About Matt Long
Who am I? I am a typical Gen-Xer and recovering cubicle-dweller 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...
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Visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Sites
11 April 2013 11:55 PM | 15 Comments -
20 Things Every Smart Traveler Should Know
11 March 2013 11:55 PM | 33 Comments -
Five Foods You Must Eat in Europe
12 November 2012 8:10 PM | 23 Comments -
Five Reasons to Stop Dreaming and Travel Now
16 April 2012 11:55 PM | 47 Comments -
So What’s Reykjavik Really Like?
28 February 2012 11:55 PM | 30 Comments
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Reader Survey and a Chance to Win Great Stuff
Posted on April 14, 2013 | 3 CommentsSo now that LandLopers has successfully celebrated its 3rd birthday, I think it’s time to conduct another reader survey to make sure I’m still on track. There have been a lot of changes, especially in the past year, both on my site and in my... -
LandLopers Picks of the Week
Posted on April 12, 2013 | 3 Comments1. Lee Abbamonte Hawaii holds a special place in my heart, but the small island of Lanai is my absolute favorite. It’s small and not often visited, which is probably why I love it so much. At the heart of the Lanai experience are two... -
News and Deals: April 12, 2013 – Egypt holidays: Nile tourism plummets, Plans for customs checkpoint in Middle East questioned, Carnival Cheaper Than Motel 6? Not Exactly and Marriott Caribbean & Mexico Resorts Announces De-Stress For Less Event
Posted on April 12, 2013 | No CommentsEgypt holidays: Nile tourism plummets Telegraph.co.uk The Old Cataract hotel in Aswan that was used as a location for the film of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile, and which underwent a multi-million pound refurbishment in 2011, stands almost empty. This year, the biggest casualty... -
Visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Posted on April 11, 2013 | 15 CommentsSo I’ve been motivated by a couple of other bloggers who have successfully chronicled their adventures visiting the designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the world and I have decided to do the same. In 1972 the UN, through the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, began... -
Purple Power Photo Series
Posted on April 11, 2013 | 2 CommentsThis week the theme of #FriFotos is PURPLE, not my favorite color but I did manage to find a few from my travels. -
News and Deals: April 11, 2013 – 5 tons of Nutella stolen in Germany heist, Canada’s Porter Airlines plots big expansion, Pickpockets force Paris’ Louvre Museum to close its doors and Rue Margaret Thatcher in Paris? Pourquoi pas, some ask
Posted on April 11, 2013 | No Comments5 tons of Nutella stolen in Germany heist Mother Nature Network Pity the food thief. While the thefts of famous works of art and giant diamonds inspire Hollywood movies starring matinee idols in smart suits, the lowly food heist is generally relegated to a police report... -
Smithsonian Castle in Washington, DC
Posted on April 11, 2013 | 2 Comments -
Bologna in Five Bites
Posted on April 10, 2013 | 3 CommentsIn Italy there is a saying about Bologna, it is often labeled as ‘The Fat, the Red, the Learned.’ The red actually refers to the generous use of brick in their architecture (and not their political leanings as some believe) and the learned refers to... -
News and Deals: April 10, 2013 – WTM reveals huge growth anticipated for outbound China travel, Google sold Frommer’s Travel — but kept all the social media data, Australia’s passenger movement charge on tourists slammed at world forum and Survey: 73% of frequent-fliers unsure of mileage totals
Posted on April 10, 2013 | No CommentsWTM reveals huge growth anticipated for outbound China travel eTurboNews Increasing Chinese incomes plus growing Internet bookings equals an expected 15 percent growth of China outbound travelers from 2012-2017 in Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR). This exclusive research was unveiled today (April 8) at the... -
Confessions of a Traveling Homebody
Posted on April 9, 2013 | 27 CommentsI was reading through some comments made on Facebook last week (Wow, so there’s a phrase I wouldn’t have typed a few years ago) and one in particular stood out. It was in response to a few travel announcements I made and it read, “I... -
The Strange and Beautiful Baptistery in Florence, Italy
Posted on April 9, 2013 | No Comments -
News and Deals: April 9, 2013 – Florida lawmakers cry foul after Jay-Z, Beyonce travel to Cuba, United flight diverted after family complains about movie, Billions Spent on ‘Oblication’ Travel and Kate Middleton to become godmother – of a cruise ship
Posted on April 9, 2013 | 2 CommentsFlorida lawmakers cry foul after Jay-Z, Beyonce travel to Cuba Fox News Beyonce’s and Jay-Z’s trip to Cuba has angered two Cuban-American politicians who are demanding information on whether the couple’s visit to the communist island was licensed. U.S. Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario... -
Five Ways to Travel Like a Boss
Posted on April 8, 2013 | 4 CommentsEveryone likes to enjoy the finer things in life, but there are certain experiences that transcend even mere luxury. Experiences that are so special, unique and expensive that only a true Boss will be able to enjoy them. Here are just a few of the... -
Rush Hour at Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing
Posted on April 8, 2013 | No Comments -
News and Deals: April 8, 2013 – Rising Middle Class Fuels Hotel Boom in China, Airline passenger complaints skyrocket, Average ticket prices for Vegas shows hit a record high and TSA stands firm on knife
Posted on April 8, 2013 | No CommentsRising Middle Class Fuels Hotel Boom in China CNBC.com If there’s one U.S. industry that’s found a home in China, it’s the lodging business. Building ramped up leading to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2010 Shanghai World Expo, one-time incentives for growth in marquee destinations.... -
March of the Penguins – Can You Handle the Cute?
Posted on April 7, 2013 | 11 CommentsEver since I returned from Antarctica on my Adventure Life sponsored trip, one of the first things people have asked to see are my penguin photos. I’ve already included quite a few in my coverage so far, but I thought I’d show you the full... -
Moody Skies Over Angouleme, France
Posted on April 7, 2013 | No Comments -
LandLopers Picks of the Week
Posted on April 5, 2013 | 7 Comments1. Seek New Travel Food is an integral part of anyone’s travel experience and one of my unexpected favorite foodie destinations is Hawaii. This yummy post not only demonstrates why I love eating in the islands so much, but it highlights a personal favorite snack.... -
News and Deals: April 5, 2013 – North Korea tourism ‘booming’ despite war threats, Airline Customizes In-Flight Meals, Customs lines delayed by hours at some big airports and Zimbabwe asks SA for tourism bailout
Posted on April 5, 2013 | No CommentsNorth Korea tourism ‘booming’ despite war threats CBC.ca A handful of state-sanctioned travel operators have been guiding tourists through the otherwise secretive North Korea for several years now, and they say business is booming despite the nation’s recent threats of nuclear war against neighbouring South... -
Quick Update and Exciting Travel Plans
Posted on April 4, 2013 | 4 CommentsI don’t usually post updates about LandLopers here on the site; I usually reserve those for my newsletter. (Which you can sign up for here) But I have a lot of travel coming up in the next 3 months and I don’t want to inundate... -
Spring is Blooming Photo Series
Posted on April 4, 2013 | No CommentsEven though winter isn’t quite done with us yet, it is technically spring which is why the #FriFotos theme this week is BLOOMS. So I went through and picked a few of my favorite blooming flower photos from around the world. Where have you found... -
News and Deals: April 4, 2013 – Arthur Frommer reacquires travel book brand from Google, Carnival Triumph breaks loose from dock at Alabama shipyard, Egypt’s tourism still in decline after uprising and Cambodia Tycoon To Launch New Airline With Philippine Flag Carrier
Posted on April 4, 2013 | No CommentsArthur Frommer reacquires travel book brand from Google CNET If you were lamenting the loss of Arthur Frommer’s travel books, take heart: the travel expert has acquired the brand from Google and plans to resume publishing. The search giant acquired the Frommer’s brand last summer,... -
Five Fun Apps to Help Pass the Time
Posted on April 3, 2013 | 6 CommentsI’ve written a lot about travel apps on LandLopers. Travel apps to help you do everything from keep track of your flights to tell you how much you’re spending overseas. What I haven’t done before is share some fun apps I use when I travel,... -
Tropical Beach on Koh Samui, Thailand
Posted on April 3, 2013 | No Comments -
News and Deals: April 3, 2013 – Hertz on Demand and Zipcar face off over corporate car-sharing leadership, Luxury Spending in Europe Hit by Drop in Tourist Demand, Samoa airline to price tickets by passenger weight and Do travel deals change based on your browsing history?
Posted on April 3, 2013 | No CommentsHertz on Demand and Zipcar face off over corporate car-sharing leadership Skift If the big money in the car-sharing sector will eventually be in business travel, then both Hertz on Demand and AvisBudget’s Zipcar are starting to position themselves to cash in. Herz announced today... -
Mixed Feelings Exploring the Khlongs of Bangkok
Posted on April 2, 2013 | 10 CommentsMy return to Bangkok last year was a dream come true. When I first visited the Thai capital five years ago I fell in love, madly in love with this huge, chaotic and disorienting city and the return visit was just as great as I... -
Glacial Arch in Antarctica
Posted on April 2, 2013 | No Comments -
News and Deals: April 2, 2013 – USA’s first ‘pot tourism’ firm touts Colorado trip, Tourist raped on minibus in Rio, OMG, a Glass-Bottomed Jet?!: Um, April Fools and Cathay Pacific Airways Kicks off Noodles of Asia Campaign
Posted on April 2, 2013 | No CommentsUSA’s first ‘pot tourism’ firm touts Colorado trip USA TODAY Cue those “Rocky Mountain High” jokes: A Denver-based company is offering what’s being billed as the nation’s “first legal marijuana tour,” keyed to events surrounding the cannabis-themed holiday of April 20. Taking advantage of Colorado... -
The Truth About Traveling as a Gay Man
Posted on April 1, 2013 | 31 CommentsLast week I had lunch with some friends who are also gay and the topic of travel and the LGBT community arose. We talked about countries we wouldn’t visit due to their abysmal record of human rights as they relate to the LGBT community (I’m... -
Elaborate Design Inside Notre Dame de la Garde in Marseille
Posted on April 1, 2013 | No Comments -
News and Deals: April 1, 2013 – India tourist visits down 25% following fatal Delhi gang rape, TSA screener accidentally pepper sprays co-workers, Qantas/Emirates partnership launches with incredible Sydney flyover and Over 50 Iranian Tourists Visit Southern Egypt
Posted on April 1, 2013 | No CommentsIndia tourist visits down 25% following fatal Delhi gang rape The Guardian The number of foreign tourists arriving in India dropped by 25% during the first three months of this year, largely because of fears about the risk of sexual assault, according to an industry... -
A Walk Through Aix en Provence
Posted on March 31, 2013 | 4 CommentsThe very word Provence stimulates my prefrontal cortex, which in turn creates a response causing my heart to beat faster and my eyes to twitch, just a bit. Provence is one of those dream locations that many of us dream about. Visions of vast... -
Sunset in the African Savanna
Posted on March 31, 2013 | No Comments -
LandLopers Picks of the Week
Posted on March 29, 2013 | 3 Comments1. 1 Dad, 1 Kid, 1 Crazy Adventure The issue of gay rights has been in the media a lot lately and frankly we in the LGBT community are enjoying acceptance like we’ve never before seen. Life is infinitely easier for those coming out of... -
News and Deals: March 29, 2013 – Vienna aims to muscle into growing gay travel market, Economist suggests airlines charge obese passengers more, Airlines slash mileage rewards offer $3700 chocolates instead and Horn on new Princess ship to play ‘Love Boat’ theme
Posted on March 29, 2013 | 1 CommentVienna aims to muscle into growing gay travel market Reuters Vienna has joined a growing list of European cities seeking to attract lesbian and gay tourists who are expected to remain willing to spend on travel while other recession-hit travellers cut back. City authorities in... -
The Beauty of Food Photo Series
Posted on March 28, 2013 | 8 CommentsThe #FriFotos topic this week was at first a bit of a challenge for me: DISHES. But then in a sudden epiphany I realized that this afforded me the perfect opportunity to highlight some of my favorite meals from around the world. What follows are... -
The Sin of Reading a Book on a Plane – The Great Electronics Debate
Posted on March 28, 2013 | 8 CommentsEarlier this week the FAA let leak the fact they might consider loosening the rules regarding electronics on commercial aircraft. As many of us know, under current rules personal electronics must be turned off when the cabin door closes and cannot be turned on until... -
News and Deals: March 28, 2013 – Asiana flight attendants win fight against ‘skirts-only’ rule, Man stuck on ‘It’s a Small World’ ride sues Disney & wins, Court approves American Airlines-US Airways merger and Tourism Montreal head warns language bickering bruising city’s image
Posted on March 28, 2013 | 1 CommentAsiana flight attendants win fight against ‘skirts-only’ rule CNN International Following a long-running discussion between Asiana Airlines and its flight attendants union about ending a skirts-only dress code for female cabin crew, the Seoul-based airline says it will be introducing a pants option to its... -
Oh Marseille, What Happened?
Posted on March 27, 2013 | 27 CommentsIt’s partly my fault, I realize that. I was on a crazy schedule around France (which I agreed to) and frankly some cities suffered from lack of time. Marseille was one of those cities. But I refuse to accept all of the culpability, I’d like... -
Tropical Waters of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula
Posted on March 27, 2013 | 2 Comments -
News and Deals: March 27, 2013 – Designers cram entire hotel room into a suitcase, Southwest Airlines: We’re Not Really About Cheap Flights Anymore, Apple wants to map your favorite malls, airports and N.Y. hotel offers a Japanese toilet in every room
Posted on March 27, 2013 | No CommentsDesigners cram entire hotel room into a suitcase CNET Hotels can be a hassle. You have to read reviews, check booking sites, arrange transportation, and sometimes deal with noisy neighbors. If you got a Hotello instead, you could just pop open your hotel room wherever... -
42 Things I Love About Antarctica
Posted on March 26, 2013 | 5 Comments1. Penguins 2. Putting a GoPro camera on the bow of the ship 3. The fact you can fly there 4. Realizing that Austral summer isn’t ‘that’ cold 5. Going for a swim in the icy waters 6. The gentle sway of the ship at... -
Temples and Boats on Bangkok’s Busy Chao Phraya River
Posted on March 26, 2013 | No Comments -
TripIt Chat This Week and More Chances to Win!
Posted on March 26, 2013 | 1 CommentTripIt has hosted a few travel chats lately and everyone has had so much they’ve decided to run another travel chat! This Thursday, March 28 at 5pm Eastern/2pm Pacific TripIt will host a travel chat on Twitter all about healthy travel using the hashtag #TripItChat. What’s... -
News and Deals: March 26, 2013 – US Warns on Myanmar Travel as Deaths Rise, Five years, 9600km later, tourist’s underwater camera found, IHG to offer free internet to all loyalty members and Pet Owners Pressure Airlines to Stop Treating Animals As Cargo
Posted on March 26, 2013 | 1 CommentUS Warns on Myanmar Travel as Deaths Rise Wall Street Journal The U.S. Embassy has warned against travel to parts of Myanmar after clashes between majority Buddhists and minority Muslims that authorities said killed at least 40 people last week in the central town of... -
Six Hotel Experiences That Surprised Me (In a Good Way)
Posted on March 25, 2013 | 3 CommentsI’m a luxury kind of guy so it’s not that unusual for me to visit some beautiful even amazing hotels and resorts. A special few though were different; they took the idea of service and luxury to a new level. Last week fellow blogger Keith... -
Lush Green Mountains on St. Kitts
Posted on March 25, 2013 | No Comments -
News and Deals: March 25, 2013 – Late Snow Brings Air Travel Delays From Midwest to New York, FAA May Loosen Curbs on Fliers’ Use of Electronics, Colorado’s ‘Pot Tourism’ Regulations Still Hazy and United Airlines MileagePlus member files class-action lawsuit over frequent flyer miles
Posted on March 25, 2013 | No CommentsLate Snow Brings Air Travel Delays From Midwest to New York Bloomberg Snow is expected to start falling in Manhattan as New Yorkers head to work and may eventually accumulate as much as 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) across the city before the storm ends around... -
Sex, Slaves and Song: An Unusual Walk Through Cape Town
Posted on March 24, 2013 | 9 CommentsI’ve been on about 4,312,131 walking tours in my life. Well, maybe not that many but definitely close to it. I like them on the whole, but lately I’ve been very picky about which ones I book. No longer am I content for a run... -
Ancient Ruins of Jerash in Jordan
Posted on March 24, 2013 | No Comments
