While driving a back road in Nicaragua last winter, threading through the usual chaos of livestock, ox carts, bicycles and other variable-speed vehicles, I did a double take when I saw a young man riding a big, tawny cow that was saddled up like a horse. He was herding a bunch of cattle that was asserting its right to the roadway as surely as a monster truck. We were on island of Ometepe, in Lake Nicaragua, and it felt like the land that time forgot. That sensation that could apply to all of Nicaragua. After decades of revolution and counter-revolution in the 1990s, the country has returned to the somnolence we expect of a Central American backwater – but it has also been enjoying a peace dividend, and one of the payouts is the interest it is attracting as a memorable place to visit. Nicaragua has much to offer: empty beaches, exotic wildlife, tropical forests, recreational activities, hotels and restaurants up to the standards of, say, Mexico or Costa Rica. And it’s considerably cheaper than Costa Rica. In fact, Nicaragua is a lot like its next-door neighbour was 30 years ago before it was overrun by norteamericanos. So now is the time to go, before the charter-flight hordes descend.Read More
Friday, December 02, 2011
Nicaragua
Monday, August 29, 2011
Bonn, Germany
A long-awaited visit to Bonn and its Beethoven-Haus museum yields treasures for a fan of the composer.Ever since my mom gave me the complete works of Ludwig van Beethoven — the best birthday present I ever got — I'd wanted to make a pilgrimage to Bonn, the composer's birthplace, to soak up the atmosphere and look for clues to his genius.
Turkey
Turkey is changing fast. And it's modernizing fast. For a vacation recent, I hit the road in Turkey, with romantic memories (a few years old) of horse-drawn carriages and villages with economies powered by hay, dung,...
Paris
Delicious destinations for tea and its accompaniments can be found in some of the chicest corners of Paris.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Paris
There are so many ways to eat well in Paris but still save money: eat picnics, spend your restaurant euros at lunch instead of dinner, have your latté at the counter instead of at a table.
11 best ways to see Hawaii
There really is just one cardinal rule to enjoying a Hawaiian vacation: relax -- you are in Hawaii.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Burning Man's energy lights up the Nevada desert
White, gray, and laced with cracks, the Black Rock Desert playa stretches for miles in every direction. Flat as the ancient sea it once was, hot, stark, and often windy, this barren moonscape is filled with exuberance and alive...
Galapagos Islands
The sea lion nursed her pup under a prickly pear cactus while an iguana clumsily marched away. A tiny penguin waddled on a rock while red and orange crabs clung to the craggy surface below.
48 hours in Bogota, Colombia
Colombia's capital city lures tourists with its mild year-round weather, booming nightlife and its museums about gold, emeralds and the artist Fernando Botero.
Tunisia
Long known for its sea, sand and sun, Tunisia has a new claim to fame, as the birthplace of the Arab Spring.
Santiago de Compostela (Spain)
In a city famous for being a spiritual destination, a new arts center has the potential to turn it into a 21st-century beacon of culture as well.
Santiago de Compostela (Spain)
Santiago de Compostela is proudly crowing about a new and decidedly modern draw: a spectacular structure called the City of Culture of Galicia.
Sardinia
A summer playground for Hollywood a-listers, European elites as well as us ordinary mortals, the Italian island of Sardinia is the place to go for sea, sun and celebrities.
Traveling with disabled kids
Traveling with children is difficult, but when children have disabilities, it can be overwhelming for parents to plan even a weekend getaway. Parents who've been there say the rewards are worth it.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Cruise History Lesson: Women of the Gold Rush
Learn about the female travelers who dared to travel to Alaska during the Gold Rush, plus find out which shore excursions include panning for gold, visiting ghost towns, touring saloons, and more.
Safari experts on 'trip of a lifetime'
Observing lions and elephants at the zoo is fun, but watching them roam their natural habitat in Africa will shoot tingles up your spine.
Three Travel Logs for your Summer Staycation
Couldn't afford that scuba trip in Indonesia? Didn't have time to hike the Grand Canyon? Me Neither. Fortunately for those of us who couldn't quite make it out of town this summer, there's an alternative route for exploration and all you need is a couch, a cold drink, and these three books.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
24 romantic honeymoon destinations
Every couple will imagine something different when planning their perfect honeymoon, but these destinations make focusing on each other easy. Read More
Top Princess Experiences at Walt Disney World
At Disney, your little princesses can eat, sleep, and dress up just as princesses should. They can also hobnob with Cinderella, Belle, and other Disney royals. Read More
10 popular travel scams around the world
You may have heard of, or fallen victim to, the old "catch my baby while we pick your pockets" scheme. The new class of tourist rip-off makes that look like chump change. Read More
Amsterdam
The Dutch summer weather might be a bit unpredictable, but even if the weather isn't agreeable, Amsterdam's urban beaches provide some worthwhile destinations. Reader More
Monday, August 15, 2011
Florida Keys
Whether by sea or by air, there are plenty of natural diversions in coming months in the Florida Keys. Read More
Friday, August 12, 2011
Namibia: Desert, ghost town and the Skeleton Coast
The southwest African country is sere but breathtaking, with an impressive canyon, otherworldly landscapes, posh lodges and a town right out of Bavaria. And the night sky? Impressive. Read More
Tambo del Inka Resort and Spa, Peru
This 2011 Gold List treasure beautifully fits the topography of the Sacred Valley: Accommodations face either the Urubamba River or the Chicón glacier for stunning views. Spend the day on the Quinoa Trail, kayaking and biking through quinoa-intensive landscapes, concluding with a quinoa facial back at the spa. And if you think you've had enough pampering at the hotel's two-pool, 12-treatment-room sybaritic centerpiece, there's a railway station right on the property for easy day trips to Machu Picchu. Read More
The Secret Cities of Yemen
Yemen has been in the news a great deal recently – because of the civil unrest there. Yet little attention has been paid to the country itself – particularly its rich and surprising architectural heritage. So little known outside the country, this remarkable architecture has survived hundreds of years. Take a look at the 'secret cities' of Yemen. Read More
Hawaii's hottest spots for lava lovers on a budget
If certain travel brochures are to be believed, red-hot streams and scarlet fountains of lava pour forth nonstop on the island of Hawaii. While it's true that Kilauea has been continuously erupting since 1983... Read More
8 trips for animal lovers
Riding on elephants is cool, but helping them live well is cooler. That's the thought behind voluntourism -- travel that lets visitors help out along the way. Read More
'Hanok' guesthouses, South Korea
For budget travelers looking for local experience, South Korea now offers "hanok" guesthouses, which are traditional Korean courtyard houses. Read More
Honduras
Diving is big at Anthony's Key Resort on the Honduran island of Roatán. Kids and adults can train. There to assist: friends with big smiles.
Hector looks at me with disappointment. His eyes, 8 inches from my own, express pity for my inability to locate things at the bottom of the ocean. He buzzes the area next to where I am digging in the sand, gives me that there's-nothing-there-idiot look again, shows me his teeth (an encouraging smile?) and darts off to assault a school of fish. Read More
Alaska
As we soared through the air in what seemed like a fishbowl with wings, everything vibrated with engine thunder. Squeezed behind the bush pilot in a tiny two-seater Piper Super Cub, I might have felt claustrophobic if it weren't for the views. Soaking in green rolling tundra, the roiling Nelchina River and the glacier-encrusted peaks of the Chugach Mountains, I felt as close to the transcendent reverie of Ralph Waldo Emerson as I could imagine. Flying a few hundred feet above Alaska was absolutely exhilarating. Read More
Glacier National Park, Montana
I didn't know whether to wear a tank top or ski pants.
That's the kind of fashion conundrum you face at Glacier National Park. As a ranger at this 1 million-acre reserve in northern Montana pointed out, you never know what a trail here will look like. One day, it could be buried in snow. The next, it could be sprouting a forest of Douglas firs. Read More
How to haggle in Europe
Bargaining may not come naturally at first, but it can save you money and actually be fun.
At Europe's lively open-air markets and bazaars, bargaining for merchandise is the accepted and expected method of setting a price. Whether you're looking for door knockers or hand-knitted sweaters, seize the chance to bargain like a native. It's the only way to find a compromise between the wishful thinking of the seller and the souvenir-driven lust of the tourist. Read More
At Europe's lively open-air markets and bazaars, bargaining for merchandise is the accepted and expected method of setting a price. Whether you're looking for door knockers or hand-knitted sweaters, seize the chance to bargain like a native. It's the only way to find a compromise between the wishful thinking of the seller and the souvenir-driven lust of the tourist. Read More
Spooky places
The travel Web site IgoUgo compiled a list of 10 mysterious destinations, sure to give any traveler the shivers. Read More
America's 25 most expensive restaurants
What recession? Bundle just released a list of the 25 most expensive restaurants in America, and you'd never know the economy was still faltering. Your average diner would definitely require a stimulus package to pay the check. Read More
Costa Rica
Nadine Hays Pisani and her husband were desperately seeking a permanent vacation. So they came up with a bold plan: Sell everything and find a country with a warm climate and a low cost of living. They settled on Costa Rica. Read More
Cozumel, Mexico
The Condumel Condominiums boast luxury, privacy, and a true local feel in just ten one-bedroom apartments. Stay at this modest Mayan-style sanctuary for a week, and you just might consider spending a lifetime peeling papayas in the kitchen, snorkeling off the terrace, and soaking in the bathtub. [Read More]
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