Observations of an Unimportant Man
Cancun Diversions
Tags:
Cancun,
Mexico
Cancún sparkles like a gem stone with more shining facets than can be experienced in a lifetime of holidays. Few tropical destinations feature as many vacation diversions. Action centers around Paseo Kukulcán, a 14-mile landscaped boulevard that winds its way down the middle of the Zona Hotelera or Hotel Zone. At the northern end stands La Ciudad de Cancún, a city of over a half million simply known as Centro. At the other, the beginning of Highway 307 and the beaches of the Riviera Maya.
Kyoto - City of the Shoguns
Tags:
Kyoto,
Japan
Ancient Japan lives in Kyoto. This is Japan's most traditional city and its spiritual heart. For more than ten centuries, it was the home of the Shoguns and the center of Japanese civilization. About 200 Shinto shrines and over 1,500 Buddhist temples bear testimony to Kyoto's position as Japan's capital and cultural center for over 1,100 years, from 794 to 1868.
Mexico City's Museums Delve Deep Into It's Past
Tags:
Mexico City,
Mexico
A great city doesn't just happen; it evolves over time. The greater the city the deeper and more fascinating is its history. Mexico City is no exception. But to truly understand it, you have to go deep inside — inside its museums, that is. Some of the best hotels in Mexico City stand nearby.<
Antigua - An Island With Something for Everyone
Tags:
Antigua
Some say all Caribbean islands offer much the same things. While this is partly true, Antigua has, by actual count, 365 beaches, one for every day of the year. But that's not all. It also offers some of the finest sporting facilities in the Caribbean and a fine selection of cozy hotels and inns.
Istanbul After Dark
Tags:
Istanbul,
Turkey
Istanbul is one of the most popular destinations in all of Eastern Europe for nighttime activities. The city itself is comprised of an eclectic mix of both the ancient and the modern, with timeless architecture punctuated by twentieth century modernity. During the daylight hours, the sights and smells of this exotic city serve to dazzle the eye and tempt the palate and by evening these surroundings are transformed into a glittery display of music, cocktails and dancing certain to surprise even the most seasoned party-goer. Let us have a closer look at some of the hottest spots and coolest clubs that Istanbul has to offer.
Winter in Quebec
Tags:
Quebec,
Canada
You're sitting with a friend in a small café sipping delicious French roasted coffee as you share a flaky croissant. The window is frosted and the wind outside blows in crisp gusts. Inside, you're cozy and warm and feeling oh so romantic.
If it's Tuesday, it Must be Barcelona
The Grand Tour has changed a lot since its inception in the late 17th century. Originally taking months or years, focusing on Paris and Rome, today it can be done in a matter of weeks, and for those in a hurry and on a budget, days.
Where Can You Sail on a Budget?
Cruise holidays might evoke images of luxury and decadence but it doesn't mean they have to be out of your price range. Thanks to the array of budget friendly packages and last minute cruises there is an excellent range of affordable cruise destinations to choose from.
Cruising the Spine of China
Tags:
China
China is big, almost too big to see and absorb in one trip. Unfortunately, most people don't have the time or money to travel throughout China on many trips. Cruising the Yangtze River will give you a look at the China of yesterday and today and is one of the best ways to get a good overview of the country.
Easter in the Sun
By the time the Easter family holidays roll around, people who live in the northern climes have all but had it with Old Man Winter. Most look for some place to relax in the warm sun to rejuvenate themselves. The Canary Islands, the Greek Islands, and Turkey, on the European side of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as Florida and the Caribbean islands on the North American side, all offer enough sun, sand, and fun to get any body going.
A Little Bit of Paradise
Tags:
Seychelles
With its paradise-like setting, the island Republic of Seychelles is not surprisingly an idea place for a laid-back vacation. But there's so much more to do than just lay in the sun on a pristine beach or crack open a bottle of bubbly within the confines of a luxury resort on your Seychelles holidays. The Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some 932 miles (1,500 kilometers) east of mainland Africa, is probably the closest thing to paradise on Earth.
In the Footsteps of the Inca
Tags:
Peru
The Incas built a highly advanced network of nearly 40,000 kilometers of trails to connect the distant corners of their vast empire. Cusco stood at its heart, so most trails radiated out from there. An especially beautiful 43-kilometer section of one of these trails, known as the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, connects the Inca archaeological sites of Runcuracay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca, Wiñay Wayna, and Machu Picchu.
Cruising Through the Landscape of the Soul
There's something timeless about cruising on the River Rhine. Today, there are hundreds of boats plying dozens of European rivers, but none is quite like the Rhine. Whether you choose to sail aboard a Rhine steamer, making every stop along the way, or in the luxury of what can only be described as a "floating hotel," you'll experience some of Europe's finest scenery on the river cruise.
A Mystical Show in the Land of Fire and Ice
Tags:
Iceland
Iceland is a special place. In this land of roaring rivers, giant tumbling waterfalls, sparkling lakes, velvety green valleys, stark mountains, and deep fjords, fire exists alongside ice. And far above in the heavens a mystical show — the northern lights — debuts each September.
The World's Center of Fun
Tags:
Orlando,
USA
Location, location, location. So say real estate brokers about buying and selling houses. The same can be said for the theme parks in Orlando, Florida. Beginning with the original Walt Disney World, the number and variety of parks in the area has grown like topsy. Another saying also applies: "Build them, and they shall come."
The Northern Lights - Nature's Lava Lamp
The Northern Lights, also known as the aurora borealis, are one of nature's great displays — a mysterious, multicolored show in which the night sky is suddenly lit up with a wondrous glow that twists and swirls like a heavenly lava lamp. Elusive and ethereal, it's one of the great, timeless thrills of travel, a beautiful, shifting dance of nocturnal rainbows that many viewers find a humbling and spiritually uplifting experience.
European Ski Destinations for all Abilities
Winter is now upon us and for many holidaymakers that means booking a trip to the ski slopes. When it comes to finding the right ski resort for you, there's an endless choice of accommodation, facilities and locations to suit every taste.
Traditional Chinese Culture Lives on in Taiwan
Tags:
Taiwan
Visitors often take Chinese culture for granted in Taiwan. Famous for its temples and museums, inhabited by a population of more than 20 million — almost all of whom are ethnic Chinese — the island is hard to picture with any other background.
Glorious Holmes Beach, Anna Maria Island, Florida
Tags:
USA
The town of Holmes Beach is yet another one of my Anna Maria Island favorites, and I never shy away from the opportunity to visit this area of the island. With some of the most luxurious resorts and vacation rentals on the island and an abundance of things to do, see, and explore, Holmes Beach is one of Anna Maria Island's most exciting vacation destinations.
London's Jolly Good Show
Tags:
London,
England
For decades, London had the reputation of having good theater and bad food. Today, all that has changed as new attractions, along with some of the noted old ones, come into play. Even the food has been made over, with offerings to please every palette. But London is a big city with lots to see and do. Trying to do everything will surely overwhelm you.
Family Vacations: Making the Most of Mediterranean Cruises
In order to make the most of your Mediterranean cruise holiday, it is critical to plan carefully. The following tips are helpful for making your vacation successful.
10 Reasons to Visit the Yorkshire Dales
Tags:
Yorkshire,
England
A visit to Yorkshire is a must for anyone wanting to truly experience the English countryside. Steeped in history, overflowing with natural beauty and home to some of the country's best stately homes and museums, it's no wonder the area attracts so many visitors each year.
The Best of British: A Travel Guide
Tags:
England
We're so used to going abroad for our holidays that it's often easy to forget just how much of the British Isles we've left unexplored. With many people still finding money tight, holidaying at home - or "staycationing" as it's become known - is becoming an increasingly attractive option.
A Quick Guide to Munich
Tags:
Munich,
Germany
One of Germany's biggest and most beautiful cities, Munich certainly has a lot to offer travellers - whether they're just taking a weekend city break or staying for a longer holiday. This quick guide only scratches the surface of what there is to do in Munich: you'll discover much more once you get there!
Last-Minute Travel: Always be Prepared
While holidays can take months and months of planning, regular travellers may find it just that little bit easier to head off on a last-minute excursion. Good practice and a few unfortunate cases of trial and error mean that most of us know exactly what we will and won't need, and after a while packing the rucksack and booking the tickets becomes less hassle, and more part of the exciting travel routine.
Try an Alternative Winter Festival this Year
Sometimes, the things we love most about Christmas can become a bit of a bore. Turkey with all the trimmings, presents under the tree and Uncle Joe asleep on the couch in time for the Queen's speech - why not really get away from it all and celebrate with a different kind of winter festival this year?
Visit the Beautiful City of Prague in Winter
Tags:
Prague,
Czech Republic
There are few places in the world where a visit in winter is preferable, but Prague is definitely one of them. Though it has its charms in the summer, of course, it's a great city to visit wrapped up in a thick winter coat.
Notting Hill Carnival
Tags:
London,
England
For a little over 360 days a year the trendy West London suburb of Notting Hill is a tranquil leafy locale ruled by the latte and boutique beer set. The cafés and restaurants do a roaring trade but Jamaican pasties and blackened corn on the cob rarely feature on the menu. There's more Mozart than Marley. And in the pubs and clubs you're more liable to spot the jilted step of a drunken city banker than the smooth soca of a Caribbean queen.
Football Mutations
For the purist, the beautiful game is not something to be tinkered with, but for the rest of us, there's a world of football half-breeds out there and some of them are worth a closer look. With the Euro 2012 qualifiers just around the corner, now's a great time to cast an eye over some of the more unique variations, ranging from the violent and bloody to the sublimely beautiful.
To Italy by Frieghter
Tags:
Freighter Travel
At night on the bridge the dull luminescence from the instruments is the only light. We are eight stories up, it's tense and smoky. Officers lurk in the shadows squinting through binoculars, ready to act swiftly on any command from the Captain. The radar is awash in a sea of yellow, testament to the scores of ships plying the sea lanes below. There's a din of broken English from the radio. It's not a place for the faint-hearted.
Helsinki By Design
Tags:
Helsinki,
Finland
Finland has long maintained a high profile in the world of international design. Spend a day wandering the streets of the capital, Helsinki and you'll soon see why. With Helsinki due to play host to the World Design Capital celebrations in 2012, now's a great time to take a look at some of the city's most popular tourist attractions, shopping districts and hotels where design takes centre stage.
Cheese Rolling in Gloucestershire
Tags:
Coopers Hill,
England
When you think of cheese, do you visualize a stringy piece of mozzarella stretching from your lips to a freshly baked slice of pizza. Perhaps you picture a big fat block of Stilton, some water crackers and a bottle of your favourite red. Or maybe, just maybe you see yourself rolling headlong down 300 yards of Gloucestershire countryside in pursuit of a seven lb. chunk of Gloucester's finest. If you find yourself falling into the last category, read on.
La Tomatina
Tags:
Bunol,
Spain
On the last Wednesday of August each year an estimated 10,000 people converge on the small Spanish town of Buñol to get down and get dirty. Nothing strange about that, I mean who doesn't enjoy a little debauchery every now and again. It's just the way in which they get their kicks that makes for a memorable, if sticky experience.
Vappu
Tags:
Helsinki,
Finland
On the streets of Finland's vibrant capital Helsinki, there's less purpose in the stride of your average Finn. They'll leisurely browse the food and knick-knack stalls of Kauppatori (market square) or amble aimlessly amidst the newly uncovered greenery of the Kasvitieteellinen Puutarha (botanic gardens). Ice sheets that for months proceeding have covered the inlets of the Baltic Sea meld back to form part of its watery mass as daylight finally begins winning its ongoing battle with darkness.
Crossing Balochistan with Pedro
Tags:
Baluchistan,
Pakistan
A turbaned Pashtun offers me a joint with a toothless smile and a nod of his head before he squats on his haunches. "Afghanistan", he says, pointing to the joint and then to the right of the sun sinking slowly toward the horizon. Twenty metres to my left, a dozen men on prayer mats bow in unison toward Mecca — a thousand-plus miles to the west over brambles and hillocks of scorched, ochre earth. If nowhere has a middle, it's got to be close.
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