Really Nice Vacations

Well, I wrote Tourist Trap: Leaning Tower of Pisa on 8 May 2008 and I said the tower was still tilting. Well, I was wrong. This 14,000 tonne free-standing bell tower – an internally recognized architecture symbol of Italy along with Rome’s Colosseum, was built in several stages between 1174 and 1370. It began to [...]

When you think about going on a holiday, what are you most afraid of? – over priced souvenirs – horrible restaurants – dishonest tour guides – over priced “attractions” And this is exactly what Fisherman Wharf – crowded stretch of San Francisco waterfront from Ghirardelli Square to Pier 39 – offered. But I tell you, [...]

Every year, as you watch the Miss Universe Pageants, you never fail to notice that the South Americans are almost always represented in the top ten. Every time you see a beautiful postcard of beaches and sunsets, you know that many of these locations are in South America. Well, I have a fantasy. A beautiful [...]

There is no place more beautiful than the Hawaiian islands. Every time we vacation there, it breaks our hearts to leave. Recently, I seriously started thinking about Hawaii homes on a more permanent basis.  After all, to me, Hawaii already feels so welcoming that I cannot imagine anywhere else that I would like to make [...]

If you have ever wanted to visit China’s capital Beijing, there is no better time than 2008 to do so. For the past few years, Beijing has been a hot bed of construction, re-construction and restoration projects. But all that dust has settled and the Beijing that emerge is more than ready for the Olympics [...]

With a name like Darling Harbour, you can expect that this destination must be one of the better choices for a relaxing vacation. But you would be wrong. This is no laid back, quiet little bay. Darling Harbour is located in Sydney, the vibrant, bustling, cosmopolitan jewel of a city. This is the home of [...]

Most people would know New Zealand as a scenic land with lots of high mountains and vast green lands. I discovered the mesmerizing beauty of New Zealand during my 7-day stay there. I traveled on budget and I found hotels in New Zealand were reasonably priced especially with some online assistance before I left. That [...]