Dutch heritage colors Caribbean Curacao
Boats line a pier in Willemstad, Curacao, forming a “floating market” that delivers fresh produce and other goods from Venezuela to the arid but lovely Caribbean island.© Fotos593I knew that the Caribbean island of Curacao is unfamiliar to many people from the United States, but the flight attendant’s announcement still caught me by surprise.As the plane prepared to... READ MORE
Swimming with dolphins and stingrays
Their bodies were sleek and graceful, the skin soft to the touch, their demeanor welcoming even if a bit skeptical. Still, they were more used to this than I was. But I spread my arms out as instructed and flapped them in the water.Romeo and Paski, two of my dolphin snorkeling companions, then swam under my outstretched limbs, and we laid back into the water as though sunbathing. Then we... READ MORE
You don’t need a car to enjoy Dallas
Asphalt and concrete have defined Dallas since a north-south “central expressway” was envisioned in the early 1900s for a stretch of railroad right-of-way. Travel by anything other than an automobile can be challenging and sometimes impractical.However, there is a promising alternative — call it “Walking Dallas.” The development of the Uptown neighborhood,... READ MORE
A walking tour through Japanese history
Neon signs crowd the streetscapes in modern Tokyo, a city of more than 13 million people. Elsewhere in the city and around the country, well-preserved elements from Japan’s storied history remain, from the imperial palace to Buddhist temples.Photo by Luciano Mortula/Dreamstime.comThe traffic-clogged streets, towering skyscrapers and dazzling lighted billboards could be in Times Square ... READ MORE
Air and hotel deals no longer easy to find
If you’re looking for the best airfare or hotel deal, you can’t trust a single online source. The exact reasons are different for airfares than for hotel rates, but the net result is that the Internet is no longer able to provide what it once did: Easy and accurate one-search airfare price comparisons and quick identification of the best deal.The key factor for airfares seems to ... READ MORE
You can learn to lead a safari, sort of
It’s not just a safari. It’s a master class in the untamed world, a behind-the-scenes education with experts who are the talking Google gods of wildlife. That’s what it’s like on safaris that let tourists learn alongside locals who are training to be guides. The guides, members of Kenya’s Maasai tribe, spend three weeks on a training mission traversing East Africa’s Maasai ... READ MORE
Plenty still to love in the city by the bay
Tourists ride one of San Francisco’s iconic cable cars, shown high on a hill overlooking the bay and Alcatraz island, which is now a National Park.Photo © Lee Pius“I left my heart in San Francisco,” Tony Bennett crooned over the airwaves and on record players in the 1950s.For a city that has survived the Gold Rush’s ups and downs, the Beat generation, hippies... READ MORE
Help care for elephants in Cambodia
The trip to the hills of eastern Cambodia had all the makings of a luxurious getaway — delicious fresh fruit fed by hand, a dip in a refreshingly cold watering hole, and a relaxing massage.But I wasn’t receiving these amenities. Elderly elephants were. And I was one of several tourists paying for the privilege of doting on them.At the Mondulkiri Project, it’s not the... READ MORE
The Caribbean’s spicy island of Grenada
There’s no denying that Grenada, like other Caribbean islands, has the requisite white sand beaches lapped by crystal clear waters. Or that the modest pastel-painted houses in which most people live provide a storybook setting. But the Isle of Spice, as it’s known, also boasts a unique quality that sets it apart from other islands in the region. This realization springs from the... READ MORE
Is fear an acceptable reason to cancel?
Spooked by headlines about Zika, terrorism and mass shootings? Maybe the news is so bad you’re ready to cancel your vacation and stay home. But can you recoup what you paid for flights, lodging, car rentals and tours?The answer is, it depends. Your best bet for getting a refund under such circumstances is to buy an expensive type of insurance called “cancel for any reason” ... READ MORE
