It is common knowledge that the right camera angles and lighting can make virtually anything look radically different. Hotel rooms can look twice as large, and that view of the refinery can be blurred out. Food can photograph better than it tastes. Actors can be hired to look happy doing anything. Tip: Talk to a travel planner who has recently been to the destination and/or call the local tourism bureau.
Each time a country legalizes same-gender marriage, I get many emails asking me for the countries in which it is recognized. So, on the heals of Scotland’s exciting announcement… Countries where same-gender marriage is legal:Scotland (2014)England (2013)Wales (2013)France (2013)New Zealand (2013)Uruguay (2013)Denmark (2012)Argentina (2010)Portugal (2010)Iceland (2010)Sweden (2009)Norway (2009)South Africa (2006)Spain (2005)Canada (2005)Belgium (2003)The Netherlands (2000)
It was a busy year for me and the Zoom team. I traveled a total of 161,014 miles, the equivalent of over 6 times around the world, on 69 flights and a mega yacht to 31 countries. In addition to the scheduled tours we offered all year, 2013 had a few highlights that made it particularly special. A couple on Zoom Peru got engaged on Machu Picchu (read about them in our Featured Travelers section). We celebrated many birthday celebrations, honeymoons and long term relationships in exotic locations around the world on Zoom Southern Africa and our Zoom cruise. And for...
I’m a bit of a flight/mileage/upgrade geek. So, guests going on Zoom trips call me all the time to figure out the best way to get to a Zoom destination the cheapest and most comfortable way possible. As many of you know, not all business class is created equal and not all business class costs the same. So, it makes sense to do a little research to make sure the plane you are booked on meets your expectations. On routes like Peru, for instance, some airlines fly with flat beds while others offer a modest recline in Business Class, typically...
I am writing this from my hotel room in Buenos Aires, full of thoughts about how this city has changed since we offered our first tour here nine years ago. It has certainly become more gay friendly and accepting, both in the mentality of the locals and as evidenced by anti-discrimination laws that have been enacted. The gay scene in Buenos Aires is better than ever, and you can go out every night of the week and find something happening. Also the exchange rate has become very favorable for foreigners. Currently there is a double economy. The official...
I always get a kick out of the sentence, “why would you want to go there”, as there are few places on Earth I wouldn’t want to see for myself. Arguably, almost every country has enough sites of interest and things to do to make a vacation. Granted, of course I understand avoiding a country embroiled in a natural disaster or human-made conflict, or countries that are antigay. However, I have noticed that some people hold ill-perceived ideas about some places, originating from the past. For instance, myself and a lot of my peers grew up during the Beirut War,...
Focusing on living in the present moment abolishes our worries, fears, and anxieties and helps us to enjoy the time that we have. And this is where living in the now can benefit us while we are traveling, because it is during our travels where we want to make the most out of every second.
If you have been to Brazil, you have likely seen people walking around, eating a dark purple thick “drink” with spoons out of cups. Or maybe you have tried it yourself. Whatever the case, acai has become very famous in the past few years. The acai berry is an inch-long reddish, purple fruit, which grows on the acai palm tree, native to Central and South America. When you buy it as a drink, it generally comes frozen in packets and is then mixed with sugar and/or other fruit, before handed over to you. While it has been touted for having better...
One of my favorite activities that our travelers enjoy on Zoom Argentina is learning to dance the Tango from local professional dancers. Tango is sexy and sensual without being overtly sexual. Before you see two men dance the Tango, you may assume that one dancer will appear feminine, and the other masculine, but this isn’t the case. Instead, the dance lends itself to an uncanny juxtaposition of individuality and communion. In fact, Tango is so popular that Argentinian doctors have been prescribing it for heart attack patients, saying that it can generate the same beneficial effects for coronary arteries...
