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 …
Whether you’re heading to the Caribbean for your honeymoon, planning a European tour to celebrate your 25th anniversary or simply pitching a tent for the weekend with your new partner, you need to remember that travel can bring out the best—and the worst— in people. In addition to the usual hazards (flight delays, unexpected thunderstorms, lost luggage and so on) there’s the added pressure of simply being together.
This is, of course, the …
Adventurers have found many ways of conquering the legendary Cape to Cairo route – by pedal bike, motorbike, battered Land Rover or fragile aircraft. But if you really want to travel this fabled journey in style, climb aboard the Rovos Rail.
This South African train bills itself as the most luxurious in the world, and for once it isn’t over-the-top hyperbole. The exquisitely restored carriages cocoon you in a world far removed from reality, in …
Nobody leaves on a trip expecting to lose their travel documents or have them stolen, but it does happen. Sometimes the thieves are so slick, it will be hours before you notice your passport is gone. You’ll obviously notice it much sooner if your purse, along with your money, credit cards and other items, is stolen.
Such thefts are devastating and can ruin your holiday abroad. Even if you’re careful and take precautions, it can …
It’s called the “Route of The Hiawatha,” after the legendary luxury train that rolled from the Idaho mountains to the Midwest in the first half of the Twentieth-Century, on the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad.
The last train on this stretch of railroad left the station in 1961. But “The Milwaukee Line” left us a living legacy – some 46 miles of railroad track/bed running through the 8,000-foot peaks of the Bitterroot Mountains on …
