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When we picture the Rhine, we see castles and vine-covered hills. However, the river is more than that; it’s an “urban lifeline” passing through the high-quality-of-life state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and connecting the towns of Bonn, Cologne and Düsseldorf. Impressively, Dusseldorf ranked No. 6 on a list of high-quality places to live. See what these these hidden gems have to offer.

Dusseldorf

Düsseldorf

Walking through the Costa Rica rainforest in rainy season is the time to hear frogs: calling, croaking, barking, whistling, tinkling, trilling and making all manner of loud sounds.

Why are they so noisy? The quick answer is to attract a mate, and to defend a territory – especially in breeding season. In an evergreen rainforest, newly formed ponds, puddles and pools erupt into a cacophony of several species of frogs all calling and competing at the same time for mates.

The tropics hold many such na

One of the most amazing shopping experiences in Asia is a visit to a wet market. A wet market is basically a fresh food market make “wet’ by the liberal use of water to keep the poultry, meat and vegetables looking clean and fresh plus keep the fish and shellfish alive.

Traditionally they are open-air markets often on the bank of a waterway so the fish and shellfish making it convenient for fishermen. The traditional rationale for a wet market in hot climates where there was little refrigeration

The Spanish colonial city of Grenada

I remember traveling to Costa Rica in the early 90s. This was when travelers were just starting to take notice of this lush land of jungle and beaches. As an owner of a travel agency, I heard stories of clients of mine buying pieces of beachfront property for $8,000 on Costa Rica’s endless Pacific beaches. When I finally visited, I recall driving from the Pacific side east to the Caribbean and seeing few tourists. I was in awe of the landscape and ecosystem. L

One of the most fascinating and enjoyable day trips from Puerto Madryn, Argentina is the journey south to visit the penguin reserve at Punta Tombo. With stops along the way for Dolphin watching and a traditional Welsh Tea in the historic town of Gaiman this is a full day of unequaled activities. The Flamenco Tour agency offers this day trip starting at about 9AM in the morning and returning to Puerto Madryn by about 6PM. With bilingual tour guides who are knowledgeable on the region and comfort

Es el barrio favorito de los chilangos para ver y ser vistos. La Colonia Roma, en México DF, se ha convertido en el distrito de moda donde comprar ropa trendy, ver exposiciones, sentarse en una terraza con un buen libro, salir a beber mezcal y conocer gente interesante ycultureta. La zona se construyó a principios del siglo XX con viales rectos, amplios y llenos de arboledas donde se instaló la aristocracia. Luego vino el declive de la década de 1970, con la llegada de las oficinas, y el año neg

Millions of tourists flock to Florence (Firenze) every year, but only a handful get to take what may well be the best walking tour in the city. Actually, few tourists even know about the existence of the Percorso del Principe (Passageway of the Prince) tour, and even fewer visitors plan their trip sufficiently ahead to make the required prior tour reservations with the museum office!

Called the Vasari Corridor, the passageway lined with treasures from the Medici collection occupies the top floor

Europe is surrounded by sea on almost all sides, with a diverse coastline and of course fascinating culture and natural beauty. If you're thinking of a holiday on the continent that includes sailing, these ten destinations, are undoubtedly the highlights:

1. Ionian islands, Greece – It is the most common charting place for travelers around the Mediterranean, a beautiful place to begin your sailing journey with, starting from Lefkada and winding through its seven large islands, passing through the s

Some of my deepest understandings of place, my most intense sense of "being" somewhere come neither from actually being there, nor from reading a travel book about the destination.

They come from a novel or short story which, because they set out to tell a story and not to describe a location, actually create a powerful sense of time and place. 

At many  points in my life I was moved, touched by these non-travel travel books. Here are just four of them:

Travels with a Tangerine

In Travels with a Ta

Petering out crowd is a challenge to any festival. Keeping the audience interest alive is a comment on the organisers’ ingenuity and imagination. Day three of the Hornbill in Nagaland in December was therefore a test; the teasers had done their job, the flitters had left and the real festival junkies slouched around to check whether the varnish peeled. With the honeymoon over and the real business of the festival settling in, the best way out was to rekindle the passion for storytelling so preva

Exploring Costa Rica by kayak is a fun way to enjoy nature and spot wildlife in a myriad of different settings. Costa Rica counts close to 800 miles of ocean coastline between the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, along with hundreds of rivers and estuaries, and several lakes – all full of kayaking possibilities.

Kayaking is good exercise, and you can work on your tan at the same time! Oftentimes, kayaking trips include other activities like snorkeling, wildlife spotting or trail walking. You can ea

That Friday, when the Lord was on the Cross, an angel named Ourael took the blood of Christ in a glittering cup and sprinkled it all over the Earth. All grounds that received a drop of the holy blood were chosen to be sanctified and blessed places to establish churches on them and made them their holy seats. So Ethiopian Orthodox Church history recounts.

The following writings are to give histories and descriptions about the churches and monasteries scattered all over Ethiopia. Read those words

The very name Cheltenham conjures up images of turf being thrown up by thundering hooves to a backdrop of shouts and cheers.  This elegant spa town in Gloucestershire in the heart of England is one of the country's most prominent horse racing venues, and each year in March the town's racecourse hosts a festival widely regarded as the "Oscars" of the horse-racing world.  The festival is commonly referred to as the Cheltenham Gold Cup, although strictly speaking it is the Cheltenham Festival, and

Long swaths of gold and light beige sand, warm, clear aquamarine water, world-class surf conditions and spectacular sunsets – the Pacific beaches of Santa Teresa and Malpaís in Costa Rica consistently win recognition for being the best beaches in Central America.

Both top Costa Rica beach destinations are found on the western coast of the southern Nicoya Peninsula. Poor or non-existing roads kept this tropical utopia off the beaten path for decades. Backpackers and surfers camping their way along

When I was young, I dreamed of getting out of my small town, my dysfunctional family, and cold New England winters to places where palm trees rustled in the wind.

©2014 Karla Jacobs. Leaving Bora Bora bound for Raiatea

Once I entered the job market my dreams didn't fade a bit, but money was always a problem. The kinds of vacations I yearned for were far beyond my reach.

Not only would they cost many thousands of dollars, but the way I envisioned them, they would also take time. Not just the two we

Florida means different things to different people. Popular characteristics include Disney, sunshine, gators, the Everglades, and miles of wide open beaches. And then there's Florida's Gulf coast, endless stretches of powder white sand that were remarkably resilient to the ravages of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill several years ago. Right in the middle is Clearwater Beach studded with a wide variety of beachfront lodgings ranging from mom & pop motels to grand hotels. The Hyatt Regency Clearwa

Following in the ancient mariners footsteps of Greece is a joy sailing in a traditional clipper. Bev Malzard reports.

It was the first morning on board the Star Clipper – a wondrous beauty that was to take us in Homer’s steps across the sea from Greece to Turkey. The renowned re-creation of a classic clipper was exclusive enough to only carry 170 passengers and we had 70 crew to look after us!

We had embarked on our seven-day journey in the port of Piraeus, a 30 minute train trip from Athens. We w

A esta ciudad le va la marcha. Y no solo por los volcanes que la rodean, que de vez en cuando truenan. Caminando y dando traspiés sobre el empedrado se juntan señoras con vestidos de colores, turistas con ganas de conocer a fondo Guatemala y veinteañeros americanos dispuestos a aprender español y salir de farra.

Antigua, la ciudad guatemalteca que fue capital del país hasta el siglo XVIII, es una mezcla. Su casco histórico, patrimonio mundial por la Unesco, es cuadriculado como el de Manhattan

Living the life you dream of means some day you have to wake up. For a year I'd traveled the world, sipped vintage Champagne, ate at swanky restaurants and bedded down in suites at five-star hotels. Without opening my purse -- well, maybe twice I opened my purse -- I still paid. Journalism was my game.
          The last night of my last press trip was a Patagonian cruise from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas, navigating Tierra del Fuego's icy jigsaw puzzle of glaciers and barren islands. The route woul