BootsnAll Travel Articles

The Lazy Traveler’s Guide to Trekking

adam — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:02:05 +0000

We all know there's plenty of information out there for the hardcore hiker. You know, the one who lives in Colorado and goes hiking in the Rockies every weekend. The one who only eats lean meat and fish, whole grains, and vegetables. The one whose idea of a splurge is drinking an MGD 64 and eating a piece of cheese. If you are one of these people, this guide is not for you. Do you love the outdoors and hiking but are a few hundred miles or more away from anything resembling a mountain? Have you dreamed of summiting a Himalayan peak, hiking to the top of a volcano, or taking a multi-day trek in Patagonia? Are you afraid that because of your inexperience, geographic location, or love of bacon wrapped appetizers and giant glasses of beer you will never be able to do any of the above things? Well this guide is here to help you realize that you can accomplish any of your hiking and trekking goals. The only thing you need to do is be prepared (and temporarily limit your booze intake and late night Taco Bell runs, and I stress temporarily). If you're an everyday Joe like myself, who likes the outdoors but lives in a city (St. Louis, Missouri) that doesn't exactly lend itself to serious hiking and trekking, and if you are not a total health nut who likes the occasional trip to the old buffet table, then you may have several questions about how you can go about getting yourself prepared for a serious trek.

My hiking/trekking accomplishments

While I'm not the most experienced of hikers having grown up in the midwest, I do love getting out in the mountains when possible. It's true that I have spent a good portion of the last decade eating barbecue while throwing down thick, tasty, calorie-laden beers. It’s also true that before I was 22, my hiking consisted of walking up a few hills in Missouri. But in the last ten plus years I have managed to accomplish some pretty cool hiking feats, especially when considering my lifestyle and upbringing. Among others, I have summited a 16,400 foot (5000 meters) mountain in the Himalayas, I have hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, I have gone on a four day trek in the Andes Mountains to Machu Picchu, I have hiked to the top of a volcano in Chile, and I have spent a few weeks hiking in Patagonia. I say this not to brag, only to show that if someone like me can accomplish the above hiking feats, then anyone can. >> Read 10 Best Hiking Trails in the World. >> Check out Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: An Experience Like No Other >> Read 10 of the Best Places to Hike in the United States

Why I am the man to write this guide

Based on my above accomplishments, you may be thinking that I am Mr. Fit and Trim. This is untrue. While I'm not a complete slob, I do love various horrible-for-you treats like beer, pizza, bacon, candy, brownies, and battered and fried things dipped in ranch dressing. I also tend to enjoy a nice Sunday on the couch doing absolutely nothing but consuming the above things while watching an entire season of Lost and nursing a hangover. Unfortunately, these are not once a year things. Mr. Fit and Trim I am certainly not. But as I have mentioned, I do love hiking and challenging myself, and when preparing for a hike, I do get serious about my preparation, mainly because I cannot just rely on my natural athleticism and good fitness, because, well, I'm not naturally athletic and I like beer and cheese too much to always be fit. So I have written this guide for you, the not so fit guy or gal who likes to shovel chips and cheese dip into your mouth while sucking down 500 calorie margaritas, but who also loves the mountains, the outdoors, and dreams of one day standing atop a steaming volcano in the middle of Chile after successfully hiking up it. >> Check out these Long Treks on Short Breaks: 10 Small Countries You Can Walk Across >> Read Hiking in North Wales: Sampling Steep Climbs, Legends, and Holy Undertakings >> Read about these 10 Awesome Treks that (Almost) Anyone Can Do

Questions you should ask

There are many questions you need to ask before setting off on your first real trek. Our first major hike was to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in Arizona back in 2002. We went solo, with no group or guide, which with plenty of homework was relatively easy and certainly manageable here in the United States. There are also many hikes that are organized with a group and a guide. If you travel in developing countries and plan on trekking, then chances are you will have to join a group. Group travel and tour guides are not typically our cup of tea, but they are a necessity when traveling in some regions, and we have been lucky enough to have had some great experiences with these, mainly due to our research and the questions we asked.

Questions to ask when trekking with a group

What does the tour group provide as far as food and drink? Are meals, snacks, water, and/or any other beverages included in the price? Being that you are still reading this, you obviously like to eat. That's okay, I do, too, and knowing and accepting that I eat more than our 110 pound Peruvian guide is probably good, too. That means even if the group does provide meals, I should probably bring some extra snacks along as well because I will most likely be hungry before "Mr. I order a salad, hold the cheese and put the dressing on the side” for dinner. Also, it's probably wise to bring some extra water with you, too, particularly if you are in a developing country. Don't go overboard, though, water is heavy. But dehydration sucks, so don't get dehydrated and make sure all water you consume, no matter what country you are in, is safe. What else does the tour group provide? Many groups provide things like tents and sleeping bags. Many do not. Verify what it is you’re paying for. What is the quality of the tent you'll be sleeping in? What kind of weather can they withstand? How big and heavy are the sleeping bags (and everything they give you-you must know how much weight you’re carrying). What is the minimum temperature they can withstand? What about a sleeping mat? Do they have those? Do you have to carry all this stuff that they do offer or do they have porters for hire? Does this cost more or is it included? Do they offer trekking poles (don’t laugh, trekking poles are a Godsend, and don’t try to act all macho, remember that you just ate a double bacon cheeseburger)? Are there porters? Many groups have porters to carry stuff. How much do they carry? How much are you required to carry? Can they carry more of your stuff if you're willing to pay extra? How are the porters treated? Do they get to sleep in tents? How are they fed? Is there a weight limit of how much they can carry? Some companies horribly mistreat their porters, so do your homework and go with a reputable company who treats their employees right. Ask all the above questions before committing, and if your company is considerably cheaper than others, then you may want to raise an eyebrow and find out why. Do you have to hike together as a group or can you go at your own pace? In my experience, especially with multi-day treks, you go at your own pace. It just makes sense as everyone is of a different fitness level and thus hikes differently. Since you aren't the fittest person in the world and that custard donut you rationalized for breakfast because you were about to go on a trek is still swishing around in your stomach, make sure you ask about the companies' procedures for hiking in a group. It sucks to fall behind the rest of the group and have them all waiting on you, especially when they saw you eating that donut earlier in the day. They will judge, and you may feel inclined to buy a round of Bud Select 55’s at the bar after the hike. So ask if you have to hike as a group. It’s really that simple. Besides, you don’t want that group of good-looking girls at the end of the bar to see you buying a round of super-light beers, do you? They’ll judge, too. Check out the BootsnAll's Adventure Tours, like

Questions to ask when going on your own

How much food and water do I need to bring with me? This is a pretty hard thing to estimate. You obviously don’t want to bring too little because you’d starve. You love to eat, and that’s why you’re reading this guide. But despite your love of fourthmeal, remember that you’re carrying everything on your back, so don’t go overboard. The goal is to come back with as close to nothing as possible. The best thing to do is figure out how many meals you will be eating during your trek and simply lay them all out on a bed or table. Don’t forget to bring a few snacks as well. Snacks are good, and you like food, remember. What kind of food should I bring? Being that we are who we are, i.e., people who love to eat, we’re probably not used to living on a diet of rehydrated meals, ramen noodles, bread, and trail mix, but that’s exactly the kind of stuff you’re going to have to eat for a few days while trekking. Don't worry though, you will be burning tons of calories, so it's advised to bring along chocolate and candy to give yourself a quick sugar boost. Unfortunately for meals it’s just not feasible to bring a pizza oven, dough, cheese, and pepperoni in your pack. Those things are heavy. So you’re going to have to wait until you get back for that. But when you do, you will have earned it, so feel free to get extra cheese on that pizza. And be sure to drink a few extra cold ones, too. What is the weather going to be like? This is a huge one. You really have to do your homework and be prepared when it comes to weather. The mountains are a fickle bitch, and the weather can and will change on the drop of a dime. Know that and come prepared with rain and cold weather gear. On the flip side of that, if you are hiking in the desert, know what you need there. Light colored and light weight clothing that wick moisture, plenty of water and salty foods (there is such a thing as water intoxication), sunscreen, and a hat are all necessities when hiking in the desert. Do your homework and get the right gear. Unfortunately this is not something you can skimp by on, so buck up and get some decent gear. It doesn’t have to be top of the line, but don’t go to Walmart. So what exactly do I need as far as gear? Each trek is different, and weather and climate always play a part in what kind of clothes you need. One thing that won’t change; however, is footwear. First, buy good socks. Get some Smartwool or something made out of merino wool. They will be your best friends. I still have and wear a pair of Smartwool socks that I bought for that Grand Canyon trek back in 2002. What about shoes and/or boots? I don’t particularly like boots. In fact, I don’t really like shoes. If I could wear flip flops or no shoes at all for the rest of my life, I’d be totally happy with that. But I did not grow up in a Nepalese village in the Himalayas, so sandals don’t really work for me as footwear while hiking. Luckily for me, my ankles are freakishly strong. I don’t know why, and I know I’m dooming myself to a sprained or broken ankle by writing this, but so be it. I don’t wear boots. I have a nice pair of hiking shoes that have worked fine for me while hiking in New Zealand, the Andes, and the Himalayas, so that’s what I’m sticking with. I’m not telling you not to wear boots. I’m just saying what works for me. Do the same for yourself. Get what works best for you, and for God sakes, break them in before you go. Whatever you buy, make sure that they’re waterproof. You will get rained on, and wet feet cause blisters, and blisters cause you to hate hiking. Is altitude a factor?

Many times when going on a trek, altitude is a factor. If you don’t literally live in the mountains, you are going to have to acclimate. Don’t take this lightly. Remember that you are reading this guide because you aren’t terribly fit and your idea of a condiment is melted cheese. So don’t try to go all tough-guy out there and think you can dive right into a 4000 foot ascent on day one. If you’re going to be hiking in some serious altitude, plan a few days at a higher elevation in order to acclimate. And even though you are resting and preparing during these few days, don’t think of this as party time. You need to hydrate yourself. Again, wait until you’re finished, then you can rationalize those 13 beers and extra large order of gravy fries. And yes, feel free to use your favorite condiment on those fries. >> Read 8 Tips for Responsible Trekking >>Read about the The Best Hiking Backpacks >> Find out what goes into Choosing the Right Hiking Boots >> Check out our recommendations for Best Trekking Poles For Hiking and Backpacking

Hiring help

There is certainly more to learn about your first serious trek than these 2000+ words have given you, but this should be a pretty good start. Consulting various websites and books is always a good idea when embarking on something new that you are unfamiliar with, so I advise you not to use this as your only source of information. However, if my style and wit have ruined all other hiking guides for you, that’s understandable, so feel free to contact me to be your personal guide throughout both the planning and the trek itself. I have been a coach in the past, so I know how to motivate, and I offer fair rates. So if you’re interested, I will be more than willing to meet you for pizza and beer to discuss. Rates are always negotiable, but the pizza and beer are not. And I get to choose toppings. Adam Seper and his wife, Megan, decided that 50+ hour workweeks with 2 weeks of vacation a year simply wasn’t going to cut it. So they decided to take a leap of faith and put The American Dream on hold. In October 2008, they took off on an epic, year-long adventure, traversing the globe and traveling to 89 cities and 11 countries across 4 continents, never to be the same again. Now Adam is going to tell you how you can plan your own epic adventure. Every week, on “Round the World Wednesday” he’ll share tips for planning, budgeting and selecting a route, plus advice on where to go and what to see and do all around the world. Photo credits: 1, 5, all other pictures belong to the author and may not be used without permission.

Diverse Namibia: Three Ways to Give Back to a Country That Has Plenty to Offer

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:01:40 +0000

Namibia's position between safari-driven Botswana and the coastline of the Atlantic makes for an easy transition from being one of Africa's youngest countries to tourism stardom. There's a diverse landscape that would take weeks to fully navigate through-from vast crimson-stained sand dunes to rugged dry desert that redefines as far as your eye can see, a seascape teeming with seals and ancient shipwrecks, a landscape named after its resemblance to the surface of the moon, and wildlife-crowded national parks with ostriches that lay eggs so large you could make omelets for your entire extended family. While local culture does run deep, there are high-rising cities that can accommodate the modern world - you're still faced with country clubs, pre-owned Audi dealerships, and Outback Steakhouse-style restaurants on your way out of the airport in the capital city of Windhoek. It's hard to walk in the footsteps of the Himba, Herero, and Damara (all local ethnic groups) without feeling like you're a bit ahead of the curve. You're the cool kid who knows something few else do. And while it would be a smart man who got in now while the gettin' is still good; it's even smarter to help preserve the culture and ethnicity of the country so that it can avoid certain pitfalls of some of its tourist-trampled neighbors. Here are three ways to give back to a country that has plenty to offer in return. Check out Away.com's Namibia Travel Photo Gallery

Children in the Wilderness

The brainchild of late actor Paul Newman and Wilderness Safaris, Children in the Wilderness is a program that aims to educate African children about the land they call home. The Wilderness Safari camps play host to rural children ages 8 to 16 for periods of up to six days. Throughout the program, the students are taught about conserving their environment, the geology and geography of the region, and the wildlife that they see on morning game drives. In addition, the program aims to protect the children's youth and give them the skills they need to be successful later in life. There are classes on health and nutrition, as well as HIV/Aids awareness and prevention. And in an effort to preserve their culture, the teachers educate them on ways to keep their heritage alive. Become involved by sponsoring a child or making a one-time donation. For just $400USD, you will send a child to a six-day camp. Or choose to donate supplies; art materials, water bottles, t-shirts, and swimming shorts are just a start on the list of what it takes to outfit a child for program participation. For a full list of ideas on ways to get involved, click here.

Save the Rhino Trust

As early as the 1980s, poaching of the endangered black rhino led to near extinction. These desert-adapted animals roam Northwest Namibia and are the largest free-ranging black rhino population in the world. To offer protection, ex-poachers and members of local communities were employed to track and observe the animals. With population numbers back on the upswing, the trust still operates to monitor and conduct research on the rhinos, as well as educate the community on how these magnificent animals are worth more alive than dead due to a surge in Namibia's tourism industry. While the rhino population has tripled over the past two decades, the Save the Rhino Trust still has much to be done in terms of community outreach, extension, and training. Each rhino takes $3,000USD per year to protect, and a good way to get involved is to get together with family and friends and go in to sponsor a rhino. The trust camps are often quite remote and supported primarily off of donations. Click here to learn how to donate supplies like computers, cameras, binoculars, and GPS devices.

Pack for a Purpose

Husband and wife Scott and Rebecca Rothney started Pack for a Purpose after their first trip to Africa. Their goal is to educate travelers on how forfeiting just five pounds of luggage space can do vast amounts of good for the country they're on their way to explore. Supply suggestions include deflated soccer balls, medical supplies like Band-Aids and stethoscopes, as well as any kind of item that could be useful in a school -pencils, paper, crayons, calculators, and chalk. You'll be surprised at how much you can include while staying under your luggage limit. Five pounds can be 400 pencils or 5 soccer balls. After you book your trip, go here and select the country you are traveling to and the place you are lodging. If your lodge isn't listed, you can find the nearest participating place instead. Once you select your nearest lodge, Pack for a Purpose gives an updated list of current projects and a list of supplies that are most needed in that area. All you have to do is go to that lodge upon your arrival and drop off your supplies. They'll deliver them for you. Photo credits: 3

The Amazing Coastal Towns of Croatia

admin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:03:13 +0000

To get to know Croatia, start on the coast. Just barely the size of West Virginia, Croatia has more than 3,600 miles of coastline and 1,200 islands. The jagged landscape of limestone formations rises up from the Adriatic Sea, transfiguring into mountains as it reaches the clouds - Croatia’s coastline is nothing if not life-threatening. Fortunately, we travelers get to chill out on the pebble beaches peppered between the steep crags, go island hopping by sailboat, hiking in the national parks, touring ancient Roman ruins and medieval towns, and, my personal favorite, eating good food and drinking good wine. When visiting Croatia’s coast, it’s important to know that the Venetian Empire controlled most of it between 1400 and 1800, roughly. The city of Rovinj, featured below, was part of Italy until the end of WWII, and it remains bi-lingual today. There are many similarities between Italian and Croatian cultures, whether it’s Mediterranean cuisine and pasta or Venetian architecture and a laid-back attitude. However, the young country of Croatia has forged its own identity, one that mixes Western and Mediterranean histories. Its thriving tourism industry helped it gain EU membership, which is schedule to begin in 2013.

Dubrovnik

For first-time visitors to Croatia, Dubrovnik is the place to begin a tour of the coast. Even Dubrovnik’s famous walls, which surrounded the entire medieval city with saw-toothed crenulations, can’t keep the hordes of tourists out, but on the plus side this results in lots of traveler resources, which softens the transition from speaking English to speaking Croatian. More importantly, Dubrovnik, like Venice and Lisbon, is worth fighting the throng. The Old Town, which sits on a peninsula almost in the middle of the sea, has remained mostly untouched since the 16th century. You can circumnavigate the city by walking high up on the walls, some of the last of their kind (most of Europe’s city walls were torn down by Napoleon to protect against the plagues) and get plunging views of the Adriatic Sea. Outside of the Old Town, Dubrovnik is modern but relaxed, with a nice bay and a few beaches. When the summer sun is shining down, you’ll want to head to the nearby islands of Lokrum and Lopud, which are easy to access by ferry; their pebble beaches are quieter than Dubrovnik’s. The spicy scents of Dubrovnik’s restaurants waft through the cobblestone streets. Local chefs like to kick it up a notch, adding paprika and other Middle Eastern spices. Try Nautika Restaurant for a fine-dining experience featuring traditional Mediterranean seafood dishes. Dubrovnik is a good place for securing budget accommodations thanks to the many locals who rent private rooms. Accessible by plane and bus, Dubrovnik is the southernmost city in Croatia: a complete tour of the coast awaits.

Split

Split is the largest city on the Croatian coast, located in the middle of the Dalmatian Coast. Home to Croatia’s most impressive ancient ruins, Split’s Old Town actually occupies the same area as the retirement palace of Emperor Diocletian, one of the greatest Roman emperors ever to have lived. Whether you sip an espresso near the Cathedral of St. Domnius or go shopping at the daily subterranean market, you’ll be surrounded by the Corinthian pillars and tuff stone walls. Check out the lively fish market in the town center, where you can sample the deliciously tender anchovies or witness fishermen squeezing the ink from cuttlefish. Make sure to take a tour of the subterranean parts of Diocletian’s palace, which costs roughly $14 and provides deeper insight into the Emperor’s zany and tragic habits. For example, Diocletian was one of the only Roman emperors to live to old age; paranoid that a Brutus might be lurking nearby, he ordered that his palace be built without any windows. This is especially tragic when you consider its location just meters from the sea. Diocletian also made it illegal for others to initiate speech or even eye contact. The punishment for breaking these rules was sudden death. Split has an excellent culinary scene influenced by Mediterranean and Bosnian cooking styles. For traditional atmosphere and authentic food, have a meal at Konoba Varos. Try the rich, aromatic pašticada: beef stewed in a complex sauce of fruit, sparkling wine, and herbs served over pasta, usually gnocchi. A bed in a youth hostel can cost less than $10 a night. The town that Diocletian ruled wasn’t actually Split but Solin (called Salona back in the day), located three miles inland from Split. Solin has impressive ruins of an amphitheater and many sarcophagi; it can be easily reached by city bus #1.

Sibenik

Drive an hour north and you’ll find the coastal town of Sibenik, located on a huge protected harbor. Boats sail lazily in and out of the bay between the massive limestone cliffs that protect it. Sibenik serves as a great base for exploring the Krka National Park. Rent a sailboat and you can sail behind some of the park’s crashing waterfalls; the park is also accessible by bus and ferry from Sibenik, but renting a car gives you the freedom to tour the park at your own speed. The park isn’t quite as impressive as Plitvice National Park, located in inland Croatia, but the roaring, multi-tiered Skradinski Buk waterfalls does come close. The several waterfalls that comprise Skradinski Buk fall into a serene pool, and there’s no better way cool off on a hot Croatian day than jumping in for a swim. Dining options in the park are limited and expensive, so pack a picnic lunch of local prsut prosciutto and the famous Paski Sir cheese from the island of Pag. Sibenik is less crowded than most of Croatia’s coastal cities, and it’s a great place to sit back and relax, soaking up the sun and exploring the cobblestone streets. The Krka River meets the Adriatic Sea in Sibenik’s bay, and this mix of fresh and salt water is the perfect environment for shellfish. Try the area’s famous buzara sauce, which features white wine and loads of paprika, over mussels. The restaurant Konoba Dalmatino serves an intensely flavorful buzara sauce.

Zadar

Tourists tend to put Zadar toward the bottom of the list of Croatia’s coastal cities, which means that it’s a great place to immerse oneself in Croatian culture. Cafés fill the small piazzas, fishermen toss their lines on the waterfront, and the warm scents of traditional strukli and burek pastries swirl out of bakeries. The daily market, one of Croatia’s best, overflows with fresh produce, local honeys and cheeses, and herbal essences. The city is on a peninsula—turquoise waters surrounding it on three sides—and the famous Sea Organ, which plays its haunting tune all night and day, is an unique combination of engineering and artistry: organ pipes were built into the seaside promenade and are played by the waves of the Adriatic Sea. Sunset is a great time to visit the Sea Organ; people gather to celebrate the coming of night, illuminated by a series of lights built into the promenade, swirling their designs in time with the organ. Zadar was once a Roman city, and the main square, called the Forum, is an outdoor museum, featuring both Roman ruins and the large 11th-century Church of San Donat. Don’t miss the nearby Gold and Silver of Zadar museum located in the Benedictine Convent, next to the Church of St. Mary: it features a huge number of relics and artworks made of precious metals. Zadar has a handful of cheap apartments that are rented out by locals and typically cost $30-50 a night for two people.

Rovinj

The Istrian peninsula comprises the northern portion of Croatia’s coast. It was part of Italy until the end of WWII, and the town of Rovinj, where the foundations of seaside homes plunge straight into the waves, is immediately reminiscent of Venice, Italy. Venice is a three-hour drive away and Trieste is less than two hours, and much of the Istrian peninsula, including Rovinj, is bilingual. Rovinj’s Old Town, located on what was an island until a land bridge was built, is something of an art colony. Painters and illustrators are a regular sight along the web of romantic cobblestone streets. Though Rovinj has two or three important sights—the bell tower of Saint Euphemia Cathedral is one of the best—the town is all about soaking up the sun and then partying through the night. Cafés, bars, and nightclubs spill out onto the rocky shore and beaches. The Zlatni Rt municipal park, located on the mainland portion of Rovinj, has sand beaches and coastal hiking trails for relaxed tromping. Rovinj serves as an excellent base for exploring Istria’s famous hilltop towns, such as Groznjan and Motovun, which are known for their culinary delicacies. A culinary hotspot, the Istrian peninsula is home to high-quality olive oil, wine, and white truffles. During the summer months, ferries run between Venice and Rovinj; the ride takes around three hours. Rovinj is short on cheap hotels, and most budget hotels cost around $60 a night. For a five-star experience, stay in the new Lone Hotel, located in the forest of Zlatni Rt park. The rooms are spacious and feature a perfect balance of cool décor and functionality; balconies have views of the manicured grounds, including a salt-water swimming pool. Find cheap flights to Croatia, look for Croatia hostels, or read more about travel in the Mediterranean:

The author was a guest of the Croatian Tourist Board.

Photos by: Draig, To Uncertainty and Beyond, Sobrecroacia.com, To Uncertainty and Beyond, Sobrecroacia.com

How Traveling As a Couple Can Enrich Your Trip (& Your Relationship)

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:03:43 +0000

Couples travel often gets a bad rap in the indie travel community. There seems to be a popular belief that traveling as a couple is somehow a less authentic experience than going at it solo. Granted, by definition traveling as a pair is definitely less independent-there are two different people whose needs and travel objectives have to be met. However, this isn’t always a disadvantage. You don’t have to be the couple sitting at a table by themselves at the hostel, or secluding themselves in group situations. You can certainly push yourself not to use your partner as a crutch, and reap the huge benefits of traveling long term with the person you love.

All costs are split in two

Probably the most obvious, and logical, advantage of couples travel is the money that you save when traveling as a pair. No one can turn their nose up at saving money, right? When you’re traveling with a partner two incomes are going toward one trip, and even if you’re not at the point where you’re pulling from a shared travel fund, this can result in savings. From rickshaws to taxis to mini-buses, it’s always cost efficient to split the fare. A 6-pack of beer may be too much for one person to casually drink on a laid back night, but is much more manageable, and affordable, for two. And often a double room costs only a bit more than a single, so with two incomes going in, it’s cheaper per person. By the time you share tours, food, and rooms, even if you’re not sharing a bank account, you’ve both saved a lot of money by traveling together. This money can be put back to the important things - prolonging and enhancing your trip! >> See how much money you need to travel

There’s safety (and flexibility) in numbers

No matter how peaceful a solo trek in the mountains may sound, it’s definitely not safe to go at it alone. You wouldn’t want to end up in a situation like Aron Ralston - it’s certainly easier to travel with a romantic partner than to amputate your own arm. Whether you’re secluded out in the wilderness or stumbling home after a night of drinking, you need other people around in case of emergency and to make sure you always make it home safely. It helps if that person is your romantic partner and has a vested interest in your well being! Some solo travelers argue that it’s pretty easy to find drinking, hiking and travel buddies at your hostel, and this is generally true. However, you can’t always count on it. When my boyfriend and I set off for a 2-day trek along Tiger Leaping Gorge, the people we were traveling with, who we met at our hostel, had different time restraints than we did and thus had to move along a lot quicker. We were able to take our time and work with our own schedule without being worried about being stranded in the woods alone. The bottom line is meeting up with travelers often doesn’t allow you the flexibility that making plans with a romantic partner does. If you’re traveling together you likely have similar time constraints, budgets, and interests, so you can make plans according to your own needs and still stay safe.

There is someone to take care of you

Many long term travelers will admit that as exhilarating as extended travel is, it gets tiring. It’s easy to get into a mindset where you want to see and do everything, which is a perfect recipe for burning out quickly. Luckily, if you’re traveling with the person who knows you best, you’ll have someone with you who knows when you need a break. When my boyfriend and I traveled to Shangri La we immediately wanted to get away from the city and explore the mountains. However, it was obvious that my boyfriend was dragging because of altitude sickness. It didn’t take long for me to realize that if he was huffing and puffing walking around town we definitely weren’t ready to hit the trails. Even though he wanted to experience all there was to do in the area, we came to the conclusion together that it wasn’t worth it. The sickness actually got much worse, so not only was it good that he wasn’t stranded in the mountains, but it was fortunate he had someone to take care of him while he adjusted to the altitude. Even in less severe situations, having a partner to split responsibilities with can keep you both going longer. Many people are drawn to extended travel because you don’t get stuck in the daily rut that you might at home. However, the reality is that without a routine comes a lot of decision making. You constantly have to decide where to stay, what to eat, and what to do. One of the biggest advantages of traveling as a couple is trading off who makes decisions. It relieves stress as sometimes you can relax and count on your partner to figure out the details. This can help prevent fatigue when traveling. >> Get tips for traveling with your partner

Extended travel pushes fast forward on a relationship

When you begin a relationship it takes awhile to learn enough about the other person to know what you’re going to absolutely love about them and what’s going to drive you completely crazy. For better or for worse, traveling together speeds up that process. From the beginning of your trip you’ll get to see how your partner handles a variety of new and challenging experiences, whether it’s fatigue after a long, bumpy, overnight bus, or an awkward cultural situation, like being in a small town in China and not being able to communicate with anyone around you. You’ll quickly get a feel for how they budget their money, how neat or messy they are, and all the other things you want to know about a person that you’re committed to, but could ordinarily take a long time to figure out. You’ll also learn how to deal with potential problems and conflict really quickly. Travel offers some great perspective. If you only have a couple days on the coast of Thailand you realize a trivial fight isn’t worth ruining your experience. You don’t want to have bad memories of your trip to Machu Picchu because of some drama you can’t even remember the details of now. Not that your trip will be completely without relationship problems- you’ll just be more motivated to push past the conflict and focus on enjoying the amazing things that you came all this way to experience. You’ll really have to pick and choose which fights are worth jeopardizing your time abroad, and it’s likely that many of them won’t be worth dwelling on.

Some experiences are better shared

There are tons of situations that you’re simply glad to have someone to experience them with. Sure, you can blog about it later, but there’s nothing like seeing the world with your best friend. It’s great to experience things with people from all over the world and get a variety of perspectives, but some moments are best shared with someone who is looking through a very similar lens, and thus understands exactly the significance to you. My boyfriend and I had to move back home with our parents, work long hours and save up money for months before we were able to move abroad. Thus, we both can appreciate how hard we worked to get to China, which makes our adventures even more gratifying. Eating is also an example of a better-when-shared experience. Meal time is typically a social affair, especially when you’re trying a bunch a new foods. However, not only is it enjoyable to have company while you eat, it’s often more practical. In many countries food isn’t served for dining solo. For example, in India and China food is often served family style, meaning instead of getting an entrée and a couple of sides, you’re getting a lot of one thing. This makes it hard to put together a balanced and satisfying meal when you’re eating alone, and allows you to taste fewer things. If you’re always eating as a pair you can reasonably pick out several dishes to taste, and have a chance at actually finishing them.

Compromise means you try more things

Couples seem to have a reputation for being less adventurous or apt to try fewer new things because they get too comfortable together and push each other less. This is often completely false! When you travel as a couple you have two people with different things they want to do, see and try. Being in a relationship is about compromise, so you end up doing a lot of new things that you wouldn’t have done on your own. For example, if I had my way I wouldn’t ever even think about riding a bike through a city in China. However, after dragging my boyfriend around the Old Town of Lijiang window shopping for hours, I owed it to him to try out something he wanted to do. Renting bikes ended up being a great experience. We got out of the city and away from the crowds and got some of the best mountain views of the entire trip. Similarly, you might not be motivated to go out on the town or try a fancy restaurant by yourself. Having two people often gives you reason to do things you wouldn’t on your own.

Travel brings you closer

The fear is that once you get away from home and the two of you spend all this time together you’ll realize that you’ve made a terrible mistake, the person is not who you thought they were, everything about them annoys you, and your travel experience will be ruined. (In that situation, though, wouldn’t it be better to go your separate ways on the open road than to keep running into each other in your hometown anyway?) It’s likely, though, that you came all this way together because you had similar ideas, views, and goals. Traveling together will let you put to action all the things you two had in common at home. For example, what’s more attractive? Talking about volunteering, or giving up the luxuries of home to work on an organic farm in South America? To talk about the hypothetical importance of ecotourism, or to see how your partner always makes it a priority in practice? There’s a good chance that the experiences the two of you share while traveling will actually bring you much closer. Plus, you’ll come home with a bunch of fond and unique memories which the two of you can cherish forever. >> Get inspired with our list of places to make love before you die Read more about couples travel:

Photos by: tonyhall, James Marvin Phelps, Many Moon Honeymoon, Erick Moreno, maveric2003, Photo courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission, Jessie Reeder

Amazing Indie Travel Experiences for 2012

khammel — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:05:54 +0000

At the beginning of the year, we asked BootsnAll readers about their travel plans for the coming year. We didn't just want to hear about where you wanted to go, but about what you wanted to experience as well. That's what we think travel - particularly indie travel - is all about: not just seeing the major sights but experiencing a culture, learning about the people, history, religion, and way of life of a place, and challenging yourself to find your own place in the world. On Monday, we launched the Indie Travel Manifesto, a community-curated statement about indie travel and the travelers who choose to explore the world in the indie travel style. Though the first draft of the Manifesto was without crowdsourcing the community, we weren't surprised to see how much of it relates directly to the things you told us you wanted to see and do on your travels this year. The common themes between the two let us know that we were on the right track with the Indie Travel Manifesto, and that the community agrees with the idea that travel really is about making connections and learning more about yourself and the world around you. So, without further ado, we present some ideas for incredible experiences to inspire you to be an indie traveler this year!

Indie travelers value interactions over transactions, local information over received information, and first-hand experience over expert opinions and they practice caution, but not paranoia.

1. Celebrate a holiday with a local family.

2. Experience a traditional ayahuasca ceremony in South America. - Khandi Lee

3. Learn from a local family while doing a homestay in Azerbaijan. - Katie Going Global

4. Make new friends. - Nicolas DesCorte

5. Visit the historical cities of the Silk Road - Samarkand, Bukhara, Kiva, Merv - and the Caucasus, but especially Georgia for its hospitality and landscapes. - The Furious Panda

Indie travelers value options over possessions, dynamic possibilities over static goals, and discovery over escape.

6. Traveling slowly and working on farms, exploring small-town France, climbing mountains in Slovenia, breathing in the damp salty air of coastal Wales, picking olives in Italy. - Erin Hutton

7. Learn to cook Thai food from a local. - edventureproject

8. Live abroad in one place for several months, until you begin to feel like a resident instead of a traveler.

Indie travelers value mental and spiritual growth as much as physical adventure, private transformation over social status and bragging rights, and the present moment over dreams of past and future.

9. Start a round the world trip. - World Flavor

10. Walk across an entire (small) country, taking the time to see life slowly at ground level rather than rushing by.

11. Explore the side streets of Mandalay and learn about life in Burma.

12. Sleep in a traditional ger with a nomadic family in Mongolia.

Indie travelers pack light and keep things simple and adapt as they go rather than micromanage in advance.

13. Don't check any bags all year to see how lightly you can travel.

14. Go without a plan. - Grounded Traveler

15. Forget the bucket lists and things to check off. Go with a mission, but not a plan.

Indie travelers know how to slow down and enjoy an experience and seek pleasure in simple moments and details.

16. Take weekend trips and slowly explore Portugal (or wherever you happen to live). - Julie Dawn Fox

17. Go to Colombia. Sleep in a hammock in Tayrona National Park. Trek to the Lost City. - Jesse Unstuck

18. Bike around the south of France with no plans except to eat, drink, and relax.

Indie travelers make meaningful connections and informed decisions and learn the economic, political and environmental context of their host culture.

19. Scratch the name of a 911 hero onto paper at the 911 Memorial in NYC. - Roots and Wings

20. Tour the White House and another part of the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. - Reflections Enroute

21. Get beyond the headlines in a place like Iran and start seeing countries as the individuals who live there, not the governments in charge.

Indie travelers emphasize listening more than talking, seek to understand -- not judge or romanticize -- other cultures, and practice courtesy, patience, humility, and good humor.

22. Live with for a week, and write about the people that work on the Island of Komodo. - Danib is Going Nomad

23. Visit Cuba to see it now, before it changes. - Mittie Roger and Ginger Nomads

Indie travelers give back to the local economy and share what they've learned with others.

24. Do the Mongol Rally, and raise 75,000 pounds for charity. - Spunky Girl Monologues

25. Trade food and accommodation for physical work through a helpx, wwoof-ing or workaway positions. Starting in Bulgaria in mid January. - Food.Travel. Bliss

26. Volunteer on a vet project in Southeast Asia. - Wandering Vet

27. Hitchhike to Morocco, raising money for charity. - Gallivanting Greg

28. Visit a place that has experienced a natural disaster recently, like Japan, Cinque Terre, Patagonia, to help rebound tourism.

29. Go on a trip with a family member and reconnect. - Fluent in Frolicking 30. Be a host/hostess in your city - couchsurfing, meeting travelers for a drink, being a tour guide. Photos by: hkandy, brunomiranda, rhodeson, supercake

How to Be an Indie Traveler Anywhere You Go

Jessica — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:03:57 +0000

In November of last year, BootsnAll introduced the 30 Days of Indie Travel, during which we explored different aspects of what travel means to us - and we invited you to do the same. We kicked off 2012 by launching the Indie Travel Challenge, in which we're posting a prompt once every week with travel-related questions or topics for you to blog about. We're only a month in, and it's already a conversation we're excited to be having with you. And this week, we've announced something that's been in the works for quite awhile - the Indie Travel Manifesto - and we wanted to highlight one of the aspects of the Manifesto that's important to us at BootsnAll and, we hope, important to you, too.

You can be an indie traveler anywhere you go - even at home. In fact, indie travel isn't all about traveling.

We know. It sounds weird. It looks weird. But hear us out. If indie travel isn't just about travel, then what is it, exactly? Definitions can be tricky. As is often the case, it's easier to articulate what indie travel is not - on this, we are unequivocal: indie travel is not the yellow hat brigade. It's not staying within the confines of a resort because you think the locals are dangerous. It's not spending every day of your trip getting drunk with other backpackers. It's not close-minded, fearful, egotistical, or insulated. We can (usually) agree that even the folks who wear those yellow hats and blindly follow tour guides, or those who travel far from home just to hang out with the same people they would in their hometown, do deserve some credit for having a passport and using it, but the fact remains that there are styles of travel that are far from independent - and those are two of them. We may applaud the decision to travel, but there's no way any of us would call that indie. What, then, can we say about indie travel? Indie travel means not taking your surroundings for granted. Ever. It's about about making connections with people - other travelers, locals, taxi drivers, hotel staff, whoever - because you're genuinely curious about them. Indie travel bridges the gap between observation and experience, giving us a better look at life in a particular place and making us feel more a part of a destination - even if it's only for a short time. Indie travelers are aware of and respectful toward what's important to that place and the people there (whether it's important to you or not), no matter what it is, no matter where you are. They make the most of mishaps, sometimes turning them into trip highlights. They see - and often seek out - whimsy amid the mundane. Indie travel means pushing the limits of your comfort zone - it means acknowledging your fears and going for it anyway. And those indie travel moments stick with you long after the trip itself is over. In short, indie travel is a state of mind - a worldview we take with us everywhere. It's not just about what we do, it's about who we are. So, what does this mean on a practical level? It means that you can be an indie traveler anywhere you go, no matter how long you're gone, or how far you travel - whether that's around the world, or around the block. We don't stop being indie travelers when we get back from a trip. We bring the same sense of wonder and curiosity to a spontaneous detour on a drive taken regularly that we have when exploring an unfamiliar town. We can take a day trip to a nearby city with the same indie traveler's enthusiasm for adventure that we bring to a round-the-world trip. There's absolutely no reason a thirst for discovery should be limited to places that require a passport or a plane ticket.

What do you think? How do you keep your indie travel mindset at home?

Are you an indie traveler? Join the movement. Sign the Manifesto. Check out the whole Indie Travel Manifesto, add your voice to the conversation, or sign your support. Photos by: mamloco,

Indie Traveler Interview: Tony Wheeler

khammel — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:03:39 +0000

On Monday, BootsnAll announced a project that we, together with travel writer and vagabonding expert Rolf Potts, have been working on. The Indie Travel Manifesto is a community-curated statement about a particular style of travel - the kind that emphasizes slowing down, interacting with and learning about the local culture, and seeing the world around you in shades of gray, not black and white, right or wrong. As part of the Manifesto creation, we asked some of our favorite indie travelers to give us their thoughts on travel and how indie travel helps them better understand themselves and the world around them. Here's what Tony Wheeler, indie travel icon and founder of Lonely Planet, had to say.

I love travel because I’m never bored, there’s always something new to discover.

I’m a major believer in seeing things with your own eyes, the perspective is utterly different than getting information through the media. I’ve just been in Palestine last month and I challenge anybody to go there with an open mind and not begin to think, ‘the Israelis are crazy, they may be solving things short term – ie build a big ugly wall and forget about the other side of it – but in the long term all they’re doing is creating a much bigger problem.’ Plus go through a few checkpoints as if you were a Palestinian, ie join them in the queue to get humiliated, and see if you don’t begin to sympathise with them.

I think the country that so often gets brought up in this context is Iran, nearly everybody who goes there (me included) soon starts thinking ‘what friendly people, how outgoing they are, where on earth does the mad reputation come from?’

I reckon I always balance the fast with the slow, but some trips are just cruise along start to finish. A few years back I had a wedding to go to in Barcelona and afterwards we had several weeks to meander back to Nice to return the rent-a-car and fly out. There were no plans, nothing booked most of the time, sometimes we’d get somewhere and stop for lunch and by middle of the afternoon, with lunch still going on, realised it wasn’t worth going any further that day. It was a great trip.

There’s usually a very good reason why something is an ‘obvious attraction,’ you’d be mad to go to Agra in India and not see the Taj Mahal, for example. But go to the Itimad-ud-Daulah as well, it’s been described as the ‘baby Taj’ and its design is clearly a precursor to the real one. So it’s an interesting architectural lesson, and far less crowded than the real thing. So go to both, do ‘big sights’, but leave time for the off the wall stuff as well. Make the side trips.

I hate to be really tied down to what’s going to happen every day, but sometimes you need to do that, some trips you’re either on the bus when it departs or you miss out.

The qualities that make for good travelers? A willingness to try new things, flexibility One of the things I continue to love about travel is how you keep finding things you’ve never heard of (Or that nobody goes to). And I like to think I’m fairly well informed when it comes to travel! Three of the photographs {in this article represent trips that} fit those categories: The Nyiragongo Volcano in Congo DRC – how come I didn’t know about this? Just the most amazing sight, particularly at night. Kennedy Island in the Solomons – where JFK swam to after PT-109 sank. How many of us get to borrow a kayak from a small local resort and paddle out to his island? Thomas Coryate’s tomb – who has even heard of him? Well he walked to India, setting out in 1612 and died there in 1617. I began to realise I’d crossed his path at numerous places over the years and in 2009 I tracked down his birthplace in England and the place he died in India. Finding his ‘tomb’ felt like a real achievement. Are you an indie traveler? Sign the Manifesto and share your thoughts about indie travel! All photos courtesy of Tony Wheeler and may not be used without permission.

Indie Traveler Interview: Rick Steves

khammel — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:03:44 +0000

On Monday, BootsnAll announced a project that we, together with travel writer and vagabonding expert Rolf Potts, have been working on. The Indie Travel Manifesto is a community-curated statement about a particular style of travel - the kind that emphasizes slowing down, interacting with and learning about the local culture, and seeing the world around you in shades of gray, not black and white, right or wrong. As part of the Manifesto creation, we asked some of our favorite indie travelers to give us their thoughts on travel and how indie travel helps them better understand themselves and the world around them. Here's what Rick Steves, travel guidebook writer and Europe travel expert, had to say.

Travel gives me a better, more real grasp of what’s actually out there. I meet people I wouldn’t normally encounter in my day-to-day home life. It makes me a better citizen of our world, as well as a more thankful American.

Travel has taught me that different people find different truths to be “self-evident" and "God-given.” It humbles me. It stokes my curiosity. It helps me celebrate rather than fear the diversity on our planet. It makes it tougher for those with an agenda to shape my perspective. It keeps me young.

Before going to Iran, I figured people there would be angry at an American they’d meet on the street. What I found reminded me that only by actually going someplace in person can you understand the sentiment of people living there. We were stuck in a traffic jam one day in Tehran. I was just sitting patiently in the back seat of our car when the man in the next car motioned to our driver to roll down the window. He handed over a bouquet of flowers and said, “Please give this to the foreigner in your back seat and apologize for our traffic.” This was typical of the warmth and friendliness I experienced throughout my adventure in a country that is supposed to be our enemy.

It takes discipline to let serendipity trump carefully laid plans. For me, a fundamental goal in my travels is to have meaningful contact with local people. When an opportunity in this regard presents itself, I jump on it. Driving by a random cheese festival in Sicily? Stop the car. Get out. Experience it. Hiking through England’s Lake District and popping into a pub for a drink? Don’t sit at a table. Sit at the bar where people hang out to talk. Dinner time in Mostar, Bosnia? Don’t go to the touristy places on the riverside again. Turn away from the tourist center and head out to the Bulevar (the boulevard)—the front line of the sectarian troubles and be the first American to eat at a new local eatery. Talk with the owner about how Muslims and Christians are peacefully co-existing. Connecting with people is what carbonates your travel experience. I was sitting solitary on a bench enjoying the floodlit façade of a Gothic cathedral in Reims, France. It was dark and after eight. I was munching on a baguette with cheese. Suddenly the bum on the next bench leaned over and offered me a swig from his crumpled-up plastic bottle of red wine. I didn’t take it...but the gesture and his smile juxtaposed with that glorious Gothic façade warmed my meal and helped complete an experience that gave me a memory I’ll enjoy for the rest of my life.

If on vacation, I prefer to keep things more open. But as I’m generally working on my guidebooks or TV shows, my time on the road is pretty scheduled. For most travelers, I’d recommend to have a thoughtful and detailed plan, but don’t be a slave to it.

Like skiing with bent knees makes the moguls fun, you need to take risks, get out of your comfort zone, have a positive attitude, and enjoy the bumps in the road. I like to say that if things aren’t to your liking, change your liking. Are you an indie traveler? Sign the Manifesto and share your thoughts about indie travel! All photos courtesy of Rick Steves and may not be used without permission.

Indie Traveler Interview: Pico Iyer

khammel — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:03:04 +0000

Travel turns you upside down, challenges all your assumptions and habits and rearranges your soul. The best trips make you see the world anew, with fresh eyes of wonder (and sometimes unease).

I think--or hope--travel has made me a little more sympathetic to positions and values different from my own, helped me see a little around the corner of my prejudices and moved me to see how tiny, ignorant and provincial I am. Travel, like writing, is a way to dream yourself into the Other, and, in fact, to put all your values and beliefs into play, so that it becomes harder to settle too complacently into any dogma or presupposition. I'm sure I know everything about right and wrong, reality and humanity, when I'm sitting safely at home, cocooned in my assumptions. As soon as I'm on the road, I see, often palpably, that I know nothing at all, which is always a great liberation.

Every time I go to Yemen--or Cuba or Syria or Vietnam--I'm acutely aware that I'm beginning to rescue the humanity of a place that is otherwise merely an abstraction to me, and to remind the people that I meet in those places that a typical American these days may be (as I am) small, dark-skinned and interested enough in their culture to travel across the world to see them. From afar, we see countries in static block capitals, in black and white, in labels; as soon as we arrive, they acquire a face and voice, which means complexity, nuance and a refusal to fit within our narrow categories. I especially remember traveling to southern Yemen a few years ago--not an easy place--and finding kindness, sympathy and a great affection for America in the blasted port of Aden, which, after 40 years of war, lacked houses, shops, restaurants, almost everything that we think constitutes human life. When, upon my return to the gated ease of Santa Barbara five weeks later, I was sitting at my desk, thinking about how I could possibly put these two places in the same sentence, my mother raced into the room saying that Yemen was suddenly all over the news, because the terrorists who were flying into the World Trade Center at that very moment had associations with the country, and Osama bin Laden's home village was in Yemen. Just a few days as a bewildered and sometimes unsettled tourist in Yemen in August 2001 had helped me, I think, to put voices and faces--and therefore complexities--to those terrible events as I could never have done otherwise. People and cultures can always reach out and touch one another across the divisions that governments and sometimes corporations make. The us-versus-them polarities of the public world dissolve before the much more porous relations of the private.

I always make a very detailed plan and itinerary before I leave home, confident that it will fly out the window (often quite literally) the minute I arrive in a foreign place. But thinking I know how to get to the airport gives me the freedom to get lost on the way there. In travel, as in writing, the illusion of a direction is what allows you in fact most comfortably to wander off-course.

[The qualities that make good travelers are] humility, openness, a keen sense of your own ignorance and unimportance and a freedom from assumptions. Are you an indie traveler? Sign the Manifesto and share your thoughts about indie travel! All photos courtesy of Pico Iyerand may not be used without permission.

the Indie Travel Manifesto

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:03:29 +0000

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking a lot about the idea of "indie travel." Today we're announcing our Indie Travel Manifesto.

Indie Travel Manifesto

Narrated by: Rolf Potts; Music by: Mokhov - Halcyon Days; Photos by: Evan Cohan, Olivia Raymer, Adam Seper, and Jessica Spiegel Read. Read it on the homepage in statements or via the download page and the pretty PDF. Vote. Give your favorite few statements votes up or ones that you don’t like thumbs down. Discuss. Love or hate a particular statement? Add your thoughts to the page on that value. Sign. If this statement makes you cry because you are not living the life you want to, sign it and make a change. Or if you just relate to it and think..."Rolf and BootsnAll pretty much nailed it,” sign it. Share. We’d appreciate you sharing via the normal vehicles that we have all come to love and hate. Add your own thoughts about them as you share. We are listening. Submit. As I mentioned earlier, we’ve talked to countless Indie Travelers over the past few decades. Maybe you have a statement of value that could be included in a future version of the ITM. Submit it. We want to hear. Going forward, we are dedicating everything we do to align with Indie Travelers and folks that relate to the Indie Travel Manifesto. If you are an Indie Traveler, or want to be one. We LOVE you. And we are working our arses off to serve you and make a meaningful connection with you. We hope that you LOVE us back. (Check out all the stuff we've built over the past 14 years....most of it is for you) I look forward to your comments and to align with the folks that love this. If you don’t, that’s cool. BootsnAll is probably not the right place for you. Freedom of choice. I want you to find your path, mate, no matter if it's here or someplace else. Sean Co-Founder and CEO BootsnAll Travel Network

Are you an indie traveler? Sign the Manifesto and share your thoughts about indie travel!

Updated to reflect BootsnAll core values: 9:27 PST