Does this happen to you too? As soon as you book a trip somewhere, it seems like everywhere you turn you start to see or hear news articles and stories about where you’re going. For me it seems like a day hasn’t gone by since I booked my trip to Colombia when I haven’t come across something about Colombia. Last weekend there was a huge article in the NY Times about dining in Cartagena, a couple weeks ago Lonely Planet released a video about travel to Bogota, the blogs have been abuzz with plenty of stories (here’s one and here’s another) and just this year Anthony Bourdain taped one of his episodes there.

And not to be outdone, Budget Travel, that bastion of provocation and instigation amongst travel circles (ok, well not really but a few Argentinians may have some contention with the following) is proclaiming in this article that Cartagena is : “The Next Buenos Aires.” Slam! Take that you Porteños and your world-class football. But seriously, it does seem that Colombia is finally — and deservedly — receiving the credit’s it’s been due. I’ll be leaving for there in three weeks to work on some videos and articles. E-mail me if you have any requests for what you’d like me to check out while I’m there. I foresee lots of eating and drinking, listenting to music, enjoying the sun and beaches, and practicing my broken Spanish with the locals. But I’m open to suggestions.

Is anyone else surprised to find out that Reader’s Digest still exists, and that they’ve managed to reproduce their print writing on that newfangled box called the personal computer? I think the last time I saw a Reader’s Digest it was located in a magazine rack in the bathroom of a retiree’s house.

Anyways, a quick scan of Digg’s “Travel & Places” section turned up this article by that venerable publication that ostensibly aims to reveal the best ways to save money in all facets of life, including travel. And now a run-down of these hilariously unhelpful and often ridiculous tips:

1) Ignore The Internet And Call The Airlines For The Best Price (Despite Phone Booking Fees)

Apparently you shouldn’t trust the internet for the best fares. Who ever heard of deals online anyways? RD recommends you call the airline’s “800 number” (how thoroughly modern) and find the best deal that way, never mind the fact that airlines almost universally will tack on a fee to your ticket for the audacity of bothering their customer representatives. What about wiring a telegram to the Pan Am head offices and demanding the best rates? Would that work as well?

2) Don’t Fly The Day Before Thanksgiving

Wait one second here, are you saying that the law of supply and demand does in fact apply to plane travel and that ticket prices are actually higher on one of the busiest travel days of the year? Shocking! I wonder, what happens to prices the Sunday after Thanksgiving? What about the Fridays before three-day weekends? Same rule apply?

3) Head To A Cheaper Destination That’s Close To Your Original Plans (Even If That Means Heading To Lame Miami)

Is that dream vacation to culture-rich Orlando more expensive than one to Miami? (Where, I may remind you, there are far fewer Disney attractions to spend your days and, even worse, the Applebees per capita ratio is far lower.) RD suggests a trip to Miami! Why not? I heard there’s a few things to do there as well, including several Hard Rock Cafes and some excellent movie theatres. (Actually, I’m not making this up, the exact quote from the article is: “There are plenty of things to do in Miami.” Intriguing — who’d have thought?)

4) Periodically Check Prices, They May Go Down

Finally, to the amazement of all, RD points out the fact that fares fluctuate, moving both up and down. And what’s the best way to detect this odd occurrence and to lock in the best rate? RD audaciously suggests looking up the price more than once! Beware, this suggestion is not for the faint of heart or for pregnant women.

A little while back I started a group on Vimeo, the high-quality video-sharing site based here in New York where, unlike YouTube, you can actually watch videos in high definition (or regular videos in much better quality than YouTube).

This site is also great for discovering some excellent travel videos, including the one above that was recently added to my group. Click to watch how a short hike from your house in the Hawaiian coastal town of Hilo can reveal a string of beautiful waterfalls, all just minutes apart from each other. Let’s see, the last time I took a short hike from my house I stumbled across six vacant lots, three coffee shops, and a homeless guy singing Enrique Inglesias to strangers on the street. Ah, the natural wonders of Brooklyn.

The Beach may have given SE Asia’s beaches a bad name (by the way the book is far superior than the crappy Leo movie, which is usually true of any book made into a movie, but in this case it’s just more true) but I can assure you that you’re more likely going to run into the beach of your dreams before you run into any self-exiled groups of deranged backpackers who spend their days taking hallucinogens and killing off their fellow villagers (although it’s a big region, you never know).

This article describes some of the area’s most idyllic getaways in the region, from Thailand to Vietnam.

Vietnam

It notes how Vietnam, with a population that’s half under-25 (that’s around 40 million), is really taking off as a major destination in the world, and many are heading to the pristine white sands of China Beach to enjoy surfing and to stretch their strong currency.

Indonesia

To get away from the crowds head to isolated Gili Trawangan in Indonesia where cars are forbidden, snorkeling is aplenty, and given the hippyish vibe here you may run into that long-lost English teacher you had in high school who used to listen to the Dead and drove a beat-up station wagon.

Cambodia

And for a whole string of beaches and a little more development there’s Sihanoukville, Cambodia’s most popular getaway. Here you’ll find many beaches to explore as well as dozens of islands nearby to keep you occupied just in case you get really bored of relaxing and having a good time.

And by “it” I mean travel, why what were you thinking? Forget Dubai, the Disneyland of the Middle East. Doha, the half-million strong capital of Qatar, is not usually high on many travelers’ lists of destinations, but with temperatures in the mid 70’s at its coldest and a modern, cosmopolitan feel co-existing with its timeless culture, Doha should be a must for any trip to the ancient land. Here’s a look at what it’s like to travel to the city that’s home to the Al Jazeera headquarters (surprisingly pleasant looking studios) and some of the region’s best beaches. And if you think some of your friends or family might worry you’r heading there just tell them you’re heading to Dubai instead and that you’ll bring them back a Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt.

Cartagena, Colombia, has been experiencing a dramatic upsurge in the number of visitors over the last few years, with over a million in 2006 coming to see this colonial city on the Caribbean coast. Besides being named a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as being one of the region’s top beach getaways, Cartagena has also been attracting the attention of food lovers the world over, most recently in the NY Times this Sunday where the paper explored three of the city’s best restaurants.

In describing the eclectic influence the city’s many cultures have had on the food, the Times notes, “[o]ccasionally, the chef may give a nod to French or Italian cooking, but tamarillo ratatouille, grilled squid and homemade coconut broth are never far away.” And, if you weren’t already convinced, take a look at Anthony Bourdain’s recent excursion there where he munched on some of the best ceviche that he’s ever had.

Imagine if you could only find clothes on sale twice a year. What would be the result? Semi-annual Black Friday-like shopping melees? Caddy women (and a few men) jockeying for prized items? An upsurge in foreign tourists hoping to pounce on deals of up to 90% off on luxury goods? An intermittent upsurge in personal debt? Try all of the above.

Les Soldes is France’s twice a year state-sanctioned event where sellers are allowed to drop the price on clothes and other goods below cost and when, as observed in this article, it’s not uncommon to see women during the week before, slyly eyeing their upsuspecting prey for the day when they can attack with a vengeance and snap up their long-sought-after prizes for basement prices. If you’re planning on heading to Paris and taking part, the next Les Soldes takes place from January 9th to the 20th, just in time to get your mind off of your credit card bill from Christmas!

Discovered only a few decades ago, La Ciudad Perdida, Colombia’s Lost City is accessible to those willing to endure a days-long trek, a couple of treacherous river crossings, and oh yeah, the possibility of contracting one of several tropical mosquito-borne diseases. But that’s half the fun isn’t it? Here’s a great account of one such journey, detailing the highs and lows of a trip to this truly unique destination. Not reccomended for those wusses who though Macchu Picchu was a difficult trip.

Budget Travel has put together list of the top 7 surf towns in the world which, if you’re like me, are all somewhere I’d much rather be now that the it’s getting cold enough that I can nearly see my breath in the air when I get out of bed in the morning (I really need to invest in a heater).

Fernando de Noronha, Brazil’s mostly unknown tropical archipelago that boasts arguably the country’s best beaches, tops the list, with Troncones, Mexico (where a surfer from San Fran was mauled to death by a shark at the end of the summer) comes in second, and Ericeira coming in at number three.

For the rest of the list click here.

It’s being reported this morning that Argentina, already in the midst of a severe economic turndown as a result of weakening commodity prices and international market conditions, is seizing $29 billion in pension assets, this after the country announced a few days ago that it would be devaluing its currency from its current rate of $3.20 pesos per dollar to $3.80.

So what does this mean? As a historical note, the last time the country seized pension assets was shortly before the disastrous 2001 financial collapse. This is also certain to cause the peso to slide below the target rate of $3.80, which means real trouble and higher inflation for Argentinians. Of course, not to belittle the plight of the country, but this also means even more favorable exchange rates for foreign visitors, especially for those of us in North America and Europe who were already enjoying lodging and entertainment costs 1/3 of what they’d be elsewhere. For example, last November when I was in Buenos Aires, a high-end meal for two with wine came out to about US$40 and a hostel cost around US$5.

So, if anything, one way to help out Argentina is to boost its tourism industry by heading there this year and discovering all that the country has to offer and to hope for a speedy recovery. That’s a lot easier than trying to single-handedly prop up the price of soybean and wheat.

London’s a great time to visit this fall now that the crowds have thinned and ticket prices are dropping, so here’s a look at 10 things you should know when you go. At 2:54 you get a good overview of the city’s main museums, which most happen to be free, and at 5:25 there’s a look at some of the best neighborhoods to visit. I’d say head to Camden Town and skip Notting Hill, you know, so you can get that tattoo to remember the trip by.

The key to a successful weekend vacation? Making the most of your time. So when I say Budapest is the “easy option” of eastern Europe, I mean it in a good way: you can dive right in and enjoy every second.

By Laura Bridgestock

Budapest has always been a step ahead of its neighbors in the Eastern Bloc — Budapest was, after all, the site of the first major uprising against the Soviets back in 1956. Whereas travelers visiting other cities around the region often end up scratching their heads trying to make their way about, Budapest is one of Central Europe’s (and the Continent’s) most visitor-friendly cities, which has both its upsides as well as its downsides. Most Budapesters speak some English and getting around the city is extremely easy to do. But being stopped every five minutes by someone offering you a guided tour can get annoying, and there’s only so many Subways that can spring up before it starts to detract from the city’s charm. But, at least for the time being, it’s still very possible to enjoy the best of both worlds, and to do so in just a few days. (more…)

With oil dropping below $70 a barrel this week in a major global sell-off (sorry Russia) there are reports surfacing that airlines are rolling back fuel surcharge fees on tickets, which translates into some serious price reductions. There were some reports that only international carriers were dropping fees, but now the U.S. airlines are getting in the act as well. Prices on flights to London from parts of the U.S. have dropped a hefty $62 — that’s three more pints you can afford! British Airways announced a £13 drop in fees for all tickets beginning October 15th, Virgin has dropped fees by up to $40 and Delta lopped off $74 on flights to Asia.

. . . which brings me to my next point: anyone else notice any deals on their tickets? Have you checked to see if your ticket actually went down since you bought it? Well, we here at TheExpeditioner have been working around the clock and our staff has now inmplemented a spiffy new “Comments” section. So let me know your thoughts, maybe we can share some deals. I’ll start with my ticket to Colombia.

It’s not exactly news that it’s nearly impossible to afford hotels in New York City (don’t even get me started on apartments) but who wants to pay hundreds of dollars a night in a city that doesn’t sleep? (It’s not like you’re going to sleep all that much while you’re there anyways.) Here’s a few tips to save save a few Dollars/Euros/Yen – whatever the kids are using these days.

For the truly thrifty there’s always Couchsurfing, which, at last check, had 278 people in Manhattan alone offering up their couches for you, the complete stranger.

On Craigslist you can find apartments for nightly rentals as low as $50 a night– cram four people in there and you’re sleeping for less than the cost of a Martini in the Meatpacking District. Besides Craigslist, there are at least 11 other sites listing vacation rentals around the city where you can slide by for under $100 (still a deal considering that the average rate for a room in the City in 2008 was up to $350).

Of course, if you want to shell out the dough to stay in a hotel there are a ton of options, including some cool, funky, new places like the Pod Hotel as seen in the video above. Make sure you check out the rooftop view on the video at 1:52 (also watch how happy Kelley gets when she makes it to the top bunk – she totally should’ve had a bunk bed when she was growing up). A quick look at the site shows a bunk bed room (romantic!) for $170/night over the Thanksgiving holiday — so only about $85 between you and your bunk buddy. I heard there’s a parade that Thursday morning too. Check it out, that is, if you’re awake by then.

Colombia is roughly twice the size of France, so it comes as no surprise that you can still find a tropical paradise almost nearly untouched by development. The Chocó Department, bordering Panama to the south and stretching from the Caribbean Sea down to the Pacific coastline, is one of Colombia’s most remote but perhaps one of its most beautiful regions.

As Max from GoNomad found out during his recent trip to the region, it’s not easy to get to — 20-seat turboprop plane, potholed streets, treacherous boat voyages — but once you’re there you quickly realize it’s all worth it. For nature-lovers there is turtle hatchling expeditions, humpback whale watching, and jungle hikes to hidden waterfalls and glistening pools. For city excitement . . . well, you better stay back in Medellin or Bogotá.