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Break out of your vacation routine!

Recharge your life and do your mind, body and soul good on an active surfing and yoga vacation
in  Costa Rica!

Active vacations, whether full-on adventure tours or more moderately-paced walking tours or yoga retreats, have become the number one choice around the world for how people spend their time off.

The premiere place for active and surfing vacations in Costa Rica, Del Mar Surf Camp offers a week-long
Surf & Detox Retreat that is destined to refresh and inv

Kenya was identified as the original home of fantastic safari by legendary personalities such as Ernest Hemingway and Karen Blixen. Some of the most classic movies like Out of Africa, was filmed in Kenya and it perfectly portrayed the natural romance, wildest thrills and excitement of this famous tour destination land.

The adventure tours to Kenya have revealed a spectacular natural beauty and bountiful herds of wildlife, and is renowned for the annual Great Migration of millions of herbivores ac

One of the dreads of air travel is sitting next to someone who is either crazy or can drive you crazy with annoying habits, non-stop chatter or just plain old boorishness, resulting in impulses to jump out of the plane or slowly throttle your seatmate.

So, Hotel Marketing.com  states the obvious when it says air travel has gone from “glam to glum.”  But as in so many cases, social media is being touted as the panacea for air travel doldrums. It seems some travel-media web sites are engaging in wh

As many gay men are well aware, Western Europe can be a paradise for homo hook-ups. Yeah, there are a gayzillion bars and clubs, even in many of the smaller cities and towns, and it seems everybody and his daddy’s online these days. But another big reason is because more than any other continent in the world, the landmass that gave rise to Casanova, Don Juan and the Marquis de Sade along with Adolf Hitler and Benny Rats (er, Josef Ratzinger—you know, the Vatican's creepy old queen in the white

by David Paul Appell

On my most recent visit to Iberostar’s ginormous Playa Paraíso spa facilities on Mexico’s Riviera Maya below Cancun, I decided to take a more in-depth look at the modern, elegant spa used by guests at all five resorts here. Situated at the back of the quaint town-plaza-style resort shopping center, it’s an impressive two-story affair open 365 days of the year, with 25 shower-equipped treatment rooms, each of which is identified by a mysterious-sounding Maya name (don’t worr

Mohegan Sun here in Connecticut’s Mystic Country held its first annual BBQ Fest, and I was honored to be invited and check out the festivities, running Friday, June 1 through Sunday, June 3. I picked a Saturday visit, which turned out to be the rainiest! Originally scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m., gates didn’t open until 3 p.m. when miraculously, the clouds stopped dripping and actual shafts of sunlight were able to occasionally poke through. Within minutes, lines were snaking from 6 venerable

If you have ever driven to any main European city, you should be well aware of all the dangers facing the unaware driver. Not the least of which that you often can't find parking without pulling a Faustus (and even then, no guarantees...). Lisbon is no exception.

Popular knowledge dictates that the best way to visit a city is by using public transportation, and that's sensible enough. But Portugal is a relatively small country, so having a car available does have its advantages, and you'll be abl

Losing or having your passport stolen is something that we think would never happen to us. Even if we take all the right steps to make sure our documents are safe it is still something that can happen to anyone of us no matter which country we are travelling in.

If you do have your passport stolen you should first report the theft to the local authorities; if you are stopping in a hotel they will help you with this.  You must get a crime reference number from them as you may need this upon you

A crimson sun slowly dips into the violet-blue sea. Streamers of pink and orange streak across the wide, deepening blue sky. Coconut palms bow lightly in the breeze. You and your beloved are there on the soft sand promising your love and commitment, exchanging rings and kisses.

Sound like your 
dream wedding? It easily can be.
Costa Rica
 has become one of the
 premiere locations for 
destination weddings 
in the world. Its fabulously gorgeous beaches, lush rainforest, friendly people and abundan

Americans embrace travel insurance as a hedge against Olympic hassles

The 2012 Summer Olympics have provided a welcome boost for airlines, hotels and other travel suppliers that will benefit from an expected jump of more than 30 percent in the number of global travelers going to London compared to the same period in 2011.  Now it appears that travel insurance providers are among those experiencing a strong uptick in sales. Richmond, VA-based Allianz Global Assistance USA, the country’s leading p

This is the home to millions of wildebeests... each one driven by the same ancient culture of annual migration from Tanzania to Kenya via the seasonal Mara river., fulfilling its instinctive role in the inescapable cycle of life: a frenzied three-week bout of territorial conquests and mating; survival of the fittest as 40km (25 mile) long columns plunge through crocodile-infested waters on the annual exodus north; replenishing the species in a brief population explosion that produces more than 8

One of the great things about living in Miami is its unrivalled mix of Latin cultures, and Brazilians play a big part in that. One thing that especially stands out is that it seems that whenever I go out in South Beach, I come across a group of ridiculously fit young guys (sometimes sprinkled with girls) practicing capoeira, a hypnotically sinuous series of moves resembling a cross between modern dance and martial arts, accompanied by throbbing drums, strings, and haunting songs, sometimes in

by Nellie Huang

With huge swells, strong winds and an emerald coastline dotted with perfect surfing spots, Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) is lauded by some as the hottest surfing destination. Located in the Atlantic Ocean, this archipelago of 10 islands is just 350 miles off the coast of Western Africa, but it’s worlds apart. Featuring volcanic terrain and long, sweeping sandy beaches, the Cape Verde islands are blessed with tons of wind and undiscovered beaches.

Slowly gaining a reputation for its waves

Head south deep into Brooklyn’s interior on the elevated D train and get off at the 50th Street station. At the bottom of the stairs, an open air market greets you with fresh fruits and vegetables anytime of the year. One block away on 13th Avenue is Borough Park, spelled by locals as Boro Park– the main thoroughfare of one of the world’s largest Orthodox Jewish communities outside of Israel. Here you can learn a bit about Jewish culture by simply walking the streets and picking up a neighborhoo

Back before the industrial revolution, travelling was a perk that only the elite could afford, a luxury denied to most of the population, who even if they could afford the journey itself - which they couldn't - couldn't afford to stay away from work for that long. Nowadays, travel is relatively easy, but it still never hurts to find ways to cut the costs of our holidays - so we can start saving for next year, if nothing else ;) Here are some tips to help reduce your travel expenses.

1. Travel off

When the Belize Tourst Board offered me a press trip to Belize. I jumped at the opportunity. When they told me that upon arrival I would be whisked off to the Belize Zoo, I was skeptical if this first stop would be worth a visit. My feeling is that zoos are mostly depressing places. I figured that there would be imported Lions, Tigers, and Giraffes. I could not have been more wrong.

A Lazy Tapir

The Belize Zoo houses only native animals of Belize. The zoo sits on 29 acres of land, located 40 miles

TOURISM & MORE'S "TOURISM TIDBITS" - June 2012

Developing a Tourism Continuity Plan

This is one edition of Tourism Tidbits that you hopefully will never need, but definitely want to keep. No matter how good your risk management may be, the bottom line is that from time to time bad things do happen. No matter what we do, natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes occur, people get sick, a crime happens or a terrorism attack comes at the most unlikely place and at the least expected times.

Gun salutes across the United Kingdom set off four days of celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth the Second’s accession to the throne. The festivities promise to be the most spectacular in the country for hundreds of years. The excitement over preparations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee has been building up for months and has now reached fever pitch. Shops have run out of bunting but red, white and blue, the colours of the British flag, the Union Jack, can be seen everywh

Back in 1972 when I was in grade school, out across the causeway in Rickenbacker Marina on the way to Key Biscayne, the Rusty Pelican opened, a seafood joint that became a Miami institution. But to paraphrase the old Groucho Marx saw, who wants to eat at an institution? Over nearly 40 years, the wear and tear and decline became noticeable, and so last summer the Pelican closed for a $7 million overhaul, reopening this past December.

Now, I'd always wanted to visit the place, but various factors

Costa Rica. You’ve probably heard of it. The tiny
 Central American country
 is big in tourism news. You may even know someone who’s been there. When you hear the name, you probably think of beautiful tropical beaches, rainforest, surfing, volcanoes, hot and steamy jungle.

But what’s important to know so you can plan a visit?

Check out our top 10 list of 
What to Know for Travel to Costa Rica:


1. Where is it?
 Costa Rica
 lies at the bottom end o f
Central America, sandwiched between Nicaragua to