Amsterdam is the beautiful capital city of the Netherlands. It is a city steeped deep in 17th century history through its buildings, streets and canal ways. It is home to windmills or windmolen as they say in Dutch – the language of Holland. There was once 10,000 working windmills in this region which have withered down to a mere 1000. They were once used to produce flour, mustard and oil and are an inherent …
Browsing: Features
You drag in your suitcases and other assorted paraphernalia (especially if you have been on a car trip), drop it all in the middle of the floor, and collapse onto the couch. Your trip was amazing in every way but now you are home, and you are exhausted. After several years of travel, here’s what I have learned that makes that coming home part of the trip a little less painful.
Before you leave on …
You sigh, walk on by and sit at the airport’s main departure lounge, carry-on luggage at your feet, and jacket on your lap, only now putting back things into your pockets after the security check.
What would it really take for you to access the airport lounge where you could put your feet up, relax and sip on something refreshing before your flight? Most travelers do not travel first class or business class which …
Dear Airline Industry,
The time has come for you to start listening to travelers’ concerns. Not just hearing, but actually listening.
I have many years of personal and professional experience in the travel industry. My father was a pilot for a major U.S. carrier and my brother currently flies for another major U.S airline. I was raised around planes, understanding from a very young age about respecting other passengers, the flight crew, and airline representatives. …
In today’s world, it’s difficult to unplug for a week while traveling. We are more and more connected and as a result, all that technology can inadvertently make us more attractive targets for crooks. It’s not enough anymore to watch your wallet and be conservative about the jewelry you display–thieves have gotten smarter, and in order to protect your possessions and identity, you’ll have to travel smarter too. Here are some tips to help keep …
I received an invitation to visit an all-inclusive resort the other day and I carefully saved that email as I thought why, yes, I would love to visit an all-inclusive resort. Because they are completely wonderful in every way.
Located in beautiful, tropical locations like Mexico and the Dominican Republic, all-inclusive resorts are often described as a cruise on land and it has been my experience that they are very much like that. When …
After travelling the length and breadth of the country, Heather (my camera assistant) and I headed out of Windhoek going south. It was long and dusty six-hour drive that took us through one of the most spectacular places in the world: mile high paprika-coloured dunes, lilac mountains, endless golden savannah grassland – all dramatically offset by a big sapphire blue sky.
Our tranquil granite and glass boutique-style lodgings – the Sossusvlei Desert Lodge – was …
Think a cruise is a problem-free, no-hassle vacation? Think again. While the recent accident with the Costs Concordia was an extremely rare occurrence, cruises are ruined for people every day for varying reasons.
As with any uncharted waters, danger lurks below the surface. The websites may advertise smooth sailing — after all, they’re flashy websites created by the marketing department — but as a travel professional, I have had many cruises go down the drain.…
Most of the bases for cruising have already been covered: We know how to keep your floating vacation afloat, how to find the best ships for singles, how to survive a cruise with Norwalk virus and how to cruise with the kids. But, as recent news stories have warned us, there may be a dark side to cruising for those who are not prepared.
Terry Riley, Ph.D., author of the book Travel Can Be Murder…
If you have ever done any air traveling in a post-911 world, the three most dreaded words tend to be “TSA Security Checkpoint”. Well, fear no more. The agency, in a recent press release, has offered some relief to travelers who are wary of taking off their shoes and being groped just to fly home to visit grandma.…
Somewhat dishevelled in my saggy seated Bermuda’s, I passed through customs and sashayed into the arrivals hall at Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport. A sign bearing my name was flashed by the chauffer sent to deliver the SUV I’d hired.
As I was low on time, a quick vehicle overview was conducted in the airport car park. It was a Nissan double-cab, kitted out for high-end self-drive safari excursions; it came complete with a roof …
The Sunderbans Bengal Tiger Reserve takes some finding; and getting to it is no mean feat either as the three-hour road trip to Basanti from Kolkata is rough and regularly found my rickety taxi at the bottom of deep potholes which caused it to strain every metal sinew to escape, only to continue on a sea of corrugations that made it creak and rattle in protest.
I arrived at Basanti, where my ferry waited, in …
Excuse me. Sir! You there. I have a request. No, not you nice man. You go on about your day and enjoy your vacation.
I’m speaking to the other gentleman, the one who is so incapable of controlling his impulses that he just chucked that small boy overboard. Oh! That was your son, and you were just playing? I see.
Well, I’m also talking to that lady over there who thinks it’s funny to draw …
Welcome to the wonderful world of crowdsourcing. Everyone is an expert on everything and thanks to sites like TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Angie’s List there are now platforms for everyone to display their expertise. Well, sort of.
First of all, let me be clear, TripAdvisor can be an incredibly valuable tool for today’s traveler. But like any tool, for it to be effective, it needs to be handled properly. Not many nails get driven with the …