- 26 November 2009
- 8:29pm
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Hostel horror stories
Tom Hall Lonely Planet author
I’m in transit on my way home from Lviv, Ukraine. In this lovely and still good value city I was able to afford a hotel room, and jolly nice it was too. But like all hotels it was missing a few things that you only find in hostels, those friends of budget travellers everywhere. Any…
Continue reading 'Hostel horror stories' (0) comments- 26 November 2009
- 4:35pm
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Thanksgiving: more than talking turkey
janeo Lonely Planet author
It’s that time. All over the US, tables groan with turkey and pecan pies, talk turns to Pilgrim hats and everyone rubs their hands in anticipation of the latest balloon float faux-pas.
In New York’s famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, monster-sized helium balloons of cartoon characters float eerily down New York streets. (Some of the balloons…
- 23 November 2009
- 10:16am
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When good animals go cartographic
VivekW Lonely Planet author
A bunch of penguins just mapped the Patagonian Sea. (They had some help.)
In a novel experiment, the Wildlife Conservation Society and BirdLife International teamed up on a major project. Stretching from the coast of Brazil to the waters off Chile, the Patagonian Sea is one of the least understood marine ecosystems in the world. But…
- 20 November 2009
- 1:05am
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Polar tourists escape Antarctic ice trap
Tom Hall Lonely Planet author
As excuses for being late go heavy pack ice in the Weddell Sea sure beats a Spanish air traffic controllers strike.
This week brought news that the Kapitan Khlebnikov , one of the hardy icebreakers which carries passengers to and from Antarctica had, in the grand manner of polar exploration, got stuck. Inclement weather – on…
- 19 November 2009
- 11:04am
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Nantes’ bizarre hamster hotel
VivekW Lonely Planet author
‘Your mother was a hamster!’ yelled the taunting Frenchman in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
A pair of hotel owners in Nantes appear to have taken this line a little too seriously. They’re offering a unique experience at the Hamster Villa: the opportunity to be a hamster for a day (and night).
For €99, you get a…
- 19 November 2009
- 12:37am
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Europe’s high-speed train revolution continues
Tom Hall Lonely Planet author
December is a red letter month for train travellers in Europe.
First up, December 13: the first date of operation for the speeded-up Paris and Brussels to Amsterdam Thalys service. This train was already pretty zippy, but with the completion of the 78 mile Hogesnelheidslijn Zuid (High-speed Line South) in the Netherlands, journey times have been…
- 18 November 2009
- 7:14am
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76-Second Travel Show: ‘Pirates vs Vikings’
Robert Reid Lonely Planet author
It’s the time of year when Caribbean dreams consume a wide girth of North Americans seeking a break from chilling temperatures. That’s cool. But it reminds me once again, frustratingly, how little most of us actually know of pirates del Caribe. Much less what would have happened if they had ventured far north — with…
Continue reading '76-Second Travel Show: ‘Pirates vs Vikings’' (0) comments- 13 November 2009
- 11:10am
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The best of Science Week
VivekW Lonely Planet author
Here at Lonely Planet, we declared it Science Week.
Why? Well, it was a great week for science in general – and science in travel, in particular.
The week kicked off with a story straight from science fiction, when it was postulated that a time-travelling bird might have sabotaged Switzerland’s Large Hadron Collider.
On theme, as always, was…
- 11 November 2009
- 11:59am
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Travel like a science geek
Andy Murdock Lonely Planet author
Do you visit natural history museums and botanical gardens when you travel? Does peering through a telescope at distant galaxies sound like a fun night out? Do your eyes light up when you hear the words ‘maglev train’? Would you rather be examining giant sloth fossils than relaxing by the pool? And when you do…
Continue reading 'Travel like a science geek' (0) comments- 11 November 2009
- 5:31am
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76-Second Travel Show: “Las Vegas: ScIeNce City”
Robert Reid Lonely Planet author
SCIENCE WEEK CONTINUES…
You not into casinos, cheesy night shows, smoky restaurants and $25 taxis to go anywhere on the strip? Me neither. But Vegas still works.
Flights there can be found for cheap, car rentals run about $20 to $25 per day, it’s a nice jumping off point for a loop to the Grand Canyon’s rarely…
