Myanmar: Land of Mystery and Splendor

No Comments 3 May 3:47 pm Author: Shelley Category:Asia, EXPLORE
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Original photo by Keith Hajovsky

The longboat glided silently through the water, as the narrow channel opened up into the large expanse of Inle Lake. The shores seemed very far away, their green mountaintops disappearing into misty clouds. We passed other boats occasionally; mostly fishermen …

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Get In Touch with your Country Side in France

No Comments 2:50 pm Author: Shelley Category:Europe, Europe, LEARN, UNWIND
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Last June I traveled to Aquitaine, France for the Bordeaux Wine Festival – and while there I discovered an utterly charming place in the country, about an hour-and-half by car from Bordeaux. Simply Canvas is a gorgeous spot in the …

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Monk’s Best Friend: Temple Dogs & Voluntourism in Thailand

View (1) Comment 5 Mar 9:01 pm Author: Shelley Category:Asia, GIVE
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If you have traveled in Thailand, you surely remember the huge number of stray dogs that roam the streets, many of them bone-thin, mangy and pathetic looking. And if you haven’t been to the country yet, it is likely to …

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Culinary Adventures in the Romance of Italy and France

No Comments 3 Mar 4:08 am Author: Shelley Category:Europe, Europe, LEARN, UNWIND
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What better place to learn new cooking skills than beautiful Tuscany? Amidst the rolling green hills and russet rooftops, Villa San Michele in Florence offers a range of cooking classes from internationally renowned chefs. Here visitors discover how to prepare …

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Culinary China: Adventures in Eating & Drinking

No Comments 3:35 am Author: Shelley Category:Asia, UNWIND
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In late 2009 I was invited, as a travel writer, to visit China along with a few other journalists. Was I interested? Of course I was. The trip, as it was detailed to me, was an exploration of the country’s …

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Six Unusual Things to do in Beijing

No Comments 3:26 am Author: Shelley Category:Asia, Asia, CONNECT, EXPLORE
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Today’s Beijing is a place where ancient historical sights stand side-by-side with a thriving avant-garde culture. A place with an identity collision and messy schizophrenia between old and new. Must-see landmarks such as the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square beckon; …

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Modern Beijing: The New Greets the Old

No Comments 3:07 am Author: Shelley Category:Asia, EXPLORE
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Beijing is a city with more than 3,000 years of recorded history and a glorious cultural heritage; yet it is also a bustling metropolitan that has given birth to an artistic youth movement in recent years. Today’s Beijing is a …

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From the Killing Fields: How Ponheary Ly Emerged from Darkness into Light

No Comments 22 Feb 4:27 am Author: Shelley Category:Asia, Asia, CONNECT, GIVE
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At the age of 14, Ponheary Ly died and came back to life. At least, that’s how she describes it. The year was 1977, and the Khmer Rouge was on its deadly rampage in Cambodia. After seeing her father killed, …

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Hotel de la Paix: Hotel with a Conscience in Siem Reap, Cambodia

No Comments 4:07 am Author: Shelley Category:Asia, Asia, CONNECT, UNWIND
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Angkor Wat

Siem Reap, Cambodia is a dream destination for many – just a few kilometers away are the mythical, mysterious, awe-inspiring temples of Angkor Wat, World Heritage site and one of the Wonders of the World. A journey to Angkor is …

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Bordeaux, France: Idyllic Spot to Learn about Organic Wines

No Comments 3:44 am Author: Shelley Category:Europe, LEARN
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You simply have to love a place where a top local chef advises wine with breakfast. Thierry Marx, a Relais & Châteaux Grand Chef, reported to the Aquitaine tourism magazine that one of his personal favorite restaurants in the region …

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