Blogs

Are you looking forward to an exciting and extraordinary experience on your next holiday? then don’t hesitate to visit Africa for great Kenya adventure trips and Tanzania camping safaris among other activities. Quite a number of tourists prefer adventure camping safaris because of the various environmental, physical and personal changes that it brings to their lives. It actually breaks the monotony of the usual smooth and predictable daily routine in their lives. Anybody of course preparing to g

Ever since I’ve been traveling to Europe starting in 1977 – well before American Idol or The X Factor – the Eurovision annual song contest has been a big deal for more than a few of my Old World friends and acquaintances (not to mention the local media). I got to watch it several times surrounded by Europeans, and I must say, the enthusiasm generated by this reliably cheesy collection of crazy outfits, over-the-top antics and sometimes downright goofy tunes (here's a 2010 piece I found on it

On a recent Thursday night in the enticing Hillcrest area of San Diego, Planet Rooth Design Haus brought together the seemingly unlikely but totally pleasing combination of high-end whiskeys, gourmet appetizers, and beautiful artisan furniture.  A group of about 40 gathered to partake of it all and we had a unique and completely enthralling evening. 

If there was a highlight in an evening of highlights, it was the setting in Planet Rooth’s intimate studio and gallery, the artistic enterprise crea

The FAA gets it wrong again.

When Virgin Atlantic announced recently that passengers could make calls on their cell phones on VA’s Airbus A330 and Boeing 747 between London and New York, it was another wake up call to the Federal Aviation Administration to face reality.

Although cellphones can not be used during take off and landing, and the price per call is still steep (about a $1.60 per minute and twenty cents per text),  the point is, as we have reported, about 100 other airlines allow an

Travel as we know it has changed in the last few years. We now get our trip recommendations from travel social networks, and upload our holiday snapshots in real-time. When renting a car to drive in the U.S., there are plenty of apps designed to help you make the best of your trip. Feel free to add your favorites in the comments section!

Gas Buddy: This community-based free app promises to find the cheapeast and closest gas stations. Gas Buddy rewards users who report gas prices and gets great re

Being a native San Franciscan makes me somewhat of an expert on the events, the people, and the pulse of one of the most traveled cities on the planet. In the month of June, in the “City By The Bay,” marks the beginning of what I call “Street Fair Season.” Almost every week in June in San Francisco neighborhoods celebrate the arrival of summer with blocked off streets, arts and crafts, and just about every imaginable type of  succulent street food. Get your groove on at these “San Fran” block pa

What could be more fun than splashing down a warm-water tropical river, dodging this way and that and bouncing in and out of waves in an inflatable raft?
Costa Rica
is one of the world’s top destinations for
whitewater rafting. Just last year the
World Rafting Championship 2011
was held in
Turrialba
on the
Pacuare River. More than 300 international competitors came from 30+ different countries to compete for the title. Winners were Japan for the men’s team and the Czech Republic for the women’s

Lake Manyara is Tanzania’s bird watching paradise which stretches for 50km along the base of the rusty-gold 600-metre high Rift Valley escarpment; Lake Manyara is a scenic gem, with a setting explained by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa”. The compact game-viewing circuit through lake Manyara’s ecosystem offers a virtual microcosm of the Tanzanian safari experience.

As you enter the gate of Lake Manyara as part of your Tanzania safari trip destination, the road winds throug

by Andy Jarozs

In his 1999 documentary series Hemingway Adventure, Michael Palin, the Monty Python star turned traveler (no relation to Sarah, as far as we know), visited Cuba to see for himself the many places on the island that are associated with the famous writer. He even attempts to secure an interview with Fidel Castro himself; it’s too bad that Castro turned him down, as it would have been fascinating to hear the Bearded One’s memories of fishing and talking politics with his old equally

There have recently been some changes to the way toll roads work in Portugal, with roads that were previously toll-free suddenly becoming paid. Travellers headed for Portugal will come across three different types of roads: national roads, highways and SCUTs.

National roads have no tolls and they're tolerably well-maintained, particularly stretches of road connecting main cities. They have the disadvantage of having lower speed limits than highways or SCUTs. Furthermore, they aren't as direct a r


What Do You Really Do On a Nude Vacation?

Apparently the same things you’d do if you were on a fully-clothed holiday, except, we assume, horseback ride.


But, you ask, how likely is anyone to go to a nude beach or clothes optional one, and strip?


For a country settled by humorless and uptight Puritans, a surprising 49% of Americans said they would do it.
Another 19%  were undecided, and 32%  gave an unqualified "no" to  the idea of beaching "au natural."
Courtesy of TripAdvisor's
Nude Beach

One of my all-time favorite quotes on adventure and travel is this, from the great Mark Twain:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”



So when you are presented with a list of adventures like stand-up paddle boarding, surfing, exploring jungles, horseback riding down a tropical beach at sunset, 
zip-linin

Mt. Elgon climbing is a fascinating adventure. The second highest mountain in Kenya and one of the most spectacular mountains in Africa worth climbing is Mount Elgon. Due to the unpredictable rainy season, it can be wet any time of the year although the most reliable season [dry period] is between December and February. It is also reasonably high and it is advisable to prepare adequately.

From the Kenya side,the highest point is Koitoboss at 4,187m and it is accessed in 3 or 4 days depending on t

We left Umbria after 6 days of wonderful tours, meals, making new friends and never reaching for our wallet all courtesy of the Umbrian tourism authority. When in Italy be sure to visit Umbria.. We took a nice train ride of about 2 hours into Rome’s central train station.

I got off the train and desperately needed to relive myself of that morning’s espresso shots. The men’s room was as far away as it could be which only added to the desperation in my hustle. I walked into the room to find a turns

One of the great things about travelling is that you're taking part in a shared heritage, not only with the locals in the places you visit, but also with other travellers. When coming across other tourists on our journeys - perfect strangers though they may be - there's a sense of bonding that transcends nationality and language. One way in which this shared bond is expressed is through photography. There are some types of travel photography that are so commonplace as to have become cliches. The

A fun outing in the center of San Jose is to go to the Gold Museum, now called the Central Bank Museum, below the Plaza de la Cultura.

It had been years since I had visited the museum, but it remains still one of the highlights of touring Costa Rica’s capitol city. Located conveniently under the Plaza de la Cultura’s east end, just behind the National Theatre and the Grand Hotel, the museum is a cool refuge of culture in a concrete jungle.This year celebrates the 30^th anniversary of the museum. I

Handing back over your hire car at the end of your holidays needs to be a simple and quick transaction with most people having flights to catch and not allot of time to spare. Follow these tips and the whole experience should be a smooth one:

If possible leave yourself plenty of time for the return of the vehicle. If you are returning a Portugal car hire to Lisbon Airport then allow time for traffic to the airport, finding the car hire depot, checking onto your flight, airport security and findin

If an earthquake had started shaking southern California on a recent Sunday night, we might not have felt it at the Thornton Winery, in the Temecula Valley Wine Country, where guests were doing their own kind of shaking to the spirited, heartfelt beat of jazz saxophonist and singer, Mindi Abair. With her high energy vibe, Mindi was the ideal musician to launch Thornton Winery’s 24th Annual Champagne Jazz Series. Mindi and her talented band had everyone on their feet clapping, dancing and singing

Belgrade Lakes Region Business Group

Take a road trip to central Maine's premier lake area for recreation, relaxation, and wholesome family fun, in the Kennebec Valley less than a half hour north of the state capital Augusta, and famous for its sparkling scenic streams and chain of seven lakes, its panoramic views of fields, hills and woodlands, Belgrade Lakes´ inviting towns and villages, and its activities for all ages. Whether as a destination for activities and action or a retreat for peace