Cook like a local in Vietnam on tour Vietnam travel

The most recent expansion to the Six Senses portfolio, Six Senses Con Dao, spotted on an ideal archipelago off Vietnam's southeast drift, is putting forth guests the chance to get direct lessons in the joys of Vietnamese cooking.

Directed by the resort's head Vietnamese gourmet expert, visitors figure out how to cook customary dishes and family formulas as old as the restaurant's divider - which are developed from recovered wood from hundreds of years old Vietnamese structures.

Related post: Vietnam travel

Frontier occupations by China and France have had their impact, yet Vietnamese sustenance has a different personality of its own, championing straightforward, crisp flavors put together in the right amounts. Basil, stew, coriander, fish oil, lemongrass, morning superbness and tamarind are the predominant flavors, and vegetables frequently land on the plate still somewhat firm. Visitors discover that the famous earth pot is natural for the nation's heathy, mouthwatering stews as the pot (dunked in water before cooking) steams the sustenance without dispersing the flavors.

In the wake of finishing dishes, for example, Vietnamese hand moves with prawns (goi cuon), hamburger in betal leaf (thit eo nuong la parcel), and hot and acrid fish soup (canh chua ca), visitors take a seat to delight in the feast with a glass of wine. The culinary expert, who conducts the class with the assistance of an English interpreter, will recommend certain dishes to cook, including her family formulas, yet visitor solicitations are likewise welcome.

The culinary exploit proceeds for visitors at the resort's shoreline restaurant, where British gourmet specialist Richard Lee works nearly with the Vietnamese kitchen group to make a further exhibit of neighborhood dishes alongside creative world food, from solace nourishment to fine eating.

At Six Senses Con Dao numerous visitors think that it hard to drag themselves far from their flawlessly composed, wood-paneled private manors or the mile-long shoreline, yet allures incorporate nature visits (highlights being turtle spotting and a monkey trail) snorkeling, scuba swooping and a voyage through the Con Dao penitentiaries, fabricated by the French and later utilized by the Americans within what the Vietnamese allude to as The American War.

Travel in Vietnam organised by Vivutravel

ietnam tops rundown of the most alluring ends and voyages through Vietnam are differentiated. Also, your go in Vietnam composed by Vivutravel, will doubtlessly be the best occasion ever. Upon entry, our private Vietnam Tours aide and driver will welcome your Vietnam Holiday, get and exchange to the lodging for weigh in. Hanoi, a city where the extraordinary chic of old Asia mixes with the element face of new Asia. Where the medieval and cutting edge exist together. A city with a mix of Parisian beauty and Asian pace, a structural historical center piece advancing in congruity with its history, as opposed to bulldozing through like a large portion of the locale's capitals. Hanoi is the place creative energy gets to be reality.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleumhanoi indeed is a delightful stop for your Vietnam Travel. Today, we delight in a full day city voyage through this enchanting capital city including the mausoleum of the country's organizer Ho Chi Minh (close on Monday & Friday), the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh's home on stilts, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, the amazing Ethnologic Museum (or Museum of Fine Arts, Army Museum, History Museum, Woman Museum, Hoa Lo Prison), the excellent West Lake, the Tran Vu Pagoda, the quiet pool of the Restored Sword. Late evening we take a cyclo visit for a short outing through the clamoring old quarter roads named after the particular merchandise once offered available to be purchased at these spots. Revel in a glass of "Bia Hoi - draft brew - included" at Ta Hien Street before we appreciate an awesome customary water manikin show. This night, we will exchange you to the train station to encounter a Vietnam train ride to Lao Cai.

Related post: Vietnam travel deals

Touch base in the early morning in the bordertown of Lao Cai where its a short exchange to Sapa (Vietnam's suggested visit). In the terraced slopes and piles of this territory, the repetitiveness of the extensive green scene is charged by the shades of its slope tribe populace. It is here you will discover hands stained with color from fabric colors and shades of blue, red and green complicatedly weaved and sewed into coats, waistcoats, jeans, skirts, tops, totes and stockings.

Take a morning strolling voyage through Sapa for a visit to the occupied business where Red Dao, Black & Flower H'mong, Tay and other ethnic minority individuals merge from the encompassing farmland to offer their flatware and crafted works, and to purchase procurements. Subsequently, at around 9 am, we take the drive to the trekking indicate and trek down Ma Tra town of the Black  H'mong individuals, the delightful stroll through the terraced rice documented and it is extremely fascinating to encounter the day by day life of local people when you stop for visit to one of the families. Outing lunch on the way then we proceed to Ta Phin town of the Red Dao individuals. Investigate the town then private transport over to Sapa. Free at relaxation and overnight in Sapa.

Sapa - The Queen of the Mountains, neglecting a lovely valley, grandiose mountains towering over the town on all sides, Sapa Tour is door to an alternate universe of secretive minority societies and delicious scenes and extraordinary decision for Vietnam Tours producer to mastermind Vietnam Culture Tours, Vietnam Trekking Tours, Vietnam Homestay Tours... After breakfast, we will do a standout amongst the most lovely Sapa Tours by heading to visit Lao Chai and Ta Van town of the Black H'mong and the Day individuals where you can delight in natural air, astonishing view of the forcing mountain reach, trek down world's most wonderful terraced rice fields, visit some neighborhood family on the way and learn one of a kind society and life of these ethnic gatherings. Again to Sapa by private auto, free at relaxation for whatever is left of the day. Overnight in a Sapa lodging.

Can Cau Market, Bac Ha, Sapa Tours, Vietnam Toursthe advertises in the Northern Vietnam are dependably the beautiful gathering spots for the slope tribes, spotlight for any Sapa Tours and obviously, your extraordinary Vietnam Tours experience. Minority individuals descend from the mountains to offer their items, or only for getting up to speed with the most recent news, tattle, drinking ceaselessly inconveniences or looking for mate. In the morning, drive to visit one of the zones week after week markets;

In the late evening, your Sapa visit aide and driver exchange you once more to Lao Cai to get the night prepare over to Hanoi. We trust that you have delighted in your Sapa Tours with us. We say farewell with true much obliged and anticipating inviting you again for your impending Vietnam Tours and Sap Tours.

Get from the train station, early today, we have effectively masterminded a room in a scaled down inn for you to have shower and breakfast. We begin at 8.00 A.m for the 3 hour drive (170 km) through the Red River Delta, which offers a lot of chances for taking photographs of Vietnamese agriculturists working the incomprehensible green paddy fields. At half way, we'll have a visit to a craftsmanship workshop with fine garments, weaved works of art, stone statuettes and assorted types of pearls mined in Vietnam, for example, star rubies or sapphires...

Upon landing, you'll be invited ready for extravagance garbage and treated with wine and crisp neighborhood fish. As our garbage floating further into the

Big City Mountaineers News

Remember Big City Mountaineers? They're the group that sends underprivileged youth out into the wilderness, giving them an opportunity to explore the great outdoors, when many of them have never had the opportunity before. The impact of the program on the youth that participate is profound and lasting, and overall it's one of the best programs of it's kind in the country.

Currently, BCM is looking for volunteers to help out with the backpacking trips scheduled to take place this summer in California. There are 12 such trips currently planned, and they are in need of both male and female volunteers to join the staff and help out the kids that will be coming from a variety of locations in California. If you're interested in joining the team, you can fill out an online application here.

In other news related to Big City Mountaineers, one of their partners, Sole pledged to donate $1 for every pair of Ed Viesturs Signature Edition custom footpads that they sold. The company has now donated more than $50,000 to the cause, making them one of the top five supporters of BCM. Great work Sole! By the way, I'm using a pair of these Ed Viesturs footpads in a pair of hiking shoes, and so far I'm very impressed. They are quite comfortable, easy to custom fit, and have revived a pair of shoes that I was about to otherwise give up on.

Also, if you'd like to get involved with Big City Mountaineers, one of their major fundraising events, that I've posted about before is their Summit For Someone program. As part of the program, you pledge to climb a mountain, and the list to choose from is extensive, and raise funds in the process, that then go to the BCM program. It's been a very successful and wonderful program, not only for the kids, but for those that do the climbs. Definitely a great way to give back, while still being able to take on some cool peaks.

JOURNEY WORTH THE DESTINATION - KATHMANDU TO POKHARA

Excellent Scenery - Straight To The Postcards

The gyrating routes cut across the stellar mountains and misty air as the scenic landscapes across the 200Km Prithvi Highway, stretch connecting Kathmandu and Pokhara. The views it lays forward are though, simply breathtaking !

To say it plainly, this journey across the Middle hills was every bit worth the destination. There are ample opportunities to 'look in the face of the mountains', while you move across the rivers running playfully beneath (and sometimes alongside). The quiet rural life of Nepal is unperturbed by the business of  the road and there are times that makes you feel the distinctness of two worlds of the farm and the road.

Apart from being an excellent tourist destination, Pokhara also doubles up as a hub for several mountain base camps, and thus, there is a case of plenty of mountain bikers to be witnessed flowing across the route.

On the way on Prithvi Highway

The burly roads en-route the beginning of the journey paves way for pristine rivers with whispering woods to play you company on the sound of the water hitting the riparian banks. Pebbles dot the landscape adoring the nature's delight that's plentiful and untouched !

The water is quite clear and the gushing sound resonates with the quietness of the lush green hills. 

Riparian Beauty 

Riparian Beauty resonates on the banks

The flora relax gleefully cushioned in the laps of grass, spreading colors and bliss (and sights as below) with plenty of shades and varieties on offer, all across the journey.

The flowers in their bloom appeared to garland the trees.

Flowers relaxing gleefully on the cushion of the gaps

Flowers garlanding the Trees

The currents of the river are primly suited for the several water front activities including the popular river rafting. There are scores of rafting beaches that are manifested by the artificial beaches and basic infrastructure developed and maintained by the respective rafting companies.

As a suggestion, it is highly recommended to take the river rafting exercise en-route. These are coupled with excellent rapids, clean shores and inexpensive tour costs.

(The lush green settings and playful river currents like below are as inviting as rafting itself !)

Rapids and Natural Beauty - Couple that with Rafting for a great experience

One small landmark that is sure to catch attention is the bridge that is encountered on the way.

Beneath, sights of spectacular gorges and river flow in its might with twists is sure to behold on the senses, that cut across by lush green forests.

This bridge is sure to catch the attention.

Gorges and the Gorgeous Settings

Trishuli River - Beauty at its Best

There are sights and memories to be treasured across the route. Those moments are so precious that, there are times you wish to remain oblivious of the existence and soak the nature and its delights in the background!

Nature's Delights forcing you to Soak in the Background

(Do you have a memorable road trip experience as one above ? What makes a great  trip ?

Looking forward for your feedback/comments.)

Practical Tips:

• There are a very few options to travel overnight between the cities, so for all practical reasons, one needs to travel during the day time. (Trust me with the type of landscapes on the offer, you won't complain a slightest bit)
• There are no road lights, no hill dividers across the entire highway!
• Count 7 + hours for the journey. That takes in count the odd travel jams.
• Hitchhiking is possible and would be fun on the way!
• There are a many places to hang around.
• A group of 7-8 people may come pool together to hire the local favorite, 'Hi Ace'. There is a substantial cost to be saved on the local sightseeing in Pokhara, that at times, may get exorbitant !
• The route across Kathmandu and Pokhara is also a common place for some arterial detours to major cities including those in the Terai region.
• Rafting is a seasonal activity and depends on the rapids and the temperature of the water.
• Update on Earthquake 2015 : The effect of earthquake in 2015 did not to seem to have a bearing as in March 2016. Most of the roads were in pretty good shape.

Tour CuChi - CaoDai to VungTau - VietNam Travel

All through the Vietnam-American War, the Viet Cong constructed a tremendous system of shafts that were utilized as gathering focuses, concealing spots, supply courses and the sky is the limit from there. The Viet Cong (north Vietnamese contenders) frequently used numerous days or weeks on end in the passages, identifying with their sheer quality and resolve. Were the passages fancy, as well as the traps and interesting weapons that they utilized as a part of conjunction with the shafts were astoundingly imaginative. Eventually, their capacity to utilize the passages as an intends to house troops and move supplies incredibly helped the inevitable withdrawal of American troops.

Today the Cu Chi Tunnels are an enormous vacation destination close Ho Chi Minh City. At the passages, visitors can get a more prominent knowledge into life in the range. They demonstrate to you how the inhabitants and fighters repurposed war materials to make ordinary things, how they made due for long times of time in the passages, and even how they passed supplies to warriors inside the shafts. They additionally have a shooting run there where guests can shoot the military weapons utilized at the time. The shafts are an incredible approach to use a large portion of a day understanding a vital part of Vietnam's history. On the path there or back, you can make the excursion a little more and stop at the Cao Dai church. Cao Dai is another religion made in Vietnam, however as of now has a gigantic after. They have fabricated an excellent sanctuary in Tay Ninh close Cu Chi, which is likewise the primary place for the religion. In the event that you time it right, you can see an administration where many ministers supplicate at one time. It is truly a sight!

1. CuChi - CaoDai

Points of interest:  To get to Cu Chi, you have a couple of distinctive alternatives. You can take a private auto, open visit transport, or open transport. In the event that you incline toward a full voyage through Cu Chi shafts and the encompassing region, numerous visit organizations offer an auto or watercraft visit, however remember that visits a Cu Chi are offered free of charge too. When you land there, in the event that you are not piece of a visit bunch, a visit administrator that works there will group you into a gathering and provide for you a free visit, which is literally the same as the prebooked visits despite the fact that the administrator's dialect abilities may be better in the paid visit. Large portions of the open visit transports leave at 8 am and will cost around $5 for both the ride and a voyage through the passages. Then again, on the off chance that you need to pass by open transport, you can take transport #13 from the Ben Thanh transport stop specifically to Cu Chi for around 6000vnd. Note that there are two shaft locales – the primary one is Ben Dinh and the other one is Ben Duoc. Most visits will take you to Ben Dinh, yet general society transport stops at an intersection where you will get off and stroll to the right to get to Ben Dinh. Admission to the shafts is 90,000 VND.

Most voyagers go to the midday administration. They have fabricated an overhang that ignores the principle administration lobby so you can get an okay perspective of the function. Numerous visit organizations, particularly the open visit transport organizations, offer a complete visit that takes you to Cu Chi, the Cao Dai church for the midday administration and again for around $7-10. Most visits begin ahead of schedule around 8 am if to the point that doesn't work for you, a private visit may be the best alternative.

2. VungTau

Vung Tau has verifiably been an essential ocean port for Vietnam, particularly amid the French tenet. It was additionally a vital army installation amid the Vietnam-American War. Interestingly, Vung Tau was one of the epicenters of the Indochina Refugee Crisis in the late 70s due to its get to the ocean and its closeness to different nations in South East Asia. This region was the dispatch point for a significant number of the 'Vietnamese Boat People', the nearby occupants who fled to neighboring nations after the end of the war. Regardless of its questionable history, these days Vung Tau is a little, yet clamoring, waterfront group and a paramount place for Vietnam's seaward oil boring industry.

Just 2 hours outside Ho Chi Minh City, numerous local people visit Vung Tau as a speedy shoreline getaway. On the off chance that you have been to numerous worldwide shorelines, the shoreline itself in Vung Tau may could not hope to compare as it can frequently be grimy and littered. That being said, Vung Tau is a remarkable beguiling town with a lot of different exercises to fill your day other than a shoreline visit. There are little mountains that encompass Vung Tau and are a fast climb up. On the off chance that climbing is not your thing, there is a gondola ride up the greatest mountain for an incredible perspective of the narrows. What's more in case you're a foodie, Vung Tau is an incredible spot to go for neighborhood fortes like 'banh khot' that can be difficult to obtain somewhere else.

See more: Vietnam travel

Points of interest:  To get to Vung Tau by transport or mentor, a number of the open visit transport organizations run 12- to 16-seater aerated and cooled vans which run each 15 to 30 minutes and drop you off in the middle of the town. Large portions of them will even provide for you a free jug of water for the trek. Then again, you can employ private transport vehicles from the fundamental taxi organizations in Ho Chi Minh City (Mailinh and Vinasun) or your lodging can undoubtedly mastermind a private auto for you. The drive takes around 2 hours. As of not long ago, there was an exceptionally helpful Hydrofoil that ran between the harbors of Ho Chi Minh City and Vung Tau yet a blaze on one of the vessels in February has suspended all hydrofoil venture

Everest 2009: First Ascent Team YouTube Channel

The First Ascent Team, which consists of a few climbers you might have heard of, guys like Ed Viesturs and Dave Hahn, are posting daily video dispatches to their very own YouTube channel which you can find by clicking here.

There are already four videos on the site, and it's clear the team is making good progress. They arrived in Lukla two days ago and you can checkout that arrival in the video below.

Vietnamese food - Travelling in Vietnam safely

The conventional utilization of crisp vegetables and herbs can make mouth-watering flavors in Vietnamese food. At the point when going in Vietnam, you'll find that rice (Com) and noodles are for the most part the establishment for a principle course, yet you'll additionally discover various different dishes, for example, conventional Vietnamese soup, new fish and meat on Vietnamese menus.

You jar obviously additionally delight in the renowned Vietnamese browned egg rolls "Nem" alongside the every day staple of soup 'Pho'. We propose, amid your Vietnam occasion, that you attempt some 'Elephant Ear Fish' which is a famous dish along the Mekong Delta. This sort of hazardous looking fish is served in a stupendous upright position on your plate and tastes delectable. In case you're going in Vietnam amid the TET Festival, you ought to additionally attempt the 'Square cake' or 'Thí í'. Scrumptious

Vietnam is one of the most secure nations on the planet. Regardless of its vast populace, there's next to no wrongdoing and you're unrealistic to have any issues strolling over the road around evening time even in the bigger urban communities. Be that as it may, its generally vital to stay vigilant and watch your things to anticipate robbery. We suggest that you abandon your assets in the inn safe or things terminal when going out into town. Be careful with individuals posturing to be taxi escorts that need to take you to your lodging. Remember that in the event that we've orchestrated an entry exchange for you, our nearby executor will be sitting tight for you convey a sign with your name on it and the neighborhood operator's logo. Check to verify its the same logo to verify you're leaving with the perfect individual. On the off chance that you anticipate masterminding your taxi to your inn, make certain to bring a taxi with a meter in it and concede to a set value for every kilometer with your driver. You might likewise run into business people, cabbies or rickshaw drivers letting you know they don't have any change. Give them a chance to discover change for you or verify whether you have more diminutive change, yet never pay more than the concurred cost. You'll recognize that on the off chance that you choose to walk away, they'll abruptly have a lot of progress for you.

See more: travel Vietnam

Amid your Vietnam excursion you'll find how amicable the Vietnamese individuals really are. When you meet our neighborhood accomplice in Hanoi, it will practically appear to be as though the lodging is a front room and that you're being invited like an AWOL relative. That is simply the way the Vietnamese are, warm, welcoming and pleasing. Family and customs are vital to them and the individuals in the mountain tribes still live as per aged conventions.

Nowadays then again, western way of life is gradually affecting Vietnamese normal life, particularly in the urban communities and in Southern Vietnam. You'll see French and American impacts here coming about because of the occupation by France and the Vietnam War. You'll additionally see Chinese and comrade impacts in Vietnamese building design or for example in the Vietnamese banner (red and yellow). The populace of Vietnam have ended up progressively communist orientate

Official Report on the MS Explorer Blames Inexperienced Captain

Remember the MS Explorer? That was the Antarctic cruise ship that rapidly sunk off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula back in November of 2007. An investigation into the cause of the accident has just been completed, and according to the study, the fault lies with an “inexperienced and overconfident” captain.

Jon Bowermaster has posted a story on his blog with all the information. You might recall that Jon was aboard the National Geographic ship Endeavour, which was the first boat on the scene to help pull passengers and crew from the icy waters of the Southern Ocean when the Explorer went down. According to his post, the investigation was conducted by the Liberian Maritime Bureau, the country that holds jurisdiction over the ship, who released a 91-page document detailing the events that led to the accident, and near disaster.

Swedish Captain Bengt Wiman was in command of the Explorer on that fateful cruise, and while he had been in Antarctic waters many times in the past, it had always been as the first mate. This was Wiman's first time in the big chair, and the blame is placed squarely on his shoulders for misreading the ice. Jon notes that the captain felt that it was newer, more fragile ice, but it was in fact older, and much harder than he suspected.

As a result, the Explorer rammed into that ice at too high of a speed, ripping a ten foot long gash in its hull, which explains why the ship sunk so quickly. Early reports were that the hull had a fist-sized puncture. Wiman was all criticized for entering the ice field in darkness, which combined with the speed of the vessel, was a potent combination.

Jon is quick to point out that the age of the ship didn't help matters. The Explorer was more than 40 years old, and was suffering with that age. The hull was reportedly corroding in spots, and had already been patched a number of times, and there were a few failed inspections on its record as well. So while the inexperience of the captain has a role to play, the health of the boat didn't help matters at all, and probably played a major role in its sinking.

There has been some concern for some time now regarding the experience level of crews being sent into the Antarctic waters. More and more people are venturing to the region, and as a result, more ships are needed to keep up with demand. Those ships require a captain and a crew, and there are only so many good, experienced, crews to go around. Navigating the Southern Ocean is not like the Caribbean, and so far we've been fortunate that there hasn't been a serious loss of life, especially when you consider there were two more ships that ran aground this year.

Lào Cai-Ha Noi | Report 8 | The People of Tay Bac

On The Lao Cai-Hanoi Road. Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

The itinerary has us today returning from Lào Cai city, the capital of Lào Cai Province. It borders the city of Hekou Yao Autonomous County, in the Yunnan province of Southwest China, and the Chinese influence is quite pervasive. The beautifully appointed Swiss-Bel hotel was virtually empty of guests, except for a handful of local Vietnamese, and us being the only non-Asians. Our Ha Noi minder Huyen rode an overnight train to take us back, and to solve any issues if we had any during our return trip.

The journey back to Ha Noi took us from 09:30 am to about 5 pm, door to door. A middle section of the highway is still blocked off due to last minute repairs, but the toll gates are open and we drove on this new highway for quite a while. The back roads were in bad condition due to the rain caused by the typhoon, but I've seen much worse.

On the way, we stopped to photograph the rice harvest in the gorgeous paddies, and chanced on a small house where these elders were tending to their grandchild. There was some reticense after this photograph was made because traditional Vietnamese normally do not like to be photographed in threes (and/or other odd numbers).

Ha Noi felt like home. The chaos, the commotion, the noise...and naturally the lip-licking Pho Bo at  Pho 10 on Lý Quốc Su street. A bowl of pho bo and a bottle of Hanoi beer set each one of us 60,000 dongs or just under $3.00. It really can't be beat.

Dodo Kopold Opens New Route on Annapurna South

Slovakian climber Dodo Kopold has climbed Annapurna South along a new route, and in solo Alpine style, according to this article over at Climbing.com. He topped out following 40 straight hours of climbing, reaching the summit of the 7219m mountain alone.

Dodo has come to Annapurna to climb with Martin Minarik and Elisabeth Revol along the South Face of Annapurna I, but as we've heard a few times already, the weather conditions on that mountain were just too treacherous for safe climbing. With that mountain off the menu, Kopold elected to make his solo attempt on Annapurna South, by going up a 7100m route to a western ridge, which he then traversed to reach the summit itself. His descent took him back to the saddle and down the face there amidst deep snow.

The article indicates that the Slovak climber carried just 40 meters of rope, 8 pitons, 8 ice screws, and 10 quickdraws. He also had three energy bars, some dried meat, and a light stove, which he used to melt snow for drinking water.

Expect to hear more details on this story in the near future. This appears to be another impressive, and dramatic, climb out of a guy who already has a full resume. Great work Dodo! Congrats!

Café Dao, A Vietnamese Love Story | Medium

CAFÉ DAO

“No one in our village was as beautiful as she was…we liked each other since we were 12 years old…”

And so explained 92 year-old Thai Truang Dao explained why he married his wife, Thai Mo Ba.

Both welcomed graciously me and Maika Elan in his small home in Hoi An, and allowed me to photograph wherever and whatever I wanted.

Thai Truang Dao started a small coffee-shop in his home town during the mid forties and with some leap of imagination, could be considered as the Howard Schultz (Starbucks CEO) of Hoi An.

Readers of my blog have seen that I'm trying out the various new storytelling platforms, and Medium is one those. It's a blog publishing platform, founded by Twitter co-founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone a couple of years ago. It has evolved into a hybrid of non-professional contributions and professional, paid contributions, an example of social journalism.

I'm glad to be returning to Hoi An, where I hope I'll be able to revisit the couple, and give them prints of these photographs.

Todd Carmichael Releases Videos of Antarctic Expedition

Antarctic explorer Todd Carmichael, who became the first American to go solo and unsupported to the South Pole a few months back, setting a speed record in the process, has released some excellent videos of his journey. Check out the initial video below, then head over to his YouTube Channel for even more. They'll give you an idea of how much he suffered on his way to the Pole.

In an update posted to his site today, Todd had this to say to all of his supporters:

The lungs, feet, face and eye have healed I’ve taken on weight and I’m back in training. Lots of thoughts about the next adventure, which presently entails loads of discussions with famous Cable Channels (you know the names) and an insane idea that I can lug 350 pounds of water/food/gear in a rickshaw named the Desert Pig up and over the largest sand dunes on the planet - for 500+ miles.

The man has been home for two months and he's already forgotten that suffering! Can't wait to follow his next adventure.

Traveling with Children in Vietnam

The tourism business in Vietnam has become hugely since the mid 90s. At one time considered a war torn and distant nation, it is presently a flourishing visitor end in Southeast Asia. At the point when going in an expansive gathering of individuals with fluctuating ages, investments, and tastes, it can be hard to arrange a strong excursion that suits everybody. In Vietnam, you have the chance to make a family trek that suits everybody's necessities on the grounds that it is still generally modest to go here and simple to discover exercises that the entire family will delight in. Here are our main 5 particular Vietnam travel tips for those of you going with youngsters.

A simple approach to keep you and the children cheerful amid an outing to Vietnam is to arrange exercises that are 'involved', yet speak to both the more youthful and more established swarm. Vietnam has numerous chances to do simply that. Here are particular places that the entire family can delight in doing exercises while as of now unwinding and appreciating the surroundings:

Northern Vietnam – Halong Bay is an extraordinary spot for family amicable endeavor in Vietnam. Amid most travels in Halong Bay, there are a lot of chances to kayak in the narrows, swim in the sea, lay on the shoreline, go squid angling or take cooking classes. Some journey lines are more family agreeable than others. Bhaya, Au Co, and Indochina Sails have a portion of the greatest decks, giving your children a lot of space to circled. Paloma travels offers the Paloma Family Cruise, which is a private journey with a 6-man limit. The visit can be more pandered to your family's individual needs if the standard exercises don't engage you. A few travels likewise have abutting lodges with an uniting entryway so you can stay open to your children – Jasmine travels, Paloma travels, and Starlight travels are a portion of the organizations that offer bordering lodges.

Hanoi, being the capital of Vietnam, has numerous galleries and points of interest that you can visit. On the off chance that that gets a bit dry for a few parts of your family, you can take an excursion to the Bat Trang stoneware town where everybody in the family can paint a piece to take home. Your children may additionally like "toy road" in Hanoi, found on Luong Van Can road. In the event that you need to appreciate some open space, the parks close Hoan Kiem lake are generally not very packed and there is a lot of space for children to circled.

Focal Vietnam – The society and environment in focal Vietnam can be truly various from city to city. Along the coast, you will have numerous chances to revel in water sports. Nha Trang is celebrated for scuba swooping and Mui Ne is known for windsurfing and parasailing. In the event that your family delights in water sports, we propose going by these goals. Nha Trang likewise has the Vinpearl entertainment mecca which can be a fun movement to delight in as a crew. To get to the recreation center, you take a great gondola ride, which is one of the longest gondola rides over water on the planet. As opposed to Nha Trang and Mui Ne, Hoi An is an a great deal more loose town and is a spot to encounter an alternate city vibe in Vietnam. That being said, it is an extremely touristy town (and thusly, exceptionally vacationer well disposed) so on the off chance that you and your family require a break from the rushing about of life in Vietnam, Hoi An is an extraordinary spot to visit. Going to the wide open close Hoi An is additionally an extraordinary choice and numerous visits offer the chance to buoy down trenches in little bamboo angling vessels. You can likewise participate in some social exercises like taking light making classes or taking a bicycle visit to the encompassing towns.

See more: Vietnam travel packages

Southern Vietnam – One of the greatest offers of Ho Chi Minh City is the clamoring and confused nature of the city. In the event that you need to detract sooner or later from the disarray, we suggest going to Dam Sen Water Park or Suoi Tien Amusement Park. Both spots have a lot of rides, attractions, and exercises outfitted towards youngsters and is an extraordinary approach to keep them dynamic amid your excursion. Dam Sen Water Park is, as the name expresses, an oceanic themed park with heaps of themed water slides and pools for children to play. It is not very far from the inside of town and the admission to the recreation center is focused around tallness. Suoi Tien Amusement Park is a Buddha themed carnival which may appear interesting however is a great deal of good times for children. Other than the rides and exercises, they have shows, go kart rides and pontoon rides. This entertainment mecca is around 30 minutes outside of town.

The Mekong Delta is likewise a pleasant family well disposed goal. Most visits in the delta are involved and captivating for adolescent children on the grounds that they involve kayak treks down the backwaters, visits to rice paper production lines, and visits to apples and oranges confection assembling shops. Vast visit organizations with various gatherings of individuals on the same visit can get extremely ho-murmur for children. The agenda is more unbending and not all exercises may engage your kids. Rather, we prescribe private visits through Water Buffal

New Trail Run Pits Man vs. Nature, Perhaps Literally!

A new endurance trail race is gearing up to take place later this year in the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The 50km (31 mile) race will cover some very remote, demanding terrain, as top adventure athletes challenge each other across the course. But that may be the least of their worries, as they'll be running through territory that is inhabited by dangerous game animals, including Black Rhino, Cape Buffalo, and Cape Cobra!

The inaugural Baviaanskloof Trail Run is scheduled to get underway on Saturday, Sept. 12 of this year. Each of the runners expected to be self sufficient while out on the course, and very little support will be provided. The race promises to be an event like any other, with beautiful landscapes, demanding trails, and the potential to pass a wide variety of wildlife on the course.

The Baviaanskloof National Reserve is a World Heritage Site that is well known for the diverse wildlife that exists inside its boundaries, which are accented by colorful cliffs and rock formations. In addition to the animals mentioned above, racers can expect to encounter Baboon, Bushbuck, Tortoise, Kudu, Bush Pig, Caracal, Mountain Zebra, and even possibly Leopards.

The event is now taking entries, with the majority of them being on a "first-come, first-served" basis, although there will be some sponsor exemptions to allow for event organizers to invite special guests. The entry form can be found here, just in case you would like to participate yourself. They'll continue to take entries up until the end of June.

Looks like a great event, and it really plays well to the old joke "I don't have to out run the rhino, I just need to outrun one of the other racers"! :)

Thanks to Darrell Raubenheimer for sending this my way! Much appreciated Darrell.

Northwest India | Tewfic El-Sawy

I've recently published Northwest India on the Exposure platform, with some of the photographs I made during one of my photo expeditions-workshops in a corner of northwest India; a region that is rife with tribal communities.

The Dungarpur-Poshina- Baneshwar-Bhuj region of Southern Rajasthan and of Gujarat‘s Rann of Kutch is sufficiently distant from the mainstream tourist circuit that compelling photographs and great photo-opportunities can be made in the small rural villages scattered in that geographical quadrangle.

I've chosen to feature portraits more than anything else in this gallery; portraits of members of tribal communities such as the Bhils, Banjara,  Gowdia and Garacia, and Rabaris.

I've also chosen to process the digital images using Nik Collection's Analog Efex Pro 2 filters, which gave them an analog look.

The photographs I made in the tiny village of Madhwa (midway between Bhuj and Bhachau) are those that stayed with me the most. The village is home to charcoal makers, living in abject poverty and were rather reclusive... however, when seeing cameras the women of the village quickly changed into their finest and cleanest, and stood with the poise of experienced models the minute when lenses were pointed their way.  Handsome people, with beautiful dark eyes...and yet dealt the harshest of cards in the desolate shrubs of the Kutch.

Anthony Pond | Ganga Aarti

Anthony Pond was a member of my The Sacred Cities Photo Expedition-Workshop a couple of weeks ago during which we photographed the eternal city of Varanasi and the sacred city of Vrindavan during the festival of Holi, and is a second time participant in my expeditions-workshops.

He just completed his first multimedia project of the photo expedition-workshop, and titled it Ganga Aarti. The lovely photographs are of the nightly religious ceremony held on the banks of the Ganges. The aarti is a devotional ritual that uses fire as an offering. It's usually made in the form of a lit lamp, and in the case of the Ganges River, a small "boat" with a candle and flowers is floated down the river. The offering is made to the Goddess Ganga, goddess of the most holy river in India.

Rather than using Soundslides and Audacity. Tony chose to process his photographs in Lightroom and Silver Efex Pro, and built the slideshow movie using Final Cut Pro X. Setting aside the fact that Tony is an aficionado of black and white photography, converting his photographs to monochrome eliminated the difficult lighting conditions that afflicted photography during the ceremony.

Anthony Pond worked for more than two decades in the criminal courts in California as an attorney for the Public Defender’s Office. Now pursuing his passion for travel and photography, he travels repeatedly to South East Asia and India, amongst other places, to capture life, the people and the culture. He has been a frequent contributor to The Travel Photographer blog,

North Pole 2009: Baffin Babes Are Off!

The Baffin Babes got underway on Wednesday, finally starting their 80 day expedition to scout the impact of global climate change on the Baffin Islands and the Inuit people that live there. Unfortunately, the girls are having an issue with their GPS tracker at the moment, and it's not updating their position on the ice. They hope to have that straightened out soon, but for now we'll just have to wait for them to send a dispatch or two, and update us all on how it's going out there.

Meanwhile, the Catlin Arctic Survey Team has experienced some nasty weather in the past couple of days, and as a result, they elected to stay in camp on Tuesday, but got back on the trail yesterday. The team has been garnering a lot of attention, including a spotlight on CNN.com and an ongoing blog over at the BBC. The home team is also using Twitter (who isn't these days?) to send out updates as well.

The Victorinox North Pole Team is reporting that they have achieved a milestone in their journey to reach the North Pole. After very slow and rough going early on, thanks to a rubble field, they have now moved into an area with thicker, smoother, and harder ice, making it much easier going. As a result, their speed has increased and they're now covering much better distances. They went from not even achieving a single nautical mile a few days back to nearly reaching 4 nautical miles yesterday. You can bet that the guys are very happy to have put the ice blocks behind them.

Finally, the Peary Centennial Expedition is reporting that conditions have improved for them as well. A few days back they were experiencing -50º F temperatures, and today they've reached a balmy -19º. When last they reported in, they were hunkered inside their tents thanks to an intense storm, but they had covered 5.4 nautical miles for the day and were quite happy with their progress. They also report high spirits, no equipment failures thus far, and a generally good outlook on the expedition thus far.

That's all for now. More updates soon.

Wanderings In NYC | Storehouse

I chose a number of my iPhone photographs and uploaded them unto Storehouse, and added a few choice quotes by well known personalities about New York City...just to add some spice to the mix.

I've been extolling the virtues of photographing the streets of New York City with an iPhone for some time. It's truly liberating to be using an iPhone to make photographs...the simplicity, the portability and the ease of making photographs on the go with such a small device are just wonderfully conducive to the kind of street photography I am interested in.

At this point of time, as far as the iPhone is concerned, I'm addicted to the Hipstamatic app, and use its Watts lens and the monochrome BlacKeys B+W film. I might do a tiny amount of post processing on the resultant images, but the combination is quite adequate for my taste.

Storehouse is a wonderful iPad app that lets photographers and videographers  to build stories on the fly from text, video and images. It has a great visual editing interface, and is quite easy to use with an iPad.

Storehouse was co-founded by ex-Apple iPhoto veteran Mark Kawano, who also worked at Adobe and Frog design studio and The Daily alum Timothy Donnelly. The app has hundreds of thousands of users, and tens of thousands of stories. An important facet of Storehouse is that its stories can be embedded on other websites, blogs etc.

The company has raised some serious funding recently, which will allow it to be free ‘for now’ to spur growth.

Dixie Dansercoer Interviewed at CheapTents.com

When it comes to polar explorers, few measure up to Dixie Dansercoer. The 47-year old Belgian has crossed both Poles, and spent more time in arctic conditions than just about anyone else, and he is also an avid mountaineer and endurance sport athlete. He is also well known for his photography, and has been commissioned by scientific research teams to measure the health and thickness of the polar ice. In short, the guy really gets around.

CheapTents.com, an online resource for inexpensive gear, has a nice blog, which features an interview with Dixie, in which he discusses his inspiration for polar exploration, his greatest achievements out on the ice, and what he finds most rewarding while traveling to the Poles.

The exclusive interview is quite extensive, and very well done, covering a lot of ground. Dixie is a true legend when it comes to modern day explorers, and if you're not familiar with him, this is a great place to start. The article lists his impressive adventure resume following the interview. Some of the highlights include: two round the world trips (one east to west, the other west to east), ascents on such peaks as Vinson, Mt. Blanc, and Mt. Fuji, the last two in winter, as well as a number of endurance events such as Ironman Triathlons, as well as mountain biking and wind surfing events, and of course, crossing Antarctica on foot using skis and kites.

Good interview, definitely worth a read.

Foundry Photojournalism Workshop 2015 | Bali, Indonesia

Eric Beecroft just announced the Foundry 2015 Indonesia early bird enrollment!

The workshop will be held July 2015 (exact dates to be confirmed soon) in Bali. The tuition is $475  for local photographers and $975 for non-local photographers.

From now until December 26, 2014, photographers can sign up simply by paying a nonrefundable $100 deposit. This amount will be taken off the remainder of the tuition, and it also guarantees first come first serve when the specific instructor choice and class registration are open.

I've often suggested that attending a Foundry workshop is not only about enhancing their craft with advice of some of the best (and certainly selfless) photographers and photojournalists in the business, or about the class they've chosen or even about their own stories and image-making, but it's also about rubbing shoulders with other participants, whether these are peers, or just starting their photography careers, or veterans, and with all sorts of other styles of image-making....it's about augmenting their exposure to different worlds, about exposing themselves to divergent thought processes, to varying points of view, and in doing so...grow as human beings (and yes, as photographers too).

Bali, needless to say, is an inspired choice of place for the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop. It's a superlative source of visual and sensory experiences, of unlimited photographic opportunities...from travel to hard core social issues, and overflows with unique cultural events ranging from deity purification ceremonies to cremations.

Here's one of the multimedia projects I've produced during my many travel photography workshops in Bali.