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World Backpackers, an online information resource where backpackers can find and exchange useful info and personal experiences, is celebrating two years online with a travel writing contest. You're invited to translate your own personal experience into travel guide form, and submit it to destination@worldbackpackers.net for consideration. You destination guide must contain descriptions, suggestions and highlights of a particular destination, and it must be based upon your own personal travel experiences. The aim is to gather many destination guides on places all over the world and then to make them freely available on their website, so that other travellers can find cool itinerary suggestions, sightseeing musts, wicked hostels, scary local dishes, and so on. In this way, World Backpackers serves as an online place where backpackers can find and exchange useful destination and travel information.

"Sea Change", a Mother Jones photo essay by Andrew Testa and text by Monika Bauerlein, captures the fragile status of the Moken, Thailand’s "sea gypsies" who we heard so much about in the days after the tsunami. They were heralded as one of a very few upbeat counterpoints to the devastating drama wrought by the angry sea. But now there's a worry that they "could be swept away by an even greater force." In the November/December 2005 Issue of Mother Jones Testa and Bauerlein quite beautifully convey the story of this unique tribe which strattles the Thailand and Myanmar border.

You may want to check out Country Inns & Suites for your next excursion. According to their promotions,

"Whether your trip is packed with business or filled with fun, we know you're looking for a soft place to land at the end of the day."

Sounts pretty much standard, right? The usual marketing enticement... They go on: "At Country Inns & Suites it's nice to know you'll always be greeted by a friendly staff, a cozy fire and warm decor that makes you feel right at home." Okay, still a little schtick-y, right? I hear you. But consider that for 12 consecutive years County Inns & Suites has maintained a 98% guest return rating, and they keep scoring high on nationwide guest satisfaction surveys. Not bad. And then there's the free breakfast, free morning newspaper and down home "Book It And Return It" guest lending library. All nice. And fireplaces and swimming pools are a bonus. But the REAL reason for checking out Country Inns & Suites next time you're on the road is there Last-Minute, Best-Priced Travel Deals. Every Wednesday, they offer specially discounted travel opportunities to different destinations. Don't miss out. (Please note that these Hot Deals are only available online.)

And you thought a cruise off the Seychelles meant prime time rest and relaxation? Well, if you haven't noticed, the 21st century once more has plunged us into the days of pirates and marauders...

"A cruise liner that was attacked by pirates over the weekend docked safely on this Indian Ocean archipelago Monday after changing its course to escape. Passengers described their horror as pirates in speedboats chased their luxury cruise liner at sea, firing rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles - with smiles visible on faces otherwise hidden by ski masks."

Seabourn Spirit, a Miami-based subsidiary of Carnival Corp, was cruising off the coast of Somalia on Saturday when it was challenged by a band of pirates. The ship's captain changed course and throttled up the ship, successfully evading the pirates. The 440 foot, 10,000 ton cruise ship was wrapping up a 16 day cruise from Alexandria, Egypt and was bound for Mombasa, Kenya when the attack occurred approximately 100 miles off the Somali coast.

"The International Maritime Bureau has for several months warned ships to stay at least 150 miles away from Somalia's coast, citing 25 pirate attacks in those waters since March 15 - compared with just two for all of 2004."

Despite the fact that the captain seems to have wandered inside this advised limit, he nevertheless earned the praise of his crew and guests by evading the attack. The protracted engagement stretched to an hour and a half before a sucessful escape was made. Kudos, Captain!

When asked to name the world's best hotels, restaurants and experiences, travelers almost reflexively name the world's most expensive lodgings, restaurants owned and operated by famous chefs, and traditionally popular tourist destinations. One can hardly begrudge the status and grandeur of the world's Four Seasons, the 21 Club or the Eiffel Tower -- But does being luxurious and popular necessarily make an experience the best? Or the best choice for you? The Fodor's Choice winter 2006 list is the annual round up of the Fodor's editors' and writers' top picks for hotels, restaurants and sites/experiences that receive the Fodor's Choice designation in our Gold Guides. This designation is reserved for hotels, restaurants, sights and experiences so wonderful and so special that words don't do them justice -- you just have to experience them to know. The editors culled through the thousands of picks to come up with this list of their top choices for winter travel. The selections are unique, unusual, and not-to-be-missed; and you're sure to have a one-of-a-kind experience.