Sherman's Travel

I’ll never get tired of looking at amazing photos of colored lakes. How they come to sport their chosen vibrant color, of course, can be explained by science, but it’s still pretty mind-boggling. Add Lake Natron in Tanzania to your travel bucket list! Set in the northern part of the country, close to Kenya, Natron is fed by the Southern Ewaso Ng’iro River and mineral-rich hot springs. But why the pink, red, and orange coloring (which isn’t a product of Photoshop!)? Read more

Colorful lakes never cease to amaze me, obviously. And Lake Retba, or as the locals call it, Lac Rose, in Senegal isn’t an exception. While the intensity of the hue fluctuates, the pretty pink water certainly stands out against the Senegal landscape. Read more

They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. This year, March has come in like a lion and gone out like some kind of lion-velociraptor hybrid. With a bunch of late-season storms walloping parts of the U.S. and others shivering through an extended cold spell, it’s easy to forget that spring has officially arrived. While you’re waiting for the weather to catch up with the season, close out March in Africa, where more manageable climates, majestic beasts, arid deserts, and stunning architecture await those with an adventurous spirit.

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While we’d all love to travel more than we do, silly things like money, jobs, children, and crippling anxiety keep us trapped in one place (often our homes that are filled with old newspapers). Thankfully, modern technology allows us to experience the world more easily than ever before. We can Skype with our friends on other continents, tour museums on our phones, and experience just about anything online. But what if you want to explore other cultures and places more tangibly and can’t hop around the globe like Indiana Jones? Well, if you have space in your yard (and don’t mind your home resembling the SkyMall Tuesday headquarters), then SkyMall has everything you need to bring the world to you. Rather than break the bank and exhaust all of your vacation days on constant travel, why not surround create a menagerie of handsome lawn sculptures that allows you to live internationally without ever leaving your house? Read more

When you think of “Gay Travel” certainly gay cruises, circuit parties, or clothing-optional guesthouses come to mind. But what about the ancient city of Varanasi? The Zambezi or Victoria Falls in the heart of Africa? Or a spiritual retreat high in the mountains of Tibet? Newly launched Wilde Travels is set out to change that – and offer a 10 percent savings to first-time customers through August 31, 2012.

Following the Miami-based company’s soft-launch in April, owner Jacob Marek – a former marketing manager for the Kenya Tourist board and a Patagonian tour company – officially pressed the “Go” button on the luxury tour operations with an emphasis on gay and gay-friendly guides, boutique accommodations, and above all customization. No gay group tours here (for now).

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Some trips make it easier to justify splurges. And no vacation is more splurge-worthy than your honeymoon. That’s why my wife and I chose to break open our piggy banks and go on a safari in Botswana. Nothing about our trip was cheap. The flights, the safari camps, and the immunizations all required some heavy credit cards swipes. So, when it came time to prepare myself to document the trip, I didn’t want to cut corners. However, I am by no means a professional photographer. I have a digital SLR camera, but the idea of investing in an expensive telephoto lens for the safari seemed wasteful. I had no idea when I might need such a large lens again in the future, but I also didn’t want to spend all of that money on our trip only to have horrible photos simply because we didn’t have the proper equipment. That’s when it hit me: I could rent a lens. If there’s one way to save money on a safari – or any type of wildlife vacation – it’s to rent gear rather than purchasing it unnecessarily. With the trip over, I can now safely say that renting a lens from Borrowlenses.com was one of the smartest decisions I have ever made.

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With summer — and school break — just around the corner, it’s time to start planning a great getaway for the whole family. These money-saving deals are suitable for a group, whether you’re taking the kids to Orlando for some theme park hopping, planning your next family reunion on a cruise, or hiding out at a Caribbean resort where little ones stay free. We found those deals and more, good for travel throughout summer and fall, starting from just $87. Book soon to lock in the best savings.

$87+ Orlando: Disney-Area Hotel w/Breakfast, Save 50%

$389+ Weeklong Mexico Cruise to Cabo, Save 45%

$599+ 5 Nights at Jamaica All-Inclusive Resort w/Air; Kids Stay Free

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Ever looked at a travel brochure and envied the person standing triumphantly on the mountain summit, laughing with the locals, or sitting perched atop the camel? Join the recently announced “You’ll Never Forget It” contest by adventure tour operator G Adventures, and that lucky soul could be you.

The Toronto-based G Adventures, which announced its name change from Gap Adventures this fall, has launched a global search for the new faces of the company’s 2012/2013 brochures and videos. The selected “cast” of three winners will travel to one of the company’s hundreds of worldwide destinations (with all continents represented; the photos above are from Kenya, Africa) beginning in March 2012, for an approximately week-long trip. Read more

Earlier this week in the popular recurring segment, “Where in the World Is Matt Lauer?,” the NBC Today host schussed down the desert dunes of Namibia on skis. His graceful run made for good television, indeed, but in Namibia – as well as in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and other parts of Africa – sand-skiing and sandboarding are real-deal pastimes that have been gaining popularity in recent years.

Following in Lauer’s footsteps, er, ski tracks, takes a bit of effort, however. Unlike their cold-weather counterparts, sandboarding and sand-skiing don’t have an entire industry of package tour providers dedicated to them. Adventurers interested in trying them out will have to arrange a side excursion from an existing itinerary. But it’s a worthwhile effort – and one that makes for some great photo opps.

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It’s awards season in Hollywood, and in the travel industry, it’s apparently contest season. At least, that’s what the flurry of e-mails in my inbox seems to indicate, with several excellent opportunities that are targeting adventurous travelers. There are fantastic prizes up for grabs – a Kenyan safari, anyone? – and no purchase necessary for any of them. Here are my top picks.

Travel Photo Contest Awards a $9,000 Kenyan Safari: Those stunning snaps you took on your most recent trip could win you all kinds of good stuff, thanks to a newly announced travel photography contest by award-winning travel site and outfitter iExplore. The top prize is a two-person Kenyan safari (photo at left courtesy of Flickr/Henry Scott), valued at $9,000. The six-night trip includes game drives and stays at luxurious lodges and tent camps. Prizes are also offered for runners-up and all finalists, as well as 50 “Judge’s Favorites.”

The process to apply is fairly straightforward: Just register, upload your photo (you can register one per e-mail address), and spread the word to get votes. Winners are selected by popular vote and via judging by a panel of travel writers and photographers. The contest runs through April 22; register here.

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