The Daily Beast: Top 10 Cities of 2015

For this travel round up, I've isolated the ten most interesting cities to visit next year, based on a variety of factors including trending and emerging destinations, and also places where you'll get that cool, local experience without having to snoop around to hard or sift through other travelers.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/19/next-stop-quito-our-top-cities-for-2015.html

The Daily Beast: Where To Go Next Year

It's "hot list" season once again, and predictions for next year's travel trends are wilder than ever. Check out The Daily Beast's definitive list of holiday superlatives for 2015, which includes amazing destinations from hidden Caribbean islands to the wilds of Central Asia.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/13/why-your-next-vacation-will-be-in-turkmenistan.html

The Daily Beast: Japanese Women Love Gay Porn

During a recent trip to Japan I discovered a subculture of comic book consumers called "rotten girls"; Japanese women who love reading about man-on-man romantic themes (including graphic sex scenes). One such "rotten girl" tells me about her ardent fandom in this exposé.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/06/the-japanese-women-who-love-gay-anime.html

Black Ink: Best Restaurants in the World

Black Ink's guide to the best restaurants in the world features a slew of well-known establishments mixed with some true off-the-beaten-path finds. I contributed some crucial eating picks from New York to Tokyo.

Lonely Planet: Best in Travel 2015

A fun read featuring the hottest travel trends for 2015, this annual almanac details the coolest countries, cities and regions to discover during the upcoming calendar year. Incredible images and pun-riddled 'top ten' lists round out the miniature coffee table book.

http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/world/lonely-planets-best-in-travel-2015/

The Daily Beast: Ebola's Wildlife Deathblow

Something important to consider: although the Ebola pandemic has been neatly contained in West Africa (at least as far as the spread in Africa itself is concerned), the entire continent has seen a large drop in tourism numbers which could mean dire things for the local wildlife population. In Africa, tourism dollars are directly used to fund massive conservancy projects and without these dollars, the efforts simply cannot move forward. This could mean a serious deathblow for several endangered species should tourism continue to plummet.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/11/03/ebola-could-deal-a-deathblow-to-africa-s-wildlife.html

Out Magazine: 84 Reasons We Love Iceland

The editorial staff at Out magazine tapped me to guest edit and curate their annual November travel issue, which focuses on one particular destination. This year, the 30 pages of editorial zoomed in on Iceland, the thriving Northern European capital of hipsterdom that effortlessly mixes in some draw-dropping nature.

http://www.out.com/travel-nightlife/out-iceland

The Daily Beast: Paris is Très Brooklyn

Like fashion-forward New Yorkers used to covet Parisian trends (which created the Carrie Bradshaw paradigm), today Parisians are looking towards New York--Brooklyn in particular--for style cues. But this new era extends far beyond an open embrace of hipsterdom, Paris' Brooklyn obsession is its first open admission that it truly <3 NY.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/23/how-brooklyn-invaded-paris-next-stop-the-world.html

Lonely Planet: The Best Bathrooms in the World

For Lonely Planet's yearly Best in Travel series, my contribution for 2015 included a list of the top toilets in the world from the high-tech johns of Japan to the rugged, Crusoe-like loos when nature calls.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-tips-and-articles/the-royal-wee-the-worlds-best-bathrooms

The Daily Beast: Mexico's Hidden Beach

Off of Mexico's Pacific coast lies a small island chain with a secret inside--a circular beach hidden deep within the core of a stony islet, like the hole in doughnut. Worshipped by the ancient Huichol people, today it remains a place of awe and wonder for the hundreds of people who visit each day.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/14/what-made-mexico-s-most-mysterious-beach.html

The Daily Beast: How the French Do Detox

Throw away your juice cleanse, the French have figured out a much more pleasant way to rid your body of toxins and lose weight. The country's foremost spa retreat in Brittany has taken a page out of the Greco-Roman book of wellness, promoting a "healthy mind, healthy body" mantra amongst its guests. Oh, and there are a bunch of quirky treatments involving water hoses too...

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/08/how-the-french-do-detox-inside-france-s-most-star-studded-wellness-retreat.html

Paradise Magazine: The Melanesian Festival

For Air Niugini's in-flight magazine I documented the Melanesian Festival held in July in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. A meeting of cultures from all over the region, the festival celebrated the most coveted arts and traditions of the different tribes from fire eating to elaborate costume work.

The Daily Beast: Secret Soviet Bunker Unearthed

During my years of exploring the Baltic for Lonely Planet there was always one destination that got stuck in my head: a super secret bunker in the pine forests of Latvia's Gauja National Park. Decommissioned in 2003, it's now open for tourists and provides incredible insight into the Cold War years and the austere Soviet mindset.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/25/the-secret-soviet-power-bunker-in-latvia-a-hiding-place-for-the-elite.html

The Daily Beast: The Amazon's Secret Super-leaf

Discovered in the depths of the Ecuadorian Amazon, guayusa is a type of holly that, when brewed in boiling water, gives the jolt of a cup of coffee without the jitters, and has double the antioxidants of green tea. And it's about to make a splash--so to speak--in the global market.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/29/bye-bye-latte-hello-guayusa-why-the-amazon-holds-the-secret-to-a-cleaner-healthier-caffeine.html

OC Register: Tokyo Tables

Delve into the world of Japanese eats through the traditional table: kaiseki cuisine. The multi-course menu is an age-old traditional showcase of the best recipes from all over the island nation. Learn about the top dishes in and around Tokyo, including the Park Hyatt's top-notch restaurant Kozue, and the famous ryokan inn Gora Kadan.

http://www.webpublished.com/gallery/view.asp?seq=260022&path=140805044127

The Daily Beast: Ghost Hotels of the Catskills

In the 1960s there were over 500 large resorts in the Catskills, just 100 miles from New York City. Today, absolutely nothing remains of these fallen kingdoms. This reported feature explores the reasons for the Golden Era's demise, and what we can find amongst the rubble today.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/25/the-ghost-hotels-of-the-catskills.html

The Daily Beast: Face Tattoos of PNG

In Papua New Guinea facial tattoos are a rite of passage for the tribes of the Tufi region in the country's easterly Oro province. Check out this first-hand account of staying with the Tufians and learning about their time-honored - and very painful - tradition.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/11/facial-tattoos-the-tribal-female-rite-in-papua-new-guinea.html

Dubai Eye Radio: Iceland

For Dubai Eye 103.8 radio I shared my insider knowledge about Iceland with host Lucy Taylor during their weekly afternoon segment entitled The Travel Show. Check out the ten minute clip in podcast form to learn all the basics for planning a trip to the land of fire and ice.

https://audioboo.fm/boos/2392189-affordable-adventure-5-11-08-2014

The Daily Beast: Have We Reached Peak Burger?

America's favorite comfort food keeps getting more extreme, with new toppings and fixin's adorning the ever-simple beef and bun. Will the burger continue to spiral off in different directions? Patty pundit from across the country weigh in.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/31/have-we-reached-peak-burger-the-crazy-fetishization-of-our-most-basic-comfort-food.html

Big Think: Is Airport Security Really Secure?

Throughout all of my travel mishaps over the last decade this article details my favorite (or least favorite depending on how you look at it): having my belongings stolen while passing through airport security.

http://bigthink.com/traveliq/is-airport-security-really-secure

Fest300: Asia's Best Music Festivals

The continent that champions J-Pop and K-Pop is also a serious force when it comes to other letters in the alphabet too, like E, D and M. Check out my carefully curated list of awesome music festivals -- the ultimate gatherings in Asia.

https://www.fest300.com/magazine/the-8-biggest-music-festivals-in-asia

Black Ink: Best Hotels

For Black Ink, the special publication for American Express Centurion members, I helped curate and write up reviews of the best small hotels in the world.

The Daily Beast: Why Brazil Will Never Be Fat

In an exclusive interview with Chef Murakami, a Japanese Brazilian chef based in Sao Paulo, the secret to Brazil's slender bodies is revealed, and it's more surprising than one might think. The prominence of Japanese cuisine in the World Cup country (Brazil has the largest population of Japanese people outside of Japan) means that the battle of the bulge might just be won.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/25/meet-the-chef-fighting-to-ensure-that-brazilians-will-never-be-as-fat-as-americans.html

Fest300: A Guide to Brazil's World Cup Cities

Use this handy mini guide to explore the four cities hosting Brazil's World Cup semi-finals. From the viewpoints of Rio to the cafes of São Paulo, you'll get the skinny on what to do after checking out the games.

https://www.fest300.com/magazine/mini-guide-to-brazil-s-world-cup-semi-finals-cities

The Daily Beast: Inside Ipanema

Much more than the famous "girl" from that bossa nova classic, Ipanema is a complex ecosystem of sports players, bikini models, bisexuals, tweens, and drug dealers.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/23/the-girl-from-ipanema-is-not-alone-rio-s-famous-beach-is-a-rich-cultural-kaleidoscope.html

Big Think: Is There Value In Hosting the World Cup?

Everyone's eyes are on Brazil as the World Cup kicks into high gear. In this piece I discuss whether or not hosting a major sports event is really worth the dime and time for a destination.

http://bigthink.com/traveliq/is-there-value-in-hosting-the-world-cup

The Daily Beast: Rio's Real-Life Slumdog Millionaires

During a recent trip to Rio I had the opportunity to explore Vidigal, one of the city's notorious favelas. New crime-fighting projects have made the neighborhood a much safer place to visit, and as a result the price of real estate has suddenly risen through the roof.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/18/rio-s-real-life-slumdog-millionaires.html

Big Think: The Airbnb of Food

For my column at the Big Think, I explored the evolution of the peer-to-peer marketplace, and how Airbnb is about to usher in a new era in which travelers can pay locals to eat meals in their home. But does paying someone for a local experience somehow dilute the experience and make it less authentic? Check out my thoughts here:

http://bigthink.com/traveliq/the-airbnb-of-food

Fest300: Play & Stay

Check out this handy round-up of the best parties across North America, and the top spots to relax nearby after the fun is done.

http://www.fest300.com/magazine/party-hard-relax-harder

The Daily Beast: KGB Headquarters Revealed

Latvia's long history is scarred with countless slashes of war -- the Soviet occupation, which ended in 1991, marked its darkest period during which thousands of individuals were tortured, deported and sent to camps in Siberia for being an "enemy of the people". Today, the KGB headquarters in Riga is now open as a museum that depicts the horrors of the police system during the USSR.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/04/secret-kgb-torture-house-opens-its-doors-in-riga.html

Lonely Planet: Secret Europe E-Book

This exclusive e-book, compiled by several authors at Lonely Planet, explores some of Europe's best kept secrets from the hidden hot pools of Iceland and the lonely beaches of Portugal to the tucked-away bars of Poland and unexplored villages of the Czech Republic.

Check out one of my sample pages here: 

For a limited time, you can download the book here: 

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/secret-europe/

The Daily Beast: Top Travel Hacks

Check out these tried-and-true tips and tricks for getting the most out of your travel experiences.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/04/how-to-get-cheaper-tickets-live-like-a-local-and-other-great-travel-hacks.html

Forbes Interview: Pack Like A Pro

For a recent article with LearnVest, a financial planning start-up, I spoke about packing for a variety of trip types - from urban escapes to beach holidays. Click through the four-page article and use these tips the next time you're airport-bound to save on money, time and hassle.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2014/06/02/your-pack-smart-guide-for-avoiding-airline-baggage-fees/ 

The Daily Beast: The Hamptons Hot List

Everything you need to know for every New Yorker's favorite beach getaway: The Hamptons. From the best bites to coolest beaches - this is the ultimate shortlist for summer '14.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/24/the-hamptons-hot-list-where-to-eat-what-to-drink-and-how-to-get-your-beach-on-this-summer.html

LA Times Interview: Thailand's Martial Law

Another coup d'état might be on Thailand's hands as the army marches on the government. I spoke with the LA Times about whether or not those with travel plans should move forward or cash in their tickets.

http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-trb-thailand-coup-20140522-story.html

The Daily Beast: Do Michelin Stars Still Matter?

A look at how the world of haute cuisine has changed since Bernard Loiseau succumbed to the pressures of maintaining his three-star Michelin restaurant. Has the rise in user-generated content eclipsed the importance of Michelin? I sat down with Loiseau's replacement and former right-hand man Patrick Bertron to discuss the palpable shift in the tide.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/08/do-michelin-stars-still-matter.html

7x7 Magazine: Icelandic Design

For the May issue of San Francisco's 7x7 magazine I penned a six-page feature on the evolution of Icelandic design. Check out my recommendations for some of the island's best places to eat, sleep and shop, as well a small slideshow of some of my personal photography.

http://www.7x7.com/iceland

Endless Vacation: Picasso's World

For the summer issue of RCI's magazine, Endless Vacation, I penned a six-page feature about the life and times of Picasso, and where you can find his legacy in Spain and France today.

http://www.endlessvacation.com/Destinations/Picasso's-World.aspx

Interview with Travel Savant Tom Marchant

Black Tomato founder Tom Marchant has travel all figured out -- he's developed one of the world's premiere firms that offers travelers their ideal holiday from relaxing along the Amalfi Coast to trekking through the Gobi Desert. Check out what Tom has to say about his native London.

http://www.lifestylemirror.com/life/travel/2014/03/19/2042848670/travel-entrepreneur-tom-marchant-london-england/

Interview with Star Safari Guide Richard Knocker

A life-changing safari experience really hinges upon having a stellar guide who can scout out the best sights and explain the delicate ecosystem that unfolds in front of you. In my interview with Nomad Tanzania's lead guide Richard Knocker, we explore some of his favorite things about being in the field.

http://www.lifestylemirror.com/life/travel/2014/03/05/51919624/travel-guide-richard-knocker-exploring-tanzania/

The Daily Beast: Liberace's Mexican Reliquary

In this piece I explore the legacy of one of the most fascinating and fabulous people that lived during the 20th century. Robert Brady's Casa de la Torre lives on in Cuernavaca Mexico as a testament to good taste.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/24/casa-de-la-torre-the-museum-of-mexico-s-liberace.html

Interview with CEO Anya Fernald

Food guru Anya Fernald is the CEO of Belcampo, an agricultural management company that handles a fascinating array of earth-friendly businesses around the world from sustainable farms to agritourism destinations. In this interview she offers some insider tips about Oakland, California -- an up-and-coming must-see for any Bay Area vacation.

http://www.lifestylemirror.com/life/travel/2014/03/19/131108098/ceo-anya-fernald-feasting-oakland-california/

Interview with St Barth's Villa Guru

Ashley Lacour runs Sibarth, St Barth's primary villa rental outlet. In this interview he shares his insider secrets about the coveted Caribbean island.

http://www.lifestylemirror.com/life/travel/2014/02/28/504868514/nomad-diaries-st-barths-ashley-lacour/

The Daily Beast: Fukushima's Farms After 3/11

On the three-year anniversary of northeast Japan's earthquake-tsunami disaster I sat down for an exclusive interview with the man who is championing the usage of farmed produce from the Tohoku region to learn about the ongoing recovery process. Here is his story:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/11/chef-ooe-is-rehabbing-fukushima-s-food-scene-at-the-park-hyatt-tokyo.html