World Briefs

  • Looking at the Eiffel Tower from the bottom up

    Along with the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid, there may be no more instantly recognizable man-made structure than the Eiffel Tower, inaugurated on this date in 1889. The grand tower was built for the Universal Exhibition held that year in celebration of the French Revolution.

  • Visitors looking at Taj Mahal

    Tourists visiting the Taj Mahal are faced with a new kind of threat – a herd of monkeys that will scratch, bite and even kill.

  • Photo of the British Parliament where the Slave Trade Act was enacted.

    When The Slave Trade Act passed in Parliament on March 25, 1807, the United Kingdom effectively abolished the slave trade throughout the British Empire, but slavery continued.

  • Building with European Union flags representing the requirement for a Schengen visa.

    Americans interested in visiting Europe may want to do so before 2021. According to a report, the European Union said any U.S. travelers coming to the European Schengen area will need another kind of visa for entrance.

  • Jacques de Molay, Knights of Templar, execution site memorialized with a plaque in Paris.

    On this day in history, the 23rd and last official Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Jacques de Molay and a few other Templars, were sent to their death after enduring years of torture and other humiliations. The Knights Templars were Crusades warrior monks.  The Roman Church granted the Knights Templar with near autonomous power, answering to no one other than the Pope.  But it was the Order's enormous power that eventually led their downfall.  Over the years, the Order became extremely wealthy and at times acted as a bank throughout Europe. King Phillip IV of France became financially indebted to the Templars. On Friday, October 13, 1307 (the origin of the "Friday the 13th" bad luck date), Phillip, who because of his indebtedness to the Order, demanded the arrest of all Templars. They were tortured into false confessions of heresy and eventually forced to disband. However,  Jacques de Molay [...]

  • airplane 0|bombardier global express 620463 1280

    Prospective travelers who use the Kayak travel website can now filter their trips by aircraft model. The company has introduced the feature in the wake of an Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 737 Max 8 crash on March 8 that killed everybody onboard. This was the second fatal crash for that model airplane. The first was five months ago, in October, that crashed in Indonesia shortly after the Lion Air jet took off. Kayak Chief Technology Officer Giorgos Zacharia said the company received feedback suggesting the website offer filters for aircraft models, which would allow customers to exclude or include different makes. He said the enhancement was a commitment to offering customers the information they needed to ensure confidence while traveling. Many countries’ aviation authorities have ordered that the 373 Max planes not be flown in their airspace. On Wednesday, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration declared they were banning the use of [...]

  • Royal Caribbean cruise ship

    The Royal Caribbean cruise line offers its passengers an extra special day to enhance their journey but huge demands such as these require the crew going above and beyond. The onboard Royal Genies make all your travel dreams come true. From one of a kind adventure, an onshore adventure or a tailor-made spa experience you are assured to never forget the whole experience. The loyal and magical crew bend over backward to make sure that even the biggest wish is granted.

  • Woman resting on a hammock on the beach. This offers a stree-free and relaxing travel experience.

    If you plan on traveling for 2019, don’t make unrealistic resolutions or expectations, as it will make your traveling experience a nightmare. Remember, a vacation is supposed to help you with your health and well-being. If you want to have balance in your life, you must create it. How can you ensure you have a great 2019 stress-free vacation and more fun?

  • Whiskey glass at airport bar. Drunk travelers are being barred from boarding flights. bar drink

    Travel passengers who get boozed up before they catch their flights are becoming more frequent by the day. This rising number of people getting drunk at airports has caused a huge concern with new numbers increasing from 31% to 42%. Those consuming between four units and eight units of alcohol has doubled and risen from 5% to 10% over the period of three years.

  • smartphone travel app

    Organization is key if you’re going on vacation, and it’s extremely important if you’re going to travel overseas. Preplanning is a must if you want to have a good time while traveling. You need to have all your passport information in hand and carry a translator of some type if you don’t know the language of the country you are vacationing. With the invention of smartphones also came the development of apps that can help you travel to and around the country you are visiting. What are some of the best smartphone travel apps you need to download to your smartphone before you get on a plane or cruise? Passport Photo Maker – Before you leave a country, you must have a passport. There are certain picture requirements, and this app is the best way to get a DMV or post-office-like picture. It will take ID-regulated pictures, which means you’ll [...]

  • Grand Canyon photo by Tonya Fitzpatrick

    Following the 1908 legislation President Theodore Roosevelt signed giving the Grand Canyon status as a National Monument, the United States Congress signed an act on February 26th, 1919, making Grand Canyon National Monument a National Park. The Grand Canyon National Park hosts over 4 million visitors each year who explore sections of its 1.2 million acres.  Today, the National Park is also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The size of the National Park is vast and equals the land mass of the state of Delaware.  Its depth and width are inspiring--going over a mile deep and spreading from a quarter mile to 18 miles wide in certain places. At Point Imperial the Grand Canyon's elevation stretches 9,000 feet exposing rock layers that display over two billion years of geologic history. The different elevations offer a variety of temperatures.  During the summer months the North Rim is generally 30 [...]

  • Cape Town, South Africa view of harbor.

    Traveling to new places can be expensive, especially if it’s a new place that you have never visited before. Being able to hustle and save money doesn’t have to affect your new and exciting experience. Since South Africa has a lot to offer, it became a tourist attraction hotspot. This can affect your trip to be a bit more pricey than any other unpopular place that you could go to.