About Marybeth, National Geographic Author, Writer

Curious Explorer. Award-winning author.

Gutsy Traveler: A woman, like travel expert Marybeth Bond, stands among purple flowers, raising her arms and smiling in front of a wooden building in bright sunlight.
Polar bear tracking and snorkeling with beluga whales in the northern Canadian Arctic.

Marybeth knows travel. She has hiked, biked, dived, danced and trekked across all seven continents – from the depths of the Flores Sea near Komodo Island to the summit of Kilimanjaro.

More recently, she tracked polar bears and snorkeled with beluga whales in the Canadian Arctic, then kayaked among icebergs in Antarctica.

Somewhere in between, four years of studying in Paris earned her two degrees – and a taste for good wine and strong cheeses.

Twelve books (three with National Geographic), countless travel articles, and numerous TV and radio appearances have built her devoted fanbase. She won the esteemed Lowell Thomas, Gold Award for the Best Travel Book of the Year from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation.

Woman on cliff in front of a monastery in Bhutan
Yesterday’s Video below. A decade or more later. Is Marybeth still GUTSY? Here in Bhutan.
Marybeth in Antarctica with penguins, snowy mountains, and water—just the kind of moment travel expert Marybeth Bond would capture in a travel video.
Kayaking and camping near penguins in Antarctica.

Yesterday….

Whether you are headed to Wine Country or to Italy, the first overnight trip you take with a new partner can be tricky. Here is some must-know advice to ensure the two of you travel smoothly together.

firstflieger_001

  • For your first trip together, start small, go for a weekend. See what kind of travel partners you are before you commit to a longer trip.
  • Pick a place neither of you has been before. It’s more fun to explore together instead of one person always taking the lead.
  • If you chose to travel to a foreign country select one where either both of you speak the language or neither of you do.
  • Talk about your budget. Communicate how much each of you can contribute and what you feel your daily per deum should be.
  • Share responsibilities for planning. One of you finds the airline tickets, one books the rental car, etc. Then no one person is completely in control and no one person is to blame if things go wrong.
  • Pace yourselves. Don’t plan too much in one day. If you like really active days: skiing, hiking, biking, so on active days, leave the evenings open or don’t plan theater or night shows.
  • Be spontaneous. Too much planning can kill the fun.
  • Maintain a positive attitude.
  • Talk about sharing the bathroom. Time yourself and tell him how long you’ll need in the bathroom and give him the choice of sleeping in, or waiting for you.
  • Be flexible and when the question arises: What shall we do today, DON”T answer, I don’t care. It is partly your responsibility to offer suggestions.
  • Plan a romantic moment. Take a candle, chocolates and a bottle of  something special and surprise him.
  • Keep your shopping to a minimum and your luggage light.
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Marybeth Bond