Transitions Abroad Magazine Nov/Dec 2000, Vol. XXIV, No. 3

Feature

Traveling to Eat
The Essence of a Culture Is in Its Food
With the guidance of Slowfood, an organization dedicated to preserving traditional foods and cultures, Joanna Hubbs returns to sample the original tastes of Italy’s le Langhe.
Joan Peterson gives us a short lesson on food touring in Turkey — complete with recipes and a bibliography.

Special issue

Responsible Travel

Unspoiled, Unvisited Laos
All barriers down, this beautiful country struggles to develop a sustainable tourism industry and warmly welcomes and rewards responsible travelers. Eric Larson reports.
Also: Slowboating to Luang Prabang by Diane Renee.

Eco-Friendly Hostels
Hostels have always been a great way to save money; now they’re becoming a way to save the earth, and ecologically responsible travelers are coming. Wendee Hottcamp reports.

Ecotourism in the Baltics
As Ted Shoemaker reports, until recently tourism did not exist in the ecologically unspoilt region of medieval cities, storybook castles, vast forests, and pristine beaches.

Responsible Travel Resources Directory
With the help of fellow editor Ron Mader, Deborah McLaren has updated her annual selection of the most important Ecotourism Organizations, Responsible Travel Organizations, and Publications.
Also: Abigail Rome on Amazon ecotourism
Ed Butts on ecotourism in the Dominican Republic.

Responsible Travel Programs Directory
From Argentina to Thailand, this annual directory provides Transitions Abroad’s selection of the best opportunities for green travel around the world in 2001.
Also: Dan Pabst sits in on the West African Film Festival
Steve Wiegenstein reports on Nature Travel in Ghana
Ed Butts on Ecotourism and Activism.

Departments

Letters to the Editor

Information Exchange

Transitions Abroad Q&A

Traveler’s Almanac

Traveler’s Reports

• Barbara Ballard on Disability Travel
• Katherine Maris on Costa Rica in Depth
• Carolyn Ali on Jewish Information Centers

The Educated Traveler
Ann Waigand introduces a new column and a new department on special interest and educational travel.

Alternative Tours

• Eco-friendly Whale and Dolphin Watching
• Alternative Sea Cruises
• Women’s Travel Resources
• Anne Woodyard on Provence Byways

The Learning Traveler

• Carolyn Ali on Thai Cooking Classes
• Kennerly Clay on Learning Thai Massage
• Catherine M. Thomas on Art History in Florence
• JoAnn Neal on Photography in Tuscany

The Independent Traveler

Interview
• Ron Mader talks with internet guru Michael Shapiro

Best Bargains
• Habeeb Salloum on Vacations in Damascas
• Mary Jo Blackwood on The Paradors of Spain
• Carol Dalton Sebilia on Benefits of Home Exchange
• Peter Rooney on Austrian Farm Vacations
• Mishelle Shepherd on Europe’s Last Wilderness

Itineraries
• Isabel Bearman Bucher on Irish Hillwaking
• Kent St John on Day Trips from Cuernavaca
• Marilyn and Paul Nejeiski Going Baroque in Austria

Back Door Travel

Rick Steves outlines all you need to know to travel like a European: Ride a bike.

The Working Traveler

• Jon Levy on Living and Working in Berlin
• Jack T. Lee on Finding Work in Germany
• Bree Oswell on Volunteer Work in the U.K.

Education Abroad

Study Abroad Adviser
• Linda Bartnik on Family Involvement in Advising

Student to Student
• Julienne Gage on Travel Survival Strategies
• Autumn Tallman on Study Abroad Options for Gay and Lesbian Students

Point:Counterpoint
• Ray Bangs on the Benefits of Going it Alone

Program News and Notes

Endpage

Drew Colenbrander describes the benefits of combining independent and group travel.

From the Publisher

In a perfect world we would all have the time, money and expertise to plan our own trips and travel independently. But sometimes we need the help of an experience travel professional. Kent St. John, our Independent Travel Editor, is one such person. Ann Waigand, whose column, The Educated Traveler, heads our new section on specialized group travel, is another. Ann returns to us after a 15-year absence in which she created her own highly acclaimed special interest tours.

Kari Bodnarchuk, who has been ably fielding reader's questions on independent travel for nearly a year, finally gets her own byline in our expanded Information Exchange department. Write to Kari with questions and your own contributions to this section.

Ecotourism and traveling responsibly are at the center of every issue of Transitions Abroad. This time our ecotravel editors Deborah McLaren and Ron Mader select their favorite responsible travel organizations, information sources and programs. Next issue our focus is on around-the-world travel and how to pick up short-term jobs to pay for your trip as you go.

If you're a new subscriber (or if you're reading somebody else's copy) you'll want to order the 2001 edition of the Alternative Travel Directory to bring you up to speed on educational travel, living and study overseas. If you're looking for a job abroad, you'll find no single more useful book than Work Abroad 2001. Mention you're a subscriber to Transitions Abroad when you order and get a 20 percent discount off each book.

— Clay Hubbs