California food festivals: Three to savor for summer 2012 May 15, 2012, 18:17 GMT Summer and food festivals go hand in hand. We found three tasty events in California worth checking out for the months of June through August 2012. ....more

The Restoration of San Ysidro Ranch May 2, 2012, 22:54 GMT The famed San Ysidro Ranch was named the No. 4 Hotel in the World by Travel + Leisure's T+L 500: World's Best for 2011. ....more

Dublin now has a name for innovative cuisine as well as Guinness Feb 28, 2012, 3:09 GMT Dublin - Ireland is certainly more famous for its mild whiskeys than haute cuisine but the Emerald Isle has developed a reputation for culinary excellence in recent years, especially in the capital Dublin where innovative chefs are setting new standards. ....more

Vietnam's Idyllic Con Dao island has overcome its dark past Feb 28, 2012, 3:09 GMT Con Dao, Vietnam - The island of Con Dao in Vietnam is the last resting place of a national hero and although the name Vo Thi Sau means nothing to western visitors, she is revered at home. ....more

Travel tips Feb 28, 2012, 3:09 GMT Portuguese chocolate festival celebrates 10th anniversary ....more

A tour of the lofty heights - atop Frankfurt's skyscrapers Feb 28, 2012, 3:05 GMT Frankfurt - At the Kaiserplatz square in Frankfurt, Christian Setzepfandt holds his group up for a moment. ....more

Vienna celebrates "The Kiss" painter Gustav Klimt Feb 28, 2012, 3:05 GMT Vienna - In view of such a concentration of artists, almost every year in Austria seems to be an anniversary. Some festivities are larger, others smaller. ....more

Trouble in desert paradise - Namibia's unique arid lands under threat Feb 28, 2012, 3:05 GMT Henties Bay, Namibia - It's a hazy morning and clouds of mist are sweeping across the wide plains of clay and rock which stretch to the north of the little fishing village of Henties Bay. ....more

The riddle of Jim Thompson continues to fascinate Bangkok visitors Feb 21, 2012, 3:06 GMT Bangkok - Has he gone to ground? Was he devoured by a wild animal? And is Jim Thompson really one of the most famous Americans in Asia? ....more

Laos boosts tourist stops along Highway No. 9 Feb 21, 2012, 3:06 GMT Vientiane - Laos will this year set up more tourist stops along Highway No. 9, which links Thailand to Vietnam, in an effort to boost revenues for Savannakhet province. ....more

Cristobal Colon cemetery in Havana is a repository of history Feb 21, 2012, 3:06 GMT Havana - 'A good idea about getting to know a city,' the taxi driver says when told the destination, the Necropolis Cristobal Colon. 'A cemetery can tell a lot about people.' ....more

Glaciers, gelato and pistes for night owls in Switzerland Feb 21, 2012, 3:06 GMT St. Moritz/Poschiavo, Switzerland - Piz Bernina in Switzerland glints majestically in the moonlight. Like a sleeping giant, the 4,049-metre peak - the highest in the eastern Alps - stands out against the backdrop of a jet black sky. ....more

The Florida Keys offers a truly American experience Feb 21, 2012, 3:06 GMT Big Pine Key, Florida - The Florida Keys is usually explored by car but the island landscape and its shallow, crystal-clear waters are probably best discovered using a kayak. ....more

Travel tips Feb 21, 2012, 3:06 GMT Swiss cows square off in Swiss winter resort ....more

Travel tips Feb 14, 2012, 13:01 GMT Lucerne in the grip of a monster carnival ....more

Where have all the tourists gone? Egypt longs to see them return Feb 14, 2012, 13:01 GMT Cairo/Luxor - A Pharaoh sits in front of the gutted house as if nothing had happened. His hands are cast in stone and they lay resting on his thighs - for eternity it seems. ....more

Copper Mountain: Where Colorado locals do their skiing Feb 14, 2012, 13:01 GMT Keystone, Colorado - It must have been on purpose that the newly-developed valley region of Arapahoe Basin, a small skiing area in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, was named after Montezuma, the ruler of the Aztecs of yesteryear. Steep and snowy-white it is here, with stone chippings strewn about, cliffs, monster moguls and extreme double-black category ski runs. Now, if that doesn't set your stomach churning nothing will. ....more

Travelling through Zimbabwe, a country in the twilight Feb 14, 2012, 13:01 GMT Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe - The merchants on Livingstone Bridge at the border with Zambia are smiling amicably in the noonday sun. In their hands are thick bundles of bank notes, to be sold as souvenirs to the tourists. ....more

Arlberg, where the international skiing set meets Feb 14, 2012, 13:01 GMT St. Anton, Austria - Antony Gormley's mysterious human figures attract peoples' attention just as magically as the Arlberg mountain range region draws wintersports enthusiasts from around the world. ....more

A safari with the kids - small parks and kissing giraffes Feb 14, 2012, 13:01 GMT Nairobi - Sebastian needed some time yet to get used to the moist kisses of his new female friend. At first, the nine-year-old was a bit shy about looking up at his much older partner - a 21-year-old Rothschild giraffe. He asked if he should feed her. ....more

Los Angeles Chocolate Festival and Pastry Show for St. Jude on Feb. 11, details Feb 9, 2012, 21:35 GMT Buy some off the hook chocolate, help out children in need! ....more

Beverly Hills Wine Festival brings best in spirits, wine and beer to the 90210, details Feb 9, 2012, 21:14 GMT Oenophiles and Suds-lovers unite on Sunday, February 26th in Beverly Hills, as the most anticipated gourmet event happens at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. ....more

Arab world battles to regain tourism market share after revolutions Feb 7, 2012, 3:06 GMT Berlin - Many Europeans felt considerable sympathy and solidarity with the events of last year's Arab Spring, but the region is a long way from returning to normality and tourists are tending to steer clear. ....more

New Zealand's tasty fruit garden: the Food and Wine Trail in Wanaka Feb 7, 2012, 3:06 GMT Wanaka, New Zealand - The trip from the Pacific coast to the little town of Wanaka in the heart of New Zealand's southern island is mouth-watering in itself. The route takes the visitor past numerous fruit orchards and the juicy, ripe cherries, apple and apricots beckon from booths along the way either as ready-to-bite finger-food or as fresh ice-cream. ....more

Travel tips Feb 7, 2012, 3:06 GMT Christo to suspend artwork over the Arkansas River ....more

Southern Belgian carnival is one of world's craziest Mardi Gras Feb 7, 2012, 3:06 GMT Binche, Belgium - The roads in this sleepy southern Belgian town are deserted under the pale gloom of the streetlights. The clock in the church tower has just struck 4.30 am and Olivier de Angelis is yawning and rubbing his eyes. ....more

Austria's crown jewels offer a unique insight into medieval Europe Feb 7, 2012, 3:06 GMT Vienna - The octagonal crown fashioned from pure gold is studded with 144 precious stones and just as many pearls yet it is a priceless artifact for other reasons. ....more

Taking a river cruise is the only way to see the Douro Valley Feb 7, 2012, 3:06 GMT Porto, Portugal - It's possible to explore Portugal's Douro valley by car but a river cruise past farms and vineyards where the world famous port and sherry originate is the best way to experience the region's unique landscape. ....more

Napier, New Zealand's Art Deco city, steps back in time Jan 31, 2012, 3:06 GMT Napier, New Zealand - The New Zealand city of Napier, which bills itself as the Art Deco capital of the world, steps back in time every February to salute its heritage. ....more

3,000 miles on the high seas - an Atlantic crossing by cruise ship Jan 31, 2012, 3:06 GMT Southampton, Britain/New York - When the 'RMS Titanic' sank on the night of April 14, 1912 after striking an iceberg, the world was frozen in shock. Some 1,500 people lost their lives on that night, while only 700 passengers could be rescued. ....more