Dreamers, expats, development workers, investors, volunteers, Spanish students, and retirees thinking about (or already living in) Nicaragua—this book is for you! Randy Wood and I are proud to announce the 2nd edition of MOON LIVING ABROAD IN NICARAGUA, our guidebook for longterm travelers in Central America’s largest, most vibrant, and least visited nation. Randy and I [...]

So you want to be a travel writer? Want to explore new lands, be wined and dined by resort owners, then get paid to describe what you saw and experienced? Tim Leffel discusses the ups and downs of being a travel writer in his new book TRAVEL WRITING 2.0: Earning Money from your Travels in the [...]

Thanks to Freelance-Zone.com for featuring me on their excellent website: 4. In your opinion, what are the components of good travel writing? Use as many sensory details as possible: smells, sounds, sights, tastes, and textures. Don’t get hung up on listing your itinerary. I don’t care where you went, that’s a background detail. I want [...]

I thought I’d take a moment to thank the following travel-related sponsors. Their support helps keep this site alive: HBF is the leading provider of private health insurance in Western Australia and a significant provider of travel insurance in Australia. SEEK Learning offers over 250 career-relevant and accredited online courses from leading providers in Australia, including TAFE courses, university courses, IT courses, [...]

I love the new line of travel maps from A la Carte, featuring gorgeous watercolor artwork and handwritten advice. From my new review on the New York Times Intelligent Travel Guide: “The company was founded in 2009 by a pair of Swiss entrepreneurs and self-described ‘flashpackers’ (backpackers with some extra flair — and cash) [...]

From the count-your-blessings department: Aubrey Sacco, a young backpacker from Boulder, CO, is still missing, last seen on a solo trek, while traveling in Nepal. Elephant Journal reports that she was “traveling through Nepal, India and Sri Lanka to help further her yoga skills while volunteering at schools and teaching English.” I’d never heard [...]

MO-KUAN-ES! MO-KUAN-ES! MO-KUAN-ES! Every show begins with this deep-voiced recorded announcement, as the smoke machines are turned on and the crowd gathers. At the fairgrounds in Managua last week (Microfer 2010), thousands started walking toward the stage when they heard the cue, chanting along and preparing to dance. Los Mokuanes! Their name comes from an [...]

Like Mark Twain? Like Nicaragua? Here’s a story you probably did not know: “I’ve arrived 100 years after the great American writer’s death to retrace one of his lesser-known journeys. In 1866, Twain crossed Nicaragua on his way from California to New York. He was fresh off his first lecture tour, and his [...]

Hola amigos! I’ll be blogging about my trip to Nicaragua this week from the official author blog at my publisher’s website: MOON.COM. Also, when possible, I’ll be tweeting from @tranquilotravel–> See you in the heat….! MOON.COM: AUTHOR BLOG JOSHUA BERMAN

The CBS hit show Survivor is currently filming two seasons of their reality show in southwest Nicaragua, the first of which will premiere on September 15, 2010. I’ve never watched Survivor; I have no idea how important the actual setting is behind the drama and Darwinian democracy. I suspect not so much, besides providing viewers [...]

A friend asked me to share this, sounds like an excellent opportunity for anyone visiting or living in Granada, one of the most beautiful cities in the world (and the oldest on the North American continent!): Enjoy a morning walking tour of some of Granada’s most beautiful and historical colonial homes. Learn about the history and [...]