What’s in Her Bag? Trekking Essentials by Kirsten Gardner

I asked Wildland Adventures’ South America Program Director, Kirsten Gardner, what she carries in her travel bag, and why. Learn her list of must haves.

“I travel frequently, both for work and pleasure, and my jaunts are usually of an active nature (think camping, hiking, mountain biking, etc), says Gardner.” “Whether I’m preparing for a trek in the Cascades or the Andes, these five items are in my suitcase.” 

Hard at work, Kirsten Gardner

If candle lit nights, questionable drinking water, remote paths, or lengthy transits on public transportation are in your travel plans, read on for Kirsten’s top five trekking essentials. 

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Win A 12-Day Tanzania Safari With Mountain Travel Sobek

Is an African safari on your bucket list? Do you dream of photographing the extraordinary wildlife, seeing the vast plains of the Serengeti, and staying in luxurious camps, with all the comforts, in of some of the planet’s most amazing wilderness?

Get ready, because Mountain Travel Sobek (MTS), pioneers in adventure travel, just launched an Ultimate Tanzania Sweepstakes in celebration of their 40th anniversary. 

Prize pack includes:

• -12-day Ultimate Tanzania Safari.
• -Roundtrip airfare from Exito Travel.
• -Gear pack with safari clothes and goodies from Magellan’s.

Sweepstakes ends July 18th, 2013. No purchase necessary to win.

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iPhoneography Workshop in Puglia, Italy

If you’re like the half a billion Apple addicts on this planet, myself included, your iPhone is the one item you rarely leave home without.

And with a built-in camera offering impressive image quality and the explosion of creative photo apps that enable you to create and share instantaneously, iPhone photography is not just fun and fast, it’s also evolved into a respected art form of its own—iPhoneography.

Discover a few of my favorite photo apps at National Geographic Traveler. Or, take your iPhone on the road and learn how to shoot, process and share artistic images on this dreamy iPhone photography workshop in southern Italy. 

Polignano a Mare, Puglia, Italy 

WHO: Led by iPhone artist, Sam Krisch, a Roanoke, Virginia, based fine art photographer renowned for his compelling landscapes and iPhone photography, the workshop is offered in partnership with premier Puglia specialists, Southern Visions Travel, and visual storyteller, The Blissful Adventurer. Appropriate for mobile photographers of all levels, especially those with a taste for La Dolce Vita.  

WHAT: Learn how to make artistic and storytelling iPhone photographs and to use creative photo apps  -  skills you can use to document and share life experiences, build an impressive photography portfolio, capture compelling images of your travel adventures, or simply impress friends and family.

WHERE: With iPhone in hand, discover Puglia, Italy, one of the country’s most picturesque coastline regions. Situated at the ‘heel’ of Italy’s boot, with its whitewashed coastal towns, sun-soaked beaches, endless olive groves, and delicious seaside cuisine, Puglia is as unique as it is beautiful. 

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World's Best Festivals: 7 Of The Planet's Top Celebrations

From reindeer racing, midsummer pagan rituals and camel beauty pageants to crazy street carnivals, leg rowing races and even Ernest Hemingway’s favorite fete, global celebrations offer travelers unique opportunities to experience a country’s culture, cuisine and spirit.

To help you discover some of the planet’s biggest parties, custom travel company Kensington Tours has crafted a collection of trips exclusively designed to get you behind-the-scenes of the world’s best festivals.

Leg-Rowing Festival, Inle Lake, Myanmar 

by yeowatzup/flickr.com
Cruise the waters of time back to a celebration evocative of Southeast Asia centuries ago with a pilgrimage to Phaung Daw Oo – otherwise known as Myanmar’s Leg Rowing Festival. Held upon the shores of Inle Lake, a trip to this spiritual 18-day pageant is true cultural nirvana. Watch as a golden barge holding four Buddhas is towed by ornamented leg-rowers from private boat with expert guide. Take part in the eclectic festivities, from magic shows, dancing, leg rowing races and fireworks to fortune tellers, spiritual blessings and Burmese banquets. To amplify your experience, plan your visit to coincide with Thadingyut, the festival of lights.

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How Happy Are You?

March 20th marks the first ever International Day of Happiness, a day established by the United Nations General Assembly.

To draw the connection between travel and happiness, adventure travel company, GAdventures, ran a survey and asked how travel factors into happiness. Here’s a preview of what they found out:

• Australia & New Zealand are top destination choices.
• 61% want more days off to travel.
• 35% are happiest travelling with friends. 

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