Blogs

High up on a hillside overlooking the waters of a vast silvery blue lake...Montana. Serenity and sweeping views yet minutes away from a bustling historic village...Montana…Hotel Montana, that is, in Lucerne, Switzerland. Embodying art deco magnificence with no expense spared, this grand dame is one of the last of its kind, built in 1910 on a former dairy farm perched in resplendent isolation yet no more than a minute vertical ride via Switzerland’s shortest funicular to the lake shore promenade

Tourism is not only the world's largest industry, but also often its most misunderstood.  Many people outside of the industry believe that tourism professionals are on a permanent vacation.  Others complain about tourism's negative impact.  They see greater traffic on the streets, they note the waits in restaurants and cultural events, and complain that visitors often get lost, are loud, and even rude.  While certainly the tourism industry has to plead guilty to some of these charges, any fair m

Costa Rica surfer Carlos Muñoz has made it to the top 10 in the Junior Men’s World Ranking of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP). The 20-year-old rising star surfer is currently tied at ninth place in the world in the Junior Men’s Division with eight other surfers from Australia, Hawaii, Brazil, USA and Japan.

Nicknamed “The Flying Costa Rican” by Surfer Today, the team Red Bull surfer has been spotlighted by the youth sportswear company Volcom as one of the “up-and-coming talents exp

by Chelle Koster Walton

I watched tidily uniformed schoolkids climb aboard as the crew loaded sacks of flour, a boxed microwave, some spare luggage, and various other unidentifiable bundles onto the 50-foot fiberglass ferry boat. Despite the early hour, everyone was cheerful as they made their way to their wood benches, nodding good morning to fellow passengers whether they knew them or not. The captain crawled through the window, gunned the engine, and we began powering our way through the bra

Hotels live and die by the number and kinds of reviews they get. Especially on TripAdvisor, because the quantity, quality and frequency of reviews a hotel receives there, determine a hotels  all-important ranking.
Very little is said about the authenticity of a review, but regardless, even a small change in TripAdvisor's rankings can send shock waves, and deeply impact a hotel's website and revenue.

Hotelmarketing.com points out that TripAdvisor's rankings are based on a propriety algorithm cal

Chiang Mai, Thailand, is known for its elephants, tigers, resorts, parasols, temples, hill tribes and mountains.

So what's in it for Levelers? All of the above and more.

Old city gates

Start with Chiang Mai which means "new city" despite its being 700 years old. Once capital of the Lanna ("a million rice fields") Kingdom and center of Buddhism in northern Thailand it is now the country's second largest. For many years it was accessible only by river or elephant. A railway line wasn't finished un

Want to beat the summer rush to the Mediterranean? Then consider a visit to Greece in May. Traveling to Greece before the summer rush has a lot to offer. Less crowds when you visit ancient Athens and the Acropolis, or the Temple of Apollo at Delphi makes taking photos and hiking around ruins and monuments a much more enjoyable experience. The cost of accommodations in the favorite Cyclades Islands of Santorini, Mykonos, Ios, Paros and Naxos are still in low season pricing. Sit at a taverna and

by Susan E. Frost

You may have heard that my hometown (and Oregon's biggest city, with 500,000 people and 1.6 million in the metro area) has more than a whiff of cool about it these days. True enough, but what I like even more -- and what clinches the deal for many visitors -- is its scenery, greenery, and water everywhere, in fountains, rivers, lakes, and ponds. Fall foliage season is, to my taste, the most beautiful time to visit, though to yours it may be springtime, when our famous flowers

Fuel and insurance are often two of the most misunderstood issues when it comes to hiring a car. In this article we try to shed some light on these topics!

Fuel Policy

There are two main types of fuel policies in the car hire industry: "full to full" and "full to empty". For many years, "full to full" was the norm. With this type of fuel policy, clients were given the car with a full tank and had to return it with a full tank, thus avoiding any fuel charges by the rental company. Nowadays, most lo

When people heard we were going to Mexico City they were shocked, how could we go to such a dangerous place. Our response was always, What do you know about Mexico City, why do you think it is dangerous? To us, it was a chance to experience one of the biggest cities in the world. With a population of roughly 18 million, it is thought to be the third largest city!

Mexico City is a city full of vibrant culture, unique neighborhoods and delicious food. Mike and our friend Chris arrived a few days be

Many of those who visit the Dominican Republic for its golden sandy beaches, tropical forests, and adventure in Jurassic Park-esque settings discover that it's also home to a world of rich culture, intriguing history and especially some world-class contemporary art.

One of the DR modern art scene's most famous figures was the late Cándido Bidó, whose work earned him international fame in Europe, the United States and the Middle East. His works were highly sought after by foreigner collectors s

Nova Scotia is so much more than I expected. It’s a delight to the senses, a city that speaks to the soul. I went there to learn about the wines, and came home with a wider appreciation of their dynamic and intriguing mix of heritage and culinary mastery. It’s such an easy trip to get there, you should definitely think about adding it to your “must travel to” list. I am glad I did.

Flying into Halifax to start my seven-day trip with seven other writers was easy. The airport is small and easy to n

There are few animals – and offhand I can’t really think of any birds – with quite the mystique of the iridescent emerald-green denizen of southern Mexico and Central America known as the resplendent quetzal. Since they’re fairly rare (officially “near threatened”) and even more elusive, you’re very unlikely to spot one if you go birding in the scrub forests of the Yucatan or the highlands of Chiapas (they’re somewhat easier to spot further south, in places like Costa Rica and Guatemala, altho

If you’re traveling in a wheelchair, getting around at your destination is a major concern. Yes, there are companies like Wheelchair Getaways that provide wheelchair accessible van rentals but they run around $100 a day, plus tax and mileage.

Luckily, one option is becoming more common in increasing areas of the world…accessible public transportation.

Here in the U.S., the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that new public transit be made accessible and older transit choices be adapted

One day in Bocas del Toro an indigenous man dropped by with a parrot to sell me. I knew I wasn't going to be here long enough to buy pets, but I had owned a parrot when I lived in South America as a kid, and I always wanted another. I figured that when I left Bocas I would let him go, like I did my macaw in Cochabamba.

As long as he was there, I decided to ask him about the indigenous culture. Not necessarily how they lived now, but what their history and traditions were. 

“What island are yo

I met Nemo the other day. Well, actually it was his cousin. Instead of a cute bright orange and white striped Clownfish, this little guy was a vibrant yellow and turquoise with dark stripes. It swam right up to my snorkel mask, in my mind to say, “Hi!” Really, what it was probably thinking was “bug off,” given that it was a Sergeant Major Fish and highly protective of its territory.

I was living the good life on a Planet Dolphin catamaran sailing and snorkeling tour off of Quepos and Manuel Anton

As I stand at the top of the Rio Grande Gorge in the wild lands outside of Taos, New Mexico, I peer down into a 900-foot tunnel of sandstone-brown with a thin string of color – the Rio Grande – at the bottom. It has taken millions of years for this spot to look this way. And it takes only seconds to take my breath away.

When you realize you’re about to go down into the Gorge, it takes your breath away, as well. You can climb down into it, as some do. Or you can do as I’ve done, starting at the bo

por Cristóbal Ramírez 

El estrés no va con Nueva Orleáns. Tampoco las hamburguesas XXL. Y no se utiliza el coche para ir a la esquina. The Big Easy, como la llaman los lugareños, tiene poco que ver con esas mega ciudades americanas enmarañadas en autopistas. Aquí se camina, se baila y se come marisco. Casi nada, ¿eh? Ubicada en el estado de Louisiana, en el llamado Deep South, acoge un centro histórico delicioso: el barrio francés, con balcones de hierro.

Muchas de las calles tienen letreros e

Srinagar… famous as the city of the Dal Lake is also the capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Situated at 1,730 meters above sea level, the uniqueness of this city are its lakes and the house boats and shikaras swinging on the water. The origin of Srinagar is said to be Srinagari founded by Emperor Ashok in 3rd century B.C. The great Buddhist scholar from China also has written about Srinagari, as a beautiful city in the northern most part of India.

A city of mixed cultures. The Hindus, the