The New South Wales onetime goldrush, no spa town of Daylesford (pop. 2,600) is a quaint area about 115 km (71 miles) north of Melbourne, and it accounts for more than 80 percent of Australia's mineral water springs. I love wine and I love relaxing, and…

In case you’re wondering where is Montenegro, for starters it’s one of the world’s newest countries – a Slavic land once part of Yugoslavia, then Serbia, and now independent for just five years.  And though small (smaller than the U.S. state of Connecticut, in fact) it’s an up-and-comer indeed on the travel scene, with…

One of my very favorite things to do in Budapest when I spent some time there a few years ago was to spend a nice, soothing afternoon at a wonderful old fürdő (bath house). In the day and age of the elaborate luxury spa, old-fashioned bath houses seem practically extinct in North America except for a few…

by María José Cortés Llamas



Carved out of the Amazonian rain forest, Manaus (pop. 1.8 million) has been little known by the outside world, the capital of Amazonas state is filled with contrasts and intrigue, and previously lived through a golden age due to the rubber…

When touring New Zealand, the North Island has plenty to offer holiday travellers. With so much to see and do, hiring your own car allows you to travel around at your leisure on your own schedule and see the sights you want to see. If you fly into Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, then you can hire a vehicle from the Auckland Airport  and start your New Zealand holiday journey from…

Last month I traveled back to my old stomping grounds in Washington DC to attend an event and decided to check out one of the very few tourist attractions I hadn’t already been to (hey, I went to college here, and have been back quite a few times since).  And I have to say, the decade-old International Spy…

Did you know that you can find frogs and toads on every continent except Antarctica? Just in Costa Rica there are 133 species of frogs and toads.



From real-life Kermit look-alikes to miniature candy-colored frogs, …

Whether you motor east or motor west on Interstate 8, you will find the friendly town of Yuma a delightful surprise and a hubbub of activities for all ages. Bordered by California, the Colorado River, and the country of Mexico, this southern Arizona jewel welcomes everyone: road-tripping travelers, retirees, and those who are looking for fun, family-oriented vacations.…

The lighthouse at Cape Byron stands atop the rugged cliffs near Australia's most easterly point, in New South Wales. The stark white lighthouse with its ornate crown was constructed in 1901. 



It contains two lights to warn vessels approaching the rocky coastline at night. The main light at the top of the tower shines its light 27 nautical miles (40 kilometres)…

image: MKB-DESKKART

Our Porsche Macan road trip started in Stuttgart continues from the Lake Garda area in the north of Italy to the west coast and the Italian Riviera.…

Fewer foodstuffs in the world today seem to have more fans than xocolātl, the cacao-based infusion the Spanish conquistadors found quaffed by the elites of Aztec, Mayan, and other Mesoamerica societies they conquered. Back then, it was not…

Our English-speaking tour guide at De Halve Mann Brewery in Bruges makes a point of telling us as we ended our visit, “I don’t care what the boat men tell you, we don’t use canal water to brew our beer with.” Then pausing for just the right effect, she added, “Well, except for the dark beer that we sell to the French.”

Her well timed shtick brings a chuckle from the…

by José Miguel Rodríguez



Several years ago, during a planespotting photo shoot near Madrid's Barajas Airport, I tuned in via airband radio (able to receive but not transmit on frequencies used by pilots and air traffic controllers) to learn what airline and aircraft model was next due over the horizon in the coming minutes.  …

Guanacaste, Costa Rica is one of the most popular areas in the country and a preferred Costa Rica vacation destination. But did you know these interesting details? 

1. Try to pronounce the indigenous word “quahnacaztlan” and you’ll see why “Guanacaste” is a lot easier. The province is named after the beautiful tree indigenous…