Do you have a positive attitude? More importantly, do other people think you do? Staying upbeat can be challenging when things aren’t going well at work or with the family. Our society understands that and has responded to the problem with a bevy of positive attitude books and power of positive thinking messages. But then we struggle to

After all the complains about the gifts we choose for this article, we found appropriate to change its name to Crappiest Gifts for women, what do you think?

Electronic Sand Timer

You don't want a mechanical timer that sounds like it will fail anytime or a digital timer with just a boring numerical countdown, don't you? Then this Electronic sand timer ($19.60) seems like a good compromise. If you are going to use the oven for 10 minutes or want your kids to play for 5 more minutes, all you have to do

Water bowl to slow down bus drivers

A bus company in China has launched a new 'drive safely' campaign - by hanging big bowls of water next to their drivers. The Longxiang Public Bus Company in Changsha, Hunan province, says drivers must drive gently to avoid spilling any water. Bus drivers are expected to ensure the bowls are still full when they finish

Wire surfing. (Link)

Tip #1: Buy a ticket and bring a car seat. (Photograph by Jason DeRusha, Flickr)

By Tiffany Hawk

When I told my pediatrician that my son isn’t in daycare, the doctor, astoundingly, said, “He’s not seeing very much of the world then is he?”

A well-stocked first aid kit is a must for any traveler.

Photograph by Rebecca Hale, National Geographic Staff

Ask the Nurse

A traveler ventures into a snake cave on the Indonesian island of Flores and is bitten by an angry python while standing waist-deep in bat guano. An old Indiana Jones plot? Nah, it’s just one true-life challenge

Taxi drivers (and bartenders and concierges) are a good traveler's best friends. (Photograph by Andre Kucina, My Shot)

Those who leave their homes for temporary jaunts to other places can be sorted into three basic categories:
Tourists, travelers, and good travelers.
(Notice that last one wasn’t capitalized — this isn’t about me.)

The NuForce Cube let's you be the life of the party (or your hotel room) when you travel. (Photograph courtesy NuForce)

In this tech-boom age, every season brings a new set of products that promise to simplify our lives.

The ten things I couldn't live without on the road.

Planning for a road trip can be overwhelming. It’s hard to anticipate what you’ll need along the way — and what will slow you down. When you don’t have to pay fifty bucks to check your luggage, it’s tempting to just

All the stuff I travel with (Photo by Andrew Evans, National Geographic Traveler)

I’ve spent the night in four different countries this week.
I went diving on Mexico’s coral reef, was interviewed on French-Canadian television, did laundry in Washington, D.C., and then flew to Buenos Aires for last night’s marvelous dinner at La Cabrera.
Though the life of a modern-day nomad sounds extremely fun, it is also a little hectic. Like traditional

Photo: Cyndi DiMicco/My Shot

When you’ve spent more than a decade on the road, you get asked some pretty interesting questions. The one query I get most, though, is about packing: what to take, what to leave, where to put it. I’ve taken scads of trips, but every time I get back, I know I could have gone even lighter. Let’s save you some trouble and start with the basics of my lessons learned.

The 10 Rules of Packing

1. The Golden Rule: Take half of the clothes you were planning to bring and twice the money. I cannot stress how true this is.

2. Take only what you can fit in a carry on. We’ve all lost luggage before, and it’s a pain. But when it’s 3 degrees in Poland and you’re rocking those horrible sweats you insist on wearing on long flights, hearing “as soon as we find your bag, we’ll send it to you” can really put a damper on your first day. And — no offense to the Polish — but having to buy an entire wardrobe in Warsaw might not be exactly how you want to spend your travel pennies. This also means you’ll have luggage with wheels, which is worth its weight in gold.

3. If you simply must check luggage, ask them to put a “Fragile” sticker on it, which helps ensure your bags will be put on top of the pile and be first off the plane. Also, yours is not the only black suitcase, so slap a sticker or red ribbon on it — anything that will help you pick it out in the crowd. Think airport security is scary these days? Try making it through customs with someone else’s bag.

4. Mix and match. Bring three shirts and three “bottoms.” That’s 9 outfits.

5. Books are sexy. So are vinyl records. But save yourself the extra pounds and fill your Kindle with every book/country guide you need and stick to your iPod.

6. Don’t be a diva. If you’re the type who has to travel with your own hair dryer (and won’t use the hotel’s), then I might suggest a weekend in the Smokies over the Alps.

7. Jackets and sweaters take up a lot of precious bag space and weigh you down. Unless you’re going to Russia in winter, layers work just as well.

8. If you can bear it, stay away from jeans. This is huge and I should have moved it up to number 2. They absorb dirt (and odors), are bulky and take days to air dry. Cotton and khaki are the way to go.

9. If it’s important and can’t fit into your daypack, leave it at home. Stuff gets stolen no matter where you go. As big as a pain as it is, I am constantly carrying my computer, cameras, etc. on my back — and in crowded places, as ridiculous as it looks, in front of me.

10. Every country I’ve ever visited sells soap. And shampoo. And socks. And t-shirts. I.e. What you forget, you can buy.
One last thing: those plastic gardening shoes that somehow made it into the acceptable mainstream of fashion footwear? Do your country a favor… and don’t.

Follow Aric’s adventures on The Good Traveler blog, and on Twitter @GoodTraveler.

Photo: Caroline Schroeder/My Shot

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6. Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Photograph by David Turnley, Getty Images

Carnival in Brazil’s first capital (and former Portuguese colonial capital) is a cruising Afro-Brazilian dance party stretching mile after mile along center city and coastal circuits. Convoys of trio elétricos (souped-up semitrailer trucks carrying live bands and DJs) snake past the costumed crowds, pumping up the volume on

Get ready to infuse the long winter months with color, carnivals, and adventure. Chosen by our editors, this year's best winter trips span the globe and transcend the season. Find your favorite, then share your winter trip plans with fellow travelers.

1. Harbin Ice Festival, China

Not a single story of alien contact has ever been verified, however, each year thousands of people claim to have been contacted or abducted by aliens. The reasons explaining the likelihood of such an event are interesting in themselves; however, it is marginally possible that you might one day find yourself ‘beamed up’ to communicate with curious extra terrestrials. You would suddenly become the ambassador for all humanity. This is a tremendously important position to be in and it is crucial you do the right things. You must make sure that you and humanity survive and learn as much as possible from these advanced beings. So what should you do when you meet them? Here are ten tips for hopefully ensuring a friendly relationship.

 

10. Don’t Hide Valuables

 

Silver bells, sleigh rides and mistletoe are on the not-so-distant horizon, giving travelers around the world loads to look forward to this holiday season. But, before the festivities get underway, there are flights to catch, security lines to endure and delays to tolerate. Making it to your destination in the last weeks of the calendar year and the first of next’s – whether home for the holidays or away for a winter escape – can be

 

It’s the question you hope you’ll only ask once, so getting both the romance and the “Wow!” factor right is key. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day – and Leap Year – Cheapflights’ romance experts select their favorite

The environmental cost of traveling is seemingly on everyone’s mind. Luckily, there are ways to reduce footprints and increase sustainability without buying carbon offset credits or resolving to stay home. More and more travelers are concerned about the consequences of what they carry with them, as well as the

Since the 4th of July, we’ve been looking forward to the next big holiday – our next day off. Labor Day is quickly approaching, leaving us counting the minutes until our next beach-filled, three-day weekend. Whether

To score a last-minute family travel bargain, pay attention to these top, parent-tested, tips:

Follow the economic bad news for late deals. This year – like last year – that means Europe. Greece has been the happy hunting ground for bargain lovers in recent months. The most popular islands are Rhodes

In a relationship, men usually do not like to start a conversation if there are problems in the relationship. When finally they gave the last word, it also makes her startled.