Category: Americas

Vikings in North America: The Norse Discovery of the New World

Vikings in North America Although they often do not receive their due accolades, the Vikings were actually the first Europeans to cross the Atlantic Ocean and discover and explore North America – almost 500 years before Christopher Columbus. The Viking sagas have long told of their journeys westwards across from their Greenland colonies around 1000 CE […]

Naming of America

The Naming of America In 1492 Christopher Columbus became the first European to reach the Caribbean, Central America, and South America, showing Europeans how to sail across the Atlantic and ushering in a wave of exploration and colonisation. But it was the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci who would be immortalised in the continent’s name. For […]

Atlantic Triangular Slave Trade

Atlantic Triangular Slave Trade Somewhere between ten million and twelve million enslaved Africans were transported across the Atlantic to the Americas between the middle of fifteenth century and the end of the nineteenth. The largest long-distance forced movement of people in recorded history, it occurred within a broader system of trade between Europe, Africa, and […]

Responsible Travel Tips

35 Tips for the Responsible Traveller The tourism industry is one of the world’s most powerful, accounting for around 10% of the world’s jobs and GDP, and with nearly 1.2 billion people a year taking international flights. Travelling in a responsible and sustainable manner thus has the potential to reap extensive benefits. Unfortunately, though, many […]

Spanish Exploration and Conquest of the Americas

In 1492 Christopher Columbus first arrived in the Americas searching for a more direct route to Asia. Little did he know that his voyage would spark a process of colonization and conquest over more than three centuries that would transform the Americas. In the process the Spanish Empire decimated the established civilisations and native peoples, plundering and extracting unheard of amounts of wealth.

Atlantic Packet Ships

Setting sail no matter what the condition, the Black Ball Line packet ships quickly became popular to businessmen and passengers alike, valued for their predictability. Other companies soon caught on to the revolutionary business venture, with scores of competing North Atlantic lines springing up in no time on the ports of New York.

What to pack for holidays

What to Pack for a small group tour holiday can be a challenge. Checked luggage fees, tight airline bins and potentially long waits at the luggage carousel are just a few reasons it pays to pack light with just hand luggage if you can. However, packing for an overseas trip remains a challenge and a […]

Seven Ancient Roads That Connected the World

Ancient Roads Around the World For thousands of years roads have played a vital role in the development of human societies. For trading civilisations, they facilitated the exchange over vast distances of specific goods in…

Atmospheric Measurements at Mauna Lao & Cape Grim

Carbon Dioxide Measurements at Mauna Lao and Cape Grim In May 2013, the Mauna Lao Observatory in Hawaii recorded an historic milestone.  Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere had exceeded 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in 55 years of measurement – and possibly in the last 15 million years. Then […]

Tikal, Guatemala

Tikal, Guatemala Tikal in Guatemala was once a great centre of Mayan civilisation, the largest urban centre in the ancient Mayan lowlands inhabited from the 6th century BC to the 10th century AD. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, its amazing ruins form the central attraction in Tikal National Park, established in the […]

Copan, Honduras

Copan, Honduras Near the Guatemala-Honduras border is the ancient city of Copan (also known as Copan Ruinas) on the west bank of the Copan River, occupied for more than two thousand years and now an important archaeological site of Mayan civilization in Central America. The ruins of Copan, filled with Mesoamerican temples and other archaeological […]

Antigua, Guatemala

Antigua, Guatemala The beautiful city of Antigua in Guatemala has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979. Its full name, “Antigua Guatemala”, means Old Guatemala, and here you can see preserved ruins and colonial buildings dating back to the 16th century when it served as colonial capital of the captaincy general of […]

San Jose, Costa Rica

San Jose, Costa Rica The city of San Jose is the largest Costa Rican city and capital of the only country in the world to disband its military. Founded by the cabildo (legal representative of the Spanish Crown) in 1736, San Jose became a tobacco centre and, in the 1840s, a centre of coffee production […]

Casco Viejo, Panama

Casco Viejo, Panama Casco Viejo—“old quarter”, also called Casco Antiguo or San Felipe—is a neighbourhood in Panama City in Central America that has been inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 1997. This is the historic district and cultural centre of Panama, built in 1673 after the original site of Panama City, […]

Panama City, Panama

Panama City is the capital and largest city of Panama, a country in Central America located on a narrow land mass (Isthmus of Panama) that connects North and South America.

Around the World in Six Coffees: Italy, France, Japan, China, Morocco & Argentina

Around the World in Six Coffees: Italy, France, Japan, China, Morocco & Argentina Order a cappuccino in Italy after 11am and expect to receive strange looks. In Argentina, don’t be surprised when your coffee order is accompanied by two cookies and a glass of seltzer. And be warned: 2-3 spoons of sugar may be added […]

10 Unimaginable Destinations: The Definitive Guide

10 Unimaginable Destinations In this article we will look at ten unimaginable destinations scattered all across the globe. Although much of the mystery of travel may seem diminished in the age of online search engines and low air-fares, there are still many distinctive and unusual travel destinations in the world that remain unexplored by all […]

Dinosaurs and Dinosaur Fossils: The Definitive Guide for Travellers

Dinosaurs and Dinosaur Fossils Knowledge of dinosaurs exploded into the mainstream through Hollywood magic, thanks to Stephen Spielberg’s animated drama adventure Land Before Time (1988, co-produced with George Lucas of Star Wars fame) and the suspenseful Jurassic Park (1993) and its numerous sequels. In this article, we will look at the history of dinosaurs, dinosaur fossils, the controversial commercial aspect […]

Chile and Easter Island: The Definitive Guide for Seniors

Chile is an extraordinary country, covered every inch by scenic landscapes, incredible wildlife, and long-standing culture.  The tumultuous history undertaken since the time of Spanish colonisation and on the road to a sustainable democracy has made a lasting mark on its culture and people and is evidenced in its cities scattered across the country.  This […]

Discover Bolivia: The Definitive Guide for Travellers

Discover Bolivia The lakeside town of Copacabana, Bolivia Bolivia is a landlocked country in South America, bordered by Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. Its capital is historic Sucre where the Supreme Court is established, and the city of La Paz is where the executive and legislative arms of the government operate. Its largest cities […]

New York City: Architecture Styles Through the Ages

New York City: Architecture Styles Through the Ages What makes the Empire State Building different from the Haughwout Building in SoHo? How do the surrounding skyscrapers allow just the right amount of natural lighting for you to take that picture? The New York skyline is probably one of the first things you notice when you […]