Ethiopia has so much to offer visitors: the Historic Route, covering the ancient town of Axum, with its amazing carved obelisks, Christian festivals and relics, including the Ark of the Covenant; Gondar, with its castles and palaces; Lalibela, with its remarkable rock-hewn churches: Negash, one of the earliest holy Muslim centres from the Prophet Mohammed Era with the NegashAmedinMesgid; the walled Muslim city of Harar and LegaOda, near Dire Dawa where you can see cave paintings considered to be

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, what is an experience worth? The experiences of travel are what make one’s journey priceless. The memories of these experiences are what make travel last forever.

Perhaps this is because I have been to 85 countries, but when I travel, it’s no longer stunning sites that fuel my wanderlust, but rather the connections that I make with local people. I cherish the memories I have of making new friends from around the world while immersing myself in local culture t

I have been whale-watching a few times (always a joy) and visited Anacapa Island, but our recent Channel Islands Outfitter trip to Santa Cruz Island was one of the highlights of my travels. Kayaking in February may not have been the ideal month to choose, but we were well-prepared thanks to the helpful information on Channel Islands Outfitter’s website, including to dress warmly for the hour-long boat ride to Santa Cruz and to wear a bathing suit and rash guard under their supplied (and warm) we

In Spain as in much of Europe, church attendance may have waned of late and society modernized in many of its attitudes, but culturally it's still one of Europe’s most Catholic countries — perhaps never more so than during Easter week, a bigger deal here since the Middle Ages than in almost any other place in the world…   If you’re lucky enough to witness Semana Santa (Holy Week), as Spaniards call this time of year, you will find that many people take the entire week off as a holiday, and man

The two coastlines of Costa Rica – Caribbean and Pacific – are about as opposite as you can get in landscape and lifestyle – kind of like New York and California.

Most tourists to Costa Rica head west to the Pacific-coast beaches. It is the adventurer looking for the unique Costa Rica who chooses to explore the Costa Rica Caribbean coast.

Here are 10 things not to expect when you visit the Costa Rica southern Caribbean coast:

The same weather. Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast experiences nearly comp

There are unusual homes and then there are - unusual homes.

When Jim and Linda Onan built the house as a private residence for themselves and their four children, it was never intended to be a tourist attraction. Onan was long interested in pyramids and whatever power they might emit. Over the years he progressed from bu

Santorini is a name of Italian origin, given by the Venetian merchants to Thira, an island loaded with history. With 73 square km and 1,800 registered inhabitants, the island is the ideal size for a weekend or long holiday weekend break. It's is situated in the extreme south of the archipelago of Cyclades, so it is possible to combine your visit with a tour of some of these marvelous islands. Mykonos is the best known, but you can also visit Anafi, Ios, Amorgos, Naxos or Paros. Crete, the popula

A grandiose claim, I know. But please bear with me a moment. Caught up in the excitement of New York City, many overseas visitors never venture up the Hudson River to discover a verdant, gently rolling valley full of historic mansions, woodlands, fine cultural institutions, and small towns that are a mix of sophisticated and classic Americana.

The corridor leading 130 miles (209 kilometerss) up from New York City toward state capital Albany boasts an impressive pedigree: here George Washington

Ever heard of the “Conch Republic?” It’s one of the names the United States’ southernmost city dubs itself, and dates back to 1982 when leaders in Key West decided to protest a U.S. border patrol checkpoint that was all but choking off traffic on the only road in by proclaiming independence, declaring “war” on the USA, pelting Federal agents with stale Cuban bread, then surrendering and demanding $1 billion in foreign aid. “Conchs,” as Key Westers are nicknamed, observe this event lustily for a

by VaDeAviones.com


If you fly with any frequency, a phrase heard over the public address system, “crew, slide arm and cross check” is likely to ring a bell.  That “slide arm” refers to activation for potential use of the inflatable evacuation slide required on all aircraft where the floor is at least 1.8 metres (6 feet) above ground level. These slides are manufactured of various approved forms of resistant plastic, similar in consistency to rubber, reinforced with various layers to minimise th

The next time you get tired of winter, book a flight to La Paz or Los Cabos, in Baja California Sur, Mexico. During the months of January through April, the weather in La Paz is absolutely perfect, and it is a wonderful time to take the opportunity to get up close and personal with gray whales and their calves.

Getting There

La Paz has its own airport, but the bigger Cabo San Lucas airport about 100 miles south has more flights and services.

When we arrived in Cabo, we took a taxi for the almost th

It’s not easy or always reassuring.
You're on the road for a family vacation. You've done lots of family-friendly things and now you and your significant other want a night out.

Or at least a dinner in the hotel's much touted dinning room.
But who'll watch the kids?

Hotels will often provide staff sitters or the names of agencies that they do business with, who'll sit for children while the parents are out.
But the question nags: How safe are your kids in the hands of a stranger ...and how do

How would you spend a weekend getaway in London? That very question was posed to us by Virgin Atlantic, which challenged us to design a dream itinerary for two days of gallivanting in London, one of the world's most exciting and attraction-rich cities, and a favorite of BonVoyageurs since we first moved to the Greater London area with our baby daughter and our French cat in the late 1970s.

To make the dream weekend in London even more interesting, Virgin Atlantic sent us a travel bag of inspira

To countless monikers like " Rip City" , "Stumptown," and "Beervana,"  I have added Bridge City to Portland, Oregon's list. The Willamette River runs right through the center of the city, with a total of 9 bridges (not counting rail) connecting downtown to Eastside neighborhood districts like Buckman, Sunnyside, and Ladd's Addition. Some bridges are only doable by car, but others like the Burnside Bridge are pedestrian/ bike-friendly leading directly to streets flanked with former warehouses, fa

Imagine placing yourself in paradise. Letting go all the worries, getting energized, releasing and absorbing the beauty of nature. Have you planned your vacation yet? Or are you just a global nomad, seeking out only the best things in life? Head for the most luxurious resort in Southeast Asia, Samujana, a spectacular and peaceful getaway.

Koh Samui is Thailand's second largest island, with white sandy beaches, coral reefs and coconut trees. Samujana resort has 18 villas featuring grandstand views

Orchids have a mystique. A magic, beguiling beauty. Their complex patterns, colors and forms in a flower so delicate and fragile, simply boggle the senses. They are coveted like an elusive, exotic treasure, and bought, sold and traded around the world. Whole societies and organizations are dedicated to preserving these amazing beauties.

At the Else Kientzler Botanical Gardens in Sarchi, Costa Rica (an hour's drive northwest of capital San José), you can immerse yourself in the enchanting world o

Opposite Playa del Carmen beach in The Riviera Maya, is the idyllic island of Cozumel. An island with many charms but which stands out for one thing in particular: the Arrecifes National Park, or as it is more popularly known, “The Great Maya Reef”.

Situated off the southern coast of Cozumel, the Arrecifes National Park consists of the reefs – arrecife being the Spanish word for ‘reef’ – which have formed over thousands of years and which owe their apparition to the diverse underwater terraces on

As a lifelong lover of Spain, few cities are as deeply intertwined in my image of this singular country as this singular city at the foot of Andalusia’s Sierra Nevada mountains, an hour from the Costa del Sol. That title is slightly misleading, actually – I’ve been under Granada’s spell ever since my first long-ago visit, but it’s a line from the English version of a reknowned, flamboyant song written in Spanish in the 1930s (ironically, by a Mexican) and covered by Frank Sinatra and Frankie L

If, as the old saw goes, everyone’s a little Irish on Lá Fhéile Pádraig, as they say in Gaelic (even yours truly just found some Emerald Isle heritage thanks to DNA testing!), what better occasion to visit the the gateway to the Emerald Isle which bestowed this happy holiday upon us? With a lovely setting on Dublin Bay, split by the River Liffey, the city offers fine historic and modern architecture; fascinating sites and culture; and a vibrant urban life that will tickle your fancy no matter

Every year millions of tourists from every corner of the earth flock to Rome. The city enjoys a never-ending stream of visitors, simply because there is so much worth seeing. It might take you weeks and weeks to see and do everything in this open-air museum, but if you are going for a short weekend break, there are 5 must-dos in Rome!

#1. Watch the sun goes down over the city

The best spot for sunset watching is probably the Pinciana Hill. It is part of the park of Villa Borghese and close to Piaz