The drink itself is nutritious, my group’s guide averred, because of the minerals in the corn and minerals picked up by grinding the grain on volcanic rock. He also said the new brew may have a 3% alcoholic content, but the alcohol level could be a lot higher with more fermentation.

Our guide stoking the fire before adding ground corn and flour to boiling water in the early phase of converting corn into the alcoholic drink, chicha de jora.

I wanted to see this demonstration and participate as well because the story of the beer is fascinating and it is a traditional part of Peru’s culture. Besides, fortunately, the beer we tasted at the conclusion did not have a high alcohol content!!

Peru’s appeal

You like archaeology? The country is rich with Inca and pre-Inca ruins, literally piles of ruins in addition to the best known of the lot, Machu Picchu. Plus there is a lot of nicely preserved colonial architecture.

One of numerous Inca ruins in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. These giant terraces, known collectively as the Fortress or Temple Hill, sit below the Inca Temple of the Sun, in the town of Ollantaytambo. (2011 photo)

You like scenery? Peru geography includes parts of the Amazon River system, Andean mountains galore punctuated with gorgeous deep valleys and the altiplano (basically a very high plateau), plus a capital, Lima,  that sits on a cliff overlooking the Pacific.

The Sacred Valley of the Incas. The valley floor where I took this photo is 9,776 feet above sea level.

You want an active vacation? Peru offers adventure sports such as trekking, horseback riding, mountain biking and rafting. Or, you can get out and about in search of the wildlife. For the truly Peru-specific thing, walk the Inca Trail (two-day or four-day version) to the Machu Picchu archaeological site. Except for those who walk, the only Machu Picchu access is via train to the village of Machu Picchu Pueblo, which sits below the ruins.

PeruRail cars readied for the journey from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu Pueblo, the village that sits below the famed Machu Picchu site.

You want to shop? Souvenir hunting, involving lots of brightly colored woven goods, is cost effective and rewarding at any popular tourist site and market town. Besides, there are multiple options to buy high-end goods, especially woven tapestries that could easily, and sometimes do, hang in art galleries.

You like food? The country, home to multiple species of several New World foods — Brazil nuts, chocolate, corn, potatoes, quinoa — is a foodie destination, most notably Lima. Specialties also include alpaca, guinea pig (cuy, locally) and the really delectable ceviche. UNESCO in 2023 placed Peruvian ceviche on its list of intangible cultural heritages of humanity.

Alpacas, a source of wool and food.

Inkaterra

So naturally, my trip was too short. In Peru, trips always are. For this outing, I joined a press trip hosted by Peru’s Inkaterra hotels. A pioneer in sustainable tourism, Inkaterra is the winner of several sustainability prizes; it was recognized by the UN in 2021 as the world’s first climate positive hotel brand.

Chicha making is one of several cultural activities that, along with other more active options, is included in room rates at the Inkaterra properties. The Inkaterra properties offer their adventure/nature/eco-focused experiences to customers at any of five (soon to be six) mostly five-star hotels, located in forested and mountainous landscapes and at altitudes ranging from 600 feet above sea level in the Amazon River basin to 11,152 feet in Cusco. Our group stayed at three Inkaterra hotels, and also lunched at the super high-end La Casona, a protected 16th century manor house in Cusco.

The central square at the heart of historic Cusco, a city rich in colonial heritage.

Our group hiked or floated on oxbow lakes and the Madre de Dios River to see or look for flora (the walking tree was the best) and fauna, such as tiny long-nosed bats, caimans, red howlers and even butterflies camping on turtles’ heads.

Above, tiny long-nosed bats positioned head down on a tree trunk. Below, butterflies drink the tears of turtles, for the sodium. Both were seen on the oxbow lake on the grounds of Hacienda Concepcion, which abuts the Madre de Dios River in the Amazon basin.

Beer, nuts, tea, stargazing, chocolate

However, we didn’t do any serious trekking, mountain biking, or the like, so I am emphasizing the cultural side of things below. Further to the cultural theme, sessions included:

• Making beer, as mentioned, while a guest at Hacienda Urubamba in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. As our guide showed us how to grind the corn, he advised that the entire process takes a couple of weeks. The ingredient list is short: yellow corn, flour, herbs, water — and a bit of chicha to kick-start fermentation. Chicha traditions, which predate European contact, call for saving some of each newly made brew for rituals and sharing the rest with the neighbors the minute it’s ready, usually with salsa on the side.

• Harvesting the arguably misnamed Brazil nuts, at Hacienda Concepcion in the rainforest outside Puerto Maldonado. Most often found in Bolivia and Peru as well as in Brazil, these trees cannot be domesticated so the nuts are harvested in the wild. Peru’s trees, protected on government land, drop shells — about 300 annually from a mature tree — each containing up to 22 seeds that must be hulled. Licensed harvesters use machetes to open the hard shells. Then, it is mostly women (“they’re more patient,” our guide said) who remove the husks from the seeds, using a vise. We tried our hands at removing husks without smashing the nuts. It does take patience.

An opened Brazil nut shell and its 10-plus nuts. In the next step, nuts are shelled in a vise.

• Making tea, at Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. This Inkaterra property sits on 12.3 acres, which accommodate a tiny tea plantation — as well as 372 native orchid species, BTW. As to tea, the plants, originally from Japan, are 75 years old. Hotel staffers harvest and make tea, black and green, year round. For our part, we “harvested” a tiny number of leaves, rolled tea leaves and, skipping steps, made and filled teabags for use later the same evening. Machu Picchu Pueblo, which gives this hotel its name, is a small (6,000 people) village that was founded after discovery of the Machu Picchu archaeological site.

Above, sweeping view of the Machu Picchu archaeological site. Below, llamas hanging out on the terraces at Machu Picchu. (2011 photos)

• Twilight stargazing, at Hacienda Urubamba, to gain insights into how Andean groups have relied on the stars for things like marking the seasons. Our outing involved a short tutorial on constellations seen in the Southern Hemisphere.

• Chocolate making, at Hacienda Concepcion. Although not on our itinerary, we watched a guest grinding cacao nuts as part of a chocolate making endeavor. This is worth mentioning because 60% of the world’s cacao species are indigenous to Peru. In fact, given Peru and its neighbors were key to bringing chocolate to the world, I am wondering why I didn’t eat more of it while so close to the source.

Above and below, more scenery, seen in this case while traveling the high-altitude roads outside of Cusco. The photo above was taken through a van window.

I meant to discuss shopping here, too, but this blog grew too fast. I discuss the shopping separately here: https://besttripchoices.com/peru-textiles-as-language/

For more information about Peru, we offer at BestTripChoices.com the following, under the headline, Land of Machu Picchu at https://besttripchoices.com/peru/

This blog and its photos are by Nadine Godwin, BestTripChoices.com editorial director and contributor to the trade newspaper, Travel Weekly. She also is the author of “Travia: The Ultimate Book of Travel Trivia.”

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• Ontario has about 250 ghost towns, way more than any other province or U.S. state.
• At the time of the War of 1812, more than half Ontario’s residents were American transplants.
• The province counts about 250,000 lakes, one-third of the world’s fresh water.
• The Dionne sisters, born on an Ontario farm, were identical quintuplets.
• Ontario’s southernmost point lines up with Rome; the northernmost roughly with Edinburgh.

Made for nature lovers

Most visitors to Ontario generally visit its principal city Toronto or they head for recreation areas located beyond the cities and towns. Ontario is host to the national capital, Ottawa, as well, but Toronto is larger and seen as the livelier place for nighttime entertainment or other diversions.

As for appealing natural sites, Ontario has those in abundance. Its border touches four Great Lakes; its northernmost boundary reaches Hudson Bay, and in between, Ontario counts thousands upon thousands of lakes, mile after mile of rivers plus forests covering nearly two-thirds of the province. Choices are nearly limitless.

Vacation destinations in Canada impress Americans as having a clean, attractive appearance and providing a feeling that they’ll be safe wherever they wander. Ontario is no exception. Americans also appreciate that English is the language. Besides, about 40% of North America’s population is within a day’s drive of southern Ontario.

Toronto, Canada’s largest city, is a center for commerce and culture, as well as the provincial capital. While Toronto reflects its British heritage, it also comes close to having the greatest ethnic diversity of any city in North America.

Visitors say Toronto has the excitement of a large, multicultural city, the charm and hospitality of English tradition and the architectural diversity and immaculate appearance that rival any city on the continent. American visitors are especially entertained by Toronto’s underground city, an entire network of stores, restaurants, offices and other businesses. It’s possible to avoid bad weather for days!

Next door to Toronto, Niagara Falls, long regarded as a honeymoon destination, remains a popular place for all vacationers.

As a large province, Ontario allows active travelers many opportunities for recreation, especially on its lakes and rivers. Those who seek solitude enjoy the tranquility of Ontario’s unspoiled wilderness areas where wide open spaces and natural beauty refresh and renew tired urban souls.

Although all personality types give Ontario a thumbs up, its visitor count largely consists of those in the middle of the personality scale. These tourists may spend a day or two In Toronto or Niagara Falls, then head to a national park or conservation area for outdoor pursuits.

Things to do for Venturers

• Take the daylong Agawa Canyon Train Tour from Sault Ste. Marie for a look at some spectacular wilderness scenery. You travel 114 miles out before turning back. At mile 102, you begin the descent 500 feet to the floor of the Agawa Canyon.
• If you understand this one, you may want to attend: the October Rock Paper Scissors International World Championships in Toronto. The event is called “a decision-making game of wits, speed, dexterity and strategy between players who are unable to reach a decision using other means.”
• Go camping and hiking in the Lake Superior Provincial Park.
• Fish in Ontario and, with enough luck and skill, you may qualify for an Ontario Angler Award.
• Visit a ghost town. In Ontario, there are about 250 partially or totally abandoned towns, for good reason in many cases: You cannot get to them. However, a few are candidates for tourism: Balaclava, Ballycroy, Creighton, Depot Harbour and Millbridge Station, for example.
• This is really quirky, but here goes: There is a sanctioned nude beach on Hanlan’s Point, an island in Lake Ontario near Toronto’s harbor. So, you can shed all and sit on this beach, but it is illegal to enter the water without wearing a swimsuit, and you wouldn’t want to anyway. Believe it or not, here is the spot in Ontario that is too polluted for swimming.

Things to do for Centrics

• Ride the rails, and make a day trip of it. Take the Polar Bear Express from Cochrane, a mining and lumbering center, to Moosonee, where the Hudson Bay Company established a trading post in the 17th century.
• Go hiking and canoeing in Algonquin Provincial Park. It is a wildlife sanctuary at the headwaters of five major rivers. Near the highway, the park is well developed, but in the interior, no motor vehicles are allowed.
• Use the marked 217-mile Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail for any of a number of favorite pastimes: walking, jogging, cycling, in-line skating. It extends from Stoney Creek to Brockville through 31 cities, towns and villages (including Toronto) and leads to 170 marinas and yacht clubs and 37 major waterfront festivals.
• Go to the theater in Toronto, which is one of the world’s top cities for thespians. Or, attend the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford.
• Attend a demonstration class or book a weekend gourmet class at Canada’s only Cordon Bleu cooking school, in Ottawa. Dine in its five-diamond restaurant, Signatures.
• Harbourfront on Lake Ontario near downtown Toronto is a complex of cultural and crafts centers, restaurants and shops that is a mecca for sightseers and shoppers. You’ll get a good feel for Toronto’s role as a major port.

Things to do for Authentics

• Rent a cottage on or near a lake, giving yourself constant access for a few days to boating, swimming and waterskiing.
• You might as well go shopping, too. Toronto claims the world’s largest underground shopping complex. The 6.8-mile PATH underground walkway in downtown links 48 office towers, six hotels and 1,100 shops and restaurants.
• Fish for bass where President Franklin Roosevelt fished, at the North Channel of Lake Huron.
• In September, watch Chinook salmon in Mississauga’s Erindale Park as the fish swim up the Credit River from Lake Ontario toward their spawning grounds. And, for that matter, you also can fish for these salmon, in Lake Ontario off the Toronto islands.
• Go to London, a lovely city situated on a fork of the Thames River (yes, you’re still in Canada). Residents are particularly proud of their parks and gardens, and if you’re traveling with children, Storybook Gardens is a small theme park just for them. Visit some of London’s museums, take a cruise on the river and see a theatrical production at the Grand Theatre.
• Visit a few wineries (yes, in Ontario, which is at the same latitude as European wine regions). Sample ice wine. Dine at one of the winery’s on-site restaurants. For a different take on this, go to the Muskoka Lakes Winery, located in a cranberry marsh; it makes cranberry wine.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation at www.ontariotravel.net

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• The Yukon River Quest is the world’s longest annual canoe and kayak race (460 miles).
• Simple hand mining yielded $22,275,000 in Yukon gold in 1900 alone.
• Diamond Tooth Gerties is Canada’s northernmost legal casino.
• About two-thirds of the territory’s people live in Whitehorse, the capital.
• The Yukon Gold Rush provided inspiration for Jack London’s “The Call of the Wild.”

Beauty and gold

The Yukon is all about beauty and gold. It is admired for the stunning landscapes marked by mountains, pristine rivers and lakes with vistas often topped off by snow. That translates into a destination with plenty of sports activities — winter and summer — for the adventurous and hardy.

Indeed, its relative distance from the world’s more populous centers and its own sparse population enhance the Yukon’s appeal to the venturesome among us.

The Gold Rush of the 1890s really put the Yukon on the map and created the kind of lore that gives it a romantic appeal for individuals of all personality types.

Our romantic images of this northern, and golden, outpost got a boost from American author Jack London who came to the Yukon in the first winter of the rush (1897-98), drawn by the excitement and prospects of wealth.

The Yukon is Canadian but, in tour packages or privately planned trips, it is often combined with Alaska. The two share similar memories of a rush for gold plus ruggedly beautiful landscapes — not to mention the good roads that link them, such as the dramatic Top of the World Highway.

The Yukon is a larger-than-life kind of place where visitors can find all the solitude they want, see wildlife in abundance (there are twice as many moose as people), mush a dog team where Klondike explorers first traveled, hike on huge icefields or arrange quality time with the province’s original inhabitants, called First Nations in Canada.

Meals may range from a lakeshore meal of fresh-caught fish to a fine-dining experience in a city or at a wilderness lodge. Golf is another option with a twist; tourists can choose daytime play — or nighttime play under the midnight sun.

Another nice feature is the care taken to preserve the rights and cultures of its First Nations.

Adventuresome travelers, and those who enjoy traveling by auto or RV, are most likely to appreciate the grandeur and history of the Yukon. Except for those who are very hardy and well prepared for ice and cold, May through September are the best months to visit.

Things to do for Venturers

• Learn to mush, then drive a team of huskies. Make this a multiday dogsledding trip, overnighting in log cabins or yurts. You also can sample the dogsled experience by spending a few hours riding on a sled.
• For a real wilderness experience, choose a fly-in camp for fishing, followed by a wood-fired sauna and hot tub. Or, try your luck with ice fishing.
• Head to the backcountry for hiking and backpacking with pack dogs; one destination could be the east shore of Lake Laberge. Or, take a multiday guided horsepacking trip.
• Sample whitewater rafting on the Tatshenshini and Tutshi rivers.
• Sightsee by air. For winter, the aircraft are equipped with skis for glacier landings, in summer, you can get around by floatplane.
• Apply to perform at the winter Frostbite Music Festival. If you don’t make the cut, you can still drop in and hear other performers at the February event in Whitehorse.

Things to do for Centrics

• Attend, and perhaps compete in, the mildly goofy Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous held in Whitehorse in February. Choices include the wife-carrying competition, a family wilderness survival contest and the hairy leg, beard and moustache growing contests. The hairy leg contest is for women, by the way.
• Sign on for an interpretation tour, meaning a trip where you learn about any of a number of subjects as understood by native groups, such as fish and wildlife management, flora and fauna, history, survival and traditional medicine.
• Spend the night in a Dawson City historic brothel, Bombay Peggy’s Victorian Inn and Pub.
• Hike the Chilkoot Trail, and follow the footsteps of those 19th century adventurers who came to the territory for gold.
• Sign on for a ranch vacation where you might sample a salmon and elk barbeque, or the ranch may offer canoeing, or trips by horseback or dogsled, depending on the season.
• Beginner or expert, canoe on the Alsek, Firth, Nahanni, Tatshenshini and other rivers.

Things to do for Authentics

• Attend the annual First Nations Commissioners’ Potlatch in Whitehorse. A potlatch is a ceremonial feast distinguished by the host’s lavish giving of gifts.
• Play golf under the midnight sun.
• See the Jack London Cabin and Interpretive Centre in Dawson City. It is the cabin where the American author lived during the Klondike Gold Rush.
• Shop for traditional arts and crafts, including beadwork, baby belts, carvings, jewelry, masks, moccasins and mukluks.
• Sample local foods, including Arctic char, smoked salmon and wild berry jams and jellies.
• Drive one of the Yukon’s designated scenic routes. For example, the Top of the World Highway covers 79 miles between Dawson and the Alaska border, following the tops of a series of ridges well above the tree line. You’ll understand the name.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult Tourism Yukon at www.travelyukon.com

The post Yukon Territory, Canada appeared first on Best Trip Choices.

• The Royal Canadian Mounted Police trains recruits in Regina.
• The province produces more than half of Canada’s wheat.
• Estevan averages 2,540 sun-filled hours a year, more than any other Canadian town.
• Saskatchewan’s official sport is curling.
• The original name for Regina, the capital, was Pile o’ Bones.

Living Skies

Several images fit Saskatchewan, including broad wheat fields and their associated farming communities; cattle ranches and rodeos; First Nations people and powwows; forests, rivers and pristine lakes — about 100,000 of them. The province also is home to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Saskatchewan is called the Land of Living Skies. Stretching expansively across endlessly flat terrain, its skies really do come alive — with summer storms, huge flocks of migrating geese and, in the north, the Northern Lights.

The typical eats are meat-and-potatoes hearty, the locals are welcoming and prices are very reasonable.

The southern half of Saskatchewan is an extension of the prairies of the central U.S.: flat, wheat-growing country as far as the eye can see. The province accounts for about two-fifths of Canada’s farmland.

The population thins out farther north, where the landscape, still looking much as Mother Nature made it, is more rugged, covered with forests and blessed with more than 100,000 lakes. The area offers some of North America’s best fishing and hunting.

Two medium-sized cities, Regina and Saskatoon, provide good bases for exploring the rest of the province and are centers for cultural activities. Regina reigns over the wheat-growing area and Saskatoon to the north is home base for the wilder part of the province. Many consider Saskatoon one of Canada’s prettiest cities.

The story of this province is that of courageous natives — First Nations — who adjusted to the changes imported by equally daring Europeans. Batoche National Historic Park near Saskatoon tells the saga of the Metis (people of mixed European and Indian background), whose rebellion under Louis Riel is a drama that few Americans know.

Saskatchewan doesn’t attract many U.S. leisure travelers although it has 5 million acres of parkland and hosts numerous fairs, festivals, powwows and rodeos. Visitors may try a few new and curious things here, too, like bowling in the snow, kick sledding, pattern dancing, skijoring and the Red River Jig.

Summer temperatures hover in the 70s, and most tourists like to visit in June through August. Winters are dry, often sunny, but can be very cold.

Things to do for Venturers

• Enter an arm-wrestling competition or maybe the beard-growing competition at the annual Prince Albert Winter Festival in a town called Prince Albert. Or learn the Red River Jig (a type of dance that originated with the Metis), or try snow bowling.
• Try dogsledding, kick sledding (pushing a sled with one foot while the other foot rides a sled runner) and skijoring (riding your skis while being pulled by a dog or horse). Also, you can see horse logging demonstrations.
• Enter any of several ice fishing derbies. In summer, there are warmer-weather fishing derbies, too.
• Camp in a teepee village in Muskoday.
• Try paintball or the 500-meter Superman ride, one of the world’s longest zip lines, on the 2,400 forested acres of the Blue Mountain Outdoor Adventure Centre in North Battleford.
  The facility also offers a full range of winter sports as well as an ecosystem awareness program and a wilderness survival program.
• Take a journey by dogsled. Or, choose the snowmobile and follow some part of the Trans-Canada Snowmobile Trail.

Things to do for Centrics

• Go sailing on one of Saskatchewan’s 100,000-plus lakes; take sailing lessons if necessary.
• Attend the autumn Maple Creek Cowboy Poetry Gathering plus Western Art and Cowboy Gear Show in Maple Creek. The event, which celebrates the province’s western heritage, features cowboy poetry and music and includes a fashion show — cowboy garb, that is — and a pancake breakfast.
• Go hiking or mountain biking on the trails at Christopher Lake. In winter, make that cross-country skiing.
• Drive through the province in an RV, and overnight at the campgrounds that cater to drivers of recreational vehicles.
• Go cross-country skiing on groomed trails, ice skating and tobogganing in the Meewasin Valley.
• Take a ranch vacation that may include a selection of the following: ATV tours, hiking, horse-drawn wagon treks, powwows, riding lessons, rodeo events, roping lessons and trail rides. You may be able to join in cattle drives and other activities of a working ranch, too. Eat bison.

Things to do for Authentics

• In Moose Jaw, take a narrated boat tour along the Wakamow River.
• Live in a houseboat for several days.
• Arrange a spa experience at Manitou Springs or Temple Gardens.
• Overnight in one or a series of B&Bs for a homey feel while admiring new vistas. Facilities that are members of the Saskatchewan Bed and Breakfast Association have been inspected and certified attesting to quality.
• Attend dinner theater in Creelman, Saskatoon or Watrous.
• Watch pattern dancing (team dancing in which the steps for the dance are set by a leader) at the Pattern Dance Saskatchewan Meeting in Watrous. Participate in square or pattern dancing events.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult Tourism Saskatchewan at www.tourismsaskatchewan.com

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• Rostock University is the oldest university in northern Europe (1419).
• Lubeck was one of the cofounders, with Hamburg, of the Hanseatic League in 1241.
• The UNESCO-listed Wismar is at the southernmost point on the Baltic coast.
• Heiligendamm, on the Baltic, is Germany’s oldest seaside resort (1793).
• The North Sea produces the world’s smallest shrimp.

In League with one another

Germans don’t have the Med, but they do have the Baltic shoreline plus islands along the North and Baltic coasts for recreation under the sun.

Most North Americans, however, envision something else when considering the area for a vacation.

For them, the area is appealing because it is characterized by red brick Gothic structures, traditional gabled houses, large market squares, herring and other fresh fish, and local choices in beer. The coastal towns host a wide array of annual festivities, fairs and Christmas markets, plus numerous maritime festivals reflecting the area’s focus on the sea.

In addition, many of Germany’s coastal towns and cities were greatly enriched as members of the medieval trade cartel, the Hanseatic League, and it shows in the surviving — and very appealing — period architecture.

The region’s cities listed below are just teasers. Four boast UNESCO sites (Bremen, Lubeck, Stralsund and Wismar), and those four plus Rostock were in the Hanseatic League.

• Bremen, known for its beautiful market square anchored by a Gothic-style town hall; the winding alleys of the Schnoor quarter lined with 15th and 16th century houses, and the open-air performances of the Bremen City Musicians’ fairytale drama.
• Lubeck, with its Old Town surrounded by a river and canals, noted for its rather exotic Romanesque town hall, the iconic medieval Holsten Gate and nearby warehouses. Lubeck was the setting for Thomas Mann’s “Buddenbrooks.”
• Rostock, which is sought out for its stunning medieval churches, abbeys and a surviving city gate, plus the Hanse Sail Rostock, the largest Baltic maritime event.
• Schwerin, a city set among lakes and appreciated for the Schwerin Castle on an island in Lake Schwerin and for its gardens. Its state art museum houses an outstanding collection of Dutch and Flemish masters.
• Stralsund, with an Old Town, also surrounded by water, boasting fine examples of historic gabled houses and medieval buildings, plus its adjacent port with warehouses, boats — and the day’s catch of fish.
• Wismar, loved for its considerable collection of Gothic buildings — gabled houses, churches, the town hall. It has one of the area’s largest market squares.

Things to do for Venturers

• Plan a self-drive tour that takes you to several Hanseatic League cities, or make UNESCO sites your theme. In any case, you will want to allow plenty of time for side trips.
• In Stralsund, climb the 366 steps up the 342-foot spire of the St. Marien Church for a panoramic view of the city. Or climb to the 384-foot-high viewing platform at the Schwerin Cathedral.
• Charter the Jan von Moor peat boat in Bremen and sail to the artists’ village of Worpswede. Or, go for bigger things and plan a sailing trip in the Baltic.
• There are cycling choices for those in expert leagues, such as the Tour d’Allee on Rugen Island, accessible from Stralsund, and, still more strenuous, the six-day velodrome track races in Bremen.
• At Husum on the North Sea, take a walk through the mudflats, always with a guide. In this area, you have the chance, too, to walk through mudflats to the North Frisian Hallig islands, which disappear under water during storms, except for manmade mounds and the buildings sitting on them.
• Get married on the island of Rugen, where sites include castles, palaces and piers. Or, choose for your venue the Kiel-Holtenau lighthouse or the four-mast bark “Passat” in Lubeck-Travemunde.

Things to do for Centrics

• Tour Beck’s Brewery in Bremen (where you will sample the goods) and/or attend the Stralsund Brewery Festival in June.
• See the Schwerin area by cycling along the shore of Lake Schwerin to Wiligrad where you will be rewarded with a chance to see exhibitions at the neo-Renaissance Schloss there.
• Pursue an interest in seafaring. All the sizeable cities have port festivals of some type. Examples: Bremen’s Vegesack Harbour Festival; the Stralsund Sailing Week, and Hanse Sail Rostock, which is described as the biggest of all Baltic maritime events.
• Be serious about photography. Plan visits to medieval town halls, city gates, churches and shorelines with photo ops in mind. On sunny days, these towns are a photographer’s dream.
• Eat seafood, such as North Sea shrimp, or the Bismarck herring for which the Hanseatic towns are well known.
• See a castle festival play in Eutin, north of Lubeck. On this excursion, head farther north, as well, to Oldenburg, to see its Romanesque churches and medieval walls.

Things to do for Authentics

• Go to the beach. The key cities generally give access to established beach resorts, such as Travemunde at Lubeck; Waarnemunde at Rostock and Rugen Island, noted for its chalk cliffs, at Stralsund. Scherwin’s beaches are on some of the 10 lakes that surround the city.
• Or, plan an all-resort holiday and head directly to any of the following traditional Baltic resort sites: Bolgenhagen, Heiligendamm, Kuhlungsborn or the island of Usedom, traveling from the Hanseatic town of Anklam.
• Shop for gifts and holiday decorations in one of northern Germany’s Christmas markets. All the cities have them.
• Get acquainted with the ratskellers, meaning the cellars, generally found under medieval town halls. In Bremen, this would mean attending a wine tasting in the Town Hall Cellars, whereas in Wismar, which has a large cellar complex, you can see museum exhibitions. In Lubeck, the ratskeller is a restaurant.
• Book a guided walking tour in the towns or cities you choose to visit. Take harbor tours, too, and check out the fish markets for a taste, literally, of the places you are visiting.
• In Bremen, between May and October, see the fairytale play, “Bremer Stadtmusikanten” (The Town Musicians of Bremen). The play is presented, for free, in the market square.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the German National Tourist Office at www.germany.travel

The post Baltic/North Sea coasts, Germany appeared first on Best Trip Choices.

• Borobudur is the world’s largest Buddhist temple.
• The Indonesian population encompasses some 365 ethnic and tribal groups.
• Bahasa Indonesia is the official language but the people also speak 583 dialects.
• More than 25% of the world’s fish species (4,000) are in Indonesian waters.
• There are 61 volcanoes on Java, of which more than a dozen are active.

Of Bali and rijstafel

For North Americans, Indonesia is an exotic destination. Even names and words associated with it evoke exotica: the Spice Islands, Bali, Borneo, Java, rijstafel, sarongs, monsoons.

The country forms a bridge between Southeast Asia and Australia. Its tropical climate and surrounding seas ensure visitors will find scenery that is lush, fragrant and conducive to relaxation. Lush scenery can be found closer to home, but the history, culture and people make a longer journey worthwhile.

In reality, Indonesia is an island archipelago of major proportions, extending 3,200 miles, from end to end in a roughly east-to-west direction. The country contains some of the world’s largest islands (Java, Sumatra and parts of Borneo and New Guinea).

The romance of Indonesia for North Americans has to do with its distance from home; its exotic mix of cultures (Dutch, Indian and indigenous, in a predominantly Moslem environment), and its tropical and varied natural beauty.

Monsoon rains control Indonesia’s weather. Temperatures are warm and constant year-round, so the real scheduling issue for travelers is avoiding the times of heavy rainfall, and those times vary from one end of the country to the other. Also, mostly in late summer/early fall, the skies in parts of Indonesia, such as Borneo and Sumatra, can suffer from moderate or even dense smoke haze produced by the seasonal land and forest burnings (for maintenance of rice fields and palm oil plantations).

Each of Indonesia’s more than 300 ethnic groups has its own cultural and religious identity. Most notably, there is a distinct Chinese minority (Buddhist), and Bali is largely Hindu.
For more than 300 years, the Netherlands controled the islands, and the Dutch influence is still apparent. For example, rijstafel is an Indonesian meal of rice with numerous spicy side dishes, but the word is Dutch for rice table.

It is not surprising that Indonesia appeals mostly to the most venturesome. Others will enjoy the more populated islands of Java and Madura, where there is more of a tourist infrastructure and where they can shop for outstanding arts and crafts. And all visitors appreciate the music and dance performances, good prices and friendly people.

Things to do for Venturers

• Let Balikpapan on Borneo be the starting point for a cruise up the Mahakam River. Travel by houseboat to Tanjung Isau to visit a Dayak longhouse.
• Spend the time and money to travel from Bali to Menjangan Island and Labuan Lalang for snorkeling and diving.
• Go to Nias for surfing (best April to October), but you’ll also want to take the opportunity to learn something of the local culture. Watch the Nias people perform their war dance noted for its acrobatic jumps; also, watch demonstrations of a local skill called stone jumping.
• Visit the Meru Betiri reserve on Java and take your chances on seeing the rafflesia flower, the world’s largest but with short-lived blooms, and the nearly extinct Java tiger. Permits are required to visit most Indonesian nature reserves. Facilities are rustic and transport often is by horseback or on your feet.
• Eat durian, the world’s smelliest fruit.
• See if you can get to the island of Komodo for a sighting of the legendary Komodo dragon in its own habitat.

Things to do for Centrics

• Allow time for a thorough tour of Borobudur, the world’s largest Buddhist temple. You will gain an understanding of the huge project undertaken in the 20th century to restore a valuable cultural site that had been ignored for centuries.
• Visit the Mount Leuser National Park on Sumatra to see and learn about the orangutans.
• Visit the Taman Fatahillah Museum, which comprises three main buildings on a single square in Jakarta. Exhibits cover Indonesia’s colonial and precolonial periods, fine art, ceramics and puppets.
• Visit Torajaland (Tana Toraja) in Sulawesi, and if you are lucky, your visit will coincide with some part of a traditional, weeklong Toraja funeral at which sacred water buffalo are slaughtered and lots of food is shared among the many who’ve traveled far for the event. Torajans are Christian but have not shed all animist beliefs.
• Dive on Bali’s north coast and “tour” a World War II shipwreck while viewing the sea life that gathers there.
• Buy souvenirs that bespeak Indonesia, such as wooden masks or silver goods. Better yet, sign up to make your own silver souvenirs in Kotagede. Located a few miles from Yogyakarta, it is called the Silver City because of the number of working silversmiths in town.

Things to do for Authentics

• Attend a shadow puppet show. Then buy a shadow puppet or two for display at home.
• Buy batik fabrics from which you can fashion gorgeous clothes you could not buy at home. Yogyakarta in central Java is famed for its vibrant batiks, as well as distinct court music and dance.
• Sample rijstafel. It’s a rice dish and, essentially, an Indonesian-style comfort food.
• Take in performances of music and classical or folk dance, which will bring you closer to the people who inhabit these islands.
• On Bali, in particular, there are several notable types of traditional dances, sometimes accompanied by bizarre music, sometimes involving dozens or hundreds of dancers. They are a must-see.
• If you are in Indonesia on its Aug. 17 Independence Day, watch the parade nearest you. These parades can include participants in brightly colored traditional ethnic dress.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the Ministry of Tourism at www.indonesia.travel

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• Danish Vikings were kings of England before William the Conqueror ever saw the place.
• Ribe is Scandinavia’s oldest town, dating from 710.
• Havarti cheese is named for the farm where it was created in the 19th century.
• Originally, the word Viking referred to pirates or adventurous seafarers, not to all Scandinavians.
• Legos, made in Billund, got their name from “leg godt,” Danish for “play well.”

Remembering the Vikings

Perhaps the thing North Americans know best about the Danes is that they — like their Scandinavian cousins — are descendants of Vikings, an almost legendary group of northern Europeans remembered for pillaging their way across Europe, grabbing loot and a few slaves in the bargain. It is an era that has been much romanticized, not so much for the violence as for the Vikings’ adventurous spirit.

Some observers, first noting that most Scandinavians stayed home, contend that those who went to sea weren’t any more violent or rapacious than their contemporaries. Rather, they were distinguished by their willingness to go anywhere and the fact their longboats enabled them to do just that, and at almost any time.

Depending on the historian, that era started around 800 and ended by the mid to late 11th century, after the Scandinavian countries had been significantly Christianized.

The Viking era was short, but it left its mark — as well as enough physical evidence to allow locals and visitors alike to recapture some sense of life in that long-gone era. For those who want to know more, there are informative museum displays, burial mounds and reconstructed castles to visit, sailing trips on reconstructed Viking ships and, finally, entertainment in the form of reenactment events and theatrical productions.

Such things are scattered around the country (Copenhagen wasn’t founded until 1167), so the Viking enthusiast will, of necessity, see much of Denmark to pursue this interest. Or, taking up the Viking trail may be the ideal theme (or excuse) behind trip planning for those who simply prefer rural travel.

The countryside offers variety although the land is quite flat. Denmark remains a seafaring nation, with ports and fjords along its coasts, but two-thirds or more of the land is devoted to livestock and dairy farming. In addition, coastal areas include long sandy beaches and salt marshlands. The terrain, including many small lakes, was the work of receding glaciers.

For visitors, a trip to the countryside can mean any combination of Viking sites and related activities, small-town pleasures, camping (even on some farms), beach time and other outdoor recreation.

Things to do for Venturers

• Design your own multiday driving trip built around Viking history. Start with the National Museum in Copenhagen, but head to Roskilde, the Viking capital and site of several restored ships, and look for burial sites at Jelling and Norresundby, the reconstructed Trelleborg castle at Slagelse and the reconstructed market at Ribe, among other sites.
• Sunbathe and swim in the nude. Nudism is an option on most, but not all, Danish beaches. Also, some beaches are set aside for nudists exclusively.
• At Roskilde, take a one-day course to learn how to sail a Viking ship, which means you will sail with one of the museum’s reconstructed Viking vessels.
• Compete in the Danish Longbow Championships, held annually at Ribe. The longbow is associated with medieval rather than Viking times, but Ribe is a town with rich medieval connections as well as a Viking history. Men, women and children — Danes and non-Danes — can compete in these longbow contests. Ditto for amateurs.
• For really cost-effective housing, Denmark offers 750 primitive campsites located on farms, in forests, on school grounds, etc. These are for those traveling by foot, bicycle, horseback or water conveyance, not cars.
• Come to Roskilde in June in time for the Roskilde Festival, which headlines current or up-and-coming contemporary entertainers. A ticket gives access to camping grounds, too.

Things to do for Centrics

• In Denmark, where amber is a natural resource, keep your eyes peeled for this “Nordic gold” which turns up on the beaches. If your vigilance fails, shop for amber in the stores.
• Attend a craft workshop in Ribe’s reconstructed Viking market, where you may be involved with making pottery, carving wood or making bread (and that means grinding the flour, too). Or, you may work on your archery skills.
• Go horseback riding on the beach or in the countryside.
• Be a passenger on a reconstructed Viking ship in Roskilde. The Viking Ship Museum offers daily sailings on these vessels, powered by square sails and oars, on Roskilde Fjord from May through September.
• To see a lot of Danish countryside, take a leisurely driving tour over some — or all — of the 2,232-mile Marguerite Route, a designated scenic tourist route that traverses some of the country’s most picturesque places and delivers you to more than 200 of Denmark’s most popular attractions.
• Take one of the weekly ghost tours in Ribe. The stories will include tales of regicide and witch burnings.

Things to do for Authentics

• Visit the Viking museum that fits your itinerary best. Location choices include Bork, Hobro, Norresundby, Roskilde, Slagelse and, not least, Ladby, for Denmark’s only Viking ship grave.
• Have lunch on the market square in Soro, the charming town that is home to Soro Academy. The school occupies the site of a medieval monastery; a few kings and Bishop Absalon, founder of Copenhagen, are buried in its church.
• In Frederikssund, see the open-air museum that is based on a Viking settlement. Come in late June or early July to see the annual Viking play, presented by locals and reenacting some of the tales from the age of the Vikings. Several other Danish towns present Viking plays each year, too.
• Play golf. Denmark bills itself as a year-round destination for the game.
• Shop and even haggle when buying Viking-style souvenirs at Viking markets. The Ribe market, in May, Is large. Bork, Jelling and Trelleborg castle at Slagelse host markets in summer. There are other markets, too.
• Attend a summer concert at the Roskilde Cathedral, the burial place of Danish monarchs since the Middle Ages. Or, attend a concert on the grounds of Kronborg Castle in Elsinore, or opt for a Shakespeare production on this site, which is popularly associated with Shakespeare’s fiction, “Hamlet.”

Additional Resources

For more information, consult VisitDenmark at www.visitdenmark.com

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• German cities and towns stage about 2,500 Christmas markets.
• Although noted as beer lovers, Germans now spend more on wine than beer each year.
• The Baedeker guidebooks were created in Koblenz in 1827 to end the need for tour guides.
• Bratwurst, frankfurters, sauerbraten and sauerkraut were created to prevent food spoilage.
• Friedrich Froebel founded the first kindergarten in Bad Blankenburg (1840).

From Hamburg to Munich

From the harbor town Hamburg and sophisticated Berlin in the north to Munich and the Black Forest in the south, Germany presents many faces to the ambitious sightseer — mountains and forests, small towns and quaint villages, bustling cities and lively night scenes, beer halls and wine festivals, lakes and river ways, ancient castles, churches, concert halls and museums. In addition, many sites bespeak the country’s long and complex history, most recently reunification of a land split by war.

The Germans are welcoming, many speak English and the country is viewed as “clean and well-kept,” and safe. Americans are generally comfortable here.

Visitors can race from town to town on the autobahn or cruise leisurely along the Rhine, with nearly every bend exposing a view of charming villages or medieval castles. In the cultural centers of Munich and Berlin, travelers enjoy the music from German composers, as well as the art and architecture that still are very impressive despite the destruction from two world wars. In fact, cultural treats of the same sort abound in cities across the country.

Having seen Germany heal the post-World War II split in its land makes travel here even more compelling to those interested in military and political history. Tourist travel remains more focused on the west, but there are many worthwhile attractions in the eastern sector.

German food gets a bad rap as being heavy and bland, but German cuisine in its native land is delicious and innovative. The Rhine and Moselle valleys produce white wines that compare favorably with those of any country. And any aficionado will tell you that nothing compares to German draft beer in a biergarten (beer garden), especially during Oktoberfest.

The hotels are good, and — for those not on a packaged tour — an excellent train system makes it easy to get around the country without a car. Also, more than one company organizes bicycle tours with a theme (wine country or historical castles, for example). This is a great way to see the sights from a new perspective. The country offers a great deal of variety for a visitor.

Things to do for Venturers

• Celebrate Oktoberfest in Bavaria (late September through October). It’s a lot more fun than the pale imitations in the U.S., and you’ll taste your fill of German food and beer.
• Run a marathon in Germany. Berlin’s may be the best known, but there are others.
• If supersonic jets interest you, Germany has the only museum with two. The Auto & Technik Museum in Sinsheim has an Air France Concorde plus a Soviet TU-144. The Soviets built 17 SSTs but operated only 102 scheduled flights.
• Join a class at the Meissen porcelain factory in Meissen where you can try painting porcelain yourself. Also, dine on Meissen pieces in the Cafe and Restaurant Meissen.
• Ride in the Erzgebirgs Bike Marathon, held each August in Saxony. Or participate in any of a number of other mountain biking events in the region, or do some biking on your own. There are signposted trails, and for assistance, you can rely on guides available at most hotels.
• If you like hot cars, drive to Stuttgart to see Mercedes-Benz-World and the Porsche Museum. Munich isn’t that far away; drive on down to see BMW World there.

Things to do for Centrics

• Plan a driving trip based on a suggested itinerary created by the German National Tourist Board focused on historic half-timbered houses and the villages where they are found. The route, the Half-Timbered House Road, offers a choice of almost 100 medieval towns that show off the architecture.
• Eat bratwurst, frankfurters, sauerbraten and sauerkraut in the land where they originated.
• Research your German roots, at home and in Germany. Follow where that and your family records lead, but also consider visiting the German Emigration Center in Bremerhaven, Europe’s largest museum with the emigration  theme.
• Time your trip right and attend a wine festival.
• Depending on your inclinations, make a pilgrimage to Trier, home to the Holy Tunic, a garment supposedly worn by Christ. Or make the trip because this is Germany’s oldest city (16 B.C.), once a capital of the Western Roman Empire and loaded with Roman ruins — and festivals that recall the history.
• Try out the Benedict Biking Trail, created to connect the points in Pope Benedict XVI’s early years in Bavaria. The 139-mile trail extends through Upper Bavaria and on to the Chiemgau region and its Lake Chiem. You can plan other (driving) itineraries, as well, built around Jewish history or the Lutheran church.

Things to do for Authentics

• Attend a Christmas market in Germany, or visit several. Every town has at least one market, and the big cities have several, all usually operational for the last month before Dec. 25, selling gift items, scads of Christmas decorations — and toys, toys, toys. Also, mulled wine and warm food.
• Go to Munich for the opera, but allow time for sightseeing and a beer garden.
• Admire the exquisite art and architecture in Dresden, then arrange to tour Meissen, Europe’s oldest porcelain factory.
• Rothenburg is a picture-perfect, much-photographed town with cobbled streets, town walls and towers. It is only one of the many sights aptly identified with a route now called the Romantic Road. The route originated as a trade and transport link between fortresses in the Middle Ages.
• Buy cologne in Cologne.
• Recapture the past: See Charlemagne’s throne and other artifacts at the cathedral in Aachen.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the German National Tourist Office at www.germany.travel

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• The Parthenon’s horizontal lines — stair steps, beams and roof — are curved in a slight dome shape.
• The eternal flame of Altis, at Olympia, is the source of the flaming torch carried to the current Olympics.
• Statues on ancient Greek buildings were typically painted with bright colors.
• Aristotle’s most famous student was Alexander the Great.
• The Olympics, first recorded in 776 B.C. at Olympia, were held for nearly 12 centuries.

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• Albert Einstein was a student and later a professor at Zurich universities.
• Zurich’s St. Peter’s Church claims Europe’s largest clock face (28.6 feet in diameter).
• Zurich has more than 1,200 fountains.
• Johanna Spyri was a Zurich resident in 1880 when she created the Heidi children’s books.
• Zurich hosts the world’s largest wine-tasting event (Expovina) for the public (80,000+ attendees).

Tops for quality of life

Zurich, Switzerland’s largest city with around 400,000 residents, is a business and financial center. But it also is a university town, a design center, the country’s cultural capital — and the Swiss city with the liveliest nightlife.

Once a Roman town, it has history, too, made manifest most clearly in the Old Town with its churches, medieval guildhalls, historic public buildings, ubiquitous fountains and narrow cobblestoned streets.

The city sits on Lake Zurich; the Limmat and Sihl rivers run through it, and forested hills and mountains provide a backdrop. Almost a quarter of the city itself is wooded.

The city’s cultural offerings and the proximity to recreation areas, plus such criteria as cleanliness, cuisine and safety, have won accolades for Zurich as the city with the world’s best quality of life.

Tourists choose Zurich for a variety of reasons, but those reasons come down to an opportunity to experience multiple aspects of Swiss life and culture in and around this city. Besides, choosing the largest city translates into the broadest choices for dining and nightlife.

Visitors are drawn by the prospect of outdoor activities that include cycling, hiking, marathons and other competitions, winter sports in the mountains, and swimming. Zurich also has natural hot springs.

As to culture, the city boasts more than 50 museums and more than 100 galleries. Visitors may hear the orchestra, see ballet or opera and attend theater (mostly in German). At various times, the streets and halls are alive with festivals of various stripes. Just wandering in the Old Town, studying historic structures or exploring boutiques or other businesses tucked into its narrow streets, is part of the cultural experience, too.

Zurich’s quality of life comes with a price, which can send the budget-minded elsewhere. Bartering for a room mitigates the effects (see below). Or, visitors may stay in nearby towns and use the excellent transportation system to visit Zurich.

Zurich Tourism also helps, listing the many museums and other options — including city bicycles — that are free. Further, purchasing the Zurich Card covers the cost of public transport in town and gives free or discounted access to various attractions.

Things to do for Venturers

• Go mountain biking on one of the area’s hills, or small mountains, such as Uetliberg or Zurichberg. Or hike on Uetliberg.
• Make the rounds of nightclubs in the city with the highest density of clubs in Switzerland. Here, there are no official closing times. In summer, the action may be outdoors as well as indoors.
• Rent a rowboat or a sailboat and take control of your excursion on Lake Zurich.
• Pursue an interest in contemporary art. Head to the Lowenbrau Areal, adapted from a former brewery in the Zurich West neighborhood. It has three contemporary art museums and several galleries. Add an uncharted stroll in Zurich West, a former industrial quarter and now the trendiest part in the city.
• Barter something (somewhat) valuable for a stay at the 25hours Hotel Zurich Langstrasse. When booking, provide a photo of a portable item — “furniture, art, technology or curio” — and the hotel’s curators will advise if the offer has been accepted.
• In mid-June, participate with thousands of children, amateur hobbyists and professionals in the Swiss Inline Cup, the world’s largest annual in-line skating series. Or, in April, run in the Zurich Marathon. Or, in summer, compete in Ironman Switzerland.

Things to do for Centrics

• Time your visit for the event most traditional to Zurich, the Sechselauten, the city’s spring festival, held in April. The event ends with the burning of a symbolic snowman, signaling the end of winter.
• In one of Europe’s richest countries, put Zurich’s Money Museum on your itinerary. In this land of watchmakers, add the Beyer Watch Museum, holder of the country’s largest collection of watches and clocks.
• Use Zurich as a base for skiing and snowboarding at Amden.
• Admire two historic churches in the Old Town (the Fraumunster and the Grossmunster), then devote some time to the 20^th century stained glass windows found in each. And see the Reformation Museum in the Grossmunster cloister.
• Swim in the city on the shores of Lake Zurich. In winter, try the ice skating.
• Join the throngs in November at Expovina to taste some of the more than 4,000 wines served at the tasting event held on 12 boats anchored near Burkliplatz. Or wait until December for Whiskyship, the world’s only floating whiskey-tasting event, held on six ships.

Things to do for Authentics

• Shop on the Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich’s famed shopping mile. Depending on timing, peruse the Christmas markets, too.
• Eat traditional fondue. Also, taste the apple or cherry strudel.
• Take a cruise on Lake Zurich.
• For great views of the city on a nice day, ride the Polybahn (a funicular railway) from Central (the tram hub) to the Polyterrasse viewing point, or take the train up to Uetliberg mountain.
• Have lunch in a restaurant located in a former guildhall.
• Join a guided walk in the Old Town or join a Segway tour. Tours come with many themes, such as architecture, Christmas, design, food, history and romance.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult Zurich Tourism at www.zuerich.com and choose your language if necessary.

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