There are plenty of reasons why one would want to travel alone. Sometimes a frequent travel partner isn’t available. Other times people simply crave quiet and solitude. For these and many other reasons, solo travel has become a growing niche over the past few years, and agents, tour operators and cruise lines are adjusting the way they do business in order to accommodate the new trend and the new travelers.

Last year, tour operator Abercrombie & Kent launched a dedicated solo travel division that waived or greatly reduced supplements and fees for solo travelers, and saw a 26 percent increase in this niche for the last three quarters of the year. Bob

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You live at home in a small apartment with 4 other members of your family.  You want to see your girlfriend, but obviously bringing her home is not only akward, but then your family will keep pestering you about when the marriage is going to happen.  You would like to go out to eat at a nice restaurant but is a little too expensive for a college student.  So, where do you go to get away from they prying eyes of your parents and be with your “honey”?  To the park!

Its hard to go to any green space in Yangon without seeing throngs of young couples hanging out.  In fact, just telling people that Bessie and I are going to visit Inya Lake will get a chorus of “Ooohhh”s from anyone listening.  Were just going to get a walk and some semi-fresh air, but for locals the park is the place for love. 

Of course, while the park provides some respite from the rents, it doesnt provide much privacy from the rest of the public.  The young lovers need a little more cover from the wandering eyes of strangers.  Enter the trusty umbrella!  Not only does it provide cover from the sun, rain, and the occasional bird crap, it is also a private wall between lovers and the public-at-large.  Plus, its easily portable and can be taken to any romantic spot that you can get to on two feet.

Now, I dont know exactly what goes on under the umbrellas, but from knowing people here, its probably no more than some snuggling and kissing.  If they get wild, maybe there will be kissing with tongue, but thats just crazy.  Granted, I dont go around surveying all of the couples as to what exactly transpires underneath the “portable love awning” but most of it would easily make it into a PG-rated movie.

Needless to say, with this new umbrella function, it takes on a whole new meaning when I ask Bessie before leaving the house: “Should we bring an umbrella?”

Whether youre a family of beginners learning the ropes of the mountain or an experienced group of friends ready to tackle the next big challenge, these five North American ski resorts offer great skiing and snowboarding, plus a few extra details that ensure a perfect winter vacation.

Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort
Just 90 minutes outside of Vancouver is the behemoth known as Whistler Blackcomb. Eight thousand acres of skiing area, 27 lifts, and hundreds of runs and trails make for a skier’s dream. T

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Perú is a magical place. For most Smithsonian travelers the goal, the prize I should say, is to see Machu Picchu with ones own eyes. My wife and I went to Machu Picchu in January 1980, when the means to get there, the accommodations, and other aspects of the infrastructure were far less than they are now. Machu Picchu was one of the first places we visited that turned out to be better than we had hoped it could be; it still is, though we must now contend with some 2,000-2,500 other visitors each day.

But there is a great deal more to Perú. Perú was the richest part of the world in the 16th and 17th centuries, and it was a very wealthy country in the 19th century. Pe

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Kim Jong-Il’s funeral coverage has increased demand for holidays in the secretive country.

Despite it being one of the worlds most secretive and sinister countries, more people than ever are now enquiring with their travel agents about holidays to North Korea.Recently, following on from the death of the countrys leader, Kim Jong-Il, television coverage from the country, consisting of tributes and the funeral itself, have seen the country on our screens more than ever before. Read full topic…