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
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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
As a business owner with clients around the U.S., I occasionally hit the road for face-to-face confabs. So when I needed to meet with a new client in Baltimore, I researched hotels in Charm City where I could stay while taking care of biz.
Given my affinity for hip boutique hotels, I checked out two popular properties: Hotel Indigo and Hotel Monaco.
Hotel Indigo had sharp rooms, but the rest of the property looked kinda stiff. And Hotel Monaco’s rooms, lobby, and overall feel - though attracti
Salvador da Bahia, the iconic city of Brazil's northwest, is most famous for its old quarter, Pelourinho, and its Afro-Brazilian culture. But visitors here should also not miss a chance to mix with the locals in one of their favorite going-out neighborhoods, Rio Vermelho, known for its nightlife and Bohemian atmosphere and full of live music, people and places to experience the city’s culinary delights.
If Pelourinho is full of churches, the coastal district of Rio Vermelho is teeming with bars o
Contemplating an escape to coastal Maine evokes images of Clipper ships, rugged beaches, lighthouses, and the most prized lobsters in North America. Kennebunkport is a fine example of where all this and more comes together. Where you stay has a big impact on the quality of your experience, and thankfully your search is now much simpler with Inns Along the Coast, a new coalition of eight historic inns also situated in Bar Harbor and Rockland Maine that all meet five-star standards like impeccably
The UK has so many wonderful destinations that are just waiting to be explored - including some you probably haven't even heard of! Check out this quality quartet:
Edinburgh
Edinburgh has it all. It doesn't matter if you're a history lover, culture buff, foodie or just looking for a wonderful family break, there's no better time to visit Scotland's capital city. We can guarantee you'll fall hard for Edinburgh, which is steeped in history and complemented by a number of attractions and events,
In Costa Rica – a country renowned for its legendary sensational amount of plants and animals – it’s one thing to boast about having the greatest biodiversity. It’s quite another to have tons of scientific research to back up the claim.
Not only is the rainforest around Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure park in the Talamanca Mountains in Costa Rica spectacularly abundant with biodiversity, to date 11 new animal species have been discovered by the Veragua scientific research team and 15 endanger
by Cristóbal Ramírez
Geneva, Switzerland is in many ways an astounding city, with its restaurants offering lunch combination menus averaging 25 euros; traffic of Ferraris and Aston Martins that put Arab sheikhs to shame; businessmen closing multi-million deals behind gleaming office windows; watch brands such as Patek Philippe that most of us only see in magazines; perfectly dressed UN (and other global agency) officials that influence the planet’s fate and bankers surrounded by their bootlick
Why is it every so often we long to be spending time 'away from it all'?
Sure the pressures of modern life can be exacting on our system, but a good weekend usually sorts that stress out. To really get away from it all because something in you says "OK, time for a break" means more than getting away from the daily stresses of our lives - its a re-connecting to that part of ourselves which needs recharging. In a space that supports it, nature.
Whether that be a holiday on some tropical Island,
