The last 18 miles of the road leading to the Monteverde is full of ruts and potholes by design, and takes over an hour and a half to bump your way in. The locals like it that way, and they choose not to fix it because then it would be a little too easy then for tourists to visit.
That may not sound all that hospitable, but it illustrates the emphasis Costa Ricans place on conservation. And the cloud forest, which I visited prior to Covid as part of an Overseas Ad
A French Country Waterways barge in France
One evening several years ago, my wife Fyllis and I savored a sumptuous four-course gourmet dinner accompanied by wines that had been produced nearby.
More recently, we listened raptly to lectures by knowledgeable experts about a variety of issues, some controversial, in several Eastern European countries.
The settings for these experiences could have been a five-star hotel or resort - and indeed in atmosphere and attractiveness they deserved that rat
Travel and music festivals go hand in hand, of course! And though I haven't yet attended the annual Eurovision song contest in person, ever since I started traveling to Europe in 1977 – well before American Idol, The Voice, or The X Factor – it's always been a big deal for more than a few of my Old World friends and acquaintances (not to mention the local media). I got to watch it several times surrounded by Europeans (most recently last night), and I must say, the enthusiasm generated
For those interested in U.S. history, "Beantown" is a bonanza, with its many sites and neighborhoods rich in colonial, revolutionary, and republican history over its more than 400 years of existence. But the capital of Massachusetts is also one of this country’s great cultural powerhouses, in performing arts, academia, and museums. Not for nothing has it been dubbed “the Athens of America."
Furthermore, the Boston metro area is especially packed with museums – more than 40, from so
What would you do with a whole week off work? In my case, I don’t even have to think about it: travel somewhere nice and warm. I have to admit that I have a soft spot for Portugal. Why? It’s kind of hard to explain, but it has to do with the calm and serene atmosphere that characterizes the country, and especially its southern region, the Algarve. I sometimes feel like I’ve stepped back in time when I’m in this area, and that is definitely a welcome respite from the hectic pace of my office job
Łukasz Ciesielski
Many visitors to Kenya focus on wildlife safaris and areas like the Masai Mara - quite understandable and most definitely worthy! But it's also worth noting that this country's Indian Ocean shore - dubbed the Swahili Coast - is also rich with places to see, from cultural/historic to ecotourism to beaches. Here are seven not to miss:
Mombasa
Centred on Mombasa Island, Kenya's second largest city (pop. 1.2 million) and by far its oldest (founded around the year
For many people, being an airline pilot is one of the most interesting and glamorous jobs out there. Many of us have questions on what it's like, so recently we asked a couple of our pilots five of the more common questions out there, and here's they told us:
To start flying, about five. But the fact is you never stop training, because the technology advances and you have to keep up. Personally, I’ve been in training for 35 years!
vwcampin
In the USA, barbecue is a year-round treat, and many regions of the country – mostly in the American South – have their own particular slant on the art of roasting, smoking, and saucing meats on a nice hot grill or in a smoker or pit. But summertime is especially barbecue time here, when BBQ cookouts are common. Here’s a quick primer of the top variations for those of you visiting soon.
In this Deep-South state, usually hickory-smoked pork (top) is served chopped, sliced, or pull
It rains rather a lot in Britain - even Visit Britain aren’t unwise enough to pretend it doesn’t. Most of our seaside resorts have, therefore, been spoilt by over-development to ‘cater for’ visitors when it’s too cold or wet for the beach. Whitby, however, 2½ hours northeast of Manchester and a 4½-hour drive from London - is different. Certainly there are amusement arcades, fortune-tellers, and tourist-tat shops in plenty. But since this town of 13,000 is still a working fishing port, it hasn
Some weeks ago, our Southern California Wine Council greeted 2022 with a tasting of five wines from the Land Down Under which are exported to the United States. Four of these wines are produced by Eight at the Gate in the Wrattonbully wine country located along the country's southeastern coast, about 280 miles from Melbourne and stretching throughout the hill country of the Stewarts and Naracoorte mountain ranges. This area has a temperate climate, long growing season, and significant diur
Much has been written about this small device that all commercial aircraft have been incorporating for more than half a century. And little wonder: "black box" flight recorders are essential in order to identify the causes of an accident.
We know, thanks to ironclad statistics, that the airplane is the safest means of transportation, but several decades ago there was a model of aircraft, the Comet, whose accident rate was well outside of normal range. It was the earl
Florida's third largest city (pop. just over 307,000), Tampa, its bay, and its surrounding areas including St. Petersburg have a lot to offer visitors. To get the most out of it all, rent a car from Alamo upon flying into Tampa Airport. And here are top of the five destinations/landmarks you won't want to miss:
Named after Vicente Martínez-Ybor, one of several Cuban cigar manufacturers who founded and developed this town, now a Tampa neighborhood just northeast of downt
Grego
Germany’s capital is already a super-fun place to visit. And you can make it extra fun by tooling around the city in a very special kind of car. An East German company produced more than three million Trabants - cheap, ubiquitous little two-stroke-engine jalopies made out of plastic – from 1957 until 1991. And Trabis were given quite a few fond (and not so fond) nicknames, including “Racing Cardboard,” “Escape Suitcase,” “Roofed Sparkplug,” “Two-Stroke Dwarf,” and “Umbrella with Wheels”.
De Palm Island
I’ve always envied my scuba-diving friends who describe their magical underwater world full of coral reefs and colorful fish. I’ve snorkeled aplenty but it’s not quite the same. Now, although I remain uncertified as a diver, I have an idea of what the majesty is all about thanks to my SNUBA experience at De Palm Island, an islet just down the coast from Aruba's capital Oranjestad.
For the uninitiated, SNUBA is a cross between SNorkeling and scUBA. Unencumbered by the heavy accou
Admittedly, inflight dining has not gotten a lot of love over much of the course of commercial aviation's history. Actually, early in that history, in the 1930s, multi-course meals were cooked onboard. However, as the postwar demand for flights took off in the 1950’s and 60’s and aircraft sizes (and therefore passenger numbers on each flight) grew, this soon proved impractical, and the complexity of cooking for hundreds of passengers in a tight space within a limited time frame prompted airl
One of the original 13 British colonies which first formed the United States, North Carolina is home to plenty of historic and cultural sites but also some breathtaking natural beauty, including national and state parks, and dozens of beaches along some 300 miles of coastline. Gorgeous barrier islands; gospel music; Piedmont blues music; two types of tasty barbecue; Cherokee Indian culture; roadside attractions (like the world's largest working frying pan) - there's plenty of cool stuff to exp
Victor Block
Naturally we started our trip off with a glass of wine at lunch - after all, it was too late for breakfast… “Deux verres de vin rouge – um, uh -- pas sec. Un peu…” Finally I just threw my hands in the air and laughed. I meant well but it seemed unfair to make our poor waiter suffer for my lack of fluency with the language. Our waiter obliged with two glasses of wine and a hearty, “Welcome to Provence!"
Our first morning, COVID-19 vaccination card in hand, we left to explore "our
India is of course a vast country with vast differences in geography, culture, religion, language, cuisine and other culture, which is a rich mixt of the past and the present ranging from ancient Vedic heritage to cutting-edge architecture and more. Though there are many places that are worth visiting in India, I have listed 11 places which are my personal favourites for an awe inspiring holiday.
Agra
This city is most famous for the Taj Mahal (top), one of the masterpieces of Mughal archite
If you're looking to rent and "bareboat" sail your own yacht, large sailboat, or other water craft of significant size, first of all, please remember that charter companies will require you to present an appropriate certificate or licence as well as in many cases a sailing CV providing proof of sufficient experience before thy allow you to take charge of their expensive property. Assuming you have satisfied these requirement, also please remember - whether you're renting in our home territory
Here’s a question for you: In which city would you find the USA’s largest arts district? New York City? Los Angeles? Chicago? Perhaps even Washington DC? The answer, you might be surprised to hear, is the third-largest city in Texas: Dallas. With no fewer than 19 blocks of museums, galleries, and exhibitions, the Dallas Arts District is a must for those with art in their hearts – yet another great reason why we’re excited to announce our first-ever direct flight to “the Big D” from Spa
