From how Beijing plans to eradicate rain to when athletes will arrive in China, I’ve been obsessed with reading the latest Olympics news (and emailing it to all my friends—sorry, guys) for the past year. I thought that as someone who had both recently visited Beijing and attended previous Summer Olympics, I might be uniquely obsessed with the 2008 Games.

It turns out that plenty of Americans are not only interested, but set to attend: Travelocity’s Beijing air bookings are 70% ahead of where they were last year, and Beijing hotel bookings are on pace to be 200% ahead. With only 178 days before the opening ceremony at the “bird’s nest” stadium, there isn’t enough flight and hotel availability to accommodate everyone at the current paces, so you’d best book now—or get creative.

Here are some tips to get you there, along with ideas to let you cheer on your team while experiencing Beijing at its best.

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Posted in Asia, China, Festivals & Events, Guides & Planning, International Travel
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Yesterday marked the official beginning of Chinese New Year. To many people, this late winter holiday means vibrant street festivities complete with fireworks, colorful dragon floats, and tasty Chinese goodies galore. To others, the term “Chinese New Year” barely rings a bell. But given the growing influence of Chinese culture, more people are learning about the holiday and making plans to participate in celebrations across the country and the world.

Let’s start with the basics. Chinese New Year takes place on the first day of the first lunar month of the Chinese calendar, and as such is also called the Lunar New Year. The ancient Chinese believed that a man-eating beast called the Nián emerged from his lair each year on this day to prey on humans. Believing this beast to be sensitive to loud noises and the color red, the early Chinese frightened it away with fireworks and bright red colors. These customs eventually evolved into the scintillating celebrations we enjoy today.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member captain oddsocks.

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Posted in Asia, California, Entertainment, Family & Kids, Festivals & Events, Holiday & Seasonal, International Travel, London, New York City, Shopping
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I recently returned from a trip to Vietnam, where I had a bespoke wardrobe made for less than $100. And here's a confession: it wasn't my first time.

Since then, I've received a surprising number of emails from people also considering a trip to Asia---must be because it's one of the few places still relatively cheap in the face of the weak dollar---and wondering how to go about getting their own custom clothes made. In case you're one of them, here are a few pieces of advice:

1. By far the best---and cheapest---place to have that three-piece suit whipped up is Hoi An, Vietnam. You can fly into Danang International Airport and pick up a taxi (for around $13) for the half-hour journey to the Seamstress Capital Of The World. Another alternative---and one a little easier to reach? Bangkok. Head for Rambuttri Road in the city center and you'll have to fight the tailors off with a stick.

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With the Western world’s growing leeriness of terrorism, many alluring destinations experiencing social unrest conjure up more fear than gusto. But how dangerous are these places, really?

Part of the equation depends on who you are, where you're from, and where you're going. A good friend of mine recently enjoyed a two-week vacation in Iran. She visited the mountain capital, Tehran, went to the awe-inspiring Persepolis ruins near Shiraz, and got a great tan on the shores of the Caspian Sea. I should mention that she's a second-generation Iranian-American, speaks fluent Farsi, and has family in Tehran. Even so, she was hassled regularly by both police and private citizens, mostly for being an improperly covered woman.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member writeonthespot.

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Posted in Asia, International Travel, Security & Safety
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What did I do with a week in China amid worldwide claims that the country serves and exports drug-laced seafood, salmonella shellfish, and cancerous ducks?

I ate. I ate all of it.

In July, while the U.S. media focused on China’s toxic wheat gluten and the execution of the country’s former food and drug chief, I focused on dumplings, pork, chicken, snow frog, duck, hoisin sauce, eggplant, and tofu. I devoured dishes from street stands and swanky restaurants, in styles from Shanghai (oily) to Guizhou (spicy).

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Posted in Asia, Culinary Travel, International Travel
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Now, personally, I'm not the type of girl to spend $250 on a hotel room when I go on vacation. No siree---not when I could be spending that sort of money on food or souvenirs or (in the case of my recent three-month jaunt around Southeast Asia) two months worth of local beer. (And we're talking several a day. Every day. Honestly, in Beijing, it was only a quarter!)

But if you are looking to drop the mad cash when you travel abroad, you might like to know that the Peninsula Bangkok has been voted the world's best hotel for USD$250 or less in a reader survey conducted by Travel + Leisure magazine.

I can't, of course, vouch for its excellence, as I stayed in an $8-a-night flophouse with a shared bathroom in the backpacker mecca of Khao San Road the last time I was in Bangkok. But since the Peninsula beat out the prestigious Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge in Gold Beach, Oregon and the Post Hotel & Spa in Lake Louise, Alberta--which came in at second and third place respectively--we'll just have to go ahead and assume that it's pretty darn fancy.

After all, I'm fairly sure you get your own toilet there. Which is more than I can say for where I stayed.

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