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Nature & the Environment

Nature & the Environment

Views, glorious views

In this time of uncertainty and - sometimes - guilt about traveling, you can never go wrong if your destination is Europe's Nordic countries - in this case, Denmark and our new affiliate friends, Dancenter. The people of the north have a long history of taking care of their health, and - in this day…

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Aqaba job

"I last found myself here, inadvertently, in March 2020. My planned journey from the Saudi tourism hub of Al Ula to the Yemeni island of Socotra collapsed when the flight to Cairo was cancelled as frontiers slammed shut. Rather than taking that as an early sign of an impending travel shutdown and seeking the fastest…

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Chiribiquete

When people think of Colombia, it is usually of marvelous places such as Bogota, or Cartegena or Medellín - all genuinely wonderful destinations that you must put on your list. But, there is a relatively unknown part of Columbia that goes beyond into an almost magical realm:  Chiribiquete. Chiribiquete National Natural Park is the largest national…

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Don’t worry, you can’t miss it

Location, location, location.  It's all about the location and your neighbours.  It can make all the difference in the world. For example, this quaint home in the coastal village of Plougrescant in Brittany, France, dates all the way back to 1861 and was sandwiched - in an incroyable manner- betwixt two huge rocks to help…

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The reasons four the seasons

As the seasons pass, so does control of them.  In this case, we're talking about The Four Seasons hotel chain. Bill Gates (you, um,  know him from Windows and stuff) will take control of the Four Seasons hotel chain after his investment firm agreed to acquire a stake from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom…

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Boris & Chief Kamanawanalea

This is a different kind of cold war. Russian Fort Elizabeth is a National Historic Landmark and is administered as the Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park just southeast of present-day Waimea on the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi. It is located at the site of the former Fort Elizabety, the last remaining Russian…

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How now, brown cow?

If you visit our site, you will know how much we like and promote India.  It is a massive, crowded, bewildering, lovely and intoxicating place.  The people are uniformly kind and helpful and funny.  The sites are breathtaking.  The cities are a swirl of activity.   If you haven't been, please do so.  And, know that…

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Bloom where you’re planted.

To many of us, this may come as a surprise, especially in this day and age of corporate efficiency. For decades, KLM Airlines have been creating miniature ceramic collectibles of Amsterdam canal houses, and they share them with loyal customers.  Each house is a miniature replica of an existing house, almost all of them in the…

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Let’s eat here

After the world has been decimated by Covid-19, now that the fog is clearing somewhat, it's time to focus our thoughts on those businesses and their employees who have been so profoundly impacted.  In other words, when you can, buy local. Eating locally produced food on your travels may seem like small potatoes, but the…

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Red sky at night, traveler’s delight

China is set to enter the space tourism business. This should come as no surprise to anyone who is awake in this day and age.  We wonder why we haven't seen this kind of offering sooner than this:  the Chinese know how to get things moving. ANU astrophysicist and cosmologist Dr Brad Tucker says it…

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Warm and fuzzy?

Nuclear power - is there anything that is more confusing and even divisive than that?  On one hand, it has the promise to literally power our homes and factories, and with the possibility of doing it cleanly. But, on the other hand, despite decades of opposition by the people, the threat of nuclear arms still…

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How old is old?

There are places in Europe that are well-known:  Rome, Paris, London etc. They're all wonderful, but you really begin to fall in love with the hidden places. One such place is Wales - specifically North Wales, and even more specifically Llangernyw.  Here there is a church that has a tree, and that tree is special.…

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Mind, blown

Some things are easier to comprehend.  But, when governments - especially those who may not agree with each other - make decisions, sometimes you just have to scratch your head and go back to bed. May we present two islands in two countries, two miles and twenty-one hours apart. Not much else to add here,…

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Don’t throw stones

Those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, but they should throw caution to the wind — especially in this shiny glass palace that you'll find just outside of Joshua Tree National Park. Known as the Invisible House, the elongated 22-story “horizontal skyscraper” is like a shiny, dreamy mirage in the sand. This once-in-a-lifetime stay is one of the…

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Driving through space

You're in the clouds! China has never shied away from big projects, and this is just one.  Visit Shimian County and drive this amazing feat of engineering yourself. Ganhaizi Bridge is located in Shimian County, Ya'an, Sichuan on the Ya (An) Lu (Gu) Expressway. It has a total length of 1811 meters, a bridge width of 24.5…

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Don’t save it for a rainy day

It must be evident now that our planet's climate is changing, and not for the better. Are we culpable for this?  Likely yes, in many ways.  Can we do something about it?  Yes, but it appears that our governments (most of them) are in no hurry to address the problem - with lack of money…

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Luxury for cheapskates

Do you cry when you look at the price of flights, and are forced to take the 2:00am option?  Do you find yourself with a black cloud over your head when you are compelled to stay at a 2-star hotel?  And is sitting on a park bench eating out of a bag enough to make…

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Red sea speed

Egypt’s High Speed Railway Project Takes-off As we often talk about here (until we're blue in the face,) rail travel is the future.  In a world of diminishing resources and rising populations, the solutions that modern rail travel can bring for us all are too good to ignore.  That's why we're happy to see governments…

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2000 islands

You'd better get busy . . . Where more than half the country is forest, saunas have a 4,000-year history, and the world’s largest choral festival happens every five years... Welcome to Estonia. Often underestimated as being a small Baltic country sandwiched between Scandinavia and Russia, Estonia is undoubtedly so much more than that. Read more…

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