Some 1,880 metres (6,170 feet) up in the foothills of the Himalayas about 4½ hours from New Delhi in Uttarakhand state, Mussoorie was founded in the 1820s by a leiutenant in the British East India Company, and because of its beauty and relatively mild temperatures it became a favourite refuge for Brits administering the Raj. Now with a population of just over 30,000, it's also a popular getaway for Indians. Here are the five top spots - mostly revolving around nature - not to miss up here:


Lal

We recently took a Princess cruise to the Mexican Riviera on the Grand Princess. This was our third sailing on the Grand since she was commissioned in 1998. You might wonder, after 20 years of service and tens of thousands of passengers, how does Princess keep her looking fresh and appealing to prospective guests.

We interviewed the captain and hotel general manager, and along with inquiring about their work we asked some questions about the age of the Grand Princess.

Meet the Captain

The prese

             Dudva


Sometimes you have to wonder if a destination you have heard about for years will live up to its reputation. This one definitely does - I have to tell you, Dubrovnik justly deserves its title "Pearl of the Adriatic."

I mean, where else can you find marble streets lined with baroque buildings all topped with red tile roofs? Add in that the whole pretty city is surrounded by intact city walls... and it's no wonder it's a favorite holiday destination for almost everyone who vi

TraceRouda



Spring vacation time is right around the corner, and while when it comes to the Sunshine State many families automatically opt for the world's theme park capital, Orlando, who needs Mickey and his cartoon-character friends when you've got plenty of other interesting cities, plus miles and miles of Florida coastline with its glorious beaches and ideal weather for visiting in March? If you don't have your family spring break vacation plans yet and you'd like to soak up some sunshine on

by Tom Bunn


Most people, of course, board airliners and have little or no difficulty during their flights. And the reason is due to automatic regulation of arousal. It's a response which develops over time when an attuned and empathic caregiver assures a child that feelings of arousal are normal, and will soon go away. When a caregiver does this consistently, links between arousal and the attuned empathic face are established in the psyche. These links provide automatic regulation throughout a

Four Fabulous April to May Floral Fever Day Trips from Tokyo

If you can't make the 2019 early arrival of Japan's cherry blossoms -- expected to reach Tokyo on March 22, 2019, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, never fret. There are plenty of spectacular spring flowers within an easy day trip from Tokyo, to impress you with their beauty and make you grateful that you conveniently missed the sakura crowds.

Shimizu Park, Noda City, Chiba Pref., Azaleas: Late April to Early May

The spr

             Alexander Bonilla

Among other things, Central America is famous for its volcanoes, especially Costa Rica and Nicaragua. But less well known is that the highest density of volcanoes - both dormant and active - is in their much smaller neighbour to the south, El Salvador - 14 of them in all, covering an astonishing 90 percent of its territory. And they are a fascinating part of any El Salvador ecotourism experience, in this underrated country just a tad larger than Wales and a tad smal

 Oguz Dikbakan

In the West these days, we rarely if ever spare a thought for North Africa's largest and second-most populous country, but as this blog has reported several times, Algeria is an underrated gem, from the history and culture of capital city Algiers to ecotourism to ancient Roman ruins to amazing ecotourism. The world was much more aware of it during the middle decades of the 20th century, though, thanks to the works of Paul Bowles and French Nobel-prize-winning writer Albert Camus

Visitors to Scotland who start their trip in Glasgow may want to spend a day driving the iconic Scottish countryside to see one of the most legendary locations in all the world: Loch Ness.

This fun adventure can be completed round-trip in a day, but due to the length of the drive I recommend breaking the trip up with an overnight in Inverness, Scotland. Here’s everything you need to know to get the most out of this memorable outing during your trip to the United Kingdom.

Drive North From Glasgow

India is incredible, with its gigantic forts, sumptuous palaces, and rich flora and fauna. Embark on a fascinating journey to discover all this and more with the Maharaja Express, the most popular luxury train not only in India but also in the world. Every suite is inspired by the classic salons of the erstwhile Indian princes, but equipped with modern amenities. Every en-suite cabin of the most popular luxury train in India is equipped with the best of amenities  (including climate control syst

If you are planning a trekking adventure in Nepal, then your thoughts will be about Everest. But Everest is not all that Nepal has to offer. Nepal is home to some of the world’s most spectacular and grand trekking trails. While many people are up for an adventure, trekking in Nepal is for the valiant and clever. You need to plan meticulously, expect the worst, be flexible with culture, and be prepared to be cold and rained on while trekking down the world’s threatening and most beautiful trails.

Telemedellín

Most of us deal with escalators all the time - at work, shopping, going out for fun - and while they're a tremendous convenience, don't really think twice about them. But in one major city of South America, they have changed countless lives and helped make large areas safer and more liveable.

Most of you no doubt recall that not so many years ago, Colombia's second largest city was mired in crime and violence fueled not just by the kind of poverty found all over Latin America but also

Many workplaces have "break rooms". For longhaul airline crews, this means a rest area that provides a space to get in some crucial sleep in order to be in form for often overnight shifts. These rest shifts are mandatory and are among the many things covered by airport security regulations.

The resting quarters, in the case of Airbus models, are the same as the containers used for onboard baggage, used only for longhaul flights. They're located in the same part of the hold where animals are tran

Lodging preferences are so personal. With the advent of the internet, travel magazine advertisements have given way to lodging websites and individual reviews on TripAdvisor and Yelp. Of course, lodging websites are no more objective than print ads – which leaves us to depend on personal reviews to help us decide on the best places to stay. Unfortunately, personal reviews run the gamut of “wonderful,” to “horrible” for the same property. So what’s a traveler to do? One suggestion is to single o

NCHANT

When it comes to the great outdoors, nothing beats spending a night in a warm sleeping bag, falling asleep listening to the wind blowing against your tent or the sound of nature all around you. This is especially true for lovely Tongariro National Park, an eco/adventure-lover's paradise on New Zealand’s North Island.
 

Within the park, there's a village, Whakapapa, as well as an eponymous nearby ski slope on the northern side of Mount Ruapehu. There are four main accommodations in the vil

Lukas Bischoff

After arriving on a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul, as we drove in from the airport to Muscat's Mutrah district to begin our Oman tour, it struck us that this city of 1.7 million was everything we'd expected as the capital of a wealthy Gulf sultanate in the 21st century - modern highways in perfect condition, lavish buildings, decorative lighting - in addition to the streetlights from the road which give way to the old houses with a European flair (Oman was occupied by

India is full of beautiful 'hill stations,' towns in the hills and mountains built by the British as a getaway from the heat of cities down below. And ensconced 2,084 meters (6,837 feet) above sea level in the northwest India foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarkarand state (an overnight train ride from New Delhi), is one of the most beautiful (and popular of all. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, Nainital is blessed with gorgeous lakes (this area is famous as India's "Lake Disrtict"), anci

Mandarin Oriental

Happy Year of the Pig! One of the most visited destinations in the world, Hong Kong is known for its futuristic buildings including towering skyscrapers, lush mountain backdrops, vibrant lifestyle, splendid harbor, friendly people, traditional corners, and a wide range of restaurants and cuisines, and a wide range of accommodations, including some of the world's best luxury city hotels. Here are five that top my list:


Mandarin Oriental

Offering majestic views of both the v