Foreign tourists now have the opportunity to visit Turtuk in the Nubra Valley of Ladakh in remote northern India. Jammu and Kashmir tourism minister Nawang Ringzin Jora is quoted in the Telegraph India as saying, “It (the Union ministry’s move) will place Nubra Valley prominently on the world tourism map… After the current relaxation, foreign tourists can go in twos. Permits for visiting these areas are issued by the concerned deputy commissioner.” He went on to say, “... Read Full Story

The Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony, located between Christchurch and Dunedin, is home to a group of little blue penguins who come ashore every day around dusk. What started out as a few blue penguins nesting in a rock quarry area at the edge of Oamaru Harbor in the early 1990s is now Oamaru’s largest tourist attraction. Each day after it gets dark, the birds return home from their day of fishing in the sea. They make their way onto the beach, up a stony ramp and cross into the colony. This routin... Read Full Story

Often referred to as South Africa’s Miami Beach, Durban’s Golden Mile includes warm beaches, clear blue skies and the aroma of suntan lotion. Flanked by luxury hotels and apartment blocks, the Golden Mile skirts the main beaches and the Indian Ocean. Besides the signs alerting beach-goers that the main beaches are shark netted and patrolled by life guards from sunrise to sunset, what caught my attention were the many interesting sand sculptures. As I walked down North Beach during a recent vi... Read Full Story

The most popular attraction in Ubud is the well preserved jungle in the middle of town called the Monkey Forest. The nature reserve and temple complex is an essential place for renewing contact with the spiritual world. Temple festivals are regularly held for villagers and the gods, making this cultural sanctuary an important part of everyday life. Visitors will have no problem spotting monkeys walking around the Monkey Forest as it’s home to hundreds of long-tailed macaques. The specie... Read Full Story

Sprawled across the desert, just a few kilometers from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, is an extensive market known as the Tolkuchka Bazaar. Selling a massive range of goods, the largest open air market in central Asia is most famous for selling large red Turkmen rugs. Basically, everything and anything of importance is bought and sold within the open-air bazaar; anything from carpets and handicrafts, to camels and sheep. The market thrives on Sundays when practically the entire country comes togethe... Read Full Story

Zermatt is often considered the best and most beautiful ski resort in the entire world. Located in Switzerland, about 10 kilometers from the Italian border, Zermatt offers spectacular views and superb snow conditions that result in consistent skiing until summer. Skiing in Zermatt is split up into four areas, Sunnegga, Gornergrat, Klein Matterhorn and Schwarzsee, which combined make up over 300 kilometers of ski runs for all skill levels. The lovely village of Zermatt is nestled in a deep val... Read Full Story

Although I’ve been fortunate enough to travel my entire life, I had never gone on a cruise until this past week. I’ve been on some pretty big overnight ferries like the one from Split, Croatia to Ancona, Italy, but never the week long Love Boat kind of deal. A while back, Princess Cruises contacted us about being a part of the first ever Twitter press trip they were planning. The deal was simple: experience a cruise of the western Caribbean free of charge and tweet the entire expe... Read Full Story

Our guest Dave took advantage of one of the free travel activities, available to us as part of #FollowMeAtSea, and went scuba diving in Cozumel. To my surprise, he came back to the cabin declaring that his dive experience in Cozumel had been his “best dive ever.” Here’s his story… -Rich Nervously awaiting the dive boat, I made small talk with the various other divers in queue. I mentioned to a few folks in line that I had made the mistake of watching the film Open Wate... Read Full Story

Dolphins have been fascinating people for thousands of years with their beauty and grace along with their elusive sense of intelligence. Swimming with dolphins, an activity available in travel destinations around the world, is something that many people dream of and has become one of the most popular and talked about travel activities there is. There are a wide variety of interactive dolphin programs and activities available offering swimming experiences both fun and educational. While each t... Read Full Story

As the name suggests, the village of West End is located at the western end of the gorgeous Caribbean island of Roatan. The most popular tourist spot in Roatan, especially among budget travelers, West End has beautiful white sand beaches that are protected by a living coral reef. The reef is so close that you can easily swim out to it and snorkel or dive. In fact, spectacular diving is the main attraction here and the village is kind of like one big dive resort. Visitors will find cheap, comf... Read Full Story