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February 2012 LIVE CHAT! With Audrey Scott And Daniel Noll About Iran Plus 60 Other Countries In 4 Years On The Road

Anil P. — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:00:35 +0000

Hello everyone and welcome to today’s live chat! You’ll have me all to yourself in the first hour and have a treat for you in the second hour (6pm-8pm US EST). Joining us from Mexico will be guests Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott who write the popular travel blog Uncornered Market and have traveled to over 60 countries in the last 4 years.

~~Click here to jump right into the chat happening for the next 3 hours!~~
~~The Live Chat is only open from 5pm-8pm US EST; 10pm-1am London GMT; 7am-10am Tokyo JST).~~
Thanks for a wonderful chat everyone! My next chat will be Thursday, March 2nd; times to be determined.

Let’s talk travel – a few of you had questions about my upcoming vacation, my advice for new travel bloggers, and what camera gear I carry. Plus I’ve got the best comments from January for you too. We’ll keep the keyboards warm for Audrey and Dan.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a Dan and Audrey in person several times over the last few years. If you’ve ever been curious about traveling in Iran, Tajikistan, or why laundry service in Oaxaca, Mexico doesn’t accept underwear now’s your chance to find out… Click here to jump into the comments and join the chat!

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My Least And Most Popular Posts Of 2011

Anil P. — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 07:00:12 +0000

It’s the end of the year and looking back on 2011 many of you were looking to get up from your desks to see the world while at the same time ensuring you got the most out of your travels. On the flip side however some destinations that interested you at certain times of the year didn’t at others. So while there’s a bit of an advantage for posts from earlier in the year, these are the ones you liked least and most from 2011.

The Least Popular foXnoMad Posts Of 2011
Least popular doesn’t mean “not good” and I think you’ll enjoy some of these articles on a second look.

10. A Digital Pocket Guide On Visiting Northern Iraq: Part 1

It is often said that northern Iraq is the gateway to the rest of the country and the areas under the control of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) are a relatively stable place to start for adventurous travelers. [Full Article]

Ironically Part 2 of this post was much more popular in terms of clicks throughout the year and I’m guessing that might have to do with the information about food in Iraq.

9. The Best City To Visit Travel Tournament 2011: First Round

The preliminary round of The Best City To Visit Travel Tournament 2011 ended yesterday and your votes helped to rank these 64 cities from number 1 all the way down. [Full Article]

As you’ll see shortly, the Best City To Visit contest heated up in the later rounds to make the most popular list below. The pattern repeats every year though, contestant typically neglect the first two rounds – which are usually the easiest to get through. (Keep that in mind this coming March.)

8. Days Before Disaster, Hockey Joy In Vancouver, Canada

The ecstatic crowds on the streets of downtown Vancouver, Canada after the Canucks won Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals is the craziest scene I have ever experienced. [Full Article]

I wish I had gotten more video from these moments after the Canucks game to really highlight the mayhem. I was so caught up in the moment though I got a bit slow with my camera. I was able, however, to get this not-so-Boston-friendly clip. (NSFW – language)

7. 5 People Who Purchase My eBook In March Will Receive A $100 Apple Gift Card

When I first was coming up with the idea of The Ultimate Tech Guide For Travelers, early on I knew I wanted it to be an ebook that gives back. Both with updates, my promise of 6 months free tech support, and the occasional gift for you readers. [Full Article]

I hope to run similar promotions coming up in 2012. It’s been a bit quiet on the contest front over here on foXnoMad so expect it to come back with enthusiasm in the coming year.

6. 10 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Porto’s Bridges That Are More Interesting Than You May Have Guessed

Bridges aren’t the most interesting thing to read (or write) about for most people but Porto, Portugal‘s 6 famous structures are loaded with dignified drama that’s just as juicy today as it was decades prior. [Full Article]

This post is relatively new – only 8 days old and coming out in the midst of a busy holiday season for most of you. It’s not just architecture, the stories behind these bridges host some large egos, ambitions, and aesthetics.

5. Recognizing The Tensions In The Unrecognized Turkish Republic Of Northern Cyprus

By and large invisible on many maps and unknown to many travelers, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) sits in political limbo on the island wholly refereed to as “Cyprus”. You won’t find many travel guides to this de facto nation; unrecognized by every country in the world except Turkey, 50 kilometers off the island’s coast. [Full Article]

The northern part of Cyprus isn’t a common stop on many travel lists but it’s one of my 4 picks of unexpected travel destinations you can visit before it becomes a hit.

4. Getting A Feel (Or Not) Of The Middle East’s Fastest Growing Nation, Qatar

Qatar is a country I keep coming back to in my mind as one that I never could quite wrap my senses fully around. [Full Article]

Similar to North Cyprus, I think Qatar being a less-traveled destination – especially one I couldn’t quite describe – might have caused this one to get lost. That said though, I think Qatar is really pushing itself to be a travel-rival to Dubai in the region and this post has a bit about why it won’t work.

3. The Dome Of The Granada Cathedral In Spain

The Granada Cathedral (also known as Cathedral of the Incarnation), along with the Alhambra, is likely the most common place people in this southern Spanish city will tell you can’t be missed. Yet, I managed to miss this famous landmark that sits right in the middle of downtown Granada, next to one of its busiest bus stops on Gran Via, time after time. [Full Article]

A newer post that will gain steam in the coming weeks I’m guessing, but can make your screen shine with the golden glow of this famous Granada landmark now.

2. History Waits For History To Unfold: The Great Sphinx Of Giza, Egypt

It never occurred to me how devoid of people this sight of Giza’s Great Sphinx is until reader Jeff mentioned it in one of the comments. [Full Article]

I’m hoping that this tale of Egypt’s struggles internally and externally with tourism takes a positive turn soon as it’s been a long year for that huge sector of their economy. Tourism income is desperately needed but many are worried about what things are like on the ground – safe enough to travel for sure and a great bargain right now too.

1. How Do You Accumulate All Of Your Frequent Flyer Miles In One Place?

Last week I talked about how to earn more frequent flyer miles without getting more credit cards but another fundamental question was brought up in the comments by JoAnna – how do you actually get all of your airline miles in one place? [Full Article]

A follow up to…well, you’ll see. That said, this post addresses the most common mistake people make with their frequent flyer miles. Fortunately, this post also has the solution to that common problem that can get you flying for free more often.

The Most Popular foXnoMad Posts Of 2011
A countdown of your favorite posts from the last year.

10. The Last Paradise Of A Crumbling Empire: A Photo Essay From Granada, Spain’s Alhambra

The construction, slow rise, and quick fall of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain reflects grandiose illusions and delusions of its Moorish creators. [Full Article]

This famous landmark in Granada really made my job taking pictures quite easy the entire afternoon I was there. I’m glad I was able to capture some of the beauty of what turned out to be a city that both I and my camera connected with.

9. How To Use Thermodynamics And Light To Get What You Want When Traveling (And Everywhere Else)

Most of us are pretty far removed from nature, relying heavily on technology, chemicals, and anecdotal information to solve our most common problems when traveling. [Full Article]

You know I love science – and getting especially geeky around here – and I know you do too! Especially when these laws of nature can help keep flies away, cool you off on a hot day, and extend your laptop’s battery life…plus a few added goodies.

8. How To Learn To Speak Tourist Before Your Next Vacation

When traveling to other countries where they speak a language you don’t, fluency isn’t typically required to get around. Yet the first few lessons of a language course may turn out not to be as useful as you would have hoped either. [Full Article]

Language hacking at its best, including the use of a very, very, very early version of the universal translator that’s likely in store for our futures.

7. 3 Common Tech Mistakes That Will Screw Up Your Vacation And How To Avoid Them

There are several laws of the universe that are difficult to quantify (like those socks that disappear in the dryer) or the fact that your technology will fail you. [Full Article]

Whatever you do, the first item on that list is one mistake you don’t want to make. Doing so only sets you up for a major headache down the line and that backup drive you’re lugging around the world might not help either.

6. How To Get From Your Desk To All The Places You Want To Travel

Sometimes the distance from your office desk to a place you’ve been dreaming about, like Spain, can seem further than the moon. [Full Article]

If I’ve got one motivation for writing this blog, it’s to get you to travel more and see different parts of the world. This post can be a boost for you to get from the computer screen you’re looking at now to that places you’ve always wanted to visit. 2012 New Year resolution perhaps?

5. The Best City To Visit Travel Tournament 2011: Sweet 16

There were a blend of close finishes and strong victories in the second round of The Best City To Visit Travel Tournament 2011 that have left quite a few underdogs in the Sweet 16. [Full Article]

I told you the tournament would heat up and it did round after round. The Sweet 16 this year had some incredibly close races between Jerusalem and Edinburgh, Chiang Mai and Cuzco, and finally Budapest and Paris. We all know who finally won though, don’t we?

4. 5 Ways To Take Better Sunset Photos When Traveling

Although every sunset is unique, it can be a real challenge to capture them in a unique way. [Full Article]

I don’t often accept many guest posts but this one by photographer Darin Rogers captured my attention and yours too. For good reason – it’s loaded with very helpful advice to add some creativity to any sunset photo. Plus it features Darin’s impressive sunset pictures as well.

3. The Top 10 Best Things To Do (Pretty Much) Anywhere

I’ve talked about travel lists in the past, like the kind that won’t do you much good and how to make the most out of generic ones. [Full Article]

Who doesn’t like a general travel list that can be used around the world? Chances are you’re doing a few of these things already but if you’re not, you might want to try them out on your next trip in 2012.

2. Is It Safe To Visit Egypt Right Now?

What now makes Egypt one of the best travel deals in the world at the moment might also be keeping you from visiting the Middle East’s most popular travel destination. Months after Egypt’s January 25th revolution, the country’s travel slate has been wiped clean and at the surface has begun to return to normal. [Full Article]

A question you may still be asking now nearly a full year after Egypt’s January 25th revolution. Many of you might be planning a trip to Egypt in 2012 – and this posts addresses your security concerns.

1. How To Earn Frequent Flyer Miles Without Getting More Credit Cards

Although opening up various credit cards tied to airline miles deals are great ways to rack up points quickly, they tend to be limited to residents of the US. [Full Article]

This post was about hacking frequent flyer mileage accounts without resorting to opening a bunch of new credit cards and entering into the risk that method presents. It was handy hacking that earned it a spot in Lifehacker and hopefully will double or triple your mileage earning in the coming year.

I hope you enjoyed taking a look back on 2011 – the best and well, not-as-popular-but-we-still-love-you posts from this past year. Feel free to add any posts in the comments that were your favorites from the last 12 months which might not have been listed. I want to thank you again for another year of your support, encouragement, and continuing to follow my ongoing adventure. Have a Happy New Year and a wonderful 2012.

Travel smarter,
-Anil

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The Best Comments Of November 2011 And LIVE CHAT! Speaking Spain Plus Social Media With Arantxa Ros And Daniel Galan

Anil P. — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:45:13 +0000

Hello and welcome to the first of December and my second live chat. Today I’m excited to introduce you to Daniel Galan and Arantxa Ros; both Spain and social media professionals.

Click here to jump right into the chat happening for the next 3 hours!
The chat is only open from 10am-1pm US EST (3pm-6pm GMT; 4pm-7pm Madrid; 10pm-1am Bangkok)

That’s where you’ll also find the best comments from November and talk Spain with my two guests both of whom I met on separate occasions in Granada and Valencia.

Arantxa is the engine behind several of Spain’s recent blog and press trips; one of which brought me to Valencia back in June. She’s on the forefront of Spain’s efforts in this area which is changing how countries look at social media and currently working in collaboration with Girona’s Tourist Board. Daniel works at Turismo Ciudad de Granada and knows this southern Spanish city and Andalusia very well. He’s helped travelers of all types and budgets have wonderful visits to Spain that are often powered by endless tapas. I met Daniel back in March at a conference in Bulgaria of all places and caught up with him again in Granada last month.

Want to talk social media, Spain, or simply talk travel? Now’s your chance, I’ve got drink in hand and two great guests for our conversation. Click here to jump into the comments and chat below!

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The Best Comments Of October 2011 And LIVE CHAT! Talking Travel Photography And RTWs With Guest John O’Nolan

Anil P. — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 06:00:14 +0000

Hello everyone and welcome to foXnoMad’s first ever live chat to go along with the best comments from this past month.

Click here to jump right down into the discussion, see the best comments of October, and talk travel with my guest John O’Nolan and I.

John is an interactive designer traveling the world with laptop and a camera – working as an interactive designer for people like Microsoft, WordPress and Virgin Atlantic Airways. He also writes books and speaks at travel and technology conferences all over the world.

I met John in Valencia, Spain back in June and have invited him to hang out for the live chat so you can talk with him about travel photography, what it’s like to be a few days away from a major round-the-world trip, and anything else you’d like. John is also one of the creators of the travel blogging media site Travelllll.com if that’s more your chatting fancy.

The chat is only open from 11am-2pm US EST (3pm-6pm GMT)!

I’ll also be posting photos and chatting with you from Porto, Portugal where I happen to be this week. The chat will take place exclusively in the comments section right below this post – click here to get started!

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The Best Comments Of September 2011 And [NEW!] Open Thread: What’s The Most Amazing Tourist Site You’ve Ever Visited?

Anil P. — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 06:00:24 +0000

This month I’m trying something new – along with sharing the best comments of the month from you and your fellow travelers, I’d like to invite you to the monthly open thread. Basically, in the comments below you can chat with me or each other about travel – anything you want really (I always love a good alien conspiracy theory.)

It’s Friday and you’re probably thinking of far off places – what sight made you say “wow” when you first saw it? The Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower, Grand Canyon…help us all get inspired as we roll into the weekend in the comments below. That’s also where you’ll find September’s best comments.

Simply scroll down or click here to share your travel-wow moment and check out the best comments from September. (And don’t forget to subscribe – next to the submit comment button – to receive updates when others reply to you.)

[photo by: Daves Portfolio]

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The Best Comments Of The Month: Lazy Holiday Style August 2011

Anil P. — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 06:00:27 +0000

I hope the summer month of travel for many people around the world, otherwise known as August, has been good to you and your wander-lusting feet. As for my habit of going to places against the seasons I had a hot old time in Las Vegas meeting Sulu and enhancing my farmer’s tan at the Hoover Dam. In this month’s edition of the best comments we find out the answer to all of life’s questions, how to sterilize bottles of water the easy way, and a few app to turn you into the mobile phone version on Ansel Adams to name a few.

That hot August (or February for you southern-hemisphere folk) sun has many uses and aside from boiling eggs on sidewalks to impress your friends; Audrey teaches us how to use it to sterilize bottles of water.

So glad to hear Susan will be close enough to Pupatella in September to give Enzo’s Neapolitan pizza a try, say hi for me!

Matthew Karston is looking to insure his electronics and is curious what you might be using, care to add to my own advice?

I have officially scared The Travel Chica and Priyank from my travel reign of terror and chaos.

Lara Dunston points out one very good reason to travel to the Middle East.

Threads like this one on mobile phone camera apps are what makes you all (and your comments) so awesome. Betsey points out this app if you have trouble taking photos of yourself, Cat clues us in on this powerful Korean tool, and Federico has this tip for making panoramas with Photoshop.

Before I forget, here’s the meaning of life – or well, the appropriate response to any question when all else fails – many of us can agree on, including Mack Reynolds.

To all of you who left a comment this month, you have my many thanks as well as those from many others you’ve helped with your useful ways. Thank you again and happy travels in September

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Cultural Passwords, Gadgets For The Road, And More: A Travel Tech Roundup

Anil P. — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 06:00:35 +0000

Where you travel can tell you a lot about wireless passwords (and visa-versa); you Mac users might be wondering if it’s time to upgrade to that new operating system (Lion). Find out what gadgets are in my backpack and those you might want in yours – with other goodies in this tech roundup from some of my posts around the interwebs recently.

Cultural Commonalities Of Default Wireless Passwords Around The World

The default passwords many people, coffee shops, and hotels use for their wireless networks is in large part based on their local culture – from how the postal system works to the phonetics of the alphabet. Learning these patterns can help you get online when nobody is around to let you in on the password. [Read more from Cultural Commonalities Of Default Wireless Passwords Around The World.]

Travel Smart: The Best Tech Gear For The Road

A shorter more visual version of this article I wrote for PC World will be published in September’s print issue but these gadgets might help your summer travels right now. [Read more from Travel Smart: The Best Tech Gear For The Road.]

4 Advantages Of Traveling With Tech In The Middle East

This region of the world is generally misunderstood across a variety of aspects with technology and the Internet certainly being two of those. I’m guessing you’ll learn something new in this post I wrote for the GoBackpacking blog. [Read more from 4 Advantages Of Traveling With Tech In The Middle East.]

A Few More Posts That Might Be Up Your Digital Alley

It had been a while since we’ve touched base with my geeky side of backpacking site Tech Guide For Travel and other posts I’ve written elsewhere on the world wide web. You can also keep up or delve into more of my posts, articles, and interviews that don’t appear on any of my sites from my updated press page.

[top photo by: @jbtaylor ("wireless")]

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The Best Comments Of The Month: July 2011

Anil P. — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 06:00:27 +0000

Sneaking into the Pyramids of Giza, hanging out in North Korea, and trying to figure out where the heck bagpipes came from and more – in these best comments of the past month left by readers like you. Or you. Scroll down to find out.

I might have pushed Leif Harum to recommit a crime but he may help all of us hopefuls with that aliens-building-the pyramids thing. See? It’s for a good cause.

Imperator leaves us with some great information on what you need to know if traveling to North Korea.

I’m severely behind on my Ultimate Train Challenge planning but Stephen has already helped out my leg in China immensely.

Barbara Weibel tells us the Nepalese nod backward as well, though I suppose it’s all relative, especially if you’re Bulgarian.

Turkey’s For Life and I are taking votes on who invented the bagpipes – “aliens” is also an acceptable answer.

Santiago Calatrava, one of the designers of Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences, has also designed many other buildings you may be familiar with, Linda points out.

Sherry Ott and Lash both ask why you should type out the entire URL when browsing the web at Internet cafes.

I often have trouble calling out the “best” comments – there are so many good ones to choose from each month and every single one is appreciated. Underneath just about every post is a good discussion brewing. Don’t be shy yourself and join one of the conversations, we won’t bite. Besides, it’s kitten-recommended. You can’t beat that kind of endorsement.

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The Best Comments Of The Month: June 2011

Anil P. — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 06:00:44 +0000

I hope it’s been a hot start to summer for those of you in the northern hemisphere, it started off chilly for me in Vancouver, Canada only to heat up two weeks later in Valencia, Spain. The comments too have been equally scorching, here are some that will give you a sunburn if you stand too close.

Imperator gives a good account of how tourism is often a first-aid kit for economies recovering from various social and political ills.

I’ve got no word on the hairy sausage Shane mentions though I do appreciate Snapping Blabber helping me to identify the names of Bulgarian foods I neglected to write down as I was too busy stuffing my face.

I can relate to Priyank on this one, it’s taken a while for my parents to get exactly what I do for a living, though my grandmother…nowhere near close.

The Travel Chica and I are both celebrating our birthdays – by fox years I guess we’re about the same age?

I appreciate Stephen‘s advice on booking trains in China, I’ll need it late in September as I race toward Saigon on The Ultimate Train Challenge.

Thanks everyone for your helpful comments this past month. It’s summer travel season in the northern hemisphere – so, where are you off to over the next few months?

[photo by: Catriona Ward (pug on beach)]

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The Best Comments Of The Month: May 2011

Anil P. — Tue, 31 May 2011 06:00:11 +0000

Today is a reduced version of the best comments from May. Yesterday, being Memorial Day in the United States, means that some 65% of you were taking it easy, and likely returning to school or work today. We’ll all take it a bit easy today with some of the best of the best comments from this past month.

I appreciate all of your comments on how I can improve foXnoMad, plus one by Federico of which exposed my greatest blogging handicap.

The grass is always more dangerous on the other side, sort of…right Anjuli?

Sharon has a great analogy for active passiveness, a state that might be preventing you from traveling.

Amy turns irrationality into logic in this comment. Something to keep in mind if you’re scared of flying, it might help reduce your anxiety.

A short but sweet read this month, it took me even longer than usual to put this post together. It wasn’t easy to narrow down the comments even more, each of which I appreciate very much. Your comments are an essential part of this site, and without them things just wouldn’t be the same.

Those of you who were in the US yesterday and celebrated Memorial Day, I hope you had a good one. Feel free to share how you spent your Memorial Day in the comments below, for those who might not know so much about the holiday that began in 1865.

[photo by: josago (cat eating)]

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