Here I am on an Air Arabia flight over the middle of the Indian Ocean on my way to a city I had never even heard of a year ago, Colombo. (I am wondering if I should be wearing a crumpled trench coat and smoking a cheap cigar, but I digress) Colombo is the capital city of a country I had only heard of because I am a news junkie, Sri Lanka. 



Sri Lanka is only a few years past a civil war that pitted the Tamil Tigers (never to be confused with the team from Detroit) against the…

There’s no doubt marketers and brand managers are spending lots of human and real capital to leverage the power of Social Sites, especially Facebook and Twitter. But does it do them any good? Meaning, do consumers promote brands via Social Media regardless of how hard those brands try to get in front of consumers?…

When in Lake Charles, Louisiana head to Sha Sha’s of Creole for the most amazing bread pudding.  Life is short so enjoy it.  They take the original bread pudding batter and then deep fry it. When it's golden, they top it with powdered sugar, rum sauce, and Cool Whip. My! Oh! My!

Sha Sha’s concept and design is…

For this year Tnooz shares a study done by Simpliflying where they analyzed the data from a recent …

La brillante carrera del capitán italiano Francesco Schettino podría tener un final de pesadilla. El que fue hasta hace tres días capitán del lujoso barco Costa Concordia está preso, y su cara reflejando una mezcla de sorpresa, angustia y ¿miedo? me…

There is still time to hop a flight to Hong Kong where celebrating Chinese New Year is special with fireworks and a great parade.  The Chinese New Year celebration starts on Jan. 23 goes to February 5.  According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar it will be the Year of the Dragon 4710.  The flight to Hong Kong from New…

On a mild December night, I took my husband for a surprise visit to an independent bookstore in Brooklyn to give…

From Kenya’s capital, Nairobi to the Samburu Game Lodge is about 150 miles as the crow flies. But, if you leave Nairobi in the middle of winter, and you’ll arrive at Samburu in midsummer. However, that’s not because the roads are so bad, or the little Nissan safari buses which most tour operators use being anything other than quick and efficient.

The reason for the…

Check out these two amazing winter getaways inSE Asia

One of the best beach destinations in the world is in Myanmar (Burma).  Ngapali beach is long, the sand is cool and soft, the sea is gentle and warm, and there are none of the pesky annoyance found on…

Patrick Smith’s column, Ask the Pilot  is almost always an acerbic look at the airline industry with its many foibles and Alice in Wonderland rules and regulations.



But the regular contributor to Salon, the award-winning online news…

By Roy Heale

You know that you have arrived at a gay-friendly Hotel when the local gay guide is displayed prominently in the hotel lobby along with other tourist information brochures. Such was the case when I arrived at The Plaza del Sol Hotel in the heart of downtown Rosario and the De Ambiente gay guide was readily available in the foyer. The welcoming staff…

It is an honor to watch someone as skilled Tek Roka, the pastry chef at trendy Radisson Blu Resort & Spa in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Chef Roka create chocolate delights at the five-star resort on the Adriatic shore that opened in July 2009. Roka is originally from Nepal but worked for ten years in Dubai where he won first place in the sugar pastry decoration…

Some animals considered the smartest and most intelligent others are just stupid: Here is a list of top 15 smartest animals on our planet

Palma de Mallorca is the capital one of holidaymakers’ favorite islands, Majorca. Despite its small in size, it gives you a city feeling, with awesome shopping and world-class restaurants.

Sun and city on the same trip: about Palma…

Who suspected that Rockland, way up in Mid-Coast Maine, is also known as Pie Town USA? Perhaps you’ve heard of Rockland for its extensive Wyeth collection at the Farnsworth Art Museum, its distinctive rocky Penobscot Bayshoreline…

Technology Fails Locking Guests Out of Hotel Rooms

Guests at the Denver Marriott Tech Center would have loved a set of hard keys to their rooms on New Year’s Eve because, as if by magic, a computer malfunction locked every guest out of…

Tourism Tidbits for January is now on line.  Please contact me if interested in receiving it: ptarlow@tourismandmore.com.  Here is a portion on this month's theme: Luxury Travel.

Despite the worldwide recession, there is one area of the tourism market that is rapidly expanding, that is the upscale or luxury market.  Asian airlines, for example, have not only increased their first class capacity, but continue to offer a wide variety of this new luxury travel products. …

Any trip to Maine has to include spotting a moose.  Wild Moose, of course, but how about a 1700-pound chocolate moose?

When in Maine be sure to stop in Scarborough, near Portland, Maine, where there is a very special moose. At Len Libby Handmade Candies meet the world’s sweetest moose, Lenny, made from 1700 pounds of chocolate.  Lenny was…

Located right in the heel of Italy's boot, Puglia's 6 provinces showcase more than 500 miles of lapis-lazuli coastline on both the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Puglia is also Italy's top olive oil producer, celebrated for its red Salice Salentino wine,…