Best Travel Blogs Of 2011 | Obamas' Hawaii Vacays | Experiencing Penang Hawkers

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 Our 11 Best Travel Blogs Of 2011 2011 has been a big year for HuffPost Travel. We've introduced a lot of new writers for our site and these new writers have, in turn, introduced us to scores of places we might have otherwise overlooked and a variety of issues that warranted a second glance. Sorting through the hundreds of travel pieces we've published this year to find the eleven best was far more enjoyable than it was easy. In no particular order -- it was bad enough having to pick them out -- these are our best blogs of 2011. PHOTOS: A Look Back At The Obamas' Hawaii Vacations Photos: Mardi Gras 2012: Better Than Ezra Hosts Krewe Of Rocckus Sean Penn Called 'Communist' In LAX Brawl Airline Passenger Faces Caning For Groping Flight Attendant Plane Crashes On N.J. Highway BLOG POSTS George Hobica: Larceny In The Air And At The Airport: How Not To Fall Victim Flying these days isn't just hectic and discombobulating but also is rife with felonious fellow passengers, bandito baggage handlers and shady security screeners. Harriet Gordon Getzels: Penguin Counting And An Antarctic Reunion (PHOTOS) Skies are deep gray with clouds as smooth as pearls. Shards of ice glint like treasure chests. The water is uncharacteristically smooth and the icebergs glint psychedelic blue. Diya Luke: A Minor Diversion: Experiencing Penang Culture Through Its Hawkers One of the best ways to live the local life was to spend time in the social heart of the neighborhood, the food hawker center. These open air food courts were a way for our family to interact with locals, receive some cultural lessons and try fantastic regional specialties. Sandra Thomas: Festival Of Lights At Vancouver's VanDusen Botanical Garden (PHOTOS) What most visitors don't know is that behind the glittering winter wonderland is a small team of dedicated bulb testers, who this year hand tested 1.4 million lights in the 12 weeks leading up to the festival's opening Dec. 9. Karen Loftus: Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide For The Travel Savvy (PHOTOS) This gear is as fierce, functional and fashionable as it gets -- ideal for the chic travel geeks in your life.

MOST POPULAR ON HUFFINGTONPOST.COM Obama's Pricey Vacay; A Look Back At Past Hawaiian Trips A Voyage Through Kim Jong Il's North Korea Plane Crashes On N.J. Highway ON FACEBOOK Obama's Pricey Vacay; A Look Back At Past Hawaiian Trips PHOTOS: The Unauthorized, Racy Adventures Of Tintin A Voyage Through Kim Jong Il's North Korea

If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe.