BootsnAll, a great online resource for independent travelers, has put together their list of top 10 destinations for 2009. The locations on the list are lauded for the options they offer the experienced traveler who is looking to explore on his or her own.

Last year's list was compiled by the writers and staff from BootsnAll, but for the 2009 edition they opened it up for suggestions from their very well traveled community as well. The results are ten great suggesions for experinced, adventurous travelers hoping to go abroad this year.

Some of the places on the list are a bit more obvious than others. For instances, Tasmania comes in at number ten, as Australia has long been considered a great destination for independent travelers, and the remote island maintains helps to maintain that reputation. On the other hand, the number one spot is held down by Columbia, which has not always been a great destination for visitors, independent or otherwise. But in recent years, the country has undergone a bit of a resurgence, and has now become a favorite destination for savvy travelers everywhere.

The other eight locations on the list are quite ecclectic as well, and span the globe, offering a wide variety of experiences and settings. There is something for everyone, from the outdoor adventurer to the more relaxed traveler looking for a more quiet escape. If you're an independent traveler looking for a destination this year, you could do worse than starting with this list.

Yesterday, the country celebrated the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979). The festivities were concentrated within the walls of the country's capital and the site of the start of Year Zero, Phnom Penh. Based on conflicting reports, around 60,000 people crowded into the city's Olympic stadium to remember the 2 million Cambodians who lost their lives during this horrible five-year genocide.

Ask anyone who has visited Tuol Sleng (otherwise known as the "S-21" torture prison during the Khmer Rouge) in Phnom Penh what his reaction was to this museum, and I'm certain everyone will agree they were appalled by the grim reality that nearly one half of Cambodia's population was eliminated in one of the worst genocides in the world's history.

Mountain bikers can reclaim wilderness that once belonged to illegal loggers and poachers. Hidden in the foothills of Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains, the village of Chi Pat is now home to a mountain biking experience that is unparalleled in trail and impact.

This new program is the result of cooperation among Wildlife Alliance (formerly known as Wild Aid), Asia Adventures (a Cambodia-based adventure travel company) and the villagers of Chi Pat. Off-road cycling tourists are expected to bring a sustainable source of income to the villagers while exposing guests to some of the world's last remaining virgin wilderness.

Chi Pat is two hours from Phnom Penh by boat and is portal to old logging routes, undulating trails and streams and shallow rivers. Ride through bamboo thicket, rain forest and hills while gazing upon waterfalls, bat caves and waterfalls. A lucky few will see rare wildlife, such as elephants.

Simply by mountain biking in Chi Pat, you can help the villagers reclaim their home from years of abuse by illicit tree-choppers and hunters. Merely enjoying yourself has never been so powerful.



[Photos thanks to Asia Adventures]

Several of my close friends and family members were adopted, adopted a child, or are in the process of adopting a child from Asia. In fact, my sister is months away from traveling to China to pick up her daughter, and our very own Gadling writer, Jamie Rhein has a daughter adopted from Vietnam. While China, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, and India are just a few of the popular adoption locales these days, there are several others popping up all over the globe.

The adoption travel trip is like no other you will ever experience in your life. It's is the first step in documenting your adoptive child's journey with you. It's something s/he will not likely remember, so taking photos, and recording the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of his/her birthplace is a most important step in the process.

I never knew there could be a book so thoughtful and inspiring for women as this one. Stephanie Elizondo Griest's second travel book, which lists far more than just 100 Places Every Woman Should Go, is truly an encyclopedia for women travelers. It's the kind of book that could never have existed fifty years ago, but is so refreshing that free-spirited, female travelers should feel grateful that it exists now, and fully prepared for that next trip into the wide, wonderful world.

Griest's great book is packed with helpful historical information, inspiring stories, and travel tips. It's broken up into nine sections -- my favorite being the first: "Powerful Women and Their Places in History." There's so much worth digesting in each locale described. For instance, I had no idea that the word "lesbian" came from the birthplace of Sappho (Lesbos, Greece). Griest fills each description with great travel tips that often include specific street addresses for particularly noteworthy sights.

I'm loving this image of the "Banana Girl" taken by StrudelMonkey in Cambodia -- the colours are fantastic. Also, you can't help but notice the details: the dirt under her fingernails, on her vibrant dress -- she works hard for her living, selling bananas so that tourists can feed the monkeys nearby. Hard work clearly doesn't dim her lovely smile, though. Beautiful shot.

If you've got some great travel shots you'd love to share, be sure to upload them to the Gadling pool on Flickr. We might just pick one as our Photo of the Day.

Cambodia's dictator for life prime minister, Hun Sen, recently appealed to the country's Buddhist clergy, telling them to clean up their act. The PM told a convention of top religious leaders that the actions and poor judgment of individual monks has given the whole religion a black eye.

He cited several situations including monks accepting roles as dancers in a music video and an abbot using offerings of money to buy himself a new car. Also, disputes between monks and laypeople are on the rise, according to an independent social analyst.

Hun Sen concluded his address to the holy people by saying "These are individual monks making problems. Citizens should not consider it an issue of the whole religion, but equally, we must not be careless about this issue."

Buddhist monks have long been revered in Cambodia. Many have become involved in various forms of social work. However, it seems that the recent economic development has affected the religious world as much as the general public.

[via Phnom Penh Post]

When it comes to yard sales, there's an adage "One person's junk is another person's treasure." When it comes to vacation experiences, you might say the same thing.

Some folks can't seem to get enough of a Disney theme park, while others wouldn't step a foot in one. Being willing to fork out cash for Disney--or not---is a run of the mill vacation choice. Here are other options that fit the unusual to the downright weird.

Tom Barlow, my pal over at Blogging Stocks and Wallet Pop sent me this link to the "6 Worst Vacations People Actually Pay for" at Cracked.com. Jason Moore's round-up includes one experience we've written about here at Gadling.

Jason lists a stay at the Ice Hotel in Sweden as his number two worst vacation idea option. Frankly, I'm with Jason on this one. I'm sure it's fascinating and beautiful, but too cold for a relaxing night of slumber. Ruben Laguna, who snapped this pic has several others which gives me the impression I could be wrong. Still, it does look too cold for my taste.

Jason's number one choice of bad ideas is the one where people shoot farm animals with rocket launchers. WHAT!!! Isn't there a grim film called, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? In this case, horses aren't on the menu, but you can shoot chickens and cows. The place is near Siem Reap, Cambodia. Here's a link to that weirdness.

Moore's other bad idea choices are:

• Tour the sewers of Paris
• Illegal Border Crossing Experience
• Ghetto Tours
• Crossword Puzzle Cruise

The Paris sewer tour does sound interesting to me. The crossword puzzle cruise? Not so much. Check out Jason's post for more details on each option. You can find decide for yourself what's trash and what's treasure.

When opportunity knocks, you have to take it. That's what happened when I was standing in the shade of a bus stop on my way from Laos to Cambodia two years ago. Stretching my limbs, I looked over my shoulder, and a Khmer lady with a sun hat had a huge plate of what appeared to be big, black, fried spiders for sale to eat.

"What is that?" I asked the lady.

"Tarantula," she said in nearly perfect English.

I had heard of Cambodian people eating insects like grasshoppers and ants before, but never had I encountered a delicacy like this one. Nor do I understand how the lady came across so many tarantulas (at least 100! do they raise them in cages?) and thought to kill and fry each and every one of them. Regardless, my "Survivor: Gross Foods" mode kicked into high gear, I purchased a fried spider and crunched it down.

After episode 4's rest stop at Summerhill, that gorgeous sheep farm homestay in New Zealand, the teams barreling through the world in the Amazing Race were off to Cambodia.

This episode did a tidy drop of highlighting aspects of Cambodia's culture and showcased its historical magnificence.

I'm still not sure which team I want to win. I do know which team I don't.

Travel Tips from this episode:

• If a travel agent says a flight is booked or closed, head to directly to the airline in case there might be room after all.
• Don't speed while driving in New Zealand. You could be stopped by the police.
• If your boat breaks down in Siem Reap Harbor, if you use a stick for a row, you'll eventually get somewhere.
• Holding hands with your traveling companion can reduce stress.
• Stay focused and calm, otherwise you'll walk in circles and pass by the very place you're trying to find.