Vagabond Journey - Travel, Culture, Ecology, Geography

Featured Articles

This page is having a slideshow that uses Javascript. Your browser either doesn't support Javascript or you have it turned off. To see this page as it is meant to appear please use a Javascript enabled browser.

Mekong River Boat Adventure | Vagabond TV Episode 1
Adventure is not dead, and Sam Bove is my living proof. It is rare that I meet another traveler who not only dreams up fantastic journeys, but actually does them. In the vein of Richard Halliburton, Bove seems to seek an understanding of the world through direct and close experience, and he is not hesitant to use unconventional means in this pursuit. Though only 21, he has already undertaken multiple adventures through the world. This video is about his journey down the Mekong River in a boat he built by
Read More
The Vagabond Cookbook
The vagabond cookbook aims to share a collection of recipes that can be easily and cheaply be prepared on the road almost anywhere in the world. Each meal can generally be made for under $2. These are the foods that fuel Vagabondjourney.com.
Read More
Best Banks for International Travelers
When you travel outside of your home country for any extended period of time those banking fees really start to add up. Take, for example, the fees I would pay from my home bank while I’m gallivanting from country to country. I usually withdraw money from ATM about once a week. My home bank charges $2.50 per withdrawal and, on average, I’m usually charged $3.00 from a foreign ATM. In the past year I would have been charged $286 just to access my own money before accounting for the foreign transaction
Read More
The Postmodern Vagabond: An Interview with Rolf Potts
Rolf Potts has been traveling the world for over 15 years, documenting his experiences and insights for various magazines and websites, as well as in two books: the classic long term travel manual, Vagabonding, and a more recent collection of travel stories, Marco Polo Didn’t Go There. Vagabondjourney.com caught up with Rolf to inquire about his visions of modern day travel as well as where the traveler stands in the postmodern world in the following interview. In the subtitle of Marco Polo Didn’t
Read More
The Rise of Christianity in South Korea
Visitors to South Korea might be surprised – and a little bit crushed – to discover that the country’s rapidly-growing Christian population may be a hindrance to the dozens of historical sites and customs constructed by Buddhist, Confucian, and Shamanist devotees. Nearly 30% of South Koreans are self-professed Christians of some sort, a staggering number considering that barely 50% of the population adheres to any religion at all. Although South Korea still has its fair share of touristy temples, sh
Read More
Breakdown of Traditional Beliefs Put Ecosystems in Danger
Long honed cultural traditions, sometimes even the most ridiculous, often make sense if observed in the environment or historical contexts in which they were honed. Traditional/ old/ indigenous cultures around the world often have mechanisms which either directly or indirectly teach its members how to live sustainably within their environments — a practice often referred to as ecological stewardship. Oftentimes, the rules which shape environmentally sustainable behavior are governed by religious beliefs
Read More
Snorri Helgason: Folk Music from Iceland
“Music chronicles the times: the feeling of the times, the emotion of the times,” spoke Snorri Helgason while sipping from a mug of coffee inside of a Reykjavik cafe. “It just makes people feel good,” he continued as he set down the mug, “that is what music does for me, and I hope my music does to others.” In Iceland, his native land, Snorri Helgason rose to stardom fast as the front man for the pop band Sprengjuhöllin. Songs from their first album spent 27 weeks at #1 on the country’s musi
Read More
Xayaburi Dam is the Greatest Threat to the Mekong River
Construction of the Xayaburi Dam, the first of eleven dams planned for the Mekong River, was postponed on December 8th, as Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam concurred that more data is needed on the potentially adverse environmental and social impacts of the project. Many environmental and social groups working in the region applaud the decision, stating that the dam would not only wreak havoc on the region’s ecosystem, the communities who live there, but all Southeast Asians accustom to consuming t
Read More

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Travel Tips

What to Do if you Are in an Earthquake
What Attracts Mosquitoes to Humans and Tips on How to Prevent Against Being Bitten
Check Passport Stamps Before Clearing Immigration Travel Tip
Travel Tips from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Best Banks for International Travelers With Lowest ATM Fees and Less Surcharges

Travel Guides

Vagabondjourney.com’s travel guide section is a massive collection of travel and destination information for the entire globe. Research your journey here: Vagabondjourney World Travel Guides.

Featured travel guide: Colombia

Colombia is a country at the northern tip of South America. It has coasts on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, as well as borders with Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru. Colombia’s population is over 45 million people, making it the second most populated country in South America after Brazil, and the third highest populated Spanish speaking country in the world. Read more on the Colombia Extreme Budget Travel Guide.

Newest Travel Guide

News Politics Current Events in Oman

Oman is a country located in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is an absolute monarchy and is acknowledged as one of the most stable and developed countries in the Middle East. If you are traveling to Oman, we suggest you find out about the current events and news before you go. We have linked [...]

Bogotá, Colombia – The last days are here. The last bus rides. Last taxi’s (thank God!). Last hostel. Last weekend. Last museum. The last city � Bogotá. My final days of Latin America, for the near future, have arrived and I can’t say I’m sad to see them come. Things I normally wouldn’t think twice [...]

News by Country

Mexico

Vagabond Journey International

Chinese (traditional)

Travel Books

VagabondJourney.com Book Reviews looks at the best of modern and old time travel literature.

Travel literature topics:

Adventure | Classics | History | Great Journeys | Destinations

Wade Shepard’s Blog

It is What it is Spanish Saying
I Prefer to Travel by Train Rather than Plane Any Day
Employment Discrimination and Stereotyping is Normal
The Mexican Christmas Posada
Healthy Food is the Cheapest Food Everywhere
Work in a Kinderfarten in China
Colombia Tourism Bubble About to Burst
New Family Travel Strategy
Colombia Travel Expectations, Expect Only to Make Your Own Travels
ATM in Mexico Did Not Give Me All My Money

More

World Chronicle

How to Make Milanesa Breaded Beef Fillets

Milanesa, a breaded meat fillet that is most often made from beef — though can also be made from chicken or veal — is a recent addition to the Vagabond Cookbook. I would relish this meat in restaurants throughout my travels in Mexico, and one day my wife ended up just making it herself in [...]

What is Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) and Tips on How to Stop It

Around a year ago I developed an odd seasick like nausea when staring into a computer monitor. It would sometimes become so bad that I would sometimes become pretty much incapacitated by it and unable to work. I battled through this problem for a year, thinking that it was just some strange psychological or physical [...]

What to Do if you Are in an Earthquake

The chances if being in a major earthquake when traveling are slim — so slim, in fact, that planning an itinerary to avoid earthquake hot spots is more than a touch overkill. In point, a traveler goes to many different locations on the planet, so will therefore travel through far more earthquake zones (such as the Ring [...]

SOPA/ PIPA Bills are Dead but the Wild West Days of the Internet Are Coming to a Close

The SOPA and PIPA bills were wiped out of congress, but the wild west days of the internet still in danger SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) were two bills designed by the US Government to lay down the legal framework to aggressively go after websites that infringe upon US copyright [...]

6.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Chiapas, Mexico

SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- The floor of my apartment in San Cristobal de las Casas became suddenly pliable, it shifted smoothly to the east and west. The things on my counter top vibrated gently. I made for the door and stepped out into the courtyard and waited to see if the earthquake would grow worse. [...]

What Attracts Mosquitoes to Humans and Tips on How to Prevent Against Being Bitten

“Finding what attracts mosquitoes will ultimately help us find ways to control them.” -Ulrich R. Bernier World Travel and mosquitoes go together, and devising ways to limit the frequency of being bitten by them is part of the standard operating procedure of any traveler. Knowing what attracts mosquitoes to your flesh is the first step to figuring [...]

Mekong Boating Adventure Interview with Sam Bove | Vagabond TV Episode 1

Vagabond TV Episode 1: Boating down the Mekong with Sam Bove Adventure is not dead, and Sam Bove is my living proof. It is rare that I meet another traveler who not only dreams up fantastic journeys, but actually does them. In the vein of Richard Halliburton, Bove seems to seek an understanding of the [...]

Meat, Vegetables, and Rice: A Traveler�s Meal

Rice is easily available and cheap throughout the world. I must struggle to think of a place in the world that I’ve traveled to where dry rice is sold for over a dollar a pound. It is also a highly nutritious grain that can serve as a base for just about any meal. For the traveler, rice [...]

Check Passport Stamps Before Clearing Immigration Travel Tip

I run a travel question and answer service on Vagabondjourney.com, through which I’m able to gauge current trends in travel problems and difficulties that people are having on the road. Generally, there are two types of questions that come into me through this service: 1) Questions that people have when planning their trip, and 2) [...]

Travel Tips from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

I cannot say that I look for much travel wisdom in Hollywood films, as the way they often portray travel is so ridiculous and unrealistic that I find it difficult to even be entertained, let alone informed or inspired. When I sat down to watch Planes, Trains, and Automobiles — an 1980′s classic about a Wall Street [...]

Travel News

26% of People Less Likely to Go on a Cruise Following Costa Concordia Tragedy
Playing Football in Cape Town: The Aftermath of the 2010 World Cup
Discover Orlando, Fl
Anthony Bourdain�s top five tips on how to survive travel nightmares
Airline Food Investigation: What Airlines Provide the Healthiest Meals

More

Travel Questions Forum

Wade | VagabondJourney.com on New here and have question on living foreign
Barbro Wolthers on Born in Sweden.
Braedalbane Scot on New here and have question on living foreign
Braedalbane Scot on New here and have question on living foreign
Wade | VagabondJourney.com on New here and have question on living foreign

Mission Statement

Vagabond Journey Travel is a massive world culture, news, and travel resource which aims to:

Provide a first hand look at cultures and people around the globe
Show the real story behind news stories and current events
Teach how to escape tourism and use travel as a way to learn about the world
Demonstrate how to find work and earn money to contine your global explorations
Explain how to do all of this on a limited budget of $500 per month

Vagabond Explorer Magazine

Vagabond Explorer Magazine is the official print/ pdf publication of VagabondJourney.com which challenges you to get outside the rounds of conventional tourism, into the open air, and look the world directly in the face. In each issue we strive to give you the best on the ground world news reports, biting vagabonding narratives, as well as practical, tactical, and money saving travel tips. Look inside at Vagabond Explorer Magazine.

Popular Pages

Topics

Countries

Support

Support vagabondjourney.com when you buy from Amazon.com

Travel

In Patagonia Bruce Chatwin
The Vagabond Isabelle Eberhardt
A Vagabond Journey Around The World Harry Franck
The Royal Road to Romance Richard Halliburton

Culture & Society

Light at the Edge of the World: A Journey Through the Realm of Vanishing Cultures Wade Davis
Orientalism Edward Said
The Interpretation Of Cultures Clifford Geertz

Environment & Wildlife

Rewilding the World: Dispatches from the Conservation Revolution Caroline Fraser

History & Science

The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution Gregory Cochran
Guns, Germs, and Steel Jared Diamond
On Human Nature E. O. Wilson

Travel Gear

Katadyn Water Microfilter- Good to purify drinking water
Canon PowerShot D10 12.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera- Great camera for travel
Lowe Alpine TT Tour 70 Travel Pack- Great backpack for world travel.

China Highlights offers China Tours.

Vagabondjourney.com’s Fan Page on Facebook