Cambodia, like many South East Asian countries, didn’t have a great history of support and empowerment for the physically disabled. That was until an entrepreneur with a vision launched the Seeing Hands Massage Salon –– blind masseuses whose physical difference is no longer a disability but now an asset. The theory goes that whenever one…
In the heart of downtown Phnom Penh, a convenient distance from many of the obligatory stops on the tourist circuit, lies the aptly-amicable Friends Restaurant, serving generous portions of traditional and experimental Khmer-fusion tapas dishes in a brightly decorated, warm ambience. This place isn’t just about great fishcakes with lime jus, spicy mango salads and…
Here’s the latest in our new monthly series of interviews with travel writers. When you call David Stanley, author of all eight editions of the 1,091 page “South Pacific” travel guidebook a widely traveled author, that’s a gross understatement. He has actually spent much of the past three decades on the road, criss-crossing six continents…
According to recent stats, 8% of Internet users (about 12 million American adults) keep a blog and 39% of Internet users (about 57 million American adults) read blogs. Plus, Technorati estimates that 30,000 new Web logs are created daily. So how can you capitalize on this new online publishing craze? Attend this one-day workshop by…
I wish I still fit into the lederhosen I bought in Switzerland on my first trip to Europe. I could have worn them as I hoisted a bratwurst in one hand and a stein of German beer in the other at the 173rd Oktoberfest in Munich. Though it ended on 10/10, I can now frolic…
I hang my head in shame. My Pampering for Prosperity mission has been regretfully neglected for some time, thus it was a relief and a joy to arrive in the long-embattled capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, and to discover that this beautiful and tragic city is studded with establishments turning profit for a good cause,…
The Best Western Miyako Inn has been an anchor of the Japantown restaurant and shopping center for decades. Now, there’s a public contest to rename it while its new owners, the fashionable travel geniuses at Joie de Vivre Hospitality, the largest boutique hotel operators in California, remake its 125 rooms. They’ll even name one suite…
Jericoacoara has consistently featured in lists naming the world’s top ten beaches since it first appeared on the tourist circuit proper about ten years ago. However, unlike many former paradise beaches in Brazil, Jeri (as it is known to the locals) has been spared overdevelopment by virtue of being on the edge of a protected…
Many people have enjoyed the unique, extremely fun and tropical atmosphere of Key West at Florida’s southernmost tip, but a select few opt to enjoy the luxury of Sunset Key –– a private island located 500 yards off of Key West’s mainland. There are approximately 27 acres to this residential community and meticulously maintained palm…
I met Walt Disney when I was a kid at Disneyland. From that day on, I loved all things Disney. Though the Down Under Disneyana Fan Club Members didn’t have my life-changing experience, they’re also mad about the Mouse House. So they just completed a month-long journey to visit the five Disney theme parks, from…
“Tiburon” means “shark” in Español. In fact, I was once in Acapulco and saw “Tiburon Dos” on a movie marquee advertising “Jaws II.” If you’re into sharks, The Lodge at Tiburon, about 15 minutes north of –– and featuring view of –– the Golden Gate Bridge from Marin County, has a special White Tiburon Package…
In France, smoking is as intrinsic to the culture as wearing berets, drinking red wine, and eating gastronic delights. Even when I was in Paris recently, the smoke in the restaurants was incessant, but accepted. Other countries in Europe have already banned smoking in all public places. Now, a French parliamentary committee has approved a…