gtrekker

The BBC Profiles provide an economic, historical, and political overview, with a section on current leaders. The Profiles also list the media outlets, which include television and radio stations and the press.

National Geographic's People and Places feature provides a short overview of the destination and include a Features section with related articles, photos, and videos, depending on the destination.

Travel + Leisure Magazine's guide to the greatest hotels worldwide as selected by its team of reporters and editors.

Weatherbase provides historical weather information such as "average number of day above 90," "average number of days with thunderstorms," and other similar types of data.

From website: Let's go archipelago
The name Indonesia has its roots in two Greek words: "Indos" meaning Indian and "Nesos" which means islands. It is an appropriate description of the archipelago as there are estimated to be a total of 17,508 islands, of which only about 6,000 are inhabited, stretching for 5,150 km between the Australian and Asian continental mainlands and dividing the Pacific and Indian Oceans at the Equator...click for website

Up-to-date information provided by the State Department on matters such as passport and visa requirements, safety and security, crime, health and medical issues, any areas of instability, and the location of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. It also links to Travel Warnings for that country, if there is one.

Frommer's Forums are divided into countries, and all the messages relating to a country are presented in a list that makes it easy to browse through the topics.

Review site with hotel reviews and candid photos posted by users.

Asiarooms.com Travel Guides provide information on topics such as Culture, Tourist Attractions, Festivals, Things to do, How to get in, and Where to Eat.

Concierge.com destinations guides include information on getting there, getting around, lodging, places to eat, see and do, ... etc. Although Concierge.com may not have as many hotel recommendations as some guide books, they provide hotel photos along with the recommendations. The destinations guides also have links to articles about the destination published by Concierge.com or Conde Nast Traveler.

USA Today's Country Guides have information on topics such as Money, Health, Accommodations, Entertainment, Top Things To Do and See, Getting There, Getting Around, Climate, and Map. You can also select the topics you are interested in and create a mini guide that puts all the information on one page for easy reading.

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published August 2007
Cruise ships may ply the same waters, but don't assume that all itineraries are created equal. Here, our top picks in ten popular spots around the world-and why we think they're the best. ... click for full article

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published January 2006
A prognosticating peek at travel's new world order
Urban: Heat Seeking
Where will travel's cool kids be heading next? Read on

Manhattanites fleeing the steep rents downtown have been rehabbing Harlem's gritty reputation. New developments are reaching critical mass, cementing the neighborhood's status as the one to check out. Ginger, an organic Chinese restaurant from the owner of the East Village spot Butter, is just unveiling in Harlem's first "green" building (1400 Fifth Ave.; 212-423-1111; entrees, $8-$19). Carol's Daughter, a bath and beauty emporium, launched in late 2005, with an opening that attracted Jay Z and Jada Pinkett Smith (24 W. 125th St.; 212-828-6757). Hotels are coming too: A Courtyard Marriott debuts in late 2006, and Starwood is said to be looking near the Apollo Theater for a W Hotel site. ... click for full article

Frommer's has put a substantial amount of content online, making Frommers.com a good resource for travel planning. The site is easy to navigate since all the destinations are organized by similar topics such as "Getting There," "Restaurants," and "Suggested Itineraries."

IGoUGo is a travel review site. The reviews are organized into "journals," which are a collection of reviews by an author about a trip, such as reviews on hotels, restaurants, nightlife, experiences, photos, ... etc.

Destination Bali
Author Ryan Ver Berkmoes tells us why Bali is still Bali, despite the recent bombings. It's just a smile away.

Published October 2002
With baskets of fruit as their offerings to the gods, Balinese women walk in a stately processional to the Hindu temple in Ubud....click to view photos

From Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet author Ryan Ver Berkmoes surveys the damage both physical and mental - of the recent bomb blasts in Bali....click for full article

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published December 2005
You can delve deeper into an unfamiliar culture when you are able to gain access to places, events, and people that are normally off-limits. Below are 50 examples of such extraordinary opportunities worldwide, ranging in price from $80 to $30,000. This list is not exhaustive: The very act of publicizing some rare opportunities offered by the most well-connected travel firms would burn the bridges that make them possible. Furthermore, many of the options described on these pages include special features that we are forbidden to divulge but that will surely enrich your trip. Because of the nature of such experiences, they are of course subject to change and even cancellations. Most cannot be booked a la carte but only as part of a larger itinerary. (Note that prices quoted are estimates for two people.) ... click for full article

October 2006
Lotus Villa, The Oberoi, Seminyak, Bali; 62-361-73-0361; oberoibali.com. There are 75 rooms and villas; doubles start at $270, villas at $415. The Lotus Villa is $515.

Propped up on your chaise longue next to your 600-square-foot private pool, you can easily cocoon yourself in these Edenic surroundings, even though the heart of Seminyak, Bali's trendiest beach town, is just beyond your thatched-roof accommodations and the high stone walls. Before it became a hotel in 1978, this 15-acre beachfront property was the exclusive club Kayu Aya, a smattering of bungalows that sheltered the glitterati. As the island upped its glamour quotient, The Oberoi followed suit (poolside massage, anyone?). However, the resort's raison d'etre-R and R-needed no improvement. ... click for full article

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published July 2007
Islands and beaches. Both promise pleasure, escape, beauty. Combined, they create that most elusive destination-paradise. After twenty years of global reporting, we present the thirty best island beaches in the world today. Sheltered by reefs or pounded by surf, edged by lagoons or on the brink of the deep, they range from remote alabaster arcs to hip-and-handy sandbox playpens. And they deliver on every desire. Pick your paradise ... click for full article

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published August 2007
Unrivaled access, special connections, destination savvy-these are just some of the tools each of these uber-agents can deploy to bring the most to your next big trip. In parsing the day-to-day events of an actual itinerary, Consumer News Editor Wendy Perrin demonstrates how the intuitive maneuvers of a great travel planner can turn any journey into a smoothly orchestrated, magical experience. ... click for full article

From Lonely Planet
I recently subjected myself to seven days of stretching and sweating at a yoga retreat on Bali's Bukit Peninsula....click for full article

From Lonely Planet
There may not have been any bona fide A-listers at the recent Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest), but that didn't matter....click for full article