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Best Things to Do and Places to Stay in Savannah, Georgia

“Savannah... looked inward, sealed off from the noises and distractions of the world at large...The ordinary became extraordinary. Eccentrics thrived. Every nuance and quirk of personality achieved greater brilliance in that lush enclosure than would have been possible anywhere else in the world.”

John Berendt wrote these words about Savannah and its people in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, his bestselling book that put Savannah on the map. Largely due to Berendt’s colorful love letter to the city, over 13.5 million travelers head to the riverside capital of Georgia every year.

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How to Buy the Best Travel Insurance

A stolen laptop, a skiing injury, a dangerous hurricane—knock on wood that none of these accidents or emergencies ruin your travels. While you can’t do much to ward off bad luck, you can protect yourself from financial loss by buying a travel insurance plan.

The best travel insurance will reimburse money you lose from a cancelled flight, medical issue, stolen belongings, or a number of other accidents that can occur when you travel. You can buy short-term travel insurance to cover a single trip or long-term insurance if you’re moving abroad for a year or more.

This guide will go over all the benefits of travel insurance, as well as help you decide whether or not you need to purchase a plan before your trip. If you already know you want a plan, then jump down to my picks for the five best travel insurance plans for 2016.

To start, let’s go over what travel insurance plans cover.

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From Jazz to Jambalaya: 11 Fun Things to Do in New Orleans

Lively jazz, extravagant costumes, 19th-century steamboats, spicy Creole food, and cold cocktails are a few key ingredients that go into the unique mix of New Orleans, Louisiana.

This eclectic southern city goes by many names—NOLA, Crescent City, the Big Easy—and its culture has many faces, including French, Creole, Caribbean, African-American, Irish, German, and Vietnamese. No wonder the specialty food of this melting pot is gumbo stew, and the music it invented is an improvisational jumble of mixed musical heritage.

Read on for the 11 top things to do in New Orleans, the vibrant, multicultural city on the banks of the Mississippi.

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Ultimate Munich Travel Guide: 10 Best Things to Do

Soon after I arrived in Munich, I was eating a freshly-baked pretzel and gazing at a life-sized puppet show. Shortly after that, I watched surfers ride waves on a man-made creek. By the afternoon, I was planted in a 5000-person beer garden, already enamored with this dynamic city.

Munich is both old and new, a guardian of the past and leader into the future. As you walk the cobblestoned streets past centuries of architectural styles, you feel like you’ve stepped into a fairytale. At the same time, Munich thrives as a major center of business, medicine, engineering, and education.

No wonder people call Munich the “city of laptops and lederhosen.” There are tons of things to do, see, learn, eat, and drink among the gorgeous red roofs of this Bavarian metropolis. Read on for the top ten Munich attractions.

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Driving Ireland’s Ring of Kerry: Maps and Complete Guide

The picturesque Ring of Kerry is a looping road on the west coast of Ireland. It meanders along the coast of County Kerry, a pristine area famous for its awe-inspiring natural beauty.

Locals and travelers alike flock to the Ring of Kerry for sweeping views of mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and the North Atlantic. Along the way, you’ll see castles, abbey ruins, and stones circles dating as far back as 2,200 BC! That’s a whole lot of human history.

I can confidently say that the Ring of Kerry was the most breathtaking road I’ve ever driven on in my life. To help you have the same memorable experience, I’ve compiled all the stops of interest along the Ring, along with maps to help you navigate.

Read on for your complete guide to Ireland’s unforgettable Ring of Kerry!

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Everything You Need to Know to Visit the Temples of Bagan

For grandeur, size, and the feeling that you’re Indiana Jones, it’s hard to compete with the temples of Bagan in central Myanmar. This massive expanse of thousands of temples (estimates range from 2,000 to over 4,000) dot the landscape in various stages of dilapidation and restoration.

UPDATE: Myanmar is currently under a Level 4 Travel Advisory from the US Department of State. Traveling there is not recommended due to civil unrest, armed conflict, and arbitrary enforcement of local laws.

Built by a series of kings between 1057 and 1287, Bagan is one of an increasingly rare breed: a world-class attraction that hasn’t yet been discovered by the masses. Bagan’s popularity is increasing, but much of the information about it has not kept pace, and that can make it difficult for travelers trying to plan a trip to this site.

Bagan offers a range of unique experiences. While here you can:

  • Watch the sunrise from the top of Shwesandaw Pagoda
  • Cool off with a glass of fresh tamarind juice in a cafe overlooking the Irrawaddy River
  • Discover gold-plated Buddha statues hidden in temple niches
  • Survey the ruins of past kingdoms during a hot air balloon ride over the plains
  • Follow winding dirt roads around bushes and through groves of palm trees to discover tiny temples that only get a few visitors a year

This guide will walk you through each step you need to take to plan and carry out a trip to Bagan, from when to visit and how to get there to which temples to visit and what form of transportation to use.

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NYC On and Off the Beaten Path: Manhattan

NYC is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world—which makes sense as it’s also one of the biggest cities in the world. In this travel guide we’ll focus on things to do in Manhattan, the most tourist-friendly of the boroughs, with a wide range of option that will appeal to every type of traveller.

There are major sights that every NYC tourist has heard of and wants to see...but what about some of the less well-known things to do, eat, and see? In this guide I’ll provide a kind of choose-your-own adventure for things to do in Manhattan: I’ll start with the most well-known Manhattan attractions—a tourist’s “greatest hits,” if you will. Then I’ll move on to some cool things to do in NYC that aren’t quite so clogged with other tourists but are popular among locals if you’re looking for a bit more of an authentic New York flavor. Last, I’ll hit on what’s really off the beaten path for NYC: the secret places, the obscure, and the weird. This is stuff even most Manhattanites don’t know about.

Finally I’ll go over the necessary logistics of a trip to Manhattan: how to get there, how to get around, and where to stay. All the nuts and bolts. By the end of this guide you’ll be prepared for an amazing trip no matter your desired level of adventure, whether it’s for two days or two weeks!

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What to Do in Budapest: 11 Top Attractions

One of the rising stars in European tourism, Budapest’s charms and sights are gaining popularity worldwide. Gone are the days when the Hungarian capital was widely thought of as a drab administrative city, filled only with aging Communist-era buildings. These days, Budapest tourism is rapidly growing and savvy visitors know that it's one of Europe’s great cities with diverse architecture, unique cultural experiences, and some of the most inventive nightlife on the continent.

Are you wondering what to do in Budapest? Follow this guide to immerse yourself in Budapest’s history, traditions, and culture. By visiting the Budapest attractions listed below, you’ll find yourself relaxing in opulent thermal baths, paying your respects at moving WWII memorials, admiring the largest Parliament in Europe, and drinking a new cocktail in the gardens of a formerly abandoned warehouse.

This list of 11 things to do in Budapest is organized into four groups, based on the location of the sites: Castle Hill, City Park, Parliament and Around, and Central Pest. This organization lets you visit sites near each other, instead of spending your trip running from one end of town to the other. Many people choose to stay in downtown Pest because it has the most accommodation options, but Budapest has a great subway system to help you get from one area to another. You can buy individual subway tickets, day passes, or multi-day passes. I'd recommend that you spend at least a half-day to a full day in each area, and, if you choose to stay longer, you’ll find Budapest has enough activities to fill any itinerary.

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What to See at the 10 Best London Museums

London has many attractions, but almost all visitors to the city will carve out time for its world-class museums. Many of London’s museums, spanning history, art, science, and more, contain some of the largest collections in their field, as well as many historical and priceless pieces. Other museums are smaller and more intimate, showing individual stories of Londoners through the ages.

This guide explores the ten best museums in London. It’s organized into history museums, art museums, as well as off-the-beaten-track museums. In addition to describing the museum’s collections and standout pieces, the descriptions include each museum’s hours, costs (most of the museums on this list are free!), and the closest tube station to help you get around.

London truly has a museum for all types, and this list contains museums that will appeal to history buffs, art aficionados, science geeks, garden lovers, and more.

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Exciting Chiang Mai Attractions: Top 20 Things to See and Do

Chiang Mai, the ancient city in northern Thailand, is lovingly referred to as the Rose of the North. Founded in 1296, Chiang Mai has over 300 Buddhist temples shining within and around its city walls. The modern city grew up beside these golden shrines and crumbling monasteries, creating the beautiful, laid-back city that’s a favorite among travelers and expats today.

I was fortunate enough to spend a month in Chiang Mai, and I’ve never felt such a sense of cultural fascination, well-being, or quality of life for the cost of living. When friends ask me for recommendations about Thailand, I have one that trumps all the rest.

Go to Chiang Mai, I tell them. You’ll love it.

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Life-Changing Things to Do in Puerto Rico: Top 10 List

Puerto Rico tops my list of favorite Caribbean destinations. Not only does it have beautiful beaches and sunshine, but it’s also full of fascinating history, art, and architecture. Combine all this with great food and the chance to practice Spanish, and you’ve got a place that appeals to any traveler.

Did I mention that U.S. travelers don’t need to bring a passport or exchange money? You can forego the usual hassles of leaving the mainland while still getting an incredible international experience. If you’re planning your trip or just curious about the “Island of Enchantment,” read on for 10 unforgettable things to do in Puerto Rico!

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Exploring Prague: 15 Top Things to Do and See

I didn’t have a specific reason to study abroad in Prague. I wasn’t studying Czech literature or language, and I didn’t have any ancestral connection to the city. One thing made me pack my bags and move to the Czech Republic: pictures of Prague, which revealed the most beautiful place I’d ever seen.

Prague is inarguably one of the most picturesque and best-preserved cities in Europe. Founded in the late 9th century, it still has medieval lanes and architecture, along with a mix of art and architecture that span the centuries.

As I suspected, Prague turned out to be a place of pure aesthetic bliss. During my four months there, my understanding deepened as I encountered darker parts of Prague's history, from the old Jewish ghetto to scars of the Holocaust and the Communist occupation from 1948 to 1989.

Prague is a complex place, and there’s a ton to see, do, and learn within its maze of cobblestoned streets. This guide will tell you the top 15 things to do and see when you visit Prague to get a full sense of the Czech capital in its past and present.

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The 13 Best Places to Visit in Paris

You only need a glimpse to know what they are: the barest outline of the Eiffel Tower or a few flying buttresses of Notre Dame are usually enough to identify the most famous Paris attractions. Located in one of the best known and most visited cities in the world, Paris’ top sites are, in fact, so popular and so heavily visited that touring the city can sometimes feel like pushing through a sea of tourists as you each struggle to complete the same sightseeing checklist.

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