Cynthia Ord

Iceland’s Northern Lights, Demystified

Iceland is one of the world's most accessible spots for viewing the northern lights, making it one of the country's top tourist attractions. Capitalizing on its mystique, enterprising Icelanders have designed borealis-oriented cruises, overland tours, and even a concept bar at far-flung Ion Hotel. So what is the best way to go about seeing the phenomenon? (More)...

The Thermal Greenhouse Town of Hveragerði: Iceland’s Offbeat Hotbed

“Warning! Hot Spring Area” cautions a sign on the outskirts of Hveragerði, Iceland. Bilious clouds of steam rise up from the ground. I take the message as a sign that I’ve found what I was looking for in Iceland – hot springs in their most raw and natural form, without a manmade pool in sight. The goal: bathe in a babbling thermal river. (More)...

Hotels vs. Cruise Ships on the Galapagos Islands

Since the onset of tourism in Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands in the 1970’s, small cruise ships have reigned as the classic mode for touring the unique archipelago. Nowadays, however, new and sophisticated hotels are making their debut as a worthy addition to the cruise experience. Galápagos travelers can now enjoy a land-based stay or a combination of cruise and hotel for the best of both worlds. (More)...

5 wild mating rituals from the Galapagos Islands

As Charles Darwin pointed out, it is not brute strength alone that wins out in evolution but the ability of a species to adapt to change. Courtship matters. Attractiveness to mates is quite important for the passing along of well-adapted genes. Here are five Galapagos species with elaborate courtship rituals that help them woo a mate and procreate. (More)...

Microfinance Tourism: How to Turn Travel Cash into Microcredit

What is poverty? To Mohammad Yunus, the Bangladeshi father of microfinance and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, poverty is the lack of control over capital. His answer to poverty is to harness the entrepreneurial spirit of the poor through low-interest microloans, mostly to women. Today, anyone can join the microfinance movement and offer capital to the poor. Travellers can now also connect with borrowers in person through innovative microfinance tours. (More)...

Five Posts for Mountain Ambassadors

In September, I posted about joining Mountain Ambassadors. Now, five months later, I've done five posts for the MountainReservations website. Click each photo to view the full post on www.mountainreservations.com (More)...

Solstice Sun Celebration to Shine in Peru

Each year on June 24th, one of the largest and most colorful celebrations in Latin America erupts on the cobbled streets of Cusco, Peru – a colonial city at 11,150 feet above sea level and gateway to the legendary Machu Picchu. The Inti Raymi festival attracts foreigners and Peruvians alike with a re-enactment of a sacred Inca solstice celebration. (More)...

Dumpster Diving, Freely Giving and the Man Who Quit Money

Like a good book should, The Man Who Quit Money changed the way I see a few things. It changed the way I see money – rather than an absolute or a given, it’s a convention that (almost) all of us subscribe to. It changed the way I see my home state of Colorado, where Daniel is from. Mark Sundeen’s account of Daniel Suelo’s life also changed the way I see dumpsters. (More)...

What Not to Flush While Travelling

It’s true. Tourists place a disproportionate amount of stress on a place’s vital systems. Compared to many local populations, we use a lot of fresh water and energy, we generate a lot of waste and we spend a lot of time on the roads and runways. The question is: How can we curb our impact on local facilities? If in doubt, don’t flush paper. (More)...

The anatomy of a fam trip

Inside the travel industry, a place is not a place — it is a “destination.” An organized trip is not a trip — it is a “tour product.” For travel tradespeople, part of the job is to get familiar with the destinations and tour products that we handle. This is the perk of our work, a tradition known as the familiarization trip, or “fam trip” in travel-speak. (More)...