Blogs

Movies/TV tourism is of course a popular and growing subsector of travel, as New Zealand joyously discovered with Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit franchises and areas of the United Kingdom found in the wake of the Harry Potter films. More recently it’s been the turn of HBO’s Emmy-winning television blockbuster Game of Thrones, whose just concluded fifth season is currently thrilling record numbers of viewers around the world – and inspiring more than a few of them to make their ne

One moment you’re walking along a rainforest trail enjoying the incredible sounds and sights, when suddenly you spot monkeys hopping from tree to tree. You definitely want to get pictures of that, so you go off the trail following the monkeys. Before long, you’ve been so busy looking up and chasing the monkeys that now you have no idea where you are, and more importantly, where the trail is.

You are lost in the jungle.

It can happen as easy as that. It’s happened to me. Would you know how to survi

by Cristóbal Ramírez

As the summer season approaches Croatia's Dalmatian Coast, once again visitors will be back in force to the fairytale cityscape of the UNESCO World Heritage city of Dubrovnik, strolling the cobblestone streets of the “pearl of the Adriatic”.

The mediaeval walled city once known as Ragusa is one of those places where there’s a phenomenal photo opportunity every three metres, starting with its city walls, offering vistas over the red-tiled rooftops; as well as impressive monu

A rocky peninsula reaches into the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean along with thousands of islands (though just 227 inhabited) defined by hot dry climates and diverse cultural influences. Europe's southernmost and ancient country with the longest grape growing heritage. It is on the Greee's volcanic island of Santorini that Domaine Hatzidakis produces some stunningly tasty wines that are now thankfully available worldwide.

Domaine Hatzidakis got its start in 1996 when a small vineyard was

Riding holidays in North America's West are often life changing. For Tony Daly, managing director of Ranch Rider, a week spent at Arizona’s Tanque Verde Resort Ranch fostered a switch of careers from accountant to tour operator. Still very much set in the West and offering over 60 handpicked ranches in North America, the riding holiday specialist recently celebrated 20 years on the trail.

Commented Daly, "When you ride out West, you have the chance to experience a completely different lifestyle a

When I was 10, on my first trip to NYC, my parents took me to Radio City Music Hall.

I was brought to tears when the organs came out the side walls and the orchestra rose up from the floor.

To me it was magical.

Radio City’s two Wurlitzer Organs are the only two of its kind in the world.

Interestingly, the organ players crawl through a tiny door to get to their stools without being noticed.

I have been to Radio City seve

I think I have remembered all the planes I have flown on since I started traveling in the 1960′s. That was tough. I started traveling as a child in the Midwest, then to South America, and then, well all over.

Douglass

The first plane I remember flying on was  a North Central Airlines DC- 3 My father worked for North Central so we flew non-rev, meaning free. We called these planes puddle jumpers.

There are still small operators with DC-3s in revenue service and as cargo aircraft. The common sayi

My journey to the land of the Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis began with a flight to Bodo, Norway, where I boarded the MS Trollfjord with Hurtigruten. Bodo is the administrative capital of Nordland at 67°17’N (the Arctic Circle is at 66°33’N) with more than 1.5 million visitors every year. It is surrounded by beautiful mountains including several islands, including the Lofoten Islands.

We set off at 3pm on what Hurtigruten describes as a "working ship" as they are the

This first in my series of blog posts about extraordinary places and experiences in the Pacific Northwest aptly features common elements found on any Northwest beach—mud, stones and seaweed. But these elements are rarely put to such elegant use as by the pros at Chrysalis Inn and Spa with its exhaustive menu of treatments.

Mud. Check in and schedule a favorite among Chrysalis guests—the Rhassoul Mud Ritual—the ancient ultimate in pampering and head-to-toe beautification from the Middle East tha

With more than 8,000 square kilometers of a land full of contrasts and wealth, a country with its own identity, famous for its myths, legends and traditions, Crete, Greece’s largest island, smells of earth and sun, olive trees and fresh vegetables, rakı and sea.

According to Greek mythology, Rhea hid Zeus on Mount Ida. When Zeus kidnapped Europa, he took her to Crete and three children were born from their marriage. One of them was Minos, whose wife gave birth to the Minotaur which was kept in th

For those looking to relax and detoxify their bodies, hot springs in Costa Rica are the “new, hot destination.”

Hot springs have been treasured for centuries by people all over the world for their therapeutic benefits. Luxuriant warm water rich in minerals like sulfur, silica, calcium, iron and magnesium are rejuvenating, detoxifying and relaxing. Not to mention great for stress reduction. Reported health benefits of hot springs include relief from arthritis, fibromyalgia, skin conditions, and hi

All around the world, immigration and refugees are a hot topic. Europe is locked in a debate as to how to handle the millions of people who seek to migrate there. The US also has a similar debate running through its presidential election process.  This article does not address the issue of immigration and refugees but it does look at how the movements of people impact the tourism industry.
 
Tourism is much more than merely about the movement of people from one place to another.  It is also th

Frankly, you are wasting your time

Let me make this crystal clear, these are my personal opinions and I am sure many people will disagree but it is a question I am asked a lot and I always give the same answer. That’s right you are wasting your time.

all image contributions acknowledged

I have lived in Hong Kong for 35 years and yes to my eternal shame I have not progressed beyond good morning / please and thank you, well actually it is not shame or embarrassment I feel at all, I learnt from a very

The Cinque Terre ("Five Lands") is a quintet of hillside villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, part of the Cinque Terre National Park and with the distinction of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One of Italy’s most beautiful and colorful collection of picture perfect villages embedded in the cliffs overlooking the Ligurian Sea… stunning is an understatement.  Along with all of these adjectives comes all of those tourists.  The merchants try their best t

Visiting the capital of Massachusetts (and, indeed, all of New England) is a treat in uncountable ways, as 16 million visitors a year can tell you. And here are the don't misses:

Freedom Trail

An itinerary covering 16 key history/heritage sites connected to the American Revolution for independence from Great Britain. It includes the Massachusetts State House, the cemetery where various famous citizens are buried; the Benjamin Franklin monument, the Old State House, Old South Meeting House, an

The "Other Down Under" destination of New Zealand is on the bucket lists of many Americans -- and justly so. Problem is, New Zealand is a long way from anywhere U.S.A. Consequently, most tourists want to see as much as possible on their first visit. Our suggestion for an orientation trip to New Zealand – book a cruise.

The Rationale

A cruise will visit several ports on the two islands of New Zealand, which is a great way to get a taste of the entire country – and all without packing and repacking.

Our weekend outing to Lake Casitas, on an artificial island in a Ventura County reservoir some 80 miles south of Los Angeles,  was my first camping trip since Girl Scouts, and this time there was no sit-upon or mess kit.  Camping today is a first-class affair, with all the creature comforts of home to go along with all the creatures, and the rest of nature.

From the moment we pulled up to the front gates of Lakes Casitas Recreation Area (http://lakecasitas.info), we felt at home.  The park ranger

Our cruise only stopped for a short time in Miami, and we believed the best excursion to take was the airboat ride through the Everglades.

It wasn’t the only tour on offer. Miami was always a big draw for the rich and famous. There was a city tour which promised you peeps into the houses once owned by Paul Newman, Boris Becker and Oprah Winfrey … even a visit to the honeymoon cottage of Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher.

I was initially attracted to the walking tour of the Art Deco district … it

The Great Barrier Reef is certainly the gem of Australia. When it comes to planning a Great Barrier Reef holiday, choosing the right port city to stay in can make a big difference in your experience. Even if you are staying on an island, you still need to get there, so you should plan on a mainland port city that offers something you are also interested in doing. Hiring a car with Apex Rent a Car Cairns  allows you the freedom of travelling on your own schedule and adding on any port city sigh

As the Spanish wine industry has grown and deepened in complexity in the past couple of decades well beyond Andalusia’s traditional sherries, oenophiles the world over have become increasingly familiar with names like Rioja, Penedés, and Rias Baixas. But to many, Majorca's Plà i Llevant and Binissalem-Mallorca might still require a wee bit of explaining.

Winemaking an Ancient Local Tradition

Actually, winemaking in the Balearic Islands goes back to Roman Hispania, a century before Christ (th