If you’re a seasoned traveler, chances are you’ve seen a drone at a popular attraction at one point or another. Drones are everywhere these days, and travel photography and videography is becoming one of the most popular uses of the flying cameras. And while they can be obnoxious if in the wrong hands, they can also be used as a valuable tool to document your travels.

Many travelers these days bring a nice camera with them on their travels, whether it’s a DSLR, a GoPro or both. They’re great ways to share your travels with others. Now a drone should be considered in your camera arsenal if you’re someone who is serious about traveling.

There are some things to think about if you’re deciding to take the plunge into the drone world. Flying drones is an extremely fun hobby for many, and a serious profession for others. So if you’ve ever thought about adding a drone to your travel list — or maybe you’re just thinking that now for the first time — here are five tips for making the most out of traveling with a drone.

1) Learn about local drone regulations before you travel

It’s important to note that every country has its own laws regarding drones. In the United States, you can’t fly your drone higher than 400 feet above the ground. You also can’t fly over people and you can’t fly within five miles of an airport without prior notice.

Many countries have a set of rules that align closely with the Federal Aviation Administration’s laws, but that doesn’t mean your home country’s rules are necessarily the same as a foreign country.

It also may depend on what you are using your drone for during your travels. If you are flying for commercial purposes, that could present a whole new set of challenges, or perhaps additional paperwork. Again, be sure to check before you leave for your trip.

There is, unfortunately, no perfect, centrally localized list of each country’s drone rules. Websites like PetaPixel and UAV Coach do their best to keep pilots up to date with international regulations, but the rules are always changing. Your best bet? Go straight to the source: contact the local transportation or airspace authorities of the country you’re visiting.

2) Consider portability when looking into drones

One thing to remember is that you’ll have to carry your drone with you as you travel. Depending on how much luggage you’re already bringing, the thought of adding a drone can be daunting.

Luckily for you, drones with high-quality cameras are becoming smaller and more portable than ever. DJI, which dominates the consumer drone market, introduced the Mavic Pro a year ago and just recently unveiled an even smaller version of its popular drone: the Mavic Air. Each is capable of taking 4K video and high-quality photos despite their small stature.

Both the Mavic Pro and Mavic Air are small enough to put in a backpack, including the drone’s controller. They both weigh less than two pounds, so they shouldn’t weigh you down much at all if you’re backpacking through Europe or navigating the islands of Southeast Asia. The Yuneec Breeze is a slightly cheaper option for a portable drone, although you sacrifice camera quality with the lower price tag.

Speaking of traveling with your drone, be sure to note that drones use lithium batteries, which means you’ll need to carry them onto the plane with you when flying. Airlines won’t allow lithium batteries to be checked, for safety reasons. You may get stopped when going through the security line at airports as they take a closer look at the drone, but at this point, drones are commonplace enough where they may no longer raise an eyebrow.

3) Practice before you travel

As excited as you may be to take your new toy on your trip, it’s important to know what you’re doing first.

Drones are being built to fly safer than ever, and their controls and features are increasingly intuitive for drone pilots. But that doesn’t mean they’re fool-proof. If you need examples, drone video website AirVūz has hundreds of examples of drone videos of fails and crashes from pilots of all experience levels.

If you’ve never flown before, watch tutorial videos and read your drone’s instruction manual before taking to the sky. When you do your maiden flight, make sure it’s in a wide-open space with little to no potential obstacles for you to fly into.

As you continue to fly and gain experience, play around with all of the different features your drone offers. That way, when you’re finally ready to travel, you’ll know how everything works. You’d hate to get to your destination and have your drone crash on the first day because you didn’t know what you were doing.

4) Scout your locations

Regardless of whether you’re lugging around a big drone case or you have a portable drone in your backpack, you don’t want to necessarily have to carry it around more than is necessary. That’s why it’s important to have an idea of where you want to fly before you actually do it.

Many pilots will use Google Maps to see satellite images of locations they might be interested in droning. That will give you an idea of the scenery, potential hazards, and cool things you’ll want to capture with your footage.

Scouting your location ahead of time also means knowing if a certain spot is drone friendly. In other words, will the resort you’re staying at allow you to fly on the premises, or will you have to find another spot to launch from? It’s not always easy to know these things ahead of time, but do your best to research the places you hope to fly at. And be sure to be respectful of other travelers when you’re flying. You wouldn’t want a drone buzzing over you as you’re relaxing on a beach or trying to see a popular attraction, and neither do other tourists.

5) Get inspired!

It’s easy to fall down a rabbit hole of cool drone videos on YouTube or AirVūz. Drones have been mainstream for several years now, so tons of people have been flying them, and that means they’ve also been making videos. By now, you’ve seen drones used in TV commercials, movies and plenty more. But have you watched aerial footage with a critical eye? If not, it might be a good (and fun) idea to watch a bunch of drone videos before you take off on your travels.

If you’re new to making videos, you can pick up tips from other cinematographers as you watch their footage. Each person has a different style, so don’t feel like you have to copy someone else’s editing techniques or flying patterns. Develop your own style but don’t be afraid to get inspired by the work of other drone pilots. Watching other videos can also inspire you to see something on your trip that you maybe weren’t planning on. Seeing the world from the sky gives a whole different perspective to things, so your eyes might be opened when watching aerial footage.

Above all else, have fun flying and fly responsibly. Drones are changing the way we see the world, and they can soon change the way you see yours as well.

By Tyler Mason /

Tyler Mason is a commercial drone pilot and freelance journalist based in Minneapolis. He began flying drones in late 2015 and has been a writing about college and professional sports in the Twin Cities since 2011. Tyler also enjoys traveling with his wife and has visited three continents in the past three years.

The post 5 Tips for Traveling with a Drone appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

It’s fair to say that not many journalists know more about what life is like in Iraq more than Paulien Bakker, who has traveled to the country 15 times during the last few years to cover the country’s recent tumultuous past, as well as to document the everyday lives of the Iraqis living there.

Her fascinating video short, “Hello Baghdad,” is a selection of narrative stories from Iraqis living in Baghdad far outside the constraints of the protected Green Zone. Paulien followed them in their lives during the last few years (2011-2014), and documented them via photography to help tell a story not often heard outside of the country.

To read the full photo essay, check out Bakker’s blog at Tumbler here.

By Matt Stabile /

Matt Stabile is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheExpeditioner.com. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos, purchase the book he co-edited or contact him via email at any time at TheExpeditioner.com.

The post Baghdad Through The Eyes Of A Photographer appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

I snapped this picture of the aptly named Red Mountain at the end of my kayaking trip down the Salt River in the Tonto National Forest just east of Phoenix with Arizona Outback Adventures.

We wrapped up around 11 a.m. (yes, it was an early morning as things tended to be that trip), but the sun was still just low enough to provide some great colors for the shot.

By Matt Stabile /

Matt Stabile is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheExpeditioner.com. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos, purchase the book he co-edited or contact him via email at any time at TheExpeditioner.com.

The post Red Mountain At Salt River appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Loi Krathong (or Loy Krathong/Loy Kratong) is a festival in Thailand that takes place on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month, where thousands of little, candlelit floats are let go onto rivers and other waterways as offerings to the river spirits.

In the northern part of Thailand, and especially Chiang Mai, the festival is known as Yi Peng, and is celebrated by the launching of thousands of paper lanterns into the sky. The act of launching the lanterns into the air symbolizes the release and departure of bad luck, and the hopeful receipt of impending good fortune.

[A lantern festival in Thailand via/Imgur]

By Matt Stabile

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matt Stabile is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheExpeditioner.com. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos, purchase the book he co-edited or contact him via email at any time at TheExpeditioner.com. (@TheExpeditioner)

The post Paper Lanterns Being Released Into The Sky In Thailand appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

I recently picked up an old film camera and thought it would have been the perfect platform to capture the sights and people in New York City’s Chinatown. The gritty streets, cluttered shops and graffiti were effectively emphasized through the medium of black and white film.

It was late in the afternoon during a muggy summer’s day as I walked through Chinatown. It was cooling down and I could feel the heat rising from the pavement. The sun was beginning to set and the lighting was just right.

The first photo I snapped was of this jovial chef standing in his kitchen behind rows of cooked ducks. Due to some previous troubles I’ve had when photographing people, I was careful to not to intrude on his privacy. I was lucky with him though. He managed a smile for me as I was fumbling around getting the manual camera into focus. His smile ending up being framed nicely by the succulent glistening ducks.

As I walked deeper into Chinatown, I became intoxicated by the overwhelming pandemonium — the chaos of sights, smells and movement overstimulated my senses. This was a busier part of the street and I couldn’t remain standing still for long as pedestrians would brush past me.

A shopper looked on intently and began his purchase at the fresh food stall. By now the street merchants had noticed I was stopped in the middle of the street. I raised my camera up to my eye and captured the moment. At the time I don’t remember any specific noise from the merchants, but his mouth is clearly open and it appears to have distracted the shopper. I turned and left, marching on faster, wanting to beat the remaining daylight to finish this last roll of film.

Further down the street I passed a busy merchant who was handling customers alone. With a cigarette propped in his mouth, his hands moved swiftly from vegetables to the weigh scales. The photo portrays his speed with a slight blur on the vegetables he is about to place in the scales. I saw the customer watch on in anticipation of the cost of the final product. Everything happened swift and deftly: the weighing, the exchange of money and the return of the change. He was a master of his own efficiency.

Around the corner I encountered a man who sat calmly and quietly, completely still, his gaze transfixed on the characters in his newspaper. I had managed to sneak unobtrusively into his shop area, and he did not notice that I had stopped and he continued reading on in his own world. The street was quieter around this area, but dirtier. The pavement was splattered with unrecognizable fluids and a pungent odor emanated from an unknown source. I took my time to settle on a composition I liked and focused on him.

Garbage parks itself around a fire hydrant on the street in New York City. There  is an idiosyncrasy to the city’s sidewalks: I have never seen so much trash in the world discarded to the side of the street, but also so quickly picked up and removed. I watched as a passerby meandered through Chinatown. Old rickety garage doors display the “No Parking Anytime” that is so commonly seen throughout the city. To me, the lettering was reminiscent of an old advertisement billboard.

The familiar tinkering sounds of empty soda pop bottles and hollow cans reverberated throughout the street as this lady hurriedly passed me. The cans and bottles were stacked up high. I could feel her sense of urgency, and felt as if I should offer some kind of assistance. In the fleeting encounter I decided and realized all within a moment that it would seem absurd. The rattling continued all the way to the end of the street before she turned the corner.

I came past the man with the newspaper again, whom the surrounding sights, sounds and smells were nothing more than feeble attempts at distractions. A passerby searched intently at the stall for something that might interest him. I noticed the graffiti on the wall, painted in black and white and completely illegible. It was scrappy and emphasized the cluttered nature of the street. Across from the man, many boxes sat propped up next to the street. They performed a great job of cordoning off the road from the pavement.

As nightfall approached I had almost run out of time to take anymore photographs before I snapped this one last gem. A group of people had excitedly huddled around a storefront. Their voices racing, and although they were speaking a different language, their excitement was tangible. I watched as the shop attendant dashed backwards and forwards before I focused on the crowd and took this last photo.

By James Grundy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Grundy devours travel and culture like a shot of tequila and regularly contributes to the youth travel website Wandering Youth. With a penchant for black and white film photography, he covers many areas of youth culture including skateboarding, surfing, photography and youth travel guides. Check it out at WanderingYouth.com.

The post Getting Gritty In New York’s Chinatown: A Tour In Black And White appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Some say the remote mountain town of Telluride earned its name from the phrase, “To Hell You Ride.” Well, if this is Hell, I better start sinning.

About seven hours from Denver, Telluride is nestled into the fourteener-heavy San Juan Mountain range. The mountains are believed to be much younger than the Rockies, and haven’t experienced nearly as much erosion. You can tell.

The mountains are taller, steeper and more jagged than other mountain ranges in Colorado, making the ski area next to the town particularly attractive to expert skiers and riders.

Telluride was once a flourishing mining community. Head to the edge of town to see the old cemetery. Many headstones bear engravings of miners who perished during Telluride’s heyday in the late 1800’s.

Despite Telluride’s remoteness and high elevation of 8,750 feet, many local restaurants source their ingredients as sustainably as possible. Case in point, The Butcher and The Baker, a small breakfast and lunch cafe, uses peaches from the Western Slope’s Palisade, purple basil and fresh mozzarella to make a simple, elegant salad.

Wild mushrooms flourish in the mountains surrounding Telluride, and some chefs wild-forage them to incorporate into their menus. Late summer is prime time for mushroom harvesting. If there’s consistent rainfall, expect to bring back bags of mushrooms.

Here’s a perfect porcini mushroom, also called Boletus edulis.

After a cold, damp morning of mushroom foraging, Chad Scothorn, founder and head chef of the Cosmopolitan restaurant, fixes a grilled cheese sandwich with trumpet-shaped chanterelles, tomatoes and house-made mozzarella. Scothorn offers a huge variety of cuisines, ranging from sushi to risotto to filets.

The San Miguel River leading into Telluride is lauded for world-class fly fishing. New to the area? Hire a guide from Telluride Outside — they’ll show you the hot spots.

I actually caught a brown trout!

Telluride  is dominated by summer festivals and concerts. The outside venue provides a dramatic backdrop to hear bluegrass, funk or, in this writer’s case, Thievery Corporation. Plus, the venue is home to the world’s very best photo-bombers. Go there!

By Jenna Blumenfeld

About the Author

Jenna Blumenfeld, (Jenna Ogden Blumenfeld when she’s in really big trouble) hails from the wee state of Connecticut. Although her childhood dream of becoming a bug doctor — with a specialization in ladybugs — has gone unfulfilled, she is content writing about travel, cuisine and culture. A vegetarian, she currently resides in the food hub of Boulder, Colorado. Read more of her food-centric writing at NewHope360.com. You can follow Jenna on Twitter here: @JennaBlumenfeld, or via Google+.

The post 10 Gorgeous Photos From My Trip To Telluride appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

I normally don’t take my cell phone with me while traveling (as I recently wrote about prior to my trip to India). This is due to a wide variety of reasons including the cost of buying local SIM cards and topping them off with data plans, the potential for sticking out as a target for theft — particularly in high-crime countries and cities, the distraction phones create while you should be enjoying your new surroundings, and the very basic fact that up until recently, I had little need for instant access to phone calls, texts or the internet since I didn’t want to be bothered with these things while traveling (as a rule, while traveling, everything can wait).

However, during my most recent trip to Maui in September, I decided to bring along my iPhone 5 since it wouldn’t involve any issues with roaming, SIM cards or theft (most honeymooners on Maui have far more interesting things on their mind than swiping electronics).

As I look back, it was nice to be able to stay in constant contact with the other people I was traveling with, and sending out instant tweets, uploading pictures on Facebook and Instagram, and using Google Maps and Yelp for navigation and restaurant recommendations provided a fun way to both share my trip with my friends as I went along, as well as to make the traveling itself go quite a bit smoother (goodbye unmarked black-and-white maps in Lonely Planet, hello Google Maps!).

But the real highlight of taking my phone along with me was using the iPhone 5’s amazing camera. Though I had my DSLR on me the entire time, I ended up using it almost exclusively for video and pulling out my iPhone for photos, both for its easy-to-use white balance feature (I’m still trying to figure out how to do that on my Nikon), as well as for the ability to easily upload my photos to my various social networks.

I also got to playing around with the panorama feature of the phone, something that in the past I had mostly dismissed as gimmicky and not for “serious” photography. However, when you’re on an island where you are constantly surrounded by pure and unadulterated beauty, it’s hard to capture everything you are seeing in a limited 3:2 ratio. So I started selecting the panorama option once in a while to see how the images would come out, and I was more than surprised with the results once I got home and was able to look at them on my computer.

The Photos

The following are a selection of some of my favorite panorama pictures during my trip to Maui. I decided to post the photos with absolutely no filters or post-processing done to them. I know that in the age of Instagram this is nearly heretical, but I wanted to present an accurate and unfiltered reflection of the beauty of the island, without a reader wondering to themselves, “I wonder what it really looks like?”

Also, most of these images were several-thousand-pixel wide in their native format; much too wide to be displayed on most monitors, let alone a standard web site like my own. Therefore, the images on this page have been scaled down to the width of 582 pixels to fit the page. But, if you click each image, a new tab will open and you can view each image in a much wider 1600-pixel-wide format.

Haleakalā Sunrise

The main highlight of visiting Haleakalā, the active volcano that makes up 75% of the island of Maui, is the memorable views of the sunrise as the sun rises above the perpetual cloudcover that sits below the peak of the volcano. This photo shows the vista about 20 minutes before the sun comes up.

Haleakalā Sunrise 2

The above picture shows the amazing colors that begin to form on the clouds shortly before the sun breaks free from the horizon.

Haleakalā Summit

Most people watch the sunrise from the viewing area just outside the visitor’s center, then turn around and head back to warmer environs. However, if you head just a little further up the main road, you will find the actual summit, complete with views of Hawaii (The Big Island) — along with views of its many observatories — in the distance, as well views of the Maui coastline along Wailea, the main town of Kahului, as well as the numerous telescopes off to the edge run by the University of Hawaii as well as the Air Force (one telescope allegedly tracks every object in the orbit larger than a basketball).

Honolua Bay

Located just north of Kapalua, Honolua Bay offers one of the most spectacular views of the pristine waters surrounding Maui. Off in the distance you can see Moloka’i, and on most days, down below in the water you will likely see scores of surfers, as these are some of the best waves for surfing in the world.

Honokohau Bay

Heading north and east from Kapalua along Route 30 you will find many beautiful bays and inlets along the coastline, many of which you can park near and explore by foot. This one, Honokohau Bay, had a small shack nearby where you can buy a coconut from a woman who will slice it open for you on demand.

Biking Down Haleakalā

The problem with visiting Haleakalā to see the sunrise in the morning is that you are in total darkness the entire time. To really take in the views, rent a bike from the many companies that offer it (such as Haleakala Bike Company). They will provide you with a bike, helmet and jacket, and drive you up past the treeline, where you can then cruise down the quiet roadway at your own pace.

About halfway down, stop in Makawao, the famed “cowboy town, for lunch to refuel. Friend of the TheExpeditioner.com Kyle Ellison’s parents own Polli’s, the town’s best Mexican joint, where you can load up on giant burritos and potent margaritas. (Editor’s Note: This site does not advocate mixing Margaritas and downhill volcano bike riding in any manner.)

Sunset from Wailea

Sunsets along the entire western portion of Maui are simply breathtaking, and those as seen from Wailea are no exception. This was my view during cocktail hour before the night’s luau festivities got going.

Sunset from Wailea 2

Then, once the sun hits the horizon, the colors in the sky dramatically change, projecting shades of pink, blue and orange all around you.

Luau in Wailea

The problem with bloggers is that they’re always playing with their phones and cameras. That’s Megan McDonough of Bohemian Trails and Ryan Van Duzer of Duzer.TV ignoring the very interesting, highly entertaining luau taking place.

This particular Luau, Te Au Moana (or “The Ocean Tide”), takes place on the lawn of the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, and includes a free lei, a massive buffet with baked Kalua Pig as the centerpiece, more piña coladas than one should ever be allowed to drink at any event that includes fire, as well as one of the more authentic Polynesian dance performances on the islands.

Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area

Given the natural beauty that surrounds you, it makes sense that parasailing would be excellent in Maui, as it offers a once-in-a-lifetime view of the island (as seen strapped to the front of a Brazilian man tethered to a small piece of nylon being used as a sail in my case). This view is from Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area, located about halfway up Haleakalā, which is where I met up with my particular paragliding guide, Proflyght Paragliding, Maui’s oldest and only full-time paragliding school in Hawaii (and run by Dexter Binder, pictured here with a mallard duck).

The Four Seasons, Wailea

The Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, pictured at the top right above, is the gold standard for luxurious resorts on the island, and it sits above one of the many picturesque beaches in Wailea, most of which are accessible by foot along the Wailea beach path. Early in the morning is nicest, and as lunch rolls around, the trade winds tend to pick up, with the palm trees bearing the brunt of its force.

Lana’i and Kahoʻolawe from Waiela

Looking in the other direction along the path you can see Lana’i off to the right and the uninhabited island of Kahoʻolawe to the left (with the diving-friendly Molikini Island Preserve just in front of it). Along the path they have focused on planting and maintaining all native species of plants, a stark contrast to much of the island that has since been planted with other non-native varieties over the years.

By Matt Stabile

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matt Stabile is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheExpeditioner.com. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos, purchase the book he co-edited or contact him via email at any time at TheExpeditioner.com. (@TheExpeditioner)

The post 12 Stunning Panoramic Photos Of Maui appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

As if I wasn’t feeling bad enough about my skills the first time on a surfboard, Luna, the unofficial mascot of the Maui-based surfing school Maui Surfer Girls, had to show me up by effortlessly riding the waves, with barely any effort even being shown on her part.

In all seriousness, I have to say the image of this Black Labrador riding the surfboard with Camp Founder and Director, Dustin Tester, was an unforgettable sight, and one that will likely stay with me far longer than the many images I also had of the water rushing up to my face as I was wiping out once again during my first day on a board.

By Matt Stabile

About the Author

Matt Stabile is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Expeditioner. The Expeditioner began in 2008 and is headquartered in New York City. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos or contact him at any time at TheExpeditioner.com. (@TheExpeditioner)

The post Behold The Sight Of Luna The Surfing Dog appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

I’m loving the photo collection I recently discovered by noted travel photographer Steve McCurry (a 30-year veteran in the industry) entitled “Trains,” his ode to India’s beloved and ubiquitous mode of transportation. From the sweeping long shots (like the one from Agra above), to the intimate close-ups, McCurry’s overarching theme is his amazing ability to tell an immense story and elicit a sense of wonder through his images.

On his site, McCurry describes why he chose trains to tell his story of India.

Ever since the British built the railroads in India that stitch that vast subcontinent together, trains have been the organizing force that unify all of its disparate parts.

As I tried to tell the story of the community that inhabits the depots, I would go to the train station every day and wander around the platform. Each time a train would roll in, while carefully stepping over bodies and around huge mountains of luggage, I would start to photograph the swirl of life that assaults and saturates the senses.

To see the entire “Trains” set as well as his full portfolio, visit Steve McCurry’s site here.

By Matt Stabile

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matt Stabile is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Expeditioner. The Expeditioner began in 2008 and is headquartered in New York City. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos or contact him at any time at TheExpeditioner.com. (@TheExpeditioner)

The post I Can’t Stop Looking At These Amazing Travel Photos From India appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

The 2013 National Geographic photo contest is well under way, and in annual tradition, the contest is serving the important purpose of reiterating the fact that your travel photos are no good. No seriously, these are mostly “amateurs” submitting photos to the contest, and even the worst of the lot makes the best travel photos of ours look like something our 11-year-old cousin posted on Instagram using their 3GS.

But if you think you are one of the few whose photos rise to the level of contest winner, be sure to enter the contest before it closes on June 30 for your chance to win the grand prize of a 10-day Galápagos National Geographic Expedition for two (second place is a 7-day National Geographic Photography Workshop and third place gets you a 6-day cruise on a Maine windjammer schooner for two).

And for some some inspiration and to see what the competition is up to, check out the weekly editors’ picks, broken down into the categories of travel portraits, outdoor scenes, sense of place, and spontaneous moments. My favorite for week 6 is the ethereal above shot by Francesco Filippo Pellegrini who captured a flock of swifts while visiting Iguazú Falls, Argentina. Sigh, I’m selling my camera tomorrow.

[Swifts Over the Fall by Francesco Filippo Pellegrini]

By Matt Stabile

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matt Stabile is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Expeditioner. The Expeditioner began in 2008 and is headquartered in New York City. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos or contact him at any time at TheExpeditioner.com. (@TheExpeditioner)

The post The Nat Geo Photo Contest Reminds You How Bad Your Travel Photos Are appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

It’s hard to imagine today, but back in the ’60s and ’70s, Iran was a widely visited country and an integral part of the “Hippie Trail”, which means your parents are much more likely to have seen Iran than you.

Which is, of course, sad since Iran would likely be a major destination for travel today if not for its current political climate, given its rich history and unique culture dating back a few thousand years. Imagine visiting the ruins of Persepolis (a World Heritage Site), or checking out the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMCA), home to an impressive collection including works by Picasso, Kandinsky, Warhol, Duchamp and Pollock (and estimated to be worth $2.5 billion).

For those of us who aren’t going anytime soon, check out The Atlantic’s stunning photo essay to see what it would be like to visit Iran today. The above picture was taken from the photo essay put together by Amos Chapple, a freelancer photographer from New Zealand who took these photos from his travels in the country throughout 2012.

Unsurprisingly, he was amazed at the difference between the reality on the ground versus the perception the public has about the country. “[I] was amazed by the difference in western perceptions of the country, and what I saw on the ground . . . people have a skewed image of what Iran is — the regime actually want to portray the country as a cauldron of anti-western sentiment so they syndicate news footage of chanting nutcases which is happily picked up by overseas networks. For ordinary Iranians though, the government is a constant embarrassment.”

[A Trip to Iran via TheAtlantic.com]

By Matt Stabile

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matt Stabile is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Expeditioner. The Expeditioner began in 2008 and is headquartered in New York City. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos or contact him at any time at TheExpeditioner.com. (@TheExpeditioner)

The post This Is What Your Trip To Iran Would Look Like appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Luke in Kenya: Part 2

“Luke in Kenya” is a travel series from Managing Editor Luke Armstrong as he travels to Kenya to visit the homeland of his adopted brother.

Nairobi’s Kibera slum is Africa’s second largest. Most families subsist on less than $1 a day. Though present (and often highlighted by the media and NGOs), desperation is not the rule here. By our Western standards, Kibera is a place with atrocious living conditions. But most here are there by choice, escaping hungry conditions in the countryside to find opportunities and work. It reminds me of the 1860’s New York as portrayed in Gangs of New York. In Kibera you find excitement; hustle and bustle. As the Economist aptly pointed out, “Kibera may be the most entrepreneurial place on the planet.”

Kibera is by no means an easy place to live. To fill your belly, every day requires hard work and ingenuity.

Kibera’s populations swells and contracts from 600, 000 to 1.5 million. They often shrink during elections years (March 4, 2013, is the next one) when tensions between the 42 different tribes cause people to get out of Dodge.

The first thing you see when you walk out of your house in Kibera is your neighbor. Families, sometimes as large as eight people, live in a single room. Up to 100 families will share a latrine. Because of the price to empty them, these overused latrines often overflow. When this occurs, some families resort to defecating in plastic bags that at night they throw into the street. These are aptly called “flying toilets.”

There are two parts of Kibera: the legal and the illegal. In the illegal side, fires are a constant threat due to indoor cooking practices inside the cluttered mud huts.

When it rains, the haphazardly connected electrical wires are a major threat, often resulting in injury and death.

Kibera has an open sewage “system.” The plastic water pipes that run over the raw sewage often develop holes, resulting in contamination.

But, of course, kids enjoy toy cars in Kibera as they would anywhere.

According to one resident, “Everyone comes to the slum through another person. You can’t just come today and start living. No one would accept you.”

For entertainment, a mere 40 cents will allow you to catch a flick in Kibera.

There is no police station inside the slum. They are located outside. “For them to follow your case, you need to bribe them,” one resident informed me. Normally they go to the chief.

By Luke Maguire Armstrong

• Read the entire “Luke in Kenya” series here.

About the Author

After setting out to hitchhike from Chile to Alaska, Luke Maguire Armstrong stopped in Guatemala where he spent four years directing the social service programs of the charity Nuestros Ahijados. He is the author of, iPoems for the Dolphins to Click Home About (available for sale on Amazon.com) which is especially enjoyed by people “who don’t read poetry.” (Follow Luke on Twitter: @lukespartacus). His new book, How We Are Human, was recently released.

The post Luke In Kenya Part 2: Nairobi’s Kibera Slum [Photo Essay] appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Ever wonder what it would look like if you were to, oh, pack up and head to Kabul, Afghanistan, i.e., the ultimate off-the-beaten-path-bet-you-haven’t-been-there city, for a week of R&R? Well, here’s your chance.

In October, volunteer Anna Brones spent two weeks in Afghanistan with Mountain2Mountain, a non-profit focused on women in Afghanistan, where she chronicled what life is like on the ground in one of the most volatile cities in the world, the results of which were published on Gadling.

My favorite is the above shot depicting what is likely the lunchtime rush, an experience every person in the world can relate to. One of the vendor exchanges money with an unknown figure who has parked nearby on his motorbike; a conversation between a few locals is occurring nearby on the muddy street. Though war-torn, and with a future uncertain, life goes on here, just like everywhere else in the world, with people attending to the necessities of life.

[The Streets of Kabul, Afghanistan/Gadling]

The post What Street Life Looks Like In Kabul Right Now appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

National Geographic announced the winner of its 2012 photo contest, with the winning image going to Cedric Houin’s above shot of a family’s hut in Kyrgyzstan, a richly colorful and intimate picture that actually says quite more than what one initially observes.

As one of the judges, National Geographic contributing photographer Alexandra Avakian, notes, “The content of the photo is striking because the photographer captured both the nomads’ traditional way of life and some of their modern accouterments—the viewer gets the visual satisfaction of something that goes against cliché.”

See all the winners and runners up by visiting NationalGeographic.com here.

The post National Geographic Announces 2012 Photo Contest Winners appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

The BBC recently featured a number of noted photographer Pablo Bartholomew’s stunning black-and-white pictures of Mumbai (then Bombay) from the ’70s and ’80s, a time long before steel barons and call center magnates began erecting tall glass homes and whole neighborhoods were transformed, making room for the country’s burgeoning middle class. A time also long before digital cameras and photo-editing programs could make even the worst pictures look good, and when a grainy black-and-white shot could help tell a better picture than a finely tuned Photoshopped image ever could.

One of my favorites is an image that features what is obviously an out-of-place ex-pat nonchalantly smoking a cigarette and talking with what appears to be a small boy among a group of locals reading the paper. The disregard to his presence seems to hint that the existence of a long-hair, bearded hippy in their midst was not an uncommon occurrence during this time period — and also indicates this traveler’s successful integration into an unfamiliar culture. A great shot any backpacker can be proud of.

Bartholomew’s exhibit of photos from Mumbai in the ’70s and ’80s is now on show in New Delhi at the PHOTOINK gallery, but many of the 100-plus photographs from the collection can be seen here at the gallery’s site.

[Images courtesy of Pablo Bartholomew]

The post A Case For Travel Photography Before Digital Cameras appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Music is a perfect example of transcendental beauty ripe for a photography contest. Ask people why music is important and you’ll likely be greeted with some pretty outstanding responses: It’s my sanctuary, it cleanses my soul, it’s a universal means of connectedness, music is an outlet for my heart and it’s the color palette that paints life. As eloquent as we are as communicative beings, there are some things in the world that require words larger than what we have — so we rely on pictures. This reason could be one of the main reasons why this month’s photo contest was one of the best.

Our winner comes to us from the streets of Venice, Italy. Our congratulations to photographer Kevin Thornhill, who shot this beautiful candid with his Nikon D7000. Despite the musical theme, our subject isn’t making anything of the sort — the music making seems to be entirely internal. It’s his eyes — they appear to be in quiet reflection or contemplation or transported to a far-off land in a far off time. Kevin probably explains it best: “I decided to aimlessly wander around the city looking for life and came across this scene of serenity.”

Serenity, that could definitely be the adjective I’m looking for. Congratulations to the Venice Violinist, our January travel photography contest winner. Kevin has an incredible bank of photography over at Kevin Thornhill Photography and on his Facebook page.  Be sure to check out the rest of Kevin’s shots to add a bit more serenity to your busy day!

Our next contest theme is “In The Dark.”  It’s another great theme idea that celebrates the special moment when everything in those difficult low-light photos begins to dance beautifully together. We can’t wait to see this month’s submissions,  head over to TheExpeditioner.com Flickr Group to see all the sweet shots posted by The Expeditioner Nation.

By Jon Wick

About the Author

Jon lives in Butte, Montana, spending most of his time on skis or bikes; sometimes both. He began travel writing while teaching in Korea and is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree in Technical Communication at Montana Tech. Jon has begun writing his first book, Death is a Trip, whose movie rights are still (very) available. Catch more of Jon at TheJonWickproject.wordpress.com. (@ExpedJon)

The post The Expeditioner’s “Music” Photo Contest Winner: Venice Violinist appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

As 2011 wrapped up, things got a bit nostalgic around here. One of our recurring posts — as you may have noticed springing up at the beginning of each month — is the winning photograph chosen from our travel photography group at Flickr. Besides being one of the most kick-ass photo groups on Flickr, it is also a really awesome experience — for me at least — to go back and see the caliber of talent, all of the incredible shots and all the travel experiences right here from my finely-molded desk chair. It is the essence of travel through pictures that we created the group, and what we’ve seen submitted to the group blows our minds.

Below, we’ve provided the links to each of the winning posts from 2011. For those interested in the entire breadth of our photography winners, just click here for all the past winners.

*

About two years ago we created the group as a platform to help our readers share their photography from all over the world. In that time, we’ve begun a few forum discussions regarding travel and photography, helped a few photographers get published through our themed contests each month and seen some absolutely stunning shots. Just another day at the office, right?

For those of you new to Flickr, the site allows you to upload digital photos, videos and graphics. You can also make new contacts, join themed groups you are interested in or lose a few hours in the wonderland of photos found there.

There is a trial account, free of charge, in which you can upload a maximum of 200 photos. But that wouldn’t cover the last road trip you took, would it? Otherwise, for $25/year, you can become a “Pro” with unlimited storage. And it doesn’t matter if you have a disposable or a professional camera — come one, come all.

The Expeditioner group is aimed at travelers from every walk of life. As is the mission for the site, we urge others to travel; to inspire people to want to book a flight right away and head off somewhere in the world. We hope that you enjoy this look back at the amazing travel photography we featured from 2011. We sure did.

January: A Thai Pier Perspective

February: The World in Black and White

March: Montana’s Winter Streets

April: Finding Uniqueness on London’s Tower Bridge

May: Hanoi Eatery

June/July: Classic Western North America 

August: Rural India

September/October: South American Warmth

November: Cuzco’s Inti Raymi Festival

December: Japanese Snow Bikes

By Jon Wick

About the Author

Jon lives in Butte, Montana, spending most of his time on skis or bikes; sometimes both. He began travel writing while teaching in Korea and is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree in Technical Communication at Montana Tech. Jon has begun writing his first book, The Story of Will, whose movie rights are still (very) available. Catch more of Jon at TheJonWickproject.wordpress.com. (@ExpedJon)

The post Year In Review: The Expeditioner’s 2011 Travel Photography Contest Winners appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

The world is ripe with parties and festivals, each with its own unique flavor of the local culture, cuisine, love and dance. This month’s photo contest, chosen from our Flickr group, was a celebration of travel through partying.

Our winning shot comes from the Inti Raymi Festival in Cusco, Peru. This festival of the sun has deep roots celebrating the Incan god Inti. The festival also celebrates local police and their longing looks at beautiful paraders as they pass by. Well, that may not be completely true, but this shot captures just that.

Let’s imagine for a second: You are heading to the next bar, propping up your overly-inebriated friend who will not take off their new Luke Armstrong mask. You are enveloped by the atmosphere, the dress, and the revelry. You look up, meet a pair of eyes, and the world comes to a screeching halt. Oh, you know what I mean . . .

Party on Jessie Reeder, and congratulations, your shot is our November travel photo winner. Be sure to check out her incredible gallery of shots from all over the world at her Flickr page.

And if you’ve got, say, a week to kill, visit her blog: Little Bark Photography. Seriously, you’ll thank me.

Our next contest theme is “Winter.”  Whether you hibernate or embrace, sleep or ski, this season is a jackpot of fantastic shots. We can’t wait to see our group’s submissions.  Be sure to head over to TheExpeditioner.com Flickr Group, in between rounds of egg nog, to see the growing bank of photographs posted by our readers and fellow travelers.

By Jon Wick

About the Author

Jon lives in Butte, Montana, spending most of his time on skis or bikes; sometimes both. He began travel writing while teaching in Korea and is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree in Technical Communication at Montana Tech. Jon has begun writing his first book, The Story of Will, whose movie rights are still (very) available. Catch more of Jon at TheJonWickproject.wordpress.com. (@ExpedJon)

The post November Photo Contest Winner: Cusco’s Inti Raymi Festival appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

What makes a place? Is it the food, the drink, the clothing? The winning shot from this past month’s Flickr photo contest suggests a definitive answer: people.

Though culture can be defined by so many things, it is passed on and embodied by those within. Congratulations to Filippo Tafi and his wonderful shot of a Peruvian family relaxing outside their home. I am sad to admit I have not been to the South American continent yet, but with shots like this that illustrate the warmth of people from that part of the world, I can’t wait to go.

The smiles, waves and vibrant colors juxtaposed with earthen hues is that one shot, one out of the 3,000 shots you (or maybe it’s just me) take on trips, that make the hundreds of blurry throwaways worth the effort. A great moment in time, even if it was only a moment. You know, I already feel welcomed to Peru because of this shot alone.

For those of you who wish to check out more of Filippo’s shots from all over the world — he’s quite traveled — click here to access his photostream. Thanks for the great shot!

*

The time has now come for some good, old-fashioned debauchery. Yup, I’ve circumnavigated The Expeditioner’s ethics department to announce our November Photo Contest: Party!

Each culture, each trip, each locale has its unique way of letting loose. Whether it’s having two too many on a plastic stool on a street corner of Hanoi or raging the streets of Antigua (ahem, Luke), this month’s contest is for all you that seek the world through partying. Just head over to our Flicker group and join us, then head to the November contest thread and submit your partying shot for a chance at having your photograph featured here, if front of our nearly 8 million hourly readers!

*This is the point where I add a disclaimer to keep from getting this contest yanked: No tasteless shots — you know what I mean.*

By Jon Wick

About the Author

Jon lives in Butte, Montana, spending most of his time on skis or bikes; sometimes both. He began travel writing while teaching in Korea and is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree in Technical Communication at Montana Tech. Jon has begun writing his first book, The Story of Will, whose movie rights are still (very) available. Catch more of Jon at TheJonWickproject.wordpress.com. (@ExpedJon)

The post The Expeditioner’s October Travel Photography Contest Winner: South American Warmth appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

From the 1000-year-old temples, to the food, to the other backpackers one encounters on such a trek, what follows, I hope, is a gentle kick-in-the-behind motivation for those thinking of traveling there.

The walls at Preah Khan, probably the most famous temple in Angkor, Cambodia.

Looking downstream in Muang Ngoi, a Lao town along the Nam Ou River.

An early-morning stroll in Luang Prabang’s morning market, north central Laos.

Dinner during a two-day trek to an Akha hill tribes village near Phongsali, the northernmost province in Laos.

Taking the slow boat ride down the Mekong River in Laos from Houayxai to Pakbeng.

This tea salesman, in the Chinese village in northern Thailand called Mae Salong. is writing out the brewing instructions I asked for.

An older woman from Mae Hong Son, in northern Thailand near the border of Burma.

Visakha Bucha Day in Chiang Mai. The holiday celebrates the birth, enlightenment and entry into nirvana of the Buddha.

A vendor prepares for the crowds at the night market in Chiang Mai.

Sunset in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

By Stephen Bugno

About the Author

Stephen Bugno has been traveling the world for more than a decade as both a volunteer and a wanderer, and is the editor and publisher of the online travel magazine GoMadNomad.com and his personal site BohemainTraveler.com. You can follow Stephen via twitter at @bohemiantrav or on Facebook.

The post An Unforgettable Tour Through Southeast Asia [Photo Essay] appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.