Off Track Planet - The Backpackers Ultimate Travel Guide » News

A New Travel Magazine Launching for the Young, Horny and Broke…

admin — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:25:01 +0000

There is a new travel trend on the rise far from luxury hotels and fancy dinners. Off Track Planet, dedicated to independent travel lifestyles, is releasing their first self-published magazine featuring a New York City guide to getting drunk, partying, having sex, eating and sleeping on a “backpackers” budget…OTP likes to think, “It’s the unisex MAXIM magazine of travel guides”. So why all the buzz? because youth travel is on the rise and OTP has created something that no one in the U.S. has done so far…A way to make travel appealing to young adults in America.

The magazine will feature articles such as “Where to Party your F*cking Ass Off in NYC”, “A guide to the best NYC street foods”, “Fashion: Cheap Chic under $20″, “5 Places to have Sex in NYC”, including NYC hostel reviews, an adventure sports guide, a focus on local art, music and sub-cultures (like tattoos and dirty hipsters). But it’s not all completely fun and games, the magazine will also provide a thorough list of internship, work, study and volunteer opportunities available throughout NYC.

Although OTP’s main focus is to inspire young Americans to go abroad, NYC was chosen as their featured destination because it is “the the largest melting pot in the world and the most feasible option for us at this point”. With the success of issue 1 though, they hope to bring it to the global stage next.

The people at Off Track Planet are currently out raising the funds necessary to successfully launch the magazine with 30k printed copies to be distributed at hostels, college campuses and other travel/youth related retailers all throughout the north east coast (NYC, Washington D.C., Boston, Philadelphia) by June 15th. The magazine will also be available through their website online at http://offtrackplanet.com – Check out a demo of the magazine below. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING, CONTACT: Freddie@OffTrackPlanet.com

The Winner of OTPs Europe by Eurail Contest is…

admin — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:12:59 +0000

Oh wow, this was a real toughie here. One of the hardest decisions we have ever had to make. It was a tight race all the way to the end, but there could only be one. After many long hours of deliberation…a couple punches to the head, a black eye and bloody nose later we have decided. First off, thanks to Eurail.com & Travellerspoint.com for making this contest possible!

And the winner is…

Louise Brown!

Why Louise…

We laughed, we cried, we held each other. We practically wanted to hand over our own paychecks to Louise by the time the video was over. She is a great presenter who is also passionate, witty and deserving. Congrats Louise, make us proud!

Honorable Mention, Beekah Does Europe…

Beekah, we LOVED your enthusiasm and creativity. We wish there was another pass to giveaway!

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO SUBMITTED A VIDEO TO THE CONTEST, LOOK FORWARD TO OUR NEXT GIVEAWAY!!

OTPs Europe by Eurail Contest – Win a 1st Class Global Pass + Flip HD or iPOD Nano!

Astar — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:52:36 +0000

We got our sticky little hands on something amazing and we are giving this bundle of awesomeness away to one, qualified and enthusiastic reader thanks to Eurail.com!

Host OTPs “Europe by Eurail” and

Win a 1st Class 15-Day Eurail Global Pass and your choice of a FLIP HD Camera or iPOD Nano!!

Eurail (Eurail.com) is a great company designed to make train travel through Europe more affordable. Instead of buying single ride tickets at train stations (which can become costly if you plan to travel between various destinations), they sell passes that give you the option to get up and go anywhere in Europe at the drop of a dime. Their passes also qualify you for discounts on hostels, ferries and MP3 audio guides (take a look at Eurail.com for full details on the benefits offered). They have different passes based on your traveling needs (single country pass, 3-4 country pass and so on).

What we’re giving away is the mother of all Eurail passes, a Global Pass valid for 15 travel days within a 2 month period, and it’s FIRST CLASS all the way baby! (that’s just how OTP rolls), a $749 value!! You’ll have access to over 21 countries in Europe by train. Since ground transport will be your biggest travel expense, holding on to one of these babies hooks you up, big time! Check out all the details about the pass HERE. Now for the fun part…

The winner of the pass gets the gig as host of OTPs “Europe by Eurail- As our guest travel journalist, we’re going to turn your trip videos and pictures into an awesome OTP travel webisode. Don’t have a camera? We got you covered…

TRAVELLERSPOINT (http://TravellersPoint.com) The online community of international travelers from over 200 countries, is throwing in the awesome new FLIP MINO HD – this thing is the ultimate portable video device! Already have a camera? you can choose an iPOD Nano! During your trip, Travellerspoint.com is the perfect platform for you to blog about your trip and share your photos!

Get your internet celebrity face on…

HOW TO ENTER:

Create your own 1-2 minute online video (any online broadcasting site will do) which will showcase your overall amazingness. We want to know why you’re better than everyone else to be our host. Since you will have access to over 21 countries, mention some of the countries you intend to visit and why they interest you. Nothing sappy; humor and creativity will give you the upper hand. Get crafty (brownie points definitely count if you mention OffTrackPlanet.com and Eurail.com). Send a link of your video with your full name, age, hometown and anything else you want to share with us to:

SUBMIT@OFFTRACKPLANET.COM

All entries must be received by March 22nd, 2010

The Winner will be announced on April 1st, 2010

THE RULES:

1. You must be over 18
2. Contestants MUST HAVE LIVED OUTSIDE OF EUROPE for the last 6 consecutive months.
3. *Winner will be required to send tweets about and during the trip.
4. Possible Reservation Costs are not included

*Contestant must supply their own portable device(s) to send twitter messages.

OTP South America: The Making of a Travel Guide

admin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:49:50 +0000

We are off to Bogota, Colombia this Monday to begin developing, researching and exploring material for OTP’s South America Travel Guide. For 2 months, we plan to explore the revival of Colombia, then down into Peru for Machu Picchu, up and across the Amazon River into Brazil and completely wing it from there on. We are particularly excited to explore Colombia as the country’s dramatic drop in crime rates and guerrilla kidnappings over the past 5 years has made it the next top backpacking destination.

We will be writing, sharing pictures and videos from the road all along the way right here on Off Track Planet in a section titled “The Making of a Travel Guide”. To keep up with us, type in your e-mail address in the sidebar “Follow OTP Around the World”. Don’t miss out on all the action and adventure!

Freddie Pikovsky

Help Tibet…It’s cooler than wearing a t-shirt!

Astar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:27:05 +0000

You may sympathize with those signs and banners that read “Free Tibet”; maybe you even went out and bought the T-shirt. As much as we commend your attempts to spread the word (and be fashionable), here is a chance for you to actually do something to help Tibetans living in exile:

A brief history:

Tibet is a small Asian country that has been raped in every way possible by the Chinese from the 1949 Mao communist era until the present. Tibetans’ traditional beliefs were very much like those of Native Americans (focusing on human connectivity with nature). Their land was full of natural resources (coal, forests, etc.). At the hands of the Chinese government, Tibetans have suffered massive deforestation, had their spiritual practices crushed, have been jailed, killed and were ultimately forced off their land. As refugees, Tibetans have had to figure out new ways of sustaining their lives in unfamiliar bordering areas like Nepal and India. Basically, its not all gumdrops and butterflies for these people…

VolunteerTibet.org: is an organization dedicated to connecting volunteers with displaced Tibetans in the foothills of the Himalayas in India. They offer both short term (under 2 months) and long term volunteerships directly in the region where Tibetans must now call home. While some positions require experience (mostly in technology and teaching), others are administrative and only require you to donate your time and genuinely care for the cause.

Do you play a musical instrument? Have you showed a friend a couple of chords or keys? Well, they need people to teach basic guitar, piano or drums for about two months. Apply here. What about gardening? Grown a veggie or two in your backyard? You can help people feed themselves by showing them how to raise their own little farm. Apply here. An array of volunteerships are available in various areas of interest and experience levels. Here is the full list.

Although none of these volunteerships pay a salary, living in this region of the world costs significantly less than living in the U.S. You can get by comfortably for about $150-300 per month (food and living expenses considered).

So as nice as it is to say you want Tibet to be free, it is much nicer to physically contribute to the freedom of this exiled nation and its displaced people.

Written by: Anna Starostinetskaya

The Perfect time to go to Mexico and the last time you’ll hear about Swine Flu

Astar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:00:08 +0000

Swine flu. Scary scary stuff. Something about pigs and Mexicans and sure death. You remember SARS? How people sent it through your mailbox? Yeah that SARS killed off everyone you know, right? Oh and West Nile Virus. We hope you’re current on the vaccinations because you never know when those mosquitoes might make it over here from Africa and bite your vulnerable flesh. Africanized Killer Bees still got you down? Point is, these disease fads have come and gone and have left no massacre behind. The damage they have had effects the travel industry. Swine flu, particularly, has diverted travelers from Mexico in fear of infection. Despite the U.S. Department of State’s May 15, 2009 lift of their recommendation to avoid nonessential travel to Mexico, many backpackers have avoided travel to Mexico just to be safe. We decided to go to the source and ask “Que Pasa con el Swine Flu”? Here are the facts, from a real Mexican:

Esmeralda Garcia, 22, is well-traveled and is currently finishing her degree in International Business at Tec De Monterrey in Guadalajara, Mexico. She is our favorite Mexican and a true authority on the subject at hand:

OTP: How many people do you know that have swine flu?

EG: None

Q: Are you afraid of eating pork because of the swine flu?

A: No, people eat pork as usual

Q: How has swine flu affected Guadalajara? Politically and from the traveling perspective.

A: Politically, the government is implementing more cleaning regulations and also informing our society how to prevent the disease. From the traveling perspective, there are fewer tourists in Mexico because of the bad marketing campaigns abroad. In Guadalajara you don’t see as many travelers as before.

Q: Should backpackers realistically worry about getting swine flu?

A: No they don’t have to worry at all. Everything is fine.

Q: Describe a few places you like to go in Mexico and what you see, do there.

A: Mexico is characterized for having everything that a backpacker needs: nice people, great weather, beautiful beaches, jungles, forests, big cosmopolitan cities, desserts, lakes, rivers, mountains, volcanoes, prehispanic ruins, colonial cities, and everything for a good price.

I am planning to travel to North Central Mexico in December. Some of the places I will visit are Zacatecas City which is a city full of mines (there are actually bars inside mines). I will also go to the ghost town of Real de Catorce in San Luis Potosi. This town was abandoned and still has some old Spanish architecture. It is famous for their ethnic group, Huicholes,who travel each year to Real de Catorece to eat Peyote (Mexican mushrooms) to get high. While in San Luis, I will go to la Huasteca where you can see some ruins in the middle of the jungle of an ethnic group called “huasteco”. After traveling to San Miguel de Allende, which is a city filled with street artists, my last destination will be Puerto Vallarta. I love traveling in Mexico because every state has its own culture, its own food and its own people. People are so happy to see foreigners that they will offer you everything even though they don’t have anything. There are so many things to do, see and fall in love with in this country.

Q: What is the best beach in Mexico?

A: The best beach in Mexico is Tulum. A white sand Caribbean beach which is also the site of a Pre Columbian Maya walled city. The ruins are located on the 12 meter cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of the Caribbean Sea. Tulum is a national park and one of the best-preserved coastal Mayan sites.

Tulum, Mexico

Q: Where is the best place for a backpacker to stay in Guadalajara?

A: There are many hostels in the heart the city of Guadalajara. You can check out a few at hostelbookers.com

Q: Favorite place to eat; what’s the most popular local dish?

A: Food in Mexico is delicious and it is hard to keep a diet here. The most popular local dish in Guadalajara is Tortas Ahogadas (Drowned Sandwich). It is called drowned because the sandwich is submerged totally in a sauce made of dried chili pepper. The flavor when its well drowned is very spicy but Mexicans enjoy it. Tortas ahogadas are made with birote bread sliced open on a side and filled with pork (yeah pork!) served with onion rings, beans, and lemon. It is traditionally eaten while watching futbol (soccer).

Q: Have you backpacked around Mexico?

A: Yes, many times. I love it and can’t get enough. If its your first time go to Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. There are many roads to discover.

Q: In your opinion, why is Mexico a great destination for backpacking?

A: Mexico is a paradise for backpacking! Besides being incredibly cheap, its beautiful and full of really nice people. Its a big country, rich in history and culture so you’ll always have enough to see and do.

There’s malaria in Africa, avian flu in Egypt and great white shark attacks in Australia. Your cubicle is probably the safest place on earth (unless you get carpal tunnel of course.) Point is, quit listening to the bullshit the media feeds you. Mexico is worth checking out despite the new swine fad disease. We’ll hold your hand if you want to get the vaccine first.

Written By: Anna Starostinetskaya

with Interview Contribution By: Esmeralda Garcia

Where the Wild Things Are: A Vagabonds Story

Astar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:05:57 +0000

We believe the spirit of a backpacker is something that develops early in life. It’s that burning urge to find out what’s behind every little door in the house (even if it turns out to be the linen closet or the drawer where your mom keeps the tupperware.) The desire to climb that old fence and peek at the neighbor’s backyard. The kids that imagine new worlds outside of their rooms, the dreamers, the creative thinkers. Once we gain independence with age, these qualities drive us to travel and realistically explore all those places we imagine as children.

Where the Wild Things Are is a short, 9 sentence children’s book that embraces this notion. This is the story: a kid named Max gets punished, by being sent up to his room without supper, for being an a-hole to the dog. Instead of being a pussy and crying about it, Max imagines a world outside of his room, somewhere where the wild things are. He lets his imagination travel to a world where he conquers the unknown wild things; there he becomes free to be himself. When his journey ends, his imagination rests and he snaps back into reality to find his room, with supper (an old people term for dinner?) sitting on his dresser, still hot.

Originally published in 1963 and now reworked as a movie (directed by Spike Jonze nonetheless), Where the Wild Things Are is set for release on October 16, 2009. The central theme is what keeps this story around after nearly 50 years since it was first published. The idea of imagining a world outside of your daily routine, away from your life’s frustrations, somewhere where you can be free to imagine, free to explore, free to rule if you wish.

These are all ideals and inspirations that backpackers share. We are Max! By choosing to travel independently and cheaply, we constantly embark on journeys that lead us to where the wild things are; trekking into the unknown to conquer our fears and quench that thirst for discovery we have cultivated as children.

Read the book (takes maybe 10 minutes if you’re at all literate), watch the movie and journey on. We promise your supper will still be hot when you return.

Written By: Anna Starostinetskaya

Volunteer Opportunity: One Week Volunteerships + $5,000 Grant

Astar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:47:31 +0000

Lets see, what can you do in a week? Get a great tan laying on the beach, organize your closet, maybe build a tree house? OR-you can change your life (and the lives of countless needy others) forever.

Cross Cultural Solutions, a well-established volunteer network, is currently offering week-long volunteer programs in the following locations (from October to December): Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, Morocco and Russia. These short programs are perfect for commitment-phobes. All of these countries have struggling economies which have lead to widespread unemployment. Unfortunately, when money gets tight, children and seniors are seen as baggage and are often neglected. Volunteers are assigned care-taking and educational duties aimed to aide this left out demographic. The obvious benefit of volunteering is helping others but have you seen Costa Rica or Brazil? The natural beauty of these places alone grabs us by the balls.

Although this program is not free (currently, $1,853 plus airfare), CCS is partnered with travelocity.com and they offer up to $5,000 in grants for volunteers interested in this program. Apply for the grant here. Also, check out their website for other ways to finance your trip.

What’s a week? Tanning will give you cancer and the tree house can wait.

Written By: Anna Starostinetskaya

Sex + Confessions + Booty from Abroad…

admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:36:25 +0000

SEX

OTP is interested in featuring your sex stories from abroad. Whether it was that steamy hot latin boy you met at a bar who knew how to roll his rrr’s properly, or the Swedish girl in the hot bikini who would not stop talking about meatballs…Or, maybe you found yourself in a sticky situation (no pun intended) that didn’t go quite as well? We demand to know! Click here to submit (Please keep it classy and under 1,000 words).

CONFESSION

How long has it been since your last confession? Get it off your mind and come clean. Tell us your confessions from abroad in less then 200 words. COMPLETELY anonymous and you’ll feel better afterward, promise. Click here to submit

BOOTY

If you’re sexy and you know it, we want to see! Send us pictures of your hot self in far-off destinations to be featured in our new upcoming edition of “Backpacker Babes” (yes, we know it sounds cheesy and we love it!). Females and males are welcome to submit. Click here to submit

We look forward to reviewing your sex, confessions and booties.

Free Travel Opportunity!

Astar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:06:11 +0000

Couchsurfing.com is hiring! Those clever couch-lovers have come up with new and interesting ways to improve their couchsurfing community. Every year, for roughly six month stretches, they set up a collective in some part of the world (the current collective is in Costa Rica). These collectives (really like a temporary office) are made up of diverse volunteers who work together to stay true to couchsurfing’s global connection and appeal. All accommodations are covered and no experience is necessary for some of the positions offered. Why not apply for the world’s best entry-level office job? The next collective is in Istanbul, Turkey. Check out their career page for more info. Also email this woman about it: Jacinta

Written By: Anna Starostinetskaya

Off Track Planet - The Backpackers Ultimate Travel Guide » News

A New Travel Magazine Launching for the Young, Horny and Broke…

Popular Articles:

The Winner of OTPs Europe by Eurail Contest is…

And the winner is…

Louise Brown!

Honorable Mention, Beekah Does Europe…

Popular Articles:

OTPs Europe by Eurail Contest – Win a 1st Class Global Pass + Flip HD or iPOD Nano!

Host OTPs “Europe by Eurail” and

Win a 1st Class 15-Day Eurail Global Pass and your choice of a FLIP HD Camera or iPOD Nano!!

HOW TO ENTER:

SUBMIT@OFFTRACKPLANET.COM

All entries must be received by March 22nd, 2010

The Winner will be announced on April 1st, 2010

THE RULES:

Related Articles

OTP South America: The Making of a Travel Guide

Related Articles

Help Tibet…It’s cooler than wearing a t-shirt!

A brief history:

Related Articles

The Perfect time to go to Mexico and the last time you’ll hear about Swine Flu

Related Articles

Where the Wild Things Are: A Vagabonds Story

Popular Articles:

Volunteer Opportunity: One Week Volunteerships + $5,000 Grant

Related Articles

Sex + Confessions + Booty from Abroad…

SEX

CONFESSION

BOOTY

Popular Articles:

Free Travel Opportunity!

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