Places to Visit in India
As we know that, India is the land of cultural diversity, and heritage of monuments. There are so many things that exist in India in terms of places, culture and monuments. It is the best tourist place...
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Asia’s Fall Festival Calendar
Planning an autumn family vacation in Asia is not only affordable, it's also the best time of year to travel the region as countries such as India, China and Japan come to life with autumn festivals...
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Bus Tours Introduce The World’s Great Cities
Double-decker hop-on, hop-off bus tours can be found all around the world, but have a longer history in Europe than in the US. Imagine a clever guide, a place to rest your feet, great photo opportunities,...
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Extraordinary Hotels For Adventures Of The Night
We picked some of our favorite, most unusual places to sleep in Brazil, Japan and Turkey and want to show you how to enjoy them as a family. Sometimes in our travels we...
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Pins on a Map: A Family’s Yearlong Journey Around the World
Pick up this charming memoir by David Boesch and join his family of five on their enlightening one-year, 6-continent, 17-country journey. The kids (ages 7, 10 and 13) helped select...
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Malaysia Adventures Welcome All Ages
It's safe, prosperous, progressive and a great value: This southeast Asian country welcomes all visitors with a surprising array of attractions.It's safe, prosperous, progressive and a great value:...
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Tours Combine Adventure and Volunteering
If you enjoy adventure and helping others, and you're looking for ideas for your next vacation, then Adventure Center might have the answer for you. Adventure...
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REI Adventures Takes 25 Percent Off Special Guided Trips in 2011
To celebrate its 25th anniversary of selling guided adventure trips, the terrific outdoor outfitter REI is selling a select group of its 2011 trips at a 25% discount so the whole family...
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Student Volunteer Programs in Cambodia
Journeys Within, a boutique tour company that specializes in philanthropic travel to Southeast Asia, recently announced their Student Experience Tours for 2011. These unique student...
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Nobel Peace Prize Received by Empty Chair
Israeli singer Idan Raichel performed with American soul singer India.Arie at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert held December 11th in Oslo, Norway. The two artists performed "Gift of Acceptance"...
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Changi Airport’s New 40-Foot Slide Free for Duty Free Shoppers
Forget rocking chairs and Cinnabon. Singapore’s Changi International Airport knows how travelers really want to spend their layover -– shooting down a jumbo twister slide of course!The...
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My experience of studying in China, homestay in Shanghai
I came to Shanghai about three weeks ago to study the Chinese language in a local university. First thing I did when I arrived was to look for a place to live. As it was my first time coming...
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Singapore Is A Kid’s Shangri-La
It's easy to find family fun around Sentosa Island, a man-made recreational area off the coast of Singapore that provides a countryside escape from the big city. Note: For 2010, the Shangri-La...
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Japan Among Top Safest Travel Destinations
The result of the latest survey of
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The Smiles of China
I had always been a fan of travel since I was a little girl. For most of my life, that had been the occasional trip to my grandma’s in Iowa, or a trip to Branson,...
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Explore Cambodia Along The Mekong Discovery Trail
A well planned network of hiking, biking and boating trails for all ability levels is helping promote ecotourism in the Mekong River region of northeastern Cambodia. If you’re looking...
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The Continuation of Ginxy’s Adventure in Japan!
It’s funny how life works. The things you do not want to happen or try avoiding somehow happens anyway. I dislike getting lost on my own. I have a tendency to memorize one path and stick to it....
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The Magic of Boston and Cape Cod
On the night of August 5th, 2009, my friend Patil and I, Starbucks at hand, were waiting to board the train. Magic was brewing.
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Working with Catalyst Foundation in Viet Nam
I arrived in Saigon in Mid-August of 2007. I could feel the wave of humid air wash over me as our plane descended into Ho Chi Minh City International Airport. As the...
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Japan: Exploring Asakusa
If I had one day to spend in Tokyo, I probably would choose to spend it in Asakusa. The Senso-ji Buddhist...
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Passport to Nowhere
All my worries seemed so far away. I was walking with Bernadette while holding her hand on Boracay Beach as if nothing could separate us. Just the cool breeze and the graceful...
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Keep a Straight Face in Ko Pee Pee
Spent three days in Koh Lanta and was looking forward to bluer, less rocky waters in the coveted island paradise of Koh Phi Phi. Unfortunately, the transit between islands took a lot longer than expected....
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Sugoi desu ne! Student Travels in Tokyo
Tokyo is a city of contradictions and contrasts; a delicate balance between ancient and modern, native and global, traditional and subversive. I've never encountered a city like it in all my travels,...
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Moonwalking on the Shore
We got into the island from Karabi, which was a little longer of a trek out than expected. We were picked up by a breezy truck from the bungalows that picked up travelers together headed out to the...
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New Years or Paper and Heads on Fire
And what a New Year’s it was. We walked down to the beach, which I thought was called Ao Nang. Turns out it goes by much longer name, which I can only remember as starting with an N. Luckily,...
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Compassion for Cambodia
Before I went on my mission trip with Teen Mania http://www.globalexpeditions.com, a friend told me that I needed more compassion in my life. She encouraged...
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Ni Hao
In the summer of 2009 my fellow orchestra dorks and I went on an adventure to the exotic world of China. We resided there for two weeks without air conditioning or a westernized toilet in sight. ...
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Jaunt to South Korea
In February of 2008, I hopped across the pond, from my temporary home in Japan, to South Korea, to visit my friend Emma who...
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Medicine, Philanthropy, Perseverance, and Beauty
Traveling is exciting, regardless of where you're destined. And doing it solo is even better. Lost in the clouds, disconnected from the mayhem on the ground,...
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Southbound Train Leaving Beijing
48 hours in a sleeper car is a very. long. time.I’m on a two-day long train ride headed south from Beijing to Yunnan Province. It’s a huge trip, two weeks in Southern China...
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Chinese (updated)
A shy junior boy silently slips into room 206, staring at the floor, avoiding others’ gazes as he does. He is immediately taken aback by the state of the room. As if occupied by feuding siblings,...
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The Other Face of Japan
When many people think about Japan, what is usually the first thing to cross your mind? Robots, school girls in sailor outfits, sushi, et cetera. For the longest time, those images crossed my...
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What is Too Much Poverty?
Last summer I saw something that completely shocked me. I witnessed a man attempting to unclog a flooded street in Dhaka, Bangladesh. That doesn’t sound too shocking, but given the circumstances,...
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From the Great Wall to the Berlin Wall
My friend and I had been living in China for two years when we decided to take the long way back to the States. Instead of flying from China back to the United States, we decided to do what we would...
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Authentic Chai With You
I have found nothing quite like the richness of the gravy-air in the land of spices. You could blindfold me and put me on an India-bound airplane without telling me where on earth I was going, and once...
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China 2010
Hello, my name is Ramdat Singh and I am currently a 11th grader. I was very grateful for the opportunity to travel to China alongside Angel Acosta, Ashley Williams, Bonnie Maldonado, Kevin Montalvo,...
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Polio Eradication in Photos
These photos try to capture the essence of my short excursion to India this year to learn more about the polio effort and lend a helping hand by vaccinating children, consulting with the local health...
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Iterations of Equality
Parvati stood out from all the other women in her village. She could read and write. She was confident and charismatic. She looked men in the eyes when she spoke to them. She spoke to them. And when...
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Thailand Adventure
Traveling outside the country for the first time by ones self is an eye opening experience. When I was a senior in high school, there was a Thai exchange student in my physics...
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Vietnam: My Other Home
Vietnam is known for it's delicacy of dog and cat meat. Did I eat any? No; I was raised in America where these creatures serve as cute, loveable housepets. That's a bummer. Isn't eating exotic dishes...
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The Wisdom of Coconuts
“So, you want to learn black magic,” the kindly guru said, bald pate and sea-blue eyes shining with wise amusement. “Well, uh, I was more hoping to study the role...
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Who Downloads “The Beach” in Thailand?
I don’t recommend taking a 14-hour bus ride to anywhere in your life. Sure, it sounds awful enough, but I cannot explain the uniquely agonizing delirium that came on after hour 12 or so. We took...
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This Backpack is A Lot Heavier Than I Thought
I'm currently sweating in a dingy hotel called Smile Inn. As welcoming as it sounds, the name is entirely ironic. The rooms are cramped, a little dirty, and the reception desk is exceptionally unfriendly....
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If I went to the Yellow River…
The historic Yellow River, considered by many to be the center of Chinese civilization and spiritual life has been the object of countless poets, writers, painters, and song writers for hundreds of...
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My Years at Zhu Wu Elementary School in My Hometown Shenyang, China, Before I Came to the US
First day of elementary school in my hometown, Shenyang, China, my class started out with 51 students sitting in a classroom in a relatively well-reputed elementary school. Sitting at an one meter by...
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India, a Song
India is a song that calls back to me with bright colors in its voice. In a simple memory, I am there. In the scent of henna, or in a sip of chai tea, I am there. With my sight on a small creature crawling,...
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Exploring a new continent in exchange for helping some fragile infants and toddlers
In the summer of 2007 I was offered the opportunity to...
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Anthropology of Fiji for the Backpacker
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Gaijin Living in Japan
I had never ventured out of the United States before. Not even the occasional Mexico day trip. I craved a sabbatical. I wanted a break...
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Anganwadi’s of India
The older I became I found myself reclassifying things I do and participate in. A trip to a neighboring city...
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Exploring The Other Side Of The Great Wall Of China
Avoid the tourist hordes by climbing the Great Wall with this family and their private Chinese guide, for an insider's look at one of the 7 New Wonders of the World.When we first heard about...
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Unusual Blog “Beautiful Nepal” Generates Controversy Among Writers
Christine Anderson’s essay “Beautiful Nepal” was the Second Place Winner of FTF's 2009 Teen Travel Writing Scholarship, the...
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Eco-Friendly Family Vacations In Asia
From the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, these green beach getaways throughout Asia give families a great way to give back to the environment while having fun.Going eco-friendly means more than just...
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My adventures in Angkor Wat
We woke up and drove out to the Angkor complex. First we went to Angkor Thom which was one of the biggest Khmer cities. We went to Bayon temple which was really cool. It had 54 towers with 4 huge faces...
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2009 Teen Travel Writing Scholarship Essay
So, how do you spell BLUEBERRY? Remember, spell it out! Let’s start with the first sound, BLUE—like the color! Can we spell BLUE? Yes, B-L…no,...
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Gandhi Quandary: Peace Leader’s Home Ignites Conflict
Last week, a number of news syndicates including BBC and UPI reported that Mahatma Gandhi’s home in Johannesburg, South Africa was sold to the French travel company, Voyageurs Du Monde. The house, which...
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Cebu, Philippines Is A Family Favorite
A local Cebuano shares tips on how to enjoy Cebu, the best island in the Philippines for families interested in city culture and great beaches.Cebu is just an hour's flight from the Philippine...
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Kid Suites At International Family Resorts
Some popular family hotels and resorts in Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia boast large family suites whose decor and amenities have been designed with kids in mind. Between June and September 2009,...
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