dancers

Cairns: Where Ocean and Forest Meet

Asia Pacific, Travel

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. It incorporates more than 400 types of coral and is home to thousands of sea creatures. A Matisse paint box gone mad, among the profusion of yellow sponges and swaying green sea grass are splashes of pink, red and purple. Small schools of blue tang and pink-hued parrot fish dart about. But large stretches of this coral are white, the bleached skeletal remains of a once vital organism.

Darci Murray of Hooked

Teetotal Travel: Hospitality Industry Responds to Growing Sober Movement

Culture, Travel

Who are all these people who turn down wine in Italy, sake in Japan, cerveza in Mexico and ouzo in Greece? According to Expedia’s research, one out of every four travelers hopes to decrease alcohol use while on vacation. This increased emphasis on nondrinking is starting to influence the sorts of cocktails bartenders are pouring, the nature of hotel wellness activities and the growth of the entire travel industry. Indeed, in one recent study half of respondents said they wanted to stay in hotels that offered easily accessible alcohol-free options like mocktails and nonalcoholic beer. Read More

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To Lhasa and Beyond On the Road to Shangri-La

Asia, Culture, Dispatch, History, Travel

In Lhasa’s Barkhor Square, the weathered Tibetan woman softly intoning a Buddhist mantra fell to her knees, looked fervently skyward and then lunged face down on the pavement, oblivious to the commercial life surrounding her. After a few seconds of prayer, she rose stiffly, moved two steps forward and repeated the process. Shoppers flowed around her with scarcely a sideways glance because Lhasa residents are used to prostrate pilgrims

The author at the edge of Victoria Falls

Mortality and the Devil’s Pool

Middle East & Africa, Travel

Eight nervous travelers linked hands to form a human chain, then waded across the Zambezi River to the edge of 350-foot-high Victoria Falls. With the roaring mist from the thunderous cascade in our faces, we clambered onto an outcrop and edged our way to a hot-tub-size eddy at the lip of the falls called the Devil’s Pool. A swim in the Devil’s Pool means standing within 12 inches of certain doom while staring into the abyss. As I hopped into the water, I thought it might be the last conscious moment of my life.

Poimiroo - CMT - San Luis Obispo

Cycling California’s Royal Road – Part II

California, History, North America, Travel

Cycling California’s El Camino Real is an 800-mile (1,287 km) epic adventure. The appeal of visiting picturesque missions established by Spanish friars between 1769 and 1823 is enhanced by traveling a route that still looks much like it did 200 years ago. Says writer John Poimiroo: “This is not like the Camino de Santiago in Spain where every community and business along the route expects pilgrims. The El Camino Real runs through open country with few directional signs and services. Along some stretches you must make your way much as the padres did.”

Wolf Fish

Up the Essequibo River Deep In Guyana’s Iwokrama Rainforest, a Wolf Fish is Waiting for You

Central & South America, Travel

The bifurcating channels of the Essequibo River that wind through Guyana’s Iwokrama rainforest are nature’s highways into the deepest, densest and most remote part of the jungle. Macushi Amerindian Mark Andries navigates this complex matrix of waterways searching for Hoplias aimara, more commonly referred to as the wolf fish. For Guyana’s indigenous people, the wolf fish is akin to caviar. For visiting anglers seeking Andries’ guidance, catching the ferocious freshwater predator is a bucket-list experience. Read More

Lake

Picture Yourself In A Boat On A River

Europe, Travel

The river cruise market is expected to grow by $3,206 million over the next three years, surpassing all travel sectors. Forbes reports that industry leader Viking began with four river ships in 1997 and expanded to 79 in 2022 when it added Mississippi River cruises. River cruising is for people who enjoy learning about history, eating great food, experiencing amazing architecture, and meeting new people. Read More

The House of Neptune and Amphitrite gets its name from this stunning mosaic in its dining room

HERCULANEUM THEN AND NOW

Europe, History, Travel

By Beth Reiber The first thing you notice upon entering Herculaneum is how resplendent it is, how unapologetically it asserts itself as Rome’s resort town for the rich and famous. To be sure, you’ve seen plenty of wealthy residents and villas in your hometown of Pompeii, just 5.5 miles away. But whereas Pompeii is a…

Bridge

When in Mérida, Do as the Romans Did

Europe, History, Travel

  By Richard Varr Corinthian columns stand double-stacked across a wide Roman stage, and although chipped and riddled with cracks, the remarkably well-preserved blue-streaked marble pillars add to the splendor of one of Spain’s most visited landmarks of antiquity: the Roman Theatre of Mérida. “Most of it was hidden in a thick layer of earth…