Costa Rica is a land teeming with the paradoxes of its geographical location, bridging North and South America and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The resulting climate makes it ideal for year-round travel. The forces of nature are at their spectacular best here, churning out rainforest and volcanoes, great beaches and vistas. The animals and plants of the region are of two great continents. The diversity of flora and fauna, of geography and terrain all …
Browsing: Destinations
The most memorable experience from when I first visited Darwin back in 1995 was the ‘Beer Can Regatta’. Who in their right mind makes a raft out of empty beer cans to race through crocodile infested waters for the prize of nothing more than bragging rights for a year?
The place is full of similar crazy ideas, and yet after spending more and more time up there the ideas somehow seem less crazy. I don’t …
African safaris are a dime a dozen, especially those in fenced in National Parks or Nature Reserves where tourists are taken on conveyer-belt type game drives. That’s as good as it gets, I thought, and as such lost interest.
That was until I recently discovered the Selinda Reserve in Botswana’s Okavango Delta where game are free to wander across its 320,000 acres of unfenced wilderness. I’d heard much of Selinda ticking all the proverbial green …
Just a short, two hour drive heading north from the oppressive heat that strikes Phoenix during the summer months, is Flagstaff, Arizona. While not the most picturesque drive imaginable, it is easy and direct. When temperatures are topping the triple digits on a daily basis, Flagstaff is a wonderful respite to get away from the heat and sink into nature, food and relaxation. It is not uncommon to leave Phoenix on a 118 degree day, …
The minute I step onto the red soil of Prince Edward Island, I relax. I can't help it – the environment demands it. It must be the sea water. No matter where you are on the island, the ebb and flow of tide creates a meditative Zen-like atmosphere that slows your mind, body and soul.
I'm here with several other literature lovers, including one from Japan interested in a certain red-headed heroine. We are here …
The beautiful parrots were bantering back and forth; giant palms obscured light from above; large leaf exotic plants obstructed the path. I felt like a Lilliputian in a land of overlapping green giants, each one poised to grab me should I dare to slow down a bit to gawk. Yet the diversity and unfamiliarity of the plants and trees make it hard not to gape. The only question remained: How did this tropical rainforest end …
There isn’t a single wisp of smoke curling out of the top of Mount Vesuvius as we walk up its stony brown slopes.
A few birds are twittering in the bushes, but we leave we them behind as the path rises above fertile ground. It’s silent, except for the scrunch of feet on clinker. It’s too quiet, too calm. Are we about to get taken out in an unexpected rumble of smoke, ash, flames and …
Northern Spain gets chilly from December to March. Sure, it’s not Berlin, but there is snow on the Pyrenees and the good people of Barcelona are wearing their most stylish winter coats. In northeastern Spain, Catalonia is gushing with hot spots where water, wine and relaxation promise to cure whatever ails you and warm up frosty fingers. Soaking it up in hot springs is nothing new in the region, and many current balnearis and spas …
A wilting figure sits on a sunny Las Vegas sidewalk. His mouth feels as parched as the Nevada desert that surrounds him. Somewhere in the back of his head, a popstar taunts “that’s what you get for waking up in Vegas” repeatedly. His hangover thuds through his head as the lights of Sin City just won’t stop flickering. His voice cracks, “Hey man, you wanna buy an iPod? I gotta get money to get home.” …
The charming little village of Grindelwald offers a close-up view of life in the Alps. We were invited on a tour to visit a dairy farm to experience how cheese was made. I am a city gal and have never visited a farm before. Most everyone has seen pictures of the dairy farms in the United States, but this was very different. Grindelwald Mountain Cheese is prepared the traditional way, a ritual as the farmers …
When the weather gets cold up north, I for one can’t wait to get away and enjoy some sun, sand, and good food. And if you’re into spiritual adventures like I am – no trip is complete without connecting with ancient cultures and their spiritual traditions. One of my favorite winter getaways is to the beautiful and sultry area of Mexico called the Mayan Riviera along the eastern coast of the Yucatan peninsula.
I adore …
The Caribbean conjures up images of blue skies and blue oceans where long deserted stretches of sandy beaches welcome one and all. When you think of the Caribbean what island comes to mind, perhaps, the ever popular Puerto Rico, beautiful Barbados or maybe arousing Aruba? Let’s face it, the list is endless and the more you look at one island the more appealing it is. But when the special occasion of Mother’s Day comes around …
Whilst on a tea safari in Holland Cindy-Lou Dale soon discovered the meaning of a cake hang-over.
I’ve heard much about the Dutch tea drinking culture, even more so about their idyllic afternoon tea shops. I saddled up my photographic assistant, Heather, booked a couple of Eurostar and Thalys train tickets to take me from London to Amsterdam (via Brussels) and sought accommodation advice from the tourism office there. A few days later, Heather and …
So you are ready to leave the country and set forth on a Caribbean adventure but with all the islands to choose from, where do you begin? Perhaps you should start at home. The U.S. Virgin Islands, 1100 miles southeast of Miami, are an excellent entrée to the Caribbean without leaving the comfort and security of home. Sure you’ll actually leave the United States mainland, so it feels as if you’ve left the country, but …