The best kind of car trips are those that involve a scenic drive somewhere instead of brain-numbing miles of Interstate highway. That is precisely why a car trip to Roanoke, Virginia is a wonderful choice. The gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains surrounding this lovely, scenic mountain town make the drive to Roanoke just as pleasant as the stay. Plan your drive to include the Blue Ridge Parkway, which links two national parks – the Shenandoah …
Nairobi has become one of Africa’s largest and most interesting cities with a mixture of races, tribes and cultures. Just outside the city limits is Nairobi’s National Park – 113 square kilometers of plains, cliffs and forests, while being home to large herds of game, including big cats, living wild within twenty minutes of the city centre.
My short journey from the airport came to a grinding halt when I reached the city limits. …
We recently spent a week “gunkholing” around the islands of British Columbia on the Safari Quest yacht with Un-Cruise Adventures. Gunkholing is a boating term that refers to a type of cruising in shallow or shoal water, moving from place to place, and often spending the night in quiet coves. Gunkholers seek out quiet and isolated anchorages instead of crowded marinas. With cabins for 22 passengers and several crew members, the Safari Quest yacht …
Nothing says love more than chocolate – well, at least for most people. Why not plan a getaway to a destination known for chocolate? Go to a far flung part of the world where the heavenly creation of sweetened food made from cocoa beans excites your taste buds. What could be better than combining your love for travel with your love for chocolate?
Belgium
In the European Kingdom of Belgium, surrounded by the Netherlands, Germany …
Driving from Parma, navigating a winding mountain road to Tuscany, I came across Castello di Compiano, a medieval castle embraced by fortified walls and built atop a rocky outcrop of a mountain village. The castle’s jaw-dropping views across the Taro River and the Apennines mountains make it one of the most spectacular locations in northern Italy.
Its origins are uncertain but archaeologists claim its existence dates back to the first century. In its life Castello …
In the heart of Myanmar’s sprawling capital Yangon, an opportunity exists to glimpse local life and communities in a way not often available in other cities.
Opened in 1954, the Yangon Circular Railway is a rickety, barely-faster-than-a-jog train that runs a circular path all around the heart of the city, taking approximately 3 hours to cover some 30 kilometers and 39 stops.
A mix of everything from the official Central Railway Station to a single …
To most Westerners, Africa is a place of witchdoctors, demons and prehistoric creatures, but those who’ve travelled there know it as an ancient continent steeped in primal cultures yet one that’s wild, raw, in your face and utterly exciting. It’s a land of blistering heat, amazing sunrises and more animals than you ever believed existed. Multiply all this by ten, throw in a UNESCO World Heritage site plus one of the World’s Seven Natural Wonders …
I glanced up at the masts of the Tall Ship berthed in the Savannah harbor for the Tall Ships Challenge, soaring up into the clear blue sky and appearing to pierce the puffy white clouds. The sounds of the people crowding onto River Street to see the ships fade away as I stood there, imagining the same scene two hundred years ago.
Behind me, the shops, restaurants and hotels transformed into cotton warehouses and offices …
As we gathered in the Fairbanks offices of the Northern Alaska Tour Company – 17 half-awake people in the dim summer light at 4:30 a.m. – there was a palpable sense of excitement.
My wife and I were carrying layers of polar clothing (at least, as “polar” as you can find in Florida!). And so were the sleepy collection of 15 other Americans, Aussies, and New Zealanders gathered around the coffee machine in an effort …
Recently, my spouse and I found ourselves at the epicenter of a masterfully orchestrated convergence of three great loves – music, cruises, and of course, each other. The venue was a premium class cruise ship full of dedicated music lovers and a dozen well-known jazz virtuosos. Living in this magical sweet spot of almost continuous concerts, seminars and socializing for seven days proved to be a life changing experience.
First the backstory –
Music-themed cruises …
Just a few years ago, Myanmar (formerly Burma) was a closed land, with heavy travel restrictions and limited tourist facilities. Since the broad easing of travel restrictions in 2012, tourism in Myanmar has boomed.
Inle Lake in southern Shan State is a popular stop on many itineraries, famous for its leg-spinning fishermen, floating markets and local communities that dot the ring of the nearly 45-square mile lake. Many travelers choose to stay in Nyuang Shwe …
Nowadays in the Caribbean, an all-inclusive resort experience does not have to mean that your own special interest in travel gets lost in the wider shuffle. Big no longer translates to a lack of attention or absence of options for your own travel focus. This is certainly the case around the island of Jamaica – where the all-inclusive hotel concept is said to have originated back in the Sixties – and where that same concept …
Istanbul, the guidebook said, is a melting pot of cultures, of hidden eateries and native food, melt-in-the-mouth pastries dripping with honey and hearty aubergine kebabs found in the city’s ancient backstreets.
As a child, foreign cuisine began and ended with spaghetti out of tins; back then ‘eating out’ entailed selecting from a slightly sticky laminated menu with pictures of food on it. Which is why, sitting in Mercan Café, a small, crowded eatery found along …
While every state in the union now makes wine, you still won’t find any areas as well-known as Napa and Sonoma. They are two of the most recognized wine regions in the U.S. and they also happen to be right next door to each other in Northern California. If your time is limited, how do you choose?
It’s hard to believe that two places producing wine could be so close yet so different, but it’s …
