Looking for an exciting mountain biking vacation? One of the spots on the planet you cannot afford to miss on your mountain bike is Rincón de la Vieja Volcano in Costa Rica. Far from cities, traffic and asphalt, how cool is it to ride around a live volcano?

Over the years, Costa Rica has become one of the top places to go mountain biking, attracting mountain bikers from around the world to ride the Central American country’s roads, tracks and trails, and to compete in annual races.

The amazing m

If you’ve been taking in any celebrity news of late, you’ve no doubt seen that Hollywood types have been especially thick on the ground over here this summer – famously featuring an almost punching out of Justin Bieber by Orlando Bloom at Ibiza Town‘s latest hot nightspot, Booom! Besides these two, other boldface names being being bandied about lately are Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Zac Efron, Leonardo di Caprio, Lindsay Lohan, and Paris Hilton.

But hereabouts this is par for the course, as Euro

photo: David Kay

Back in April while my two teen kids were enjoying their spring break from school, my wife Sue and I researched destinations for an August family vacation.

The four benchmarks that we used in the vetting process were:

1. It had to be a beautiful beach site with lots of charm.

2. It had to be within a reasonable driving distance from our HQ in northern New Jersey.

3. It had to offer land and water activities that allowed for exploration of the area.

4. Commercial mayhem needed to be minimal:  we w

by Phil Paoletta

Whether it’s a summer holiday or a winter escape, beaches are a no-brainer when you need to get away for some minimally dressed relaxation and fun. But there are also certain precautions that you should take in order to stay safe. The beach is no place for stress and worry, so heed the following tips and avoid unnecessary risks.

Fresh Water vs. Salt Water

Some of us prefer the sea, others inland lakes and rivers. And fresh and salt water have significant differences when it com

The Back Bay neighborhood is home to so much of what makes Boston a world-class city. You're a quick walk from legendary Fenway Park, the seemingly endless blocks of Newbury Street's boutique shopping, the Skywalk Observatory atop Prudential Center, stunning emerald ribbons of parkland bordering the Charles River, and inventive dining helmed by a growing community of star chefs.

It's hard to imagine but fair to say that well into the early 1970s, demolition permits for much of what you now see fa

by our man about town Timothy Flapp

From the outside, it looked like any ordinary Second Avenue club.

Of course, the raves from The New York Times in the windows betokened otherwise...

And the tough guy out front looked, auspiciously, like he might be called Max.

So we went in.

Presto!  Instant coolness.  The space waslively, elegant, everyone chattering whichway, and filling up fast.  It was, it turned out, downtown’s hippest alternative supper-club: Pangea, at 178 Second Avenue.

Then this unrecon

photo: The Visual Explorer / Shutterstock.com


The crowds pushed us along, and every now and again a hoot from behind would make everyone move to the side as a motorbike snaked its way past. A clanging bell indicated a donkey and cart were coming through. Bags, belts, shoes, carpets, and wooden handicrafts were everywhere to see. The smell of spices hung in the air and outside every shop sat a man waiting to pounce.

“Hello,” one man boomed. He sat outside a stall peddling shoes. “I have good barg

All eyes this month have of course been on Rio's handling of the Summer Olympics. But this town's used to handling big events, and there's also nothing quite like the massive Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro – the over-the-top extravagance; hundreds of thousands of raucous Brazilians thronging the streets and the Sambodrome; and of course the joyously deafening samba music and dancing that helps give shape to it all. Not all of us can be so fortunate to be flying down to Rio that week in February (i

Now especially in the spotlight because of the Rio Olympics, Brazil is of course known for its splendid beaches not just in Rio de Janeiro but all along its enormous Atlantic coast. Resort distination Praia do Forte is a perfect example, featuring beaches with white sand and crystal clear waters surrounded by coconut trees, all kinds of water activities and sports, luxury hotels, natural reserves with plenty of flora and fauna including turtles and whales, the exotic Brazilian culture and the h

Punks with litre-size steins of beer; festive gay street demos; women in headscarves, sometimes even veils cruising grocery aisles; graffiti scrawled across façades in a bid to awaken social consciences; hipsters on the prowl for vintage comic books… All are multifarious faces of one ofBerlin’s most trendy, bohemian, and multicultural neighbourhoods, Kreuzberg. For most of three postwar decades a low-rent West Berlin backwater surrounded on three sides by the Berlin Wall (you can get the whole

photo: Martchan 


Feet bare, the woman scurried across the desert and up to the jeep as we were about to depart. Smiling, proffering a sizeable plastic bag, she said something which Khalid, my guide/interpreter as well as artist and poet, translated as, “a gift for you.” The bag was filled with fankush, a Sudanese snack akin to Fritos, with far more intriguing shapes: shells, lattices, spirals. Clearly, they’d noticed I’d been gobbling them down by the handfuls as I hung out watching the women

If you’re like me, you’re absolutely entranced by the otherworldliness of what lies off our planet’s shores, you try to don mask and fins and take the plunge into the big blue every chance you get. And Iberia offers so many different destinations to be dazzled – here are some of my favorites. 

Croatia

This country’s Dalmatian Coast is one of Europe’s stars when it comes to all things aquatic, and for underwater scenery, head especially to the Brijuni Archipelago; Istria’s Cape Kamenjak, the Pakl

photo: Ditty_about_summer


A major debate and buzz word within the tourism industry is what is often called “sustainable tourism”.  In reality there is no one definition of what the word means an even less people are sure of how to apply the term.  The word has become so over used that often it has become meaningless.  Often, but nor always, the debate around sustainable tourism revolves around the concept of “mass tourism”, another word without a precise definition. The literature is filled wi

There are few avgeek treats quite as rare and wonderful as the chance to get up close and personal with restored, operational aircraft from the very earliest days of the history of manned flight, the early 20th century. That’s why a “living museum” in New York State’s Hudson Valley, extending from New York City north to the state capital Albany, has to count as one of aviation geekdom’s holiest nirvanas. 

I grew up 20 minutes away from the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, located on a rural back roa

by Phil Paoletta


Paradoxical thing, the sun. It brings life to our planet and makes our holidays warm and enjoyable, but at the same time it also ensures that the most menacing threat around the water actually comes from the sky. Overexposure can lead to skin cancer, but also to some pretty disgusting wrinkles, brown spots, and other nasty damage down the road that will make you look back with regret even if you manage to escape melanomas and carcinomas.

And although obviously you’re more at

Prague and the towns and cities of Bohemia tend get most of the attention from travellers and travel writers alike. But in my many visits and time living in the Czech Republic, I found that the historic region in the country’s south – a bit smaller than Wales and New Jersey – is no piker when it comes to history, scenery, and small-town charm. Moravians speak a distinct dialect of Czech, and Moravia is also Czech wine country, a distinction receiving increasing international appreciation. Here’

Lotus flowers play an important role and special position in both Vietnamese spirit and culture. From long time ago up to now, lotus flowers have been in Vietnamese people’s hearts, life and culture. Contemplating lotus flowers, we can see and realize images of Vietnamese people.


Although it grows in mud, it is not be polluted. But in contrast, it can change its living environment; every where it grows, it turns turbid water into clear one. Lotus flowers have both scent and beauty, but the sc

Food in Hungary's capital stands out for its flavors and aromas, with lavish use of spices (most famously but not only paprika) and generous servings. Prices are more economical than in many other European capitals. Some of the current top tables in town: 

Menza 
One of Budapest's more fashionable venues of the moment, with modern décor,.plenty of young people, a menu combining classic Hungarian dishes and creative nouvel creations, and attractive prices. Liszt Ferenc tér 2.

Cyrano
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