I love Dorling Kindersley’s Eyewitness Travel Guides. The full color pictures are wonderful for deciding where we want to go (not so great on the details once we get there). Any time we travel, we check to see if there is a DK guide for our destination. I wanted to take a look at the most recent Eyewitness Travel books available so I did a search for DK and came across this other DK site, DK Travel. The site allows you to compile a bunch of information about your destination, then organize it into your own personalized travel guide as a printable pdf. You can even add attractions to the site if something you want to include isn’t there, and you can peruse other folks’ guides as well.

I wanted to try it out, but wasn’t ready to actually create one for a trip, so I selected a place I have already visited – Hong Kong. To create a guide, you just browse all the different attraction, lodging, dining and other information, then click “Add details to your guide” any time you find something you like. Once you have added everything you want, you can edit the information by changing the order and organizing it into chapters. Then you add a title and your own image to the cover, and click the button to create your guide. The site will provide a pdf, which you can then print out. You can also publish your guide to the website for other travelers to peruse.

My Hong Kong guide was very hastily thrown together. I didn’t really bother to organize much or put things in the right chapters, but I was still extremely impressed. For instance, if I selected Stanley as one of my attractions, the guide automatically included the top 10 things to see on Stanley, as well as practical information about getting there. With a little organization, my guide would have been pretty awesome. I can see either organizing your guide by areas or by day, including your hotels and dining plans. Each area or day would have its own chapter.

For me, this wouldn’t replace published travel guides (whether they are actual books or digital guides), but I love the idea of having an outline for a trip, arranged the way I want it arranged. The guide will also be very lightweight and you could print a couple so you have a backup copy. The main drawback at the moment is that there are a limited number of destinations on the site. I am sure they will add more as time goes on, but I won’t be able to create a guide for our next destination – the pacific northwest. But if you travel a lot, I highly recommend checking to see if your next destination is available.

While we were in Bhutan earlier this fall, our guide told us about being involved in the filming of an episode of photographer Art Wolfe‘s series, Travels to the Edge. Of course, Stephen wanted to hear all about this, and was full of questions like what kind and how much gear Art Wolfe carried. He also asked our guide, Pema, if he appeared on camera, which he did.

As soon as we got home, we ordered a copy of the DVD with that episode. It is hard to be terribly objective about this particular episode, as we just returned from a fantastic trip to Bhutan and because our guide is featured so prominently in the show. But Art Wolfe’s on-camera personality is very likable and his enthusiasm for the subject matter is infectious. He seems to have a lot of respect for the culture, and he is often clearly in awe of his surroundings. For such a well-traveled and successful photographer, he does not come off as at all jaded.

One of the things I liked about the show was that he talks a little bit about taking is photos and they show some of his still shots. Although it is more of a travel show than a photography show, I’d like to see him talk a little more about the photography – and perhaps he does on other episodes. This disc also includes a documentary on making the show, and listening to Art Wolfe and his crew talk about making the show was really interesting. There is a bit of a conflict between the crew getting the material they need for the show and Art Wolfe taking his photographs.

The emphasis is definitely on culture and nature, rather than photography, and for a half hour show viewers get a pretty good glimpse into Bhutan. It did seem that the people were extremely tolerant of having cameras in their faces, and for that reason, both the live action film and still images are fantastic. Some of the footage that they got in the monasteries was amazing. Unfortunately, we arrived in Phobjika Valley a little early to see the black neck cranes, so we enjoyed seeing the shots they got of the cranes. I also especially enjoyed the archery scenes, which had a lot of humor.

What made this episode even more appealing to us is that Art Wolfe’s guide, Pema Sonam, was also our guide in Bhutan. When we travel with a guide, we are with that person constantly for two or three weeks, and then just as suddenly as they appeared in our lives they are gone. It’s kind of a sad aspect of travel for me, because we have always had such terrific guides that we genuinely liked. So it was really kind of strange to watch this episode and see someone that we spent so much time with – it is kind of like having a flashback of our trip.

I still have two more episodes to watch on this disc, and I would love to see more. For me, it is a little tough because the show airs on PBS (check your local listings) and we don’t have any tv reception. I checked Netflix and they don’t carry the series. I had to order directly from Art Wolfe’s online store, and while the price of each disc is reasonable at $17.95, they charged me a whopping $9 for shipping. This seems a little excessive for a package that weighs less than a pound. I looked on Amazon, but they don’t sell it directly – Art Wolfe’s shop sells it through Amazon, so I imagine the postage is the same. So if Netflix decides to carry it, then I will watch more episodes. If like most normal people, you have television reception, then it is definitely worth checking it out on PBS. If you are into travel photography, it is even better.

Not too long ago, I was forlornly searching the travel magazine section at Barnes & Noble for something new and different. I was expecting to find the same old titles, but this time I actually did spy something novel. I spotted the premier issue of Afar magazine. I usually don’t expect too much from a travel magazine. I often find Budget Travel and National Geographic Traveler helpful, but they don’t excite me. And let’s just say I am not the target audience for Travel + Leisure. But I picked up a copy of Afar and took it to the cash register.

If the first issue is any indication, Afar may become my travel magazine of choice. According to the founder’s letter at the front of the issue, the magazine is not about travel so much as finding meaning in travel. That sounded right up my alley, but a bit lofty to deliver. But deliver it did.

The writing was consistently good and many of the topics were new to me. I particularly liked an article about a web programmer who sold his possessions and works while traveling, and Lisa Katayama’s piece about costume play cafes in Tokyo was a great read with wonderful pictures. An article about traveling in Venezuela was fascinating. Reading all the little sidebars is a must, such as “Mark’s Three Great Travel Moments” from the above-mentioned web programmer. There is a lot of great information sprinkled throughout.

As far as inspiring my selection of travel destinations, a short piece about the GibbonX tree house lodging in Laos made me want to pick up and head there immediately (except for the part about the leeches). I am scared of heights, but somehow I love the idea of a staying in a tree house accessible only by zip lines. Wheeee! The calendar section listed some unique events taking place all over the world, like Puno Week in Peru and the Sequences: Real-Time Art Festival in Iceland. I liked the photography, and would like to see even more full-page photos (maybe even from this wonderful photographer – Stephen Bay) and more photo features like the gallery of shoes. The Feast section was mouth-watering. The closing essay from Tim Cahill, about the kindness of strangers, was a lovely culmination to a delightful reading experience. There is a lot to like about this magazine.

Afar says they make a donation to Sustainable Travel’s International Gold Standard portfolio for every issue to offset the carbon emissions generated by flights taken for the magazine. They also encourage readers to recycle the magazine. Does this have an impact? Well, it certainly can’t hurt.

The list of things I like about Afar is long. What didn’t I like? Well I didn’t like reading about all these interesting places while I sit behind a desk every day counting the days until my next adventure, but I don’t think I can blame the editors of Afar for that. The first issue is marked Volume 1, Number 1, but nowhere on the cover or spine is there a date. The bottom of each page says “Premier 2009” but for those of us who hang on to our magazines for a long time, it would be nice to see the date on the cover and/or spine. That is my biggest complaint. Really.

After enjoying the first issue of Afar, I did something I normally don’t do, and went online and subscribed. They offer a free trial issue, so it is worth checking it out. I think they are still working on the website, but they have a blog that has lots more great travel information to read between issues.

Afar comes out six times a year and is $19.95 to subscribe for one year.

We didn’t do a lot of research when we selected Village Tours & Treks to arrange our trip to Bhutan. The May/June 2009 issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine listed them in their 50 Tours of a Lifetime article. Despite, the lack of research, our decision to book our trip to Bhutan through Village Tours and Treks could not have turned out better. Our guide and driver were fantastic, the company was organized and responsive, and our trip was absolutely amazing.

After reading the article in National Geographic Traveler, I immediately contacted VT&T about arranging a tour. I heard back very quickly from the woman who represents them in the United States. She was extremely helpful in deciding on an itinerary and making suggestions. I told her what our main interests were (photography, animals, short hikes, archaeology), and she came up with a schedule incorporating these things. It was very quick and easy and she was great to work with.

The most complicated part was transferring the money for the tour to Bhutan’s Department of Tourism (which is necessary no matter which tour company you select). The woman at my bank didn’t seem one hundred percent sure what she was so I had a couple nail biting days where I wasn’t completely sure that the money actually went through. Once I had confirmation that the money went through, VT&T bought our Bangkok to Bhutan plane tickets and applied for our visas. We had to make our own arrangements to get to Bangkok. We selected Bangkok because it was necessary to stay overnight and Americans do not need to obtain a visa in advance before visiting Thailand.

Stephen, Kara, Pema and Ugyen on the hike to the Tiger's Nest.

Our driver, Ugyen, was pretty quiet, which is a necessity for concentrating on narrow, winding roads. He turned out to be a really nice guy too. I was pleased when he ended up hiking to the Tiger’s Nest with us near the end of our trip, so we got to talk to him a little bit more. Most importantly, he was an excellent driver in sometimes poor road conditions. He also won extra points with me for spotting monkeys on our drive back from Phobjikha Valley. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have gotten to see a whole family of monkeys leaping through the trees.

If we have the chance to return to Bhutan, we would definitely book through Village Tours & Treks again. Thanks to them, we really did have the trip of a lifetime, and I would recommend them without hesitation to anyone planning a trip to Bhutan.

Village Tours and Treks can be contacted at:
P.O. Box 1184
Thimphu, Bhutan
00975-02-336384 Telephone/Fax
Email: info@villagetoursandtreks.com
http://www.villagetandt.com/

Check out more of Stephen’s pictures of Bhutan.

Elements in the collage Kelty designed for my bag include my dog Chiqui, my rat Pepper, a peacock, and photos of our trips to Hong Kong, Peru and Costa Rica.

The bags that she uses are very sturdy, the designs seem quite solidly affixed, and Kelty’s service was very fast. At the time of this writing the messenger bags with a stock design run $55 to $65. Sometimes they are cheaper because of a sale. Bags with custom designs run $75-85. They aren’t cheap, but the price seems very reasonable for a custom design. I loved what she designed for me, and every time I carry the bag, I always get comments on it. I keep a small stack of her cards in the little zipper pocket to give to people who inquire. Kelty’s stock designs are every bit as awesome as her custom designs. If you want a really unique bag to drag around on your travels, I recommend checking out Satchel Studio.

Update 10/11/09: Please note, Kelty will soon be selling her bags through Etsy. She has a new website, Steep Street, and I have changed all the links above to reflect that. However, the new Etsy store is not live yet. I will update the links above when the store is live. In the meantime, you can contact Kelty at Steep Street if you are interested in ordering a bag.

Kreativlink Journal

Etsy is a great source for journals and other handmade goodies, and Kreativlink is one of the many treasures I have found there.

A Painter's Year in the Forests of Bhutan by A.K. Hellum

In preparation for my trip to Bhutan, I collected the usual guide books and travelogues, but I always hope I can find an art related book or two about an upcoming destination. Thus, I was thrilled to find a copy of A Painter’s Year in the Forests of Bhutan by A.K. Hellum. Dr. Hellum is an expert in forestry, but he is also an accomplished artist, and both these passions are beautifully melded in this book. Dr. Hellum also discusses his interactions with the people of Bhutan, including the many instances where locals would bring him specimens to paint. He infuses the small act of a waiter at his hotel killing a fly for him with great significance and stories such as this one provide cultural context that make this book not only an excellent art and botany reference, but also a fascinating travelogue. The illustrations were beautiful, and I spent a long time poring over them. I have long desired to take a botanical illustration class, and so I immensely enjoyed this book.

A Painter’s Year was published in 2001 by the University of Alberta Press and the University of Hawai’i Press, but it is one of those titles that won’t become dated. It appears to be out of print, but I saw used copies for sale on several websites. If you are planning a trip to Bhutan, I think this book is definitely worth a look. If you are also into art and/or botany, it is a must.