For many travelers to Uganda, gorilla trekking is the anchor activity and highlight of their trip. To encounter mountain gorillas not only carries some expense, but it also takes planning and preparation to make the most of your visit. In this Uganda Gorilla Trekking Beginner's Guide we share all you need to know to prepare for and get the most out of you gorilla trekking experience in Uganda.
Daniel Noll
My Date With An Ethiopian Hair Butcher
I left my heart in San Francisco, but I left my hair in Ethiopia.
The danger sign was there, quite literally. The two hairstyle options apparently available to me at my Ethiopian barber shop of choice: Ricky Martin and Ludacris.
I was in northern Ethiopia with a mess I’d deliberately grown out for almost two months — saving myself, the African haircut virgin — and I was determined to navigate yet another haircut-as-cultural-experience. A World Wrestling Entertainment match, piped in from somewhere in the Middle East (who knew WWE needed subtitles?), blared on the television. All the men in the shop sported either dreadlocks or close cut afros.
Travel to Ethiopia: Why Visit and What Might Surprise You
Curious about Ethiopia and what you might experience there? From its ancient history and rock-hewn churches of Lalibela to its mountains, bustling markets, delicious cuisine, coffee ceremonies and more, here are a few reasons why you should travel to Ethiopia. We're almost certain you will be surprised by what you find.
Capturing the Essence of a Place (Or, A Long Weekend in Strasbourg)
A few thoughts on how to find the essence of a place, and I suppose ultimately the essence of life — told through a long weekend in Strasbourg, France. It's about how a fully cooked itinerary might actually get in the way of getting what I really came for in the first place.
How to Enjoy a Namib Desert Sunset
When late afternoon falls and the day comes to a close in Southern Namibia, a ritual begins: the sundowner.
Prepare yourself by four-wheeling it to an overlook, high perch, or just about anywhere you can catch the sunset bathe the vastness of the Namibian desert landscape.
Then wait.
The Joys and Pains of Getting There (Kashmir to Ladakh by Bus)
How a two-day 258 miles bus ride through Kashmir served as my price of entry to Ladakh.
On Gratitude
In honor of giving thanks, the best of intentions underpinning the Thanksgiving holiday, I offer this reflection on gratitude — the condition, the emotion and the state of being. Note to Thanksgiving critics, skeptics and cynics: to underscore my awareness of the historical complexity behind the holiday, I point you to this article. Also, if it appears that I’m repeating The Importance of Saying Thank You, I’m not.
Now, on gratitude.
What Makes A Real Irish Pub?
I set my watch 15 minutes fast. That way, when I die I’ll sneak into heaven before the devil figures out I’m dead.
– words of wisdom from the local dispensary, a spry gentleman one Guinness down in Westport, County Mayo
In almost every country we’ve visited around the world, with perhaps the exception of Bangladesh and Iran, we seem to stumble across an Irish pub. The problem with many of them: there’s usually something dubious, something un-Irish about them.
Possibly the food. Maybe the owners. Definitely the accent.
Northern Cape, South Africa: The Land of Far Out
When they say “off the beaten track” in South Africa, Northern Cape is what they mean. And why it’s not more beaten, we’re not sure. This is the sum of our short time there, including a surprising and deeply moving human encounter at the very end.
Tempelhof: The Yin and Yang of an Abandoned Airfield
If you’ve ever known that pang of sadness on the longest day of the year or the faintest glimmer of hope on its shortest, this is for you. If you’ve ever pondered cycles and the tricks of the seasons, that … Continue Reading