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…
Let us clarify that you won't get the blues when you take a Viking cruise down the Mississippi river. But, this article is all about being there. Stretching for 2,350 miles down the United States, from Minnesota's Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico, Viking cruises on the "Mighty Mississippi" offer a different type of…
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…
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…
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,…
During the Nazi occupation of France, 14-year-old Colette Marin-Catherine joined the French resistance alongside her family. ‘We were playing cat and mouse. And playing with fire. Or rather, fire was playing with us,’ Marin-Catherine, now 92, recalls.
Sadly, not everyone in her family would live to see France liberated. Her brother Jean-Pierre was just 17 when…
If you yawn because you think you've seen every kind tourist haunt, here's a place that's really smoking!
There is nothing remotely Elysian about the Phlegræan Fields; nothing sylvan, nothing green. The Fields, which lie on the north shore of the Bay of Naples in Italy, are part of the caldera of a volcano that is…
How would you like to wing across the entire country of Canada in eight minutes? Eight minutes, you ask? Yes, it's true and doesn't require supersonic aircraft. Sounds great, doesn't it? And you can also do the same in Las Vegas and Reykjavik, Iceland. But, how can this be you might ask? A 52-foot spherical…
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…
It will com as no surprise that Hong Kong is big - nearly 8 million people call it home. And, as a central hub for global business, it needs to be world class (which it is) and have the facilities to be a part of the crème de la crème of world leaders, which it…
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…
We're James Bond fans here at Matouring. We can almost recite the scripts, word-for-word. And the Bond films have been shot in so many glamorous places, that it would be hard to choose the place that we'd like to visit the most.
But, surely "James Bond Island" (from the Man with the Golden Gun) would be…
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…
If you are one of those "I've seen it before and I've done it before" tourists, we may have something for you, especially if you find the Cold War alluring.
Ukrainian travel consultant Yulia Kulyk would like to tell you a little bit more about the Soviet era in modern Ukraine. Ukraine today is an…
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…
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.…
Are you astute? Of solid repute? Trying to save loot? Have you heard of Woot? We hadn't, until recently - but maybe we're galoots. In case you don't know, either, Amazon, in all of its broad-reaching expansions created a site called Woot.com a few years back. "Woot's the original daily deals site, founded in 2004…
At the time of this writing, visiting Iran may not be an adventure that can easily be undertaken. But, as always, that will change - and you should not miss the ancient and beautiful city of Yazd. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Yaz is located in the middle of the Iranian plateau, 270 km southeast…
Having created the artwork for all of Ill Considered’s previous albums, the Dutch artist Vincent de Boer took on a unique project to invert the role of music and images in his collaborations with the London-based improvisational jazz ensemble. First, Boer hand-drew thousands of images to create an abstract animation, with the visuals giving the…
Without a doubt, one of the most beautiful and memorable locations in Mexico is in Quintana Roo. There you will find, Tulum, Cancun, Cozumel and so many other unforgettable places. And we welcome our new affiliate friends, Casai, who offer spectacular rentals there and all over Mexico. Casai is a hospitality concept designed for the…