Thursday, September 13, 2007

A new book dishes the dirt on spots "you're not supposed to know about," including paramilitary training bases and weapons testing sites. Bud Travel is on the case! read more

• Bud Travel: The 2007 "Not" List
• Bud Travel: 10 Tips to a Sexy Hotel Room

In the early 20th century, airlines and cruise lines enlisted artists to capture the charms of Hawaii, among them lush flowers, gentle waves lapping the shores, and droopy palm trees ripe with coconuts. We've put together a slide show of some of the best of these illustrations, which have helped to shape the Hawaii we dream of. read more

• 25 Reasons We Love Kauai
• Maui: Friendly, Quirky, and Full of Soul
• Snap Guide: Honolulu
• Road Trip: The Big Island

Getting a visa can be a thicket of red tape—or as easy as pie. Whether you should hire someone or do it yourself depends on where you're going. Here's a country-by-country guide. read more

• Tips for No Matter Where You're Headed
• More Travel and Airline Strategies

After they quit their jobs and spent their months-long honeymoon exploring Down Under in a camper van, Keith Charlton and Louise Corken went home to Belfast, bought a fleet of five Fiat Scudo vans, and launched a company called Bunk Campers. The vans have a foldout bed for two and a kitchenette stocked with red and turquoise dishes—and milk and cookies. read more

• Yurts Bring Comfort to the Wilderness
• Little-Known Alternative Hotels
• Finland's Self-Service Hotels
• Ecolodges Around the Globe

Prove it! We're looking for someone to write an essay on his or her hometown (and by "hometown," we mean the place you grew up). It'll really help if you have a strong point of view, if you can make a persuasive case for visiting the city/town, and if you can come up with the vivid details that bring the place to life. Think your hometown is a winner? Then use our easy online form to make your case now, and you may be chosen to write a full article later. submit a short and convincing description

• My Hometown: Orange County
• My Hometown: San Francisco
• My Hometown: Milwaukee

A rare package for exploring De Rust and Groot Karoo, with airfare to Cape Town, regional travel, five nights' accommodations, one full-day game drive, some meals, sightseeing, and transfers, from $1,999. why it's a deal

• Trip Coach: South Africa
• Get the Most Out of Your African Safari
• 25 Reasons We Love Cape Town

Three nights' accommodations in North Carolina's Outer Banks, plus hiking, kayaking, sightseeing, meals, and gear, from $685. why it's a deal

• 25 Reasons We Love Asheville, N.C.
• Furnitureville, U.S.A.: High Point, N.C.
• Walkable Cities: Wilmington, N.C.

Airfare, six nights split between colonial Antigua, Guatemala City, and Chichicastenango—famous for its crafts market—as well as bus transportation and guided tours, including a visit to Lake Atitlán, from $970. why it's a deal

More on Central America:

• Beach Bum Central: Ambergris Cay, Belize
• Got Stress? Get to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
• Learn Spanish in a Land of Volcanoes: Nicaragua
• Costa Rica Eco-Trip

I once drove an RV across 12 states. Whenever I crossed into a new state, I took a picture of the NOW LEAVING sign from one state and the WELCOME TO sign from the next. It's a simple way to keep your photographs organized—and also to keep the kids busy looking for the signs. —Lori Lenton, Red Deer, Alberta read more

• How to Stay Healthy on the Road
• Tips for Long Drives and Amusement Parks
• More Kid-Friendly Travel Advice

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