Visual appeal: Plan your trips around what delights you most visually

Visual appeal - Machu Picchu

What you see is what you get When planning where to go on a trip, don’t overlook one of the most important, seemingly obvious and least considered aspects of travel: The visual appeal to you of the places you’ll visit. Now obviously, travel consists of so much more than what you see. In particular, the people you meet tend to be highlights of your trip. But also the…

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The best way to find a great local guide

The best way to find a great local guide: Local guides in the desert

 What’s the best way to find a great local guide? A great local guide can dramatically enhance your trip. But how do you find a great local guide? This means more than looking up a list of options. The best way to find a great local guide starts with knowing what you’re looking for in a guide, doing some research and then asking the right questions. Let’s explore all of those…

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10 surprising ways to get to know a place before you arrive

Morocco Books

How can you get to know a place before you arrive? The answer is you can’t. That’s why you travel there because reading about it and experiencing it firsthand aren’t the same. But you can get a taste of it which significantly helps you prepare for your trip. I’m putting together a comprehensive guide to planning your trip due out later this year. But for now, here’s a…

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Get the most out of a guidebook

How do you get the most out of a guidebook? In today’s interconnected world, you wonder if the guidebook itself is becoming an anachronism, a throwback to a time when people read actual newspapers and a social network usually involved a potluck. So I’m less concerned with the medium in which the information is presented – books, printouts of PDFs, downloadable e-books, podcasts, phone apps or live access…

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