• More on the Great Escape scavenger hunt
1. Concierge.com Concierge.com's mix of easy navigation and top-notch features bring it close to perfection. Intuitive menus move visitors through destination guides, hotel finders, articles from Conde Nast Traveler and the brilliant "Your Personal Concierge," where notable locals like Robin Leach give guided tours of their stomping grounds. Be sure to check out tools like Suitcase, which lets you collect articles and photos, create itineraries and share them with friends, making daydreaming about exotic locales almost as fun as visiting them. Almost.
2. WorldTravelGuide.net Travel agents have a secret, and it's called WorldTravelGuide.net. A favorite of industry insiders, this comprehensive resource takes you from start to finish with detailed guides on visas, vaccinations, accommodations, entertainment, public transportation and weather for even the tiniest locale (ever heard of Azerbaijan?). Whether you want to dogsled in the Canadian Rockies or traverse Venice's Grand Canal, look no further.
3. WorldHum.com This smart, insightful weblog offers a fresh take on all things travel, not just destinations. Its heavy-hitting roster of writers (whose credits include National Geographic and Salon.com) post dispatches on everything from "100 Places Every Woman Should Go" to a day in the life of an airport screener. If nothing else, go for "Ask Rolf," a column where seasoned globetrotter Rolf Potts dispenses useful advice for both practical and dreamy questions, like how to land a travel-related job.
4. AmateurTraveler.com We're thrilled when we stumble on diamonds in the rough like AmateurTraveler.com. This relaxed weekly podcast hosted by Chris Christensen offers travel tips, news and interviews with fellow explorers that provide that personal perspective missing from most guidebooks. A player imbedded on the site makes listening convenient, and amateur videos provide front-and-center glimpses of some of Christensen's treks.
5. GoWorldTravel.com The beauty of GoWorldTravel.com lies in long-form articles that are more concerned with immersing the reader in a moment than hitting how-tos and highlights. The far-reaching webzine covers culture, adventure travel, historic sites, personal reflections, day trips, close calls and profiles of interesting characters spanning some 80 countries. To top it off, the "Where in the World..." photo contest rewards clever readers with a recently published travel guide.
6. Gridskipper.com While many seek those Holy Grail off-the-beaten-path destinations, Gridskipper.com brashly sings the praises of the urban landscape. Self-described as decadent, the site seeks out the hippest of the high- and low-life in major metropolises from Vegas to Abu Dhabi (with a snark factor that's off the charts). Looking for the best hot chocolate in Barcelona? It's got you covered.
7. GoNomad.com On the opposite end of the spectrum sits GoNomad.com, a thoughtful resource for the alternative and eco-minded voyager. Here you can plan getaways aimed at enriching your understanding of a culture like volunteering at a children's charity in Peru or camping with Jordanian Bedouins. And GoNomad walks its "sustainable tourism" talk by supporting conservation and development projects in small communities across the globe.
8. TravelAdventures.org This simple site offers impressions of more than 100 different countries with an eye toward out-of-the-way locales, overlooked landmarks and colorful cultural traditions. Each is accompanied by striking, often intimate, photos that are easily searchable by category. The feature TravelAdventure Friends lets you network with travelers worldwide to swap stories, learn languages or, if you're lucky, find love.
9. IgoUgo.com With a whopping 350,000 members, IgoUgo.com is probably the biggest little online travel community you've never heard of. Its members keep journals, share ideas and rate accommodations while IgoUgo's editors contribute features, news and reviews peppered with a little welcome wit. It also earns big points for slogging through endless travel deals on the net and cherry-picking the 10 best weekly so we don't have to.
10. TravellersPoint.com None other than globetrotting guru Rick Steves has praised this site. Guided by the simple philosophy that "to travel means to meet other people," TravellersPoint connects likeminded adventurers through blogs, online diaries, forums and lush photographs that whisk you away instantly, albeit with pangs of envy. An added bonus, the Reunions feature helps locate friends you met while on vacation but sadly lost touch with. Sigh.
