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The older man in a wheelchair had found the perfect spot to catch the crowd. After a security check, he was positioned on the path as people excitedly entered Parque O’Higgins in Santiago.

A sign on his lap said he was disabled, unemployed, and seeking support. He was intelligent, too, since he was selling sachets of Eno’s indigestion powder, precisely what people would need after the hours of over-indulgence that lay ahead.

Every year, Chile …

Dear Travel IQ: Can you explain how to use a concierge properly?  Many of the nicer hotels I visit have a concierge, but I’m not sure what is an appropriate question outside of a restaurant suggestion or directions.  What can a concierge do for me (and should I then do something for them)?

Signed: Confused and Lost in Vancouver

Dear Confused: All large hotels and resorts (and sometimes even smaller ones) offer concierge …

There isn’t a single wisp of smoke curling out of the top of Mount Vesuvius as we walk up its stony brown slopes.

A few birds are twittering in the bushes, but we leave we them behind as the path rises above fertile ground. It’s silent, except for the scrunch of feet on clinker. It’s too quiet, too calm. Are we about to get taken out in an unexpected rumble of smoke, ash, flames and …

The thought of India evokes many images to travelers, but none more iconic than the majestic Taj Mahal. Although this wonder of the world is a relevant and magnificent site on the tourism circuit, consider adding a dash of adventure to your Indian experience. India’s diverse landscape and climate make it an exciting destination for adventure activities, including trekking, rafting, scuba diving, camel expeditions, and skiing. Additionally, India remains one of the most affordable destinations …

When traveling with valuable gear, such as cameras, jewelry, and prescription meds, it’s important to take extra precautions to ensure the safety of your belongings. Protecting your belongings is crucial to maintaining their value and functionality, whether you’re a tourist who enjoys taking photos as their travels progress, a diabetic who relies on insulin that needs to be kept cold, or someone who wants to show off different diamond bracelets when dining. We will discuss …

Colombia — The land of drug runners, cartels and kidnappings, right? You might be thinking of the Colombia of old. This diverse gem nestled at the top of South America with coasts kissing both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea has successfully emerged from underneath a less than desirable reputation a few decades ago due to rampant drug trade and violence.

Now, tourists have been dipping their toes back into the country, enjoying some of …

Anguilla lies low on the horizon as you approach by ferry, a landscape at first suggesting less variety than her mountainous neighbors of St. Martin or St. Barths. But distant, outward appearances can be deceptive. Once you come ashore here, and make the easy drive up and down the length of her terrain, you also begin to encounter the color and character of an island and people with a distinct sense of identity.

Anguilla’s history …

The secret to a perfect trip is much like the first rule of Fight Club:  There is no perfect trip.  There is no recipe for success, no combination of details that will guarantee you a good time, no amount of scheduling and booking that will make your time from touch-down to take-off completely carefree.

The beautiful thing about travel is its unpredictability, the glorious way you can plan out an entire day—an entire trip even—and …

Maybe you want to get away from your normal life for a while – to rediscover who you are, or just get some much-needed alone time. Maybe your relationship has ended, wreaking havoc on your plans for that dream trip to Africa. Maybe your best friend backed out of accompanying you to Asia, or perhaps for any number of reasons, you’ve found yourself suddenly solo.

You can see the world anyway. Not only can you …

If you’re considering Venice as your next destination, you’ll have done your research and know exactly what you want to see and what to expect, so I’ll not be giving you a Venice ‘to-do list’ as such. Instead, I’ll encourage you to people watch instead. Step away from the well-trodden tourist path and see where the locals live.

While walking along the cobbled back streets of Venice, which are encased with tall ancient dwellings on …

Bananas, berries, mangoes, and wild monkeys. Get ready to be part of a wild buffet breakfast with the long-tail macaques that live in the Lopburi area of Thailand. Every year on the last Sunday in November the locals pay homage to the macaques by placing tables full of fruits, rice, and traditional desserts for them to feast on amid the setting of the 13th century Phra Prang Sam Yod temple.

Location

Lopburi, known as Monkey …

Quebec is one of the safest cities in the world, especially for women, my new friend tells me.

That’s lucky, I think because I’ve just jumped into his car and we’re driving up into deserted forests. If I disappear, nobody will ever know why.

All such thoughts vanish as my impromptu tour guide Philippe Guerriere starts telling me about the battles that raged in Quebec between French and English soldiers, leaving a stunning legacy of …

My plan, upon finding myself in London with a day off, was to indulge my inner Downton Abbey fan with a trip to Highclere Castle. The Jacobethan “country home” that housed the fictitious Grantham clan was, however, closed until spring so I decided to trudge from my friend’s flat in Barnes along the Thames footpath to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew instead.

As a devoted anglophile, I hoped to find the quintessential Englishness that …

Missouri is often called one of the “flyover” states. The thought is that it’s not worth an actual trip. That couldn’t be further from the truth—especially regarding St. Louis. In this city, you’ll find tons of family activities, and a lot of them are free! Many of these are located in Forest Park.

St. Louis is most known for the iconic Gateway Arch. You can see it from anywhere in the …