1
ME SO LONELY
Friends, I’ve been to your homes before, and I’ve seen the collection of Lonely Planet guidebooks you oh so proudly display for visitors to know the worldly places you’ve been. And, I say: good for us! Here’s a pretty awesome opportunity: you can now own 24 more of these lovely volumes for just $20 (digital not hardcopy, unfortunately. But, at least you won’t have to re-arrange your bookshelf). They include volumes on Japan, Iceland, Mexico, Food Trails, Wine Trails, Coffee Trails, Beer Trails, Dog Trails, basically, a whole bunch of trails.
Hey, and while we’re spending the big bucks, here’s an interesting report on how much it would cost for you to get away from it all and purchase elite residency in some pretty cool paradise spots. My top picks would be:
– Thailand – mainly because it would be so inexpensive to purchase residency there: $15K
– Saint Lucia/Dominica/Antigua & Barbuda – don’t think I need an explanation for these: $100K
– Greece – come on. It’s in the Med: $290K
2
YODEL LIKE YOU MEAN IT
Summer’s not over! Ok, I admit, it’s time to move on. Fall starts today. And, when Fall begins, I also like to begin…thinking about ways to pretend it’s still summer. However, I do get excited about a few winter activities, like hitting the slopes, especially in Europe. Here’s a list of some pretty luxurious yet affordable European ski resorts worth at least considering from Finland to France and everything in between. Trust me it’s never too early to start planning!
3
WORLD TOURISM OVERORGANIZATION?
I always promote travel, especially for those who may have not had an opportunity to travel before. On the other hand, it make sense for destinations, especially popular ones, to control the influx of tourism in a sustainable way that is not just beneficial to residents who are impacted by it, but to the tourists themselves, so they can leave a destination with the best of experiences. A recent report launched by the UNWTO (a new World Tourism Organization) aims to help destinations manage ‘overtourism.’ Per the UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili “Addressing the challenges facing urban tourism today is a much more complex issue than is commonly recognized. We need to set a sustainable roadmap for urban tourism and place tourism in the wider urban agenda.” Does anyone have the NYC department of tourism email address?
4
HONG GONG SHOW
In honor of Hong Kong and all our friends who live there that were affected by the nasty Mangkhut Typhoon: we love you and we love Hong Kong. Hopefully, things will be back to normal soon if they aren’t already. Including the little things like the Dai Pai Dongs – amazing street food you can’t have anywhere else. Here’s a list of “the best areas to find some quality Dai Pai Dongs – from traditional shacks serving up lunch to the masses to the street side stalls hawking waffles.”
The silver lining, the Hong Kong housing market is still booming, if you can afford it, from Bloomberg: “Four-bedroom home goes on sale in Hong Kong for $446 million.”
However, don’t get confused getting there by picking the wrong airline, from CNN: “Huge spelling mistake on Cathay Pacific plane.”
5
DEEP DIVE
Love reading about super interesting people who seem to have lived several lifetimes in just one life? Hanli Prinsloo, grew up on a horse farm in South Africa, became a record-breaking freediver, set up a foundation to support understanding of our oceans and ocean conservancy, and still going. I’m big on travel and probably even bigger on our oceans. Here’s a snippet of Hanli’s interview with some great pointers on how to protect our oceans better for travelers: “Interviewer: In your opinion, what’s the easiest change an average traveller can make to help our oceans? Hanli: Travel with a good-quality refillable water bottle that can last your whole trip. Be sure to check that seafood served on your travels are both sustainable species and sustainably caught. Pack your reef-friendly sunblock wherever you go. Support hotels, tours and other travel industry suppliers that make a point of being more conscious.” Protect our oceans!
Thanks,
Joe Naaman
Managing Editor, Waywinds
Keep Exploring!