Groups

Welcome to a forum covering the Western Hemisphere outside the Caribbean and the United States,…

Astride the Great Plains with homey (and very affordable), corn-fed appeal, Cornhusker State highlights include historic sights of the Pony Express, Lewis and…

This state's moved way beyond cornfields and "American Gothic." Yes, you can visit the Field of Dreams, play golf, ogle foliage and the covered bridges of Madison County. But there's cool urban culture, too, in Des Moines, Davenport and Cedar…

In one of the Mideast's more popular tourist destinations, a 33-island archipelago off Saudi Arabia, oil has spurred modernization but there's still plenty of history, traditional culture, & eco offerings to…

This under-the-radar Balkan land between Serbia & Greece offers a wealth of history, especially Ottoman/Byzantine but back to ancient Greek, plus swell beaches/ecotourism. Cities like Skopje serve up a good time & the country's 95% wired…

In the 21st century we've all got a panoply of choices when it comes to phoning home and communicating on the road, whether via mobile/cell phones, computer, or other. What's the best, the cheapest, the coolest?…

Marketing itself as "The Smiling Coast of Africa," this petite sliver of West Africa - the smallest on the continent's mainland - snakes into Senegal from the Atlantic Ocean, And…

Once part of the Soviet Union, this moderately Muslim country in the Caucasus & on the Caspian Sea is still under the radar but has plenty to offer touristically, including steppes, mountains, UNESCO World Heritage sites, spas & health…

The largest of the French West Indies, and also an integral part of France, this group with five major islands within a short ferry ride of one another packs in plenty of variety, beaches, history, culture, & of course scrumptious cuisine.

Scattered across 177,000 square miles (458,000 sq. kilometers) of the South Pacific, these 15 Maori isles, self-governing but associated with New Zealand, are a laid-back castaway paradise of sorts, specializing…

The tiny, royally ritzy city-state tucked into France's Côte d'Azur between Nice and the Italian border manages to pack in quite a bit to do apart from its…

Once a no-go due to Islamic terrorism, this North African country's full of desert eco, adventure, and history (with eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites), from Algiers' casbah to the…

A Portuguese-speaking democracy of ten mostly arid volcanic islands off the coast of West Africa, Cabo Verde has leveraged its sun, surf, and beaches into a growing tourism…

Peaceful and under democratic rule, the Balkans' largest and most influential nation  is opening its doors and visitors are rediscovering its vibrant capital Belgrade and …

Moien! This trilingual micro-state tucked betwixt France, Belgium, and Germany is more proof that good things come in small packages, including chateaux, spas, elegant architecture, tasty eating, & lovely scenery.

A narrow strip of land in West Africa, this poor but stable, welcoming democracy has an ancient history and traditions dating from its centuries-old kingdom of Dahomey, including the vodun (aka voodoo)…

About the size of Great Britain, South America's only English-speaking country is off the beaten track, under the radar, and home to ecotourism, adventure, Caribbean beaches, and…

A Pacific island group near the Philippines, with a Polynesian, Melanesian & Micronesian mix, Palau's among the world's top dive, snorkel, fishing, & beachy paradises.

Split between various islands (the main one of which it shares with Indonesia), outside capital Port Moresby, Melanesian PNG is a rugged but fascinating adventure travel destination…

A former French colony and one of the world's largest islands, this humid Indian Ocean melting pot is an eco/adventure wonderland with lots of unique species and comely beaches. One of a kind!

Now safe but notorious for war and "blood diamonds" in the 1990s, this English-speaking West African country has been recovering nicely and is a real tourism up-and-comer, with abundant wildlife/ecotourism, heritage…

It's where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain, but also where you'll find lots of frontier and Native American heritage, wineries, casinos, great state parks, and even a spot o' bright-lights-big-city in…

Dutch/Papiamento-speaking like Aruba and Curaçao, this eight-square-mile (21-km2) island with just 3,500 souls dubbed "the Golden Rock" is a real off-the-beaten-pather with…

Probably South America's least trumpeted land, Guyane is an integral part of France, best known for launching Euro space missions. But it also offers some…