Orhan Cam


In an intensely grumpy, topsy-turvy election year in the United States, many politicians and citizens alike just love to inveigh against Washington and all it stands for. But as an urban experience, I can tell you as a former resident that DC can be a wonderful place to live. And certainly to visit - as many Americans do every year. And especially now, as they begin a long holiday weekend for their Independence Day on July Fourth, those who hit the road and make a week of it – especiall

In the warm waters of the Golfo Dulce in southern Costa Rica, Pacific humpback whales are about to arrive on their annual migration to mate, give birth and socialize from July to October.


A spray of water erupted from the placid blue-green water a few hundred yards off the beach. The long, black and barnacled form of a mother humpback whale surfaced gracefully for air. Our little group standing on the concrete pier pointed excitedly at the huge whale. Then we gasped in delight as we suddenly

by José Alejandro Adamuz


Hilly and cosmopolitan, north Portugal's home of port wine is definitely a place to wander, to lose yourself in its alleyways, stop at its lookout points, and marvel at the sunset and the sky filled with seagulls. With its slightly melancholic air, the country's second largest city is a Portuguese jewel to be discovered from all facets.

From Above

Porto is full of superb lookout points, as the city rises in increments from the Duero River estuary to the surrounding hil

Astride the River Clyde in the western Lowlands, Scotland’s largest city (pop. 1.75 million/greater metro area 2.2 million) is also, in the estimation of many, its most exciting, the grand neoclassical architecture of the past is joined by 21st-century starchitecture (the 2006 Clyde Arc, aka, both now a backdrop to a renaissance that’s been booming since the 1980s in the arts, design, culture, shopping scene, and other areas. And summer is when locals and visitors alike enjoy this heady mix of

photo |  holbox

Several weeks ago, I wrote about top vacation beaches in Croatia, France, and Greece . Here's the second half, covering Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey - all hugely popular with Europeans as well as vacationers from across the world. In the market for some sun, sand 'n' surf this summer? Check out this bunch: 

Italy

The Italian boot being surrounded by water, it boasts a serious abbondanza of spiaggie here. The problem for me, though, has always been that too many are too overr

You have many opportunities for stepping back in time when exploring Connecticut's coastline. One stellar example is the Saybrook Point section of Old Saybrook Connecticut, situated at the confluence of the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound 100 miles equidistant from Boston and NYC. Before interstate highways and multi lane bridges dominated the transportation landscape, a railroad roundhouse marked the spot along with ferry docks that shuttled passengers across the river up until the 1920

The thought of a flight delay can fill any roving traveller with dread, but fear not, after much travelling we have found the best airports to get stranded in:

1. Geneva Airport, Switzerland

You have just returned a car hire in Geneva airport and you’re ready to check in for your return flight home when disaster strikes, they tell you your flight has been delayed for 4 hours! You should take this as a perfect opportunity to head for the airport shops and treat yourself, or buy those last minute

Oktoberfest will take place for the 179th time and rock & roll Munich for almost 3 weeks. The beer feast will begin on 22 September and run till 7 October this year. The city will change into a folk festival with people wearing traditional Bavarian outfits all these days. You will find it surprising to see women hurrying to work on bike in colourful Dirndl (traditional Bavarian dress) in the early morning. Men wear leather trousers and chequered shirts in the office and Wiesn - where the Oktober

photo: LEE SNIDER PHOTO IMAGES


by Myrna Katz Frommer and Harvey Frommer

Recently we needed a place to stay for an appearance for both of us at the National Press Club Book Fair in Washington, D.C. to promote our books It Happened in Miami and When It Was Just a Game: Remembering the First Super Bowl.

How fortunate could we be – right across the street from where we were to appear – DC's property of choice – the historic Willard InterContinental Hotel.

The Willard is a landmark hotel, a stately

Salvador da Bahia has one of most passionate and distinctive culinary traditions in all of Brazil, thanks in large part to the huge African influence on its culture. The African customs (such as the use of dendê (palm) oil, a typical Bahian ingredient) are fused with European and also native traditions, resulting in intense and exotically-tropical dishes.

From small bars on the beaches and streets of the city to sophisticated restaurants, there is a multifaceted and vast range of culinary options

The famous San Francisco sea lions that occupy prime dock space on Pier 39 first appeared there shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Then in 2009, they mysteriously disappeared for three months. Where did they go? 

Oregonians believe that the celebrity sea lions headed north to holiday on the turbulent and exciting shores of the central coast of Oregon. To be exact, they headed for the famous Sea Lion Caves in Florence. 

As evidence, the Oregon locals point to the massive increase in

Costa Rica is one of the hottest holiday destinations of 2016, but planning a vacation to Costa Rica can be overwhelming given the seemingly endless choices of what to do, and where to go and stay. A simple Google search for “Costa Rica vacations” yields close to 78 million results!

Who has the time to research all of that information? You just want a vacation, right?

To help you plan your perfect Costa Rica vacation, see these essential insider travel tips from travel expert Eliot Greenspan of Co

Most cruise ships sailing the Aegean Sea call at the island Santorini. Although none of the harbours can accommodate larger ships, and they have to anchor, and transfer their passengers ashore by tender, it is nonetheless quite popular.

Santorini owes its crescent shape and steep cliffs to a cataclysmic volcanic eruption in 1450 BC, which left the world’s biggest caldera, or crater. All that remained were the main island, the neighbouring island of Thirassia and the outlying islet of Aspronissi

T

by Cristóbal Ramírez


The hopping, happening district of Chile's capital between the Mapocho River and San Cristóbal Hill these days throbs with both colour and young people eager to take on the world. Back in the 17th and 18th centuries it was of course quite different - in this case a quarter where the colonial aristocracy erected its grand manses. More recently, in the 20th, it became something of a bohemian quarter of intellectuals and artists, most famously Nobel-Prize-winning poet Pablo

Our “ultimate European road trip,” started in Suttgart, Germanyafter we picked up our brand-new Porsche Macan S from the factory, now heads north from Lake Lugano (Italy/Switzerland) back to Germany, at Lake Konstanz.

This lake has multiple attractions, but the two most important to us was that the city of Konstanz is an excellent jumpoff point for the final leg of our journey, and the city of Friedrichshafen is the birthplace of the Zeppelin airship, as well as the base camp for Zeppelin sig

 If you're a baseball fan, you well know how much "America's pastime" owes these days to  the Dominican Republic – starting with greats like Pedro Martínez, Matty Alou, David Ortiz, Juan Marichal, Manny Ramírez, and of course the great Sammy Sosa (right).  

These are just a small handful of the 400 peloteros the country has sent to the U.S. major leagues, and the reason is that beisbol is as popular here as in any country in the world, with a long pedigree stretching back more than a century, int

As the capital of Ireland, amazing Dublin has won the hearts of many visitors, impressing with its mysterious castles and palaces, stunning nature, and beautiful landscapes. 

But while sightseeing is great, many also need to focus on the practical, such as affordable eats. Dublin isn't quite on the list of the world’s most expensive cities, but it's not exactly cheap these days, either. So in order to make your weekend pleasant and stay within budget limits, we’ve selected 10 establishments w

Best for a Night Out: The Savoy

If you want to book a special hotel for a big night out, you will no doubt need it to be near the West End, where the city's best restaurants, clubs, theatres and pubs are located. Where better to rest your head then than the fabulous Savoy, possibly the most famous hotel in London and located conveniently just a stone's throw from Covent Garden, along The Strand?

Best for Museums: The Gore Hotel

If your trip to London is all about covering the major museums inclu

by Myrna Katz Frommer and Harvey Frommer

It seems like this hotel has always been there. And in many ways this is a statement closer to the truth than one might imagine. Construction work was launched on September 13, 1962, just a few years after the founding of Israel itself. Three years later, Israel's biggest and most modern hotel was open for business

There are those who say the Hilton Tel Aviv is still the finest hotel in the city. It is definitely one of the largest in all of Israel. Crea