Travel doesn't need to be stressful. While it's easy to head off with your backpack and bankcard in hand, most travelers only learn this the hard way, through tough experience.

Most people never make the leap into extended travel because they don't think they can afford it. Here are some tips for saving money for your trip around the world.

That's the silent slogan of Thailand -- an untapped gem for the budget-conscious, adventure-hunting and insight-seeking traveler.

Here I was, traipsing through Thailand, and I'd entered what seemed to be a college town filled with white people and Mexican and Italian restaurants. Had I entered the Twilight Zone?

These folks give you the excellent writing, photography, travel tips and insight you would find in magazines, but don't charge a dime for it online.

We told our cab driver we would be back at the entrance at 6pm and started off on our adventure, wandering old lava fields and following weird local animals around. Then our situation grew worse.

I'd only been fishing once in my life. But while I backpacking through New Zealand, I was convinced to go trout fishing in Taupo. This was completely different.

There is a sense from Colombians that their country is about to take off. They are right. The time to get to Colombia is right now, before more people discover this fantastic country and overrun it.

It was the third time the bus broke down. Somewhere right outside a small mining community in Western Australia, our bus had enough and it wanted us to know. So with an explosion and plume of smoke, the bus came to a crashing halt.

Remember that you're in control -- you choose which driver to go with and how far you'll go with her/him.

Only about 20% of Americans own a passport. This number may be on the rise, but the number of Americans who have traveled overseas has been on the decline since 2006. Why is it that America turns a blind eye to the planet?

Americans feel pressure against taking a year off between studies to gain broader experience in the world. Such a breach of structure, and the word "gap," is all too threatening to the resume.

After 149 days in South America, here are the lessons I learned about making the most of your backpack.

Years of traveling has left me over-sensitized to other travelers wrong-doings. Our vacations are precious but the world would be a better place if we were a little more aware of our impact on it.

After logging more than 200 bus hours across eight countries, I've learned a few valuable lessons. Here's what you need to know before bus-ting your ass in South America.

Telling people I have been traveling for four years usually makes them think I am rich. Well, I'm not. Plan for your spending habits and you'll find yourself staying on budget and on the road for a long time.

Our own fears and lack of confidence keep us from going overseas and taking that trip we dream of. After you take the leap you will realize that all your worries were for naught.

As an avid outdoorsman, I am loathe to acknowledge that I had never before visited Yosemite. I have known that the right time would come for me to explore this legendary, spiritual place.

Everyone loves to travel. Yet few people end up doing more than just taking a two week vacation. St. Augustine once said "The world is a book, and he who doesn't travel reads only one page." I keep that quote in my mind constantly.

We call an experience like camping going into "nature" or "the wilderness." But actually, if you think about it, these words are quite unnecessary. We should really just have a word for "not nature".