• A Travel Writer in the Trump Era Last September I was in a small taxi heading to Lalibela, Ethiopia. Sitting in the front seat taking pictures, my driver asked if I was American. After I said yes, he asked if I thought Donald Trump would be elected President. I said no I did not think he would win. He smiled and said […]
  • Ballooning Over the Masai Mara…at Dawn Sometimes all the stars align…..at dawn on the Masai Mara. Spend 16 seconds with me as I soar over the wildebeests during the Great Migration. Sometimes called the ‘World Cup of Wildlife’,  over two million animals cross from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Masai Mara plains in Kenya every year.    This video  shows […]
  • The Ultimate Safari…in One Morning   “Watching the crossing of the Mara River this morning surpassed all my previous safaris…combined.”  Author Jared Diamond September 9. 2016 Let me back up. Our private jet group had landed in Kenya from Ethiopia the day before Jared’s safari of a lifetime. Greeted on the runway by the Masai and our guides, we were […]
  • North Korea, Mongolia and More Surprising Vacation Destinations I just returned from three days of meetings and parties in Marrakech, Morocco at the fourth annual PURE Life Experiences Travel Conference. I know, the title sounds slightly “New Age,” and maybe it is, but it is also one of the most creative, prescient three days I have spent in many years. We all read […]
  • North Korea, Mongolia and More Surprising Vacation Destinations I just returned from three days of meetings and parties in Marrakech, Morocco at the fourth annual PURE Life Experiences Travel Conference. I know, the title sounds slightly “New Age,” and maybe it is, but it is also one of the most creative, prescient three days I have spent in many years. We all read […]
  • Egyptian Tourism After The Embassy Riots After a two hour meeting with President Morsi on September 9 at the Presidential Palace, I was optimistic about Egypt’s relationship with the West. Then I flew out of Cairo two days later, landed in Paris and saw newscasts of the riots in Benghazi and Cairo. Egyptian tourism suddenly looked dead in the water. Is […]
  • Is It Time To Return To Egypt? During my visit, I will be moderating a panel on Tourism with the new Minister of Tourism, His Excellency Hisham Zaazou. Let me know if you have questions for him. I am returning to Egypt with the U.S. Business Mission to Egypt this fall, a visit sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and including […]
  • Seven Trips To Expand Your Comfort Zone Having spent 17 years circling the globe for my job at the Smithsonian Institution, I am often asked, “Where is your favorite destination and where should I go next?” Seems like an easy question, but it isn’t. My own list of favorites has shifted dramatically as my personal travel comfort zone expanded. For your consideration, […]