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A fascinating day trip from Japan's capital, Tochigi City is often called "Little Edo" (meaning "Little Old Tokyo"), a place to immerse and unwind in the ambiance of simpler, bye-gone days, reminiscent of Japan's Edo period (1603-1868). The Tochigi One-Day Citizen Passport provides perks and discounts that make it easy and affordable to explore!

With a population of around 160,000, Tochigi is just a 70-minute Tobu Railway ride north of Tokyo's Tobu Asakusa Station (in the historic Shitamachi nei

Now rebuilding after ousting the régime of longtime strongman Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe remains a stunning African country, with lush national parks, stunning rivers and waterfalls, diverse wildlife and so much more. There are a million things you can do in Zimbabwe, but we’re going to take a look at just five of the best. If you’re planning a trip to this southern African country and you don’t know where to start, here are BookAllSafaris.com’s recommendations

Hwange National Park

Zimbabwe travel

While some people have the luxury of planning their next getaway after barely ending a wonderful week on the most incredible tropical island in the world, others only dream about reaching such a destination at least once in their lifetime. Even though financial status represents the main factor that separates these people into two different categories, they still have something in common. Decision-making becomes an impossible mission when there are so many unique locations waiting for tourists

Asep.saefulloh

Water adventure sports have always been an eye-candy. They’re such a great treat for the eyes, whether you are exploring or just been on a beach vacation. Irrespective of the places you visit during the vacations, you feel the urge to indulge in some type of sporting activity. One such water sports activity that is in vogue and popular amongst today’s generation is snorkeling. It might seem like an effortless activity but it is not. However, with time, experiences and learning, one

The new Sombra "Palenque" in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca

Most of us are familiar with tequila, but fewer realize that tequila is just a subset (made only in the Mexican state of Jalisco) of mezcal, the class of liquor distilled from the agave plant. And the state of Oaxaca is to mezcal as Kentucky is to bourbon and Champagne is to, well, Champagne. If you want to taste mezcal at the source, Oaxaca is the place to go. 

And these days, a new brand of sustainable mezcal is being produced in Oaxaca wi

The Valpolicella in Italy's Verona province is renowned for ancient palaces, fabled villas, architectural jewels like the Stelle Hypo­geum Church, and Valpolicella wines that inspired Ernest Hemingway to write Across the River and Into the Trees. Preserving the region's longstanding collaborative wine making traditions, Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella (Valpolicella Wine Board) was founded in 1924 and now brings together over 80% percent of the grape growers, winemakers, and bottlers that pro

Camping in Long Pond-Beaver Kill Ridge Trail can be very exciting. Connecting the Big Indian Wilderness Area to the Willowemoc Wild Forest in New York's Catskills Mountains, a three-hour drive from New York City, this northerly section of the trail forms the second leg in the 8.8 mi. Mongaup Mountain-Mongaup Pond loop. So you should go into the junction using out tips and guides.

From its junction with the Mongaup-Hardenburgh Trail at 3000 ft., the trail leaves to the south, heading in the dire

Tucked between West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, the state of Odisha (erstwhile Orissa) is dotted with temples and religious sites, where pilgrim flock from around the country. From the sacred Jagannath Temple of Puri to the magnificent Parsvanath Temple and the serene Buddhist monasteries, Odisha has been a revered place for devotees. As you travel down the pilgrim’s trail across five most significant religious sites of Odisha, you will experience an entirely different world in this eastern Indi

If you’re looking for great local food at reasonable prices, the slopes of an international ski resort are probably not the best place right? In most resorts, Niseko, on Japan's northern Hokkaido island an eight-hour train ride from Tokyo, just might be the exception. Authentic Japanese food cooked with fresh, seasonal ingredients are plentiful in Niseko, and for true foodies provide a huge reason to book a Niseko ski holiday. Our favourite picks are:

Ikura don at Boyo-so - Niseko Hirafu

Basically

              photos: Jay Jacobson


by Ignacio Darnaude


If, like us, you’ve been thinking about an African safari for ages but always found an excuse: it’s too far, I have to get vaccines… follow our advice, it’s time to put your fears behind you and embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

When you do, make sure you organize the trip thru a specialised travel agent, the choices are overwhelming otherwise. My goal was seeing as many elephants as possible so mine organised our trip to southern Africa f

            xdrew

Originating as a Slavic settlement in the Dark Ages, for more than three centuries, the town, the small city of Meissen (pop. 30,000), straddling the Elbe River of Saxony, had something of an outsize reputation as site of key events in Teutonic history but especially as the place where Europe’s first hard-paste porcelain was invented in 1710 and developed worldwide fame. That light dimmed a bit as Meissen Porcelain came under the control of Communist East Germany after World

Solvang, two hours north of Los Angeles on the central coast, has been known as “California’s Denmark” since its founding in 1911, yet modern changes are churning like a windmill. Like a page from a Hans Christian Andersen story book, thatched roof buildings and flower-bordered sidewalks line the streets to the shops and restaurants. A newer and modern direction is taking shape while keeping alive the the Danish-flavored heritage of this community’s of just under 6,000.

A vibe has been in the a

Egypt’s top tourist resort, near the southern point of the Sinai Peninsula, features beautiful coral reefs and beaches, shipwrecks, desert adventures, ancient monasteries, and vibrant nightlife.

Here is my Top 7 trips and tours you must go on when visiting Sharm el Sheik.

1. Ras Mohammed National Park by Jeep

Egypt’s first National Park here is one of the worlds most Beautiful places to visit, also known as the Jewel in the Crown of the Red Sea, with over 130 types of stunning coral and over a

          Enrique López-Tamayo Biosca/Flickr

Unlike as is increasingly the case with Christmas, in Ibero-America Semana Santa (Holy Week, aka Easter week and the last week of Lent), going on right now, is still an almost exclusively religious observance, largely sans the Anglo-Saxon-style Easter-egg rolls, el conejito de Pascua(the Easter bunny), and such (except perhaps for some supermarket promotions). But it is still very much an occasion for ostentatious pomp and spectacle in practically ev

Eating out with friends and family is an enjoyable experience, and this should be no different for those with gluten-free dietary requirements. Unfortunately, if you have coeliac disease or a gluten intolerance, dining out can be a challenge. Although restaurants are becoming more aware of what it means to be gluten-free, there are still occasions when this isn’t the case and you have to take responsibility to make sure your food is safe to eat. Next time you eat out and aren’t sure about a res

Sailko


Sometimes overshadowed by Florence, Tuscany's equally ancient city of Siena is also an astonishing trove of history, art, and architecture, and its centerrpiece is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption (Santa Maria Assunta in Italian), commonly called the Duomo di Siena.

The origin of the cathedral is rather uncertain. According to tradition, on the top of the hill the first small church, dedicated to St. Boniface, was built in the heart of the Roman village Castelvecchio. In the

Mahabaleshwar is a charming hill station located in Satara district of Maharashtra. At an altitude of 1,353 metres in the Western Ghats range, Mahabaleshwar is known for its fascinating beauty, ancient temples, gorgeous waterfalls, misty hills, and valleys. This pristine hill station is the source of the Krishna River that flows across Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Mahabaleshwar is one of the top monsoon destinations in India and also one of the best weekend gateways from Mumbai and

Sunshine you can count on, an Ice Cream Trail, a brew trail, historic Old Towns, and the oldest wine-growing region in the U.S. (surviving Prohibition)—these are some of the special treats awaiting visitors to the Northern California Tri-Valley area comprised of Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Danville, on the east edge of the San Francisco Bay area. 

About 20 years ago our family was pondering a move to Livermore, California. That was back in the day before social media or much information

Sydney is the place to be in autumn (that's spring to you all in the Northern Hemisphere!). The weather has cooled down and leaves are falling but the sun is still shining. Most importantly, the event of the season begins - the autumn racing carnival. This means fifty days of trackside fun, with world-class racing action to be seen and amazing events to attend. There are four Sydney race tracks that are part of the carnival: Royal Randwick, Rosehill Gardens, Warwick Farm and Canterbury Park, So

David Paul Appell

In the past decade or two, art has truly been one of the bright spots in Cuba‘s cities, and especially in capital Havana. In addition to a quite fine Museum of Cuban Fine Arts (Calle Trocadero between Zulueta  and Monserrate), with works spanning the early colonial period to just yesterday, these days there are also myriad galleries and shops.

Many of them, especially in Old Havana, traffick largely in tourist kitsch, but you can also find some world-class work in galleries s