Name Chantal Martineau
Who? She edited the travel section of Virgin.net and now freelances for publications such as Allure, US Airways Magazine, Women’s Health and writes about food and drink for the Village Voice. Her latest venture is hosting the Travel Channel’s new show Confessions of a Travel Writer. More at chantalmartineau.com
Age 32
Countries Visited 26

Titanic Nominations
1. Worst Toilet Seoul. It was essentially a trough. For women!  You straddled it – it was pretty low – and tried to miss your underwear. I thought it couldn’t get any worse until the old lady behind me rested her elbow on my back for support.
2. Worst Meal Rome, no joke. It was like microwaved Chef Boyardee. That’s what you get for eating right on Piazza Navona.
3. Worst Airline Cubana, Yucatan to Havana. All the overheard bins flew open. Some of the seats came loose. And the flight crew – like 8 of them for a 22-seater – kept coming in and out of the cockpit like it was a swingers party in there.
4. Worst Boat Ride Punta Arenas to Isla Magdelena (a.k.a. Penguin Island). The “45-minute” boat ride took 3 hours. The rough waters of the Strait of Magellan are like a spin cycle. Then when you get there, it reeks of penguin poo.
5. Worst Cocktail Lucky Cheng’s in NYC. Total tourist trap (I went with tourists). The “Orgasm in a Bowl” is sticky sweet, Windex-blue and tastes like melted Mr. Freezes spiked with cheap bathtub rum.