I previously expressed my disappointment with Lonely Planet’s top 2012 travel destinations. Looking elsewhere for ideas, I Google’d. Unsurprisingly, everybody and their cousin puts out a top 2012 travel destinations list. Here’s a roundup of the posts for your convenience. Find your inspiration. If I missed a link or if you have a decent list of your own, get in touch.

New York Times - 45 Places to go in 2012

Travel + Leisure - Hottest travel destinations of 2012

Budget Travel - Top Budget Travel Destinations for 2012

Frommers - Top Destinations of 2012

Fodor’s - Top 21 Places to Go in 2012

The Telegraph - Where to travel on Holiday in 2012

IB Times - Top Travel Destinations for 2012

CNN GO - Best Places to visit in 2012

National Geographic - Top trips of 2012

Tangent:

US News - Places Not to travel in 2012

NY Times - Top websites of 2012.

It’s very rare I end up writing posts about travel sites I hear about through my contact form. This is one part because I’m too busy, but fifteen parts because the sites I hear about just aren’t that interesting. (Read: The world doesn’t need another TripAdvisor or Virtual Tourist)

However, the stars aligned when I was recently contacted by InBed.me regarding their service. InBed is one of those rare original, non-shitty new travel websites that I’m convinced offers a true value proposition to travelers… especially to the single, solo, independent budget traveler.. like myself.

Click through and spend a few minutes on the site, and you’ll get why I’m excited about it. InBed is AirBnB, but with hostels, and a little more social twist. Rather than only finding a bed like AirBnB, you’re finding travel buddies and a social circle. The little corny video on the landing page hits the nail on the head - cool hostels aren’t cool if you’re alone after arriving. I couldn’t agree more.

InBed.me simply solves the problem. Why hostels.com or hostelworld didn’t think of this first, I don’t know. Maybe because they’re lazy. But going forward, there’s hardly a reason to book hostels ahead without using InBed.me.

I realize I’m fanboy-ing hard on this one, but it’s for good reason. It’s refreshing to see techcrunch buzzworthy disruption come back to the travelsphere and challenge the AirBnB’s and Couchsurfings of the world. This will only lead to good things. I’m excited. There aren’t many travel startups I’d love to really work for, but this might be one of them. So check it out, and if you’re a travel geek, be sure to keep InBed on your radar. This could get big.

I’ve been on a list binge lately, and Lonely Planet released their Best cities of 2012 List a little while back, and I can no longer refrain from commenting. First of all, I’m a huge LP fan. For nearly every trip I would recommend purchasing a LP country guide if possible. But rather than gearing up and planning ahead for 2012 visit to some of the cities below, may I recommend saving instead for a couple late deal holidays?

The Lonely Planet Best Cities of 2012

1. London, UK
2. Muscat, Oman
3. Bangalore, India
4. Cadiz, Spain
5. Stockholm, Sweden
6. Guimarães, Portugal
7. Santiago, Chile
8. Hong Kong
9. Orlando, FL
10. Darwin, Oz

Now, LP knows their stuff and likes to keep things fresh, but of all the cities in the world, these are the top 10 for 2012?

Questionable Top Cities

#2 Muscat:
I live here. Right now. I’ve been here for a month. Now, the city is fine, and a lot of people like aspects of living and traveling here. But I really do not get it. The weather leaves a lot to be desired, the infrastructure is not traveler friendly, and after a blistering day on the beach and a tour of Old Muscat, there’s not much else to do in the city. When I think of city, I think of something explorable. Muscat is a good launching point to nearby Wadis, Wahiba Sands, and Emirates. Maybe a launching point of 2012, but not city. If not for work, I would’ve left for more lovable destinations after 3 days of exploring.

#3 Bangalore
Again, Bangalore seems to be a fine city for IT professionals with some cash. Probably great place to work given India’s economic boom, but Bangalore isn’t even a top 10 city in India, let alone the world for 2012. Pushkar, Agra, Mumbai, Delhi, Jaisalmer, Jodphur, Varanassi…..

#8 Hong Kong
I love love love Hong Kong. It deserves to be on the list. But I can’t help but laugh at LP’s reasoning. Lonely Planet recommends a visit because of potential protests relating to the movement for more democracy. Perhaps New York and Oakland should be on here for the Occupy Wall Street protests.

#9 Orlando Florida.
LP tells us to visit Orlando…becaaaauuuuseee…..(drumroll)…of the NBA all-star game. The NBA. The same NBA which almost did not have a season this year due to a lockout.

Personal Recommendations

UEFA Euro Cup - Poland & Ukraine
The Euro Cup happens every four years, and is arguably the world’s 3rd most popular sporting event after the World Cup and Summer Olympics. Plus, it’s in Poland and the Ukraine. What better time to visit Poland and Ukraine, no?

Africa Cup of Nations
Better yet, visit a city in the Africa Cup in 2012.

Are there no other events going on in 2012?

Backpackers are pretentious by nature. Look no further than my recent Budget Travel & Backpacking Commandments, we budget travellers tend to hate the package tourist plaguing scene. |But admittedly, sometimes there’s reason to show the package vacation some love. Why?

• Effort – Sometimes you need to veg out right? Budget travelling, backpacker style is exhausting. Spending 40% of your time on shitty buses or trains sucks, and if you’re on a time crunch and simply want to relax on a pretty beach with no fussing or planning, a package tour is where its at. (Go easy on me, backpacking gods)

• Economy – From an economies of scale standpoint, if you want a luxury trip, in theory, a packaged trip should be cheaper than going it alone. Remember this is theoretical, as often times the packaging middle man will take a disproportional slice, deteriorating any value saved from a money or time standpoint.

So okay. Fine. Packaged tours aren’t always the devil, but they don’t always make the most sense. Here’s my breakdown of when they are most appropriate.

When Package Tours Make Sense

The Caribbean
Pros: Safety, sure-fire tour operators, best facilities

It’s hard to avoid the crowds and go through the Caribbean alone as an independent traveller. So if you can’t beat them, join them. With a built out luxury / beach travel infrastructure in place, you’ll see numerous offers for cheap holidays to Barbados and other wonderful destinations that are frankly more difficult to see affordably without the package. A place like Barbados may make most sense for a package, while somewhere like Puerto Rico lends itself to the independent backpacking style trip. Whatever the case, safety might often be an issue some places in the Caribbean  (Jamaica, for example), so the peace of mind of an inclusive resort might be the way to go.

The Safari
Pros: Safety

Everyone wants to go on an African Safari at some point, let’s face it. Personally, I want one of the Kenyan or Botswana variety at some point in the future. The catch? You will die in Kenya. Okay, exaggeration. But one must be very conscious of their safety while going through Kenya and some other African nations (that are not Ethiopia), so I’m of the opinion a Safari might be best comfortably experienced through a packaged tour. The premium charged and handed to the middle man will be extreme, but it’s justifiable.

The Cruise
Pros: Transport efficiency, novelty, last minute

Sometimes you just want a cruise. See different places, lay out on deck, and relax. I get it. Cruises are good for what they offer, and I’ve seen some phenomenal packaged deals on cruises. The great thing is that ships have an inventory, and the cost for each marginal passenger to fill the ship is practically zero. I would go so far as to say the marginal cost would be negative for a passenger like myself for even a free bed, since the revenue generated from my drinking would far outweigh the costs for the buffet food I’d eat.  So their incentives to offer great deals is there.

Bonus: Visiting a bunch of different islands is kind of novel and cool, and one can even, with some effort, get out of the tourist ports and explore the ‘real’ part of the islands with a little foresight and planning. So a cruise could potentially be a backpacker day trip machine for those who want to get out and go on the run.

Work Perk, Uncle Vinny’s Timeshare
Pros: Dirt Cheap / free

My favourite packaged tour is probably Uncle Vinny’s unused timeshare. What’s better than free (outside of transport)? Corporations tend to love on packaged tours a lot for perks, and these are undoubtedly the world’s greatest way to experience the all inclusive, packaged vacation.

Naturally, as I reside in the Middle East, I’ll begin writing on everything not related to the desert and the Middle East region. My mind wanders, and with the first snow in the US, it’s drifted (pun intended) to snow skiing. I haven’t been snowboarding since my teen years, and this is a sad realization which I’m determined to change (soon).

It’s no secret snow skiing is rather expensive, but keep in mind the environment RIGHT NOW that may help facilitate a budget ski holiday:

• The never ending global economic crisis. Resorts need to draw visitors with deals, and the Euro is dying.
• The LCC. Budget airlines are still battling for fares, and the low cost carrier is still alive for the time being. Take advantage.
• You made new friends that love to go on adventures, so you have a large denominator to divide lodging, food, and transport costs by.

So perhaps a budget ski holiday isn’t entirely out of the question. From my own wanderlusting and research, below are a few ski resorts and trip ideas I’m going to keep in the back of my mind.

Exploit the Premiere Euro Ski Resorts

The Euro is dying. It’s no secret. The worst is yet to come in the Euro crisis over the next several months. With contagion and the pending fall of Italy, Spain, and even France. The crisis could result in some great value ski holidays for North Americans and British folk eying French and Italian chalets. The relative value in Italy and France could be attractive. I’d probably avoid the Swiss Alps for now, from a purely economic standpoint.

Bulgaria / Andorra / Slovenia

These have forever been the budget destinations of choice in Europe, rightfully so. The smaller and more affordable resort in Bansko, Bulgaria might be calling you if you’re interested in Eastern Europe. With the Eastern Europe price level preferable to its Western counterparts, Bulgarian ski resorts offer a great bang for the buck. Similarly, travel to Andorra (Soldeu - El Tarter ) or Slovenia might be of interest to budget travellers. You’ll save on everything in Eastern Europe, from food to beer to accommodation.

Ski Dubai

Living in Oman, Dubai is only a 4 hour bus ride or 1 hour flight away. Whenever I end up visiting, I will surely be visiting Ski Dubai. While not budget friendly at $60 for a very short session, the peculiar nature of it makes it worth it. Given the only other opportunity to ski is hours away by plane, Ski Dubai offers a comparably good value for expats itching to hit the slopes without dropping $400.

Turkey, Lebanon

Real Middle East skiing exists in Lebanon and Turkey. If you can stomach political unrest and some danger, Lebanon has a fairly developed ski resort scene with 6 resorts. Turkey, on the other hand, has ski resorts more in its infancy but offers more stability. Don’t expect the Alps, but the price tag will be more than preferable when you consider much lower lift tickets, rentals, and the more plentiful accommodation opportunities.

Lesotho

Another somewhat strange ski opportunity lies in the ski resort of Lesotho, Africa. Lesotho, the country surrounded by South Africa, has a ski resort for you if you’re into novel experiences and watn to say you went snow skiing in Africa.

Motivation. Watch. This. Video.

My commentary and ideas not motivating enough. Watch this video from Matador, and you’ll be itching to book a ticket to start burning those Thanksgiving turkey cals.

I recently visited Ethiopia for a very brisk vacation to ‘try out’ Africa. The trip was far from ideal, but I never really expected it to go amazing from the get go given my lack of preparation. After experiencing some of the country and talking with numerous other more veteran Ethiopian travelers at guesthouses, I feel that I can shed some light onto budget traveling in Ethiopia. Here are a few of the main points.

Highlights

First of all, here’s a rundown of the highlights of Ethiopia:

• Injera – the national dish. It’s tasty, just spicy enough, filling, and cheap.  50 Birr  - ($3)
• Coffee – Very cheap, very good. Some of the world’s best, and definitely has a distinct flavor. Coffee, Machiato, and Espresso all are a must. 7 Birr  - ($.40)
• People – The people are very nice and friendly. Ethiopia is safe…relative to the rest of Africa.
• Women – Ethiopian women are unbelievably beautiful. I have never seen such a high density of stunning women in my life. Just don’t be a creep and expect a price.
• Heart wrenching – Poverty is everywhere. HIV is everywhere. Prostitution is rampant. Mentally prepare yourself, but if you give 10 birr to everyone that asks you won’t make it more than a week.
• No Budget Backpacker infrastructure - Overland travel is very time consuming and/or expensive. You can’t just show up and expect cheap transport. Plan accordingly.

Arriving in Ethiopia

Odds are you’re flying into Addis Ababa. (more…)