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Costa Rica has been a popular destination for North American expats for decades. And this happy country recently was again named one of the best countries to retire.

Why is Costa Rica such a great place to live?

Stability & Safety

Located in between Nicaragua and Panama in Central America, and with two coastlines (Caribbean and Pacific), Costa Rica has had a stable democratic government for almost 70 years. Costa Rica also avoided most of the conflicts that plagued its Central American neighbors i

One glance up Princess Street is enough to give anyone a boost. Blokes in kilts play the bagpipes alongside businessmen; locals take their dogs out for a stroll; groups of lads hang out downing pints of beer; and thousands of tourists peruse the shops. The main street in the centre of Edinburgh is quite smart, as are many parts of the downtown.

Though Scottish politicians may be currently locking horns with the mandarins in London over the question of devolution, the atmosphere in Scotland‘s capi

Author's blog

Traveling through space is geography.  Traveling through time is history.  I just finished reading the Travels of Marco Polo and Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux simultaneously; okay, actually I was alternating between them.  As fate would have it, they’re traveling somewhat the same route, at least part of the way.  No I didn’t plan it that way.  If I had, then it wouldn’t be serendipity.  I like that word, and I like the meaning behind it—the happy accident, the brilliant mist

PatricioHidalgoP



For years I had this kinda funny (as in funky, not ha-ha) tree growing right smack in the middle of my front yard in Miami. It was admittedly not a particularly cuddly or friendly looking bit of botany, its trunk dramatically prickling all over as it is with stubby conical thorns. But for me it’s all about the mystique, being as it is a ceiba (English names include “kapok,” “silk cotton,” and “silk floss”). This is a genus of tropical flora which though found as far afield as

The vast majority of visitors to Bath find themselves entranced by the city's elegant architecture and its charming setting, nestling among the hills of the southern edge of the Cotswolds.  Not so Jane Austen, who allegedly hated the city, and had to be dragged there against her will in 1801 when her father moved the family to Bath upon his retirement.  Jane's antipathy towards the city almost undoubtedly provided the inspiration for the main character of her novel Persuasion, Anne Elliott, who

Pilots fly guests to Santa Rosa Island, where they explore forests, beaches, and a historical ranch on foot or in four-wheel-drive vehicles.

To begin this 5 1/2-hour excursion, pilots whisk passengers away on a 25-minute flight in a Britten-Norman Islander, across a stretch of the Pacific to the hilly, grass-strewn Santa Rosa Island. Upon landing, enjoy a self-packed picnic lunch on a secluded beach or on one of the cliffs that overlooks the water. After lunch, visit popular attractions on the

The tour started of with an early morning breakfast and on to our jeepney ride, which would take us to the rice terraces and one of the surrounding villages. Jeepneys are popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were originally left over US military jeeps from World War II that were stripped down to accommodate more seating and of decorated with a very vibrant spectrum of colors and several different chrome decorations. One cannot go through the streets of Manila witho

More and more people are beginning to realise that travel insurance is a very important part of any comprehensive plan to have a fun, healthy and successful trip. Plans vary greatly when it comes to what they do and do not cover, but most people will definitely find a plan that fits their needs perfectly. The risks covered by travel insurance plans are very significant, and having coverage would be a very big mitigating factor to those risks. Accidents, emergency evacuation, terrorism, bankrupt

Iceland is the best place in the world to see the beauty of the glaciers surrounded by huge mottled fields with cracks. Holidays in Iceland with amazing Iceland Glaciers will be the unbelievable trip for the any travellers.

Experience, too, the most beautiful, enhancing and charming majestic waterfalls in Iceland. It gives the visitor an opportunity to walk behind the water falls. Holiday in Iceland with majestic waterfalls will be an unexpectable experience for all tourists.

Iceland is a ve

The exuberance of the Amazon’s flora and fauna is unique throughout the world. One of the most interesting and exciting trips that you could ever take in your life is a cruise along this fascinating river. Brazil's Rio Negro river, the powerful tributary of the North Basin, is often the setting for most of the cruises and expeditions departing from Manaus, the most common access path to the Amazon. Personally, we recommend access by boat because, although the aerial view is spectacular, you do n

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