Travel Picks of the Week - 02/08/08

February 8, 2008

Photo:Flickr/Muha

If you and your partner share as much passion for each other as you do for travel, Valentine’s Day might be the perfect time to express those mushy feelings. Viator has ideas to share your overwhelming ardor for travel this 14th of February in Viator’s Love, Romance, Travel: Valentine’s Day for Travelers.

And if you are planning to go to the City of Romance, Paris, a favorite of canoodling couples who love to gaze at the sunset over the Seine, Jocelyn Gecker has tips to make the visit affordable, yet satisfying in Visit to Paris Needn’t Cost Arm and Leg.

Green Map, a US based non-profit organization relies on collaborative efforts of local knowledge and leadership to chart green living, ecological, social and cultural resources. Chapters are now active in 400 cities, villages and neighborhoods in 50 countries. Each Green Map project is locally managed and part of a worldwide effort to share progress, resources and experiences to benefit resources. Maps are downloaded on PDAs; the Green Map movement is an important step towards sustainable travel.

Realization that eco-tourism is as good for the tourism industry as it is for the earth is fueling interest in making greener choices available to travelers. Every established tourist destination is dependent on the weather component and climactic changes rapidly affect local communities. Elisabeth Rosenthal analyzes the environmental and financial issues that come with tourism in How Do You Ski if There Is No Snow?

Lea Woodward is a proponent of the Location Independent Professional (LIP) life where an individual is not bound to a geographical area, yet keeps at jobs that earn satisfaction and money. Lea shares 12 of the most useful extensions/add-ons you can install to super-charge your location independent life.

While on the road, keeping folks back home updated can mean a lot of relief and a lot less worry for them. Hearing the voices of loved ones can help in combating homesickness, and inject new enthusiasm in your journeys. Gregory Rodgers of Startbackpacking.com explores options for Calling Home while traveling.