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The Thinking Traveller

The Thinking Traveller

You’re a star!

Trains, planes and automobiles.  There's no getting around getting around. In this day and age, trains are the past, present and future.  There can be only a few competitors to rail when it comes to sustainability and simple common sense.  That's why they are the default mode of transport in so many countries. Mother Europe…

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Fond Doux Eco Coco

As if you need any encouragement to visit the glorious island of St Lucia, we have further tasty reasons might you might want to stay at a certain place -  Fond Doux Eco Resort.  The reason?  Chocolate. Located within the UNESCO World Heritage site of Soufriere Saint Lucia on a historic 19th-century working cocoa estate,…

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Simplify Covid travel with the IATA Pass

The IATA Travel Pass is a mobile application under development allowing travelers to simply and securely store and manage certifications for COVID-19 tests or vaccines. The information through the IATA Travel Pass can be shared with border authorities requiring testing or proof of vaccination as a condition of international travel during and after the COVID-19…

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Let’s all sing a song of aerodynamics

If you're a fan of our site, then you'll know that we reciprocate that with you.  Thank you! You'll also know how much we love to travel and how much aircraft factor into this.  Modern planes (and, to be honest, even older planes) are complex beasts, over-engineered to provide that maximum safety for passengers.  They…

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Large home – 414 years old. Six careful owners.

We recently watched a fascinating documentary about Kumamoto Castle on the Curiosity Stream channel. This impressive Japanese dwelling for six generations of Japanese monarchy has survived battles, earthquakes . . and more earthquakes, the most recent by another Kumamoto Earthquake in 2016.  The last quake unearthed unexpected damage to the building, to the point of…

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Namibia

A traveler's dream is to find an honest, unspoiled and inexpensive place to go.  As the world gets smaller, this remit gets harder to fill.  But, read below about Namibia.  You might be delighted. "Arguably Namibia’s main attraction is nature—it’s a country of spectacular scenery and plentiful wildlife, from camping amidst the stunning orange dunes of…

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Be here and now

When people outside of Asia think of Buddhism, they tend to think about just philosophy and meditation. Buddhists are often said not to have gods, wars or empires. Their religion isn’t about ritual or belief, but a dedicated exploration into what causes suffering and how to end it through meditation and compassion. Although there’s some…

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Emirates are shrinking

Emirates airlines, one of our affiliate partners, are known for their fleet of top-of-the-line aircraft:  one of the youngest fleets in the world made up entirely of Emirates A380 and Boeing 777s.  Emirates fly to over 135 destinations every year.  But, the prevailing winds are blowing, and for a number of reasons.  First, aircraft of…

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This is not a reproduction

Regular readers of this site will know that we are history freaks:  the older, the better - and the more amazing.  In every corner of the world, historical delights can be found around every corner.  But, some locations in the world specialise in history:  their efforts to delight and inform visitors range from the basic…

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So, who says “don’t wait until the lastminute”?

We're really happy to welcome Lastminute to our family of travel providers. One of the earliest travel "warehouses,"  Lastminute.com established the template for how self-serve holiday shopping can be.  And they still have a broad offering, with accompanying great prices. Lastminute are a publicly traded multinational Group and operate a portfolio of well-known brands such as lastminute.com,…

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Affirm your travel plans

Chances are, if you're on our website, you love to travel and see the world.  But, as of this date, with the Covid 19 pandemic still not yet under control, you're concerned about venturing out. Well, our affiliate friends VRBO have an interesting concept - it's called Affirm.  From their site: With a unique selection…

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The Out of Order Warriors

A king who offended the all-powerful Emperor, and then rebelled against him, but failed. How do these dramatic events in China's history link to the finding of 4000 buried miniature terracotta warriors discovered in Jiangsu Province, China? The ancient city of Pengcheng was located near today's Xuzhou in Jiangsu province, and the museum displays 190…

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Aussie hotel floats to North Korea

Hope springs eternal, and this idea almost made it.  But the winds of change, and the tides – literally – sealed its fate.  It’s a long and winding tale. The Hotel Haegumgang is a floating hotel that began operations in Queensland, Australia, was moved to Vietnam, and is currently docked at Mount Kumgang on the east coast of North Korea. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, it…

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Buy land in Thailand

Thailand has everything you want from a holiday paradise – golden sandy beaches, year-round warmth, exotic cuisine and culture, friendly people and a low cost of living. It’s also easy to get to from anywhere in the world and has close and friendly ties with the West. Thailand was part of the “hippy trail” from the 1960s…

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Novica: make an impact

Chances are good that you've heard of the National Geographic Society.  It is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society. The operational management is handled by Walt Disney Television.  Their programs are known around the world.…

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