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Outdoors

Outdoors

Get Hippodrome

As ever, the world is swirled and twirled by events, people and time itself.  Even the most powerful must take our last breaths. And where would this addage be more appropriate than in the lands where kings, queens, power, priviledge and treachery were business-as-usual. Of course, we're talking about ancient history (as we do,) and in this…

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Been green

We often have - often romantic - visions of the Sahara desert as a "destination" for our travels.  And rightly so,  as its wonders are legend and plentiful.  But it takes a certain kind of traveler to do that. But, this singular place on earth was not always the stark vision that we have in our…

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Roadkill

It is almost certain that you recently interacted closely with an invisible giant, as the Harvard landscape ecologist Richard T T Forman has described it. Others have called roads ‘the single most destructive element in the process of habitat fragmentation’, declaring that ‘Few forces have been more influential in modifying the Earth than transportation.’  But, the engineering…

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Muscat love

Muscat, Oman, is likely another one of those places that you've heard of, but have never visited.  Well, let us tempt you with a tour to remember. Discover the main attraction of Wadi Shab, a magical waterfall within a cave. Take a 40-minute hike to reach the destination, where you can also dive into a couple…

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Key West for Free / Less

Key West (Florida USA) is everything that they say it is.  Chilled. Hectic. Rich. Artistic.  And, most of all, sunny and warm.  Definitely worth a trip if you haven't been. But like most popular places, it isn't cheap.  So how can you have a good holiday without having to sell your children? Lonely Planet have some ideas…

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In the zone

The EU (European Union) is a powerful and rather marvelous thing to behold.  In addition to corralling 27 disparate countries into a unified and progressive force, they also respect and hold true the values that all countries should aspire to. So, it is both a joy to see that the EU will be including Croatia under…

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BRB!

We here at Matouring are of the opinion that our lovely readers are of the fun, adventurous and curious types.  You like the "new" and are always craving something different. With that in mind, here we'd like to tell you about our affilate friends BRB (Be Right Back) who feature a fun twist on travel:…

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Take your time

There are so many wonderful family-run hotels and inns around the world.  You'll do well to stay there, rather than anonymous hotels. We're featuring The Barachois Inn here for a number of reasons, but one particularly caught our eye:  you know that a place means what it says about its values when it endeavours to…

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Dolomites? Dynamite!

Sometimes, all you need is a nice low-level flight over a beautiful place.  How about Italy's Dolomites?  And when you touch down . . . The Italian Dolomites are divided into Western Dolomites and Eastern Dolomites by the Cordevole creek (a tributary of the Piave river) which flows through the province of Belluno. Dolomites are also divided…

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Close to the edge

Close to the edge, down by the river.  Down at the end, round by the corner. Seasons will pass you by. There are few places as mystical and magical as Iceland.  Still relatively untouched, the landscape shapes its people, and they respond in kind by returning the favour. You've all seen images of Iceland's volcanoes, but have…

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The oldest buildings in Canada

We have to chuckle a bit at this article - the oldest buildings in Canada .  We lived in London where we almost rented a house that was built in the 1400's, so considering that one of the oldest places in Vancouver is from 1921, it's not much of a comparison. But, fair is fair and Canada…

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Light, cameras, action!

If you find yourself hang-gliding through enemy airspace, you'll want to have the best camera to capture the evidence. This also applies if you like taking pictures of bunnies, or raindeer, or Big Foot.  Having the right kit makes all the difference in the world. Read here about some nice, but not expensive, cameras to take into…

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I ♥ you!

Having grown up in the USA, your editor has some ancient knowledge of the tenets, legends and rituals of that country by heart. One such standard is Pennsylvania's Poconos resort area.  Once considered a last-ditch effort for a (cheesy) romantic getway, time has now caught up with the legend and the place is back in action. The…

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Coffee 24×7

When visiting Colombia, it is a must to take a trip to Eje Cafetero Colombiano, a colorful destination that boasts marvelous nature views and is all about coffee. Moreover, the people there are hospitable and friendly, and always smiling. There is no doubt that people visiting the Eje Cafetero will feel at home. The department of Quindío…

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Adios, el Avila

In 1986, at the age of 21, Alejandra Melfo moved to Mérida, Venezuela. There, in the mountain city, she often looked out toward the horizon at the vast Sierra Nevada de Mérida: a large, muscular, towering expanse three miles in the sky and blanketed by snow and the broad sheets of glaciers. As the years went by, Melfo saw…

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Watch for low-flying planes

Wanna get high? Dubai has turned breaking world records into something of an art form over the years, and the emirate now has yet another to add to its list. The world's first and highest 360-degree infinity pool has just opened at the Palm Tower, a hotel and residential building from developer Nakheel that offers showstopping views…

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Show me the way

We've just hooked up with WeGoTrip, an innovative company who create audio guides for when you want to travel "do it yourself." It make so much sense, and can make touring so much more fun.  No noise in the background, no distractions, focused narrative, you can rewind and listen again, and you can use your…

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Take a look at Ghats

How lucky are we that there are so many fascinating places on earth, and that social media has made them so available to us.  No matter how long you have been alive, there is no shortage of new and wonderful places to go.  Take Yana, for example, in the western Ghats in India  Located 55 km…

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Hope springs eternal

As always, hope springs eternal.  Mankind will always correct its errant ways and will always achieve its highest aspiratiions.  And, humans keep trying to make that so. In 1900, Ida Hofmann, a German pianist, and her companion Henry Oedenkoven, the 25-year-old son of a businessman from Antwerp, purchased a hill in Ascona which had been known…

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