Browsing: travel

Europe is not only a land of architectural marvels but also one of culinary wonders. But exploring the gastronomy of some European countries can be a challenge for vegetarians and vegans. Meat very often dominates the menu and the concepts of vegetarianism and veganism are still somewhat alien, especially in countries like Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal.

Consider the reaction I got from a waiter in a Brussels café last summer. After quickly scanning the …

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I lolled back in my pool side lounge chair, opened my eyes, glanced out at the navy blue strip of ocean I could view through the railing slipping silently past as we cruised to our next gorgeous Caribbean port, and lazily mulled over whether to apply more sunscreen, move into the shade, or possibly just go visit the soft serve ice cream dispenser.

Then I checked out what my girlfriends were doing. One was deeply …

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We’ve all had it happen to us — you think you’ve packed everything you need for your vacation, only to discover at some point along the way that something, or several things, have been left behind. Or worse, your luggage gets lost altogether in the endless abyss of airline travel only to appear again (if you’re lucky) two weeks later, looking like it’s been to the moon and back, which it very well may have. …

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Though best known for their colorful Carnival, Aruba has all kinds of cool festivals, annual events, and visitor-inclusive celebrations happening all year round!

Though Carnival lasts for three months, it really doesn’t matter when you visit Aruba as there are all kinds of gala events going on all year-round. And you need never worry about the weather for outdoor festivals: Aruba is outside of the hurricane belt and boasts a balmy average of 85 degrees …

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Trying new foods is one of the most wonderful aspects of travel and for some, the weirder, the better. Of course, few people ever get hooked on those fear factor foods that make for interesting travel tales and a fun Facebook photo – deep fried grasshoppers, beating cobra hearts, scorpion on a stick or a whole sheep’s head eaten out of the skull – but there are weird eats across the globe that actually taste …

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By night, the Barranco district of Lima, Peru is teeming with 20-something-year-old hipsters clad in ripped jeans and miniskirts, chain smoking outside the city´s hottest clubs. They pose in front of portraits of rock legends while the music thumps inside. The district has been romanticized as the poetic inspiration of many Peruvian singers and artists, making it a must-see stop for all things bohemia in Lima. But club-goers are advised to get some zzz’s before …

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For decades, Sri Lanka was battling political unrest. A civil-war between Tamil insurgents and the Sinhalese government almost destroyed the tourism industry. Then, the tsunami of 2004 devastated certain coastal regions of the country. Luckily, the riots have ended and the coastlines have been restored, and this tear-drop shaped paradise off the Southern coast of India is waiting to be rediscovered by travelers worldwide.

It is easy to list generic enticements to visit Sri Lanka, …

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Home to Tom Jones, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta Jones, the world’s oldest language and more castles per square mile than any other place else on Earth, Wales is an old and fastidious land of charmed, dreamy landscapes – farmhouses and snug villages tucked away amongst deep woodlands in the most inaccessible lush places. Heading due west out of England, towards Wales’ Snowdonia National Park and its mystical mountains, the roads unfurled before me, winding through …

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The Romans called it ‘Terra Magica’ and it’s no surprise why. There are many things about Istria which make it a unique and enchanting place to visit: its scenic landscape of rolling hills which rivals the countryside of Tuscany, picturesque hill-top villages and medieval fortified towns, lush valleys covered in vineyards, and a beautiful coastline and spectacular islands.

The region also boasts many stunning architectural treasures which are testimonies to its Roman, Venetian and Byzantine …

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I’m not a man designed for transport really, be that public or otherwise. My limbs are longer than they should be, my posture is terrible, and I have trouble sleeping in anything other than a bed. So it’s no surprise that my least favorite bit of traveling is that spent in actual transit. And as most know, an unhealthy amount of most traveling is exactly that: mastering the art of sitting still for hours at …

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The photograph at left, taken by police photographer Charles Nettleton, shows the Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, on November 10, 1880 in Melbourne Gaol.

Less than twenty-four hours later, at 10:00AM on the morning of November 11, 1880, Kelly felt the hangman’s noose tighten around his neck just before he was hung following his conviction for murder. And so, at the age of 25, ended the short but eventful life of Australia’s most famous bushranger, Edward …

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If you’re traveling to Africa, chances are that the city of Cape Town is somewhere on your itinerary. The “Mother City” has long been the prime tourist spot in South Africa, but for those who’ve seen it more than once, the cold Atlantic seaboard of Camps Bay and Clifton beaches has started to seem a little too full of traffic jams and tourists, and a lot less appealing than it once was. Visitors from around …

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Santa Catalina Island is a slice of tropical life nested in Southern California. Once you arrive in Avalon, you can forget all your worries and play as if you’ve landed in the Caribbean.

You will find Catalina Island listed as a stop for a number of cruise ships on their way to Mexico from Los Angeles or San Diego. It is also just a short ferry ride from the Southern California ports of Marina Del …

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Upon arriving in Lyon, France’s third largest city and textile capital, it took me all of twenty minutes to figure out how French women maintain their slim figures.

They walk, everywhere. And in a city like Lyon, where the topography rivals that of San Francisco, there’s nothing even remotely simple about a “simple stroll” through the boutiques of the Cote de Grande.

Fortunately, the city boasts a surprising number of alternatives—nine to be exact—thus proving …

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