Wanderlust & Lipstick Newsletter – February 2010

Hi ya, Wanderluster!

Up for an adventure and looking for camaraderie with like-minded travelers? I have one spot left for the Timeless Vietnam & Cambodia tour that departs at the end of February or I can squeeze you into the Enchanting Bhutan tour in March.

If these trips don’t work with your schedule, see below for tours later this year. And watch these videos if you need a little inspiration to get your Wanderlust in gear!

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Are you a Bay Area Wanderluster? I’ll be at 3 REI’s giving free travel workshops February 16-18. Stop on in and say hello!

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Congratulations to all the winners of the 2nd annual WanderWomen Write contest! JoAnna Haugen is off to Vietnam with Buffalo Tours as the Grand Prize winner for her story, Building a Family in Kenya.
Category winners include:

Adventure – Catherine Ryan Howard for Us Versus the Volcano
Family Fun – Ashley Cultra for Island in the Sun
Food & Drink – Victoria Allman for Stinky Rotten Fish Sauce
Off the Beaten Path – Stephanie Dellosa for Scent of a Secret Self
Spiritual – Kit Habianic for Among the Believers

These gals each won Bayliss bags from Overland Equipment and a travel pillow and blanket from Cocoon!

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***Tours***

Vietnam & Cambodia, Bhutan and India!
Spots are filling on the spring tours – don’t delay!
Read Testimonials from previous tours.
See videos of Bhutan and Beth’s photo gallery of Bhutan and India.

ENCHANTING BHUTAN – Mar. 20 – 31
This 12-day cultural adventure in the Kingdom of Bhutan includes the chance to see the unfurling of the country’s largest thongdrol (banner). It happens once a year and is viewable for a brief time during the wee hours of the morning. This is truly a once-in a lifetime event! This women-only tour combines the best of Bhutan’s cultural highlights with light trekking in the pristine Himalayas. Take part in a cooking class, hike to Tiger’s Nest and enjoy the Paro Tsechu.
See the full itinerary.

BHUTAN PHOTOGRAPHY – SEPT. 17 – 28
Join former National Geographic photographer and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Natalie Fobes, as she leads a 12-day co-ed photography tour to Bhutan.

The Himalayas are your backdrop as you capture images of the harvest season (wheat and chilli peppers) and cultural festivals. Included are light treks and visits to monasteries, all while you learn tips from this internationally renowned photographer and experienced tour guide. See the full itinerary.

TREKKING IN EASTERN BHUTAN – OCTOBER 12 – 28
Bhutan is a relatively untouched country. But, it doesn’t get much more remote anywhere on the planet than Eastern Bhutan. This co-ed 17-day tour includes 5 days of trekking in the rarely visited region of Eastern Bhutan. You’ll also partake in jeep safaris in Northeast India. This area of Bhutan opened to travelers in 2009 and will be like nothing you’ve ever experienced. Includes the Mongar Festival and a hike to Tiger’s Nest. Space is limited to 12 people and is already one-third full. This WILL sell out quickly – please don’t delay in registering. See the full itinerary.

NORTH INDIA WOMEN’S-ONLY – Nov. 5 – 22
Back by popular demand, this 18-day North India tour includes Diwali, the Pushkar Camel Fair, the Taj Mahal and visits to Varanasi, Khajuraho, Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur. This once-in-a-lifetime tour has been specially crafted for women and includes unique opportunities where you get to experience the diverse culture of the subcontinent through special pujas (prayers), private music concerts and safaris in the desert of Rajasthan. See the full itinerary.

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January Subscriber Winner

Congratulations to Lyssandra from Baltimore for being the winner of the January subscriber contest. Lyssandra is a new newsletter subscriber and wins a sweater and 3 pairs of socks from Smartwool! Stay warm and comfy!

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**New February Subscribers**
Win $200 for Haiti in Your Name from Tom Binh!

All new subscribers during the month of February to this newsletter and/or Beth’s RSS blog feed will be entered in a drawing to have $200 donated to the Red Cross’ Haiti fund in your name. Donation made by Tom Binh – bags for travelers. Subscribe to both for 2 chances to win!

Increase your karma – tell your friends so that they, too, will have a chance to win this month’s awesome giveaway. (Names are never shared, by the way.)

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New WanderBlog – Wanderboomer!

Marian Wood knew at age 6 that she wanted to travel the world. And though she doesn’t travel as much as she would like (who among us does?), she travels on her own terms and often as a solo traveler.

After losing her husband nearly a decade ago, she found life to be a bit different than what she had envisioned. But she’s learned a lot as a direct result of her adventures.

Read about her travels on WanderBoomer as she discovers and shares what the world has to offer boomers who are too interested in the world to stay put!

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Wander Recommendations
On the Bookshelf
Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian
Madhur Jaffrey’s vegetarian cookbook has a distinctive Indian bent, but it is packed with recipes from around the world – 650 to be precise! It’s well laid out with chapters on grains, dairy, legumes, soups, salads, sauces and more. What I like most about this cookbook, however, are the definitions, descriptions and instructions on how to best work with each of the ingredients. The one thing this hefty paperback is missing are photos. Available on Amazon

In the iPod
Putumayo Presents: Brazilian Cafe – featuring various artists
My big dream destination is Brazil. Never been. BUT I will get there soon. I know it. In the meantime, I’ll have to live vicariously through the music of this dynamic country. Putumayo’s compilation is a great place to start for anyone wanting an introduction to the sambas, bossa novas and jazz compilations inspired by the likes of Antônio Carlos Jobim. This disc features up and coming artists and is great for getting your booty shaking! Available on Amazon

In the DVD Player
Cassandra’s Dream with Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell
Though this Woody Allen movie did not receive a lot of critical acclaim (surprise!), I enjoyed it for its suspense and it’s thought-provoking theme – what does it take for good people do bad things? Two working-class brothers who are determined to make it big find themselves in a moral dilemma. Woody Allen fans might find this too formulaic, but for those non-fans of W.A., you won’t find the quirks he usually brings to his films – you might actually like this one! Available on Amazon

Got Wanderlust?
Need something to inspire your travel dreams?

The 2nd edition of Wanderlust and Lipstick: The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo is the definitive resource for all women travelers. Packed with anecdotes, expert advice and tips from more than 45 women travelers, it’s sure to have you packing your bags before you have time to check your bank account. Don’t wait another moment to pick up a signed copy of every WanderGal’s favorite book.
Buy Now!

Wanderlust and Lipstick: Traveling with Kids is the practical guide for traveling with children. Learn how to turn possible roadblocks into opportunities for stretching your family’s travel wings.

Written by Leslie Forsberg and Michelle Duffy (WanderMom), highlights include tips on saving money, packing, booking your flights, product recommendations from strollers to baby slings and much more. Buy now!

India is a magical destination that awaits you. Discover the joys and challenges of the subcontinent in Wanderlust and Lipstick: For Women Traveling to India and start planning the journey you’ve been dreaming about. In addition to Beth’s own advice and guidance, this book incorporates stories and tips from dozens of women who’ve made the journey to the country themselves. Buy Now!

Don’t even THINK about going to India without it. Seriously!

All books are guaranteed to INSPIRE!

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Wanderlust in the News

In case you missed these mentions, interviews and reviews:

• Delicious Baby – Review of Traveling with Kids book
• MummyMaps – Global Kids a Go-Go – Kids book review
• Girl’s Getaway – Q&A about WaL Tours
• Women’s Adventure Magazine – Recommending WaL Tours!

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Connect with Beth

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Till next month…

Travel Well!