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Being number two is not much better than coming in last.  How many people know that the second-tallest mountain in the world is the dismally-named “K-2?”  Quite a few, no doubt, but everybody, literally everybody, knows that Mount Everest is the tallest.  But do you know what the tallest building in the world is?  If you don’t, then you should, because it’s something truly incredible.  It’s called “Burj-Khalifa,” it’s in Dubai, UAE, and at 2717ft/828mt, is more than twice as tall

By Shannon Farley

Costa Rica’s fabulous year-round sunshine, balmy weather and remarkable championship golf courses are fast earning the country the reputation as an “ace” place for world-class golf.

The best part? Located just a few hours’ flight away from North America, Costa Rica’s weather is best when all points north are frozen in winter’s icy grip. Missing the long, verdant stretch of a fairway in December? This tiny Central American nation’s endless summer of sunshine just gets blazing in D

 

Founded in 1698, Jacmel is a beautiful, picturesque town in Haiti, located in the southeast part of the country only two hours driving and 15 minutes by plane from the capital, Port-au-Prince. The road to Jacmel are among the best in the country, and driving there can be an experience on its own, as you get the chance to truly enjoy the breathtaking views of the many lush, majestic mountains, up and down valleys, as far as the eyes can see. Jacmel is also world famous for its art, its annual

FROM TOURISM & MORE'S "TOURISM TIDBITS," JANUARY 2013:

The tragic recent school shootings in the US have underlined once again the fact that too many people see police departments and other forms of security as adding nothing to the bottom line.  For example, from the perspective of too many tourism professionals, security people, be they public or private, are a necessary expense.  These tourism professionals often express the opinion that security agents do nothing to promote the locale and o

Sitting down to eat or drink at an Italian café costs more than standing at the counter and nowhere will charge you more for the honour than Venice, particularly if you're outside, in somewhere like St Mark's Square and there's an orchestra playing. The mark-up on your bill can be over 500%! Here are a few tips that will help you keep within your food and drink budget.

Eating out in Venice is very expensive, but choose to perch at the counter and opt for the dish of the day or a selection of bar

I have tasted Fonseca ports before but was intrigued when I recently experienced an unfiltered variety coming from Portugal’s most widely respected port house. Upon tasting Fonseca Unfiltered Port, you get nothing less than rich black fruit that’s pleasantly flavorful with hints of spice and sweet plum along with just enough tannins to keep it from entirely entering dessert wine territory.

It takes decades of perfecting Portugal’s national treasure to achieve this tasty balance. How does this unf

por Cristóbal Ramirez

Siempre van en bici. Para pasear, ir al trabajo o hacer la compra. Y siempre irán aunque llueva, nieve, relampaguee o el sol se desinfle. Los habitantes de Copenhague están muy concienciados con el medio ambiente y con la salud de su bolsillo (pedalear es gratis). Siendo turista, en cambio, merece la pena echar a caminar. Punto de partida: la Plaza del Ayuntamiento, un característico edificio rojo con una torre y un reloj. Si se atreve a subir los 298 escalones podrá ver

by Andy Jarosz

If ever a movie has perfected the ability of making its audience hungry it’s surely this Mexican classic. Released as Como Agua para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate) in 1992 and based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Laura Esquivel , the story is set in the 1910s in revolutionary Mexico. It features sweeping landscapes, smoldering passions (literally) and the most bitter family politics, yet the central theme of traditional Mexican cooking and its power to evoke the wil

Why is that? Well, Peru offers a New Year’s experience to appeal to virtually any and every type of traveler. It’s famously filled with the mystical and the historic. It also offers high culture, unsurpassed ecotourism, and adrenaline-pumping adventure. Add in a plethora of superb hotels, restaurants and spas, and it all adds up to a special occasion you’ll never, ever forget. Another year? Bring it on.

Top Peruvian New Year’s Traditions

To ensure a new year full of good luck and prosperity,

If any holiday is made for Las Vegas, it's New Year's Eve.

Las Vegas is expecting a record 320,000+ out-of-town guests for New Year's Eve parties. Las Vegas will fill its 150,189 hotel rooms on New Year's Eve, Sam's Town RV Park also has a full house.

We will be heading to the Strip for the New Years festivities. At 6pm Las Vegas Blvd is closed to vehicle traffic and becomes party central. Four and a half miles, from the Stratosphere to the Mandalay Bay at the south end of the Strip will host tens

By Shannon Farley

They live in the sea, are on the World Wildlife Fund’s “Endangered Species List”, and frequent the waters around Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast Tortuguero National Park. Their lives, though on similar paths, are a bit conflicted.

I’m talking about sea turtles and manatees. One draws crowds of up to 50,000 tourists each year; the other lives a hidden life and was thought until recently to be extinct.

Tortuguero is one of Costa Rica’s most popular ecotourism destinations – a microcosm

There's no doubt that each city across the world boasts unique food offerings. But if time is short and you don’t have opportunities for full immersion, taking the right food tour makes the difference between being a clueless tourist or gaining a full understanding of where to go & what to buy.

Take Boston’s North End for instance…a casual stroll down the cobbled streets of America’s oldest Italian community reveals many tempting savories in late 19th century store windows. But only after taking

Back in 2004, the movie Cellular featured a character --  a cop --  who was about to retire.  Was he going to spend his newly-found free time hunting, fishing, or traveling the world?

No.  He was going to open a day spa.

That character was way ahead of his time.  Spa treatments for men were popular back in 2004, but today, in 2012, men comprise 30% of all American spa go-ers, says Lynne McNees, president of ISPA, the International Spa Association.  “We’ve been tracking men’s visits to spas, and

Everybody agrees that the two top places to ring in a new year are Times Square in New York City (right) and anywhere in Las Vegas. But there are other interesting, free, even quirky New Year’s Eve celebrations in the USA, from a cheese party in Wisconsin to a pickle party in Mount Olive, North Carolina.  Where to go if you don't want to welcome 2013 with a million of your closest friends?

Pickle Party in Mount Olive, North Carolina -- The 12th annual pickle drop is a fun-filled and free event w

October in the City by the Bay - I just can’t say enough about it. Getting a late Indian summer means warm days in October. This year the city would host the America’s Cup yacht race trials and the annual Naval “Fleet Week,” complete with the Blue Angels buzzing over San Francisco Bay, all on the same weekend. San Francisco is one of world’s favorite cities. October weekends include street fairs, music festivals, food and beer festivals, and more. The city comes to life with warm days and nights

by Tripatini staff 

An oldie but goodie from one of the seminal Spanish pop groups of the 1980′s and 1990′s, reunited just about a year ago. Two brothers, Nacho and José María Cano wrote and played the tunes and Ana Torroja sang ‘em, and many were quirky doozies — I Can’t Get Up Today, This Isn’t a Serious Cemetery, I Crashed a Party, Stereosexual. This one, from the 1987 album Descanso dominical (Sunday Break) describes the annual New Year’s Eve revelry in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol plaza — “sa

When in Seattle, Washington stay at the luxurious Pan Pacific Hotel and after a day of work or sightseeing head across the courtyard to the Vida Spa to revitalizes your external sense of well-being while restoring your internal sense of vitality and energy. Each treatment is as unique as your needs. So your body, mind and spirit can all be brought into perfect harmony. Vida offers 17 treatment rooms, three couples treatment rooms, four side by side pedicure lounges and two manicure areas. Vida’s

First impressions of what to expect in Sierra Leone were not encouraging. The Sierra Leone High Commission in the UK, where tourists are required to apply for visas, is on a narrow street in central London. The reception area was dark and shabby. Visa applicants were directed along a gloomy passage to an official sitting in a small room behind a desk piled high with a clutter of papers and forms. Fortunately, the process proved to be less arduous than feared and the official who issued the visa