Discover the cosmopolitan beauty of Miami along Florida's fabled Gold Coast. Stroll through carefully preserved Art Deco neighborhoods and witness the trendy lifestyle that is South Beach. Enjoy open-air shopping in the Bayside Marketplace and shop for a bite to eat in Coconut Grove, with its harborside cafes and quaint, artistic settings.
Dutch St. Maarten is a great place to stop just to shop. Its capital is Philipsburg and fills a narrow stretch of land between Great Bay and the Great Salt Pond. It is a bustling center of international trade with lively shopping streets, cafes, and hotels. Strangely enough it has two main streets called Front Street and Back Street.
On Front Street, which is the main thoroughfare, duty-free shops line the road as far as the eye can see. These duty-free shops offer everything from Italian leather goods and Japanese cameras to native crafts. Don't be afraid to venture the alleyways that will lead you to arcades and courtyards filled with flowers.
The Courthouse is the most prominent landmark on Front Street. It is a grand white wooden structure topped with a cupola built in 1793. Front Street also includes the Simartin Museum so that visitors can get and excellent introduction to local St. Maartin history. There are also historical forts that are monuments to Philipsburg's strategic importance in St. Maarten's history.
Philipsburg has not been left behind in the time, however. It has combined its historical legacy with 20th century excitement. Since its waterfront has become a popular stop for cruise ships, the shore of this town is covered with restaurants, cafes and nightclubs that offer entertainment well into the night.
The Bajan British accent is very distinctive, reflecting both the Scepter'd Isle and the lovely one they live on. Barbados still has lovely parish churches, great manor houses and a proper Trafalgar Square along with white-sugar beaches and waving fields of cane.
Turning out of the muddy Amazon, you will cruise into the blue Rio Tapajos, to anchor off the village of Alter do Chao. Here you can tour the Center for Preservation of Indigenous Arts, with displays on the lifestyles of local tribes. Or cross to a white sand beach for a refreshing swim in the clear river waters.
A cultural outpost in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, Manaus was famous for the extravagant lifestyle and architecture of the 19th century rubber barons who made their fortunes here. The renovated opera house stands as an opulent testament to their vast wealth.
A cultural outpost in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, Manaus was famous for the extravagant lifestyle and architecture of the 19th century rubber barons who made their fortunes here. The renovated opera house stands as an opulent testament to their vast wealth.
Salvador is a dynamic collage of diverse religious and cultural groups, colorful open-air markets, tropical flowers, majestic colonial buildings, golden-sand beaches and the bubbling sensuality of the Bahian people. Visit the Sao Francisco Chapel, whose interior is paved with gold. Sample Salvador's Afro-Brazilian cuisine, including such mouth-watering specialties as "ensopada" (seafood poached in fresh coconut milk) and "vatapa" (spicy fresh shrimp).
Undoubtedly the highlight of everyone's South American experience, glittering Rio is a city that enchants mind, body and soul. Radiant beaches, like Ipanema and Copacabana, stretch like bejeweled arcs around the city's perimeter. The monumental 120-foot statue of Christ the Redeemer towers over Rio atop Corcovado Mountain. Take a cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain for stunning panoramic views of the mountains, beaches and skyline. Visit world-renowned nightclubs where samba bands and disco dancers jump all night long.
Undoubtedly the highlight of everyone's South American experience, glittering Rio is a city that enchants mind, body and soul. Radiant beaches, like Ipanema and Copacabana, stretch like bejeweled arcs around the city's perimeter. The monumental 120-foot statue of Christ the Redeemer towers over Rio atop Corcovado Mountain. Take a cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain for stunning panoramic views of the mountains, beaches and skyline. Visit world-renowned nightclubs where samba bands and disco dancers jump all night long.
This charming capital city, with its broad boulevards and beautiful parks, will entice you to explore the coastline. You'll also want to visit the Parque Batille y Ordonez, honoring the Father of Uruguay, and to see La Carreta-The Oxcart-a monument sculpted by Bellini.
Latin America's most sophisticated city, dubbed the "Paris of South America," invites you to stroll along broad, tree-lined boulevards to the picturesque Plaza San Martin. Tour the dazzling Teatro Colon, one of the world's greatest opera houses, and the tomb of Evita Peron. Perhaps you would enjoy a dinner ashore, followed by a performance of the Tango or an optional excursion into the pampas to visit an estancia (ranch) with traditional gaucho hospitality.
Latin America's most sophisticated city, dubbed the "Paris of South America," invites you to stroll along broad, tree-lined boulevards to the picturesque Plaza San Martin. Tour the dazzling Teatro Colon, one of the world's greatest opera houses, and the tomb of Evita Peron. Perhaps you would enjoy a dinner ashore, followed by a performance of the Tango or an optional excursion into the pampas to visit an estancia (ranch) with traditional gaucho hospitality.
Walvis Bay is an outpost on the empty stretch of Southwest Africa they call the Skeleton Coast. It was named for the whales once hunted here. Behind the town is the Namib Desert with trackless dunes inhabited by hardy, exotic desert plants and, now and then, a hungry lion or a ghostly herd of elephants. There is only one road, and it leads to Windhoek, Namibia's capital.
Walvis Bay is an outpost on the empty stretch of Southwest Africa they call the Skeleton Coast. It was named for the whales once hunted here. Behind the town is the Namib Desert with trackless dunes inhabited by hardy, exotic desert plants and, now and then, a hungry lion or a ghostly herd of elephants. There is only one road, and it leads to Windhoek, Namibia's capital.
One of the world's most scenic harbors, the "Mother City" has welcomed sailors since Portuguese navigators first rounded the Cape of Good Hope in the 15th century. Take a cable car ride to the summit of massive, flat-topped Table Mountain, the city's dominating landmark, for a panoramic view of the Cape from 3,300 feet. At nearby Stellenbosch, the university town famous for its Cape Dutch architecture, sip crisp local vintages at one of the well-known wine estates.
One of the world's most scenic harbors, the "Mother City" has welcomed sailors since Portuguese navigators first rounded the Cape of Good Hope in the 15th century. Take a cable car ride to the summit of massive, flat-topped Table Mountain, the city's dominating landmark, for a panoramic view of the Cape from 3,300 feet. At nearby Stellenbosch, the university town famous for its Cape Dutch architecture, sip crisp local vintages at one of the well-known wine estates.