Departure:    MAY 12-23, 2012

12 MAY        MANILA – AMMAN – MADABA – MT. NEBO – AMMAN     (D)

Arrival in Jordan from Dubai via Emirates Airlines. After Immigration and Custom Formalities, proceed to visit this ancient capital city Amman, known in the Greco-Roman times as Philadelphia.  Discover the Citadel, the Roman Theater, the Temple of Hercules, are its main attractions.  We continue to Madaba to visit the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George to view the earliest surviving original map of the Holy Land made around AD 560.  Then continue to the hilly district of Mt. Nebo believed to be the burial site of Moses in the Old Testament and celebrate mass. Check-in hotel at Geneva Hotel or similar and enjoy quiet dinner.                                                    

13 MAY        AMMAN – PETRA – AMMAN                    (B,D)

Begin your day visiting this Nabataean fortress city of Petra once used a temporary refuge by Arabs and Bedouins. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.   Take a ride on horse-drawn carriage (optional) to this red-rose city to view the awesome “Siq”, an immense crack in the Nubian sandstone. See the most impressive monument of el Khazneh-The Treasury, the most elegant remains of antiquity carved out of solid rock.  Be impressed by the carved structures, soaring temples, elaborate royal tombs, a carved 3,000-seat Roman Theater, burial chambers, banquet halls, water channels and reservoirs, monumental staircases and other unique buildings. Return to Amman for overnight.

14 MAY        AMMAN – YARDENIT – MOUNT TABOR – TIBERIAS         (B,D)

After breakfast, check–out then proceed for a long drive to Israel crossing the border.  As we enter Israel known as the Holy Land, you will discover the history where the footsteps of Jesus can be found.  Stop at Yardenit, the baptismal site on the Jordan River where St. John the Baptist baptized Jesus.  Here you will renew your baptismal vows.  Next ascend to Mount Tabor.  Celebrate Mass at the Church of Transfiguration.  Proceed to Golden Crown  Hotel or similar.  Check-in. Dinner and overnight at hotel       

15 MAY    SEA OF GALILEE – MT. OF BEATITUDES – TABGHA – CAPERNAUM – CANA – NAZARETH (B, D)

Start the day with a meditation and boat ride on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus walked on the water.  Get off at Capernaum. Visit the ruins of the old synagogue where Jesus preached. Visit the House of Peter nearby.  Celebrate garden Mass at the Mt. of Beatitudes where Jesus taught the “Sermon on the Mount”.  Then proceed to Tabgha, to visit the Church of Multiplication where Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish.  Visit the St. Peter’s Primacy Church, site of Christ’s third appearance to his apostles after his resurrection.  Then proceed to the village of Cana, where Jesus performed his first miracle by changing water into wine during a wedding celebration. Here couples can renew their marriage vows.  Then proceed to Nazareth, the town where Jesus spent his childhood.  Back to your hotel for dinner and overnight.                                            

16 MAY    TIBERIAS – MT. CARMEL – HAIFA – CAESAREA – JERUSALEM         (B,D)

Today celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Annunciation where Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary. Nearby stands the Church of St. Joseph where Joseph taught Jesus carpentry. Discover the house where the Holy family lived.  Proceed to Haifa and visit Stella Maris Church and Elijah’s cave.  Next is the magnificent Bahai Shrine and view its hanging gardens.  Ascend to the summit of the Mt. Carmel called Muhraka, and a small Carmelite monastery built on the spot where the prophet Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal. Continue to the crusader city of Caesarea and view the ruins of the Roman aqueduct and theater. Drive to the historical city of Jerusalem and poceed to Emmaus,  where Jesus appeared after his Resurrection to Two Men Walking along the Road.  Check-in at Ramada Royal Hotel or similar for dinner and overnight stay.                                                           

17 MAY     JERUSALEM – BETHLEHEM                        (B,D)

Start your day with a visit to the Mt. of Olives, visit the Church of the Ascension where Jesus ascended to heaven. Next stop is the Church of Pater Noster where Jesus taught the “Our Father”. Walk along the Palm Sunday Road to the Church of Dominus Flevit where Jesus wept for Jerusalem.  Then visit The Church of All Nations.  Here you will see the traditional Rock of the Agony in front of the main altar.  See the oldest olive tree in the Garden of Gethesemane, where Jesus spent his last hours before He was arrested. Then drive to Bethlehem to visit the Basilica of the Nativity where Jesus was born.  At the Grotto of Nativity, see the star that has 14 points and the site of the Holy Manger.  Next to it is the altar devoted to the Three Wise Men.  Celebrate Mass at the Basilica of St. Catherine.  Underground are the Cloister of St. Jerome, Chapel of the Innocents and Chapel of St. Joseph. Proceed to Shepherd’s Field where the angels announced that the Son of God was born.  Then on to Bethany, home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary.  Dinner then Overnight

18 MAY    JERUSALEM                                 (B,D)

Today is a visit to the Pool of Bethsaida, where Jesus healed the paralytic man.  Celebrate Mass at the Church of St. Anne, house of Mary’s parents.  Then we begin at Via Dolorosa tracing the 14 Stations of the Cross stopping and praying at each station  until we reach the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which is erected on the site of the Crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Next proceed to the Western or “Wailing” Wall, remnant of the Second Temple, where the Jews gather for public worship, celebration and pray for Israel’s restoration.  Then to the

Temple Mount and have a glimpse of the Dome of the Rock, one of the most beautiful shrines in the Islamic world.  At Mt. Zion, we visit the Upper Room where Jesus and His Disciples had the Last Supper.  Below is the Tomb of King David who established Jerusalem as the capital and worship center of the God of Israel.  We then visit the Dormition Abbey where Mary slept and went to heaven.  A wooden and ivory effigy of Virgin Mary asleep in death graces the crypt of the church.  Then visit the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu where Peter denied Jesus three times before cock crowed; and the former House of Caiaphas where Jesus spent the night before his trial in the Prison Pit.  Proceed to Ein Karem, the birth place  of  John  the  Baptist  and  see  the  Church of  St. John.   Nearby is the Church of Visitation where the famous Magnificat is translated into several languages.

19 MAY    JERUSALEM – QUMRAN – DEAD SEA – JERICHO             (B,D)

Travel along the Judean Wilderness by the shores of the Dead Sea arriving at Qumran where the Bedouins and archaeologists  found  in the caves the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 that includes the Hebrew Bible; commentaries on Scriptures  and biblical literature.  Continue past the oasis of Ein Gedi to the ancient Fortress of Massada for viewing from a distance. This mountaintop fortification was where 960 Jewish zealots took their own lives rather than surrender to the Roman Army.  If time and weather permits take a dip in the Dead Sea and test its buoyant waters.  The high salt content makes it impossible to drown. Drive to Jericho passing by the oldest Sycamore Tree before going to Mount of Temptation, where Jesus was tempted by the devil for forty days. Check in at Intercontinental Hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

20 MAY    JERICHO – EILAT – TABA BORDER – ST. CATHERINE, SINAI         (B,D)

After breakfast pass by Ahava Factory for the Dead Sea Products before a long drive to Eilat at Taba Border crossing to go St. Catherine in Sinai.  Check-in at Morgenland Hotel for overnight and dinner.                                     

21 MAY        ST. CATHERINE – MOUNT SINAI – CAIRO            (B,D)

Early morning climb at Mount Sinai.  Visit The Basilica that has 3 halls:  The Sanctuary; the Altar and the Nave. It has the oldest and most beautiful mosaics in the Eastern Orthodox Church.  See The Chapel of the Burning Bush; The Library; The Mosque and around is the museum of the monastery.  At Moses Mountain called Mt. Moneiga as the highest summit is where God spoke to Prophet Moses and gave the Ten Commandments.  Then on return, have breakfast at hotel then celebrate mass before check out.   Enjoy long drive to CAIRO CITY passing by SUEZ CANAL and MOSES SPRING.  Check-in at Grand Pyramids Hotel or similar for freshen up in time for the Dinner Cruise along the Nile River with Show. Overnight at hotel.                      

22 MAY    DEPART  CAIRO                            (B,L,)

Breakfast in the hotel.  Start your visit at EGYPTIAN MUSEUM which opened in 1863 that boasts a pride of collection of artifacts recovered from Tutankhamun’s tomb and has excellent pieces from every period of ancient Egyptian history.  Its galleries has Old and New Kingdoms; Tutankhamun Galleries; Middle Kingdom Models; Royal Mummy Room and miscellaneous exhibits.  Then proceed to the great Giza Pyramids and Sphinx.   Visit to the Hanging Church/Coptic church.  Last Stop if time permits, PAPYRUS FACTORY.  Transfer to Cairo Airport for flight back to Manila via Dubai on Emirates Airlines.            

23 MAY    MANILA

Arrive Manila in the afternoon.

TOUR COST:  PER PERSON BASED ON TWIN SHARING           USD    $ 2,878.00

Travel tax:                                                                                             PHP  P1,620

Airport terminal fee:                                                                          PHP  P   550

OTHER PACKAGE INCLUSIONS:
BORDER TAXES:  JORDAN, ISRAEL, EGYPT               
Fuel Surcharges   
Tips and Gratuities                           
                           
TOUR ITINERARIES AND PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE.

CONDITIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

TOUR COST PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE Extra cost of excess luggage over the twenty (20 ) kilos allocation; drinks and beverages taken during meals; expenses that is personal in nature such as laundry, telephone, fax, room service, mini-bar, bellboys, waiters, room boys.

We’ve asked seasoned business travellers to share their hard-earned packing tips.

1. Never check baggage – unless you can afford a stressful wait at the carousel, which can range from a few minutes to an hour. Having no checked baggage will not only save you worrying that it might be lost, but will also increase the number of options you have when you need to standby for an earlier flight, or switch airline carriers due to a cancelled flight. You’ll also never have to worry about your luggage not making a tight connection.
2. Check the weather at your destination – pack accordingly.
3. Lay out all your items on a bed and then take half the stuff and double the money. You can almost always buy items at your destination.
4. Pack a pair of running shoes and two pairs of shorts, two pairs of socks and two singlets. Use them. Wash your gear in the sink immediately after a workout and they should be ready for the next day.
5. Black is your friend –  it matches everything. One pair of black jeans, two black t-shirts, black socks and business attire will get your through a long trip.
6. One set of toiletries –  have it packed and ready to go.
7. Always place the items that airport security wants to see in in one of the outside pockets of your hand baggage.
8. Light pyjamas (or as Virgin calls it, a “flight suit”) can make a big difference to how much sleep you get and how you feel on arrival. These will keep you warm in the middle of the flight and have you feeling much fresher.
9. Bundle wrapping is one way to minimise creases …
10. Take photos of valuables (including your bags) for insurance purposes. 
11. Business cards – budget approximately 5 cards per meeting if travelling to Asia. It’s also important to learn the exchange etiquette in your destination country.
12. Charge all your electronics before you get on the plane – best done the night before.
13. Include all the video cables you might need if presenting.
14. Minimise adapters by charging through the USB on your laptop.
15. US power plugs are the smallest and most used internationally (on planes, in hotel bathrooms, etc). Buy a US plug cable and then find the smallest adapter to the local standard – this will keep space needs to a minimum.
16. Clean house – once every three months, take everything out of your bags. Challenge everything. When was the last time you touched it or used it on a trip? Throw it away or leave it at home if you will not need it overseas.

1. TripIt organises all your information for you. Register for the free version, install the app on your phone and forward all of your confirmation receipts to plans@tripit.com. It will make sense of all the important bits of information and present them to you chronologically in your phone. BeReady: Tripit
2. hipmunk is a web site and now a mobile app that lets you efficiently compare and select exactly the right flight based on criteria important to you – like the amount of agony, arrival time, amount of stops, cost etc.
3. Fly the the night before rather the day of your first meeting. This gives you time to relax, arrive refreshed and provides a buffer for any delays.
4. If you must fly same day, consider taking the first flight - it’s the least likely to suffer from knock-on delays.
5. No more than one stopover. Your chance of missing a connection skyrockets every time you get on and off the plane.
6. Book the isle and window seats if you’re traveling economy with someone else, leaving the middle seat empty. That seat is the most likely to remain empty, and if someone does get placed in the middle, chances are they’ll be happy to switch seats with one of you.
7. Medical travel insurance. Make sure you are adequately covered. International medical bills can easily get large enough to give you a heart attack.
8. Register your trip with your government. It means you can be reached in case of a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family emergency. You will also be updated with travel advisories, some of which may affect your insurance coverage.
9. Platinum credit cards often include travel insurance – some even cover up to US$3000 excess on rental cars. Make sure you buy the tickets on the card (to activate coverage). The annual fee is usually around US$250.
10. Keep a spare credit card for real emergencies – store it in another bag/pocket
11. Ask your bank for a list of banks in your destination country that will accept your ATM card and don’t charge a foreign service fee – these can cost up to US$10 per transaction.
12. Bring at least US$100 cash – just in case the ATM machine doesn’t work.
13. Make copies of your passport and visa and electronically – store them securely in your phone and email, and keep hard photocopies in a bag. It’s also a good idea to give your partner / spouse access.
14. PriorityPass Card gives you access to lounges at hundreds of airports worldwide. The next time you have a long layover, or a cancelled or delayed flight, head to the lounge for free Wi-Fi, convenient power plugs for your laptop, free food and drinks, magazines/newspapers and most imprtantly, relative peace and quiet. A US$400 annual membership gives you unlimitted access to the lounges. BeReady: Priority Pass
15. Rent a MiFi Hotspot. Keep your smartphone, tablet and laptop connected without killing your phone bill. It costs around US$18 per day for unlimited access in 67 countries from XCOM http://xcomglobal.com
16. AT&T International Data Packages are available in if you live in the US. US$25 per month gets you 50MB in 100 countries and $1 per MB after that.
17. Phone compatibility can be an issue, particularly if you live in the US and have a CDMA phone. Most of the world now uses GSM, which allows interchangeable SIM cards.
18. Convert your important numbers (home, work, clients) on your phone to international number formats (I.E.            +61 2 9555 5555      ) so your caller ID will work while you are overseas. No need to change it back either.
19. Redirect all calls to a voice to text service, so you can call back using a cheaper service. There’s also the added advantage of not getting calls in the middle of the night from telemarketers.
20. Unlock your phone. Ask your carrier so that you have the option of installing a local SIM card, saving you on roaming fees.
21. Research the cheapest/most efficient form of transport from the airport into town. In Tokyo, a cab will cost you US$300 vs US$40 for the JR Narita Express train – which is also faster and has free Wi-Fi. In Singapore, however, a cab ride into the city usually costs less than US$20.
22. Look up local running clubs – Hash House Harriers are in almost every city, and are very welcoming. http://gotothehash.net/
23. Watch Up in the Air with George Clooney – it’s full of great travel advice, with romance to boot. 
24. Backup all your mobile devices – in particular, information stored locally, like contacts, call and text histories, photos, etc. Increasingly, over-the-air backups are doing this automatically.
25. If your security policy allows, install a cloud storage service like Dropbox and make sure all your important files are being backed-up automatically. If something happens to your laptop, you’ll still have access to all your data.
26. Install our top five apps for your iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet, or Blackberry. TripIt thankfully works across all platforms.
27. Get familiar with the layout of your destination city. Google maps is particularly useful – if you browse Google maps on your phone at home, they will remain cached when you arrive at your destination. 
28. Read up on your destination, so you’ll feel more comfortable. Increasingly, BeReady will be providing business traveller guides to cities where Traders Hotels are located.
29. Take a photo (or screen grab) with your phone of your hotel address. This will come in very handy when you need to show a cab driver where to go, and is especially useful for addresses in foreign languages/characters. Otherwise, transcribe the address on a card you can keep in your wallet.
30. Try to learn some of the local language. People are always impressed if you can speak even the basic words. Google translate is an extremely useful website and mobile application. Be sure to cache them on your phone before you leave. Some suggested phrases: Hello, Do you speak English?, Thank you, Turn left/right, Stop here, How much?, I want this/that, No, I’m not interested

Upon arriving at Incheon International Airport, meet our tour guide.

Breakfast at city restaurant. Proceed to Nami Island by Ferry (Winter Sonata Shooting Place). Proceed to Seoul and visit N’Seoul Tower Observatory and the Teddy bear Museum. Dinner at city restaurant

Transfer to Hotel and check-in.

Day 02 April 06 Seoul – Everland – Seoul (B/L/D)

After ABF inside Hotel

Transfer to Incheon and experience Picking seasonal fruit at the Farm.

Next stop enjoy at the Everland Theme Park with passport ticket to unlimited rides and attractions. Back to Seoul then dinner. Overnight

Day 03 April 07 Seoul (B/L/D)

After ABF inside Hotel

Seoul City Tour – GYEONGBOK PALACE, National Folklore Museum, pass by Presidential Blue House, Ginseng Center, THE FACESHOP Outlet, Experience Making Kimchi at Kimchi School and Wearing Hanbok Korean national costume. Continue with a visit to Dongwha DFS and Dongdaemun Fashion market. Dinner then back to the Hotel. Overnight

Day 04 April 08 Seoul – Manila (B/L)

After ABF inside Hotel

Enjoy at LOTTE WORLD ADVENTURE & MAGIC ISLAND with Parade + STAR AVENUE. (Inc. Passport Ticket). Visit amethyst showcase then Korean food & souvenir shop enroute to the airport for flight back to Manila. Departure from Incheon International Airport

*** HOME SWEET HOME ***

Package price: US$ 898/person Inclusions: Roundtrip airfare via Jeju Air (MNL ICN MNL) 4days/3nights accommodation at Biwon or Best Western Vision or Seven Stay Hotel Full board meals (breakfast / lunch / dinner) All tours and transfers by deluxe airconditioned motorcoach English speaking tour guide All admission fees incl Passport ticket to Lotte World Adventure & Magic Island Everland Theme Park entrance Ticket & Fresh fruit picking Kimchi making and Wearing Hanbok / Seoul city & shopping tour Nami Island (Winter Sonata Shooting Place) N’ Seoul Tower and Teddy bear Museum Korea Tax Airline fuel surcharge Philippine travel tax Korea visa processing assistance

Exclusions: Tips to guide & driver- US$5/day total of US$20

Notes: US$ 300 non-refundable deposit required upon booking is required

Flight details: 04 April 7C2302 MNL ICN 23:50-04:40 +1 (5April) 08 April 7C2301 ICN MNL 20:10-23:25

APR 04 MANILA – ISTANBUL we depart from Manila onboard prestigious airline, enjoy in flight entertainment and meals.

APR 05 ISTANBUL (B, D) upon arrival; you will be transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free, or perhaps explore Istanbul on your own pace, then dinner.

APR 06 ISTANBUL (B, D) after breakfast, have a full day tour of Istanbul which includes Topkapi Palace (excluding harem), Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, St. Sophia and the Grand Bazaar. Dinner with belly dancing then back to hotel

APR 07 GALLIPOLI-DARDENELLES- CANAKKALE(B, D) after breakfast, departure for Gallipoli and visit Anzac Cove and Lone pine cemetery then across the Dardanelles to Canakkale for dinner and overnight.

APR 08 TROY – PERGAMUM – KUSADASI (B, D) after breakfast visit Troy with its famous wooden horse, tour Pergamum And continue on to Kusadasi for overnight.

APR 09 EPHESUS -ST.MARY’S HOUSE-KUSADASI (B, D) after breakfast, sightseeing of the famous ruins of Ephesus and St. Mary’s cottage. Then in the afternoon proceed to a sightseeing tour of Sardis, one the seven churches of revelation in the bible.

APR 10 EPHESUS – GREEK ISLAND CRUISES (B,D after breakfast transfer to pier and embark a cruise ship at Kusadasi for 3 days in the Greek Islands, enjoy amenities and entertainment on board.

APR 11 CRUISE – RHODES (B,D) morning arrival in Rhodes, the island of Roses, you have a full day to explore on your own; you may join an optional sightseeing tour, or simply take a taxi to one of many nearby beaches for a swim in the crystal clear Aegean waters.

APR 12 CRUISE – SANTORINI, HERAKLION (B,D) this morning’s port of call is Santorini, where you are free to explore the land of the fabled Atlantis. Your next port of call is Heraklion Crete where you have a city tour which includes to the Palace of Knossos. The rest of the day is free at leisure. Then dinner before we proceed to the hotel.

APR 13 ATHENS (B, D) after disembarking from the cruise, you are transferred to your Athens hotel. The rest of the day is yours, now this is the time for shopping and explores Athens at your own pace, then proceed to the restaurant for dinner. Overnight

APR 14 ATHENS (B,D) this morning you will meet your English speaking guide in the hotel for full day sightseeing tour which includes a visit to the Acropolis, its museum and the Parthenon. Also view the House of the Parliament, the Memorial to the unknown soldiers, National Library, Evzones in their picturesque uniform, the Presidential Palace, the Panatheanic Stadium Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch. Dinner and back to hotel.

APR 15 ATHENS – MANILA (B) after breakfast, the rest of the day is free until you transfer to the airport for flight back home. APR 16 ARRIVED – MANILA Arrived Manila from a very memorable tour.

Package price: US$ 2,978/person excluding taxes & fees Inclusions:

RT Economy Airfare via SQ 7 Nights 4 star hotel accom. on twin 3 Days Cruise in inside cabin Daily Breakfast and Dinner Transportation by private coach All entrance fees to the sites mentioned on the above program, Roundtrip airport Transfers in Greece and Turkey English speaking local guide Private Motor coach services Services of tour Coordinator throughout the tour Souvenir Bag Travel Kit Personalized Luggage Tags Travel Insurance (valid up to 60years old pax only)

Exclusions: Phil. Travel Tax – Php 1,620 Airfare Fuel taxes – US$ 495 Lunch and beverages during meals Turkey visa fee – Php 3,800.00 Sgl entry Greece visa fee – Php 5,000.00 (All visa fees and airline fuel surcharge are subject to change without prior notice) Airport Terminal Fees – Php 750 Tips for Guide & Driver – US$ 110 All personal expenses in nature

Visa Requirements: Original passport valid for 6 months Old/previous passports (if any) 4 Copies of recent passport pictures Certificate of Employment with Leave of Absence & Salary Declaration Bank Certificate & Bank Statement Income Tax Return (Orig. & Xerox) Xerox Copy of Credit Card Marriage Contract /Affidavit of Consent (If not traveling with Spouse) Additional If Self Employed Business Registration (Orig & Xerox) Income Tax Return of Business Additional If Student School ID / Proof of Enrollment Affidavit of Support from Parents Birth Certificate

Booking Conditions: $300 booking deposit is non refundable Full Cancellation charges will be applied to any cancellation made 3 weeks before departure. 50% deposit upon approval of the visa will be applied. Balance/full payment payable 2weeks before departure Supplement will be applied for ext. $900.00 Single Supplement

The ancient city of Angkor — the most famous monument of which is the breathtaking ruined temple of Angkor Wat — might have collapsed due to valiant but ultimately failed efforts to battle drought, scientists find.

The great city of Angkor in Cambodia, first established in the ninth century, was the capital of the Khmer Empire, the major player in southeast Asia for nearly five centuries. It stretched over more than 385 square miles (1,000 square kilometers), making it the most extensive urban complex of the preindustrial world. In comparison, Philadelphia covers 135 square miles (350 sq. km), while Phoenix sprawls across more than 500 square miles (1,300 sq. km), not including the huge suburbs.

Suggested causes for the fall of the Khmer Empire in the late 14th to early 15th centuries have included war and land overexploitation. However, recent evidence suggests that prolonged droughts might have been linked to the decline of Angkor — for instance, tree rings from Vietnam suggest the region experienced long spans of drought interspersed with unusually heavy rainfall.

Angkor possessed a complex network of channels, moats, and embankments and reservoirs known as barays to collect and store water from the summer monsoons for use in rice paddy fields in case of drought. To learn more about how the Khmer managed their water, scientists analyzed a 6-foot (2-meter)-long core sample of sediment taken from the southwest corner of the largest Khmer reservoir, the West Baray, which could hold 1.87 billion cubic feet (53 million cubic meters) of water, more than 20 times the amount of stone making up the Great Pyramid at Giza.

Also, to collect samples from across the greater Angkor region, researcher Mary Beth Day, a paleolimnologist at the University of Cambridge in England, hired a “tuk-tuk” (motorized rickshaw) driver, and was able to convince him to drive her around the countryside, “often on tracks that tuk-tuks probably aren’t designed to travel on,” she recalled. “We nearly got stuck in the sand a couple of times, but my driver was remarkably accommodating given that he probably thought I was crazy.”

The researchers deduced a 1,000-year-long climate history of Angkor from the baray. They found at around the time Angkor collapsed the rate at which sediment was deposited in the baray dropped to one-tenth of what it was before, suggesting that water levels fell dramatically as well. The discovery “really emphasizes how significant the events during this period must have been,” Day said.

As both water levels and sediment deposits ebbed, the ecology of the baray changed as well, with more bottom-dwelling algae and floating plants coming into existence.

“The ecological shift primarily serves to underline how environmental conditions in the West Baray have been fundamentally different since the 17th century, post-collapse, as compared to what the baray was like during Angkorian times,” Day said.

In the end, the water management systems of the Khmer might have been insufficient to cope with sudden and intense variations in climate. [10 Ways Weather Changed History]

“Angkor can be an example of how technology isn’t always sufficient to prevent major collapse during times of severe instability,” Day told LiveScience. “Angkor had a highly sophisticated water management infrastructure, but this technologic advantage was not enough to prevent its collapse in the face of extreme environmental conditions.”

“It’s important to understand, however, that failure of the water management network was not the sole reason for the downfall of the Khmer Empire,” Day added. “The collapse of Angkor was a complex process brought about by several different factors — social, political and environmental.”

The scientists detailed their findings online Jan. 2 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

source : http://news.yahoo.com/drought-led-demise-ancient-city-angkor-142407479.html

The central stretch from Monterey to Big Sur gets all the glory (and the well-heeled crowds), but head north and things start to get funkier and more affordable. Flat-out unfashionable, really, in a charming, time-warp ’70s sort of way, where washed-out roadside motels with names like Surf and Sand still tout “free color TV” on their peeling signs, local radio stations play Steve Miller Band, and people read the newspaper in print, not on an iPad. The landscape, too, remains unchanged: the craggy cliffs, the golden hills, the grazing cows, the I’ve-got-to-snap-a-picture lookouts.

But it’s really the quirky, old-fashioned communities that make this stretch of Highway 1 so special. The town of Fort Bragg, 170 miles north of San Francisco, is a prime example: Nine years ago, Fort Bragg’s sprawling oceanfront lumber mill shut down, and Pacific Ocean views once obstructed by smoke stacks were opened up to the public. Now green spaces and walking trails are scattered across town, along with new restaurants, boutiques, and beachfront bike paths. Fort Bragg is a town in transition, no doubt, but somehow it’s maintained its low-key spirit—a refreshing surprise on the sometimes chichi California coast. Best of all, you can get a room with an ocean view for less than, say, lunch at a spa down south. At least for now.

Day 1: San Francisco to Sea Ranch, 110 miles

The traffic in San Francisco only makes the open vistas to the north all the more spectacular. Just across the Golden Gate Bridge, convertibles bound for wine country clog the lanes. Then, it’s stop-and-start past auto shops and Applebee’s, until about 60 miles north, when you reach Highway 1 and the road narrows to a rolling two-lane past cattle fields and cyclists, into the country and out to the coast.

Near the town of Jenner, Highway 1 edges a bluff where the Russian River intersects the raging Pacific, and my friend and I can’t resist a quick stop. The pull-out has room for only a handful of cars—no bus tours or caravanning RVs could fit if they tried. The water is a tropical turquoise blue and kayakers paddle peacefully below. A guy next to me shoves his binoculars in my hand: “Check it out!” he exclaims, pointing to a smooth black hump surfacing every so often. “See it?!” Camaraderie among strangers, it seems, is not uncommon here. There’s the shared thrill over whale sightings, yes, but also an unspoken feeling of luck.

Hunger strikes right around the time you see Stewarts Point Store, a yellow clapboard shop that dates back to 1868 (32000 S. Hwy. 1, 707/785-2406, turkey-cheese-avocado sandwich $8). Owner Charles Richardson, a smiley, Carhartt-clad fifth-generation son of the original propietors, stocks the shelves with a mix of the retro (glass bottles of grape Crush) and the gourmet (cheeses, salamis). If it were a Friday, we could’ve joined a dance-hall dinner held weekly upstairs. Instead, it’s a lazy Sunday, so  we head for the town of Sea Ranch, a 10-mile windswept bluff scattered with austere, 1960s architecture that blends so respectfully into the land you could very well miss it.

Built out of cedar and redwood, the Sea Ranch Lodge may be the best-value inn on the Sonoma-Mendocino coast, where a frilly room with an ocean view usually runs at least $250 (60 Sea Walk Dr., searanchlodge.com, from $149, including breakfast). Weathered Adirondack chairs at the water’s edge are made for sipping wine, and most of the 20 cozy rooms have woodstove fireplaces and overlook the Pacific. As the moon reflects on the water, I thank the zillions of stars we paid only $149 a night.

Day 2: Sea Ranch to Point Arena, 20 miles

With a dilapidated-looking “day spa,” a very-much-still-in-business video store, and a better-than-decent BBQ joint, the town of Gualala, about six miles north, is a booming metropolis compared to Sea Ranch. The kind of 2,000-resident town where your waitress tells you she’s lived forever and restaurants tend to empty out before 9 p.m. A few miles north, we get the sea lions, tide pools, and coastal hiking trails all to ourselves at Stornetta Public Lands; there isn’t anyone else at Bowling Ball Beach either. Maybe because we just miss low tide, which reveals a sea of symmetrically round boulders that give this often photographed spot its name.

To call Point Arena a town is a bit of an overstatement. It’s basically a single strip consisting of not much more than a co-op grocery, homemade-jam stand, and historic theater. We find the real entertainment just up the hill: a 110-acre park where zebras and antelope roam. Owned by a couple dedicated to giving displaced African animals a better life than the zoo, the B. Bryan Preserve also has a three-room inn. You can take a guided tour or stay the night, like we do, to wander on your own (130 Riverside Dr., bbryanpreserve.com, from $135, including a 1.5-hour walking tour of the park). That evening, we have our pick of tables on the deck at the Pier Chowder House & Tap Room, where we eat fish tacos made with cod caught off the very pier we’re gazing at.

Day 3: Point Arena to Fort Bragg, 45 miles

In Mendocino, we stop for an early lunch of chicken focaccia sandwiches in the garden at Moosse Café, which is filled with elderly women with wide-brimmed hats and lap puppies (90 Kasten St., 707/937-4323, chicken focaccia $13) . It comes as a surprise, then, when we get to Fort Bragg’s Piaci Pub & Pizzeria, 20 minutes north, and discover a different world entirely (120 W. Redwood Ave., Fort Bragg, 707/961-1133, pies from $9.25). Scruffy, friendly locals squeeze into overstuffed booths—not a designer dog in sight. A teacher sitting near us puts it best: “Mendocino is for celebrities and older second-home owners—the Murder, She Wrote crowd,” he says, referring to the Angela Lansbury TV show partly filmed in Mendocino.

Home to monster trucks and mattress stores, Fort Bragg isn’t exactly the land of flowery B&Bs. But on the street-lamp-lined side streets, there is a thriving small-town scene with live-music cafes, chic boutiques, an outstanding greasy spoon (Eggheads, inexplicably decked out in all things Wizard of Oz), and a trio of indie bookstores (326 N. Main St., 707/964-5005, Dungeness crab omelet $16).

But it’s the easy access to the pristine, rugged coast that’s the main draw for visitors, namely MacKerricher State Park, just outside of town. We arrive in the afternoon to a nearly empty stretch of sand, with waves raging every which way. The only other visitors are a family of sea lions sunning themselves and a few folks on horseback. Nearby, our room at the Beachcomber Motel is basic but squeaky clean, with front-row views of the Pacific (1111 N. Main St., thebeachcombermotel.com, from $99). Stuffed with pesto-spinach pizza from Piaci, we pick up the three-mile paved path right outside our room’s sliding-glass door. We detour into the bluff through a carpet of long grasses, and the wind is fierce and salty. No wonder the cypress trees permanently lean in a horizontal slant. White caps crash against the rocks below. The sun slips into the horizon, and a man taking photographs turns into a silhouette. And we otherwise have the coast all to ourselves. Again.

SEE MORE POPULAR CONTENT:

10 Record-Breaking Bridges

How Well Do You Know Your City Skylines?

10 Most Interesting Beaches

The Dirty Truth About Hotel Ratings

8 Most Complicated Countries to Visit

My 10-day trip was a quest to track down the perfect pint.

Somewhere in the misty highlands above Lewes, I’d been told, was a farm where a country vicar brews a very good ale. But it had been more than two hours since I’d left the gates of the medieval market town, following a centuries-old chalk footpath. As the trail rose above castle turrets and zigzagged through upland pastures, a thick fog descended, transforming the springtime greens of the Sussex countryside into an eerie—and gorgeous—gray and white.

I was on the verge of turning back when a hunting dog lurched out of the fog, followed by a heavyset man. “Haven’t heard of the farm or the vicar,” the man said, “but this path goes down to Ditchling, where Vera Lynn lives. Remember her? She sang ‘We’ll Meet Again’ and ‘White Cliffs of Dover.’ Must be in her 90s now, but she’s still there tottering on, bless her.”

For lovers of hiking and history, the South Downs are a wonderland of Iron Age hill forts, castle ruins, and medieval villages whose time—tilted inns have hosted travelers since the Norman invasion. Rising above a busy corner of the world, the Downs offer some of England’s most peaceful and appealing geography, a gently rolling countryside of farms punctuated by small woodlands and large herds of sheep. The 100-mile South Downs Way, a footpath and bridleway near Britain’s south coast, is the centerpiece of South Downs National Park, the newest link in the U.K. network. There was clearly a part of me that wished I would stumble upon my younger self in England, the more adventurous and impetuous me buried under the swirling dust of my adult life.

But I didn’t come here for the scenery-or the charmingly quirky locals, for that matter. My 10-day trip was a quest to track down a long-lost love, and I’d hoped that elusive brewmaster of a vicar could show me the way.

For a Midwesterner nursed on Anheuser-Busch, that maiden pint of Harveys Sussex Best Bitter was a revelation.

I took my first sip of ale at 22, a few weeks after graduating from college and deciding to sell my car and buy a one-way ticket to post-punk London. For a Midwesterner nursed on Anheuser-Busch, that maiden pint of Harveys Sussex Best Bitter was a revelation. Fresh-hopped and smoky sweet, the flavors splashed across my tongue in waves: first the gritty taste of grain, then a blast of clearing hops. Someone had put a whole lot of love into this beer, I thought. From that moment on, I was determined to love it right back.

Still, it took me 25 years to make another pilgrimage to Sussex—work, kids, the usual—and by then the trail had gone cold. My journey had been made more difficult thanks to the diminished state of the traditional English pub. According to the British Beer and Pub Association, pubs in the U.K. have been closing at the rate of 28 a week, victims of changing tastes and high beer taxes. Of course, you can still find a pint. With 52,000 pubs, there’s one for every 120 or so Brits. But more and more often, you have to brave a “gastropub,” the kind of establishment that puts more stock in its pheasant breast and crème brûlée than stocking a decent selection of beer.

I started at Lewes’s St. Thomas-a-Becket Church—after all, he was the patron saint of brewers.

So for my mission, I started at Lewes’s St. Thomas-a-Becket Church—after all, he was the patron saint of brewers. Architecturally, well-preserved Lewes is one of England’s gems; the town dates back to the 9th century, when it served as a Saxon fort overlooking the river Ouse. Culturally, the town is known for its history of creative defiance. Once infamous for its riotous Bonfire Boys societies, Lewes was also home to the novelist Virginia Woolf and the revolutionary Thomas Paine. Paine’s 1776 pamphlet Common Sense was instrumental in convincing American colonists to toss out King George III.

But it was a current resident I wanted to visit most: Harveys Brewery. Crossing the iron swing bridge leading out of town over the river Ouse, I paused to watch steam tumbling out of the brewery’s vents. For a moment, I considered bowing toward the red-brick building that houses it. “I’ve actually seen people do it,” head brewer Miles Jenner said, greeting me at the loading dock. “As you might imagine, that creates a rather daunting responsibility.” Jenner led me into a room stacked high with bags of pale malt and bins of whole-leaf hops. I scooped up handfuls of Fuggles and Goldings hop cones, which coated my hands with an oily aroma that clung to me, like a welcome natural air freshener, all day.

I’d begun to realize that my search for the perfect beer represented something bigger than a mere drink.

Jenner and I then walked across the cobbled street to the John Harvey Tavern, to sample the product. “Two pints of Best,” Jenner told the young barman. As we watched him pump it up from the cellar, I braced for my long-awaited
reunion. “Let me give you the second one out,” Jenner said, sliding the pint over. “I think it’s always just a little better.” It was very good—as smooth as I remembered it, with an earthy yeastiness and a fresh bitterness. But it didn’t blow me away the way I remembered. Maybe it was the cold I was nursing. Or maybe I’d begun to realize that my search for the perfect beer represented something bigger than a mere drink. There was clearly a part of me that wished I would stumble upon my younger self in England, the more adventurous and impetuous me who was buried under the swirling dust of my adult life. A rather daunting responsibility to ask from a pint of beer indeed.

That afternoon, I made my way up to the town’s magnificent 11th-century castle, stronghold of the First Earl of Surrey, a brother-in-law of William the Conqueror. I took my time ambling down the narrow backstreets called “twittens,” stopping into antiques shops and rare-book dealers tucked into crooked wood-and-stone buildings shaded by sprawling beeches. Then I took off for my odyssey on the South Downs Way.

I took off for my odyssey on the South Downs Way.

Walking the gently undulating trail was fairly easy, despite the daily downpours. I saw few people (the lousy weather?), but I could feel the weight of history. At Bignor Hill, the trail traces the path of the Roman road from Chichester to London, dating from a.d. 70. Near Ditchling, the trail, cutting deep into the chalk, dates back 6,000 years to the Stone Age. Crossing the Ouse again at Rodmell, I paused at the spot where Woolf drowned herself in 1941 by walking into the river with her pockets full of stones.

One day, I found myself hiking in the unbelievably green Cuckmere Valley when I walked past the trail leading to Berwick. Backtracking through the low weald-a term descended from an ancient Saxon word meaning “wild, wooded hills”—I looked up and saw a 226-foot-high figure of a man with a staff in each hand watching over me. Suddenly, I realized that I had passed the Long Man of Wilmington before, on a weekend trip from London 25 years earlier. Stymied by the unexpected flashback, I spotted the Cricketers Arms, a flint stone cottage pub. I approached through a brightly flowered garden and opened the door to a series of rooms thick with conviviality. Sitting next to a crackling fire with a pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord and some chunks of strong Stilton cheese, I began to reconsider the whole notion of a perfect pint. Maybe it wasn’t the beer at all. Maybe it had more to do with the drinker’s mood or the quality of companionship. Or was it something beyond the reach of language and intellect, such as the atmosphere of the pub itself?

As I traveled from village to village, I scribbled geeky “tasting notes” in my notebook.

As I traveled from village to village, I scribbled geeky “tasting notes” in my notebook: At the Chequer Pub in Steyning, I had pints of Ringwood’s Old Thumper (soft and meaty). At the Bridge Inn in Shoreham, I shook the rain off my jacket and sampled Cottage Western Arches (clean and mellow; a bit light in body and bitterness). I found myself sitting next to a poodle perched on his own bar stool while I discussed the weather with the dog’s elderly companion. At Shoreham’s Red Lion Inn, I drank Hepworth Iron Horse (tangy and abundantly carbonated) and chatted with the pub’s owner, Natalie Parker, about the ghost who is said to haunt the premises. “Sometimes, he’ll tap me on the shoulder late at night when I’m sweeping up,” she joked, ducking under low, blackened beams laid in the 16th century. “It’s more of a nuisance than a fright.” As I approached the pretty village of Alfriston, on the banks of the Cuckmere River, the patchwork of farmers’ fields and beech woods gave way to bigger, more dramatic landscapes. I climbed along the chalk ridge to Beachy Head, where the trail coasts atop white cliffs that soar more than 500 feet over the surf below. This is one of the most dramatic stretches of coastline in southern England, with top-of-the-world views every bit as striking as those found at Dover, 75 miles to the east.

After spending a morning leaning into 50-knot gusts, I practically fell through the thatched roof at the Tiger Inn. In need of a bracing pick-me-up, I asked for the thickest, darkest thing on tap. Publican Charlie Davies-Gilbert, who recently started a brewery in a nearby barn, brought a pint of Parson Darby’s Hole, named for a 17th-century minister who set lanterns in the caves along the cliffs to warn sailors about the rocks. “I imagine him sitting in the cave, getting the sailors he’d saved drunk,” Davies-Gilbert said.

Whether I crossed paths with that perfect pint—and whether it even existed—seemed less important with each day I spent discovering the landscapes and history of the South Downs.

I had been roaming in the South Downs for nearly a week, and I’d put away a lot of very good beer. But the notion that I might find a mainline to my memories in a foamy glass was beginning to seem unlikely. Then again, it occurred to me that the act of looking might be at least as worthwhile, perhaps more so, than the payoff itself. Whether I crossed paths with that perfect pint—and whether it even existed—seemed less important with each day I spent discovering the landscapes and history of the South Downs.

I had mostly given up when I detoured off the trail to the village of Salehurst to meet hop farmer Andrew Hoad, who cultivates the flowers that bitter Harveys beers. As we headed toward his fields, passing his distinctive witch’s-hat oast house where the hops are dried, Hoad told me that he almost retired after a devastating wilt destroyed his crop two years in a row. We walked out between hedges, where rows of chin-high plants were twisting around vertical lengths of twine, climbing toward wires strung overhead. “Just about everything in hops has its own terminology,” Hoad said. “They’re bines, not vines. They’re grown in gardens, not fields. The blooming part is called a cone, not a flower.”

Could it be—the perfect pint?

By the time we arrived back at Hoad’s house, built in 1340, the sky was clearing. It was the first trace of blue I’d seen in days. Together, we walked down the hill to his local pub, the Salehurst Halt. With the weather clearing, at least half the village had converged at the Halt. The crowd was in high spirits, talking and relaxing at the picnic tables in the garden and under bouquets of hop flowers hanging from the beams. Hoad made his way through the throng and came back with a round of Harveys Best Bitter, the same almost-but-not-quite-perfect beer I’d had at the beginning of the trip. We raised our glasses to the evening, and as I took my first sip, drawing the ale in through a lace of closely packed bubbles, I felt a shudder. It was exactly as I remembered it 25 years ago: smooth and grainy, with a breaking wave of hops so fresh that the beer might have been drawn through Hoad’s hop garden. Could it be—the perfect pint? Perhaps. Or maybe I’d finally come to the place in my journey where I could savor the moment—the people, the pub, the buoyant atmosphere—along with the beer.

SEE MORE POPULAR CONTENT:

Top Budget Destinations for 2012

12 Best Places You’ve Never Heard Of

World’s Most Amazing Hotel Pools

America’s Best Food Regions

10 Natural Wonders to See Before They Disappear

Canon PowerShot ELPH 510 HS
There’s never been a bigger zoom in such a compact package. When it’s not in use, Canon’s 28 mm wide-angle lens with 12x optical zoom (good for detailed, expansive landscapes) collapses into a camera body that’s only .86″ thick. The 3.2″ touch-screen display lets you manually select a focal point and activate the shutter with a tap. $350, shop.usa.canon.com.

• RELATED: See the 3 Best Camera-phones by Network

BEST FOR: Simultaneous video and stills

Sony Cyber-shot TX55
It’s one of the great quandaries of memory-making: Is this a video moment or a photo moment? (Usually, by the time you’ve decided, the toucan has already flown off your daughter’s head.) Sony’s double-duty shooter lets you take 12 MP photos and 1080i video at the same time, without sacrificing image quality. $350, store.sony.com.

BEST FOR: Locating landmarks

Fujifilm FinePix F600EXR
Part compass, part guidebook—oh, yeah, and a swell camera, too—this 16 MP number goes way beyond just taking great photos. Using GPS and augmented reality (which overlays data on the screen as you frame a shot), it can direct you to over a million preloaded landmarks, suggest worthy sites nearby, and even plot your route on a map. $350, shopfujifilm.com.

BEST FOR: Slide shows on the go

Nikon S1200pj
Time was, treating your family and friends to a post-trip slide show required bulky equipment (and possibly handcuffs). Now, Nikon’s pocket-size projector-slash-camera lets you stage a screening anywhere you can dim the lights and clear some wall space. It even hooks up to iPads and other devices to increase your feature-presentation options. $430, shop.nikonusa.com.

SEE MORE POPULAR CONTENT:

10 Most Interesting Beaches

12 Iconic City Skylines

Secret Hotels of Paris

8 Items You Never Pack…But Should

13 Things You Didn’t Know About Hawaii

SEE THE TOP BUDGET TRAVEL DESTINATIONS FOR 2012

Azores

Why in 2012: This chain of nine volcanic islands lies 930 miles off the coast of Lisbon, but the distance hasn’t spared Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal, from the mainland’s economic troubles—which means big bargains for American travelers. Hotel rates across Portugal have slid since 2010, with five-star hotel rooms averaging a mere $112 per night, and the Azores, which are dotted with baroque churches, black-sand beaches, and crater lakes, are no exception. To lure visitors, Boston-based charter airline Azores Express is offering deeply discounted hotel-and-air packages through fall 2012 (508/677-0555, from $719). And while island-hopping had traditionally required a long ferry ride or a chartered fishing boat, last November, state-owned SATA Airlines shortened the trip when it increased inter-island flights (sata.pt).

Best Time to Visit: Azores weather is mild year-round, but outdoor enthusiasts will dig October, when temperatures typically hit 70 degrees and daylight lasts 11 hours. Since the month also marks the start of Azores’s low season, which runs through May, hotels deals are easy to find then.

Where to Stay: The coastal Bahia Palace Hotel on the island of São Miguel is steps from Baia de Água d’Alto beach and has a freshwater swimming pool and 101 rooms, all with ocean-view balconies (hotelbahiapalace.com, from $104).

Price Check: In September, Azores-based SATA Airlines has nonstop tickets from Boston starting at $688 round-trip.

Egypt

Why in 2012: Although (as of press time) the travel warning put in place by the United States after the Arab Spring has been downgraded to an alert for sporadic unrest, Egypt—where tourism accounts for 11 percent of the economy—is hurting for visitors, even at the nation’s most famous destinations. Traveler numbers have plummeted by more than a third since 2010, and travel operators and hoteliers are cutting serious deals to encourage a turnaround. TUI, Europe’s largest tour company, slashed $600 off the price of a recent Egyptian excursion, and average daily hotel rates have fallen 25 percent countrywide, dipping to about $107. There are deals at both the Great Pyramids of Giza, where room rates have slid 45 percent since 2010, and in the Red Sea resorts of Sharm El Sheikh, where prices slumped 26 percent to $104.

Best Time to Visit: Summer delivers 90-plus-degree temperatures and winter brings tourist throngs, but the shoulder seasons (March to May; September to November) promise fewer, and less-sweaty, crowds.

Where to Stay: The five-star Savoy Sharm El Sheikh, at the foothills of the Sinai Mountains and steps away from Sharm El Sheikh’s powdery, pristine White Knight Beach, is an accessible oasis. savoy-sharm.com, from $143.

Price Check: Stopovers are a must when traveling to Egypt, as direct flights are pricey year-round (we’re talking $1,000 plus). Dutch carrier KLM offers decent one-stop fares in March: Trips from New York to Cairo start at $815; tickets from Chicago go for $786; and prices from Los Angeles hover around $996 with two stops.

San Diego

Why in 2012: With miles of picturesque Pacific coastline (perfect for surfing), only 10 inches of rain per year (ideal golf weather), and family-friendly attractions (Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, a LEGO-Land theme park), it’s easy to see why San Diego is one of America’s top 10 most-visited cities. And unlike northern neighbors Los Angeles and San Francisco, the SoCal city is offering bargains on everything from hotels—the average nightly room rate is $128—to rental cars, which are 3 percent cheaper than they were in 2010. Another reason to book a trip now: Hotel prices are expected to continue dropping through 2012 before spiking again in 2013, thanks to an ongoing construction boom.

Best Time to Visit: The rainiest months are November through March, but even then you won’t get soaked—the highest average precipitation (in January) is only 2.3 inches. If you’re a museum lover, visit in February, when San Diego Museum Month kicks off. Forty area attractions, such as the modern LUX Art Institute and the Birch Aquarium, will offer half-priced admission fees (sandiegomuseumcouncil.org, discount card free). Prime beach season runs from April to October, when the temperatures rarely dip below 69 degrees.

Where to Stay: One of the city’s newest boutique additions, Little Italy’s Porto Vista exudes a laid-back, European vibe (portovistasd.com, from $119). Most rooms have black-and-white, floor-to-ceiling photographs that evoke 1960s Italy—think glammed-up fashion models and young men on scooters—and the surrounding neighborhood is lined with sausage shops and old-school pizza joints.

Price Check: February fares to San Diego are $156 from Portland (one stop on Spirit), $151 from Denver (nonstop on Frontier), and $339 from New York (nonstop on JetBlue).

Maritime Canada

Why in 2012: The provinces lining Canada’s eastern seaboard have always had plenty to offer the outdoorsy traveler—from scenic kayak rides around Prince Edward Island to whale watching in the Bay of Fundy to wilderness hikes in the glacier-specked Torngat Mountains. But the region’s biggest attraction this year only comes around once in a lifetime: the 100th anniversary of the Titanic‘s sinking off the coast of Newfoundland. There’s a full calendar of events in Halifax to commemorate the tragedy this April, including a town parade, concerts, and a film festival; the city’s Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is also expanding its permanent Titanic exhibit this year. Along with two other Atlantic coast cities (Charlottetown and Fredericton), Halifax once again made Hotels.com’s list of cheapest Canadian cities in 2011, with rates averaging $145.

And if you want the full Titanic experience—only with a happier ending—consider one of Carnival Cruise Lines’ new four- and five-day voyages from Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and St. John, New Brunswick, on the Glory, launching in June; departures from New York will follow in the fall (carnival.com, from $73 per night).

Best Time to Visit: Hurricane season officially spans June through November, but since September and October are the highest-risk months, you can feel safe traveling here in June, when humidity is low and temperatures peak between 65 and 77 degrees.

Where to Stay: The Halliburton Hotel occupies a trio of 19th-century town houses near Halifax’s waterfront (thehalliburton.com, from $122). Each of its 29 rooms is decorated differently; some even have wood-burning fireplaces.

Price Check: Cities on the Eastern Seaboard are the best jumping-off points for your Canadian journey. In June, nonstop flights to Halifax begin at $612 from New York (Continental and United), and $629 from Philadelphia and Boston (US Airways). West-coasters have to book one-stop tickets, like one from Portland that goes for $692 (Air Canada).

Belize

Why in 2012: Belize tends to be overshadowed by its neighbors: Mexico, Guatemala, and Costa Rica, which in 2010 saw twice the visitor arrivals that Belize did. Yet this English-speaking nation has plenty to recommend it, including a bounty of exotic birds, stunning Mayan ruins, and the world’s second-largest barrier reef. On top of all that, Belize is also one of the region’s biggest bargains. In 2011, the dollar appreciated 1.3 percent against the native currency; as of September, the exchange rate was nearly two to one. The savings should last until December 2012, which marks the end of the 5,126-year era of the Maya calendar and the culmination of a year’s worth of festivals and sporting events—and a likely spike in hotel prices and crowds.

Best Time to Visit: High season is dry season in Belize, roughly February to April. (While the country is hot and humid year-round, northern areas stay much drier than their southern counterparts.) Arrive in late May to find the sweet spot for beach-ready weather, early-shoulder-season discounts, and thinning crowds.

Where to Stay: Avoid San Pedro, where hotel prices are up 6 percent from 2010, and head south to the less-touristy Placencia Peninsula, where crystal-clear lagoons and 16 miles of sandy beaches coexist with the world’s first-ever jaguar preserve. The seaside Maya Beach Hotel is owned by an expat couple (she’s American, he’s Australian) who set up guests with fishing trips, scuba dives, cave tours, and massages. mayabeachhotel.com, from $89.

Price Check: In May, direct flights from Miami start at $444 (American); from Houston, $745 (Continental). For cheaper fares, grab a seat on a one-stop flight; from Los Angeles, fares begin at $523 (Continental).

San Antonio

Why in 2012: America’s seventh-largest city is best known for its 19th-century missions (remember the Alamo?), but San Antonio is staking a claim on the future with new construction: a massive expansion of San Antonio’s popular River Walk (thesanantonioriverwalk.com, pedestrian access free). As part of the $358.3 million River Improvements Project redevelopment plan, this network of paths along the San Antonio River nearly doubled in length in June, adding eight miles of walk-and-bike routes and a slew of shops and cafes. The latest phase of the project was perfectly timed with the introduction of the city’s first bike-rental program, B-Cycle, which launched in early 2011 (bcycle.com, daily rental $10). Best of all, room rates are down 5 percent from last year—the average four-star room goes for $100 per night—and the city’s S.A.V.E. (San Antonio Vacation Experience) program promotes additional hotel deals year-round (visitsanantonio.com).

Best Time to Visit: April promises prime weather—the average high is 79 degrees and there’s little rain—but springtime also means massive crowds, who descend on San Antonio for events like Fiesta, a Tex-Mex-style Mardi Gras. For a quieter trip, try September. It’s a bit rainier and hotter (expect highs in the 90s), but worth it for the extra elbow room.

Where to Stay: The nearly two-year-old Hotel Havana, the brainchild of Texan tastemaker and hotelier Liz Lambert, is set in a revamped 1914 building and decorated with Turkish rugs and vintage Cuban artwork (havanasanantonio.com, from $115).

Price Check: Direct flights are plentiful and affordable in September, when fares start at $314 from Phoenix (US Airways), $320 from New York (United), $268 from Denver (United), and $321 from Chicago (American).

Poland

Why in 2012: With new airport terminals sprouting up from Warsaw to Gdansk, a hotel-construction boom that’s drawing marquee brands like Hilton and Westin, and a growing economy (the Polish GDP has shot up 4 percent since last year), Poland is ready for its close-up. Its cameo will come in June, when the UEFA Euro 2012 soccer tournament descends on stadiums across the country (and Ukraine—the two nations are cohosts)—but you don’t have to be a sports fan to reap the benefits. South Africa, which hosted the World Cup in 2010, saw post-game price drops as high as 20 percent when premium rates vanished, and the same trend is expected in Poland, where five-star hotels are already among the cheapest in the world (in Warsaw, they average $135 per night).

Best Time to Visit: The warmest weather, with averages in the low 70s, arrives from May to October—and so do vacationers, who sweep in around July and August to hit the Baltic beaches. Book a trip around September, when the crowds and soccer tournaments will have disappeared, leaving tranquility and low prices in their wake.

Where to Stay: Soon after opening in 1913, the opulent Polonia Palace was a hangout for celebrities, artists, and politicians (President Eisenhower stayed there in 1945). Nearly 100 years later, after undergoing a renovation, the spot—Warsaw’s sole hotel to escape WWII unscathed—is prized for its clean, modern rooms and central location. poloniapalace.com, from $123.

Price Check: Winter nonstops can be had for as little as $628 from New York to Warsaw (LOT Air), but for just a bit more cash (and one connection), you can enjoy September’s much milder weather. A recent search turned up one-stop flights from New York for $756 (Continental) and from Chicago for $528 (LOT Air), or for $1,010 from Los Angeles (Air New Zealand).

Taipei

Why in 2012: The arrival in Taiwan of the first mainland Chinese tourists last June (not counting supervised tours) marked a turning point for this onetime Chinese territory—a sign that a longtime political stalemate might finally be thawing. It also brought an influx of tourism revenue and a renewed interest in this Pacific island’s assets. The cosmopolitan capital city has an emerging culinary scene (world-famous chef Joël Robuchon opened a Taipei restaurant in November 2009) and plenty of snazzy new construction, while the surrounding countryside offers lush hot springs, majestic mountains, and golden-sand beaches. To cater to the new visitors, Taiwan’s government launched the new TaiwanTourist Bus Travel Service, which runs cheap day trips to several island attractions, such as an excursion to Taiwan’s alpine Sun Moon Lake that includes a cable-car ride, a boat tour, and electric-scooter rental (taiwantrip.com.tw, day trips from $11). And while a recent bump in U.S. visitors to Asia has caused hotel prices elsewhere on the continent to jump 4 percent—rates in South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Singapore have all spiked—Taipei’s rooms are 11 percent cheaper than they were in 2010, with an average rate of $144 per night.

Best Time to Visit: May through August are Taipei’s wettest months, with rainfall averaging eight inches; summer is sweltering and humid. October and November are much more pleasant, with less than four inches of rainfall and average high temperatures in the mid-70s.

Where to Stay: Every room in the Tango Taipei XinYi—which sits near the world’s second-tallest building, the nearly 1,700-foot Taipei 101 Tower—has two 42-inch plasma TVs (one for the bedroom, one for the bathroom) and a Jacuzzi tub (tango-hotels.com, from $137).

Price Check: At press time, tickets to Taipei weren’t available beyond October 2012 (when direct flights from San Francisco start at $1,145 on Taiwan’s EVA Airways). But if 2011 prices are any indication, fall trips will come relatively cheap. This November, Malaysia Airlines offered nonstop fares from Los Angeles for $1,057 and one-stops from Chicago were going for $1,087 on Cathay Pacific.

Kansas City

Why in 2012: Thanks to arts-centric developments both large-scale and grassroots, this Midwestern city is fast becoming a hotbed of high culture. In September, the $326 million Moshe Safdie–designed Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opened to host the Kansas City Ballet, the Lyric Opera, and the Kansas City Symphony, along with one-off performances of all stripes. The center’s arrival has only helped to bolster the already-vibrant Crossroads Arts District—a funky enclave of 70-plus galleries in renovated warehouses, interspersed with boutiques and restaurants—that surrounds it. Thankfully, Kansas City’s prices haven’t caught up to its highbrow reputation. Both hotels and rental cars are cheaper than they were in 2010, with rooms going for about $137 per night (a 3 percent drop) and cars averaging $55 per day.

Best Time to Visit: September is technically high season here—annual events like the Plaza Art Fair and the Barbecue Blaze Off are in full swing then—but you’ll be able to find good deals (and great weather) toward the end of the month. Skip July, when Kansas City is at its hottest and most crowded—especially this year, when it’ll host the MLB All-Star Game.

Where to Stay: Opened in 2007, the Q bills itself as Kansas City’s first green hotel. Eco-friendly touches are everywhere, from the fair-trade Guatemalan coffee in the lobby’s cafe to the complimentary hybrid shuttle that chauffeurs guests around town. theqhotel.com, from $139.

Price Check: September savings abound, with nonstop fares from Denver and Houston starting at $158 (US Airways) and $205 (American), respectively. For $243, you can fly direct from Chicago on American, and a straight shot from New York will run you $289 (Continental and United).

Athens

Why in 2012: Greece’s economy is faltering—it’s in the clutches of a massive debt crisis and on the brink of bankruptcy—but travel deals are going strong, especially in the country’s capital. According to the 2011 Mercer Cost of Living Survey (which ranks living expenses across cities by measuring prices of staples like food, transport, and entertainment), Athens is the world’s 53rd most expensive city—down 13 spots from 2010. While hotel prices fell 4 percent across Greece from 2010 (an average room now goes for $150 per night), in Athens rates sunk 15 percent to $125. Despite the recession, the city is beefing up infrastructure with Greece’s biggest-ever subway project, an expansion of the Athens Metro (www.oasa.gr, single rides from $1.89). New subway lines and stations—some stocked with ancient artifacts excavated during construction—will make roaming the city simple, and a full-day pass only costs $5.40.

Best Time to Visit: April and May are clear winners, with pleasant temperatures (highs range from 68 to 77 degrees), low humidity, and little rain. Just steer clear of April 15, 2012, when Easter festivities will likely inspire price hikes and a run on accommodations.

Where to Stay: With its soaring ceilings, rooftop restaurant, and stunning Acropolis views, it’s not surprising that the boutique 11-room Magna Grecia—housed in a refurbished, 19th-century building in central Athens—was a two-time World Luxury Hotel Awards finalist (magnagreciahotel.com, from $107).

Price Check: Airfare to Greece is, understandably, more unpredictable now than ever, and it’s imperative to pay attention to which days you travel. On April 16, a nonstop Athens-bound flight from New York costs $1,166 (Turkish Airlines), but four days later the price shoots up by $139—on the same airline! Stopover flights are your best bet if you’re coming from Boston ($1,285) or Washington, D.C. ($1,271, both on Delta), or Miami ($1,363 on American Airlines).

SEE MORE POPULAR CONTENT:

10 Record-Breaking Bridges

8 Most Complicated Countries to Visit

10 Most Interesting Beaches in the World

12 Best Places You’ve Never Heard of

8 Most Common Air-Travel Snafus (And How to Beat Them)