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Dazzling white sandy beaches backed by tropical rainforest, shimmering tropical-warm blue-green water, fresh ocean breezes, and a diverse array of wildlife – Manuel Antonio is one of Costa Rica’s most popular beach destinations. Conveniently located on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast, here you can experience nearly all of the country’s enchanting attractions in one place. There is little that the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area does not offer tourists, from top beaches to lush rainforest, abundant

I have always loved the saying,  “success leaves clues.” Here’s a new saying along that same line: “luggage leaves clues.” What exactly am I talking about?

As I’m settling down to write this, I’ve just gotten into my comfy clothes…sweatpants and a t-shirt. Not just any old t-shirt, but a genuine SkyTeam t-shirt. I donned my slippers with the fancy ‘F’ on them – my comfy Fairmont slippers. I put my book to the side (I’m reading Tim Ferriss’s updated version of The 4-Hour Workweek), marking my pag

POSITIVELY WELSH

I am referring to Bocas Del Toro, Panama. While barely within the single digit latitudes,(9.80 degrees north) made famous by Jimmy Buffet, Bocas is also an easy destination to reach. Bocas is on the Caribbean side of Panama, as far west as you can go without getting to Costa Rica. That is right, west. Panama runs east-west, not north-south.

Transportation to Bocas is by air, or water. It is after all an archipelago of Islands. The town referred to as Bocas is on Isla Colon, but many people move

You can walk the streets of Lima yet still have the feeling that something is missing. You can take really good pictures in each of the most picturesque colonial streets but it won´t enough. You can say you know Lima but that's not completely true. What is missing then? Find a different spot from which you can observe the "whole" city, literally. That spot is San Cristobal hill.

Divided by three districts, the Rimac, Lima and San Juan de Lurigancho, this mound of earth and stones that does not

When we’re at home reading the headlines, watching the news, we can so easily reduce people of other cultures and countries to their problems.

I was reminded of this when listening to a recent broadcast of Tapestry on CBC Radio (their podcasts are free). I was also reminded of an objection I received to a post I wrote in which I suggested that Cuba has a unique sense of luxury. This is a bit of a response.

We are always more than the sum of our problems.
Tariq Ramadan was the guest being intervie

Vitrum Hotel

By Roy Heale

Palermo ‘Hollywood’ is an identity that was recently fabricated, but this area has been renowned as a popular place to live in Buenos Aires since the late 1800s.

As you discover Palermo Hollywood you will probably be struck by more of the old, Spanish-style architecture than other areas of the city, and also fewer high-rise buildings, apart from newer apartment towers. That’s because for a long time there was a law prohibiting new buildings in this community from being

Of Gods and Men is proof if it were ever needed that even today the essence of a great movie continues to be about the quality of the script and the acting. There is no computer generated wizardry here and no expensive film sets. Yet by drilling down to an astonishing level of detail Xavier Beauvois has expertly told the moving and ultimately tragic tale of a group of nine French monks in Algeria who get caught up in the country’s civil war in the 1990s.

Living in Peace

The actors who were cast to

by Kyle McCarthy (Family Travel Forum) and Kaleel Sakakeeny

Forty-four per cent of adults bring children (and grandchildren) along on leisure travels. Taken as a group, they take more trips per year (4.5) than business travelers (3.9), Gen Y (3.9) or Gen X travelers (3.5), according to the 2012 Portrait of American Travelers (MMGY Global/Harrison Group).

Parents, fueled by social media, are becoming more vocal, more demanding and more interested in what travel businesses can do for them and their

Costa Rica’s amazing natural attractions make it an incomparable vacation destination. You’re in paradise here in the tropics with lush rainforest, active volcanoes, spectacular mountain ranges and valleys, and endless beaches on both Pacific and Caribbean coasts.

Domestic flights are the perfect option for travelers who want to visit as many places in Costa Rica as possible in a short amount of time. Plus, you get a beautiful aerial view of the landscape. Costa Rica is a rugged country of peaks

When you're packing light, it's tough deciding what to take back home for souvenirs. Is it liquid, too heavy, fragile? Well, if you're coming from the Cayman Islands, you have options! Here are 3 not-to-miss Cayman savories that you'll absolutely enjoy for weeks to come after returning from your island escape.

Tortuga Rum Cake

In 1984, while working for Cayman Airways, Captain Robert Hamaty and his wife Carlene founded the Tortuga Rum Company. For years Carlene baked rum cakes for special occasion

El surf de remo es la última tendencia para los amantes de la playa y bañistas. Es un ejercicio ideal para la parte superior del cuerpo, ya que ayuda a la resistencia, el equilibrio y la estabilidad. Dadas estas características, ha ganado adeptos en tanto en jóvenes como en adultos; en aficionados y profesionales. Esto porque existen distintas subdivisiones que se adecuan según las habilidades y experiencia de cada participante. Eso sí, para todos aquellos que carezcan de experiencia y que desee

Peru, a few years ago, was the only country in the world where the prestigious Coca-Cola drink wasn´t ranked first in the market because a national drink so was deeply rooted in the Peruvian palate.

Inca Kola, the classic yellow drink that accompanied all Peruvian dishes at the tables, was the favorite. That was the reason why Coca-Cola and Lindley Corporation (producer of the local drink) signed a strategic alliance: Lindley would be the official bottler company and Coca-Cola would be the own

In the middle of the wedding, my friend's grandma, a short, stocky, but strong aboriginal Taiwanese woman in her 80s, went up on stage. She grabbed the microphone and, after a short introduction in Mandarin, the dominant language in Taiwan, began a Christian prayer in the Atayal language.

The fluid, slightly raspy words sounded quite different than the varying toned, short-syllables of Mandarin. I was in Taichung, Taiwan, a groomsman at the wedding of my good friend. Here, the attendees were most

A bridge crosses the Zambezi River right on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.Heavy with traffic, the bridge is also used for bungee jumping as well as vantage point for visitors who want to experience the mighty Victoria Falls.

I’ve arrived at the attraction from the Zambezi side, and, after having flagged down a taxi to the border, finds myself standing at the bridge just as a young British guy is about to send himself off towards the

Hay una larga lista de personas famosas con fobia a volar. Quizás el más destacado de todos ellos sea Gabriel García Márquez, quien hace ya tiempo escribió un cómico artículo sobre el asunto titulado “Seamos machos: hablemos del miedo al avión”, en el que nos dejaba algunas perlas como éstas:

“Yo lo padezco como nadie, a mucha honra, y además con una gratitud inmensa, porque gracias a él he podido darle la vuelta al mundo en 82 horas, a bordo de toda clase de aviones, y por lo menos diez veces.

La

When one thinks of Belize, most likely the first thought to come to mind is the fabled Blue Hole, and the world’s second largest barrier reef, second only to the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia. But the tiny nation surrounded by its big brother to the north, Mexico and Guatemala to the west and south, is an eco-travelers, adventurer enthusiasts dream. Taking a closer look, there is more to Belize than meets the eye.

Scuba dive or take a helicopter ride over Belize’s stunning Blue Hole

Il y a des dizaines de millions d'années, la mer remontait jusqu'à Lyon en recouvrant toute la Provence. Beaucoup de trace de cette époque demeure sur le territoire du Verdon. Il est un vaste secteur naturel, situé au nord de la Provence entre les massifs préalpins et le bassin méditerranéen.

Un Parc régional  couvert à plus de 40% de forêt. Ses hautes et basses gorges s'étalent sur 21 kilomètres, les plus profondes d'Europe, un canyon unique qui n'est pas moins que le deuxième plus grand au mond

Suspended on cables gliding through the tops of giant tropical trees, amid hidden, dripping, hanging gardens full of plants and animals in the rainforest, is a pretty cool experience. Rainforest trees are tall, really tall, even towering up to more than 100 feet high. The microcosm of life happening at this level is abundant and amazing, and not often seen.

Unlike canopy zip line tours, which have become all about the thrill of zipping as fast as possible on long, high cables through the treetops

Searching for a hotel online is actually more complex than, say, searching for a flight or car rental or even Viagra. A hotel stay is more of an emotional experience than flying somewhere. To go from New York to London, is simply to find the most convenient, and best-priced flight.

Choosing a hotel  is choosing a home away from home. It's actually a place where you live for a while, and often with someone you really care about.  It's an emotional experience. Flying isn't. Hopefully.

So, you ha