Overseas travel among Malaysians is expected to remain robust despite rising cost and an economic slowdown, but more consumers will opt for cheaper routes in Asia, an industry group said Thursday. The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents, which has some 2,000 members.

via iht.com

I have arrived and settled in at my new home in Xalapa, Mexico! I arrived Wednesday night around 8pm after a five hour plane ride to Mexico City and another five hours aboard a bus to Xalapa. The plane ride passed in a sleepy daze but the bus ride was beautiful, cutting through the expansive country side of Mexico.

via travelblog.org

Known for its breath-taking landscapes and exquisite wine, Mendoza is a destination in Argentina that has something for everyone! A destination for the outdoorsy, Mendoza is located near two rivers: The Mendoza and the Diamante River, making this a popular place to go rafting. If you are in the mood to go hiking or horseback riding, there are numerous trails for which to enjoy the outdoors.

via blog.realtravel.com

Mark Twain still is inspiring river rats to fall in the love with the Mississippi and write about it. Modern-day Tom Sawyers and Huckleberry Finns docked two boats Thursday in Moline behind the Radisson Hotel. Both are piloted by city slickers, both are about as primitive as a watercraft can get and both carry adventurous souls with a mission to tell their stories about romancing the river.

via qctimes.com

We escaped the comfort of the sound stage for the wind and dust of the desert. Our art department built a full-scale diner and movie set about 30 miles south of Santa Fe, in the middle of nowhere New Mexico. We lathered on sun block during the days and bundled up for the bitter nights, with an average 40 degree difference between the two. The rain was sporadic, but the wind was unfailing.

via travbuddy.com

Yosemite is one of the most visited attractions in California. People from all over the world come for the incredible scenery and abundant wildlife of Yosemite. Yosemite National Park is a four-hour drive east of San Francisco and covers 1,200 square miles of the loveliest countryside you’ve even set eyes on. Yosemite is in the central Park of the Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, so there are interesting natural landmarks like the Yosemite Falls. This waterfall makes a vertical plunge over 2600 feet down a narrow rock gorge.

via destination360.com

Taxco de Alarcon, Mexico's silver capital, is a charming colonial town nestled in the mountains of Guerrero state between Mexico City and Acapulco. The town's winding cobblestone streets and whitewashed houses with red tile roofs, and its impressive Santa Prisca cathedral all combine to make Taxco a lovely and picturesque town. Those interested in purchasing silver will find the greatest selection here.

via gomexico.about.com

Cruises to Mexico are now more affordable and are available tear - round lasting from three to fourteen days. Some even have itineraries that also include Central America. With Mexico being more affordable in the cruise market try one of the two basic types. Cruise the Mexican Riviera from California down to the Baja coast of Mexico, from Baja to Acapulco. With the climate being drier and less humid, horseback riding along the many beautiful beaches is a must thing to do along with the excellent fishing of course and other sports. This trip includes stops in Acapulco. Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and others. Affordable cruises also leave out of the Gulf Ports of Houston, Galveston and New Orleans. Read the rest of this entry »

via

Built into the solitary hill in downtown Cabo, the Casa de la Cultura has a theatre, a small park and a mirador (lookout point). The mirador is surrounded by landscaped gardens and offers a view of all of Cabo. It is a peaceful retreat from the craziness of downtown.

via lonelyplanet.com

Coba was a major center of the Mayan empire. The city is as mystical as it is beautiful. It is located deep in the jungle near a series of lakes where Spider Monkeys can be found. Parts of the city are still being excavated. If you arrive early in the morning, you can beat the crowds, which are not nearly as bad as in Chichen Itza, and feel like an explorer who just discovered one of the greatest secrets of ancient times. Locals are very friendly and the admission fee is not worth mentioning. The commercialization of the area won’t stop at Coba, so while you are staying in Cancun or any other place nearby, we urge you to take the trip to Coba. You will not regret it. If you come to visit early in the morning, you will be able to pay a visit to fabulous Punta Laguna and its population of Spider Monkeys.

There are several ways of getting around in Coba. You can either rent a rickshaw, a bike or walk. Rickshaw drivers will double up as a tour guide. Alternatively you can rent a tour guide (English or Spanish) on foot or just venture off into the city all by yourself. The city is rather large and exploring it by foot takes some time and strength, but I never saw Indiana Jones going after a lost treasure on a rickshaw.

Take your time when visiting Coba, there is much to explore. Coba is one of the oldest Mayan settlements in Mexico. It is also one of the largest with 50,000 inhabitants. At its peak the city covered about 50 square kilometers. The park at Coba covers about 6 square kilometers.

via opentravelinfo.com

Families with diverse interests looking for a vacation to match can head to Paradise Village to find fun for everyone. The largest complex within Nuevo Vallarta on Mexico's golden Pacific Coast, this 440-acre planned property boasts a dazzling array of family-friendly amenities. Sports enthusiasts can try their luck at the golf course with country club, recreation center, marina, and sports center. Active teens looking to get away from Mom and Dad can hit the village's mall with over 100 shops and eateries, or the Mundo Loco arcade. There's even an amphitheater for special events and private performances and an upcoming convention center for those looking to mix business with family pleasure.

Families with kids ages 4-12 won't want to miss the popular Kids' Club, open daily from 9am to 3pm. While parents relax with a massage or body scrub at the Palenque Spa, take a yoga or Pilates class in the garden view gym, or just hit the town, kids will be busy with arts 'n' crafts, magic shows, sand castle competitions, pool games, and a "no touch" zoo with two tigers, seven monkeys, parrots, and even a few cougars. There's also crocodile-shaped water slides on the grounds to delight your little ones.

But it's not all about the kids. Parents will love the varied adult inspired activities including dinner shows, sports bar, dance club, couples massage, or a romantic dinner for two. There are even theme nights including Mexican Fiesta, Western Charro Night, Italian Night, Barbeque Night and more, with live music and tasty cuisine to match. The resort also organizes special evening activities for guests of all ages and Kids Club parties.

via familytravelforum.com

Chichén Itzá is the largest of the ruined Mayan cities on the Yucatan Peninsula and one of Mexico's most-visited tourist destinations. Construction began in the 7th century and the city reached its peak after the arrival of the Toltecs in the 10th century.

Although much excavation work has been done and tour guides tend to use an air of utter certainty, most of what is said about Chichén Itzá is merely educated guessing. But we are fairly certain that this area was settled by farmers as far back as the 4th century AD and an urban society first appears in the 7th century.

In this early period, stone temples and palaces were constructed in the traditional Puuc Maya style. These buildings can be found in the "Old Chichén" section of the city and most are dedicated to the rain god Chac. Construction continued for a couple hundred years.

In the 10th century (the post-Classic era), the city came under the rule of the Itzáes, who arrived by way of the Gulf coast. They may have been a mix of highland Toltecs (the people who built the city of Tula in central Mexico) and lowland Putún Maya, a commercial people thriving on trade between the different regions of the area.

via sacred-destinations.com

Adventure exists all over the world, especially in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. In the summer of 2007, my family and I decided to take a break and travel to Tulum, a small town on the Mayan Riviera famous for it's ancient pyramids and beautiful beaches. We stayed in a bungalow on the beach, relaxed, and took in some of the local activities. During my vacation in Tulum, I had many wonderful experiences that changed my opinion of what fun really is.

Two activities that I found very exciting were four-wheeling and snorkeling in a cenote near some Mayan ruins. This took place on a scorching hot afternoon in the middle of July, deep in the verdant jungle of the Yucatan Peninsula. Surprisingly, this was actually only a short drive from our hotel. Following a quick lesson from our instructor, Hector, on how to operate an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV), we were on our way into the jungle on a rocky, dusty trail. It was the first time I had operated an ATV all by myself, so, despite the dust, bugs, and exhaust fumes, I felt free and independent.Read the rest of this entry »

via ezinearticles.com

The island of Cozumel is only 12 miles (19 km) off the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula's east coast and 44 miles (71 km) south of Cancun. For years, Cozumel was a quiet sleepy island that didn't get many visitors until Jacques Cousteau did a documentary on it after discovering the world class scuba diving at the Palancar Reefs nearby. Since 1961, Cozumel has been known as one of the best scuba diving destinations in the world. In fact for decades since that time, the only tourists visiting the island have been primarily scuba divers. Mainstream tourists went to the resort intensive Cancun in the mainland instead. However, Cozumel became a regular cruise ship port of call in recent years and today it is one of the busiest with two separate terminals. It is common to have five or even six different cruise ships at port on any given day. I've been to Cozumel twice, the first time staying several days on a scuba diving vacation and the second time for a day via cruise ship (also scuba dived during my second visit).

As a result of the cruise ship boom, there has been lots of retail development along the main waterfront road of Avenida Rafael Melgar in the island's only town of San Miguel de Cozumel. There are countless jewelry and t-shirt shops most with staff standing in the entrances enticing visitors to enter their stores. Both silver and liquor can be good bargains here. There are also some nice Mexican crafts shops too. The one problem that we found was that after about 4 jewelry shops, they all started to look the same. It was almost a retail overload. For those who came for a wilder time, there are some bars such as Carlos 'n' Charlie. The town's main outdoor square, Plaza del Sol, is just opposite the main ferry dock to the mainland. There are usually street vendors and artists in the Plaza as well local entertainment during some evenings. The artists do some amazing artwork with spray paints and their prices are very reasonable. San Miguel's main tourist area can be very busy during the day when the cruise ship passengers are in town but since most ships depart at dinnertime, the evenings are actually very quiet. The only tourists left at night tend to be the scuba divers staying in Cozumel.

via travelwebdir.com

The Mexico destination of Los Cabos has been a well-kept secret for a long time, but with a new name for its tourism board, a new slogan, two recently hosted press trips and a marketing budget now exceeding $12 million, this Mexico hotspot is bound to be heard.

In recent weeks, The Los Cabos Tourism Convention & Visitors Bureau changed its name from the Los Cabos Tourism Board, launched a brand new website and started pushing its new slogan “Leave It All Behind.” This is all part of a campaign to get the destination on the radar of more travel agents and consumers. While the city isn’t looking for an overabundance of arrivals, it is hoping to attract a moderate amount of big spenders. This could keep tourist numbers fairly moderate while helping tourism income bust through the roof. Recent attempts to draw the affluent traveler have even included publicizing celebrities who’ve relaxed there.

via travelagentcentral.com