The Basecamp idea is actually not novel. It’s a way of travelling that some people have been doing for a long time but it has never really had a name or been defined as a specific category of travel.

Travel Basecamp, the series, follows myself and two friends as we travel to stereotypically resort driven destinations, and book all-inclusives, but then spend all of our time busting off of the resort grounds in search of real, authentic travel experiences.

This video gave me chills.

At Indian fun fairs, some ferris wheels are powered by the sweat of human daredevils.

No gas. No electricity.

Just young male wallahs (let's call them carnies) who take turns climbing up the rickety old ferris wheel. Then they leap and grab onto a bar, using their weight to whip the ferris wheel around and deposit them back on Earth. Repeat, over and over again, until night falls or they do.

If you missed the video posted on MSN last week, see it here. Seriously, check this video out.

It was shot at a fun fair in New Delhi and it's fascinating, hypnotic, and kind of nerve-wracking to watch.

Wow, you sure are attractive. I can tell that from here.

But are you so devastatingly good looking that you've been tossed out of a country?

That happened to three men from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The men had travelled to the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh to attend the 28th annual Jenadrivah Heritage & Culture Festival. Its a 2-week celebration of traditional Saudi Arabian culture that's run by the National Guard.

The festival opened with a camel race on April 4th, and features traditional Saudi Arabian arts, crafts, poetry competitions, dancing, singing, and blacksmithing.

Now, you should know that the three handsome men weren't random faces in the crowd of 300,000. They were delegates from the UAE, which makes the next part of the story so strange.

This man is too handsome. Kick him out.    ----->

One of the best ways to get through February is to look for silver linings. That massive snowbank blocking your driveway? Think of it as a snow fort for the kids. Your ice-encrusted windshield? Consider the calories you'll burn scraping it off. And if the car won't even start, well, maybe you should just take a cab to the airport and be done with it. Likewise, this week's podium takes a glass-half-full approach:  

GOLD: The older you are, the more you save. That's the gist of Starwood Hotels & Resorts' new birth-year promotion, available at dozens of hotels and resorts across North America, the Caribbean and French Polynesia. The amount you pay for the second night of a two-night stay -- and in some cases, on the second and third nights of a three-night stay -- corresponds with your year of birth (guests born in 1973, for example, pay $73). This can yield massive discounts: At Aruba's Westin Resort & Casino (pictured below), for example, a three-night visit that would normally cost $1,437 will go for $625 (to a 38-year-old guest).

As Canadians, we have found various ways to celebrate winter. As they say, if you can’t beat the winter, might as well join it. And why not join it by celebrating that quintessential Canadian product — Icewine. Throughout the month of January, the Niagara region is putting on a host of parties to commemorate the Icewine harvest.

Enjoying Icewine at the festival. Courtesy Wine Country Ontario