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Think you know your American landmarks? In my mid-20s I realized that although I'd seen the Eiffel Tower three times and clambered all around the Great Pyramids of Giza, I'd never made it to the Grand Canyon, nor had I seen St. Louis' Gateway Arch or Maya Lin's haunting Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I've since corrected the lapses, and been duly awed. So by way of an apology, I've put together a must-see checklist of American icons. How many have you seen?

Grand Canyon
Whether you soar above it in a helicopter, hike down into it, or simply gaze upon … Read the rest

by Lisa Oppenheimer

On paper, it was a brilliant idea. My brother and I, residents of opposite coasts, planned a family reunion several years ago that would allow spouses and children to get to know each other. A theme park would be perfect. We'd ride the rides by day, enjoy quiet time with wine and cheese by night. What is it they say about the best-laid plans?

On our first day at California's Legoland, we waited 45 minutes together for our inaugural ride. That was the last time we saw each other. Four children with multiple interests kept our … Read the rest

Bringing together the styles and techniques of some of the leading chefs in Southern and East Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, Relais & Chateaux, in conjunction with publisher Peter Marshall, has created its first African-inspired cook book.
The recipes embrace the talents of the Relais & Chateaux chefs in this part of the world.
The recipes featured encourage the use of the freshest ingredients that are locally sourced whenever possible. They reflect the enthusiasm and dedication of each chef to combine the textures, flavours, aromas and visual appeal of nature's produce to create dishes that cooks everywhere can … Read the rest

A recent Fodor's survey reveals that a clear majority of Americans recognize the benefits of traveling alone. No news there. The kicker is that many of these same folks never travel because they're either too afraid of the unknown or they'd rather avoid the stigmas that often get attached to those who travel alone.

In her book, Solo Traveler: Tales and Tips for Great Trips, journalist and intrepid solo sojourner Lea Lane examines the bugaboos that keep solitary souls from packing suitcases and offers advice on how to overcome them. What to do about eating alone, becoming sick on … Read the rest

The chaos around liquor licensing in South Africa has been brought into sharp focus by a ruling of the North Gauteng High Court that confirmed that the system of liquor licensing in the province was “dysfunctional”.
There is a “moratorium” on the issuing of new liquor licences in South Africa’s economic powerhouse which effectively makes nonsense of government policy on the development, regulation and management of the liquor retail industry.
In a statement today, the South African Breweries (SAB) said it had noted the decision by the North Gauteng high Court to maintain the current moratorium on the issuing … Read the rest

I've come to Trotters World of Animals in Bassenthwaite, Cumbria. Eleven years ago, it was a farm focusing on rare domestic breeds but then the foot and mouth epidemic fell like a guillotine and more than 800 animals had to be put down.

"It was devastating," says Richard Robinson, the park manager, shaking his head. "But we've rebuilt and now we're part of a worldwide conservation effort. See that?" he says, pointing towards a pen, "that's a Bagot goat. There are fewer breeding pairs than there are giant pandas."

"Every time a panda gives birth it's on the news," … Read the rest

Hilton Worldwide has partnered with the Al Habtoor Group to convert two hotels in Beirut to the Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand and to develop the very first Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts property in Dubai, UAE.

The agreement will see Hilton Worldwide enter Lebanon by converting the 195-room Habtoor Grand and the 183-room Metropolitan Palace to the Hilton Beirut Habtoor Grand and Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace. Both hotels are located in Beirut and are expected to open in early 2012.

The companies also signed an agreement to develop the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah, the first luxury resort … Read the rest

Safari operator and conservation organisation Wilderness Safaris went all out to commemorate Arbour Week last month. On September 2, staff at Pafuri Camp planted 40 trees at four schools in the Makuleke Village. The trees were donated by Herik Marketing from Tshikondeni (Pafuri’s fuel supplier).

Pafuri staff also distributed apples for the children at the four schools, donated by La Bamba from Hoedspruit (Pafuri’s fresh food supplier). All the trees planted were indigenous and included nyala berry, jackal berry, black monkey thorn, fever tree and impala lily.

Chief Makuleke was the guest of honour and he planted a tree … Read the rest

Trafalgar Square

Fronting the northern end of Trafalgar Square are the city's expansive national collections of art and portraiture. Don't miss Van Gogh's Sunflowers or Botticelli's Venus and Mars at the National Gallery (WC2, 020-7747 2885, nationalgallery.org.uk). Then wend your way chronologically through hundreds of familiar faces at the National Portrait Gallery (St Martin's Place, WC2, 020-7306 0055, npg.org.uk), or check out its exhibition of 60 years of images of her Maj. Stop for a grand afternoon tea at the Wolseley (160 Piccadilly, W1, 020-7499 6996, thewolseley.com), impressively set in a former Bentley showroom. Then spin through the eclectic … Read the rest

Headland House Hotel, St Ives

Each named after a different Cornish beach, the rooms are done up like a summer's day in shades of driftwood and vanilla, nautical blues and deck-chair stripes. You get pocket-sprung mattresses on king-size beds, bay windows with views across Carbis bay to Godrevy Lighthouse, White Company toiletries in luxury bathrooms and complimentary cake in the afternoon. There's a decked terrace, a snug with a licensed bar, and a long strip of sandy beach on the doorstep. St Ives is a 30-minute walk along the coast-path (or take the scenic branch-line train from Carbis bay … Read the rest

Four sommeliers - one from Johannesburg and three form the Western Cape - will contest the finals of The Bollinger Exceptional Wine Service Award next month. They are:

Josephine Gutentoft, sommelier at Grande Roche Hotel and Restaurant, Paarl.
Wayne Kolevsohn, restaurant manager/sommelier at Le Quartier Francais,
Franschhoek.
Francis Krone, sommelier at Saxon Boutique Hotel, Johannesburg.
Joakim Hansi Blackadder (pictured above) GM/sommelier at The Roundhouse Restaurant, Camps Bay.

The organiser of event, Ginette de Fleuriot CWM, is impressed with the calibre of the finalists. “Now that we are at the business-end of the competition, it’s gratifying to have four such … Read the rest

The Canonbury, Islington

Tucked away from the bustle of nearby Upper Street, the Canonbury is a discreet piece of London literary history. A regular haunt of George Orwell, the Canonbury was one of the pubs the author amalgamated for his classic 1946 essay the The Moon Under Water. Living just a stone's thrown away in Canonbury Square, the author valued the pub – sadly now modernised inside – for the protection that the walled garden offered his young son from the bomb-damaged tenements outside. The huge spreading chestnut tree that still stands outside was inspirational for Orwell during his … Read the rest

A California itinerary that takes in the best of the Southland...

Classic L.A.: Stars, Cars, and Vistas

A car is virtually a necessity in L.A. (public transit is sparse and taxis are expensive). If renting a car, this is the perfect place to make it a convertible. Play for local sympathy and say you hail from a cold place and need solar therapy!

Day 1: Beverly Hills & the Getty Center

Make like the Clampetts and head straight for the riches of Beverly Hills. Many of the stereotypes about Angelenos are rooted here. Hey, you're a visitor, you're allowed … Read the rest

France remains an important key market for tourists to South Africa and investment in maintaining and growing arrivals from France will continue. So said the National Tourism Minister, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, when he addressed a gala dinner at the annual Top Resa French travel show and exhibition in Paris on 22 September 2011.

Last year, 115 401 French nationals visited South Africa either as leisure or business tourists, 11% more French visitors to South Africa than was the case in 2009.

Van Schalkwyk says: “Of course last year’s Fifa World Cup was a significant driver of tourist arrivals to … Read the rest

An exhibition of English rituals is on display at the Horniman museum, London. Photograph: Sara Hannant Theatre

Abigail's Party, Wyndham's Theatre, WC2, to 1 Sep, menierchocolatefactory.com The Menier Chocolate Factory's revival of Mike Leigh's cult classic transfers to the West End.

Picasso Prints: The Vollard Suite, British Museum, WC1, to 2 Sep, britishmuseum.org A multitude of brilliant prints from the 1930s proves, again, there's no such thing as too much Picasso.

Mummers, Maypoles & Milkmaids: A Journey Through The English Ritual Year, Horniman Museum, to 9 Sep, horniman.ac.uk Folklore, myth and tradition mingle in 50 photographs of English rituals … Read the rest

Fodor's Editor Douglas Stallings recently spent two weeks on a guided tour of Egypt. Among other things, he saw age-old monuments, shopped in bazaars, and sailed a felucca.

Why Egypt? This is a trip I'd dreamed about taking since I was very young, so it was really a matter of when rather than why. When the Greek historian Herodotus went to Egypt as a tourist in 400-something B.C., the Great Pyramids were already more than 2,000 years old, built by a culture that had neither metal tools nor the wheel. That sort of tells you the "why" in a … Read the rest

Take me there: the Hebridean Trail

When it comes to wilderness adventures, the Outer Hebrides are Britain's last frontier, which makes the launch of this new mountain bike trail all the more exciting. Devised by activity operator Wilderness Scotland (wildernessscotland.com), the 280km route weaves through seven islands in seven days, taking in pristine beaches, rugged mountain scenery and remote Gaelic-speaking communities. A week's package – including accommodation, most meals, equipment, guiding and backup – costs ?995, with departures in May, June and September.

The dilemma I want to organise a post-exam escape this summer for a group of 10-15 … Read the rest

Cabins in cruiseships are not created equal; however, you don't have to book the highest-priced cabin to have a comfortable cruise. The following cruise lines offer something a bit above the ordinary for the kind of prices the typical cruiser can afford to pay.

Carnival Cruise Line. Over 50% larger than industry standard and with plenty of storage space, Carnival cabins are spacious for two and surprisingly roomy for families. Newly upgraded, higher thread-count linens are a nice touch on Carnival's new Comfort Beds.

Holland America Line. Comfort is key, and all cabins have beds with plush Euro-top mattresses … Read the rest

Baba Ganoush, Kendal

Immediately, this daytime "canteen" feels like a keeper. High-up on one wall, a long shelf of cookbooks includes wise words from Simon Hopinkson. That suggests that Baba Ganoush is a place where things are done correctly. In the open kitchen – stainless-steel, utilitarian, serious – a couple of cooks beaver away with reassuring industry. The chalked-up specials menu is full of interesting, tempting things: a spicy sausage stew; a warm Roquefort and pear salad; a harissa and cumin-roasted lamb flatbread.

Two breakfast dishes deliver, and how. Rarebit with Lee & Perrins roasted tomatoes is proper in … Read the rest

by Lisa Oppenheimer

People are falling in love with cruises all over again. Close to 11 million people booked a cruise in 2004 (a record, says the Cruise Lines International Association), and the industry looks to be cruising toward another all-time high in 2005. Nearly 70 ships have launched since 2000, and more are scheduled for the coming year, including Royal Caribbean's hotly anticipated Freedom series.

People who like a lot of activity love cruises, but those looking for peace and quiet might be less enamored. Even sprawling ships have finite space, and things can feel cramped. Frequent activity … Read the rest

The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa claims to be the first hotel in Cape Town to install energy-saving LED lighting technology on a large scale.
The conversion of all lighting in public areas to LED has been completed, with the long-term vision of converting all lighting in the hotel. Electricity savings of up to 70% will eventually be realised, says Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa GM Horst Frehse.
By reducing our demand for electricity with 7W LED bulbs we will also save considerably on our resources, as demand for cooling and air-conditioning is reduced because LED lighting does not … Read the rest

The Pepper Club Luxury Hotel & Spa in the Cape Town has reported that it is seeing a marked increase in the number of guests from India, China and Japan.
Visitors from China increased from 8% in August 2010 to 10% in August 2011. During the same period, visitors from India increased from 2% to 15% and visitors from Japan increased from 2% to 7%. The hotel’s African visitor figures also showed a marked increase from 3% in August 2010 to 6% in August 2011.
These figures lend support to the view that markets, such as South America and … Read the rest

Around 10 000 litres of beer was downed at the Oktober Bierfest in Cape Town last weekend and now the organisers of the event are expecting Gauteng’s beer lovers to show they have a bigger thirst at the Montecasino Outdoor Event Area in Johannesburg at the end of the month.
Over 6 000 people attended the Cape Town festival which took place on the Newlands Brewery Village Green.
In addition to the beer, 400 bottles of wine were sold and helped to wash down 3000 sausages, 2000 portions of chips and 2000 portions of chicken strips.
The South African … Read the rest

Hackney Wick

To understand how the Olympics is changing London, rather than visiting the Olympic Park, walk around it – through Hackney Wick, Bow and the thrusting new landscape of Stratford. Start with coffee at the Hackney Pearl (11 Prince Edward Road, thehackneypearl.com), and the surreal sight of a tree growing in the middle of the road. Head past industrial goods yards and artists' studios. At White Post Lane drop into The White Building (thewhitebuilding.org.uk), London's newest arts centre. Since the towpath across the canal from here has been closed for the Games, pick your way through one of … Read the rest