Blogs

If you want to make this winter special for your kids, take them to Nepal. Nepal is one of the most soothing places on earth, attracting tourists with its exquisite natural beauty and simple life style. Checkout what your kids can do here this holiday.

Visit Kathmandu's Durbar Square

This is one of the most happening spots of Nepal. The place comes with old shrines with tiered roofs and the dogs are decorated with marigold flowers. The place looks celestial with illuminated butter lamps while Bud

‘Have you come for the concert?’ asked our taxi driver, as he took to our hotel from the station. He explained that, every year in July, Maastricht was packed tight with people who had come to see the André Rieu Homecoming Concert.

‘The man’s a genius!’ he went on ‘If it wasn’t for him, this town would be nothing’

I’ll agree wholeheartedly with the first part, but I’m not sure if his second opinion is a general one. Although I would say that, if not for the concert, I wouldn’t make a special tri

Some of the world’s best bird-watching is in Costa Rica, especially in the Caribbean region at Veragua Rainforest.

This time of year is a special time for birdwatchers. Equipped with binoculars, bird guides and checklists, avid birders throughout the Americas brave snow, wind, rain, and even tropical sun, to take part in the annual Christmas Bird Count.

Costa Rica holds the record in Central America for the highest number of birds counted in a 24-hour period, during the Christmas Bird Count on

Once upon a time, maybe only ten years ago, sending a postcard from Italy (for example) was a well thought out undertaking designed to share your experiences and to mischievously remind your friends and family that you were “here” and they were “there”.

It was a time-tested ritual that has unfortunately gone out of fashion due to the advances in technology.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

In the “Old Days” the postcard process went something like this…..

Imagine you are strolling through a pia

Hilly terrain running roughly 37 miles from Dijon to Santenay in the Bourgogne region of France defines a patchwork of more than 1000 climats (microclimates) producing a wide variety of mostly Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. The sheer diversity of terroir and wines often make understanding the region daunting. The popularity of their renowned Grand Cru A.O.P. also gives many the perception that Bourgogne wines are pricy but in reality, 52 % of bottles from this region are Regional A.O.P.s represent

Its politics kerfuffles notwithstanding, for visitors South Africa renmains one of the continent's most exciting destinations. The "rainbow nation” is a remarkable mix of world-class ecotourism, wine tourism, history, beaches; and cultural and foodie scenes. Here’s a look at the highlights. Woza!

Cape Town

South Africa’s “Mother City” is a vibrant, progressive, multicultural metropolis with fantastic historic sights, dining, hotels, entertainment, and shopping, all against a one of the wor

To ring out the old and ring in the new, partying and fireworks are common in most European countries. And in addition, a few have their own little twists on New Year’s Eve (also known as St. Sylvester’s in some countries since it’s that saint’s day on the Catholic calendar) and New Year’s Day - some conventional, some rather quirky indeed!

Denmark

Traditional foods for New Year’s Eve supper include boiled cod, stewed kale and cured saddle of pork (though fancy steaks and sushi have also become

For many in Brazil, the New Year in Brazil is closely linked to the sea. While many of us in the northern hemisphere celebrate New Year’s Eve warmly clad to shelter ourselves from the cold, Brazil chooses its beaches as the most emblematic place to commemorate this festivity. Every city and every region have their own way of celebrating it but the famous feast of Réveillon is especially spectacular in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador da Bahia.

The fireworks on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, wh

It’s that time of year again: la vendimia, the harvesting of grapes in various parts of Spain, from Jerez to Rioja and Rías Baixas to Penedés. And north of Madrid, winding 115 kilometres (miles) through the heart of the region of Castile-Leon (and of the entire Iberian peninsula, for that matter), the Duero River traces a route through not only some of Spain’s finest vineyards, but some extraordinary cultural, historic, and natural heritage. In short, a European wine country package par excelle

If you want your travel photos to stand out there are a number of tips that you should consider.  Not all of these tips will work for you, but it is best to know about them.

Do Things Differently

To make your travel pictures stand out you should try something different.  There are certain attractions where everyone does the same thing and you should push the boundaries.  When taking your pictures consider the lighting, other people, objects, composition and what you are looking to take away from t

Relax on some sun-soaked beaches, dine at award-winning restaurants and admire some shows on your holiday in amazing Sydney, Australia’s most inhabited city. It’s time you take an inspiring trip to the land Down Under, where sandy beaches, wonderful art and stunning attractions are the standard.

Here are six reasons why Sydney is a must visit at least once in a lifetime:

Sydney Harbour

Sydney, a stunning city on the water, takes an immense pride for being home to the iconic Opera House and Harb

The Puget Sound has much more to offer than just Seattle. If you are planning a trip to western Washington, here is a good list of things to see to understand why people fee so fortunate to live in beautiful Washington State and the Pacific Northwest.

Kirkland's Waterfront Parks

Kirkland is a beautiful waterfront city that offers many fun things for all to do. You will find art museums, boutique shops, and a diverse array of restaurants to meet the tastes of any diner, no matter what your budget

Europe’s cities especially pour on the charm during the Yuletide season, and Spain’s capital is no exception. Here are the top holiday highlights to watch out for!

Holiday Lights

Starting at the end of November, the bright-luces-big-ciudad thing gets an extra festive layer throughout much of Madrid, but of course especially downtown – along Gran Vía, Paseo de la Castellana, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, and so on. What’s more, some of these shiny bits are designed by some of the shiniest name

Christmas markets in Vienna continue to be the hype for most winter travellers. But what if your festive spirit thrives more on off-path revelations and neighbourhood bliss? Here are seven under-the-radar spots that celebrate Christmas in a different way. (For all other local distractions, visit my collection of What to do in Vienna)

                       © Ritz Carlton Vienna 

Punch Closer To Heaven

Cafe Bar Bloom has long boasted to have Vienna's highest punch stand. The rooftop bar's views o

Located north of the Limpopo River in the southern part of Africa, Harare - the capital city of Zimbabwe is a metropolis that has been witnessing a major chunk of tourists from all around the world. Whether you like making the most of nature, relaxing in a spa or shopping, the city of Harare has it all!

Here are five must visit hotspots in the Zimbabwean capital:

1.Doon Estate (Shopping)

Doon Estate design quarter found in the Msasa industrial area is a shopping village that catches the fancy of e

Costa Rica is known around the world for superb mountain biking. In November 2016, hundreds of international riders competed in the 24th annual La Ruta de los Conquistadores (The Route of the Conquistadors), often called the world's toughest mountain bike race. Race founder Román Urbina became the first Latin American to be inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in California earlier this year.

Guanacaste, Costa Rica is a great year-round destination for mountain biking. It’s mostly sunny

How many cities in Sweden – or for that matter, anywhere in Scandinavia – can you name outside the country’s capital? For many of us, the answer is few if any. And yet, the smaller places like Denmark’s Aarhus, Bergen in Norway, and Sweden’s second largest city, Gothenburg, number among my very favorite city breaks in the region – cosmopolitan and interesting, yet in some ways even more accessible, easygoing, and friendly.

Out on the lovely west coast where the Göte River meets the sea – abo

Cape Verde is an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean that thanks to its climate, beaches and landscapes is becoming a first-rate tourist destination.

Boavista is the largest island of the Cape Verde archipelago, originally colonised by Portugal off the coast of Senegal. It is one of the Windward Islands, with never-ending virgin beaches which are an infinite succession of white sand dunes, with coconut and palm trees to make a perfect postcard. This is the perfect island if you want to indulge in

villorejo

Yet another European city tracing its roots back to a settlement of the Roman Empire, the Flanders (Dutch Belgium) city of Antwerpen (Anvers in French) started coming into its own in the late 15th century, and by the 16th had come to be Europe’s richest urb.

Today after rebuilding following devastation in World War II, it’s still a commercial powerhouse – Belgium’s biggest port (and Europe’s third largest), astride the River Scheldt, Antwerp is an economic force to be reckoned with es