Away.com Travel Blog

Nau Lets You Test Apparel Before You Pay Full Price

Nathan Borchelt — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:12:09 -0800

We're huge fans of Nau, the apparel company who dared to break the mold by creating high-performance apparel from recycled materials, which boast all the expected backcountry and travel-friendly tech features without the hardcore, logo-centric look that often plagues other outdoor gear companies. They've already successfully initiated a donation program (wherein 2 percent of all purchases go to one of five social/environmental organizations), and recently they've stumbled on another innovation. Introducing Nau's Changing Room concept.

Notes from the Field: Top Trips from Around the World

Notes from the Field — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:36:00 -0800

This month we're debuting Notes from the Field, a new weekly column profiling the world's best adventures and outfitted tours. Sometimes we all need just a little inspiration—not to mention, professional expertise—to get us the road, so we pinged our extensive network of operators, outfitters, guides, and writers out in the field to get their take on the best new trips, experiences, and up-and-coming destinations. First up, a video profile of a new 2010 bicycling itinerary along Croatia's Dalmatian Coast from DuVine Adventures. DuVine was recently nominated by National Geographic Adventure as one of the Best Outfitters on Earth for 2009.

Belize: Top 5 Insider Travel Tips

Guest Blogger — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:22:43 -0800

Five essential travel tips for Belize from the author of the recently updated Moon Belize travel guidebook.

CouchSurfing in Cairo

Lisa Costantini — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:47:20 -0800

Many people go to Cairo to see the pyramids, but getting almost as many visitors is the home of Tarek Taha, CouchSurfing's Cairo Ambassador. (CouchSurfing is a network of travelers creating cultural exchanges by staying with locals.) Tarek got into CouchSurfing in 2007 while road tripping across the U.S. Since returning home he has hosted more than 100 couch surfers (my husband and me now included). Here are some of his most memorable CouchSurfing moments.

Ski Season Starts Early!

Kate Chandler — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:42:23 -0700

The pre-Halloween snowstorm that hit the Western states this week means that the much-anticipated start of ski season will be here sooner than we all thought.

Adventures of a Lifetime: Sky2Sea International

awayblog — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:29:09 -0700

We're excited to welcome Sky 2 Sea International (S2Si) as the newest provider on GORPtravel.com, an Away.com sister site providing comprehensive listings for the world's best active vacations and adventure-travel trips. With over two decades of bespoke expedition-planning experience, S2Si runs numerous wilderness trips through landscapes as diverse as the pristine rainforest in Guyana to an amazing one-week multisport expedition through Chilean Patagonia. Here's a video on one.

Hotel Spotlight: Cedar House Inn, Dahlonega

Alistair Wearmouth — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:00:00 -0700

The contrast between the sprawling Atlanta 'burbs and this eco-friendly hideaway in the north Georgia woods couldn't be more complete. Just 70 miles north of the beating heart of the "New South," Dahlonega's Cedar House Inn & Yurts lives almost entirely off the grid and on the land. The three-room cedar inn features a passive solar design that maximizes heat from the sun, while quarry tile floors in the living area collect heat from the winter sun to cut down down on heating costs. Two well-appointed yurts on the property's naturally landscaped grounds up the eco quotient, with composting toilets and low-wattage lighting. The list of environmentally friendly accolades and initiatives goes on.

Getting Out There With Afar Magazine

Alistair Wearmouth — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Traveling home from a conference in Quebec last week, I picked up a copy of the premier edition of Afar, the newest travel magazine to grace an already crowded category on airport newsstands. An hour later after a thoroughly absorbing in-flight read, I can report that I was impressed. The magazine is "for readers who are curious about everything the planet and its people have to offer," according to founder and editorial director Greg Sullivan. In this day and age, when magazines seek to impress with the most luxurious travel experiences imaginable or cater to a budget-minded, close-to-home crowd, Afar bites off the essence of experiential travel with an honest, open, and upbeat appraisal of the world we explore.

End the Ban on Travel to Cuba Today!

awayblog — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:07:17 -0700

In May 2009, online travel agency Orbitz.com (of which Away.com is a subsidiary) spearheaded a push to end the travel ban to Cuba by U.S. citizens. Today, the OpenCuba.org campaign has collected almost 100,000 signatures in support of a petition to end the ban. In addition, 180 Congressmen and 33 Senators have sponsored the bipartisan Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act, which seeks to open up travel to Cuba for all U.S. citizens. If you have not yet signed the petition, please do so today, plus be sure to encourage at least three of your friends and family to sign the petition via the easy-to-use "tell-a-friend" page. The petition is open to people from anywhere in the world and is not just limited to U.S. citizens.

Top Ten National Dishes

Guest Blogger — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:10:25 -0700

National Geographic has just released its beautiful new book, "FOOD JOURNEYS OF A LIFETIME: 500 Extraordinary Places to Eat Around the Globe," so we've partnered with them on an exclusive excerpt about the world's top national dishes. Take a look, then let us know here about your favorite places or foods to eat around the world. Plus if you agree with the top 10 picks!