Blogs

I am always amazed how a country so rich in history, culture and the arts and neighboring the USA, is a country that few in the USA even know about other than a beach vacation with margaritas in hand. Apart from the fantastic climate which is the lure for many, Mexico has a fascinating history that spans 5,000 years, and no, I am not talking about the Aztecs who were late-comers to the scene.

At the time of the Golden Age of Greece, Mexico was thriving culturally with mega cities that had develop

Where to Stay & What to See on India's Stunning Coastline. Goa's relaxed attitude and tropical beach setting make it a popular holiday destination, with something to offer everyone.

The hedonistic legend of Goa lives on in the minds of many foreigners who come seeking sun, sand, sea, and of course the psychedelic party scene. Many are surprised to discover that Goa India is not a place, but is infact India's smallest and most liberated state. It was actually a colony of Portugal up until 1961, an

I cannot believe I am in Beirut.

There is a National Geographic adventure show titled Don’t Tell My Mother. That is how I feel. The name just brings up memories of not so far in the past wars and such. However, at the end of 2010, Beirut is a prosperous and peaceful city. I do not know where the money comes from. This is not an OPEC country. But there is a lot of money on the streets of Beirut. The little research I did indicates the the diaspora from the 1975 to 1990 war has created an influx of

I am a travel consultant, a Uniworld Cruise Specialist and a lifelong Francophile. I had the opportunity to sail on Uniworld's River Royale in early November 2010 as my first river cruise experience. This was indeed an epicurean adventure to sail on France's Rhone and Saone rivers.

River cruising is totally different from ocean cruising. You are steps away from the beautiful towns where you can take walking tours, ride bicycles, have an all inclusive food and wine experience with itineraries cate

Shrimp is king here

Gulf Shores has been much maligned in the press since the BP oil spill. In truth it’s a stunning locale with loads of natural beauty in a relaxed beach side town. Yes the beach clean up goes on but the water and sand are cle

by Tripatini staff

Tiny Costa Rica holds a very special place in Latin America — largely literate and completely armyless as well as beautiful and exciting. And Malpaís, a six-dude band named after a remote beach area at the end of the road on the Nicoya Peninsula coast (literally, the word means “badlands”), is an unmistakable product of the Tico culture and ethos, fusing jazz and rock with local musical and folk traditions. “Boceto para esperanza,” from their first album, Uno (2003), is a mel

Dancing Fountains are a nightly show in the atrium of the Gaylord National Resort : © 2010 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The opening of the Gaylord National Resort changes everything about a family vacation in Washington DC, Families finally have a true family-friendly, four-Diamond full-service waterfront resort to find rest and respite after a
busy and exhausting day being immersed in the nation's capital, taking in the most magnificent museums and attractions the country has to offer.

So

Amtrak's AutoTrain is wonderfully family friendly, and kids are utterly enamored with trains. At the Lorton,VA station - the northern terminus - there is even a playground.
The train goes to Sanford, FL, just outside Orlando © 2010 Karen
Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The idea of long-distance train travel invariably evokes a sense of romance and nostalgia for the golden years when trains were the high-tech way to travel.

That spirit is still alive here in the United States in perhaps the most une

Our well-travelled staff have brainstormed and come up with an adventure travel Wish List for Santa. Here are a few of our gift ideas and we'd love to hear some of yours.

(1) Small powerful flashlight. Think rural Chinese toilets at night!

(2) A colourful sarong. You can wrap yourself in it post-swim, cover for temple visits, brighten an outfit or use it as a sleep sheet on an Indian train.

(3) Extra camera batteries and storage. You can never have enough.

(4) Camp, water-resistant duffle bag that c

I tend to have rather funny things happen to me when I travel. Perhaps it is because I travel
for fun, usually. I don't mind much, except standing in line at immigration in
a place like Lima Peru. In Lima, at least three jumbos arrive within a half
hour of each other at night, about midnight. The immigration post has a dozen
or so stations, of which two or three are manned. The line snakes back outside
of the immigration room, into an adjoining hallway, where people crush and
elbow their way towards

My wife and I were on the 14th floor of the Hilton Hotel for NYE in Caracas, Venezuela. Everyone in Caracas bought BIG skyrockets, and with no organized program, complete mayhem ensued. That was the most impressive display of community participation in an event I have ever seen. Until now. The night(s) of the November full moon find the city of Chiang Mai, Thailand alive and vibrant in a wonderful celebration. Actually there are two different traditional celebrations happening at the same time.

By Ed Wetschler

The five ducks at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, are the most popular ducks in the world (sorry, Donald). Over the years, hundreds of thousands of people have watched them march, if “march” is not too dignified a term, through the hotel to the marble fountain in the Peabody's Grand Lobby every day at 11 a.m. And their fans gather again each day at 5 p.m. to watch the marching ducks waddle back through the lobby toward their home on the hotel roof. All this, of course,

Yesterday my wife came home with my passport. It had a full-page Visa in it. The visa has my photograph on it and a holographic stamp. It is quite impressive. AND, it is good for three years.

Now, We must proceed to the next step. We have to get the UAE national ID card called EIADs an acronym Emirites Identity Authority doodah. I look forward to having this card. Not only because it make me totally legal, and allow me to do things like get a driver’s license so I can rent a car, and a liquor lic