What's in this issue?
RTW TRAVELER PROFILE - Mike Logan
Mike Logan isn't ever coming back to the United States - at least that's what he says. In February 2004 at the age of 27, Mike Logan had saved some money and was ready to start traveling - BIG TIME. Having never traveled before, he was ready to adventure off to many corners of the world, including most of Asia, Europe, South America, Indo-Pacific - and even Mars, although we think Mike was fibbing about space travel. Asked about his inspiration to travel, he said it was everything, "The sights. The sounds. The freedom. The movement. The show. The waits. The experience. The people. The solitude." This is what inspire Mike to keep taking another step.
Mike thinks the bigggest myth to traveling is the expense. "I say this because I see people piddle away thousands throughout the year on new SUVs and gas for them, Plasma TVs, screaming kids, home improvements, and it all adds up to about the same amount that I'll be spending on my trip. You ask me, I'd say I'm getting a much better value than they are."
If you want some true inspiration, check out Mike's trip profile.
If you're planning your own RTW trip, you'll find plenty of answers to your travel questions, and can read tips and profiles from other round the world travelers.
The Round the World Travel Guide »
NEW HOSTELS
More hostels? Of course! We've added more than 200 new properties this month to help you minimize your sleeping fees on the road. Check out the BootsnAll Hostel Booker or look at some of these sweet spots.
Global hostels and online reservations »
BOOTSNALL INTERNS
The BootsnAll interns have been busy, prowling around the world, finding the best stories and writing guides to share with the BootsnAll comunity. There are four this summer, and some of their stuff has already been published, like LuLing's guide to Reykjavik, Iceland. Check out their profiles and look forward to Jenny's guide to Chicago, Jennifer's in-depth writing on Thailand and tons of stuff on Australia fron Lynn!
BOOTBLOG
Last week our main man Sean returned from a 3-week stint in Europe and other parts of the United States, meeting with business partners, BootsnAll members and celebrating the London party. There's also some reactions from those who were at the party on the BootsnAll boards. All in all, Sean said the trip was a big success. He realized that BootsnAll has a strong membership base and continues to grow.
As many of you know, we love to host BootsnAll members who happen to pass through the great state of Oregon - it's one of the benefits of being a member. Since the BootsnAll office/hostel is currently out of commission, Court has become the resident Portland tour guide. Last week she hosted and met a number of BootsnAll members, including Katasia, Sonia and Marta. Check out the "BootsnAll party girls" pic.
Check out the BootBlog »
BOOTSNALL IN BALI
For travelers, island communities - Zanzibar, Sri Lanka, and Bali - always symbolize tourism and good ole fashion fun-in-the-sun. Like many places in the world, however, much of these islands are dependent upon agriculture, instead of tourism, for surival. This gives excellent opportunities for curious travelers to quickly get away from the hustle and bustle and connect with local communities. Nick seized this opportunity the other day in Bali to ride around in the mountains behind Tabanan.
Speaking of cycling, it seems like every few weeks we hear of another madman on some epic trip, riding from one corner of the globe to the other. A couple months ago, Alastair Humphreys, the crazy cat who riding his bike around the world for five years, stopped by the office in Portland. Well, Nick was fortunate enought to meet yet another bicycle extraordinaire, Johann, who is cycling from London to New Zealand. Johann has rigged up his camera on his bicycle and is writing 2 books, one about the trip, the other about travel technology and maybe making a movie. Watch for both of these guys in the future.
It seems like Nick has become the de facto tour guide of Bali - and the great thing is, he doesn't charge for it. It's just good karma being passed from one traveler to another. If you're coming to Bali, send him an email, ask him a question about a specific hotel, Nick will give you the inside, unadulterated, scoop on the Bali scene.
Check out the Bali Blog »
BOOTSNALL TRAVELBLOGS
Follow your fellow BootsnAllers as they travel. Check out our top picks from the travelblogs this month, and add your comments!
Check out some of our newest blogs, too!
Don't forget, if you're about to head off on an extended trip and you've just got to have one of your own, talk to us about getting your own Travel Blog. All you need to do is make sure you're a BootsnAll member and we'll take care of the rest.
Sign up for BootsnAll membership here »
Check out the BootsnAll TravelBlogs »
LATEST BOOTSNALL ARTICLES
There are more than 20 new articles from the past 2 weeks!
Some highlights include:
- Kenny Walpole and his friends travel like Huckleberry Finn through Laos, drifting for almost a week in a boat they purchased (Read)
- Traveling by bus through Colombia, Mike Heavers is entertained by his surroundings - and the toilet (Read)
- For just one evening, BootsnAll member Shawnn Kobb becomes an English teacher in China (Read)
- Canada's west coast has beautiful scenery and amazing wildlife. Al Humphreys just wishes something could be done about the mosquitos (Read)
- BootsnAll intern LuLing Osofsky has compiled a great resource for travellers to Iceland. From accommodation options and cheap eats to day trips and how to get around Reykjavik (Read)
Go to the articles »
FEATURED MESSAGE BOARD THREADS
Share and find travel advice, make a statement, consult fellow travelers, make new friends. Below are some of the highlight threads from the last two week in the BootsnAll forums.
Advice About Traveling Alone
Sue made up her mind to quit her job, and do some long term travel within the next year. The one thing holding her back is going alone; none of her friends have the nerve to let their guard down and travel the world. Naturally, and like most others, Sue is a little bit nervous. Traveling solo is a fear that many people have - for a number of valid reason. Read what advice Bootsnall members give her before she begins her next steps.
World Maps - Where Have You Been?
Have you ever tried to figure out what percentage of the world you have actually traveled to? You may have traveled around the United States, a few trips to Western Europe, Mexico and maybe even Southeast Asia, but when you calculate it compared to the world, the percentage of seeing the world is very small. Check out this link where BootsnAll members show how much of the world they have seen.
En Route - How Do You Track Your Budget?
Since most travelers stick to a tight budget in order to keep traveling, there are often concerns with tracking budgets. If, say, you are keeping yourself to a $20 per day limit, how do you remember the $1 bus fare, a rice and beans lunch, the little souvenir, and all the other little costs that add up throughout the day? It's not like home where you can run to an ATM machine and see how much you blew the night before. Check out BootsnAll members' strategies for keeping track of their budgets.
TRAVELERS TALK ABOUT...
When you're deciding things about your trip, be it where you stay or whether or not to buy insurance, it can be hard to make a decision. One of the best sources to turn to for help is other travelers. We've been asking travelers a lot of questions lately, and you can check out what they have to say about their own experiences with...
Would you like to put in your 2 cents on any of the above? Email Chris (chris at BootsnAll dot com), and he'll set you up.
