News & Features

Lola (Akinmade) Åkerström is an award-winning writer and photographer who has dispatched from 6 continents and whose publication credits include National Geographic Traveler, BBC, CNN, and many more. She's an editor with Matador Network, and photoblogger for Sweden's official site. She is based in Stockholm, Sweden.

• Trip Ideas, Hotels
  

  12 Spooky Hotels for Halloween

  If your hotel also keeps a ghost log in addition to a guest log, you know you’re in for a scary night. Halloween is just around the corner, and in true freak-ourselves-out style, we’ve found the spookiest hotels in all corners of the country. For extra haunted happenings, be sure to ask the about local ghost tours.

  Posted by Lola Akinmade on October 13, 2010 at 3:15:06 PM EDT Tagged: Hotels, New Orleans, Louisiana, Colorado
• Travel Tips, Photos

  How to Take Better Travel Photographs At Night

  Some of the most enchanting images of a vacation can be taken at night, yet taking decent night shots can be challenging. Here are a few tips to keep in mind next time you shoot.

  Posted by Lola Akinmade on March 31, 2010 at 11:06:37 AM EDT
• Trip Ideas
  

  9 Great Festivals to See in 2010

  There's no shortage of vibrant festivals around the globe that cater to every taste, from revered spiritual celebrations to more bizarre activities such as wife-carrying competitions. Chances are there's at least one festival somewhere on earth dedicated to any peculiar hobby you may enjoy.

  Posted by Lola Akinmade on March 02, 2010 at 12:12:26 PM EST Tagged: Scotland, Spain
• Travel Tips
  

  Voluntourism: 5 Ideas for Giving Back While You Travel

  There are simple and practical ways you can make a difference during your travels, even when you don't have much time. Find out some of editorial contributor Lola Akinmade's favorites.

  Posted by Lola Akinmade on February 23, 2010 at 11:33:27 AM EST
• Trip Ideas
  

  America's Strangest Hotels: 10 Weird and Wacky Places to Stay

  Have you ever wanted to spend the night inside a giant wooden beagle or a lofty treehouse? Well here's your chance.

  Posted by Lola Akinmade on October 28, 2009 at 3:06:51 PM EDT Tagged: Hotels, Massachusetts
• Travel Tips
  

  5 Photography Tips for Capturing Color This Fall

  The leaves are turning. Now is the season to grab your camera and capture those rich reds, yellows, and oranges we've come to associate with autumn. Yet while fall brings with it some fiery colors that light up any landscape, not all seasons and places around the world are as convenient for the aspiring travel photographer.

  Posted by Lola Akinmade on October 12, 2009 at 9:28:22 AM EDT Tagged: Travel Photography
• Travel Tips
  

  National Parks Photo Tips: How to Shoot Landscapes Like a Pro

  Use these tips to take advantage of the hundreds of amazing photo opportunities these parks have to offer.

  Posted by Lola Akinmade on August 12, 2009 at 11:54:24 AM EDT Tagged: National Parks
• Trip Ideas
  

  The World's Stinkiest Foods - And Where to Try Them

  Along with the universal emotions of love, hurt, and happiness shared by all cultures around the globe, there is another thing that ties us together: it's our bizarre love of smelly foods (how did you guess?). From fermented herring to vegetables that smell worse than boiling Brussels sprouts, we've gone in search of the world's stinkiest—yet surprisingly tasty—delicacies.

  Posted by Lola Akinmade on July 07, 2009 at 12:01:56 PM EDT Tagged: Thailand, Philippines