There is nothing you can do to guarantee your safety. Should you get blackout drunk by yourself, and stumble alone down a dark street? Best
It’s been thirty years since I last visited Puerto Vallarta, but in retrospect, that trip in my early 20’s turned out to be a life defining one. I credit the time spent among the locals there –so welcoming and eager to include us in their daily lives- for my later foray into travel writing as a profession.
Located on Mexico’s Pacific Coast where Jalisco and Nayarit meet, the town is tucked among the lush rainforests …
The next move is the most important of them all, our tango teacher said as I wobbled precariously on one leg.
My other leg was provocatively hooked behind my partner’s thigh, and I couldn’t imagine executing any other move except falling on the floor. “The final move is a sexy face,” she said. You can’t get away with a “trying not to fall over” face in the tango, so we aimed for sexy or sophisticated …
Those of you who lived through the 1970s or who have rock-n-roll hearts like I do will know the tune. It’s Iceland’s soundtrack, and it kept playing in my head as I explored the island country’s extreme landscape:
“We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and …
Varanasi, also called Benares and Kashi, is a pilgrimage destination in India. According to ancient texts, the city was founded by the Hindu deity Shiva, making it one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the country. Varanasi is also considered one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and is the home of many prominent Indian writers, musicians, artists and poets.
As a cultural and religious center of North India, Varanasi welcomes over …
If you’ve been following travel news at all–or, perhaps, just news in general–I’m sure you heard about Sarai Sierra, a young American mother traveling alone in Istanbul who went missing and was later found on the side of the road, half naked, bludgeoned to death. My heart broke when I heard the news. I’m sure I wasn’t alone. Sarai’s story hits close to home for a lot of women who travel, solo or otherwise. …
After years of reading about the island of St Lucia, her emerald twin mountains jutting from the sea and the delicious mineral waterfalls throughout the island, I was excited to finally have the opportunity to jump in and partake in its wonder. My friend had discovered a magical spot and was anxious to take me there, near the village of Soufriere.
We started our journey near the southern tip of this avocado-shaped island. The old …
While driving across the Italian border at night, I was completely captivated by the contrast between the infinite blackness of Lake Como and the sparkling lights of the surrounding towns. This was the beginning of my love affair with the Italian lakes, and it has led me to favor this setting above all of mainland Italy’s other attractions. The Italian peninsula has so much to offer; over the years I have been mesmerized by its …
Located about 50 miles off the coast of Venezuela Bonaire is the “B” of the Dutch Caribbean “ABC Islands” (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) and has long been known among scuba enthusiasts as a diver’s paradise. (In fact, that slogan is emblazoned on their licence plates!) Due to the island’s forward thinking preservationists, all of its surrounding waters have been strictly environmentally protected which makes for resplendently healthy reefs and thriving marine life. Bonaire’s diving is …
Only a few months ago, I found myself in Costa Rica. I was staying with a friend at an all-inclusive resort. Lounging next to the pool with an umbrella in my tropical drink, I found myself thinking about how these all-inclusive resorts are known in French as “colonie de vacances.” Literally translated, this means “vacation colony,” like a little settlement established on some distant planet, or a late 19th century bastion of the …
“What do you think of Colombia?” my husband asked. Colombia? We were searching for a way to get to South America from the States, and round-trip flights to the most popular destinations — Argentina, Peru, Chile — were surprisingly expensive. Colombia, on the other hand, was half the cost of those routes, and schedules typically involve a stop in Miami before heading to Bogota, an easy three-and-a-half-hour flight. “Sure!” I quickly agreed.
We spent one …
Images of the legendary train conjure up puffy clouds of steam being blown into the air as the locomotive chugs across the English countryside. For others, it brings to mind
a certain book penned by Agatha Christie called “Murder on the Orient Express.” Nevertheless, this fabled luxury train is real and still operates on the rail tracks of England. The actual Orient Express is steeped in history having made its inaugural trip in 1883 …
If you’re tired of being clobbered by hotel bills, find traveling alone has lost its allure, or you long to see a city through the eyes of a local, it’s time to go CouchSurfing.
That’s the amazing international initiative where people open up their homes to travelers and show them around the local sights. Although a free bed is certainly a huge attraction, it’s not just a scheme for cheapskates. It’s also the best way …
The fact that I missed my early morning Eurostar from London to Paris may be down to the fact that, through use of the plagued Eastern European, African and South American railways, I’ve conditioned myself to expect train travel to be functionally disorganized. But it also may be down to the fact that I have poor time management, a lacking sense of urgency and a faulty alarm clock. Whatever the case, this is exactly what …
