There are two types of food in the world: Italian food and the rest. And pizza? It’s so prevalent here in the US, and with so many local versions, that many of us make the mistake of thinking it’s a local invention, along with the car (Germany), badminton (made by bored Brits in India), or [...]
Sure, hit the big sights (they’re big for a reason), but take the time to do some live-it-like-a-local exploring. Staffer Ali Lemer, a NYC native, has some suggestions.
Shop at a Farmers Market
Farmers Markets featuring fresh, local produce – fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meats, baked goods, flowers, etc – abound throughout the five boroughs. You’ll find them [...]
Continue reading about Get off the tourist trail in New York
A year after Cancun tourism suffered hits from multiple quarters, the iconic party town is hopping once again. All-you-can-drink deals, anyone?
Mexico’s spring break king, Cancun, is rebounding quickly from last year’s triple blow to its tourism industry caused by the country’s swine flu epidemic, drug violence and a global economic crisis.
Those worries couldn’t compete this [...]
You don’t need to go for the glitz to have a family vacation whose memories will last a lifetime for you and, more importantly, your kids. Here are 15 can’t-miss adventures, from sea to shining sea.
When the Wilson family needs a break from their everyday life in Orlando, they often embark on one of the [...]
Disney’s Magic Kingdom
Disney’s Magic Kingdom offers an incredible array of recreational activities, shopping and dining experiences, as well as world-class accommodations.
Gatorland
Gatorland houses thousands of alligators (including a rare blue one) and crocodiles on its 70-acre spread.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Disney’s Animal Kingdom combines exotic animals, elaborate landscapes of Asia and Africa, and prehistoric lands of the dinosaur. [...]
Population 623,680 (greater metropolitan area)
Visitors per year 4.3 million
Language English, y’all!
Unit of currency US dollar ($)
Cost indexdowntown hotel double $100-400, plate of shrimp and grits $12-18, one-hour carriage tour $20
The best-mannered city in America
If Charleston were a person, she’d be an achingly beautiful debutante in a white dress, gardenias in her hair. From a venerable [...]
Continue reading about City snapshot: Charleston, South Carolina
Strung out along the shoreline of Lago Nahuel Huapi, in the middle of the national park of the same name, Bariloche (formally San Carlos de Bariloche) has one of the most gorgeous settings imaginable. This, combined with a wealth of summer and wintertime activities in the surrounding countryside, has helped it become, for better or [...]
The people of the tiny, potato-shaped Republic of Nauru were once among the world’s richest. Formerly known as Pleasant Island (and now abbreviated, more prosaically, as RON), Nauru supplied Australia with abundant fertiliser for almost a century after vast phosphate deposits were discovered in 1900. By 2005, in an abrupt reversal of fortune, Nauru was [...]
Continue reading about Nauru: it is not the easiest place to visit
The air is tangy with sea salt on the thousand or so slender, flat coral islands that make up the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). Living on these narrow strips of land between ocean and lagoon, the Marshallese are expert fishers and navigators, having long been reliant on the sea.
Local faces reflect the islands’ [...]
Continue reading about Marshall Islands:Local faces reflect the islands’ history
As Micronesia’s most populous island, Guam is about as ‘cosmopolitan’ as it gets, so it cops a lot of attitude from Pacific snobs who reckon it lacks ‘real island culture’. Sure, American accents are everywhere (it’s an unincorporated US territory and many Guamanian homes fly the US flag) and the Chamorro language isn’t spoken quite [...]
Continue reading about Guam:Micronesia’s most populous island
Scattered like dabs of possibility on an adventurer’s palette, the Bahamas are ready-made for exploration. Just ask Christopher Columbus, he bumped against these limestone landscapes in 1492 and changed the course of history. But adventure didn’t end with the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. From pirates to blockade dodgers to rum smugglers, wily [...]
Continue reading about The Bahamas: are ready-made for exploration
Puerto Rico is where the easygoing Caribbean collides with the slick efficiency of modern America over syncopated Latin rhythms and rose-tinted tropical sunsets. The result is a colorful, diverse and culturally unique island that is often as confusing as it is cosmopolitan. Hip, funky restaurants nestle next to 15th-century Spanish forts; sprawling concrete shopping malls [...]
Continue reading about Puerto Rico:is a colorful, diverse and culturally unique island
Martinique is for (beach) lovers. And foodies. And divers. And hikers. And, especially, Francophiles. A marriage of Gallic culture and Caribbean customs, this overseas department of France is a sunnier, slightly less crowded version of the motherland. People looking for the more sophisticated pleasures, whether they be the kind you put on your plate or [...]
Despite its location almost smack in the center of the Caribbean Sea, the island of Jamaica doesn’t blend in easily with the rest of the Caribbean archipelago. To be sure, it boasts the same addictive sun rays, sugary sands and pampered resort-life as most of the other islands, but it is also set apart historically [...]
Continue reading about Jamaica: it is set apart historically and culturally
Travel Alert: The security situation in Haiti is very unstable and any travelers should exercise extreme caution. Check out Safe Travel for government warnings.
Let’s not kid ourselves: Haiti has an image problem. Say the name and you’re likely to invoke a sad litany of coups and boat people, tinged with lurid clichés of voodoo sacrifices. [...]