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Spending your Christmas holidays in Costa Rica and wondering what to do? The capital city of San José has a lot going on. So get your Santa hat and festive cheer ready, and let the rhythm of Christmas in Latin America dash you away!

Christmas in San José, Costa Rica, is a lively, fun time. The city is ablaze with huge lighted Christmas trees adorning the front of the Children’s Hospital on Paseo Colon Boulevard, in front of the Children’s Museum, by the National Gymnasium in the Sabana Park and i

For two years, I had heard whispers of a mountain sanctuary in Eastern Tibet, around which circled a pilgrimage route unmatched for it's scenic beauty. So, in September 2013, I decided to take an expeditionary group on a journey of discovery. Here are some reflections on an amazing trip...

“Say that again?” I asked, completely blindsided.

"The road has been closed” whispered my partner Edward, with his usual smile.

Our trekking group glanced over suspiciously as we sat in Shangri-La’s old town, ove

The enchanting atmosphere of the traditional Christmas markets scattered throughout Europe -- some of them starting this week or next -- is attracting more and more visitors every year. Under the spell of mulled wine, hot chestnuts, grilled sausages and marzipan sweets, it is hard to resist the various types of hand -made gifts. Half-timbered buildings are festively lit and the aromas of mulled wine out of the local vineyards and cinnamon permeate theair at traditional Christmas markets and the

Who doesn't love a beautiful lake?  Here are some of my favorites.

A footbridge hangs over the blue-green waters of Plitvice Lakes in Croatia

 

Wizard Island sits in Oregon’s Crater Lake, which was formed by the collapse of a volcano. Not only is this the deepest lake in the United States at 1,943 feet, but it’s also famous for its deep blue color and crystal-clear waters.

 

Lake Atitlan is situated in the Guatemalan highlands at the foot of 3 volcanoes including the San Pedro volcano pictured above

Have you heard the one about the visiting tourist enjoying Costa Rican tamales? He says, “They’re really delicious, but the lettuce is little tough!” (Costa Rican tamales are wrapped in green banana tree leaves.) Ho, ho, ho!

Tamales are one of the most time-honored Christmas traditions in Costa Rica. Like the rest of Latin America, tamales are a principal part of Christmas dinner. In Costa Rica, tamales are made from corn flour and are filled with many different ingredients, such as potato puree,

IT COULD HAVE BEEN FUN

By Denise Mattia

The day began at the crack of dawn with a journey from Old San Juan into the center of Puerto Rico, to the Toro Verde Adventure Park in Orocovis.  As we took our seats in the Aventuras Tierra Adentro bus, I was skeptical about the forthcoming escapade when Rosario and Hannibal began their comedy routine, replete with sound effects and the Raider’s of the Lost Ark background music.    

The ride was broken up by a pit stop and breakfast at a roadside bodega. 

There are some people who continuously visit the same holiday destination every year. Some of these are places abroad but a lot of them are actually in the UK. Devon is one of those places; the kind of place that will never cease to be a top choice for holidaymakers for a number of reasons.

Weather

The British weather is notoriously unpredictable and in the summer time, you have almost as much chance of having a holiday full of rain as you do of record breaking temperatures. There doesn't appear t

If you’re a true fan of the complexities of Mexican cuisine (as in, beyond Taco Bell and “pass the Old El Paso”) I’m sure you’ve come across one of this country’s most sophisticated contributions to world cuisine, as well as its quintessential “special occasion” dish. There are a number of Mexican sauces referred to as moles (pronounced “MO-layss”), but the best known is mole poblano, a thick, rich, brown concoction that for my money is as tasty and complex as any fancy confection from the kitc

Rugged cliffs plunge into the sea, to the north; a lush forest occupies the central areas and miles of white sandy beaches stretch to the south. That is the small Danish island – palette (588 sq.km), Bornholm, in a few words. The island might be small in area, but whether you choose to go there for a weekend or a long holiday, the tiny sunny islet offers a whole new aspect of Denmark.

A range of activities available for the outdoor lovers – climbing, horseback riding, sport fishing or golf. Art l

Most visitors to Costa Rica start out in the capital city of San José. However, many might not know that San José is an ideal gateway to some of the best one-day tours that Costa Rica has to offer. Starting right from the Central Valley, you have dozens of exciting adventure, nature and cultural tours available to enjoy in just one day.

You could base an entire vacation out of San José. The country’s largest city has a lot to offer visitors, with interesting museums, theaters and historical build

When shopping for travel insurance, it’s essential to match your own needs with that of the policy. Here are a few coverage areas to be aware of:

Provides cash payment for accidental loss of life or limb while traveling.

Baggage  This benefit provides reimbursement for lost, stolen or damaged baggage or personal items. Coverage usually applies to your entire trip, not just your flight, but a subset of this coverage is for baggage delay, which offers reimbursement for clothing, toiletries and oth

It wasn’t so long ago that all hotels pretty much looked alike.

Just another pretty face, or not so pretty.

There were some differences in the design of a luxury lobby and bar, versus, say  the lobby and bar of a moderate-priced hotel chain. No one would confuse a Four Seasons with a Best Western.

But basically, the design standard and principles of hotel brands were fixed by Corporate with little flexibility and certainly no impulse to take many design chances.

Apparently the powerful prese

Being a motorcycle traveler, for me, “a place” is not as much a city or a village, but rather a region where I travel through. I rarely have a fixed route plan when I leave on a trip, just a general idea of where I would like to go, and the places I would like to visit along the way.

Most of the time I get tons of information about interesting things or places to see on the go, from local people, and that is how you come across some of the most amazing places.

Since I moved to Brazil, I traveled t

Muerte al GPS. Al igual que en las medinas de las ciudades árabes, lo mejor que le puede pasar en Lyon es que se pierda. Si se desorienta y aunque mire el mapa no sabe dónde se encuentra, no se preocupe. Eche a caminar y dará con rincones especiales de esos que no vienen en las guías. La tercera ciudad más poblada de Francia está repleta de callejones, como los famosos traboules, pasadizos que conectan una calle con otra a través de los patios de los edificios. Uno de los más famosos es el de la

42 stories above downtown White Plains’ Ritz Carlton, the tallest building between NYC and Boston, the glass paneled walls of 42 The Restaurant offer eye popping views of Westchester County and a distant Manhattan skyline. With 4 kitchens, banquet space, and a lounge that extends up to the 43rd floor, the even bigger attraction here is down home Portuguese cooking in a casual fine-dining setting. Accessible via an elevator ensconced in an alcove well beyond the hotel lobby, you would think that

After a 5 hour drive SSW out of Nairobi Iarrived at the Amboseli Sopa Lodge, located on the outskirts of Amboseli National Park.  The lodge is stunningly beautiful and comfortable. Yes, we are “in the bush.” I know, because there is no internet and cell phones do not work.  Actually the lodge has had internet, but it does not work anymore, and the cell phone coverage is limited to one carrier, the name of which is, wonderfully, Safaricom. The lodge provides every other creature comfort one would

BEHIND THE SCENES AT A GILDED-AGE COTTAGE

All the Newport mansions are over-the-top grand, for the self-made millionaires who built them wanted to look as if they came from old money, and to achieve that, they were willing to spend a lot of new money. Touring these summer “cottages” today, you gawk at expansive gardens, expensive European art and furniture, sumptuous ballrooms and guest rooms, and enough rococo molding to impress any king named Louis. But beyond the ubiquitous gilt of the Gild

• BAY OF ISLANDS: If you can survive the four-hour drive (for which I rented a car), I highly recommend checking out the Bay of Islands. I got some incredible weather and had the privilege of working with R. Tucker Thompson and meeting some awesome people. Paihia is a great place to make your home base, and you can check everything out in about four days. Kings Road has some cool bars and several good backpacking hostels.  If you have the time to kill, Russell is a cool town across the bay, and th