Tag: Religion Travel

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Buddhist Monks Hop a Private Jet, Ignite a Controversy

Where: Thailand
June 17, 2013 at 6:31 PM | by | Comments (0)

What do you call three Buddhist monks with Louis Vuitton luggage in a private jet?

You call them not a joke.

That's right—the following video is real, just as real as the cool attitudes and Evian waters of the monks traveling in style, complete with aviator glasses. The video is currently creating quite an uproar in Thailand, enough to make Nopparat Benjawatananun, Director-General of The Office of National Buddhism, clarify to the AP that the monks have been reprimanded and instructed "not to repeat the lavish behavior."

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What Everyone's Buying in Rome: A Pin-Up Calendar of Priests

Where: Rome, Italy
May 15, 2013 at 1:07 PM | by | Comment (1)

Welcome to "What Everyone's Buying," a new series on souvenirs, wherein we investigate what tourist trinkets are the hottest selling in hotspots around the world.

How could a simple black & white calendar, with the simple name "Calendario Romano" cause such a titter among tourists? Simple—by borrowing the pin-up concept and applying it to handsome Roman Catholic priests.

Spend enough time in Rome and you'll begin to notice they're everywhere—the fathers in their conservative black vestments—having un caffe e cornetto next to you in the morning, or petting a cat on a windowsill. The calendar selects 12 (having a chiseled jawline is more qualification than being actually ordained) and photographs them in innocent occupation, though their eyes betray less than innocent thoughts. Preview all 12 months on the back of each calendar.

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How to Go on Retreat at the First Zen Monastery Outside Asia

March 1, 2013 at 3:59 PM | by | Comments (0)

Is it time to start planning your own moment of Zen? The San Francisco Zen Center (SFZC) is welcoming meditation seekers, yoga lovers, and artisan foodies for this year's guest seasons, running from April 26 to September 9, 2013, at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.

Located inland from Big Sur, and only accessible by 4-wheel drive vehicles via a 14-mile dirt road, Tassajara is the first Zen training monastery outside of Asia. It has established itself as the place to go for self-discovery, healing and an escape from the stresses of everyday life. It is also an eco-efficient paradise with all of its energy coming from solar panels and local hot springs.

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The Adventures of Travel Cat: Panzano in Chianti, Italy

May 2, 2012 at 4:36 PM | by | Comments (0)

Kitty cats. They rule the internet and, whether we realize it or not, pretty much the world too. Ever noticed how cats sometimes stake out the coolest spots in a city? This new feature—Travel Cat—focuses on exactly that. Submit a photo to be featured by tweeting or Instagramming it to us (details below).

Travel Cat spotted in: La pieve di San Leolino, in the town of Panzano, in the Chianti region of Italy.

This week's Travel Cat comes from Ned Lundquist, Editor and Publisher of the “Your Very Next Step” travel and adventure newsletter (subscribe by sending a blank email here).

The story of this Travel Cat is a uniquely funny one; we'll let Ned tell it:

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An Awesome Day on Bali: Stumbling upon the Starbucks Temple

April 24, 2012 at 12:02 PM | by | Comments (0)

BALI. For some, the word conjures up images of infinity pools, surfing beaches and tropical temples. For others, it's a nightmare of topless tourists and sweaty sightseeing. Well, we just got back ourselves and we, with the help of tips from friends and locals, did something in between...something that turned out to be awesome. Put on the SPF, hire a car* and join us this week as we reveal an An Awesome Day on Bali (Jaunted-style).

Our awesome day on Bali continues with a wander around Jalan Raya Ubud (Ubud's main street) and a visit to the Pura Taman Saraswati temple behind Starbucks (yes, Starbucks)..

Alright, so now that you've breakfasted at Biku, it's time to hop in that private car* and hightail it almost two hours north into the cultural heart of Bali, in the town of Ubud. We recommend going there in the morning, because the afternoon brings the tour buses and floods the sidewalks (already barely wide enough for one) and many, many temples with vacationers who stop, stare, photograph, bargain for tchotchkes and sweat down the backs of their T-shirts.

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Ryanair is Literally Selling Tickets to See the Pope

April 13, 2012 at 2:38 PM | by | Comments (0)

When it comes to inventing new fees and in-flight purchases for their passengers, it goes without saying that Ryanair is a leading... innovator. Sometimes those fees are so egregious they get ruled illegal, so the Irish LCC has to continuously brainstorm. There's a reason that the airline is swimming in profits.

Last time it was porn. This time it's audiences with Pope. Where it not for how simply tiresome this entire act is becoming, we'd almost admire Ryanair's utter disregard for even the barest hint of shame. Almost.

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Airline Uniforms are Keeping the Faith

February 28, 2012 at 3:47 PM | by | Comments (0)

For airlines that fly internationally, cultural sensitivity is occasionally part of employee training. We have already talked about Alaska Airlines eliminating prayer cards from their first class meal trays. While the Alaskan carrier abandoned the in-flight faith, other airlines have gone the next step to ensure a religious vacuum while flying on their birds.

The Polish flag-carrier, LOT, may be added to the list of airlines that walk the fine line of being politically correct while upholding consistent uniform guidelines. The airline has been involved in quite a firestorm recently by banning cabin crew from wearing religious symbols that are visible to passengers. After much debate in the deeply religious nation, the carrier decided to renege on their decision and maintain original policy.

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Five Jewish Historical Sites to Visit in Amsterdam

February 14, 2012 at 6:12 PM | by | Comments (0)


A display at the Verzetsmuseum

All this week, traveler and writer Lilit Marcus will share her favorite unique spots in Amsterdam, a city Jaunted can never get enough of.

As a Jewish traveler, or simply one interested in checking out the local Jewish sites, there’s more to do than simply patronize kosher restaurants. Holland lost the largest percentage of its Jewish community during the Holocaust, and since then the country has worked overtime to make sure that the community’s history didn’t disappear. These sites help give a broader picture of Jewish life in Amsterdam—past and present:

· Verzetsmuseum
The Verzetsmuseum (Resistance Museum) paints a picture of what life was like for ordinary Dutch people during the German occupation. The rooms in the center depict everyday life, complete with food rationing and forced military service, while rooms on the side share stories of Dutch citizens who worked against the Nazis and in some cases paid with their lives. The museum successfully gives a broad representation of what Holland was like during the war without resorting to victimhood.

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Alaska Airlines Stops Handing Out Prayer Cards, but They're Not the Only Airline with Them

February 1, 2012 at 9:32 AM | by | Comments (0)

By now you've probably already heard the news that Alaska Airlines is doing away with dispensing mealtime prayer cards onboard. For many travelers, the fact that an airline would do this in the first place is surprising. Like flyer need to be reminded that their lives are in the hands of a few people sitting up front, and the buttons and switches they're operating to keep the plane aloft and on course.

Well, while Alaska Airlines sends all those prayer cards to the recycling bin, at least one other airline is continuing the practice. Twitter user @Jonathan_Liem tipped us off that Lion Air, an Indonesian carrier that flies around SE Asia, includes "invocation pamphlets," printed with prayers for several religions, in your seatback pocket. "Please do not remove from aircraft." Ay yai yai.

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Peeking into JFK Airport's Religious Prayer Rooms

Where: JFK International Airport [map], New York, NY, United States
January 31, 2012 at 6:42 PM | by | Comments (0)


The Catholic room

Got some extra time at New York-JFK Airport? Instead of grabbing another Auntie Anne's pretzel or buying an "I <3 NY" magnet for your second cousin, perhaps wander on over to the prayer rooms instead. Yes, prayer rooms.

The departures level at Terminal 4, before security, has four prayer rooms for different religions: Muslim, Protestant, Catholic and Jewish. When we passed by recently, we noticed that the Catholic one was in the middle of actual mass, and indeed they offer it daily excepting Wednesdays (M: 5pm, Tu: 12:15pm, Th: 5pm, F: 12:15pm, Sa: 5pm, Su: 1pm).

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Travel Snapshot: The View from Atop Jerusalem's Austrian Hospice

January 16, 2012 at 3:45 PM | by | Comments (0)

The city of Jerusalem (Hebrew: Yerushalayim) has seen as much history as any other place on Earth. The Old City, the 1sq km walled area tucked inside Israel's larger capital, has been continuously inhabited for 5,000 years. It fell on particularly hard times when it was divided between Jordan and Israel from 1948 to 1967—all but one of the city's 35 ancient synagogues were destroyed by the Jordanians, for instance—but since its reunification under Israel much of the destruction has been repaired.

The result is that the Old City is now often the highlight for tourists indulging in some Israel travel. It takes more than one day to see all the sights, with just the Ramparts Walk that we recommended to you last summer taking half a day. The question naturally arises, how can you see as much as possible in the least amount of time?

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Finding Buddha at Bangkok International Airport

October 6, 2011 at 12:01 PM | by | Comments (0)

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport is massive, and this is something that must be experienced the understand. From the moment you step into the check-in area of BKK, it's all space and all filled with fellow travelers. Perhaps your eyes are drawn to the lines of counters for exotic airlines, or perhaps you're distracted by the numbers of western tourists dressed like they just crawled out of a rice paddy, but regardless there's one huge focal point smackdab in the center of the terminal: a Reliquary Urn of the Lord Buddha.

Kind of like the rest of the airport, it's giant and shiny. The multi-tiered golden reliquary is also surrounded by a garden of Thai flora, and it's pretty much the most ideal photo backdrop in the airport as evidenced by the flow of people posing in front of it.

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