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In which I return to the warm islands of the Philippines exploring Cebu City, Bohol, Malapascua Island and Bicol, jumping into unusual landscapes, whacky primates, thrilling activities and one very large python.

If you like reading, here’s the REPORT
If you like photos, here’s the GALLERY
If you like videos, here’s the VIDEO as well as the SHARK DIVING clip

Major Announcements

I GOT A BOOK DEAL - Over the next 12 months, I’m turning my attention to Canada to compile the Great Canadian Bucket List, a book to published by Thomas Allen in spring 2013. I’ll be travelling around Canada, polling celebrities, and coming up with the definitive list of things to do in Canada before you die. Watch this space!

I’M MC at the EXPLORER’S CLUB DINNER GALA IN NEW YORK - The Explorer’s Club brings together the world’s top scientists, adventurers and explorers. You might have heard of some of them - Neil Armstrong, Edmund Hillary, Jane Goodall Taking place in March at the Waldorf Hotel, this famous black-tie event is famous for unusual dinner fare (scorpions, anyone) and the members who gather. Keynote is documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.

New Stories

The World’s Top 10 Hot Springs (Sympatico.ca)
The World’s Best (and Worst) Airports (Sympatico.ca)
Top 8 Movie Locations You Can Visit (Sympatico.ca)
Wowed by Iceland (Globe & Mail)
Finland’s Smoking Hot Saunas (Globe & Mail)

Word Travels

In Canada, you can now watch Word Travels Saturdays and 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM ET, and Sundays 10:00 AM and 5:30 PM on CityTV. Or watch full episodes online.

This is my last post for a while as I get busy researching and writing my book. It’s been a 6th bumper year of Modern Gonzo - Papua New Guinea, Israel, Cook Islands, Philippines, Iceland, Alaska, New Brunswick, South Africa. As always, it’s been an honour sharing my words, photos and video with you.

Wishing you a safe, healthy, inspired and prosperous 2012,

Robin

Find me on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube

Iceland is a pressure cooker of volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, deserts and hot springs. Exploring the southwest with a fellow travel veteran, expect stunning images and bizarre images in a land at nature’s mercy.

Read the Full Report
Look at the Photo Gallery
Watch the Video

Special thanks to Adventure Center

In Other News:

New stories from the Globe & Mail

Running with the Bulls in Portugal
The Trans Mongolian Railway

New stories from Sympatico.ca

The World’s Best Caves
Digging for Dinosaurs with Dan Aykroyd
10 Wedding Traditions from Around the World

Esrocking the Calgary Stampede

in which I hit the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth to party, dress like a cowboy, and eat bull testicles.
A Hot Date with Prairie Oysters
The Party at Night
Esrock gets his Boots On
How to be a Rodeo Clown

It’s been a roller coaster summer, digging for dinosaurs, hiking volcanoes, riding mechanical bulls. The perfect way to welcome fall was a trip to Alaska with Princess Cruises, taking in the wild glacial terrain with helicopters, dogsleds, planes, trains, ATV’s, boats, and no shortage of salmon. But you can read all about that next time!

Travel safe!
Robin

This Month: Cook Islands

Bush pubs and emerald lagoons, deep sea fishing, hammocks, and the fresh sea breeze in my hair. Take one dose of the Cook Islands, and you won’t need to call anyone in the morning.

Read the Report,
Gaze longingly at the Gallery,
and share the excitement of my first catch here

In Other News:

Stories from the Globe & Mail

More Science, Less Fiction at Moscow’s Star City
Blindfolded Walking Tours in Lisbon
A Visit to China’s Sacred Mountains

Stories from Sympatico.ca

10 European Destinations You’ve Never Heard Of
A Celebration of Green Scenery Around the World

New Videos

My kick-ass new demo - shorter, punchier, with all the juicy moments.
The Scuba Diver Girls (and me) rock this final clip from Papua New Guinea, because diving should always have a funky soundtrack.

I connected with the Cook Islands way more than I expected to. Great people, stunning islands, amazing food, and plenty of characters. Rocketing by scooter around the Clockwise road on Rarotonga at 3am in the morning, the sea breeze in my hair, was a perfect reminder that this is living my friends, this is living.

A Peace On all Your Houses,
Robin

This month’s Gonzo: Israel

From the packed nightclubs in Tel Aviv to the modern vineyards in the Galilee, the temples, churches and mosques of Old Jerusalem to the receding shores of the Dead Sea, there’s a reason why this tiny country dominates the headlines, and our imagination.

Click here to Read the Report
Click here to See the Pictures
Click here to See the Video

In Other News:

New Videos:

Inside the Sambadrome (now this is a party!)
The Exclusive Black Tie Ball at the Copacabana Palace
My First Ever Scuba Dive (a taste of the Papua New Guinea goodness to come…)
A Culinary Taste of Prince Edward Island (one scoop of ooey gooey)

Stories from the Globe & Mail

A Dream Honeymoon in the Maldives (all by myself)
Planet Salt: Crossing the Salar de Uyuni
Inside Rio’s Sambadrome!
and of course: Dispatch from the Holy Land

Stories from Sympatico.ca

The World’s Top 10 City Beaches
What Type of a Traveller Are You?

Loose Bits

Limite Magazine wanted to know what I keep inside my bag, which incidentally, is a new Tilleys Intrepid that looks like it fell off the hip of Indiana Jones. So I told them.

In the latest issue of Outside Magazine, there’s a full page advert for Word Travels, which is now airing on OutsideTV. Now if I could only get them to buy one of my stories! You can watch a couple of full episodes online too!

Anyone with a passion for diving will enjoy checking out the Scuba Diver Girls, who introduced me the wonders of the ocean deep in Papua New Guinea. What I found there is for next month’s update, so in the meantime:

Word Travels is now airing in 3000 countries on 51 planets, and in 1200 languages! I always knew that show had universal appeal.

Safe travels,
Robin

Diving with Great White Sharks and huge Nile Crocodiles was the perfect way to show off South Africa to my fiance. Petting cheetahs and a couple nights at the Palace of the Lost City and the five-star Nambiti Hills wouldn’t hurt either. So much has changed I could hardly call it coming home, but South Africa will always be the country that tugs at my heart strings.

Click here to Read the Report, See the Gallery, or Watch the Video!

In Other News

My Stories from the Globe & Mail

Hit up New Zealand for an Adrenaline Boost
Pink dolphins and piranha in Venezuela
Unmasking Luche Libre in Mexico City
Learning to Kitesurf with a Bajan Legend

My Stories from Sympatico.ca

10 Best Destinations for Young Travellers
Top 10 Places for Tribal Encounters
Romantic Escapes for Every Type
The World’s Best Wine Routes
Canada’s Top 10 Winter Festivals

News and Views

Climbing U2’s favourite tree in Western Australia, as recorded in the New Zealand Herald.

Written in time for the Superbowl, here’s my Dose of Dallas from page 24 in Chill Magazine

Last month I was featured on both CBC Radio and CKNW weighing on whether its safe to visit Mexico. Short answer: Of course!

This month, I’m exhausted from a big month on the road, having checked out Israel, and Papua New Guinea. Time to catch up, and prepare for my next great adventure to the Cook Islands.

Up Next: Getting Blitzed in the Holy Land

There’s blue water, and there’s ridiculously blue water, and then there’s Mauritius water. My 100th country finds me in tropical island paradise off the east coast of Madagascar, tasting an adolescent dream of the honeymoon. Darting around the south coast, I slurp back urchins, pet lions, and steer boats around gorgeous coral islands. What would you expect for a country that rhymes with delicious?

Read the Report
Check out the Gallery
SPECIAL: Watch the Youtube Clip

IN OTHER NEWS

Stories from the Globe & Mail

If you’re in Canada, you can read my weekly column in the Globe & Mail every Thursday, or catch them online:

My Travel Gift Guide

Couchsurfing in Helsinki

Returning to Johannesburg

Nuclear Missiles in Ukraine

Stories from Sympatico.ca

10 Different Ways to Explore a Country

My picks for the 10 Best Places to Spot Wildlife

Hungry? Here’s my favourite cuisines worth travelling for

This ‘n that:

A funny recount of the Legend of the Sour Toe Cocktail makes it into the UK’s Guardian

Yes, that is me writing about trees and cocktails in the New Zealand Herald

Mabuhay, the Philippines Airline magazine, will be running a story about Vegas, penned by You Know Who

Voldemort also features in the top spot of Best Adventure Tours for 2011, according to CNN. If you’re up for the adventure, why not join me on a 3-week trek to Everest Base Camp

Word Travels is airing on Travel Channel International in 100 countries and 18 languages, as well on Nat Geo Adventure, National Geographic, CityTV, OLN, and OutsideTV.

Up next: Getting Wild in South Africa

Almost a year to the day, I’m unleashing my report from Tunisia. It’s painfully honest, looking back at what happens when jet set travel can become a frustrating job - the real truth behind the byline Word Travels couldn’t always show. I’ve held onto it because nobody likes velvet tears, but it’s as accurate a glimpse into the world of travel writing as you’re likely to read.

Read the Report from Tunisia:
Check out the Gallery
And a clip from the Word Travels in Tunisia episode

IN OTHER NEWS:

* I’m now writing a weekly column for the Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest and best national newspaper! This week I ran with unicorns in the meadows of Slovenia. Catch me every Thursday in the Life section, or online.

* Join me on an expedition and writing workshop to Mount Everest! The 21 day trip leaves in April, and is more affordable than you might think. Plus you can win a trip to Maccu Piccu. Hope you can make it!

* My Burning Man Report was posted, and reposted, until it got the attention of the organizers, who posted it on their Facebook and Twitter channels. Over a two day period, my fool’s attempt to describe the festival had been read over 30,000 times, with over 100 comments on Facebook. The feedback was amazing, and very humbling. See you on the Playa next year folks…

* On Matador Travel, here’s my thoughts on How to Travel in India and NOT Get Sick

* With Halloween coming up, here’s my World’s Creepiest Places on Sympatico, and watch out for my Best Places to Spot Monsters. Click here to read more of my Sympatico columns.

* Word Travels will soon be airing in the USA on OutsideTV and Halogen TV. It’s also been picked up by MTV Finland. You can watch it on Travel Channel and Nat Geo Adventure, or weekends on CityTV and OLN in Canada. On November 2nd it’s up for Canada’s most illustrious doc award at the Geminis in Toronto. I’ll be there hunting drink tickets.

As always, travel safe,
Robin

It took me five years to make it to Black Rock City, and the world’s most incredible arts, culture, music and spiritual festival. They say it’s impossible to describe it to those who haven’t been, but that’s never stopped me before.

READ THE REPORT (come taste the Playa dust)
SEE THE PHOTO GALLERY

IN OTHER NEWS

Ken Hegan’s hilarious column about our gonzo experience together in Cuba continues to go viral on the interwebs. And chalkboards outside random homes

Breaking Free is an exciting new project from Matador which has me roaming Central America in search of inspirational people. Watch the awesome 7-minute demo to see who I found.

My 3-week hike to Everest has been postponed to April. This means: No Excuses! I’m fully expecting you to join me on this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Yes, I did get engaged recently! You can read all about it in this cute little story I wrote for the Globe & Mail

New Sympatico columns: RV’ing in the Rockies, Festivals to See Before You Die, Great Places to Travel in the Fall and my Confessions of a Cruise Virgin

Word Travels, now airing on Travel Channel International in Europe, South Africa, New Zealand and the Middle East, was recently nominated in the illustrious Best Documentary Category at the Gemini Awards

Snap this photo, taken outside someone’s house in New Westminister, BC.

News this month:

1. My TV show Word Travels begins broadcasting across Europe (in multiple languages), New Zealand, South Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere on Travel Channel. Here’s a preview and episode guide

2. Join in me on a trek to Mount Everest, and you could win a free trip to Maccu Piccu! Come November we’re embarking on a 23-day epic journey into the Himalayas to Everest Base Camp. It’s just what you need to recharge your batteries, and you can join from anywhere. Click here for more info:

3. New columns let you read about the World’s Spiciest Food, Confessions of a Cruise Virgin, 15 Things To Do Before You Die, and 6 Things to Do in Costa Rica

4. “This is the moment I’ve officially lost my mind!” Travel + Leisure feature my journey to Mount Huashan in their this story about the World’s Deadliest Hikes.

Find me on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, or at an airport, somewhere…

Cheers and Beers,
Robin

The months are whizzing by as fast as the career of last year’s American Idol, so before it’s too late, this month’s report takes us to Brazil for my adventures in the world’s largest wetland, along the coast on a beach-fuelled road trip, and into the VIP balconies and Black Tie Ball of Carnaval. It’s hot, it’s sticky, it’s beautiful, it’s Brazil.

Read the Story
Experience the Images
Watch the Video

IN OTHER NEWS:

Catch my “Confessions of a Travel Writer” on Saturday, April 24th at the Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show, taking place at the Vancouver Convention Centre. I’ll be talking at 1:15pm, and then you can walk around and get inspired by over 300 vendors exhibiting travel and outdoorsy-goodness.

My Thrillseeker columns from Outpost Magazine are now available online. Like the time I got set on fire in Taiwan, or did that crazy death hike in China!

Read about my investigation into the 10 Best Restaurants in Vegas, or watch my Vegas Youtube clip from a week where sleep was little and the bling was much!

New episodes of Word Travels airs in Canada on OLN, Sundays at 7pm and 11pm PT/10pm ET. You can also catch us on CityTV on Saturdays at 11:30am PT / 2:30pm ET and Sundays at 12:30pm PT / 3:30pm ET. In Asia, you can also now see our episodes on National Geographic’s main channel!
Read my Behind the Scenes stories and blog at www.wordtravels.tv.

In November, I’ll be embarking on a three week journey to Mount Everest. And this time, you’ll be able to join me! World Expeditions are offering a special departure to join my group on the adventure of a lifetime. Space is limited! Details to follow, but email me if you’re interested.

A shout out to my friend Sean Aiken, who has just released a book in Canada and the USA about his One Week Job project, in which he worked 52 jobs in 52 weeks seeking his passion. Among the many lessons he learned: It’s never too late to follow your dreams.

With a stubborn volcano causing havoc for Europe, it’s a reminder how much we’ve come to rely on air travel. Perhaps we are taking our ability to hop on a plane and go virtually anywhere for granted. To which I say: If you’ve always wanted to go somewhere exotic, what are you waiting for? Money comes and goes, but time has a habit of running out.

Be Inspired!
Robin