The Travel Snob

Travel Like an Insider with the New "Let's Travel" Travel Radio Show & Podcast. TRAVEL SNOB TRAVEL BLOG

    

TribecaRadio.net's newest show offers an insider's look at trips for people of all lifestyles, budgets, age groups and physical abilities. Host Susan Raphael interviews a vast array of globe-trotters, artists, writers, chefs, musicians and designers from around the world about their personal adventures, cultural perspectives and found treasures! She also shares news of the joyous journeys and secret hideaways of the show's listening audience. An intrepid traveler herself, Raphael has braved the sands of the Sahara in search of the perfect Berber carpet, maneuvered through the moterini of Milan to find the quintessential Italian handbag and scoured the patisseries of Paris for the fluffiest French croissant. "Our show is for people of all means, ages and abilities," she explains. "We want to excite listeners, surprise listeners and send them "packing"!

For the premier show, Raphael visit Italy, the number one destination for returning travelers, and scores tips & trics on everything from securing the most coveted reservations in Italy to the best current travel promotions from Consul General of Italy to the United States, Antonio Bandini, and Dottore Riccardo Strano, director for North America of the Italian Government Tourist Board (ENIT). Upcoming shows discuss looking at architecture when you travel with Joan Blumenfeld & Frederic Bell of the New York City chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA); Morocco & Andalusia with a Moroccan Gnawa trance dance musician and two American filmmakers; traveling for the physically challenged; how to feel "at home" abroad; how to pack and what to take; travel bargains; around the world in 80 meals; doing business abroad; medical advice for travelers; and traveling celebrity style.

Each show is podcast the following Tuesday so stay tuned at TribecaRadio.net

- The Travel Snob

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(photo: digital-photography-school.com)

For a Really Superior Camera Bag on the Road, Try the Award-Winning Rotation360° - TRAVEL SNOB TRAVEL BAG

A panel of 15 judges--all of whom are practicing professional photographers--deemed this bag from Think Tank Photo worthy of this year's Hot One Award for the the industry's best new camera bag for professional application. Within seconds, a beltpack can be rotated from inside the backpack to the front of the body, allowing instant access to the gear stored inside without having to take off the entire backpack to change lenses and accessories at a moment's notice. The bag also features an innovative method for mounting one or two SLRs on the front of the shoulder straps and transferring their weight to backpack's padded shoulder straps, removing stress to the neck and shoulders. 

"We're honored that Professional Photographer magazine chose to name the rotation360° the best new product in the camera bag category," says Doug Murdoch, Think Tank Photo founder and lead designer. "Our business is based on listening to the needs of professional and serious photographers and creating innovative gear that serve their needs. The rotation360° breaks the barrier about which photographers in the field constantly complain: that they have to remove their backpack in order to access the contents inside."

Check it out at Rotation360.com.

- The Travel Snob

The Top 10 Travel Situations Where a Satellite Phone Could Save Your Life. TRAVEL SNOB TRAVEL BLOG

From off road adventures to active war zones, satellite phones are indispensable. AllRoadCommunications.com lists the top 10 times you won't want to be without:

1 - During & After a Hurricane Hurricane Katrina took down the power lines, the phone lines and the cell phone towers, leaving everyone without communication. Satellite phones, however, work independently of cell towers and the power grid.

2 - Fishing in Alaska Anything could happen when you're out at sea. Sat phones work anywhere, including the middle of the ocean.

3 - Hunting in Africa A godsend if you break anything (of yours) out in the bush.

4 - Driving the Baja 1000  Particularly deep in the Mexican desert, which is long out of cell range.

5 - Climbing Everest  Just hiking someplace like Colorado is replete with danger. With a satellite phone, help is a call away, and they weigh less than 13lbs without the charger.

6 - Serving in Iraq  Many of the troops actually rent their own satellite phones for Tours of Duty. After 5 British troops died when they came under fire and did not have their sat phones - help was literally 500 yards away, but they had no way to call.

7 - When an Earthquake strikes  Especially after mother nature topples power lines, phone lines, and cellphone towers.

8 - During a Bird Flu Pandemic  If a major outbreak does occur, scenarios involving widespread panic predict that cellphone & landlines could become overrun.

9 - During or after a Terrorist Attack  Self evident.

10 - At your Cabin  If your vaca home is off the beaten path, it's common sense to keep one around to call the Police or other emergency services.

To lay hands on one, visit AllRoadCommunications.com.

- The Travel Snob

A Large-Handled, Stylish Bath Travel Bag from Sephora. TRAVEL SNOB TRAVEL BLOG

Comes with three removable bags, plus a secure zippered pocket for various odds & ends. Measures 10"x7"x4". Available at Sephora.com.

- The Travel Snob

Learn to Pack Light - Truly Light - and Reap Myriad Rewards, Both Mental & Physical. TRAVEL SNOB TRAVEL BLOG

A recent piece in WashingtonPost.com delved into the why's & wherefore's of packing light - really, really light. In addition to the purely physical rewards of tackling a two week trip with just a carry-on - no endless waits at check-in or baggage claim; no worries about lost luggage; less need for expensive taxis to shuttle you & your enormous bag to & from the airport - there are myriad psychological rewards: "There's something liberating about traveling with only a carry-on: You're no longer a slave to your stuff. You don't need to spend a lot of time planning what to take when your entire wardrobe revolves around a pair of black pants and a couple of tops. Not obsessing about your appearance brings humility and perspective. That's right! You become a better person. Unencumbered, you're free to focus on what's really important: your destination and how to make the most of it."

Yes, it sounds oh-so-good in theory, but most of us have succumbed to the urge to schlep everything with...so how is this feat of packing finesse actually accomplished? Leaving your fashion vanity at home is a good start. "That old traveler's tip about packing only what you think you'll need, then eliminating half of that? Believe it. Yes, you'll have to sacrifice some dignity when you end up wearing your wingtips to the beach. But you'll be liberated from the tyranny of luggage."

Tips for traveling light:

• NO SAUSAGE CASING SUITCASES "Don't be that person who stuffs her rollaboard so full that it jams the aisles and requires the kindness of strangers to wrestle it into the overhead bin. If you can't lift your own carry-on into the bin, do us all a favor and check your luggage." That being said, don't limit yourself to the draconian minisculeness of a weekender tote. Get a 22 inch bag that just fits into those "Is your bag too big?" size measuring devices at the airport.

• THINK BLACK Stylish & impervious to (visible) stains, there isn't anything black (or a similar neutral like brown or gray) doesn't go with. It's also easily dressed up or down.  " I get more mileage out of a pair of black pants than an undertaker. Add a black jacket or sweater and you've got your base; supplement with a few colorful tops and scarves and you're the picture of urban chic."

• PLAN TO WEAR EACH OUTFIT...A LOT! Regardless of who you meet on your journey - on the plane, the subway, the cafe, wherever - chances are, you'll never see them again, so be fashionably fearless and wear the same ensemble repeatedly.

• SHOES THAT DO DOUBLE TIME With a goal of only bringing a single pair of shoes per trip, they should no only be comfy for walking, but work well whether you're caszh or dressy. The only - only! - reason to bring more than one pair i sif you'll be doing wildly diverse activities, such as hiking and attending the opera. In this case, pack the lighter pair & fly in the heavier ones.

• GO EASY ON THE LIQUID While you're permitted to bring refillable three-ounce containers in your carry-on bag, why risk the fight with a stupid or stubborn screener? Buy your toiletries pre-packaged, and fergawdsakes, use the right size plastic bag: one-quart, zip-top, pulled out of the carry-on for inspection. If your stuff doesn't fit, buy it when you get there, or see if you can survive without.

• WEAR YOUR WARDROBE When you're flying, rock lots of layers. "To save suitcase space, I always wear at least four layers on the plane: camisole, T-shirt, shirt and sweater, plus a fleece or coat in season. I may look like the Michelin Man, but I'm never cold." Good point.

• BRING CLOTHES THAT MULTITASK Pashminas make great ad-hoc blankets & pillows on a plane, while leggings & yoga pants are great PJs. And that trenchcoat? A handy bathrobe.

• LEAVE THE LIBRARY AT HOME Tempting as it may be, all those books & magazines get heavy quickly.  Limit paperback books to one per genre only: ie. one thriller, one biography, one nonfiction, etc. Rip out the magazine pages you want to read/keep and ditch the remaining bulk. "You'll be amazed how quickly you can reduce a thick Vanity Fair to pamphlet size." Same goes for guidebooks.

• ROOM FOR "DESSERT"  Fashionistas love to shop, so set aside some room in your suitcase for purchases. "Trust me -- you'll be so sick of all your travel outfits, you're going to need a whole new wardrobe when you get home."

- The Travel Snob

(illustration: RoadAndTravel.com)