Thursday, June 28, 2012

CNNGo.com

CNNGo.com

The repeat visitor’s guide to Bangkok

Posted: 28 Jun 2012 01:43 AM PDT

by CNNGo staff

It's easy for travelers to get sucked into that evil vortex of guidebook "must-see" experiences. Bangkok is no exception.

Hit the Grand Palace, eat some mediocre Thai food on a Chao Phraya river cruise and go for a sweaty afternoon spin through the Jatujak Weekend Market.  

Been there, done that, yada yada yada. Now you want new experiences. Innovative restaurants, funky bars and cool local shops that aren't hawking the usual mass-produced Thai souvenirs.

Here's a quick guide to some of Bangkok's top new venues, some old favorites that continue to impress and a sneak-peek of some upcoming openings we're looking forward to.  

Shopping

Thai fashion

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Is Jennifer Aniston really the perfect road trip buddy?

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 08:48 PM PDT

by Raemin Zhang

If you could pick any movie star to share a road trip with you, who would it be?

We like Zach Galifianakis -- anyone who can play a bad car buddy that well ("Due Date") must know what it takes to be a great one. 

Or Nicholas Cage ("Gone in Sixty Seconds"). You'll start the trip in a Skoda and end it in a Corvette.

But apparently the respondents to this survey from Sky Movies don't agree.

Nearly 14 percent decided Jennifer Aniston was the key to an entertaining, not-in-any-way-irritating-or-demanding car ride across a continent.

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5 places where you can find buried treasure

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 07:28 PM PDT

by Jordan Rane

It's been said that "a journey of 1,000 leagues begins with a cash advance."

Sure, travel rewards us with all kinds of wonderful dividends -- adventures, experiences, quality time and other worthy wallet-thinners -- but what if your next trip actually offered the possibility of paying a real return?

Gold from a California river. An opal from the Australian outback. A 300-year-old Spanish coin plucked from the sea. A rock from outer space. We're talking treasure. Not those plastic chips in Vegas or Monaco. The real kind. It's out there, if you know where to look.

Behold, five treasure-seeking adventures that probably won't make you rich, but might just pay for themselves -- or more. You never know. 

1. Gold: Central California 

treasure"Digging for gold" actually means prolonged squatting and sifting.

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The lure of holidaying in someone else's home

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 10:40 AM PDT

by Lareina Choong

In the last week Airbnb -- the online accommodation matchmaker -- sailed past 10 million bookings. That's 8 million more than this time last year.

With travelers now making one booking on the site every two seconds, it's the kind of growth that suggests sleeping in someone else's home is not just acceptable to travelers, it's something they actively want to do.  

"As long as the world's economy is still floundering," says Thomas Lam, research head of property analysts Knight Frank, "travelers will look for cheap accommodation."

Sites such as Airbnb, Roomorama and Great Space provide that option. They connect travelers with homeowners who are willing to rent out their rooms for a few days, and guesthouses and budget hotel businesses will feel the pinch in the long run, Lam said.

"While it can be cheaper to stay in hostels, even if you're a solo traveler, renting an apartment can be a nice change from the hotel circuit and a comfortable way to feel at home far away," says Jodi Ettenberg, author of travel blog Legal Nomads.

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at 9:21 AM