Category: Travel

Feb

8

SFO’s New Yoga Room

Posted by Darya Mead

I don’t know about you, but unless you have a streamlined, super business traveler routine for trip preparation and packing, (a la George Clooney in the film Up in the Air) you often wind up at the airport with slight back spasms.

I always travel with my yoga mat and often head to the back of the plane in-flight to stretch out and realign. Now you can actually use all that post check-in extra time at the San Francisco Airport to center yourself and work out the travel kinks. The City by the Bay has opened a yoga room in terminal two. If you don’t carry your own mat, mats are provided in the 150-square-foot room.

So, rather than kicking back with a cocktail why not salute the sun or invert a bit before your long or short haul flight? Let’s hope it’s a trend that catches on.

Leave a Comment | Filed Under Air Travel, California, California, Northern California, San Francisco, Travel, Travel Tips, Yoga

Jan

17

Great Travel Reading

Posted by Larry Habegger

One of the great pleasures of travel is reading about places, whether on the road, before you go, or after you’ve returned. The UK’s daily Telegraph recently posted a list of great expat travel books, both memoirs and novels, to get you started dreaming or reminiscing.

World Hum canvassed its contributors and fans for their favorite travel books, and the list that resulted could build a great library of travel literature.

And of course a reliable source for superb travel reading is Travelers’ Tales, whose annual Best Travel Writing collections take you all over the world and back. Or Townsend 11, a new e-book series from a San Francisco writers group.

So sit back at home, en route, or abroad, and prepare to be carried away.

Leave a Comment | Filed Under Books, Travel

Jul

5

Sun Valley’s Summer Rush

Posted by Larry Habegger

Now that summer is in full swing and the snowmelt is finally clearing out of the mountains in the West, it’s time to think about getting out and having some adventures.

Recently I joined a mini reunion of college pals in Sun Valley, Idaho for a trifecta of outdoor activities: mountain biking, fly-fishing, and river kayaking.

Read all about it in the San Francisco Chronicle travel section: Sun Valley’s Summer Rush.

Leave a Comment | Filed Under Adventure Travel, Canoe/Kayak, Fishing, Idaho, Mountain Biking, North America, Sun Valley, Travel

Apr

5

Why We Travel

Posted by Larry Habegger

With all of the uncertainty shaking up the world right now (hasn’t it always been this way?) in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Japan, and recently in Egypt and Tunisia, you begin to wonder where you should travel these days and what places you should avoid. The renowned author of many novels and travel books, Paul Theroux, has an answer: go just about anywhere.

He wrote in a recent New York Times essay that if you’re willing to put up with some discomfort and able to be flexible with your movements, the rewards of travel in troubled places are enormous. Such travel can show you the utter stupidity of much human conflict and the inspiring ways people manage to live their lives.

And isn’t that ultimately why we travel? To understand life on our planet and see how others express their humanity?

Rough travel can be, well, rough, and sometimes the lessons learned come only in retrospect, but they are lessons worth learning, now and in the future.

1 Comment | Filed Under Adventure Travel, Travel

Apr

4

Kailua: One of Hawaii’s Best Beaches

Posted by Pepper Schwartz

There is a lot of competition for getting on “the best beach” lists. I have my own list, but if you want to mix a perfect beach, and nearby amenities, it’s hard to beat Kailua on Oahu, in Hawaii.

Even in season, Kailua is pretty deserted during the week. During the weekends locals descend on it, but otherwise, the long crescent beach is almost empty. It has astounding views at every step; there are ancient craters and an endless horizon to watch, with an occasional whale pod to discover if you stare long enough during the winter season.

What I like about Kailua is the absence of high-rises. This ultra exclusive beach area has no resorts or monolithic condominiums — just houses, some of which are mind-bogglingly expensive, others, more modest — but still more expensive than most of us can even imagine affording. Still, the whole feel of the place is casual. This is not a particularly showy stretch of houses and most are not hidden behind forbidding walls. Continue reading »

1 Comment | Filed Under Hawaii, North America, Romance, Travel, United States

Apr

1

Culinary Adventures in Crete

Posted by Larry Habegger

I had coffee this morning with Nikki Rose, old friend and fellow San Francisco transplant who’s spent most of the last decade in Crete, her ancestors’ land. Her specialty? Cooking!

Since 1997 she’s worked to conserve Crete’s cultural and natural heritage through her own version of a slow food movement, engaging more than 40 small business and individuals in “Crete’s Culinary Sanctuaries” to offer visitors a taste of traditional Cretan cuisine. Ingredients come from local organic farms, and chefs put a modern twist on the old cuisine so there’s always a tasty surprise.

Her programs have received sustainable development awards from the likes of National Geographic, and she’s booking tours for the summer. Visit artisan food producers, organic farmers, rural communities that have been inhabited for 4,000 years, and take botanical hikes in the land of the Minoans. Explore ancient sites, too.

And of course, eat well.

Leave a Comment | Filed Under Adventure Travel, Crete, Culture, Europe, Food, Greece, Travel

Feb

23

Santa Fe Sojourn

Posted by Pepper Schwartz

Santa Fe is romantic. Even when it’s so cold you wonder whatever possessed you to go in the winter.

A friend and I went to scout it out for a winter romantic getaway, and even though we worried about hypothermia a few times, my guy will benefit from this reconnaissance.

If you go to Santa Fe in winter, you own it. Imagine being alone in the picturesque square, alone chatting up the salespeople, and able to drop into even the most popular restaurants on a whim. With the touristy crowds gone, we could enjoy a spontaneous day — and get the best of everything. Continue reading »

2 Comments | Filed Under New Mexico, Romance, Santa Fe, Travel, United States

Feb

16

Combining Romance and Family in Cancun

Posted by Pepper Schwartz

It’s fashionable to grunt disapprovingly when people say Cancun. Fair enough. It is a jumble of development — and if you are looking for  romantic isolation — this might not be your first choice. But I was providing some romance for my family: my daughter and her boyfriend and my step daughter and her husband and child. My son and I completed the party but we were without our significant others.

The Westin Lagunamar in Cancun was actually a wonderful answer to the “how do you combine romance and family” question. The Westin Villa formula on this site provides a good answer. The twenty-thirty-something contingent had studios with Jacuzzis — just about big enough for two (rather small) people — really good views of the pool, and beyond that, the ocean and beach. Critically, they also had kitchens — so everyone could have their leisurely morning alone time — and at night, we piled into my one bedroom that had a dining room that seated all seven of us. Continue reading »

Leave a Comment | Filed Under Cancun, Family Travel, Mexico, North America, Romance, Travel, Yucatan

Feb

8

New Old Arty Neighborhood in Delhi

Posted by Larry Habegger

A Delhi neighborhood that became popular in the 1980s but fell out of favor has been reborn as a vibrant setting for cafes, art studios, bookshops, and other enterprises.

Brendan Spiegel reported on the Hauz Khas Village district, hidden among narrow lanes behind the ruins of a 13th-century mosque and royal tomb, in the New York Times.

It looks like a great place to spend a day or two on your next visit to Delhi. I want to go to the bookshop, Yodakin.

Leave a Comment | Filed Under Asia, Delhi, India, Travel

Feb

7

Zipline Commute in Colombia

Posted by Larry Habegger

Ziplines are all the rage at adventure resorts and ski areas, but sometimes we forget that they originally served a practical purpose to move people and materials across impassable chasms. And sometimes we need to be reminded that they still do.

In a report on Slate from Colombia, Joshua Foer takes a ride on a cable that’s been getting daily use for 60 years. Do you want to hitch a ride?

Leave a Comment | Filed Under Adventure Travel, Colombia, South America, Travel

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