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Travel Inspiration: Peaks & Valleys. The Captivating Contrasts of Nepal.

The tiny kingdom of Nepal, ringed by the Himalayas and wedged between India and Tibet, is a land of contrasts and a treasury of sacred art and architecture. Two millennia of peaceful coexistence have produced a unique blend of Hinduism and Buddhism that is distinctly Nepalese in character. The mountains soar thousands of feet into [...]

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Travel Inspiration: On the Amber Trail Through the Baltic Countries. Lithuania, Latvia, & Estonia.

Perhaps you once knew them as the “Baltic States”— Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. If so, it’s time to brush up on your modern history. That was their moniker back during the Socialist era, when Moscow claimed this slice of the pie around the Baltic Sea, much to the Balkans’ consternation. Today, as three free nations, [...]

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Travel Inspiration: Imperial Cities of Eastern Europe: Prague, Vienna, & Budapest.

Delve into the history of Eastern Europe, and you find some of the Western world’s most colorful characters. The Romans, who took control of the Danube in the name of the empire. The Ottomans, who helped themselves to Budapest and left the place with a Near East spin. The mighty Habsburgs, who threw their weight [...]

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Travel Inspiration: Sri Lanka. Five Millennia of Spices, Artistry, & Architecture in the Indian Ocean.

Spice traders, Buddhists, and powerful dynasties all made their way to Sri Lanka (once, Ceylon) long before Europeans headed there to take charge. Come explore the fascinating island nation of Sri Lanka. UNESCO has come before us and named many of the nation’s incredible ancient sites to its World Heritage list. See many of them [...]

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Travel Inspiration: Bhutan. Inside the Hidden Himalayan Kingdom.

Welcome to the land of Gross National Happiness. Almost completely cut off from the outside world for centuries, the Kingdom of Bhutan, nestled in the Himalayas, has now opened its doors. It does so even as it continues to guard its most sacred Buddhist traditions and most precious ancient customs. Until fairly recently, this was [...]