Travel

By Aziza Jamgerchinova

Three kayaks in the center of Laguna Grande in Puerto Rico float on the still, dark water in the late evening. A million stars seem to be shining from beneath the lagoon’s glassy surface. “Once you enter the lagoon the water suddenly starts glowing,” said Lars Sukowski, a pharmaceuticals manager who came to Laguna Grande from Basel, Switzerland. “It is something special.”

By Barry Bassis and
Demetra Pappas
Baltic cruises have become highly popular in recent years because they provide a convenient way to visit some of the world’s most picturesque ports. From the comfort of our suite on the Regent Seven Seas Voyager, we explored medieval ruins, modern architectural designs and art and history museums in four different countries, all without the necessity to pack and unpack.

A Trendy Beach Springs Up Beside A Defunct London Brewery
By Nicholas Judd
A hot Sunday afternoon in London draws a swarm of hip, swimsuited twentysomethings to a packed private beach. Clutching Red Stripe tallboys, they recline, chatting on blankets in the sand. Nearby food stalls offer ice cream, beer, even Pad Thai. It’s free—and therefore a perfect oasis for a broke college student looking for a cheap, good time in London.

By Kate Brumback
There’s nothing wrong with hitting the tourist sights in Paris—the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, you know the rest. But for a day you’ll always remember, why not blow off your itinerary, act like a true Parisian and live the lifestyle of the “flaneur”?

Skip Britain’s Stuffy Hotel Teas For The Real Thing

By Elizabeth Valerio
Every London guidebook has a section devoted to afternoon tea. The authors gush about the pastries at Harrods, the finely-cut sandwiches at the Brown Hotel, and the delicate scones served with clotted cream at Kensington Gardens. Is this what Londoners do in the afternoons? Sit, decked out in Chanel, prim and proper, on satin cushioned chairs, shelling out fifty bucks for a tier of patisseries? Unfortunately, the hotel scene is an overstuffed way of enjoying London’s oldest ritual. In short, it’s a tourist trap.

By D. Nicole Clarke
Jamaica is famous for its reggae musicians and breathtaking beaches but there’s a more complex and authentic Jamaica to see.

Summer in China’s steamy southwest means sensory overload

By Leaya Lee

To walk down any street in Chengdu, the capital of China’s southwest Sichuan province, is to feel it on every inch of skin. On summer days, the heat rises from the dirt-caked roads and sidewalks, and the sun slicing through the smog is unforgivingly bright. A sweaty, sticky mass of bodies competes with endless lines of bicycle riders for slivers of walking space. Ghostly, orphaned high-rises dot the city, courtesy of developers who constantly start new buildings, then run out of money to finish them. Most of old, traditional structures have been torn down to make way for these new buildings because like most of urban China, Chengdu is experiencing a boom.

London Travel Shop Offers Quirky Wares

By Andrea Libelo

“Exactly what I was looking for,” Deo Persaud repeated as he tossed a canvas bag on the counter. The small bag was perfect, he said, for maps, a mobile phone, the basics. He spread his new map of South America across the table, and explained his plan to drive from his native Georgetown, Guyana through the Amazon to São Paulo, Brazil.