When you travel you might want to bring back the stories and impressions you had. A dried flower, food poisoning, a handful of sand, 8GB of photography, a little scar or a complete new point of view on how the world turns are only some of the possibilities you have.

It’s never that easy to capture what a place is and feels like for you. How can you catch the smell of a hot asphalt in a midsummer rain? How do you bring across the flavour of that food you’ve had every day, the feeling of walking through the door onto the street. How do you catch the murmuring sound of hundreds of people walking and talking in a language you only understand two words of? There are many different ways to tell a story, only sometimes it can be hard to find the right words.

For me, every city has got its own special feeling that I get every time I take the first step out onto the street. I still haven’t found the perfect way to capture the dusty air of Lisbons streets that randomly hits you with its smell of Bacelhau, the concrete flavoured London roads sparkled with the whiff of freshly washed and ironed business suits and the sweet-sour smell of the Indian food store. Others already know how to tell their stories. Mark Bramley is one of them.

This time, to share his experience he chose to make a video. And hell yes, he did an incredibly good job.
Mark Bramley, a high quality photographer, who usually takes pictures of shiny cars and airy landscapes spend 2 days in Tokyo and excells at conserving a taste of this huge city in moving pictures. Due to the technical opportunities provided by time-lapse you’ll find yourself speeding through Tokyo on the train, watching the vibrating city by night. Mark Bramley created a portrait that shows you all angles of this mega-city. Take a deep breath and get LOST IN TOKYO

all photos by Mark Bramley.

At the present moment I have a few friends heading to Bali, and as the January rain pours down here in San Francisco, I wish so badly on the stars in the sky (that I can’t see) that I was joining them.  But instead of pouting, I decided to put aside my jealousy and bask in my memories.

The small island is stunningly beautiful. Tiered rice paddy fields, lush jungles, picture perfect beaches, and volcanoes are all accessible from wherever you station yourself on it.

When I arrived in Bali I was lucky enough to do so at the tail end of a Southeast Asia tour in which I learned as much as I could about each country I was in, and its religion. A basic knowledge of Hinduism and Buddhism helped me to understand the complexity of Balinese religion, and it also helped to have been in some Muslim countries to juxtapose Balinese belief to the prominent religion of the rest of Indonesia.

The island’s religion, dubbed Balinese Hinduism, is an all encompassing faith that celebrates the major themes of Hinduism; most notably the Gods Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu; along with many Buddhist principles, and agricultural deities. There is just an overwhelming awareness that everything around us has its own unique energy.

Evidence of this beautiful religion is prolific everywhere. Many houses and guesthouses will have their own elaborate courted temples, but at the very least a small alter is tended to daily. Every morning the locals prepare small offerings on little banana leaf plates to put on alters, doorways, windows, and everywhere spirits may dwell. The banana plates usually contain fresh flowers, rice and fruit, but I saw some with packages of crackers, cigarettes, sausages, lollipops, and almost anything else imaginable.

The offerings placed on the ground are for the demons and above are for the gods. I think the demon offerings are ironic because the demon-like dogs of Bali love to eat them. The demon offerings are almost impossible not to step on as there seems to be one every foot on the main walkways. After a week in Bali I noticed I stepped around the offerings without thinking about it. Easy way to spot the new tourists, look for the ones stepping on offerings!

The offerings for the Gods are placed on the loftier alters, all of which face the volcano, Mount Agung, the highest point on the island. There are about 20,000 temples on Bali, but the most famous and frequented is the mother temple, Pura Besakih, which sits on the slopes of the volcano.

While there, me and my travel companions got stuck in a huge downpour whilst in an abandoned courtyard at the top of the temple.  Our guide (Whom my friend Laila picked.  She was tired of all the in your face hustlers, so she found the quietest and least obtrusive guide available, sitting in a corner reading a newspaper, to escort us foreigners through the temple.) instructed us on how to worship to the high gods in the traditional fashion.  While the tropical rain poured down around us, we prayed with fresh flowers in our hands.

My favorite temple I visited was Pura Tirta Empul, the water temple. The temple was built to honor a holy spring lored to be created by the god Indra and possess curative properties. There is a large pool I waded into with twelve fountains spewing out the purest, freshest, and coldest water I think I have ever felt. The whole pool had brightly colored flower petals floating in it from all the offerings piled everywhere.

In all my travels I have been in many churches, temples, and mosques as well as other unique natural settings, and I have never been so blown away by the power of a place as I was here. There was a sense of purity as well as playfulness. No one cared that I was obviously a tourist or that I wasn’t a Hindu. There were children splashing each other and goofing around, and no one shushed them, rather they received smiles. Some people seemed to go into a trance when they entered the water, others just couldn’t stop smiling. I was one of those people.

If (when) you make it out to Bali I highly recommend Tirta Empul on your temple list. Bring a change of clothes, and don’t forget to donate an offering so the flower petals will always grace the pool.

There is so much to say about this tiny island, but words seem lacking compared to my memories. Everything was cheap. The shopping was great.  The beaches were beautiful. But what really sticks in my mind is simple interactions with the people who live on the island and the grace and gratitude so many of them encompassed with every core of their beings.

If you really want to immerse yourself in the island’s wonder, stay away from Kuta/Seminyak/Legian. Find yourself a tiny guesthouse or villa surrounded by rice paddies. Eat gado-gado every day. Take long walks (watch out for the dogs). Wave at the children that stare at you and watch them giggle with delight. Shop at local markets. Watch the sun set. Watch the sun rise.   Leave offerings at temples no matter what your religion is (even if you don’t have one). Smile and thank the island’s many gods that your life is so good.

photo credits: simon monk 1-6, 11, 12   me 7-10, 13, 14

After finishing up some community development work in rural Kenya, my friend Vikkee and I decided that a trip to the coast was much needed. We spent a few days in Mombasa dipping our toes in the turquoise waves, filling up on chapatti and napping on sand so white it seemed to reflect the African sun.

A tip from the hostel owner led us to Stilts Backpaka’s in Diani Beach (Diani Beach Road) a tree-house inspired hotel tucked away in acres of coastal forest brush. We had just made two British friends and decided what better way to enjoy our surroundings than to take a walk on the wild side. One ferry voyage and an hour-long ride with a ganja smoking tuk tuk driver later, the four of us had made it to our destination.

As we climbed the steep staircase to the registration area/lounge/bar we were all feeling excited. To my right, the kitchen was buzzing, whipping up huge pancakes and chips for the hungry, varied mix of vagabonds. To my left, a monkey was lounging on the balcony chewing on some trash. “Oh don’t worry about those, they’re everywhere,” the cook quipped, “just be sure to lock up your food!”

We were then led to a basement so full of lock boxes it looked like a pirate’s wet dream. We secured all of our prized possessions: passports, cash, tickets and chocolate. Feeling safe from the primitive thieves we proceeded to check out our digs. The room was like a wilderness wonderland, complete with an outdoor, adobe-style bathroom and shower that seemed to channel Costa Rica more than Kenya. It’s important to note that the windows were barred and the door was equipped with a padlock, to keep the monkeys at bay we were told.

That night was full of mingling and making new friends at the tree house bar, playing pool and dancing at local bars that may or may not have been teeming with prostitutes, and finally falling into bed early the next morning. As we were checking out the following morning we realized the lock to our room was gone. We dug through all of our belongings and retraced our steps, but neither Vikke nor I could find the mystery padlock. Our British buddies had no idea where the thing had gone and thanks to one too many cocktails, none of us could recall exactly who had unlocked it after our crazy night. Confused and groggy we paid our fees and slipped out of Stilts, thanking the African gods no one had charged us for the missing lock. In the end we figured that whoever used the key had left the padlock dangling on the door, one of the little furry minions must have found a new play toy.

That story held up well until I got an email a few weeks later that our friend found the lock in his luggage while unpacking at home… but I prefer to blame the monkeys.

About: Miranda is a petite traveler with a penchant for all things French. It could have something to do with the five months spent studying on the French Riviera and frolicking around Europe… or maybe just a deep love for Nutella crêpes. After graduating from college in sunny Southern California, Miranda spent the summer camping out in a rural Kenyan village, playing with African babies. Newly relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area she likes to spend her time sweating to death in a Bikram yoga class, hiking to waterfalls or obsessing over her dog Bailey, all while planning her next world adventure. Check her out at mirandaadler.com.

1. Sightseeing

I already told you about my annual hiking trips in the Norwegian mountains, but the good thing about Ålesund is that you have several hiking and walking paths in walking (or bus) distance from the city center. Just like Rio de Janeiro, Ålesund has its very own Sugar Hill (Sukkertoppen). From this mountain you have a fantastic view over the town and the surrounding islands. Variably you could take the 418 steps up to the town’s very own viewpoint Fjellstua. In both cases you will be rewarded with a stunning panorama.

Ask for the Ålesund walking guide leaflet at the tourist information to make sure you don’t miss out on the most important sights in town. The whole city had burned down in 1904, and was reconstructed in an Art Nouveau style during the following couple of years. Some of the most spectacular buildings are located around the area Brosundet (pictured above), in Kongens Gate (pedestrian street), Brunholmen and Kirkegata. You can walk from one end to the other in less than 20 minutes, but be careful with your heels as these streets are cobbled.

2. Eat and drink

My favorites for a snack or lunch in Ålesund is the small restaurant Lyst on Kongens gate (the fishsoup is a must!), or Let’s eat deli (Kiperviktorget) for tasty sandwiches and salads. If you’re visiting the town’s Art Nouveau Centre and the art museum KUBE, the attached café has delicious cake and coffee. Tante Bruun (inside Ålesund Storsenter) is another good alternative. Despite it’s relatively uncharming host location the tasty food and cozy interiors makes the surroundings easy to forget. Lyspunktet is another popular location in Ålesund serving light dishes, coffee and cake – and I’m utterly fascinated by their lamp (see photo below).

Photo: Café Lyspunktet

I’m a caffein addict, and quite picky with my coffee so in Ålesund I prefer to get my coffee fill at Chocolatte (Løvenvoldgt. 5 / Ålesund Storsenter) or at Invit (Apotekergt. 9), a coffee bar with an attached interior design boutique and a floating backyard during the summer.

Photos: Invit

For fine dining, try Sjøbua, located in an old wharf-side warehouse with top class seafood. XL Diner is a restaurant specialized in dried and salted codfish (also known as Bacalhau/Bacalao) with a fab view. Maki seafood restaurant is connected to Hotel Brosundet, and has a seafood menu that changes every 4th week.

3. Shopping

Ålesund is most likely the town in Norway with the most shops in relation to its population, with a huge shopping centre area called Moa (10 km from the town centre), and with a couple of shopping centres located in the center of the town. If the weather istn’t that great those might be a good option to head to. Personally, I prefer not to spend too much time inside shopping centres, so here are a few of my favorites worth checking out:

Photos: Ingrids glassverksted

Ingrids glassverksted (Moloveien 15, Brunholmen) is a glassblowing studio and store with a charming location. Fretex (Kipervikgt. 11) is the name of the Norwegian Salvation Army’s second hand / vintage stores in Norway, make sure you stop by their store in Ålesund. I have found some pretty good treasures here. For typical Norwegian design and handicraft, make a stop at Husfliden (Parkgata 1). The jewellery design of the Norwegian artist Bjørg was love at first sight when I first laid eyes on it last time I was home. You can find her jewellery at the Klondyke store in Ålesund Storsenter.

4. Sleep

Photos: Hotel Brosundet

If you’re not on a tight budget, I would recommend to spend a couple of nights at Hotel Brosundet, an old Art Nouvou warehouse turned into a boutique hotel. You can even opt for a night in room 47, your very own lighthouse hotel room. The hotels in the town generally hold a good standard, and you can check for prices and book your stay through Visit Ålesund-Geiranger. For budget travellers check out Ålesund Vandrerhjem or ask for other available options at the tourist information.

5. Activities

If you’re looking for activities, ranging from sea rafting, helicopter rides to fishing trips, check out what 62 Nord has to offer!

If you’re not convinced that this town is worth a visit yet, you will be after watching this video:

Since the first Super Bowl in 1967, the event has reached an iconic status amongst US-Americans in particular. Events surrounding the actual game are almost as anticipated as the finale itself and the special highlight in every Super Bowl is always at half time when the world’s greatest performers take to the stage. I’m talking big names here, such as Diana Ross, U2, No Doubt, Sting, Aerosmith, ‘N Sync, Britney Spears, Stevie Wonder and more.

It was Michael Jackson who in 1993 broke the relatively boring tradition of – up to then – showing a marching band between the games. With a big star keeping viewers eyes glued to the screen the ratings not only stopped falling during half time, they actually went up, much to the dismay of competitive TV channels. So you can say that we owe it to Jacko that this year we get to watch Madonna give one of her rare performances.

While Football certainly does not define all things Americana, it does plays a role that is not to be underestimated. Maybe there is a sport in your country that people feel strongly about. It’s common knowledge that countries like Brazil, Italy or Germany stop in their tracks when the FIFA World Cup is on. Understanding the dynamics behind this passion for the sport and more importantly giving in to it (I know that some of your ladies are still resisting) can open up a world to you that you are likely to enjoy a lot more than you thought. As for me, I used to mostly ignore Soccer for the better part of my life but when the World Cup was on in Germany in 2006 I got into it and am now a true fan of watching the Champion Ship games. Not because I care about Soccer but because I love the excitement in the air, the feeling of bonding with everyone who is rooting for the same team, it’s pretty amazing.

Traditionally the Super Bowl happens on the first Sunday in February, which in this case is Sunday of this week, February 5th. While you should be able to to pursue the game on TV from your homely sofa, the real fun way of watching is by attending a public viewing.

WIN Tickets to the public viewing in Munich!

Our friends from Contiki are inviting 4 of you to one of Germany’s best public viewing parties at Munich’s Tonhalle where the game will be displayed up on a big screen. Contiki is treating the winners to VIP seating, free food and drink and 2 nights at a hotel this weekend, February 4th and 5th.

To win 2 x 2 tickets, follow us on facebook and leave a comment under this post, stating why you’d like to win this fun weekend in Munich.

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With the help of a postcard, a few nifty cuts and photos, you can create a frame in under five minutes. You can either use postcards you’ve received or do up your own by purchasing them at a store or taking those free promotional ones often available at bars. And you can choose to keep it travel themed by framing travel shots… Maybe even ones that correspond to the place the postcards was sent from…
I made up a dummy postcard then went the other route of choosing photos from a visit back home to remind of of friends, family and fond memories.

Supplies:
Exacto knife
Postcard
Photo
Scissors
Super glue (optional)

Steps:
1. Bend the postcard in half. this will give dimension and also allow
it to stand up on it’s own.

2. You will likely need to trim the photo down in size as the standard photograph size is often the same as a postcard and it will need to be small than the postcard.

3. Hold the photo against the postcard to figure out the placement of your impending cuts and then cut a small incision about 2cm wide in each corner of the postcard. Those will be what holds the photo in place.

Precise cuts can be a little tricky so you may want to try out a test frame with a piece of card-stock first before cutting into actual postcard. Even so, the incisions you make with the exacto knife will be small, so if you dome a mistake, it’ll barely alter the postcard.

4. Insert each corner of the photo not the corresponding slots that you’ve just made in the postcard. If it’s having a hard time staying put, use a dab of super glue to keep it in place.

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*post written by Nilina Mason Campbell

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During my time in Indonesia, I covered a wide stretch of islands including the largest of the three Gili islands: Gili Trawangan or ‘Gili T’. We rocked up to the shore of this little exotic island in darkness with no accommodation booked (standard.) and were immediately approached by a friendly Indonesian man called Danny.

Selemat Pagi – Good Morning

Selemat Siam – Good Afternoon
Selemat Melam – Good Evening
Om Santi – Goodbye

Tidak – No
Bagoose – Good
Panas – Hot

Ping – Cold
Bike Bike – Very Good
Terima Kasi – Thank You
Pere Missy – Excuse Me
Haiti Haiti! – Danger!

Apu Kuba – How are you?
Saya Nama Sophie – My name is Sophie

Se Apa Nama Avida? – What’s your name?
Saya Tedak Megurti – I don’t understand

Bersulang – Cheers! (when toasting with a drink)
Choi – Real Friend
Sayung – Hunny
Ker-lu-arg-gah – Family
Shanti – Beautiful
Daree Haiti Saya – From the Heart

Remember, most locals appreciate attempts that tourists make to understand their language. You also benefit by getting a wider cultural experience as you’re not segregating yourself from the new society you’ve flown into with your camera. They might find your errors entertaining (it cracked Dill up when I tried combining ‘How are you, hunny?’) but the effort is noted and friendships can be developed, especially by Dill and Antong who made my time on “Gili Tra-la-la” one  of my highlights of Indonesia.

Here are some useful audio clips to figure out the correct pronounciation, but its best to learn it from someone armed with a guitar, a high-pitched giggle and a missing tooth!

Photograph via Beyond the Sure

O.k. let me introduce the Canadian threesome (plus camera-woman extraordinaire) who make up MISSADVENTURES.ca.

We have Ellie who wants to travel with Tom Hanks, Steph who never goes anywhere without her epilator and Hanna whose favourite destination is Tel Aviv, Israel… and their camera lady (who has an obscure obsession with Zac Effron) is Kathleen. She follows them constantly with a camera strapped to her face to shoot, edit and upload all of the adventures. Their personalities shine through with ‘no filter’ – Ellie’s flirting, Hannah’s hilarious dry humour (“Our Spanish is horrible. We can’t keep putting O’s at the end of words and expect people to understand us.”) and Steph’s confident gung-ho attitude.

They all met in Canada and the dynamic group was formed after a trip to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. Their love for food is dictating their way around the globe, along with their passion for traveling and demonstrating how to have misadventures in style!

The episodes of MISSADVENTURES are featured on the site with a day-to-day breakdown of what they did and where, with added ratings of the experience. A great way to actually see the state of hostels and the helpfulness of strangers, and reactions to interesting local cuisine and cocktails (Hannah: “(This cocktail) tastes of f**king plants!!”).

This multi–media blog of YouTube videos and blog updates feature three beautiful and confident women who are off exploring the world with a camera in tow to record everything they get up to. From where they sleep, where they eat, what they eat, where they dance and all things that go right and wrong. And bloody hell, we all know that in travel a lot does go wrong! But to see these ladies go through it and get through it without losing their humour, is inspiring and really shows that travel will only be overwhelming if you LET it overwhelm you. Whack on a smile and crack into hysterical laughter and you’ll find a way around your problems soon (ish). Sure you see bitching, moaning, complaining, and funny strops about no towels as they lug their suitcases on wheels through endless streets to find a hostel. But hey, traveling isn’t all roses and skipping in mountains with backpacks on your back! Misadventures isn’t edited to look like the perfect trip, it’s filmed how it really was.

So far, they have covered Buenos Aires, Argentina. Lets hope that the next episodes come quickly!

Here’s their teaser. Give it a little watch and see if you can produce some sort of little documentary on your next trip or holiday!

Image 1 via Vimeo, Image 2 via Do It While You’re Young, Image 4 via Urbane  Bloc Video via MISSADVENTURES

The beaches of Puerto Escondido are known around the world for their excellent surf conditions and every year in November there is a big competition attracting surfers from everywhere. The waves at the main beach, Zicatela, can be up to 16m high which has made this spot to one of the ‘top 10 surf destinations’.  Definitely too big and powerful for me. But luckily there is a small bay, called Playa Carrizalillo, which can be reached within 15 minutes by foot from the centre. This beach is about 300m wide and is shadowed by rocks, which makes the waves smooth and gentle – perfect for beginners and intermediates. Due to the fact that the average annual temperature is 28°C (82°F) you can be sure to wear your bikini (or board shorts) all year long.

Surfing is not enough? Puerto Escondido is also well known for fishing and birdwatching and scuba divers can find themselves in a sea full of lobsters, large oysters and manta rays.  Also the nightlife is fantastic with lots of nice outdoor bars, where you can dance away in the moonlight, wishing your stay in Mexico would never end.

Unfortunately my friend and I could only spend two nights in Puerto Escondido, but altough we didn’t get to stick around for too long we will never forget this small, idyllic surfer town.

Here some surf pictures that I took while I was there:

Massive Waves at Zicatela Beach:

The following pictures were all taken at the bay Playa Carrizalillo:

As usual we asked Ana, who lives in Vigo, Spain, some questions regarding her photography:

How is traveling part of your life?
My partner is from the Basque Country, near to the French border, and we go there every summer. There is so much contrast in tthe different landscapes there, you can visit a desert in Navarra or drive two hours and suddenly you are in a huge green mountain. I think that’s why I started to feel the need of discover new places and shoot them, both things are closely related for me. I love to discover different sceneries, to have that feeling of being speechless. Almost as good and exciting as the trip itself, for me is the drive there, listening to mixtapes. Anyway we try to travel to new places every month that aren’t too far from my hometown.

What got you into photography?
I started five years ago, but i always admired photography. As music is my other passion (I have a blog called Microphones in the Trees) I’ve always thought that album covers are very significant and I’ve often times bought an album just because of the beautiful album cover. Part of it is probably also down to my friend who takes beautiful pictures: Rafa Romero aka Àrbore.

Which cameras and techniques do you use?

I love my old Praktica bc1 with 50mm lens and expired films. I also shoot with Olympus om10, Smena 8mm, Zenit E, Yashica t4 and lately with a Lomo LC-A, a present from a friend. I occasionally shoot with Polaroid Spectra and Polaroid sx-70.

What are your favorite places in the world to take photos at?
I love deserts and i never get tired of  Las Bardenas Reales in Navarra. I’m happy in vast, abandoned and lonely places but I guess my favorites are still to come. I would love to visit the Atacama and Uyuni deserts, Iceland, Thailand, and go on a road trip through America.

What is your favourite picture and what is so special about it?
My favourite picture changes every day, but this one is very special to me. It is serene, the light is soft, even the way the two old men are dressed is soft, each one of them looked in a different direction. Old friends enjoying their voyage. I would love to see myself that way a few years down the line.

What photography-realted advice would you give other girls who travel?
Don’t hesitate if you see something that catches your eye. Just that.

If you like Ana’s photos head over to her portfolio page or her flickr. She recently published an iPad photo book which is available here.

If you come across great female travel photographers, drop me a line at nina@travelettes.net.

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