Sri Lanka’s Best Hotels: My Favorite Places to Stay and Play
Need some hotel recommendations for Sri Lanka? Here’s a small, subjective selection of great properties all over the island.
Travel
This category contains travel articles that I have written as well as links to other posts and pages related to travel.
Check out my books and bylines for more examples of my travel writing. You can also visit italofile.com, my blog about Italy travel.
The MTV Videos That Inspired Me to Travel
For as long as I can remember, I have known that the first day of August was the day that MTV launched. It’s one of those anniversaries that has generational significance, like the moon landing (a nod to MTV’s original promo). It’s kinda sad that MTV doesn’t really show videos anymore. Or, is it? I…
A Fresh Start
Happy 2021! If you’re planning a project this year, it doesn’t matter how you start. The important thing is to get started.
Ancient Roman Gate in Patara (Lycia) Turkey
Built during the era of Claudius, when the Turkish subregion of Lycia was part of the Roman Empire, the ancient gate in Patara is one of the architectural highlights in a region known for its ruins.
Japan Introduces Glow-in-the-Dark Manhole Covers
The Japanese city of Tokorozawa recently unveiled an initiative that will please both manhole cover obsessives and anime fans. The manhole covers, which illuminate via solar-powered LED lights from dusk until 2am each day, feature more than two dozen anime and sci-fi animation characters from 23 different franchises. Here’s a short video about the Tokorozawa…
Travel Around the USA With the DNC Delegate Roll Call
I am so over the era of zoom calls. But the 2020 Democratic National Convention, all online for the very first time, has been able to work with the format in a compelling way. Last night’s delegate roll call, usually the most boring part of both political conventions, was an unexpected delight. Democratic delegates from…
A Trip to the Beach as Curfew Ends in Sri Lanka
The sights and sounds of the beach were as they had been before. At the hotel, set back in the jungle, monkeys scampered along the roof in the early morning, leaping onto palm fronds and sliding down slender, grey trunks. Peacocks meowed. Street dogs lounged on the dirt roads. From the balcony, you could see…
Sri Lanka Prepares to Welcome Back Tourists
Al Jazeera recently interviewed tourism industry leaders from three different countries on its Inside Story program. Officials from Greece, England, and Sri Lanka spoke about the measures that their countries are taking to make their countries safe for tourists and locals as they open up after quarantine. As I am currently living in Colombo, I…
I Should Be Writing This Down
Here’s what the coronavirus quarantine is like in Sri Lanka.