While Americans are traveling in droves over the Independence Day Holiday, taking advantage of tepidly positive economic indicators and a welcome drop in gas prices, travel is looking bullish all around on the summer vacation front. Allianz Global Assistance USA, the seller of travel insurance formerly known as Access America, notes the portion of Americans […]

A summer spent wandering the gardens, markets and alleyways of Italy simply simmers with aroma. Fresh tomatoes, flavorful basils, magnificent sidewalk produce and the refreshing flows from baroque fountains combine for a magical experience in any season, but especially in summer. But summers in Italy are also alive with art and sound. Outdoor opera performances […]

By Lark Ellen Gould In the land of the Lion of Judah, Ethiopian Airlines (airline code ET) has proved to be a force to be reckoned with. The airline has a long and strong history that has lasted through wars, famines, disastrous politics and economic woes no country should have to face. Yet it survives […]

By Lark Ellen Gould While most people who come to Addis Ababa come for business – the African Union is here, so is the World Bank, not to mention Ethiopia has more NGO projects in the works than any other country on the continent – those who come for pleasure can also aim to stay […]

By Norm Schriever I’ve been fortunate enough to travel all around the world but also witnessed an unbelievable array of street scams and hustles.  From Cairo to Caracas, Amsterdam to Amman, someone was always trying to sell me wolf tickets: the fake drunk, the razor blade slash, the Rio shoe scam, money exchange bait-and-switches, shifting […]

By Lark Ellen Gould It takes a lot to turn a destination such as South Africa into a successful long-haul destination for US travelers. But South Africa has done just that. At Indaba 2012 in Durban this month the numbers continue to tell the story. After a record-breaking year in 2010, when the World Cup […]

By Lark Ellen Gould South African Airways with the help of its code share partner, Ethiopian Airlines, pretty much rules the African skies, especially for travelers coming from the US. And for those fortunate enough to travel on SAA, the ride can be good indeed. The airline makes daily nonstop flights from Washington/Dulles and JFK […]

By Lark Ellen Gould You don’t have to be a rail enthusiast to appreciate the fin de siècle experience to be had on a Rovos Rail ride through the savannahs of Africa. The trip will be had in lovingly restored 1920s style Pullman steam trains and the ride will be anything but ordinary. The company […]

By Lark Ellen Gould Few Americans go the distance to South Africa without checking out the beauty and culture of Cape Town. The city is overseen from on high by iconic Table Mountain (adventure travelers skip the tram and take the path for a good 12-hour hike), and by the confluence of the Atlantic and […]

  By Lark Ellen Gould As the jumping off point to the wildlife and cultural tourism offerings of KwaZulu Natal, and as South Africa’s second largest city, Durban deserves some attention of its own. It’s a compact town of some 3.5 million residents, and then more if you count the garden house suburbs and the […]