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About Matt Long
06 July 2011 8:08 PM | No CommentsWho am I? I am a typical Gen-X professional who has a passion for all things travel. My site brings a unique perspective that is hard to find online. I am not a backpacker, nor am I living off of a trust fund. I am...
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Five Reasons to Stop Dreaming and Travel Now
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28 February 2012 11:55 PM | 12 Comments -
Top Five Travel iPad Apps
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Vatican City Scavi Tour
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Don’t Be a Touron
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Top Travel Tips Archive
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Five Trips That Changed My Life
Posted on November 24, 2011 | 19 CommentsEvery trip is important, no matter where we go or what we do. Travel transforms us in ways that aren’t always apparent or even realized until long after we have returned home. But there are certain travel experiences that not only impact our lives, they... -
How I Travel Thankfully
Posted on November 22, 2011 | 6 CommentsTomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the United States, a time when families gather and nostalgically reflect upon everything in their lives for which they are thankful. While I am certainly thankful today, I will also be thankful tomorrow and I am indeed thankful every day.... -
Top Five Luxury Travel iPhone Apps
Posted on November 16, 2011 | 4 CommentsWhile it’s not a travel style for everyone, luxury travel is definitely a great way to see the world. If your pocket book can allow for it, there’s nothing better than flying first class, staying in a suite at the best hotels or dining at... -
Five Things You Should Do on Every Trip
Posted on November 14, 2011 | 26 CommentsThere are countless articles on how to see New York in a day or the best restaurants in Paris, and they‘re generally very helpful. Regardless of where or how you travel though, there are a few things that everyone should do when they visit a... -
Five Unusual Souvenirs from My Travels
Posted on October 30, 2011 | 18 CommentsI’m not a big shopper, so spending hours perusing boutiques around the world holds absolutely no interest for me whatsoever. However, I do find myself attracted to quirky little items when I travel, usually some craft or ceramics piece, that just instantly appeals to me.... -
Top Destinations – My Travel Wish List
Posted on October 25, 2011 | 24 CommentsI’m constantly asked about my travel bucket list, to the point where I wrote a post explaining why I don’t believe in travel bucket lists. Simply put, I want to go anywhere I haven’t been before. I love exploring and learning and there are no... -
Top Five iPad and iPhone Apps for Holiday Travel
Posted on October 24, 2011 | 3 CommentsHoliday travel can be stressful, whether you find yourself on the interstate or navigating international airports. Instead of hitting the airport bar or screaming at the kids in the backseat of the car, use these apps to help ease some of the hassle that is... -
Eisenhower Spoiled Me – An American Driving Abroad
Posted on October 10, 2011 | 8 CommentsFor a few decades I somehow avoided driving abroad. The thought intimidated me; foreign signs, unknown rules and in some countries left hand side driving. This year I had a few opportunities to drive abroad, and I soon realized that President Eisenhower made me lazy.... -
Are We Destroying the World? – The Impact of Travel
Posted on October 9, 2011 | 21 CommentsAn article I read last week in the New Scientist rekindled concerns I’ve had about the effects we as tourists have on the world around us. The piece highlighted the Altamira cave paintings in Spain and the fact that reopening them to tourism could in... -
Three Ways Travel Makes Us Better People
Posted on October 3, 2011 | 18 CommentsI don’t think travel is necessarily an elitist activity. I think certain trips and forms of travel can be, but that can be said of anything. Great travel experiences can equally happen close to home or on the other side of the world. Regardless of... -
The Importance of Wildlife Tourism
Posted on September 27, 2011 | 7 CommentsI was going through some of my archived posts recently and noticed a trend, there are a lot of pieces about animal experiences. From camels in Jordan to being kissed by a koala bear in Australia, it seems I always manage to gravitate towards wildlife... -
Boat Tourism – Seeing the Other Side of a City
Posted on September 22, 2011 | 5 CommentsI love exploring new cities; finding hidden alleyways and cool shops are some of the best travel experiences anyone can have. One of the best ways to learn more about a city though is by leaving it, sort of. Exploring a city from the water... -
Top Five iPad and iPhone Travel Food Apps
Posted on September 21, 2011 | 2 CommentsFood is arguably one of the most important aspects of any travel experience. Not only is it a necessity, but the regional differences teach us more about a country and its people than any book or tour could ever hope to. It just makes sense... -
Internet Access When you Travel – A Review of a Cheaper and Easier Way to Connect
Posted on September 6, 2011 | 13 CommentsA major concern on any trip is how I will connect to the internet while traveling. This is further exacerbated when I travel overseas when my iPhone suddenly becomes an impossibly expensive way of staying in touch. Hotels are notorious for outrageous internet connection fees... -
Giving SuperShuttle and ExecuCar Another Chance
Posted on September 5, 2011 | No CommentsI’ve never actually hit anyone, a fact of which I’m fairly proud, although I have been close to blows a few times. One such time was with a SuperShuttle driver. We were leaving on a long planned, expensive trip to Thailand and Singapore and the... -
Three of the World’s Best Walking Tours
Posted on September 5, 2011 | 12 CommentsEven though I love unique and sometimes unusual ways to experience new travel destinations, one of the best ways to learn about a new place is through a classic walking tour. Organized tours can highlight a neighborhood or entire city, while self-guided walks offer precious... -
People are Dumb When They Travel But You Don’t Have to Be
Posted on August 24, 2011 | 6 CommentsMaybe it’s because I live in Washington, DC, but while I generally believe in the inherent good nature of most people, that doesn’t mean I think they’re smart. I’m not talking about a certain level of education, I’m talking about common sense and a general... -
Taking the Pretension Out of Winery Tours
Posted on August 9, 2011 | 6 CommentsIn college I had what is arguably one of the best part-time jobs ever, I worked at a winery. Located just a few miles from the historic core of Williamsburg, Virginia is the Williamsburg Winery. It was there in the tasting room that I learned... -
Subway Etiquette – Four Tips to Be a Better Train Rider
Posted on August 8, 2011 | 7 Commentsphoto credit: BuffaloPundit I love subways, the underground, metro or whatever one wants to call them. Initially my love was borne from convenience, they’re usually the best way to get around a city and are cheap. Over time it turned into real love of this... -
Travel Case Study – What Does Luxury Travel Really Mean?
Posted on August 3, 2011 | 13 CommentsNomads, backpackers, flash packers, DINKs, family travelers, GLBT travel, solo travel, multigenerational travel, agritravel, ecotravel, sustainable travel, voluntourism – these are just some of the many different phrases we use to describe a rich variety of different travel styles. One of the oldest terms is... -
Five Must Have iPad Travel Apps for Long Flights
Posted on July 28, 2011 | 4 CommentsLet’s be honest, long flights can be hell. You’re trapped there with a few hundred strangers, many of whom may or may not own deodorant, and taking your mind off of the experience can be a challenge. Fortunately, we live in an age where boredom... -
Four Travel Styles Everyone Has to Try Once
Posted on July 27, 2011 | 23 CommentsThere are people whose sole career is to write about exciting and unique experiences travelers just ‘have’ to try. They’re usually right, but many times travel is more than just about specific destinations, it’s about experiences that can be done all around the world. Here... -
Ten Travel Words That Weren’t Around Ten Years Ago
Posted on July 25, 2011 | 29 CommentsTo some of us it may seem that travel is fairly similar to the way it was ten, even twenty years ago. But in fact a lot has changed and many of the words and phrases we use every day have in fact been around... -
Why I Don’t Like Solo Travel
Posted on July 12, 2011 | 34 CommentsI hadn’t considered solo travel as a viable travel option until last year, when I took advantage of an amazing deal and spent a week in Israel. Since then I’ve been on a couple more solo travel trips, giving me the opportunity to think more... -
Top Five iPhone City Guide Travel Apps
Posted on June 27, 2011 | 5 CommentsEven though getting to your travel destination may be half the fun, the real trip doesn’t begin until you’ve checked into your hotel and are ready to explore. Many of us are urban travelers, and there are thousands of iPhone apps designed to help us... -
Diary of an Overpacker and the SCOTTEVEST Challenge
Posted on June 22, 2011 | 10 CommentsEveryone has their faults. Some people are drug addicts, others spend more than they earn on pretty, shiny things. I am a horrific, gratuitous, disgusting overpacker. I think my packing disorder probably stems from my tendency to overplan. Both are the result of a need... -
UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Our Responsibility as Travelers
Posted on June 20, 2011 | 7 CommentsThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was one of the first UN bodies to be created in the 1940s, and its roots can be traced back to the League of Nations in the 1920s. It wasn’t until the 1950s though that UNESCO... -
Travel Question – Do I Need an International Driver’s License
Posted on June 19, 2011 | 11 CommentsEven though I’ve been traveling internationally for a couple of decades, I have somehow managed to avoid driving overseas. When I was younger, it was a matter of budget. I didn’t have much of one. As I got older though, I enjoyed using the public... -
Travel Obstacles for Gay and Lesbian Travelers
Posted on June 19, 2011 | 10 CommentsI’ve written about how the travel industry relates, or doesn’t, to the gay and lesbian traveler and how in general, the GLBT community doesn’t fare well when it comes to good travel marketing. I’ve also discussed the immense buying power that the GLBT community represents... -
Animals and the Travel Experience – How to Reconcile Individual and Cultural Morality
Posted on June 5, 2011 | 12 CommentsIf you’ve read anything by me, or followed me on Twitter for more than five minutes, then you probably know that I am an ardent animal lover. While I’m not an extremist and I’m not a PETA membership card carrying activist, animal welfare is very... -
Travel Stereotypes: Why Americans Get a Bad Rap
Posted on June 2, 2011 | 28 CommentsThroughout my life I, like most other people, have heard all of the negative stereotypes about Americans when we travel overseas. According to legend we are fat, lazy, loud, stupid and pushy. While I usually am of the mindset that stereotypes exist for a reason,... -
How to Score Free Travel: Beating the Airlines at the Frequent Flyer Game
Posted on May 25, 2011 | 10 CommentsToday’s guest post is by airline loyalty program expert, Seth Miller. Seth was good enough to share with us some of his tricks in not only earning more airline miles, but actually redeeming them for amazing trips. So you like to travel. Wouldn’t it be... -
Travel Photography Made Simple – Improving Your Photos Through Composition
Posted on May 23, 2011 | No CommentsToday I am very pleased to welcome guest writer Iain Mallory. I first came to know Iain, virtually at least, through weekly web chats about photography. I soon started visiting his web site and learned that not only does he offer expert advice about photography,... -
Four Ways To Beat the Staycation and Travel This Summer
Posted on May 19, 2011 | 1 CommentI hate the term Staycation, a lot. I understand that the economy is bad and I understand that there is more stress and pressure on the average person than at any other time in recent years. But rather than shy away from even brief getaways,... -
Do This, Not That – Travel Edition
Posted on May 18, 2011 | 17 CommentsWhatever our background and wherever we travel, we are all constantly confronted with decisions that can have a significant impact on our trip, both in our enjoyment as well as how much we spend. Here are some typical travel crossroads and how you should proceed... -
Top iPad Travel Apps for Summer Road Trips
Posted on May 17, 2011 | 1 CommentHere in the United States, Memorial Day is almost upon us, and with it the official start of summer. Millions of Americans will take to the highways headed on a much anticipated vacation, whether it be to the great National Parks of the Western states,... -
New iPad App for the Travel Dreamer – National Geographic 50 Places of a Lifetime
Posted on May 16, 2011 | No CommentsIn my original post featuring the top iPad Travel Planning Apps, I emphasized the importance of apps that inspire and bring to life new destinations that may be completely unfamiliar to the reader. Little did I realize that the minds over at National Geographic were... -
Three Travel Experiences to Keep You Healthy
Posted on May 15, 2011 | 3 CommentsI’ve written about the health benefits of travel, but it’s also important to be proactive in order to have a healthy trip. It can be easy to become lazy, eat poorly and in general turn into a mobile couch potato, but it’s much easier to... -
A Look at the Real Benefits of Travel
Posted on May 10, 2011 | 19 CommentsTaking a vacation is a big commitment for most people. The expense as well as the time required are both major investments that consumers don’t take lightly. Unlike most other investments though, the return on travel can be hard to quantify, but is nonetheless considerable.... -
Travel Letdowns and Why I Don’t Like Athens
Posted on May 8, 2011 | 29 CommentsI was supposed to love it. Everyone told me I would love it. All the guide books and even Samantha Brown said I would love it. That’s why I felt so bad when I hated my travel experiences in Athens. We were on a Mediterranean... -
When English Isn’t English – a Brief Glossary of Global Slang
Posted on May 5, 2011 | 13 CommentsWithout trying to sound patronizing, I think one can safely say that English is one of the most common languages in the world. As common as the English language is around the planet, it varies widely from one location to the next. Indeed, the English... -
Groupon and LivingSocial: Good Budget Travel Option or Waste of Money?
Posted on May 3, 2011 | 13 CommentsA new buying trend has been buzzing around the social media world for a couple of years: daily instant savings coupons. The theory is simple, every day these companies send out an email to their subscribers with “special deals” for their city. It can be... -
When Service Matters: Choosing the Right Hotel
Posted on May 2, 2011 | 7 CommentsIn my spare time I read a lot about travel. Not only do I enjoy it, but I’m always looking for tip and tricks to enhance my travel experience and to make it more affordable. At the Travel and Adventure Show in Washington, DC, I... -
Gaining Some Travel Perspective
Posted on May 1, 2011 | 4 CommentsI recently wrote a post about visiting the City of David in Jerusalem. Without rehashing the entire post, the City is an archeological dig site and tourist attraction near the Old City. In that post I tried to be fair and objective, but was still... -
Things I Don’t Do When I Travel
Posted on April 28, 2011 | 21 CommentsI live for new and exciting travel experiences. I’d like to think that I would try just about anything once (well, I won’t eat bugs, sorry) but over time, I have realized that there are certain travel experiences I just won’t endure any longer. Pay... -
How to Customize Your iPad for Travel
Posted on April 27, 2011 | 13 CommentsIf you’re one of the millions who bought the iPad or iPad2, no doubt you love the functionality the tablet provides. You’re probably also baffled by the thousands of apps available and may not have even progressed beyond downloading Angry Birds. With a few simple... -
Travel Spring Cleaning
Posted on April 26, 2011 | 2 CommentsFor many of us, spring is finally here. Gone is the long, cold winter and in its place are blooming flowers and warm sunny weather. It’s also a good time to do some spring cleaning and get your travel life in good, working order. Dust... -
Jumping with Lemmings – The Joys of Staying on the Well Beaten Travel Path
Posted on April 25, 2011 | 5 CommentsThere’s a lot to be said for finding unique travel experiences, that is until you realize there aren’t any. With the possible exception of locating a lost civilization or the reclusive unipup, everything has been done by someone at some time. After you reconcile with... -
Language Course for the Casual Traveler – Review of Mango Passport
Posted on April 19, 2011 | 23 CommentsI just want to preface this by saying that Mango Languages did NOT pay me for this review. They DID allow me to use one of their courses for the purposes of this review and were kind enough to give a course package away to... -
Devilish Details – Mistakes to Avoid When You Book Airfare
Posted on April 19, 2011 | 7 CommentsYou’ve read all the magazines, thumbed through endless guide books and have spent far too much time online researching your next vacation destination. Finally, after weeks or months of hand wringing and anxiety, you are mentally and financially ready to pull that electronic trigger and...
