John Henderson's Travel Adventures in Rome and Beyond

December 7, 2012

Bali: Security to the max in the land of inner peace and harmony

The Courtyard Nusa Dua in Bali takes security seriously after the 2002 bombings in Kuta

NUSA DUA, Bali — A word about security in Bali. In a land of happy faces, in a religion where the centerpiece is peace and tranquility, Bali has some trappings of an island at war. Security is everywhere. The hotel shuttle takes me through two huge gates where armed security guards open the door and […]

December 6, 2012

Bali: The Kuta Krawl, the year-round Australian frat party

KUTA, Bali — The Balinese dancer wore hotpants. She and her co-worker stood above me on a dance platform with skin-tight black short shorts and matching jog bra, both adorned with strategically placed Christmas lights. They were both gyrating to rap music with moves that would cause Shiva, Vishnu and every other Hindu god to […]

December 5, 2012

Bali: Seek Shop Buy in Ubud

A woman prepares coffee beans in a coffee plantation near Ubud.

UBUD, Bali — I truly believe I’m the only straight male on the planet who liked “Eat Pray Love.” Loved the book and I liked the movie. I’d love the movie but Julia Roberts is truly annoying. Still, the movie captured the magic of Ubud, Bali’s cultural capital where author Melissa Gilbert overcame her fractured marriage […]

December 4, 2012

Bali bike ride good way to work off Bintang and cruise beaches

NUSA DUA, Bali — A sloth’s existence gave way to massive guilt yesterday and I actually got what passed for exercise around here. Not counting the 45 minutes I did on the illiptical machine to wash away the cobwebs from a 37-hour flight, the most strenuous thing I’ve done is swim to the pool bar […]

December 3, 2012

Bali beaches: White sand, no rocks and no worries

One of the many beautiful beaches in Bali.

NUSA DUA, Bali — Being a closet beach bum, who likes a life where stress is defined by deciding on No. 8 or No. 30 sunscreen, I’m big on beaches. They all have their appeal. The black, sandy beaches of Santorini, the deep, thick golden sand of Tunisia, the blinding, sugary sand of the Seychelles […]

December 2, 2012

Greetings from your favorite Marriott whore in Bali

NUSA DUA, Bali — Writing takes discipline but I need the discipline of a Navy SEAL to type in this Courtyard Bali business office with a sprawling turquoise pool below me. The pool meanders like a giant, languid snake around little sandy islands. Ferns shade thatched lanais chairs with green-and-white striped beach towels on each […]

November 19, 2012

Pecorino, orechiette, fusilli, pesto define Puglia’s “poor cuisine”

Cheese vendor Costanzo Laprocina with a backdrop of caciocavallo cheese in his shop in Vieste, Puglia

VIESTE, ITALY — I walked down the street with a jump in my step, a parch in my throat and a hunger in my stomach. It’s remarkable how much appetite you build lying on an Italian beach. Plus, it’s a lot of stress. No. 35 sunscreen or 15? Dante or “The DaVinci Code?”?And, when in Puglia, […]

November 19, 2012

London gastro pubs get a gold medal for organic fare

By John Henderson The Denver Postdenverpost.com LONDON — When I first started coming to London I saw a pub on about every other corner, kind of like McDonald’s in America except pub food was worse. Lousy pub food and warm beer. This is the birthplace of the British Empire? No wonder half the Caribbean wanted […]

November 19, 2012

Top Ten European hideaways

Veli was once home to wealthy shipowners and captains many years ago

Have you seen one too many Eiffel Tower paperweights? Is sunny Italy a little too warm while waiting in line outside a museum? How about finding fish ‘n chips shops on the beach in Spain? If Europe’s beaten paths lead you to frustration, boredom, and claustrophobia, don’t swap that Eurail pass for coupons to Disneyland. […]

November 19, 2012

Old-school Caribbean cool on Nicaragua’s Corn Islands

People are always willing to give you a ride on Little Corn Island

“This is the coolest part of Nicaragua,” said Randy, his braided cornrows darkening with the setting sun. “There is no police, no politicians, none of those rude boys.” No need. Little Corn Island is a little more than a half a square mile. If you can negotiate a couple of rock outcroppings, you can walk […]

August 13, 2012

Mongolia …

I traveled through Mongolia for 16 days in the back of a Soviet-built four-wheel-drive van, covering about 800 kilometers, maybe 60 of them paved.

June 3, 2012

Isla Holbox is Yucatan’s anti-Cancun

The archway from my Villa Delfines leading to Isla Holbox's beach.

By John Henderson Special to Tribune Newspapers ISLA HOLBOX, Mexico – I watched the dolphins swim and play and feed in the little lagoon a 10-minute boat ride from my beach hut. If they kept swimming, turned the Yucatan Peninsula’s northeast corner and swam south, in 60 miles they’d hit Cancun. Sixty miles? After one […]

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