China is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. The United Nations well recognizes this, putting 41 sites
in China on its World Heritage Sites list. Only two countries have more sites on the list than China: Italy with 47 and Spain with 43. The United States, by comparison, has only 21 listings.
UNESCO, the U.N. organization that administers the list, chooses sites for their cultural or historic significance and/or natural characteristics. Such sites, …
Like any good fairy tale, a successful wedding comes out of the combined efforts of a wide range of players. From the decisions between a tiered cake or cupcakes, to handwritten or stamped invitations, to lace or floral print, every detail has its place. But long after the wedding bells have sung their song, you’re not going to remember analyzing your dinner plate’s design, or even the lace-adorned walls and windows. Instead, you’ll reminisce about …
Hostels sometimes used to be thought of as dingy, crowded, last-resort lodging that was only for hippies, students, random backpackers and possibly criminals — and perhaps that is the impression that some people still have of them. That old stereotype is completely outdated in the many shiny and modern new hostels that have been popping up around Europe lately and competing with one another for a chunk of a highly coveted market. Hostels cater to …
Polar bears, beluga whales and Northern Lights await in Churchill, Manitoba. This rugged town on the shores of Hudson Bay offers the perfect place to explore Canada’s North. Connected to the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay is the second largest bay in the world. Churchill was founded in 1689 as a fur trading post for the Hudson’s Bay Company. With no main roads into the town, access is by train or by …
The sound of crashing waves on the beach, compliments of the Atlantic Ocean, lick my ears as I awaken to embrace another resplendent day in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Despite the fact that I am visiting this dazzling island primarily for business to attend the International Destination Expo, I’ve still found an opportunity to shave some time away for myself in order to soak in the unrivaled hospitality extended by almost every individual I have …
Just twelve miles from Canterbury sits Sandwich, a perfectly preserved medieval English town complete with a network of narrow cobbled streets and alleyways. In medieval times, before the River Stour silted up, Sandwich was a main UK port. Now it’s famed for its quirkiness and for being a regular host to the British Open at its championship course, The Royal St George’s, most recently in 2011.
In the heart of Sandwich, adjacent to the river …
Excuse me. Sir! You there. I have a request. No, not you nice man. You go on about your day and enjoy your vacation.
I’m speaking to the other gentleman, the one who is so incapable of controlling his impulses that he just chucked that small boy overboard. Oh! That was your son, and you were just playing? I see.
Well, I’m also talking to that lady over there who thinks it’s funny to draw …
It’s become the manifesto for people yearning to do something different with their lives. Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestselling book ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ (which tells the story of her journey through Italy, India and Bali to cure herself of depression and feed a hunger to lead a more spiritual life) has encouraged thousands of dissatisfied professionals to up-sticks and head off into the yonder to ‘find themselves’. A journey of discovery, though, is not a one-size-fits-all path. …
Americans mark autumn with two major holidays: Thanksgiving in late November, and Halloween on Oct. 31. The latter is a personal favorite: Ever since I watched It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! as a child, Halloween has been one of my anchor points for the fall season. Halloween as we know it, with the trick-or-treating and funny costumes, is for all intents and purposes a strictly Western practice. Though it has in recent years spread …
Now what, you may ask, is the interest of learning a small measure of French? Those of you who have traveled to France can relate to the frustration of waiting years to use your high school French knowledge, only to be rebuffed with English by a smug crêpe seller. Moreover, they only speak French in that one European country — Paris, or something. Mandarin Chinese is much more practical.
French, the language of love and …
Tired of big chain hotels but want to get away? Try a bed and breakfast. From big houses with turrets to mansions by the water to cabins in the forest, America’s bed and breakfasts offer quaint escapes to renovated historic properties, guesthouses and inns with an ambiance of a home away from home. Here’s a roundup of the nations best B&B’s.
Simpson House Inn, Santa Barbara
Set on a quiet acre in the heart of …
Travel is full of enthralling encounters, of moments that stick with you forever — a glimpse of a wild gorilla, an African sunrise, your first sight of the pyramids.
But those moving moments wouldn’t seem so spectacular if they weren’t peppered with less exciting experiences. For every lion kill there’s a lame museum; for every gargantuan sculpture there is a giant ball of yarn. Here are eight utterly underwhelming tourist attractions, places that have you …
The popular image of cruising is a modern, mass market ship filled with literally thousands of people freighted from one familiar port-of-call to the next; not so eco-cruising. As the name implies, eco-cruising is all about the exploration of nature and the environment from the vantage point of the earth’s oceans, seas and rivers. The expanding appeal of environmental tourism in general and eco-cruising in particular is evident in the great number of options a …
Don’t laugh.
Often, when I travel, one of the first places I seek out is the local cemetery, and not just during Halloween season. Why? Because there, believe it or not, you can learn a lot about the place you’re visiting — about its people, about its history, about its lifestyle, and about its colorful characters and legends. You can be moved to tears, of course. But you may also find yourself laughing out loud, …
