Located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, Oman is a travel destination that is surrounded by mystery and myths. Tourism is on the rise in Oman, and it is predicted to soon be one of the largest industries in the Sultanate. Part of the rise in tourism can be attributed to cruise lines making Oman a port of call, but the country's tourism slogan - "Beauty has an address" - is helping to position it as a safe, affordable, and beautiful travel destinaton.
On Episode #11 of the Where Else to Go podcast, I'm joined by Nicole Brewer, a Detroit native, who has been living and working in Nizwa, Oman, for the past three years. She says she's found the locals to be extremely nice and accommodating, and wishes more people would experience the beauty that Oman has to offer.
A couple of the resorts that Nicole loves are the Shangri-La in Muscat and a 5-star resort in the mountains, Alila Jabal Akhdar. And she impresses upon us both the beauty and the cultural aspect of tourism in Oman.
To follow more of Nicole's adventures and travel writing, check out her blog, I Luv 2 Globetrot, and follow her on social media on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
If you're enjoying these podcasts, please take a minute to subscribe on iTunes. And don't forget to leave and rating (5-stars is always nice!) and revivew.
Photo courtesy of Nicole Brewer
With its convenient location in southeastern Tennessee -it's an easy getaway from Atlanta, Knoxville, Nashville, Hunstsville, and Birmingham - it surprised me that most people don't think of Chattanooga. It seems like an overlooked city, a definite where else to go destination, and it could easily be added on to a visit to this part of the country.
Joining me on Episode #12 to talk about Chattanooga is Cory Lee.
Cory Lee was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy at the age of two, but that certainly has not diminished his desire to travel - wheelchair and all. He has been everywhere from Australia to Iceland, just to name a few, and he blogs about his accessible (and sometimes not so accessible) travel adventures on CurbFreeWithCoryLee.com. Cory hopes to inspire others to break out of their comfort zones and start rolling around the world.
Getting around a city can be a bit frustrating for Cory at times, as he looks for accessible public transporation and taxis. He visits Chatannooga frequently as not only is it close to his home in Lafayette, Georgia, (about a 30 minute drive), but it's a easy city for him to get around.
Cory says there are plenty of superb restaurants, attractions, outdoor activities, and even an arts district in Chattanooga. Its'a a growing city, with new businesses popping up around the city. It's also near the Ocoee River, where part of the 1996 Olympics took place, and a short drive from the Great Smoky Mountains. You'll want to listen to the full podcast for all the places Cory recommends, but here are a links to a few stories that give you a little more background.
To follow Cory's travels, and learn more about accessible travel, check out his website, Curb Free with Cory Lee. You can follow him on social media at Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
If you’re enjoying these podcasts, please take a minute to subscribe on iTunes. And don’t forget to leave a rating (5-stars is always nice!) and review.
Thanks for joining us for Episode #10 of the Where Else to Go podcast. Although it wasn’t planned, we seem to be on an island theme, covering islands destinations from around the world.
Our guest today is Gary Arndt and we’re talking about where else to go, Micronesia.
Micronesia, in general, refers to the thousands of small islands located in the Pacific and comprised of several countries. These countries include: Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, and the United States with three territories (Guarm, Northern Mariana Islands, Wake Island).
Gary talks about his visits to this part of the world, gives some recommendations for divers and non-divers, and explains why – apart from location – this is one of the easiest parts of the world to vist.
Highlights include:
In March 2007 Gary sold his house and he’s been traveling around the world ever since. So far he’s visited all 7 continents, over 175 countries and territories around the world, all 50 states and every US territory, every Canadian province, every Australian state and territory, over 125 US National Park Service sites and over 300 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Gary is a self taught travel photographer who was named Travel Photographer of the Year by both the Society of American Travel Writers and the North American Travel Journalists Association.
You can read about Gary’s travels and see his award winning photography on his blog,Everything Everywhere. You can also follow and connect with him on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, and Instagram.
Photo courtesy of Gary Arndt.
Welcome to Edpisode #9 of the Where Else to Go podcast. Thank you for support as this podcast has grown and evolved, it means a lot to me.
Today's guest is Jennifer Dombrowski and she's going to help us understand why Venice gets such an undeserved bad rap and give us some suggestions for turning that around, making Venice a great where else to go destination. We talked about how, just a few streets off the main area, you can find delicious, reasonably priced food, how to enjoy the other islands, and information on getting around and enjoying Venice.
Jennifer says:
"Venice is one of the must-sees in Italy, but there is so much more to the Italy's city built on the water than meets the eye (or your guidebook tells you). Venice is actually just one of the islands in the Venetian Lagoon and it's well worth hopping around on the water buses to see just how different one island is from another."
Some of the islands she recommends:
Many of the recommendations Jennifer made in the podcast are small spots that don't have websites. When in Venice, find a local who can help you location the place, or maybe even make another recommendation. Here are a few spots Jennifer recommends that do have websites.
Jennifer Dombrowski is a location independent globe trotter who is based in Italy. She works as a freelance social media strategist and is an award-winning travel writer. She is also a travel correspondent on Traveling on the American Forces Radio Network. Luxe Adventure Traveler was named one of the top travel blogs to watch by the Huffington Post and has been featured by top publications such as National Geographic, CNN, Buzzfeed , and The Telegraph. Her iPhoneograpy has also been featured on publications such as USA Today and Travel + Leisure and on the Travel Channel.
You can read about Jennifer's travels on her blog, Luxe Adventure Traveler, and follow her on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe on iTunes. While you’re over there, please take a moment and leave us a rating or review. That helps this very new podcast get discovered by others.
I hope you'll join me next week when we’ll be talking about Micronesia.