Home Away From Home - 19/NOV/2008
When the thought of another hotel room is too much to bear and you really want to get the feel for a place, living in someone else's digs might just be the answer. Think about it: You can laze around (like you would at home) with no worries about vacating your room by noon, getting out of the way of the housekeeper or disturbing guests on the other side of a paper-thin...

YOU CAN TAKE IT WITH YOU! - 19/NOV/2008
The nightmarish possibility of lost luggage means carry-on tote bags filled to the brim with every imaginable item from eye balm to pyjamas. However, current limits on gels and liquids test even the most fastidious packer when it comes to maintaining your skin care while in the desert-like atmosphere of an airplane. Fear not. Cosmetics makers are squeezing this market...

Little Things Mean A Lot - 12/NOV/2008
These days, packing is a trip in itself. There are strict regulations as to what you can bring and how much of it. Carry-on scrutiny is intense and many airlines are charging a fee to check baggage. In short: packing counts, now more than ever. Packing light is important, but even more critical is packing smart. This is a skill developed through experience,...

Follow The Flag - 03/NOV/2008
You can never be quite sure how a trip is going to turn out, whether you are travelling to a relatively stable nation, or a country better known for its civil wars than its sandy beaches. In the unfortunate event that you become a victim of crime, are swept up in a natural disaster, get arrested, or become caught up in a military coup, all sensible roads lead to the local...

Germs On A Plane! - 28/OCT/2008
I'm not a big fan of snakes, but the movie Snakes On A Plane didn't scare me a bit. Why? First of all, the title told me everything I needed to know – which was that I never needed to see that movie. Secondly, I've been on a lot of planes and I've never seen anything resembling a snake. It's not a big worry. Now I've never seen germs on a plane either. But I do...

Special Agent - 21/OCT/2008
There are a seemingly endless number of travel options in the marketplace these days, but many mainstream travel agencies, online and off, still put much of their focus on all-inclusive beach vacations, cruises and European air-and-hotel packages. That's fine if that's what you're looking for, but not so helpful if you've got the fever for a customized safari in Africa...

Putting Grandpa On A Plane - 15/OCT/2008
My 95-year-old uncle Harry once told me that being old wasn't for the faint of heart. And he wasn't even talking about flying. Given all of the horror stories about air travel, putting an elderly person on a plane may seem only slightly less reckless than sticking a parachute on his back and launching him out the door at 20,000 feet. Thankfully, that isn't the case at...

Be Prepared...To Have Fun! - 06/OCT/2008
My wife is highly allergic to stinging insects. She carries twin Epi-Pens like a gunslinger and isn't afraid to recruit perfect strangers to stab her in the thigh when necessary. With a potentially life-threatening allergy like that, one might think she would spend a lot of time indoors during the buggy months, but the truth is, she spends every free moment in the garden. I...

Snowbirds With Wheels - 24/SEP/2008
In 1970, Anne Murray made 'Snowbird' a #1 hit, turning the little bird into a national emblem for heat seeking Canadians. Nearly four decades later, Canadian snowbirds still flock to the American south in droves -- often bringing their cars in tow. While the vast majority of migrating Canadians drive their own vehicles, some are just not up to the task. One option...

Drive, She Said - 16/SEP/2008
It was our first time visiting Scotland. For my beloved wife, it was also the first time driving a standard vehicle on the ‘wrong' side of the road. After pulling out of Glasgow airport, we merged onto a major highway at 30 km/h, my wife scrambling at the stick shift. The white lorry behind us braked, swerved and pulled alongside, offering us a furious two-finger...

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