people fall apart in a time like this when nothing comes ♪ ♪ from the heart in a world like this i've got you you got me ♪ ♪ wide open wide open yeah and now i'm free fallin' free fallin' ♪ ♪ in a world like this where

some back down i know we're gonna make it in a time like this ♪ ♪ when love comes round i know we gotta take it in a world like this where people fall apart ♪ ♪ in a time like this when nothing comes from the heart in a world like this ♪ ♪ i've got you [ cheers and applause ] >> jimmy: backstreet boys, and their new cd "in a world like this." >> jimmy: i want to thank larry david, naya rivera. apologies to matt damon, we ran out of time. tomorrow night johnny knoxville, logan lerman and music from queens of the stone age. thank you for joining us, "nightline" is next. good night.

tonight on "nightline." we're on the road to adventure with undercover travel reporter going to extremes to help you avoid the tourist trap. and find the hidden gems. in search of the perfect holiday. and speaking of great vacations, there is camping and then there is glamping, for those who care less about the creatures and care more about being pampered. and the oscar goes to ellen degeneres. move over, the boys are on the naughty list. and nice is

from new york city, this is "nightline." with cynthia mcfadden. good evening, and thank you for joining us. ever notice how we never seem to get as many weeks of vacation as we feel we need? so when you do take those precious days it had better be for something special, right? if you have ever arrived at a hotel room that has not been cleaned, or an attraction that has not been seen since, this is for you. for those that snagged that dream vacation they're taking us along for the ride. here is abc's david wright. >> reporter: one of the great travel writers paul theroux said that travel is glamorous, only in retrospect.

carolyn mccarthy may agree, she is a travel writer. >> people romance the travel writer, thinking that you're sipping drinks on the beach. when in fact you're taking buses, guessing where you are, getting lost, taking 20 different hotels. now you get my experience. this is from the highest floor. it is not what people think it is. >> reporter: still, it is easy to see why people may envy her job. we followed along as she researched the lonely planet's panama guide book. there are 18 adventures for the planet. indiana jones hot on the trail of the perfect summer holiday. >> for $25. >> reporter: for someone else. >> so i'm just making sure that i got some of the details that i saw but i didn't have time to write down. >> reporter: for 40 years, lonely planet guide books have made even the most remote

destinations a littleremote for. discovering gems abroad and at home. you guys picked san francisco as the best city in america? >> the best city for travel, yes. >> reporter: that is allison bing, another lonely planet writer, updating the san francisco guidebook. >> we have never remet, but i he read some of your guide books. >> reporter: she showed us why to find the most exotic teas, and the best sslami in north beach. >> i know a good salami. >> reporter: in one day, the best of both worlds. time style, america portions. >> you have a pretty good job. >> the best, really. >> reporter: of course, every job has its down side. >> having very little personal time can be a challenge. i also feel like my job is privilege and i get to see things that nobody sees.

>> reporter: carolyn spends 70% of her life on the road. >> for me, i love doing it. i am addicted to it and it is hard to give it up. >> reporter: it takes time to vet every situation. and the lonely guide claims still to do that. so what is the down side of the job? >> you don't get any sick days. and that can be a problem when you have 20 budget hotels to cover the day after you have been up all night with food poisoning. and that did happen to me. and it was in the sahara. >> reporter: plenty of travellers are not inclined to lug a big book in their carry-on, relying on source data like google and travelocity. if i were to go to a destination with my ipad, wouldn't i have all the information at my finger tips? >> would you be confident that it would be professional? that is why all the information

is so so valuable. because we triple check our facts. >> reporter: each of those spots on the map is a hotel. carolyn has to visit them all. >> it is the only one with a pool, i wanted to check it out. people like it. could be a little cleaner. >> reporter: she also checks out the five-star trump tower. >> this is amazing, very nice. so is this tempered glass? >> yes. >> okay, sound proof, that is good. our readers used to be backpackers, but they grew up. so now they have more discretionary income. maybe they don't want to sleep in a dorm bed anymore, they want the creature comforts. so maybe they want a luxury hotel so we research for a wide variety of people. >> reporter: no matter how many stars the hotel has, the drill is pretty much the same. >> i look at the beds, there seems to be at least nice mattresses. and how many beds there are in a

room. if there is air. what kind of lemons do you use? >> reporter: inspecting beds and bathrooms? >> i'm looking to see if there is hot water. i'm looking to see -- obviously, people have been using this all morning. oh, wow, this is cool. actually, there are a couple of hairs. >> reporter: only a few seconds to stop and admire the view. >> hi. >> reporter: then it is on to confirming price points. >> so i saw a deluxe room, 159 plus tax. >> reporter: and documenting every last detail. >> trump tower for me. [ speaking in a foreign language ] >> after seeing so many different types of lodgings, year after year, i can clock it, go into a place and ten minutes i get the vibe. >> reporter: just as important as a place to stay is a good place to eat. among allison's top five in san francisco, this hole in the wall

korean spot. >> i love that. let's get that. what really matters to me as a lonely planet writer is that people don't waste their time and their money and vacation on a bad meal or a bad place to stay or a bad experience. they couldn't afford it, otherwise. >> reporter: definitely dining out is a big perk of the job. >> on to the fish market. >> reporter: but there is a catch. carolyn doesn't just eat for herself. she has to eat multiple meals for her readers. >> this is great, i tried these, they were good, i don't need to make myself sick. i just need to get the idea that there is a general level of quality and it was good. >> reporter: and this is just the appetizer. there is no sitting still. >> i just ordered that tonight. >> reporter: ultimately, it is all about finding good value and hidden gems. >> this is why people think you

have a burden. >> reporter: korean acupuncture. >> the parts of my job that are not so glamorous, like fact-checking, the bus schedule, checking out -- >> reporter: how clean the toilets are. >> exactly, you really have to check how clean the toilets are. >> reporter: and the food and ice cream. >> do you think that is ice cream -- >> they did have this, off the menu -- >> reporter: it is illegal now, so between the acupuncture and to mah the massage, and ice cream, i think you have a great gig. >> not bad, and of course i have to come back and try. >> reporter: some experiences don't end up in the book. >> i can't believe i'm paddling up the panama canal. >> reporter: carolyn paddled off

to meet this indigenous tribe, hoping for a recommendation. >> this is the kuna family home and really it is unusual to see it on camera. because usually they don't allow filming. >> reporter: alas, it ended up not being a side trip she would recommend. >> i day like today is a little frustrating. i want to show people new things and take advantage of going off the beaten track, but i don't think this is going to make it into the book because i don't think they're ready for tourism. >> reporter: in the end, their journey is meant to be a jumping off point for the rest of us. even with its headaches, not a bad job at all. does it pay well? >> it is all right. yeah, it adds up. >> reporter: where can i apply? >> the website, the same way i did. >> reporter: all right, i'm david wright for "nightline." in san francisco. >> well, you can find lonely planet's picks for best value destinations at our website at

abcnews.com/nightline. well, up next, it is the little things that can take your camping adventure from awww to ahhh. >> abc news "nightline" brought to you by mercedes benz. using stereoscopic cameras... ♪ ...and even stop itself if it has to. the technology may be hard to imagine... but why you would want it is not. ♪ the 2014 e-class, it doesn't just see the future, it is the future.

...and a great deal. .he future, thanks to dad. nope eeeeh... oh, guys let's leave the deals to hotels.com. ooh that one! nice. got it! oh my gosh this is so cool... awesome! perfect! yep, and no angry bears. the perfect place is on sale now. up to 40% off. only at hotels.com and now hot pink toes. seems tough for a tough dog like duke. but when it has to do with gwen, he's putty in her hands. for a love this strong, duke's family only feeds him iams. compared to other leading brands, it has 50% more animal protein... ...to help keep his body as strong as a love that can endure any fashion trend. iams. keep love strong. now you can keep love fun with new shakeables meaty treats.

apply cold therapy in the first 24 hours. but not just any cold. i only use new thermacare® cold wraps. targettemp technology delivers a consistent, therapeutic cold to stop pain and start healing. new thermacare® cold wraps. a better way to treat pain.

think camping, and maybe a crackle i crackling fire comes to mind, making gooey smores at midnight. sounds like fun. but the whole bit for many about

sleeping on the ground and no showers leaves them saying no, thank you. but traveling to go camping can be easier, where you have a little taste of home on the range, as long as you have cash to spare. here is secilia vega. >> reporter: roughing it, not for everyone, especially not the ladies on the "real housewives of orange county." but there is camping, think the parent trap. >> i hate this place, i hate this dirty, stinking, dirty place. >> reporter: and then there is glamping. that is glamping with a capital "g." the great outdoors. for high rollers who never once have to lift a finger.

>> that is the whole great thing about what we do. is you show up and it is all ready to go. it is like a hotel, you just check in, you walk away when it is done and we do all the cleanup. >> reporter: must be nice, right? okay, well, let's see this luxury. okay, come on in, enter the fancy tent. >> so this is our standard setup. which is a full bed, down comforter, pillows. >> reporter: yeah, comfortable. >> it is cozy. >> reporter: what do people say when they walk inside one of these tents for the first time? what is their reaction? >> it is so big. >> reporter: of course, it will cost you, the more luxury you want, the more you will pay. most glampers will walk away with a huge amount. >> i think the base of it is sleeping. glamorous camping, i think -- you're in a real bed, what we're

doing, it is a real bed, with real bedding. >> reporter: also you get a butler. the camping has provided a real oasis in places such as africa for a century. think "out of africa". >> what happens tomorrow? >> i have no idea. >> reporter: and hitting the ro roads in the u.s., here it has become a national summer pasttime. but now, there is a new generation of not roughing it. high-end camp sites are popping up faster than you can say more smores, please. websites like glamping.com are devoted to the mass of glamping devotees. this couple has made a business out of it. a former wedding planner, she started this company as a way for everybody to have the camping experience, minus the hot dogs and the sleeping bags on the cold, hard ground.

what is the craziest request you ever received? >> we just recently did an event where they wanted wild life brought in. so we had llamas brought in to the property. >> reporter: because nothing says camping like a llama. is this like full service? >> yes, full service, you name it, we can do it. >> reporter: so in terms of like the highest end you can possibly go, what are you getting? >> i mean, the highest end you can possibly go, we can helicopter you in somewhere from the middle of nowhere to have your amazing camp set up with a full-time chef and a yoga structu instructor, and maybe a llama guide. >> reporter: but is this really hard core camping? >> it is camping, just

amplified. >> reporter: sure, you may have a way to have to real deal, but the chef there used to work at the same french laundry restaurant. so what is on the menu tonight? >> we're braising king salmon, tomatoes, and capers. >> reporter: and what night of glamping would be complete without a butler? what is in the broad description? >> it is very broad. it could be anything from as simple to lighting a fire as getting coffee going in the morning. making sure everything is well lit and your batteries are working in the tent. and opening wine. >> reporter: so if i rang a bell? >> yes, unfortunately i didn't bring in own, but i would come if you did. >> reporter: you could have a chef, a butler, yoga, even wild animals shipped in. but what about the wild part of

camping that is ever glamorous? yeah, they bring that in, too. >> we often bring in restaurant trailers that have individual stalls, a flushing sink and a hot water shower. it is like having a normal shower. >> reporter: do you love or hate the word "glamping"? >> i don't love it. but it goes right with the event production we can do and the different services. >> reporter: what would you call it? >> high end camping. >> reporter: there is one other essential. a glamping must. >> i see something in that basket that i wonder is also a staple of camping? >> smores? yes, we always say smores and whiskey. >> reporter: more smores, madame? >> yes, thank you. well, next, the envelope, please, announcing the next oscar host.

and the new queen of nice is ready to keep it clean. well, it's the only place i can get my kids arizona jeans, which means they can find the perfect pair that fits great... and it's affordable... oh, and it's got all the other brands they have to have. i've been told this stuff can make or break your entire year. but i'm not even going to pretend to know what "cool" is. i'll just take 'em to the sales and leave the rest to them. doorbusters friday 3 to close, saturday 9 to 1. style. quality. price. now at jcpenney.

plus the perfecting color of a bb cream equal? introducing the newest beauty trend. total effects cc cream c for color. c for correction. [ female announcer ] fight 7 signs of aging flawlessly. cc for yourself. [ female announcer ] fight 7 signs of aging flawlessly. i'm gonna have to ask you to power down your little word game. i think your friends will understand. oh...no, it's actually my geico app...see? ...i just uh paid my bill. did you really? from the plane? yeah, i can manage my policy, get roadside assistance, pretty much access geico 24/7. sounds a little too good to be true sir. i'll believe that when pigs fly. ok, did she seriously just say that? geico. just a click away with our free mobile app. fby eating healthier, drinking plenty of water, but still not getting relief? try dulcolax laxative tablets. dulcolax is comfort-coated for gentle, over-night relief. dulcolax. predictable over-night relief you can count on.

a hungry bear has his eye on some takeout, and oscar has his

host for hollywood's biggest need on this of "feed frenzy." >> hostess with the mostest, ellen degeneres announced today on twitter she would be hosting the next academy awards. it is official, i'm hosting the oscars, i would like to thank the academy, my wife, porscha, and oh, dear, there goes the orchestra. >> it is my job to relax you and put your mind at ease that this is a make or break night. >> who is known for being nicer than this year's controversy choice, seth m and they let out a big sigh of refuse leave.