China’s economy has grown at staggering rates for many years now, and the tourist industry is not immune from this rapid expansion and growth. There are opportunities to travel and backpack across China like there have never been before, as well as attractions and tourist traps that have popped up everywhere. Many people are making China a backpacking destination, and there is certainly no end to the amount of sites to see and places to visit. But if you don’t have a lot of time, you might have to choose between the two largest cities in the People’s Republic: Beijing and Shanghai.  Which is better for backpackers?

Of course there is no clear answer. Both are huge cities, Shanghai is bigger, but Beijing is the capital. And thanks to the new flood of tourists, it’s easy to find hostels in Shanghai and Beijing. Shanghai is a little more modern and western, and if you’re looking for crazy nightlife, that might be your best bet. It’s also the least Chinese of all Chinese city, and feels more like an international city than Beijing.

Beijing is the capital of China for a reason. It is huge and modern, but very Chinese. If you want to see the great wall of China, it’s only an hour or so from Beijing. The Forbidden City is also in Beijing, and is an amazing sight.

It really comes down to whether you want to experience ancient China, or the modern international China that is asserting itself as a world power. But the truth is, you can find both in either city.

I planned a trip to Edinburgh. It was going to be amazing. I was going to eat haggis in a kilt, drink scotch, and listen to bagpipes. I was also going to see what I have heard more than one person call their favorite European city. I did the research and everything. I poured over listings for Edinburgh hotels, and I  found some cheap hotels that were well reviewed and close to the center of town. I even booked one. But alas, it wasn’t to be. Like all Scottish hopes, my trip to Edinburgh was ruined by the British.                                                    

I had a whole trip planned for when I left London in January. I was going to go Egypt, and the pyramids, the Nile, and some genuine anarchy. (Actually, it was very safe.) Then it was on to Israel, which I’ve been to before but I never get tired of. Finally, back to London then north to Edinburgh.

Egypt was great, Israel was great, and but when I returned to London I was in for a rude surprise. Turns out, the English don’t like travelers. Or at least they have some problem with them. I was grilled on how I could afford to travel as much as the stamps in my passport indicated. They didn’t seem to believe my answers, and in all fairness I had entered the country many times over the last year, which could be construed as shady. I can see where they are coming from, I guess. In the end I was not allowed in. I tried to show them my reservation for the Edinburgh hotel. It would not melt their cold hearts.

They asked me what I planned on doing in Scotland. I told them I planned on traveling to Edinburgh, where I would visit the Old Town, and the New Town as well, I would stroll up Princes Street, climb the mound and see Edinburgh castle, I told them I would visit St. Giles Cathedral and the Abbey and Palace of Holyroodhouse, I told them I would meander along the Water of Leith, and then satiate my hunger afterward with some deep fried mars bars.

They told me I couldn’t do any of that now, and to come back later.

Changi Airport in Singapore is one of Southeast Asia’s largest air travel hubs. Anyone who travels around Southeast Asia will eventually have a layover there. This is a good thing. Unless you’re in some kind of crazy hurry, I always recommend turning a few hours of layover into a full day, so you can explore a place. (I recommend doing this when booking, of course.  Don’t just blow off your flight).  Singapore is easy to think of as just a layover. It’s a giant city-state, which is very cool, but even with its unusual political status, Singapore often seems like just another Asian megalopolis that most people would rather miss then venture away from the airport to experience for just a day. This is wrong. If I’m flying a long distance, I always like to get some exercise to stay loose and tire me out so I can fall asleep on the next leg of my journey.  Singapore is perfect for this. It's got great nature, and it's easy to find hostels in Singapore.

You don’t even have to go far from Changi Airport to find the great outdoors. The eastern part of Singapore, which is where the airport is, is home to miles and miles of tropical beaches. Changi beach is right next to the airport, and is a great walk. If you have a whole day, take a trip out to Pulau Ubin. This is a tiny island to the North of Singapore populated with fishing villages. There are bike trails throughout the Ketam Mountain Bike Park, and rentals go for a few dollars a day.  

So go out and see the beautiful nature just outside of one of the busiest airports in the world. Who would’ve guessed?

I love planning group vacations with people I don’t live near. There is nothing like seeing your old friends in unfamiliar locales, whether they are from high school, college, a traveling dance troupe, an improv comedy team, a disbanded death metal band, or just people you met along trail while traveling. (I’m not saying all of these apply to me, mind you.)

My friend Shannon is an international traveler. I met her in Colombia after she had backpacked solo through Central America, working on organic farms. We had been talking about meeting up somewhere tropical and warm in April, since that was when she had vacation time (she now has a great job at a non-profit. See? Backpackers can get grown-up jobs).  

I had the perfect idea for where we should meet: the Canary Islands.

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I have wanted to experience some Canaries Holidays for a while now, and I loved the idea of using package holidays to get away for a week or so. I looked up the packages, found the best deals, and called Shannon.

Shannon cut me off quickly. It turns out, in spite of all her worldliness, and in spite of the many times I’ve heard her bemoan the low rate at which Americans carry passports, that her passport was about to expire.

So Puerto Rico it is. It’s closer, the flights are cheaper, and more importantly, Americans don’t need a passport to go there. But hang tight Canary Islands. I’ll get to you soon.

Due to one particular gentleman, and I use that word very loosely, employed at the UK border, I had to make a border run to Ireland while I was living in London. (He just unilaterally wrote in my passport I had to leave London by an arbitrary date when I returned from Paris. There was no legal basis for this. His reasoning was that “you can’t just be traveling around all the time.”)

Of course there are worse things then being forced to hop on a flight to Dublin and have an Ireland vacation. Or why not Cheap Hotels Dublin if you are feeling extra gregarious?   However, I didn’t really have much of a plan, and since I was just there for the weekend with my small backpack, I didn’t really need one. I arrived in Dublin and headed for the Temple Bar neighborhood, which is a cultural center that has maintained a lot of its medieval feel, while being cool and artsy at the same time.

 

 

I explored the area and it was pretty great. But I was in Dublin, so I was going to go hear some “traditional” Irish music and eat some “traditional” Irish food in Dublin.

Lo and Behold, this building appeared out of the Gaelic night.

 

 

I’m not sure how traditional this music was. But it sure as hell sounded Irish. (My understanding of Irish music = Flogging Molly – Punk).  It was a very cool scene, even if it was pretty touristy. I drank a Guinness and fulfilled my cliche dreams.

I walked around Temple Bar some more, and enjoyed the surprisingly quiet night. Here’s a view of the River Liffey.

 

 

I liked the sentiment here. The irony, of course, is that those who litter will never see it, as it’s placed at the one point where litterers don’t go: a public trash can.

 

 

I love back alleys at night. That puts me in some pretty shady company, I know.

I eventually found my way to my hostel. The next day I had some time to kill before I traveled back to London. So I headed for Dublin Castle.

There has been a castle of some kind on the spot where the modern Dublin Castle sits since the thirteenth century. But most of it dates from the 18th. It was the seat of British rule in Ireland for centuries.

I’m not sure if this was the exact seat.

Here is the oldest part of the castle, Record Tower, which dates from 1228. I like how they somehow knew that this tower would have the record for being the oldest part of the castle, and named it accordingly.

Naturally, a castle as old as Dublin’s is going to have some serious ruins attached to it. Here are ruins from underneath the castle that are part of the original foundation. If there was a place where Banshees live, I’m guessing this would be it.

After checking out the castle, I headed to the Dublin Wax Museum, which is ostensibly about all things Irish. But right away I found Dracula. I mean, if you can get your hands on a Dracula wax statue, you don’t turn it down, regardless of what your wax museum’s theme is.

Ahh, now this is more like it. An appropriately themed mythical creature. I have to say, this was way scarier than the Dracula. Look at his temple veins. Now stop looking at his temple veins. You can’t can you?

This was an Irish boxer who had fallen on tough times. Now he works there pretending to be a wax statue of himself.

Kidding….but look at it. It’s so real!

I should mention that there were Harry Potter wax statues as well. At least England is closer than Transylvania.

 

I headed back to London that night. For having no plan, I was pretty happy with my stint in Dublin.

 

 

 

I used to think timeshares were the Value Meals of travel: great if you aren’t feeling very adventurous and you are hungry for something cheap and comforting. But I recently spent time at my friend’s timeshare in Puerto Rico and I’ve realized that timeshares are whatever you make of them. And in my friend’s case, she has created a wonderful home away from home that she uses to explore the Caribbean.

First of all, what is a timeshare? A timeshare is basically a hotel suite, but fancier, that you pay a fee to have access to during certain times of the year. The idea behind it is that a bunch of people buying a property spreads the cost (and use) among a lot of people. In the long run it can also be cheaper than getting a hotel room outright, and timeshares almost always consist of suites, which are far better than normal hotel rooms. Timeshare suites can offer guests large living rooms, multiple bedrooms, full kitchens and patio balconies. .

There are basically three different ways to buy timeshares. You can own a traditional timeshare, which involves buying a usage interval at a single resort, which is usually tied to a type of unit and a time of year. There’s also fractional ownership, which is better for travelers looking to use their timeshare over a larger block of time. And finally there are point-based ownership programs, in which the owner gets an annual number of points they can use to secure units, allowing for more flexibility from year to year.

All of these can either be deeded or right to use, the difference being that right to use functions more like a lease in which your ownership expires after a set amount of years. The deeded properties mean that the ownership is for a lifetime, unless you sell it on the resale market. This is worth keeping in mind if you want to sell a timeshare.

Even if you’re traveling all the time, there are probably a few spots you always return to. If that’s the case, it’s not a bad idea to secure a timeshare, and have a home away from home (sort of)

Often referred to as ‘Florence on the Elbe’, the German city of Dresden has had a bittersweet history. Its renaissance beauty was razed to the ground during the Allied bombing of the city in 1945, about which the American author Kurt Vonnegut wrote his famous novel, Slaughter House Five. But despite its turbulent past, modern Dresden has been restored to its former glory and also holds some breathtaking examples of innovative new architecture. There are plenty of other attractions for visitors to discover. Here’s a quick guide to Germany’s most easterly city.

History

Home to medieval princes, kings and duke, by the 19^th century Dresden had become a centre of industry. It made cars, medical equipment, cigarettes and cameras, as well as the famous Dresden china.

In February 1945, three days of Allied air raids and widespread fire-bombing destroyed most of the city. However, with the completion of renovation works to the Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady) in 2005, Dresden has recovered its status as a cultural and economic centre.

Architecture

Dresden’s most impressive street is Bruhl’s Terrace, nicknamed ‘the balcony of Europe’. It sits on the banks of the Elbe and is full of historic buildings such as the Royal Art Academy and the Albertinum Museum.

Shopping

Shops in Dresden usually open from 10am to 8pm. The main shopping street is Prager Strasse, near Dresden Central Station. On Saturday mornings a flea market is held near the Elbe, and every Friday there’s a farmers’ market on Lingner-Allee.

Look out for Dresden china in antique shops. The back of the plate or cup will have a picture of a crown, with the letter ‘D’, or the word ‘Dresden’.

Accommodation

You should have no trouble finding a bed and breakfast in Dresden and there are plenty of hotels to choose from. The Old Town may be the best area to stay, as it’s close to the shops and the river and well worth seeing in its own right.

If you’d prefer to live as a local, visit a booking website such as Wimdu to find apartments to rent. Local hosts can give you tips on the best restaurants and other hidden attractions.

Festivals

In late spring the Dresden Music Festival features around 80 classical performances and attracts 100,000 people a year. If you visit in another season, there may still be something on at the famous Semper Opera.

During the Filmfest Dresden, also held in spring, short films are screened outdoors on the banks of the Elbe. The best movies win Golden Horsemen trophies, an award named after the statue of King Augustus the Strong at the city’s New Town Market.

Dresden Card

The Dresden Card offers big savings on travel and tourist attractions. You can buy individual or family tickets lasting one, two or five days, and costing between 10 and 98 euros.

The River

Regular steamboat tours run from Dresden along the river Elbe passing the famous Elbe Palaces and Pillnitz Castle, which is open to the public and includes an arts and crafts museum.

On a longer cruise you may pass the Konigstein Fortress, the Elbe Sandstone Mountains and the Blue Wonder suspension bridge.

Museums

The Kunsthalle contains a fine collection of art, but is better known for its oddly shaped glass dome, which has earned it the nickname ‘lemon squeezer’.

The Military History Museum doesn’t just commemorate war, but rather seeks to answer the philosophical questions – why do we go to war, and can it ever be justified?

The German Hygiene Museum is all about the human body, and its permanent exhibition holds seven themed rooms covering the brain, sexuality and “diet as a somatic function and cultural achievement”.

At the Semper Museum you’ll find Dresden’s famous Old Masters Picture Gallery, which includes works by Rembrandt, van Eyck and Vermeer, as well as Raphael’s ‘Sister Madonna’.

You need to get out of town for a few days. Why? Pick a reason. You have the time off from work. Your ex is getting married and all of your friends are going to the wedding; maybe even your parents are going because they thought of him/her as a son/daughter. Maybe you need a romantic getaway to spice things up. Maybe you need a romantic getaway to get things started. Maybe you promised the kids they could see Disneyworld, and they are catching on to the fact that you are placating them with trips to Chuck E. Cheese.  Maybe you just need to get out of town for a few days because they found you, you don’t know how, but they found you.

Okay, first pick a location. Sick of the cold? Go someplace warm. Want to ski? Go someplace cold. Want some culture? Want to play some Golf? Are you a foodie? These are all things to take into account. Got kids with you? Just you and the guys/girls? These will be radically different situations. Although lots of places have everything you need for both kinds of adventures.

Next, how long do you want to stay? The correct answer: one week. Trust me. That’s the right amount of time.

How many people should you bring? At least one: you. Nothing wrong with going on a trip by yourself. In fact, solo trips can be a lot of fun. Don’t bring too many people though, it gets messy. Have a lot of kids? Don’t bring them all. Which ones have been good recently? Use rewards to modify their behaviour. Use being left behind during the awesome family trip to terrify them into good grades and completing potty training.

When should you go? The answer is soon.

Okay, that’s it. Now just take all of your answers, go online and visits an online travel agents.

If you want to travel across the U.S, I would recommend American Sky. The U.S. is a big place, and there's plenty to see, so working with a travel agent that specializes in the U.S. is good idea.

If you are in the UK , and want to go, well, anywhere, I would recommend someone like TeletextHolidays.co.uk. They have a solid pedigree in the UK and have access to some cracking deals to a large range of destinations.

Whatever you do, relax! .

Remember when timeshares were all the rage? Timeshares were supposed to be the way that middle class people got to have their own piece of luxury. They allow people who couldn’t afford to own a villa somewhere an opportunity to own it with dozens of strangers.  How could that possibly go wrong?

I’m all for egalitarian impulses that allow normal people like myself to experience the finer things in life. But sometimes they just screw people over. I don’t know if you remember how the entire economy collapsed, but it had something to do with trying to get everybody with a pulse to buy a house. The dream of home ownership was extended to everyone. Well , we all know how that turned out, and the spreading of access to timeshares isn’t going to bring the economy down (as long as they don’t start doing credit default swaps on timeshares) but timeshares are as sneaky as those floating rate mortgages in the way they trap people.

It’s hard to get out of a timeshare. People end up paying for them years after they stop using them. It’s not uncommon for children and grandchildren to still be locked into a timeshare long after the person who bought it has died. Unfortunately, there are lots of people out there stuck in timeshares they don’t want to use. Fortunately, Transfer America exists to help people get out of those timeshares. Transfer America is a company that specializes in getting people out of their timeshare agreements. No more ridiculous payments and maintenance fees, no more being denied access during the times you want to go to the place you supposedly “bought.”  Instead, save that money and go on a real vacation that you have control over. Trust me, you’ll have a better time.

All the great websites, the real game changers, allow people to share things with each other. Facebook allows you to share, well, everything with, well, everybody. Ebay allows you to share commerce and sell anything you can think. Wikipedia allows everyone to share knowledge with each other. All of these sites cut out the middle man, and allow people to trade with each other in one way or another. The very best cut out the middleman while offering great support services as well. I think I've found one of those.

A pretty exciting emerging trend in travel is the birth of  web 2.0 rental sites. If your looking for houses to stay in while traveling, websites like onefinestay London cut out the hotel middleman, with all of their overhead costs, and allow people to rent houses to each other over the short term, for a weekend or a day or two. Or whatever you want, it's up to you and the seller to negotiate. What separates this site from the rest is its works exclusively in high end homes. And they provide some very cool complimentary services.

First of all, they make sure every home has fresh white company towels and bed sheets.  But what might be the coolest feature of the site and its services is the Iphone each guest recieves, which allows for free local calls and is loaded with an app which has all sorts of info about the home your staying in and the local area.  How cool is that? If you’re looking to stay in London, this is simply the best site out there for finding great apartments all over England’s capital.

The site itself has an easy and elegant search feature, and if you can’t find exactly what you are looking for, which is unlikely, given the variety and amount of their listings, you can enter your info and what you are looking for into a form, and you will be contacted when anything matching your requirements gets listed on the site. So you don’t need to tirelessly monitor the site for new listings, the site will do that for you. Check it out.