Vacation in India

Bamboozling. There’s simply no other word that convincingly captures the enigma that is India. With its in-your-face diversity, from snow-dusted mountains to sun-washed beaches, tranquil temples to feisty festivals, lantern-lit villages to software-supremo cities, it’s hardly surprising that this country has been dubbed the world’s most multidimensional. Love it or loathe it, and most visitors see-saw between the two, India promises to jostle your entire being, and no matter where you go or what you do, it’s a place you’ll never forget.

Home to more than one billion people, the subcontinent bristles with an eclectic melange of ethnic groups, which translates into an intoxicating cultural cocktail for the traveller. For those seeking spiritual sustenance, India has oodles of sacrosanct sites and stirring philosophical epics, while history buffs will encounter gems from the past almost everywhere – from grand vestiges of the British Raj serenely peering over swarming spice bazaars, to crumbling fortresses looming high above plunging ravines. Meanwhile, aficionados of the great outdoors can paddle in the shimmering waters of one of many balmy beaches, scout for big jungle cats on a blood-pumping wildlife safari, or simply inhale pine-scented air on a meditative forest walk. And then there’s the food! From squidgy South Indian idlis (fermented rice cakes) to zesty north Indian curries, foodies can look forward to savouring a seductive smorgasbord of specialities.

Once you touch down on subcontinental soil, you’ll quickly discover that cricket – India’s sporting obsession – is one of the most spirited topics of conversation, along with the latest shenanigans in the razzle-dazzle world of Bollywood. However, it is politics – whether at the national, state or village level – that consistently dominates news headlines, with middle- and upper-class India also keenly keeping its finger on the pulse of international events. On the home front, economic matters feature high on the national political agenda. With one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, India has certainly made giant strides over the past decade. However, despite averaging an annual growth rate of around 9% in recent years, vast sections of the country’s billion-plus population have seen little benefit from the economic boom. Indeed, the government’s ongoing challenge is to spread both the burden and bounty of India’s fiscal prosperity. Not an easy task given that the gap between the haves and the have-nots is far from shrinking, and poverty is set to spiral upwards if India’s population rate continues to gallop beyond that of its economic growth.

Travel Alert: Jammu and Kashmir (with the exception of Ladakh) are subject to political violence: travellers should seek consular advice before entering any area bordering Pakistan. Similar advice should also be sought before travelling to Assam,Nagaland, Tripura and Manipur in northeast India. There is a high security risk in Bihar and Jharkhand. Several Indian cities suffered violent attacks during 2008-2009 including Bangalore, Ahmedabad, New Delhi and Mumbai. Check out Safe Travel for updated government warnings or the Thorn Tree travel forum for advice from other travellers.

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welcome to Costa Rica

If you are fortunate enough to land in San Jose Costa Rica during daylight hours you will see a large Central Valley surrounded by sleepy volcanoes, like silent watchmen waiting to awaken at the slightest provocation. We call this "landing in a postcard". It whets the appetite for the Costa Rica vacation to come.

Costa Rica is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places on earth to vacation in. Glide through a rainforest canopy in a floating gondola, go horseback riding on the beach, soak yourself in waters heated by an active volcano, hike through clouds in a mountaintop cloud forest, see the turquoise blue water-filled crater of a sleepy (but active) volcano, see pairs of Scarlet Macaws flying over crocodile infested rivers, watch rare sea turtles struggle to lay their eggs in protected places. All this and more await you in one of the world's last safe havens for wildlife.

Germany Travel Guide

Occupying a prime position in the heart of Europe - both literally and figuratively - today's Germany is an endlessly engaging destination: a land of high culture, frothy beer, half-timbered villages and dynamic cityscapes. Anyone expecting a homogenous country conforming to rigid Teutonic stereotypes is in for a surprise.

Germany has shaken off the shackles of its inglorious past to stand as a country of remarkable diversity, as notable for its avant-garde architecture as for its horizon-wide countryside vistas. Tourists will encounter a heady mix of untamed nature, fine arts and youthful creativity. The capital, Berlin, has a reputation (forged by the legendary 'Roaring Twenties') as a hip and hedonistic community where almost anything goes. In contrast, the quiet academic surroundings of historic university cities like Heidelberg and Freiburg convey a peacefulness quite at odds with the atmosphere of the capital.

Where the Royals Vacation

Royal vacations are the stuff of myth and murmurs. Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, was caught on camera having her toes sucked by her financial advisor in St.-Tropez. In the days before she died, Princess Diana was seen in Sardinia lounging on the yacht of a then little-known billionaire playboy, Dodi Al Fayed. And a fairytale proposal between the future King of England, Prince William, and his college sweetheart, Kate Middleton, took place in a remote wilderness lodge facing Mount Kenya.

Royals might have day jobs like no one else’s, but when they choose to get away from it all, their vacations become iconic—and at times infamous. Titled aristocracy can pick anywhere in the world for their playground, but season after season, you will find them in the same sandboxes.

“I’m very fond of Greece,” says Princess Padmaja Mewar, 31, of Udaipur, India. (The House of Mewar is the world’s oldest dynasty, dating back 77 generations to A.D. 734.)

“With its own beauty, culture, and heritage, I love it. I feel different there than I do anywhere else in the world; it’s probably the only place that I feel I can relax.”

While heads that wear the crown can’t always rest easy, they do take breaks. Travel + Leisure takes you to the regal island retreats and elite wilderness resorts where the nobility pack their tiaras away and let loose.

The summer season sees imperial yachts anchoring off Europe’s majestic ports of call, like Costa Smeralda on the Italian island of Sardinia, where Saudi princes own many of the villas that dot the shore and sloping hills.

In winter, nobles seek the peerless beaches of Mustique, a three-square-mile Caribbean island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. With only one small hotel, the island—which was “discovered” by Princess Margaret in the 1960s—is an exclusive club for villa rentals, with weekly rates that rival the cost of college tuition.

And for wind-whipped, adrenaline-filled Christmas, the slopes of the Swiss Alps have long provided sovereigns like Prince Charles with excitement and exclusivity. The short days of winter also leave plenty of time for après-ski partying with the well-heeled.

Miami, Florida

Far and away the most exciting city in Florida, Miami is an often intoxicatingly beautiful place, with palm trees swaying in the breeze and South Beach's famous Art Deco buildings stunning in the warm sunlight. Away from the beaches and the tourists, the gleaming skyscrapers of downtown herald Miami's proud status as the headquarters of many US corporations' Latin American operations. Even so, it's the people, not the climate, the landscape, or the cash, that makes Miami so noteworthy. Two-thirds of the two-million-plus population is Hispanic, the majority of which are Cuban, and Spanish is the predominant language almost everywhere.

Just over a hundred years ago Miami was a swampy outpost of mosquito-tormented settlers. The arrival of Henry Flagler's railroad in 1896 gave the city its first fixed land-link with the rest of the continent, and cleared the way for the Twenties property boom. In the Fifties, Miami Beach became a celebrity-filled resort area, just as thousands of Cubans fleeing the regime of Fidel Castro began arriving here as well. The Sixties and Seventies brought decline, and Miami's dangerous reputation in the Eighties was well deserved – in 1980 the city had the highest murder rate in America.

Since then, with the strengthening of Latin American economic links and the gentrification of South Beach – which helped make tourism the lifeblood of the local economy again in the early Nineties – Miami is enjoying a surge of affluence and optimism.

Most Sinful New Year's Eve Getaways

Let’s face it: it’s not difficult to give in to sloth. That’s especially true in the Caribbean, where sleeping in, lying on sugary white-sand beaches, and lounging in hammocks is practically a requirement. Then, of course, it’s easy for gluttony to take over, as you roll right into an extravagant dinner and a long night of drinking.

But what’s wrong with that? After all, 2009 was a year of scrimping and saving, of working harder and playing less. Just as we began living more socially and environmentally responsible lives, we also took fewer vacations, rarely shopped, and seldom opted for dinners out. It’s time to blow off some steam, and New Year’s Eve—the most hedonistic of holidays—is the best chance to do it. So to set you off down the path of indulgence, we’ve put together 10 New Year’s getaway ideas inspired by the seven deadly sins.

Sinful getaways may not exactly be a trend—after all, more and more travelers are seeking out authentic, local experiences. In our 2010 trends report, for example, we see dining at underground supper clubs and shopping for everyday items to take home as souvenirs becoming more popular—hardly extravagant activities. That’s even more reason to make a sinful statement this New Year’s.

So where to go? Certain destinations naturally emerge as sinful winners. For that slothful beach bumming, try the Grenadines. These Caribbean islands are far removed not only from any urban bustle, but from any bustle at all. In fact, they offer little more than exclusive hotels and miles of powdery white sand.

Where sloth leads, gluttony easily follows. And while there’s nothing new about celebrating the New Year with a cocktail in hand, food and wine lovers might want to ring in 2010 with a decadent tasting tour of California’sNapa Valley. Drop by the omnipresent tasting rooms for samples from some of America’s best vineyards, then make gluttonous stops at Michelin-starred restaurants like French Laundry or newcomer Bottega.

After all that eating and lounging, though, it may be tough to take pride in your appearance. For that, we recommend heading to the newest outlet of wellness resort Canyon Ranch, in Miami. You’ll need to look good—the city is home to America’s best-looking people. But after a few days of personal training and high-tech spa treatments, you’ll blend right in with South Beach’s poolside model contingent.

Of course, life can’t be all about hedonistic pleasures. So with each of our sinful getaways, we offer a suggestion on how to atone—after all, there’s no need to start 2010 with a guilty conscience.

Wackiest New Year's Eve Ball Drops

Not everyone will be toasting 2012 with champagne. In Bartlesville, OK, the biggest drink is, literally, a martini: locals drop a massive olive into a glass from the top of a Frank Lloyd Wright–designed skyscraper.

New Year’s Eve is ultimately about the countdown, and it’s made official whensomething drops at midnight. Across America, places like Bartlesville have gotten creative. Some wacky drops pay tribute to local products or tastes, while others just go all-out outrageous. Whether you’re braving the crowds or watching in a hotel room, cheering a drop is part of the year-end spectacle—before the hangover and resolutions kick in.

The ball drop tradition dates back only to the early 1900s, when New York Times owner Alfred Ochs, whose offices were in Times Square, cochampagne, nvinced the city to let him throw a grand party. The first 400-pound iron and wood orb featured 100 bulbs and was lowered down a flagpole. Now it’s an 11,875-pound, 12-foot geodesic globe encrusted with 2,688 Waterford crystals.

Roughly a million people flock to see that Times Square ball in person, and millions more tune in around the world. There’s a shared quality to the scenes of fireworks, noisemakers, and partygoers in public squares and crowded bars that flash across TV screens as time zone after time zone counts down. But which object gets dropped is very much a local choice.

Take Key West, FL, which may not have Waterford crystals, but makes its own flamboyant New Year’s statement. For more than a decade, locals have cheered outside a bar on Duval Street as a red ruby high-heeled shoe —with a drag queen named Sushi seated inside—is lowered from the balcony.

There are actual food drops, too, that offer a visual bite of local delicacies. Atlanta, for instance, releases an 800-pound fiberglass-and-foam peach. Known for its multimillion-dollar melon industry, Vincennes, IN, raises an 18-foot watermelon into the sky, which then opens to release 12 real Knox County watermelons.

Resorts

The concept was a great one for a teenager: getting thrown into the pool by flirtatious staffers, eating all the French fries I wanted at every single meal,watching grown-ups humiliate themselves during “talent night.” But those spring-break trips to all-inclusive resorts that I loved as an awkward adolescent were something I have avoided at all costs as an adult. Swapping bracelet beads for drinks, competing with the throngs lined up for soggy burgers, and watching people drink margaritas with breakfast is not my idea of a dream holiday. Nor is it my sister’s; we agree that her memories of our childhood trips are just as well left in the past.

But as soon as we walked into the Deco-chic lobby of Couples Tower Isle, on Jamaica’s northern coast, our distaste started to fade. With its white leather daybeds, vintage black-and-white photos of Hollywood glitterati, and a two-tiered dining room lined with murals from the 1940’s, the hotel looked like something straight out of South Beach. Not, as we’d worried, a flashback to the tackiest years of the eighties.

One of Jamaica’s first resorts, Tower Isle was built in 1949 by local businessman Abe Issa, who latched onto the then-novel idea of keeping a hotel open year-round. It quickly became a magnet for the Hollywood jet set, attracting guests like Eva Gabor, Debbie Reynolds, and Noël Coward. Some 30 years later, Issa had another brainstorm: reflag the hotel as Couples and introduce a fixed rate to encompass everything from meals to watersports. It worked: Issa’s Jamaican-based brand soon grew from one to four resorts.

The concept wasn’t new. Safari lodges had been luring travelers with a pay-one-price model for decades (It was Ernest Hemingway who popularized the safari on his first trip to Kenya in 1933). Club Med took the concept, merged it with French notions of joie de vivre, and opened its first fun-for-all-ages property, on Majorca, in 1950. And private island resorts and luxury hotels such as Antigua’s Curtain Bluff have cultivated loyal guests through a similar model for years. But as massive all-inclusives, some with 2,000 rooms, began to pop up on beaches everywhere, they earned a bad rap; their names became synonymous with booze cruises, bad buffet restaurants, and anything-goes behavior (swinger parties, anyone?). “All-inclusive was code for budget travel—budget lodging, food and beverage, and service,” says Lindsay Ueberroth, president of the Preferred Hotel Group.

The industry these days is renovating not only its properties, but its image. This past year, Couples Tower Isle poured $30 million into a makeover in an attempt to recapture its 1950’s glamour. And Couples isn’t alone. At Sandals Resorts, founder Gordon “Butch” Stewart has handed the reins of the company over to his children, most notably 30-year-old Adam Stewart, who has spent some $300 million over the past two years in an attempt to reinvent the brand. In addition to opening Fowl Cay Resort, in the Bahamas, where every villa comes with a boat for exploring the Exuma beaches, they’re building overwater bungalows—a first in the Caribbean—at their St. Lucia outpost. Adam is also overseeing a $20 million transformation of what was recently a Four Seasons into an all-villa, all-suite resort. “We could have stopped after we added three restaurants, a patisserie, and a swim-up bar, but we didn’t,” he says of the latest addition to the 22-property chain. “But we’re also upgrading the service, introducing white-gloved butlers, and adding indoor-outdoor showers.”

Spring Festival Food

Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, is the most important traditional festival in China. It begins on the first day of the first lunar month (usually in late January or early February) and ends on the 15th day of the first lunar month (Lantern Festival).

Chinese New Year is a time for families to be together. Celebrations include having annual reunion dinner on Chinese New Year's Eve, setting firecrackers, giving lucky money to children, ringing the New Year bell, sending Chinese New Year greetings, dragon and lion dancing, and Niu Yangge (traditional dance in northern China). 

Chinese New Year Foods are very important to Chinese people. All family members come together to eat at this time. Chinese New Year foods are not only delicious but it is traditional to eat certain foods over this festival. Chinese Dumplings, Fish, Spring Rolls, Nian Gao are usually seen as delicious and eaten at this time.

Chinese Dumplings: Chinese Dumplings look like silver ingots. Legend has it that the more dumplings you eat during New Year celebration, more money you can make in the New Year. Almost all Chinese people can make dumplings, first mix the dough, second make the dough into wrappers by a rolling pin, third fill the wrappers with pork, beef, vegetable, fish or anything else can be used as stuffing.

Fish: In Chinese, Fish sounds like "save more". Chinese People always like save more money at the end of year because they think if they save more, they can make more in the next year.

Spring Roll: People like Spring Roll because they are nutritious and delicious. Spring Rolls contain pork and vegetable. They can be easily taken on picnics. They get their name because they are traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year Celebration.

Nian Gao: In Chinese, Nian Gao sounds like "getting higher year by year". In Chinese people's mind, the higher you are, the more prosperous your business is. Main ingredients of Nian Gao are sticky rice, sugar, Chestnuts, Chinese date and lotus leaves.