#TTOT Round-Up: Arts Travel

Every Tuesday, it's Travel Talk on Twitter! There are two scheduled sessions to join: 9:30am GMT and 9:30pm GMT. Follow the #TTOT hashtag on Twitter and join in on the fun!

Here's the round-up of this week's #TTOT on "Arts Travel!" 

Q1 via economy_carhire: Has a book or film ever inspired you to travel to a certain destination? If so, what & where?

• miracristine: Lord of The Rings & New Zealand
• CeceMelinda: National Geographic always inspires me to see the world
• HennArtOnline: Sound of Music / Austria
• hjortur: Indiana Jones and Petra in Jordan. Haven't been yet, but some day I will
• RickGriffin: I love all of the locations of the James Bond films
• DanyaBushey: Crocodile Dundee - Australia. One of my coolest trips
• earthXplorer: The movie 'Long way Around" made me want to see Africa even MORE!
• kiltandacamera: "In Bruges" made me want to go see Bruges. Hopefully without the falling bodies and hit men though 

Q2 via jlolifestyle: Which fictional world from a movie/book do you want to visit? 

• Room_77: Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, naturally
• TravelingEditor: I have often how I'd look like The Simpsons-style, in Springfield
• ilivetotravel: The town of Bedrock - a page right out of history
• MalloryOnTravel: Middle Earth would be pretty fantastic too, the lovely Arwen would make a cool travelling companion
• JustTravelous: Atlantis. And OZ from the Wizard of OZ
• packDsuitcase: If only Hogwarts was real... I'd go there in a heartbeat (as long as I had my owl, of course)
• NevEndingVoyage: The labyrinth from The Labyrinth film

Q3 via robertkcole: What book or film location should absolutely not be missed?

• L_e_a_h: Under theTuscan Sun...ahhh...Tuscany
• DangerousBiz: Hobbit holes in New Zealand! Also, the Ka'a'awa Valley in Hawaii is well worth a visit, and has starred in lots of movies
• ACarlton: Harry Potter locales in England & Scotland
• roniweiss: Come visit me in NYC! Frequently featured
• traveldudes: The film was solala... But the destination rocks: "Australia"
• hikebiketravel: The canyons of Utah of 127 Hours fame
• JauntingKerrs: Vigna Maggio in Greve in Chianti - where Kenneth Branaugh's Much Ado About Nothing was filmed

Q4 via americanodtv: An artist during your travels that you absolutely love now?

• SuuperG: Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona ...thought I didn't like his style...fell hard
• JeffatCVIP: Artists discovered during travels - many Japanese punk bands in Tokyo record bins
• ACarlton: Oswaldo Guayasamín. Discovered him in Ecuador. Whole new perspective on life and people
• Inga_Ros: Hadn´t heard about Swell Season until in Denmark last year. Love them now
• marktravel: London- walk into the National Gallery, see the great works & you will become an art fan at least to some degree 
• onlyapartmentsD: Berlin is a great spot for discovering Street Art

Q5 via solangefrancois: Elizabeth Gilbert's book was called 'Eat, Pray, Love'. What would your book be called?

• L_e_a_h: "Life is Short and the Road is Long" 
• 1Dad1Kid: Live Without Regrets. It's my personal & family motto
• ilivetotravel: Luxury Beach Life & a Bottle of Rum: a tale of a woman cashing it all in to live the posh pirate dream
• amberdegrace: "Around the World in 80 Pints"
• thetravelmav: 'Eat, Drink, Be Merry' - I'm aiming for Christmas sales
• esthercrumpet: Or, as per an exchange the other day, 'Throw Some Meat At It and Run'
• Mikeachim: My life story would be called "Mistakes Are Medals - I'm Highly Decorated"
• themorningfresh: "I climbed, I camped, I conquered." - My mom just came up with that title for me, isn't she great? 

And there you have it, "Arts Travel"!  

Next week's #TTOT topic is: "Best in Travel 2012!" Submit your questions HERE! And don't forget to follow the #TTOT hashtag every Tuesday at 9:30am and 9:30pm GMT to chat about all things travel!

As always, a HUGE travel community thank you to our #TTOT hosts and organizers: traveldudes, roniweiss, toddwassel, traveldesigned, insidetravellab, WildJunket, tbloggersunite and mobilelawyer!

Have YOU got anything to add to the "Arts Travel" discussion? 

© Connie Hum 2011

#TTOT Round-Up: Bathroom Experiences Abroad

Every Tuesday, it's Travel Talk on Twitter! There are two scheduled sessions to join: 9:30am GMT and 9:30pm GMT. Follow the #TTOT hashtag on Twitter and join in on the fun!

Here's the round-up of this week's #TTOT potty talk on "Bathroom Experiences Abroad!"

Q1 via HotelPRGuy: Coolest/most awesome bathroom you have seen?

• theexplorateur: Best bathroom as La Tagliata Restaurant on the Amalfi Coast- looking out over the cliffs to the spectacular ocean
• HomeExchangecom: The urinal at our hotel in Croatia was disguised as waterfall! Way better than the troughs at sports stadiums here in the US
• traveldudes: Hong Kong (hostel) toilets rock! Clean your teeth, have a shower & poo all at the same time!
• jeszbelle: Mozart toilet in Vienna, listening Mozart songs while you're doing your thing
• ehalvey: I was blown away by how clean the bathrooms in the Zurich airport were. A germaphobe's dream
• walkflypinoy: Any "sitting" (not squatting) toilet you encounter while on a 10-day trek in the Himalayas is awesome for me

hjortur: I think nothing will beat this toilet

Q2 via RachelChaikof: What is the most disgusting bathroom you've encountered abroad?

• littlegingerkid: Worst ever toilet was in Tibet where you could see what people had had for dinner two days before heaped under the slit in the floor
• thearcticnomad: Public toilet in a hutong in Beijing. Squat toilets, no doors, disgusting smell, stuff from urinals ended on the floor
• PlinthPics: A French village public toilet which with just one glance, turned my diarrhea into constipation
• LifesGreatAdv: The other 'wrong' toilet environment I encountered was in Iran where the floor was COVERED in pee & the local ladies went barefoot
• taliasfootsteps: A tie between: A squatter on a farm in Ukraine and, believe it or not, a toilet at a McDonalds in Manhattan
• VagabondQuest: Toilet in a KFC in Cairo. Flush didn't work alright. But there are many chocolaty spreads (you know I mean) on wall and sink

Q3 via roniweiss What is the best "Loo View" you have ever had? 

FourSeasons: This breathtaking Bora Bora bathroom takes ocean views to a whole new level

traveldudes: The Loo with View, Jordan

connvoyage: View from China's Tiger Leaping Gorge squat toilet

Q4 via Traveldudes: What was your most embarrassing travel bathroom experience?

• ScrumptiousSal: A goat headbutting me into a latrine in Turkey
• MalloryOnTravel: When a teenager on first trip abroad a guy at the urinals in the public toilets in Lausanne 'spanking the monkey'
• AngelinaFoster: Was in Malia, the toilet blocked, started rising and two of us were locked in
• Tours_By_Locals: Being caught off guard by the "cleaning jet" of water that squirted out of the toilet in Singapore
• travelling_mom: Leningrad, 1986. Food poisoning. Public toilet, no locks, one tissue
• our_oyster: I clogged a no water toilet on a house boat once. Very embarrassing
• SonjaSwissLife: Transparent toilet in Lausanne. Well, you’re SUPPOSED to push the button for the opaqueness- didn't see it 
  

Q5 via RainTravels: What's the craziest thing you've done to be able to use a good bathroom?

• AdeleMcIntosh: Drag my kid to the front of the line: "He HAS to go"
• Trvl8dintern: I paid of course! 3 euro to go inside a bathroom on the Champs Élysées in Paris! Worth it
• RachelChaikof: Craziest thing I've done to find a GOOD toilet was walking a half mile back to the same restaurant where I ate earlier in the day
• HW_Travel: I've knocked on a few random houses in my day and asked to use the toilet
• MyDLondon: I pretended I was staying in a 5 star hotel, shoewd them my card, and it worked! Bingo! I used the toilet
• HostelGossip: Paid for a hotel room in India - just to use a "real" toilet for the first time in weeks
• 25travels: Not me, but I had a friend who pretended to be blind so she can use the for disabled toilet and not queue

And there you have it, "Bathroom Experiences Abroad"! 

Next week's #TTOT topic is: "Arts Travel!" Submit your questions HERE! And don't forget to follow the #TTOT every Tuesday at 9:30am and 9:30pm GMT to chat about all things travel!

As always, a HUGE travel community thank you to our #TTOT hosts and organizers: traveldudes, roniweiss, toddwassel, traveldesigned, insidetravellab, WildJunket, tbloggersunite and mobilelawyer!

Have YOU got anything to add to the "Bathroom Experiences Abroad" discussion? 

© Connie Hum 2011

#TTOT Round-Up: Winter Travel

Every Tuesday, it's Travel Talk on Twitter! There are two scheduled sessions to join: 9:30am GMT and 9:30pm GMT. Follow the #TTOT hashtag on Twitter and join in on the fun!

Here's the round-up of this week's #TTOT on "Winter Travel!"

Q1 via RunawayJuno: Do you prefer winter travel to summer travel? Why or why not?

• Alan_Curr: I love winter travel in really remote places, adds to that sense of being in the wild. Must be well prepared though
• IsabellesTravel: As a beach lover I would opt for Summer Travel, but I can enjoy a winter break with hot chocolate too
• bushbirdie: Winter: has more options (hot or cold destinations) & often cheaper deals. Tho saying that nothing much beats a summer holiday
• PuzzlerT: I prefer summer travel. Travel often means waiting instead of moving. Would rather wait in the warm. On a beach. With a cocktail
• Jeszbelle: Winter because I spend my whole life living in tropical country, I love to see snow!
• kitwhelan: Though I love winter, summer is SO much easier for travel & packing
• eurapart: Winter: My deodorant, sunscreen and ice cream bill goes down

Q2 via Kelsey_Morse: What are your top two winter travel destinations?

• SophieR: Norway, of course - for heaps of fun in the snow! And Australia for warmth
• alpharooms: Canaries for winter sun and Paris, Hamburg or Prague for Christmas markets
• lakshmisharath: A place I would like to be ..Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh with frozen lakes in North East India
• Walsden_Mercers: UK seaside, wide open sand, salty rain and wind blows away the cobwebs. Paris, atmosphere in the short dark days is magic
• monchi26: Southern Africa (no time difference!) and New York I guess (Christmas shopping!)
• foodieintl: Whistler, BC. and Passo San Pellegrino, Italy. Good skiing, great food
• sarahwaffle: Love Disneyland for Christmas with all the lights & snow & love anything beachy
• RickGriffin: Park City, Utah for skiing
• traveldudes: Easy choice: The Alpes with great snow for snowboarding! And I would go for Cape Town or Havana to get vitamin D

Q3 via himalfootsteps: What's the best thing to do on winter travel?

• MyDestination: Without doubt snowball fights
• hjortur: Relaxing in a hot tub in the snow with a glass of wine or beer watching the amazing Northern Lights
• thearcticnomad: Uh, to ski and snowboard of course
• daremetotravel: Outdoor sighteeing! Its amazing in winter
• jasonalvinjacob: Relaxing in a hot tub with a book on the right hand and a tall cup of fresh coffee latte with whipped cream on the other
• UltimateTravelG: Go for romantic long walks in winter, wrapped in each other's arms. It cant get more romantic than this
• traveladdictgrl: It's a great excuse to turn your trip into a quest to find the most delectable comfort foods
• MiddleSeatView: Find a farmers market/holiday market, grab a cup of hot cider & shop at some local stores/vendors 
  

Q4 via TurquoiseUK: Where would you most like to escape to this winter? Why?

• nikkitahil: Diving in warm waters while the sun shines brightly
• NicoleTravelBug: I just want to see snow!!! Give me winter snow
• FionaHilliard: Marrakech for heat, just seems so exotic, the colors, the flavors, the noise
• WillJackJones: Antarctica or the Arctic - if you're going to be cold, might as well do it properly
• vsavellisgrant: Would like to be in NYC this time of year. It's perfect
• BMacJ: Above-water bungalows in Bora Bora. Always been a dream of mine to go
• KelseyIvey: Easy – South Africa – I’d surf all winter long…well or backpack around South America
• belizepost: I'm dying to visit Brazil! Why? helloooooo, it's Brazil 

Q5 via Nick Healy: What are your best and worst winter travel experiences? 

• SEA_Backpacker: Worst winter travel experience was when I stayed at home
• LateralMovement: Best: Drinking an Angkor beer and wearing summer clothes while the sun shone last winter in Cambodia
• katyabroad: Worst: School trip to Germany - 2 nights sleeping (or not) on bus, 1 freezing day at the markets
• TravelsceneUSA: Yellowstone in December - stunning. Bad part: a day driving 2 a closed entrance- had 2 turn back go around
• toffeebugs: The best would be Christmas in the Philippines
• TravelApprentce: Worst: -30C in Helsinki wearing jeans. Best: -30C in Helsinki with brand new long underwear
  
• Travelingeditor: I almost died of hypothermia hitchhiking in Germany
• mapthegap: Christmas in Barcelona was pretty cool - there was snow on the palm trees

And there you have it, "Winter Travel"! 

Next week's #TTOT topic is: "Bathroom Experiences Abroad!" Submit your questions HERE! And don't forget to follow the #TTOT every Tuesday at 9:30am and 9:30pm GMT to chat about all things travel!

As always, a HUGE travel community thank you to our #TTOT hosts and organizers: traveldudes, roniweiss, toddwassel, traveldesigned, insidetravellab, WildJunket, tbloggersunite and mobilelawyer!

Have YOU got anything to add to the "Winter Travel" discussion? 

© Connie Hum 2011

Review: Wimdu

During my trip to Taiwan in October, I had the opportunity to try out Wimdu, a travel accommodation website, for my stay in Taipei.  Wimdu encourages travelers to "travel like a local" by bringing travelers and hosts together and creating an opportunity for face to face interaction between the two. 

Wimdu is similar to CouchSurfing or other traveler hosting sites, except you may or may not be staying with your "host" at their home and you are paying for your accommodations. Hmm, not so sure what the benefits of Wimdu might be then? Me, too.

Until I tried it!

I wanted to try Wimdu because I didn't want to stay in a hotel. I find hotels impersonal and alienating, especially when traveling alone.

CouchSurfing is a great option for solo travelers looking to connect with others but I chose Wimdu because my time in Taipei was already packed with meeting various relatives, acquaintances, and fellow food and travel bloggers. I wasn't going to have much time to get to know my hosts and I didn't want to stay with someone merely for the accommodation.

The apartment I chose from the many options listed on Wimdu was perfectly located in the Daan district of Taipei. The location was incredibly convenient to the MRT, with plenty of shops, restaurants and bubble tea stands at my doorstep! The living space was very roomy and comfortable for me, and could have easily accommodated two or three additional guests, but I really enjoyed the fact that I had the whole place to myself. Plus, I loved the blue walls!

Upon my arrival into Taipei International, I followed the clear instructions that Roger, the property's host had emailed me. I arrived with no problems and Roger was so kind as to show me around the apartment and then take me out to lunch. Roger offered suggestions and advice on Taipei before leaving me on my own with an awesome apartment of my own in the center of Taipei.  

One small minor hiccup I experienced with using Wimdu was their messaging system. All correspondence between travelers and potential hosts are routed through the Wimdu site, making checking and responding to messages a tad inconvenient, particularly when you're traveling and constantly on the move. However, once a reservation has been accepted and a payment made, Wimdu allows hosts and travelers to contact each other directly so this inconvenience is a very short-lived one.

Overall, my experience with Wimdu was very pleasant and I would definitely use Wimdu again in the future when I want to have a local experience in my travels but still maintain my privacy and space. I truly felt at home at Roger's apartment and that's an incredible feeling to have when you're travel to a new and foreign place! 

© Connie Hum 2011