Travel Journal

By Adam Winters

Are you planning a holiday? Consider New Orleans. The city provides a fun-filled holiday for the entire family or even for a couple. Situated between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans is a frequented tourist destination because of all that it offers. From museums to gardens, aquariums to night clubs, from exciting bars to exotic restaurants, and of course Mardi Gras, the place has it all!

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Tags: Destination, Guide, Orleans, Quick

Posted in: Asia, Central America, Cruise, Destinations, Family Travel, Middle East, News, Plan a trip, Press & Publicity, Press Releases, Tips, Tours, Travel, Travel Community, Travel Deal, Travel guide, Travel stories, USA, Canada, Mexico

Lugano by Lago di Lugano, in?the canton of Ticino,?is definitely one of my favorite places in Switzerland. The first time we stopped to admire the view from the lake shore promenade, starting at Piazza Manzoni near Riva Giocondo Albertolli, an elderly man turned to me. He pointed towards the other side of the lake; “Non ?? esso bello, la signora?” I knew “bello” meant beautiful so I nodded and said “s?”, the only Italian I knew at the time.

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Tags: Lago, Lugano

Posted in: Asia, Central America, Family Travel, Middle East, News, Plan a trip, Press & Publicity, Press Releases, Tips, Travel, Travel Community, Travel Deal, Travel guide, Travel stories, USA, Canada, Mexico

Illustration by Jacob Bielanski

The single greatest piece of advice I heard prior to my first vagabonding excursion was to pack my bag, then remove half the stuff and leave it behind.

As with all good advice, I only admired the lesson after I had failed to heed it. Lugging a heavy pack through border crossings and train stations, only then did I ask myself two questions:

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Tags: Backpack, Quest, Travelers, Ultimate

Posted in: Airport Transfers, Asia, Central America, Family Travel, Middle East, News, Plan a trip, Press & Publicity, Press Releases, Reviews, Specials, Tips, Tours, Travel, Travel Community, Travel Deal, Travel guide, Travel stories, USA, Canada, Mexico

Has flying kept you from exploring the world? Here’s some easy ways to help you get over your fear.

For years I found excuses not to travel out of the country. It cost too much. I had to finish my education. I simply couldn??t go when the weather was cold.

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Tags: Conquer, Fear, Flying, Simple, Ways, Your

Posted in: Airport Transfers, Asia, Central America, Deals, Destinations, Europe, Family Travel, Middle East, News, Plan a trip, Press & Publicity, Press Releases, Tips, Travel, Travel Community, Travel Deal, Travel guide, Travel stories, USA, Canada, Mexico

It’s that time again, when we round up our favourite travel related links from around the web.

Lea Woodward has launched the “Leave it Better” initiative, as a way of giving back to the communities we visit.

A pretty cool video showcasing Evolution in 5 Minutes.

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Tags: Best, BNTs, week

Posted in: Asia, Family Travel, Middle East, News, Plan a trip, Press & Publicity, Press Releases, Tips, Travel, Travel Community, Travel Deal, Travel guide, Travel stories, USA, Canada, Mexico

It’s time now to roundup our favourite links from around the web.

Chuck Thompson, author of Smile When You’re Lying, offers up the similarly scathing 10 Most Overrated US Tourist Attractions.

Find out Rick Steves secret weapon! Read Confessions of a Guidebook Writer (hattip Gadling).

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Tags: Best, BNTs, week

Posted in: Asia, Deals, Europe, Family Travel, Middle East, News, Plan a trip, Press & Publicity, Tips, Tours, Travel, Travel Community, Travel Deal, Travel guide, Travel stories, USA, Canada, Mexico

Suite name: Royal Residence
Hotel:Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai
Size of accommodation:?6,890 sq ft
Cost per night: 230,000 Baht, plus taxes and service charge
Who’s stayed there? Prime Minister, Head of State and several VIPs
What makes it special? Unique design which inspired by a mix of northern Thai palace and Royal Lanna architecture with six private pavilions featuring three king size beds and three twin bedrooms, three swimming pools, as well as a number of sitting and dining rooms, open-air salas (Thai Pavilion) and even a lounge with a grand piano and bar.

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Tags: Chiang, Dhara, Dhevi, Mandain, Oriental, Residence, Royal, Suite, week

Posted in: Asia, Deals, Family Travel, Hotels, Middle East, News, Plan a trip, Press & Publicity, Press Releases, Specials, Tips, Travel, Travel Community, Travel Deal, Travel guide, Travel stories, USA, Canada, Mexico

Wow, there’s a huge 20,000 square mile, 37 county region in Northeast Iowa that’s designated as a National Heritage Area. Smokestacks and Silos celebrates Iowa’s role in making America mighty through agriculture.

Nearly a hundred historic and culture sites and make up the places to go and things to see in this region and there is something for everyone to?enjoy and learn from. ?Included are one room schoolhouses, living history farms, homes, blacksmith shops, parks, ranches, farms, art galleries, wineries?and interpretive centers.

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Tags: Iowa, Silos, Smokestacks

Posted in: Africa, Asia, Central America, Family Travel, Middle East, News, Plan a trip, Press & Publicity, Press Releases, Tips, Tours, Travel, Travel Community, Travel Deal, Travel guide, Travel stories, USA, Canada, Mexico

Thomson the Dog is now available on your mobile phone. A fantastic new ring tone has been launched this week on the Thomson the Dog website at www.thomson.co.uk/thomsonthedog. And even more goodies are set to be launched later in the summer.

The website already features a popular range of Thomson the Dog products - a Thomson cuddly toy, Thomson the Dog CD full of songs featured in the Familyclub Extra entertainment programme and at children??s clubs, and a handy Thomson the Dog children??s wheely bag. The products have already proved a big hit - with the cuddly toy almost selling out the first day it was sold in most Thomson Superfamily hotels.

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Tags: Call, gonna

Posted in: Asia, Family Travel, Hotels, Middle East, News, Plan a trip, Tips

Sometimes we forget about all the really cool things there are to do right in our own home towns. Some of the best travel adventures I have are when I’m turning out of town visitors on to my turf, Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

My town sits at the confluence of the the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers right along Interstate 70 at the western end of Glenwood Canyon. Without a doubt our most famous tourist attraction in the Glenwood Hot Springs, the largest natural hot springs pool in the entire world.

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Tags: Glenwood, Springs, Times

Posted in: Asia, Family Travel, Middle East, News, Plan a trip, Press & Publicity, Press Releases, Tips, Tours, Travel, Travel Community, Travel Deal, Travel guide, Travel stories, USA, Canada, Mexico