Michael Karanicolas Interview

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Michael Karanicolas is a writer, traveler, photographer and roving buccaneer. His many legendary exploits include running with the bulls in Pamplona, wrestling anacondas in the Amazon and rallying die-hard communists in Pyongyang. At the age of 25, he has established himself as one of the premiere fashion icons of his generation and is idolized by women the world over.

1. Where haven't you been that you dream of visiting?

The past three years of unadulterated hedonism have whittled the list of my lifetime travel goals down considerably. I've always wanted to visit the moon, but unless V!VA decides to publish a guide to outer space in the near future, then I'm probably going to have to start sucking up to Richard Branson if I want to make that happen.

2. Do you have an anecdote about anything that's happened to you or that you have observed while working for V!VA?

I was surprised at how difficult it was to write-up a city. After all these years of snidely making fun of Lonely Planet, I now feel a lot more empathy for what guidebook writers go through, especially when I hear other travelers complaining about missing or erroneous information. You'd be amazed at how much detective work it can take to get something as simple as a ferry schedule in a town that has no tourist information or ticketing offices, and where the boat captain is a semi-functioning alcoholic.

3. Why is it that girls all around the world idolize you?

You know, that question has never really occurred to me. I always just took it for granted as the natural order of things. I've heard it said variously that money and power are the ultimate aphrodisiacs. But seeing as I have neither of these things, I'm going to have to chalk it up to savage animal magnetism —I'm also a snappy dresser.