Timely Travel Tips

By Anita Hamilton

Gary Eisenberg has climbed mountains in Sri Lanka and scuba dived in Thailand. He has worked in a boatyard in Turkey and bartended in Portugal. He has roamed Egypt, Morocco and New Guinea. Yet this seasoned traveler--who globe-trotted for a decade before settling (at least for now) in New York City as a corporate lawyer--rarely takes a guidebook along. "As soon as a place gets listed," he explains, "everybody goes there. The quality drops, and it is hard to get in."

Instead, Eisenberg, 39, relies on online travel forums for advice. While printed guides may offer good cultural and historical information, the listings are typically a year old by the time the books hit store shelves. Online forums, in contrast, are buzzing with timely tips from fellow travelers--many of whom have just returned from a trip or, better still, are logging on from a cybercafe abroad.

With war raging in Iraq, a new virus emerging in Asia and terrorism spreading around the world, there's a new premium on up-to-date information. AOL members can visit the bulletin boards at Keyword: Travel Community. Web wanderers can check out these sites:

-thorntree.lonelyplanet.com With more than 7,000 new messages posted each day, Thorn Tree is the best one-stop shop. And because discussions are moderated by Lonely Planet staff, offensive posts are rare.

-groups.google.com Type "rec.travel" in the search box to pull up 15 different newsgroups. The nonmoderated forums are peppered with commercial listings but full of useful advice too. Postings in the Asia group last week ranged from requests for a periodontist in Bangkok to updates on which regions have been most affected by SARS.

-virtualtourist.com This free community site allows users to build their own travel Web pages and dish out advice. The pervasive ads are annoying, but the member pages, many with photos, must-see activities and tips on tourist traps to avoid, are heartfelt and fun.