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.

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.

From website: About Ireland

What separates Ireland from its neighbours is the arresting beauty of the land, the turbulent history of the island, the broad smile that welcomes your arrival and the heartfelt farewell that signals your departure...click for website

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.

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.

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."

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 May 2005
Hunting her heritage along the coast of the Emerald Isle, Maura Henninger says Happy Mother's Day in a Bentley Continental GT

I was raised by a very Irish mother who had never been to Ireland. She has the Irish puss, as she calls it, which I've inherited: the pale skin, the round cheeks, and the twinkling green eyes. She occasionally breaks into song, belting out one of her mother's favorite Irish tunes in a faux brogue. She went to Catholic school from grammar school through college, and all of her friends from those days seem to be named Mary, which is also her name. When my mom was my age, she drove her parents from Rome to Paris through the Swiss Alps, a treacherous journey that I still hear about. I believe that was when she truly became an adult in their eyes. ... click for full article

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published July 2005
Once a luxury reserved for the privileged few, private islands are going mainstream. From the St Lawrence River to the South China Sea, here's how to find an archipelago (or at least a cay) to call your own

From the vantage of a five-seat Piper Aztec, the white sand outlining Hog Cay appears to glow in the Atlantic shallows. Covered by tightly woven mangroves, the island looks like an untouched nature preserve floating in a pool of pale blue. But as the pilot swoops low-and so close to an airy six-bedroom house that I can see a teakettle on the stoveit's clear that this is no desert isle. In fact, Hog Cay, at the northern tip of the Exuma chain in the Bahamas, is perfectly habitable, and for sale: For $19.3 million, you can have the sprawling house and the surrounding 681 wild acres all to yourself. ... click for full article

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published July 2005
Contemplating committing yourself-and your money-to island ownership? Sample the solitary life first by renting one of these

Indigo Island, Bahamas
Surrounded by several uninhabited islands in the Exuma chain, Indigo can accommodate up to 12 guests in its four luxe villas. The two hilltop pavilions are decorated in vibrant colors and with exotic artifacts, the Beach House sits on its own private cove, and the more formal Indigo House is filled with Indian and African antiques and features floor-to-ceiling windows. There's also a tennis court, a media room, and a marina stocked with equipment for every imaginable water sport. ... 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 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. ... click for full article

Virtual Tourist has user reviews on topics such as Hotels, Things To Do, Restaurants, Local Customs, Nightlife, Off the Beaten Path, Tourist Traps, Transportation, ... etc.

Destination Dublin
Fionn Davenport blows the cream off the top of his Guinness as he takes us on a tour of Dublin - and it all starts with a pint at Kehoe's.

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published April 2006
What better way to celebrate "Ulysses" and the genius of James Joyce than with a party. And what better day than June 16, when the novel takes place. And who better to lend his name to the festivities than the book's protagonist, Leopold Bloom. Edward Sorel joins the jamboree and captures the spirit of Bloomsday in his own inimitable words and drawings ... click for full article

From Conde Nast Traveler
My girlfriend and I managed to clinch tickets to a U2 concert in Dublin, and we'd like to stay at a hotel that we heard is owned by members of the band. Do you know what it's called, and is it centrally located and hip?
Peter Yang
New york, New York ... click for full article