Amsterdam is making a major push to rid the city of its reputation as a hub for excess. The Dutch government’s latest proposals are aimed at curbing bad tourist behavior, particularly around drugs, alcohol, and sex. The measures include limiting the number of river cruises, introducing earlier closing times for…

When traveling, you should never forget to pack the one item that can keep your personal data and online activities safe: a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN is an application that runs on any computer or phone, encrypting your data and hiding your location. That way, it’s much more…

Here’s a fact seldom discussed when the topic of travel agents arises. When the airlines began cutting commissions to travel agents in the mid-90′s, the real problem wasn’t commissions. No, the airlines had another reason for wanting travel agents out of the picture. Travel agents told clients how to obtain…

The Northern Lights are one of Iceland’s top tourist attractions, and for good reason. They’ve fascinated peoples from around the world for thousands of years, from the Inuit of Nunivak Island in the Bering Sea to the Laplanders of northern Scandinavia. In Iceland, Viking lore maintained that the dancing Aurora…

St. Petersburg is a city that has made one of the most remarkable urban turnarounds in American history. I used to travel to St. Petersburg occasionally on business in the late-90’s. Back then, it seemed a somewhat nondescript small city without a bustling business scene…but with an aging infrastructure and…

New York City has The Hamptons. Los Angeles has Palm Springs. Denver has Aspen. For many years, the vacation playground for the rich and famous in Chicago was Lake Geneva.  This Wisconsin resort town, only about an hour from the Windy City, has since evolved as a destination accessible for…

Everyone wants to go to Ireland, and it seems that everyone wants to go in the summer. Now don’t get me wrong. There is much good to be said about the warm days of summer on the greenest of islands. However, fall, winter, and spring offer their own special charms,…

Here, the winds speak. And the spirits speak if you listen for them. Lying 2,300 miles away from Chile, the country that governs it, it’s the most remote populated island on Earth. The nearest populated “neighbor” is Pitcairn Island (yes, that Pitcairn Island, of “Mutiny on the Bounty” fame), in…

Yes, the British and the Japanese have their tea customs and rituals, and I wouldn’t want to take away from the special nature of either of those cultures. But if I had to choose where I would most like to have a cup of tea with the locals, it would…

The annual migration of almost two million wildebeest across the Serengeti is the most spectacular wildlife show on Earth. It’s an amazing sight, with animals filling the vast plains of Africa from horizon to horizon, following an instinctive, primal pattern in the Great Migration. Walking for months as they follow…

Located on the southern tip of Spain in Andalusia, Málaga is said to be one of the oldest cities in Europe. You need only walk along its cobbled main streets and view the amazing architectural palaces, Roman ruins, and cathedrals towering above pedestrians. It is also known for its palm-lined,…

It’s just after midnight on June 21st, and I’m standing on the street outside the Reykjavik pub from which I have just emerged.  The sky above is clear and bright.  Perhaps not as bright as when I went into the pub three hours ago but, then again, neither am I. In…