In Iraq’s Kurdish region where three American hikers fell into Iranian custody, the attractions for intrepid hikers and travelers are many. Visitors shop for crystal glasses and enjoy long walks in lush mountain resorts renowned for their pistachio groves.

Safety is a big selling point — tourism promoters boast not a single foreigner has been killed or kidnapped since 2003.

Still, in a region without a well-marked border, going off the beaten path in Kurdistan is…

Thai Airways was named winner of the World’s Best Economy Class Airline Seat award at the 2011 World Airline Awards, in a ceremony held in the French Air and Space Museum at the Paris Air Show.

The runners-up in this Best Economy Class Airline Seat category are Air New Zealand taking 2nd place in the category, ahead of Qantas Airways in 3rd position.

1 Thai Airways

Formed in 1988, the airline operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai…

Benesse House is a unique facility that combines the functions of both museum and hotel. Four hotel facilities—Museum, Oval, Park and Beach are available. All were designed by Tadao Ando. With restaurants, a café, and a shop available to overnight guests, as well as day visitors, we provide a pleasant and enriching experience of the island.

Benesse House is an incredible…

It begins with a special place. Your place – your own personal island retreat on the Great Barrier Reef. Beautiful, natural and wild and the most northern Great Barrier Reef resort, Lizard Island is a place reserved for the fortunate few.

The beaches are plentiful, 24 in all, with fine powdery white sand, undisturbed but for the occasional footprints. Your island is for snorkelling, if you choose, or deep-sea game fishing, or diving at The Cod Hole, one of the world…

Nicaragua is a young, multicultural country with an ancient landscape. Over the last century, it has been racked with dictatorship and revolution, but now it is emerging from the turmoil and is poised to share its distinctive natural features with visitors. Straddling Central America from the Atlantic to the Pacific, Nicaragua has jungle and rainforest, volcanoes topped with cloud forests, enormous lakes and miles of golden ocean beaches. From eco-exploration to mountain…

If you visit Argentina’s glacier country, plan to do so between October and April so that you can go trekking on the Perito Moreno Glacier. Otherwise it would be like visiting Paris and skipping the Eiffel tower and the Louvre. The Perito Moreno Glacier is 80 km from El Calafate, the nearest town where you will most likely be staying. Don’t bother renting a car because transportation is included in the price…

Experience Africa close up!

Karibu! Soaring Flamingo welcomes you to Tanzania, a country full of natural splendours. In Tanzania authentic Africa is waiting for you. Roam the endless plains of the Serengeti on a safari, encounter an incomparable abundance of wildlife in the…

Since its opening in July 2002, Le Taha'a Island Resort & Spa has gathered its share of industry honours and has been praised by several publications, including Condé Nast Traveler's GOLD LIST of "The World's Best Places to Stay" in January 2011. Part of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux collection, Le Taha'a welcomes you to a world of immaculate beauty, a timeless universe of sophistication and authenticity.

Located on the secluded Motu Tautau islet, facing…

 Athens, Greece

Think Athens is an old, dusty, unmaintained,  just another dirty city. A  European capital with no reason to reason to spend an extensive stay,  unless you’re a history buff or  in transit to the Greek Islands, think again. Ask anyone in the world, who enjoys a vibrant nightlife, and I guarantee you that they will say, “Athens Rocks.”   Even in hard…

Boston Sunset from the Top of the Deck

It's hard to argue that Boston is not the birthplace of America. Just take a walk along the Freedom trail, and you can relive American history. You too can walk the steps of Samuel Adams and imagine America succeeding from the British, and follow the footsteps of Paul Revere and the Boston Tea Party. Indeed,…

Waking up at 5 am on a Saturday morning is not my idea of a fun way to begin my weekend. However, being in Bar Harbor, Maine, gateway to Acadia National Park and home to Cadillac Mountain, Told by more than one local, "You just have to get out of bed at 4 a.m. and hike up to Mount Cadillac to see America's First Sunrise," so how could I refuse America's First…

There are many great cities in the world either on or near rivers. During my lifetime of travel, I have had the pleasure to visit the many picturesque cities situated on winding rivers. Here are my favorite cities to visit on a River. The cities and the rivers that define them. Because these rivers lends charm, ambiance and culture, and provide the rhythm and soul to these ten out of this world cities.

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