Dear Travel IQ: Can you explain how to use a concierge properly?  Many of the nicer hotels I visit have a concierge, but I’m not sure what is an appropriate question outside of a restaurant suggestion or directions.  What can a concierge do for me (and should I then do…

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…

The thought of India evokes many images to travelers, but none more iconic than the majestic Taj Mahal. Although this wonder of the world is a relevant and magnificent site on the tourism circuit, consider adding a dash of adventure to your Indian experience. India’s diverse landscape and climate make…

When traveling with valuable gear, such as cameras, jewelry, and prescription meds, it’s important to take extra precautions to ensure the safety of your belongings. Protecting your belongings is crucial to maintaining their value and functionality, whether you’re a tourist who enjoys taking photos as their travels progress, a diabetic…

Colombia — The land of drug runners, cartels and kidnappings, right? You might be thinking of the Colombia of old. This diverse gem nestled at the top of South America with coasts kissing both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea has successfully emerged from underneath a less than desirable reputation…

Anguilla lies low on the horizon as you approach by ferry, a landscape at first suggesting less variety than her mountainous neighbors of St. Martin or St. Barths. But distant, outward appearances can be deceptive. Once you come ashore here, and make the easy drive up and down the length…

The secret to a perfect trip is much like the first rule of Fight Club:  There is no perfect trip.  There is no recipe for success, no combination of details that will guarantee you a good time, no amount of scheduling and booking that will make your time from touch-down…

Maybe you want to get away from your normal life for a while – to rediscover who you are, or just get some much-needed alone time. Maybe your relationship has ended, wreaking havoc on your plans for that dream trip to Africa. Maybe your best friend backed out of accompanying…

If you’re considering Venice as your next destination, you’ll have done your research and know exactly what you want to see and what to expect, so I’ll not be giving you a Venice ‘to-do list’ as such. Instead, I’ll encourage you to people watch instead. Step away from the well-trodden…

Bananas, berries, mangoes, and wild monkeys. Get ready to be part of a wild buffet breakfast with the long-tail macaques that live in the Lopburi area of Thailand. Every year on the last Sunday in November the locals pay homage to the macaques by placing tables full of fruits, rice,…

Quebec is one of the safest cities in the world, especially for women, my new friend tells me. That’s lucky, I think because I’ve just jumped into his car and we’re driving up into deserted forests. If I disappear, nobody will ever know why. All such thoughts vanish as my…

My plan, upon finding myself in London with a day off, was to indulge my inner Downton Abbey fan with a trip to Highclere Castle. The Jacobethan “country home” that housed the fictitious Grantham clan was, however, closed until spring so I decided to trudge from my friend’s flat in…