With a population of just 818,000 (and just over the size of Kansas, or England and Scotland comined), this is a country relatively few people have heard of, but will soon be be much better known - in part because huge recent oil-field fi
There´s an undeniable allure for travellers to embark on a cinematic pilgrimage to the locations that have captured our imaginations on screen. One such destination which promises to enchant, with sweeping vistas and rugged landscapes,
When it comes to safaris and ecotourism, Zambia often takes a back seat to the likes of Botswana, Kenya, and Tanzania. But this large country in south-central Africa is positively packed with eco treasures, and its marquis attraction i
Though Costa Rica is Central America´s (and perhaps all of Latin America´s) premier star when it comes to ecotourism, there´s also an undersung but incredibly rich trove of eco treasures to be explored next door in Honduras, w
This scintillating southeast Asian country is renowned for its many historic temples, colonial architecture, geological wonders, fine beaches, and mouthwatering cuisine, but Vietnam also offers plenty of cool experiences - some of which are unusual,
The "Isle of Enchantment" offers an amazingly diverse menu of options to visitors, in capital San Juan and well beyond - history and culture, for sure, but also tasty eating, drinking, and beaching, along with memorable partyi
Portugal's answer to Spain's Canary Islands, the Azores are a nine-island grouping 1,529 kilometres (950 miles) out in the Atlantic Ocean west of the Iberian Peninsula. The largest (759km²/293 square mi.) and most populous of the archipelago,
Our planet's vast, remote, southernmost continent - larger than Europe - is a much-coveted "final frontier" for many travelers. And booking Antarctica vacation packages via cruise ship offers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see froz
The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, are one of the most breathtaking sights one can ever experience. The mixture of unearthly colors display including magenta, emerald green and turquoise is so worth watching. You would be luc
Various land-based outfits observe many of similar self-imposed rules. For example, Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT), part of the Grand Circle Corporation family of companies, connects customers with the people and cultures of destinations around the
Visitors to part of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru (where it's the national animal and is even on the country's coat of arms) may come across this quintessential South American mammal, a camelid related to guanacos, llamas, and a
I am a hiker. But at home no one uses a machete to blaze the trail prior to walking on it as did our guide Souza, creating a path in the overgrown rainforest step by step. Slicing, swatting, swooping, chopping, no branch, bush,
There is a saying in Rwanda, "God roams the world but comes to rest in Rwanda."
And so do 700-pkus mountain gorillas (over half of the surviving species in the world) who inhabit Volcanoes National Park. This is a stunning area surrounded to t
Over the years the level of accommodation in Africa has constantly been on the rise, especially with regard to luxury game lodges and camps. The top end traveller now has many excellent options to choose from and is virtually spoiled when selectin
When I encountered my first giant sequoia in Mariposa Grove, my head did not tilt back far enough to see the top. Walking around the trunk practically required a GPS. Leaving noise and civilization behind to walk among these
The quiet village of Monkey River in southern Belize is habitat to a plethora of flora and fauna, and as a result the nature tour conducted around herehas been rated one of the top in the country. Exotic tropical birds, butterflies, crocodiles, igua
The northern part of Kerala state in south India is a favorite with travelers, especially those who love nature in its purest, raw form, covered as it is with a canopy of dense forestland in which variety of indigenous species lives. My friends and
Giant marine turtles are truly one of nature's most moving miracles throughout their life cycles - babies hatch from beach sands and endure a frantic rush to the ocean before being devoured by ravenous, swooping sea birds, growing up in the ocean
Rotorua is known as the "little town" of New Zealand's North Island (though its population is nearly 60,000), and the country's "Sulphur City," world famous for the geothermal activity resulting the area's volcanic activity. There are no live volcan