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Recent Posts2019-05-24T12:13:39-05:00
2505, 2020

7 Most Fascinating Abandoned Wonders Of The World

By |May 25th, 2020|Categories: Advice|9 Comments

I am back with another list in my continuing series which is a play off the 7 Wonders Of The World. This time I have created a list of the 7 Most Fascinating Abandoned Wonders Of The World. I am attempting to make a distinction between Dark and Abandoned sights. The places on this list were NOT subject to genocide, assassination, incarceration, ethnic cleansing, war or disaster — either natural or accident, which is an accepted definition of dark tourism. I was quite excited to create this list of the 7 Most Fascinating Abandoned Wonders Of The World. This list is actually a collaboration with some of the most highly regarded experts in the Dark Tourism/Abandoned circles. After traveling for many years and blogging for over six years, I am fortunate to have grown my network of fascinating and accomplished travelers. I was able to reach out directly to all the collaborators and was thankful that my request for suggestions was met with enthusiasm. So, again, all of these lists are quite subjective, and always curious to [...]

1505, 2020

7 Off The Beaten Path Dark Tourism Sights Of The World

By |May 15th, 2020|Categories: Advice|4 Comments

This “best” of list is a bit contradictory in nature. I am compiling 7 Off The Beaten Path Dark Tourism Sights Of The World. Washington Post describes dark tourism as “visiting places where some of the darkest events of human history have unfolded. That can include genocide, assassination, incarceration, ethnic cleansing, war or disaster — either natural or accident”. I think many people can interpret this type of tourism to be off the beaten path. Many people will say I am traveling to Paris for the Eifel Tower or Egypt for the pyramids, but most people do not frame their travels as “I am going to travel to see the sights of a recent genocide”. So at some level, one might think that all dark tourism sights are considered to be off the beaten path. But upon further inspection that is not the case. Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps are visited often by tourists in addition to being well known. Over two million people visit Auschwitz every year. Other noted dark tourism sights are the Rwandan [...]

1405, 2020

Francis Tapon … Traveled Africa With 3000 Friends

By |May 14th, 2020|Categories: Podcast|5 Comments

 Francis Tapon Counting Countries has traveled to 120 countries Francis popped up on my radar about a year ago, when former guest Fabio Cao brought him to my attention.  I hit google up and quickly realized Francis was an accomplished traveler, including a five year continuous journey across every country in Africa.  He seemed like a great fit for Counting Countries, but I neglected to reach out.  Then a recent email from listener, Francois Xavier, suggested that I have Francis on the podcast.  This email served as a catalyst for me to finally reach out to Francis and we promptly agreed upon a time to speak.  And I was really happy I did. We recorded this episode back in February and obviously so much has changed since then.  I have been self-sheltering in Bangkok since my trip to West Africa was prematurely canceled on March 17.  This opening bumper was re-recorded on May 5 and things in Bangkok will be slowly opening up this week.  I hope everyone who is listening is safe and sound. Also, [...]

705, 2020

7 Off The Beaten Path Natural Wonders Of The World

By |May 7th, 2020|Categories: Advice|9 Comments

You might have seen my previous posts on 7 Off The Beaten Path Wonders Of The World and 7 Off The Beaten Path Wonderful Experiences In The World. Lists to be sure that will cause some debate and maybe even an argument or two. I will now be tackling the 7 Off The Beaten Path Natural Wonders Of The World. Currently, there is no universally accepted list of the 7 Wonders Of The Natural World today, but there are several competing lists. I have highlighted two of them. CNN compiled their list in 2007 with some extremely popular and beautiful locations. • Aurora (northern lights) • Grand Canyon • Great Barrier Reef • Harbor of Rio de Janeiro • Mount Everest • Parícutin Volcano in Mexico • Victoria Falls And the New7 Wonders of the World group also compiled their own list in 2011 along with their man-made version, which I highlighted in this previous post. • Iguazu Falls • Hạ Long Bay • Jeju Island • Puerto Princesa Underground River • Table Mountain • Komodo Island [...]

2704, 2020

7 Off The Beaten Path Wonderful Experiences Of The World

By |April 27th, 2020|Categories: Advice|5 Comments

7 Off The Beaten Path Wonderful Experiences Of The World. Have you put together your bucket list for incredible travel experiences? Many people dream of visiting New Orleans for Mardi Gras, Rio for Carnival, or Pamplona Spain for the running of the bulls. All truly fun and memorable experiences, but these events have been recorded ad nauseam. In this post, I have created an alternative list. A list that is not as well-marketed or well-known, but maybe even more rewarding. One of the other major benefits or attending some of these events is you might be the only foreigners in attendance. Talk about a command performance. Royal Drummers of Burundi When putting together bucket lists in Africa, Burundi does not often come to mind. This diminutive country in East Africa is not often visited by tourists. The true highlight of visiting Burundi is a performance by the Royal Drummers of Burundi. The drummers have been performing for centuries in a tradition that is passed down from father to son. These performances historically are part of ceremonies such [...]

2004, 2020

7 Off The Beaten Path Wonders Of The World

By |April 20th, 2020|Categories: Advice|7 Comments

7 Off The Beaten Path Wonders Of The World. Everyone loves lists. Why? Because every list is incorrect, and you can chime in with your opinions, suggestions, and corrections. And when it comes to travel, people are continually creating lists and then debating their merits. People love to rank everything, whether it is the best beach, wildlife, trek, museum, or sunset. Lists do perform a function since is spurs debate and interest and invites one to explore that which might have not been considered previously. And list making is not just an exercise of present-day man, but dates backs centuries. Travelers created travel lists over 2000 years ago in Ancient Greece. The wonders of the world at that time were limited to the known world of the Egyptian, Persian, Babylonian, and Greek civilizations. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was a list that captured the wonders of the man-made structures built by man before Christ. Here is the list of those ancient wonders: Temple of Zeus at Olympia Temple of Artemis at Ephesus Mausoleum at [...]

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