The Arabian Desert isn’t exactly considered a paradise. Images of the endless dunes of sand conjure thoughts of dying of thirst and being unable to escape the relentless beating of the sun. The silver screen has painted the desert as a mysterious place where adventures come alive. If you believe the tales you have seen in The Mummy, Aladdin, or Hidalgo, then this arid land offers only danger to those who dare …
Browsing: Destinations
It’s always fun to come back from a trip with incredible stories — not only for the fond memories, but also (of course) to be able to leave your friends and family in awe of all the exciting details. Exaggeration won’t even be necessary if you decide to partake in any of the following excursions that are possible in Iceland, because they are already so unbelievable as they are. You may even need to somehow …
You’ve probably never heard of Sandpoint, Idaho.
But the readers of USA Today/Rand McNally’s “Most Beautiful Small Town in America” survey have heard of it. They recently bestowed this honor on Sandpoint, a classic Old Northwest village in the Idaho Panhandle, just forty miles from the Canadian border.
It doesn’t take long to see why. As you cross the two-mile-long bridge over Lake Pend Oreille (pronounced “pond-a-ray”), surrounded by the snow-capped Selkirk Mountains, a village …
Volunteering doesn’t always mean you have to go to far-flung parts of the world to assist people in need. Sometimes visiting places with poverty, pain and despair can be a bit too emotionally demanding for younger volunteers who want to employ their skills to help out. There’s a place closer to home that is more suitable for high school graduates to able-bodied 75-year-olds. A place that caters to the welfare of animals that are open …
For tourists who wish to see a mélange of warm culture cradled on an expansive spectacle of greens, water and terrain, Southeast Asia will be the prime place to visit. Tourists go here to do water sports, enter fascinating caves, trek the green mountains outside the bustling modern cities, and taste the distinctively Southeast Asian dishes, which can be both scrumptious and healthy. Thus, if ever you visit Southeast Asia, don’t worry about getting the …
After spending some time with three Belgian celebrities, I got insider points of where to go, where to shop and what to eat if all you have is 24 hours in the EU capital.
Elric Petit, Belgium’s acclaimed interior designer, draws much of his inspiration from the original Art Deco interiors of the Royal Library (boulevard de l’Empereur 2) whilst breakfasting on a croissant and coffee.
“From my usual table I look across the …
You and your kids (or grand-kids) are going to love Beijing. The Chinese capital is a very kid-friendly city, with so many things to see and do they won’t have time to get bored. An extra benefit is that the Chinese love children. Don’t be surprised if they want to take pictures of their kids with yours.
Here are six family-oriented things to do that are fun for kids of all ages, from eight to …
The call to prayer slices through the breaking horizon with a single elongated chord. Berbers rise from their beds and take to their dust worn prayer mats where their day of devotion once again begins. The incense is lit, releasing streams of white smoke; the smell of religion hangs like a plump cloud. Slowly the market comes to life as the vendors, their white jallaba robes stained red from the earth, haggle over their colourful …
No other brew has the favourable effect that coffee has on the psyche and being. It boosts awareness and focus, recharges creativity, soothes the mind and induces a multitude of other moods and vibes. When introducing a coffee cup to your lips it offers an intense momentary bliss, defining the rhythm of the day – a secret well known to Belgium’s café society.
Belgians know there is more to the brew than merely sitting at …
Botswana, with a population of just over 2 million people, is one of the most sparsely populated countries on the planet. If it were a person, standing next to South Africa, boasting nearly 25 times that figure, it might feel inadequate. But the fact that it is so sparsely populated, more than anything, is an undeniable charm. There are few places in the world you can be comfortable with space – a sleepy city or …
Johnstone Strait, a deep glacier carved passage running between the east coast of Vancouver Island and the west coast of British Columbia mainland, is one of the best places in the world to spot killer whales (also known as orcas). The deep waters of Johnstone Strait are home to the world’s largest resident pod of orcas, numbering around 200, who are attracted to the region by the thousands of salmon who frequent the waters every …
Those looking for an August getaway without paying the high hotel costs associated with visiting Europe at the height of tourist season might want to consider booking a stay in Brussels. After business-people frequenting the capital of Belgium and the European Union vacate the city, you can find a range of hotels that offer weekend rates during the weekdays.
Using Brussels as a base, you can then take short day trips via car, boat or …
After travelling the length and breadth of the country, Heather (my camera assistant) and I headed out of Windhoek going south. It was long and dusty six-hour drive that took us through one of the most spectacular places in the world: mile high paprika-coloured dunes, lilac mountains, endless golden savannah grassland – all dramatically offset by a big sapphire blue sky.
Our tranquil granite and glass boutique-style lodgings – the Sossusvlei Desert Lodge – was …
Home of the mighty Pharaohs, Egypt has awed visitors from Alexander the Great to Napoleon. This vast nation is packed full of so much history that it can be difficult to decide what to see if your vacation is short on time. Bundle the best of Egypt into one week using the attractions below as a guide. This is a slice of the nation’s most riveting sights which even the speediest vacationers can achieve.
Egypt …