia. Some months would also be spent passing through the all-biking lane and color-coded suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark, a glide through the Venetian canals of Italy, a Holy Mass heard in Vatican City.

Walks in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, winter in the Scandinavian countries, a dinner with the locals in Ghent, Brussels, Prague, Barcelona, and Luxembourg. Then a road trip to the other cities of France. Well this list would be too short for a travel around the world.

Rowing the Pacific – with Syril

The top 3 travel experiences

Food porn-ing in the streets like a true native. Learning a new word from the locals. And telling the world how great a time there has to be in the places I visit. In my case, it is by sharing them through my travel logs.

For this I’d like to borrow a line from the very same Andrew Zimmern. He said, “I like who I am when I’m traveling better than the person I am when I wake up every morning in my own house”.

”Travel is a continuous desire for me, a constant probe for the undiscovered.” — Syril

Street Vendor, Philippines

Find Syril on twitter and check out her travel escapades on her facebook feed; and don’t forget to check out her blog.

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From Toronto to seven years in India – travel inspiration with Mariellen Ward

December 20, 2012 – 1:52 am

We met Mariellen at an unexpected nook of quiet right in the middle of a bustling city. The charming Casa Cottage in Bangalore had conversations buzzing from a small gathering of world travelers. The stories and travel tales that came from Mariellen were like few others that we had ever heard.

The Casa Cottage, Bangalore

This is after seven years since she left behind Toronto and heart-ache to travel across India. She has written about the countries tales, people and essence on her blog Breathedreamgo.com (which is inching towards a national award). Our search for fascinating travel stories takes us to a conversation with Mariallen Ward, the pan-continental recluse.

Becoming Mariellen and tales from the Arabian Nights

I grew up in suburban Canada, which is about as materially comfortable and affluent as you can get in this world. But I was never that interested in the material world. I loved to read the “1,001 Tales of the Arabian Nights” and I loved to daydream. We had a family cottage on a fresh water lake, and I loved to go canoeing and stare into the water, at the under water world, imagining other worlds, worlds within worlds. As a creative person, with leanings towards the mystical, I am inspired by both nature and Asian culture, especially Indian of course. Though middle-class life in Canada is very comfortable and I appreciate it, it does not inspire me.

Unraveling the significance of turbans in India

The early days – intercontinental roadtrips and eating clam strips by the ocean

We travelled as a family when I was young, very long car drives from Toronto to Florida and even Mexico. They took about three days, so we would stop in hotels along the way. I still love long car rides and staying in hotels. As a young adult, I started travelling to Europe when I worked in public relations and was making good money. Then, I moved to Japan and discovered Asia. Asia is my continent. Love it here.

I remember some resort-style hotels we stayed in on our road trips in the USA, and my brother and I playing outside on balmy nights. Some people think Canada and the USA have the same culture, but actually, the USA seemed quite exotic to me. Eating clam strips by the ocean on the warm southeast coast of the USA was a novel treat!

On being a “local” and the variations from Toronto to New Delhi

Probably my most “local” experience is right here in India. Since the first night I landed in India, back in December 2005, I have stayed with an Indian family in South Delhi (unless I am travelling outside of Delhi of course). So, right from the beginning, I experienced a more intimate, authentic and realistic view of India than most foreigners.

In Toronto, I am very local. Toronto is a city of neighbourhoods, and I love mine! Roncesvalles is like a small town, located near a very big urban park (400 acres) and yet very close to downtown. There is one shopping street, lined on one side with small stores and cafes, almost all owner-operated; and the neighbourhood is filled with trees, families and creative people. It’s wonderful. I rarely leave and try to spend as much as possible to support the local businesses. In Delhi, it’s very hard to be local: my colony doesn’t have a market! But I do spend a lot of my time in the various colonies of South Delhi. Love South Delhi.

In Jaipur

People tend to like Toronto so there is nothing to be done there — but foreign tourists tend not to like Delhi, so I am always trying to promote the city to foreigners. A lot of foreigners roam around India dressed as backpackers and hippies, and in Delhi they stay in Pahar Ganj — a terrible place if you ask me — and then they complain about the touts, auto drivers, con men! Clean yourself up, dress as you would at home while going to work, and stay in South Delhi. You’ll see a different side to the city — the historical sites, fantastic restaurants, great shopping, wide-open green spaces and parks. Find out about the rich cultural life of the city, the music and dance recitals, art shows, etc. These are some of the things I like about Delhi.

On travel, passion, a heart-ache and the Song of India

I largely travel to find inspiration for my writing. This is a long story, and I tell it on my blog in My Story and in my book Song of India. But the short version is that I experienced a lot of losses in my life over a period of a few years, and I fell into depression. I worked hard to get out of that depression by throwing myself into yoga, and then following a compulsion to go to India. It was my six month’s trip to India in 2005-06 that changed my life. Since then, I have been back to India six times, and started a new career — travel writer.

Blessings in Pondicherry

The footprints (Where I have been)

9 out of the 10 Canadian provinces (lived in Toronto and Montreal)
About 10 U.S. states, including New York, Texas, California and Florida
Mexico
Cuba & Costa Rica
England, Holland, France, Italy & Switzerland
Japan (lived in Tokyo), Hong Kong & Thailand
Australia
15 Indian states (lived in Delhi)

Revisiting the best experiences

Rajasthan. I love the desert, the colours, historical sites, culture, food and stories — all of it. The men with their mustaches and turbans; the women with their bright and colourful sarees. It’s romantic, historical, majestic and beautiful. It just seems to inspire me. There are a lot of palace hotels in Rajasthan I would love to visit. Like two of my favourite writers, Bruce Chatwin and William Dalrymple, I would love to stay at Rohetghar and write a book.

Under the shadows of the Taj

Something about the Kumbh Mela and the top 3 favorite travel destinations

Oh dear. Very hard to say. All the firsts, I guess. The first time in Asia, when I landed in Tokyo, Japan to live there. Exploring Tokyo was mind-blowing! Every day when I stepped out the door was an adventure. And there were adventures inside too — like my computer-operated toilet. The first time in Europe, when I stayed with a friend in London. First time in New York City — it’s like no other city on earth.

But of course travelling to India for the first time, for six months, was by FAR my greatest travel adventure. Nothing compares to it for sheer bravado. I knew only one or two people in India, and had never done anything like travelling alone for six months before. And India is known to be one of the world’s great travel challenges. Foreigners who have travelled in India wear their experience like badge of courage. So it feels like an accomplishment as well as an adventure.

But I guess nothing beats my Kumbh Mela story, which you can find here: Alone and at home at the Kumbh Mela. It’s the biggest spiritual gathering on earth, so why wouldn’t it give me my biggest travel experience?

Braving Kumbh Mela

Where is Mariellen now?

I’m writing this in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. I am in Odisha for two weeks to travel around and see the state. So far, the Konark Festival is the highlight — it was absolutely wonderful. The setting (in front of the Konark Sun Temple), the dancing, the beautifully decorated venue — all of it was outstanding. The other main highlight is the Sun Temple. Incredible. The site alone is worth the trip. Make sure you hire a really good guide — there are a lot of fascinating details and stories about this UNESCO World Heritage site. The people who built this temple back in the 12th century were extremely knowledgeable and sophisticated. I also like the wide, almost-deserted beaches near Konark. The third highlight is the temples of Bhubaneshwar — some date back to the 7th century and they are lovely. The carving in this state is extraordinary.

“Travelling is important to me as the inspiration for my writing.” – Mariellen Ward

Mariellen Ward is a professional travel writer, blogger and editor based in Toronto and Delhi. Her award-winning travel blog Breathedreamgo.com is inspired by her extensive travels in India. She writes for many print and online sites, self-published a book of travel stories, Song of India, and co-founded both Toronto and Delhi Travel Massive (Travel Massives are monthly meet-ups for travel bloggers and industry).

Catch her on twitter and check out her travel escapades on her facebook feed; and don’t forget to check out her blog breathedreamgo.com

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On growing up, boats on the beach and the food connection

On traveling as a local

It’s all about the authentic stories

The footprints

Where is Gwen now?

“Everyone should travel as much as they can. Leave the country and see another way of life, learn about another culture, meet different people, and try the food specialties of the region. Your life will never be the same.” — Gwen Pratesi

Of early days in New England, station wagons and penny candies

On traveling like a local

The hidden mid-west and Paris – learning from a local

On savouring globetrotting

On the first college roadtrips and falling in love with travel

The top 3 favorite travel experiences

For the love of travel

Where is Priscilla now?

Something about a never-ending travel and food celebration

A travel, food and wine revelation in Jefferson’s, Virginia

The first special dinner

Virginia has a story to tell. Are you going to listen?

If you go:

We are here for the music

3 best headliners not to miss out on

The coolest non-headliner acts

How to get yourself in

Tickets and passes

Reaching Coachella – what works for you

Flying yourself in

Make it a roadtrip

Beware of the traffic!

Doing it Coachella way – the CARPOOLCHELLA

Where to sleep in

Go Camping

The survival guide:

About hotels and renting vacation homes

Where to Eat

The best places to eat Out

Vegan or vegetarian alternatives

What else is there to do

For some casinos, shopping and nightlife

Last minute checklist and some resources

And the Golden Rule:

Index to the Guide:

News Update: 26th April

About the author:

Growing up

A Citroën Diane, a ferry to France and running away

On being a global local – tribal weddings and pickup trucks

Travel inspirations – motorbikes, peaches, undersea volcano

About living on the move

Revisiting the best of the travel years

The top 3 favorite travel experiences?

Where is Theodora now?

A country upbringing and cycling Pakistan and Bali

Growing up to love travel and those several rolls with jam

The importance of couchsurfing, language and a kitchen

The global footprint so far

The top 3 favorite travel experiences

Where is Doris now?

The first version

The Key Insight

Little Tacloban and the budding of big travel dreams

On United Nations, monkey thieves and midnight Coke trucks

On being a local

On being a host

The inspiration behind travel

When travel became a passion

That illusive favoutite

Where to next?

The top 3 travel experiences

Becoming Mariellen and tales from the Arabian Nights

The early days – intercontinental roadtrips and eating clam strips by the ocean

On being a “local” and the variations from Toronto to New Delhi

On travel, passion, a heart-ache and the Song of India

The footprints (Where I have been)

Revisiting the best experiences

Something about the Kumbh Mela and the top 3 favorite travel destinations

Where is Mariellen now?

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