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Christmas Spa and the City: Super-Luxe London
As a warm festive glow lights up the city skies, there's no better time to visit London. Why not take some time out this Christmas and treat yourself to a weekend of pampering and preening. Here's a...
View Article7 Frequent Flyers Far Worse Than Children
Expedia conducted a survey last week and with the help of the 1,000 American travelers polled; they've concluded that inattentive parents make the most annoying passengers. I have found myself seated...
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13 Tips to Stay Safe Through Any Travel Emergency
No matter how careful we are or how much we plan, emergencies sometimes happen. Natural disasters, blackouts, theft, or sudden medical issues are unnerving enough, but they can be positively...
View Article11 of the Most Gorgeous Ski Resorts in Colorado
If you're planning to hit the slopes in Colorado this winter and are looking for a place to stay, you can't do much better than these gorgeous ski resorts. They embody everything a person wants out of...
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Notes From Along India's Ganges River
Kensington Explorer in Residence, Brett Rogers, is a documentary filmmaker and outdoor enthusiast with a special interest in the world's mightiest rivers. Leading expeditions everywhere from the...
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Santa Claus: The Many Faces Behind the Beard
In our Rick Steves' European Christmas book (a companion book to the public television show), we outlined the history and many European variations on Santa Claus. Here's an excerpt: Our American Santa...
View Article9 Festive Hotels for Holiday Stays (PHOTOS)
Many people will spend the holidays at home or visiting family, but for some, it has become tradition to spend the time on vacation. Just because you're staying in a hotel doesn't mean you'll miss out...
View ArticleFirst Time Renting a Vacation Home? 5 Things You Should Know
Whether you're looking to escape the craze of the holidays or are planning ahead for next summer, if you're renting a vacation home for the first time, you might be a bit apprehensive about what to...
View ArticleRick Steves' European Christmas: Buon Natale from Italy!
Next on our Rick Steves' European Christmas itinerary was Italy. One of my favorite guides in all of Europe is Roberto Bechi (who has taught and inspired our tour groups and guidebook readers visiting...
View ArticleRick Steves' European Christmas: Presepi Manger Scenes--Rome's Bethlehem Home...
A wonderful tradition in Italy is churches and communities making creative manger scenes and putting them on display through the Christmas season. These presepi, as manger scenes are called in Italy,...
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Finding a Needle of Primary Jungle in Borneo's Haystack of Deforestation:...
In the mists and mountains of north-eastern Borneo indigenous Dayaks are struggling to save one of the fast dwindling tracts of primordial rain forest still left on the world's third largest island,...
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Everything I Know About Travel I Learned at a Yoga Class in Bangkok
You're looking at a grudging and occasional yoga practitioner at best. I know I should do it, but rarely enjoy it. But when I learned the resident yogi at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok could lead a...
View ArticleChicago Weather: Winter Storm Could Mean Big Headaches For Holiday Travelers
A winter storm expected to move through Chicago over the weekend could spell trouble as the holiday travel weekend begins at the city's O'Hare and Midway airports. Some parts of the Chicago area --...
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10 Safari Resolutions for 2014
We had our Extraordinary Journeys holiday party the other day, and after a "few" glasses of wine, we tried to come up with a safari experiences "bucket list." This basically devolved into a fight over...
View ArticleTrump Tower In Chicago Makes Amazing-Smelling Elevator Out Of Gingerbread...
The Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago is taking its holiday gingerbread display to another level with the Gingerbread Express, a working elevator made with more than 1,000 bricks of...
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Away for the Holidays: Sun or Ski?
Spending time with loved ones this season doesn't necessarily mean being "home" for the holidays. More and more, people are starting to warm up to the idea of being away for the holidays. Timing a...
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4 Timeless Tips for Event Travelers
A working title of what follows might have been "What I Learned at Art Basel," but these tips are transferrable and might fairly be considered pillars of wisdom with regard to any event or festival...
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Obama's Life In Hawaii: A Travel Guide Through The President's Island Past
Before there was President Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, there was Barry -- a basketball-loving, body-surfing local boy from the Hawaiian island of Oahu. In an essay for his...
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Humpback Whales Return To Hawaii, Do Their Best To Outshine The President
The Obamas aren't the only VIPs enjoying a Hawaii homecoming right now. The humpback whales are back in town and it's arguably a bigger deal to those in the Aloha State than the president's arrival....
View ArticleRick Steves' European Christmas: Samichlaus, Schmutzli and Fondue in Switzerland
High in Switzerland, the mighty Alps seem to shout the glory of God. Up here, where villages huddle under towering peaks, Christmas fills a wintry wonderland with good cheer. Traditions are strong and...
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