Travel is the laziest form of learning. Just go somewhere you've never been, tend to your basic needs and lessons will be learned -- if only about your basic needs.The laziest form of travel? Entertainment. No ride to the airport, no 2.5-ounce can of shaving cream, no comburent rage at your fellow man.OK, it's not the same as travel, but art can reawaken you to places you've been or whet your appetite for places you want to go. At its best it can even transport you.I've done a lot of the laziest form of lazy learning lately. Even though my body hasn't slipped my ZIP code in weeks, I've visited Chicago, Pennsylvania, the Jersey Shore and more. I've traveled by book, film and tomato sauce. [Read the full article]

Matador's destination expert on Japan lays out the country's avoidable attractions ... and what to do instead.Pachinko is one of the few ways to legally gamble in Japan, but don't be lured into a parlor thinking you'll see Vegas-like shows. The place is beyond loud, and full of cigarette smoke.The games themselves should be reserved for a 10th circle in Dante's Inferno. Imagine a pinball machine with a computer screen display; once you pull the lever you have literally no control as to where the ball ends up.Just like in Vegas, you'll find burnt-out slot jockeys mechanically inserting yen, winning once every 27 days. Fun fun.A karaoke booth with an all-you-can-drink special is a much better alternative if you want to be surrounded by video screens and loud noises.All the booths in Japan are private, so you can only make an ass of yourself in front of close friends. [Read the full article]

London (CNN) -- The dust may only just have settled in Tunisia after the Jasmine Revolution, but that has not stopped the launch of a highly provocative marketing campaign designed to entice British and French holidaymakers to the country.Adverts humoring the historic events of just a few months ago -- in which at least 300 people were killed according to the U.N., and which unleashed a wave of pro-democracy movements across the Middle East --have sprung up on London's famous red double-decker buses and Paris metro stations.One of the adverts shows a woman being massaged next to the words: "They say that in Tunisia some people receive heavy-handed treatment."In another one, ancient Roman ruins are juxtaposed alongside this caption: "They say Tunisia is nothing but ruins."The company behind the campaign, Memac Ogilvy, defended using the recent revolution in a humorous context. [Read the full article]

(CNN) -- Most people heading to the seashore bring along sunscreen, colorful towels and a big umbrella. For others, the ultimate beach accessory is a metal detector.You've probably seen them during your trips to any coast -- sweeping the gadget back and forth along the water, ears covered by big headphones, eyes scanning the sand -- and wondered what exactly they're looking for.You'll return from a day at the beach with a tan and some pretty sea shells. They're hoping to bring back something more lucrative. Gold, anyone?This treasure hunt may evoke romantic images of shipwreck relics washing up ashore, and that does sometimes happen. But more often than not, the loot simply slips off the bodies of modern-day beachgoers. [Read the full article]