Underwear, made especially for travel, that can supposedly be comfortably worn for several consecutive days without being washed.

light weight

quick dying

built in bacteria control

In this review of the ExOfficio Give-N-Go underwear the author tried wearing a pair of these undergarments for a week straight—with mixed results. As for Travellisimo, we might possibly, maybe, wear Give-N-Go underwear on a day-to-day basis. But we definitely would choose them for traveling, especially for a trip that the Give-N-Go’s quick drying qualities would be useful.

Note that not every pair of Give-N-Gos have the Aegis Microbe Shield, which helps control odors. Read the fine print on the pair you select if this is important to you.

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A durable daypack with three main pockets: one designed for a laptop, another for an SLR camera and a third for any other assorted gear.

	45cm (17.7″) high	15cm (5.9″) long	30cm (11.8″) wide
	weighs 1.05kg (2.31 lbs)	iPod pouch has earphone hole	Padded compartment holds up to 12″ laptop

The Sensitivity V is one of our favorite backpacks designed to hold both a camera and laptop. It isn’t as large as another category favorite, the Crumpler Sinking Barge, but it has a much thinner profile. That, along with the Sensitivity’s padded back, make it supremely comfortable to carry around.

Another great feature: The two frontal U shaped flaps. They allow access to the top and bottom compartments separately. They are also designed such that the zippers have very little stress on them. So you are likely to wear out before the Sensitivity V’s zippers do.

LEARN MORE & BUY | GET AN SLR CAMERA

LEARN MORE & BUY | GET AN SLR CAMERA

An NYC boutique property at the upper end of the luxury scale. The Gramercy Park Hotel also hosts two bars worth visiting in their own right: the Jade and the Rose.

In Manhattan’s Gramercy Park neighborhood (go figure).

There’s no hip for hip’s sake here. We love the Gramercy Park’s mix of modern touches, elegant glamour and art collection worthy of MoMA. Plus, if the tiny rooms and cramped bathrooms typical of Manhattan hotels has you feeling claustrophobic you’ll breathe easier at the Gramercy Park—rooms here come with a much more livable space.

Book a suite for four or more nights through Travellisimo and with a Mr & Mrs Smith member card ($25 or £15 per year) and get a complimentary lunch for two (excluding alcohol) at the Gramercy Park’s Private Roof Club and Garden.

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LEARN MORE & BOOK | BUY A GUIDEBOOK

The Stonehurst Place describes itself as an “historic inn” but with only five rooms and lots of modern homey touches staying here feels more like shacking up with a friend. A friend with really good taste. Who has a really nice, spacious house. Rooms include free WiFi, flatscreen TVs, an iPod dock with alarm clock and a cool mobile phone charging station. Breakfast is complimentary.

Just north of downtown Atlanta near the World Congress Center, the Georgia Aquarium and the Georgia Dome. A MARTA station is four blocks away, making Stonehurst a relatively easy commute from the airport.

Five stars! Stonehurst Place has the convenient location and modern amenities of a luxury hotel with the small scale and personality of a bed & breakfast. The hotel is especially suggested in the winter (such as they are in Georgia) since most every room has a cozy fireplace.

Book through Travellisimo and with a Mr & Mrs Smith member card ($25 or £15 per year) and get treated to fresh flowers in your room upon arrival.

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LEARN MORE & BOOK | BUY A GUIDEBOOK

According to the users of the popular Hostel World booking engine, the Lisbon Lounge Hostel is the single best hostel in the entire world. This place has a friendly staff (the chef even offers free neighborhood tours) as well as clean rooms and free internet access. There’s also a library, a guest kitchen and a cozy common room.

Central Lisbon, close to Praça Comércio.

If hundreds of Hostel World users love the Lisbon Lounge Hostel who are we to disagree? Especially when nightly per person rates start at around €25 and include more-than-decent breakfast.

Note that the Lisbon Lounge is more than a party hostel. There are lots of old fogies (eg. those older than 30) and even some families who stay here too. However, the walls are not super sound proof and guests do tend to hang out in the common room until late; if you are a very light sleeper consider bringing ear plugs.

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LEARN MORE & BOOK | BUY A GUIDEBOOK

A rock-solid, highly sensitive portable GPS intended mostly for hiking and adventure trips.

	High-sensitivity GPS	Automatic routing	Serial and USB interface
	Electronic compass	Completely waterproof case	Accurate barometric altimeter
	18 hour battery life	7.5 oz (213 g) with batteries	160 x 240 pixels TFT screen

You’ve heard people say “They don’t build ‘em like they used to.” That’s actually true in the case of the Garmin 60CSx. It’s eight years old and still one of the best and most durable GPS units out there. In addition to the high build quality and bright screen we love how well the microSD card is protected inside the waterproof battery compartment.

For light hiking you can probably make due with a lighter, cheaper GPS unit (like the Garmin eTrex Venture) . But for an outdoor enthusiast, the 60CSx is the choice . . . still.

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LEARN MORE & BUY

The highest hotel rooms in all of San Francisco are at the Mandarin Oriental. Stay on one of the top floors (ie. between the 38th and 48th) and get treated to bridge-to-bridge views of the Bay. Those rooms are also luxurious, with Italian marble baths, fine linens and floral flurishes. Have a cocktail at the attached Mandarin Lounge and pretend you are Graham Greene.

In San Francisco’s financial district, a five minute walk to the edge of Chinatown.

For first time visitors to San Francisco looking for a luxury hotel the top floors of the Mandarin Oriental is the choice. On future visits consider branching out to other options. Until then, there’s no better introduction to the Bay Area than the views and level of service of the Oriental.

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LEARN MORE & BOOK | BUY A GUIDEBOOK

Imagine a cross between the Lord of the Flies (before things went horribly wrong) and a shabby chic hotel. That’s the vibe around the eclectic collection of accommodations that is the Kadir Yörük Top Tree House. Guests can stay at Kadir’s campground or in one of their bungalows (either air-conditioned or not). But for the true Kadir’s experience a night in one of the shared 5-bed treehouses is the only choice. There are two bars on site and a travel desk that can arrange transportation, scooter and bike rentals, and all manner of local excursions.

At top a hill very close to the Mediterranean beaches of Olympos, Turkey. The city of Antalya, a hub of beach-going tourism in southern Turkey, is about 60km (40 miles) northwest. Kadir’s can arrange transport to/from Antalya’s international airport.

For better and for worse, it is impossible to confuse Kadir’s with the Hilton. The quality and cleanliness of the facilities is definitely closer to the typical hostel than typical five-star hotel. But then so is the price. The nightly rate for one person at Kadir’s ranges from US$10 (dorm bed, low season) to $40 (a/c bungalow, high season). It is a terrific bargain made significantly more terrificer by the fact that breakfast and dinner are included! An outstanding value and fun experience for the adventurous.

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LEARN MORE & BOOK | BUY A GUIDEBOOK

Just try resisting the urge to say “That’s not a knife . . . this is a knife” at this crocodile-filled floodplain. Of course, Crocodile Dundee never slept in the bush with such comforts. The accommodations at the Bamurru Plains Lodge feature modern king beds, air-conditioning (in three of the bungalows), an infinity pool and central gathering area. The community meals are luscious and excellent, which is good because the nearest dinning alternative is more than an hour’s drive away.

In Australia’s Northern Territory, on the Mary River floodplains, close (by Australian standards) to the ocean and the western boundary of Kakadu National Park. Darwin is a 3 hour drive to the west.

Unless you and the new yours have a strong sense of adventure we wouldn’t suggest the Bamurru Plains Lodge for a honeymoon. It has a decidedly community feel, open bungalows and, while more than comfortable, a stay here isn’t exactly like living in the lap of luxury.

But those same qualities that make this lodge less-than-ideal for honeymoons make it a truly special place for those seeking a true authentic Australian experience. You can literally lie in bed and watch buffalo, wallabies, wild horses and all manner of birds. Unforgettable and highly suggested.

Book through Travellisimo and with a Mr & Mrs Smith member card ($25 or £15 per year) and get a gift-wrapped book on Australian birds, many of which you’ll see flying around the lodge grounds. (That is, the birds are flying around, not the books).

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LEARN MORE & BOOK | BUY A GUIDEBOOK

Bought in conjunction with a Sprint contract, the Overdrive Mobile Hotspot provides internet access via Sprint’s 3G—and growing 4G—network. The hotspot box emits a wifi signal that netbooks, iPads or other wifi devices can use to surf the web..

	LCD info screen	Universal wifi capability	Useable by 5 devices simultaneously
	4.5 ounces (128g)	3 hour battery life	150 foot (45 meter) range
	Tends to run hot	Slow startup time	4G speeds (where available)

We really want to love the Sierra Wireless Overdrive Mobile Hotspot—the concept of having portable internet access is awesome.

Sadly, there’s no way we can recommend this product, at least for now. The slow start-up time, short battery life and bulky form factor limit its use. The device tends to run hot, meaning you can’t really leave it running in your car on a sunny day. But most of all the Overdrive Mobile Hotspot doesn’t currently seem to take advantage of Sprint’s network. In our trials, 4G downloads with the Overdrive were no faster (and sometimes, inexplicably, a bit slower) than 3G mobile hotspots offered by other companies.

If you are looking for a mobile hotspot to keep in your car we recommend the Autonet Mobile Wi-Fi Router instead. Unlike most all other mobile hotspots devices, the Autonet isn’t linked to a particular company’s network; instead finds the strongest, fastest data signal available.

LEARN MORE & BUY: SIERRA WIRELESS OVERDRIVE / AUTONET MOBILE

LEARN MORE & BUY: SIERRA WIRELESS OVERDRIVE / AUTONET MOBILE