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A Better Use for Our Travel Dollars

by Brian on September 9, 2013 in Travel

We just put our money where our mouth is. We’re hoping to inspire others to follow suit.

Last week we laid out the reasons why we won’t travel to North Korea. Today, we’re putting to good use some of the money we’re saving by not paying the North Korean government for a tour package.

To get right to the point, we’re initiating a fundraising campaign for the refugee aid organization International Rescue Committee (“IRC”). We hope to raise at least $2,000 over the next three months. To show our commitment, and to get the ball rolling, we’ve kicked off the campaign by making a $500 contribution of our own. (Click here to jump right in and donate, or keep reading to learn more).

8 Reasons to Love Honolulu

by Brian on September 6, 2013 in Hawaii, Travel, United States

Whenever we’ve asked for advice about where to go in Hawaii, whether for this latest excursion or one twenty years earlier, we invariably hear the same suggestion: skip Honolulu. It’s a place where the conventional wisdom has travelers stopping only long enough to catch a connecting flight to some other, presumably better, Hawaiian destination. We’re told Honolulu is too crowded; too touristy; too developed; too this or too that.

That’s too bad. Because what we found in Honolulu is an island city with almost too many great things to count. That won’t stop us from trying, though. We love Honolulu, and here’s our abbreviated list of reasons why you should too.

Why we won’t travel to North Korea

by Brian on September 3, 2013 in Freshly Pressed, Travel

Several weeks ago we wondered aloud whether ethical considerations should factor into our travel decisions. That post prompted a lively debate that helped us refine our thinking on the subject. Since then, fellow travel blogger Wandering Earl has written several thought provoking articles leading up to, and including, his recent trip to North Korea.

We agree with Earl that under normal circumstances the conscientious traveler is a positive force in the world. At our best we are ambassadors, educators, volunteers and economic engines for struggling communities. And it is for those reasons that we encourage people to travel freely and widely. But we also know that while those things are often true, they are not always true.

North Korea stands out as one glaring example of a country that is particularly immune to the benefits travelers normally bring. It’s also a place where tourism has the potential to cause real harm.

In recent years the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has slowly opened its borders to western tourism. We sense it’s a destination that will grow in popularity among hard core travelers. Earl may be among the first to go, but I expect others will follow. Should you?

Hike Kauai

by Brian on August 30, 2013 in Hawaii, Travel, United States

A brief stop on the “Garden Isle,” the oldest and northern most in the Hawaiian chain, had us hankering for a hike. With rainforests, cliffs, canyons, and coast to choose from, we had a hard time narrowing down the list of options. Ultimately, we settled on two moderate jaunts that covered some of Kauai’s most iconic landscape.