Over the centuries, travellers from Western Europe have been spellbound by the alluring cultures of the Far East. The ancient adventurers who arrived on the shores of Siam were instantly besotted, and there is ample evidence that a name change has done little to dampen the appeal of this remarkably captivating country. In the 21st…
Special Interest
Located 1 hour 40 minutes by bus from Kyoto Station, the town of Miyama offers a view into Japan's rich agricultural heritage. Designated a semi-national park, the town is home to some 39 thatched farmhouses where people still live today. Miyama spans multiple hamlets that are scattered throughout the mountains and valleys, about 50 kilometers…
Flanders, Belgium is not often a place that springs to mind for many of us, but it is so packed full of history and activities that you should investigate it. Flowers, chocolate and rather robust beer is only part of the landscape here in this multi-cultural, multi-lingual country in Europe. Get started here.
For background, Mark Smith, the man behind seat61.com, was an employee of British Rail. Starting out in rural Kent on what was then BR's Southern Region, he was the Station Manager for London's Charing Cross, London Bridge & Cannon Street stations in the early to mid 1990s. After a spell as the Customer Relations Manager…
This post is really focused on a few simple tricks to enable you to hone in on the travel options that you have that are best for you. And by that, we need an already knew two services and ideas that will make your job easier.
Choosing your travel
Many of us are…
Minimise the frustration of planning flights with this new tool.
FlightsFrom.com has an easy to use web interface and in addition to having all non-stop destinations from every airport on every airline, also has schedule information with about 90% coverage. So not only do they show what airlines fly between sets of airports, for many (most)…
The Memon predisposition towards frugality is iconic within Pakistan, but they celebrate their stereotyping as an achievement; a tribute to their enduring prosperity and resilience. The concentration and preservation of wealth, as the last vestiges of power and dominion that the displaced Memons clung to, has been integral to their quest for identity. And while…
Do you ever wonder why, with our human capabilities, we can't sometimes solve the apparently overwhelming problems of waste management, recyclables,litter and the future of our planet? Some organizations and individuals are taking this quite seriously though, and this article describes an airline that actually serves cups that are edible. It makes sense and hats…
Cuba is the largest Caribbean island, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. It lies 145km (90 miles) south of Key West, Florida, between the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas, to the west of Haiti, east of Mexico and northwest of Jamaica. Understand Cuba became a U.S. protectorate in 1898 after American and…
A guide to the greatest imaginary lands, from books, films and cartoon strips, nominated by readers and collated by a maker of lists John Rentoul @JohnRentoul Monday 2 March 2015 I compiled a Top 10 Fictional Countries for The New Review, the Independent on Sunday’s magazine, yesterday, but this was such a popular one that I can now give you…
The Trinity College Library houses some of the world’s most precious manuscripts and artifacts dating back to 800 A.D. This colossal hall is a book lover’s paradise. Known as the Long Room, this magnificent chamber was built between 1712 and 1732 nearly 65 meters (213 feet) in length and home to over 200,000 rare books. Why so…
Just in case you have seen and done everything in the world, perhaps here is something that you might want to try. Maybe you might wish to use it for a charity event. If, perchance, you do, let us know how it goes. Joseph Pisenti of RealLifeLore (previously) offers a “brief overview” of the longest pedestrian distance…
Who says that technology is a menace? This is a delightful virtual tour of Paris' incredible Louvre, courtesy of YouVisit.com Having been there, many times, it almost feels like being there again. And if you haven't yet been able to visit, be prepared to be bedazzled. And here is where to buy tickets when you're…
Great news: You don’t have to be a zillionaire scion to hire a private boat at the snap of your fingers. Ride-sharing app Uber has taken care of that with UberBOAT, originally offering a sea vessel option in Istanbul and Miami. And now, it’s happening in Croatia. Croatia is already a hot spot for island-hopping…
For years, there has been a flight search engine that has powered the travel industry called ITA Matrix. Google purchased them in 2010. The software - which Google still uses - is available for consumers. The benefits of using the took are that there are far more search options than on the more simple Google…
People all around the world just love Europe. With so many countries, and their individual styles and personalities, it's hard not to be drawn in. But, as in many places in the world, Europe is starting to creak with the sheer number of tourists annually - an impressive 6% growth in 2018 - and sometimes…
As the world gets ever smaller, if we're smart we learn as much as we can. Travel is a huge component in this quest for knowledge and experience. And, in the most unusual places you will find situations and opportunities that you may not have expected. This article tells the story of a young man's…
Often times, despite our good planning and best intentions, retirement doesn't often turn out to be the way that we had hoped. It turns out that in many situations, what we had planned is not what actually happens and subsequently we find ourselves with a level of disappointment in our retirement. Sometimes we find ourselves,…
Brussels is often thought of being nothing but muscles, chocolate, and the EU. But it is so much more. In addition to having a very diverse population, Belgium is also one of the most up-and-coming hip places in Europe. This article talks about just one aspect - Belgian love of murals and paintings on unloved…
For some reason, the world is fascinated with Pablo Escobar, the notorious Colombian drug lord. He has not been on this Earth for quite a while, but he still leaves a legacy. This article describes a legacy that you would probably not have imagined In your wildest dreams, and it gets wilder the more you…