Tag: travel

Susan Portnoy photographing in Peru on a boat

The Best Gifts for Photography Lovers

Items they’ll actually use and love!

There’s a lot of gimmicky stuff out there for photography lovers. This gift guide doesn’t showcase any of them. I use and stand behind every product below. For example, lens cleaner may not seem like the sexiest present, trust me, when a lens is dirty in the field with an awesome photo waiting to be made, some cleaner and a microfiber cloth are VERY sexy.

Below are some of my favorite products and services.

(This post contains affiliate links. If you buy products using the links below, I receive a small percentage of the sale at no cost to you.)

The Best Gifts for Photography Lovers

(On another note: Here’s a list of Great Gifts for Travel Lovers )

Worthwhile Splurges

CARBON FIBER TRAVEL TRIPOD

Peak Design: Carbon Fiber Tripod

If you or your giftee is a dedicated photographer, a good

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At the base of the hill, dirt pathways slice through the grass leading to five guest tents. A wooden dining table sits at the edge of the camp’s perimeter seats ten, a large umbrella rising from its center. A thinning of the trees created a natural frame for the Masai Mara beyond, enabling diners to see nearby wildlife while they eat.

My guide Jackson and tracker Dickson were a unique pair. Jackson was an excellent guide, but our personalities didn’t click (it happens), and it made our time together challenging.

Camp Details – Porini Mara

  • Highlight: Outdoor dining area facing the Mara
  • 6 guest tents (including one family tent) with en-suite bathrooms and flush toilets 
  • Bush showers
  • Large dining tent with lounge

Porini Camps in a Nutshell

Every Porini camp has its distinct personality, but, on average, they boast a rustic glamping vibe. They are all 100% solar-powered, and the

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A picture of a man in a yoga pose on rocks at the water's edge near Kalk Bay in South Africa's Cape Town

30 Breathtaking Views in the World Worth Traveling For

Grab Your Notebook Now!

What do you see when you imagine a breathtaking view? Wide-open spaces? An urban skyline? Sandy beaches or soaring mountains? Granted, it’s all in the eyes of the beholder, but I think we can all agree that if

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Palm trees silhouetted by a pink and orange sunset |Photo Ethan Robertson
Photo Ethan Robertson

There’s no denying Hawaii is a dream location for many. Me too, in fact. That’s why I asked a fellow travel writer who experienced firsthand all the fun Hawaiian adventures below to pen this piece. Enjoy.

By Katherine Parker-Magyar

There’s far more to the Hawaiian Islands than just eye-popping sunsets and mouthwatering mai tais (though both are spectacular, of course). From zip-lining to ATVing, there are endless opportunities for outdoor adventure on Maui, Kauai, Oahu, Lanai, and the Big Island of Hawaii. 

Say ‘aloha’ to a Hawaii adventure holiday with these spectacular outdoor activities.

Guy on a zipline bridge sticking his tongue out. One of many Hawaiian Adventures worth trying.
Photo: PF Bentley

Zip-line in Haleakalā National Park, Maui 

Give back to the forest before ziplining above it with Skyline Eco-Adventures. Planting native trees in Haleakalā prior to traversing hanging bridges and gliding through tropical canopies on your return home. The program manager, Joe Imhoff, is famous for planting trees all over

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We departed Ushuaia and headed south by way of the Beagle Channel. By the following morning, we were well into the infamous Drake Passage. 

Passengers in the know called the rough sea we encountered the “Drake Lake.” The “Drake Shake” is far more formidable, I was told. While it may have been true, it didn’t matter. I spent the early morning kneeling on my bathroom tile. Sweaty and cursing my feeble inner ear, I took the seasick pills the ship’s doctor gave me and spent the early hours in my room. 

Drake Passage 1, Susan 0. 

Challenges like this are part and parcel of a true adventure. While unpleasant at the time, I never felt unsafe, and I would deal with the seasickness again for an experience as rich as this. The good news: I––and most of my fellow guests––developed my sea legs quickly, and while we met with two-story

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