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Visitors climb the grand staircase to the remaining façade of São Paulo Church —

For more than four-and-a-half centuries Macau has occupied a unique position both in its geographical location at the mouth of the Pearl River in the South China Sea and as a link between Europe and China.

Founded by Portuguese in 1557, Macau was the first European colony on Chinese territory. It served not only as Europe’s gateway into China but as China’s “window” on the outside world that it had often shunned in the past.

Mixture of two cultures...

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The 12th-century Gelati Monastery near Kutaisi, Georgia, is filled with amazing
An introduction to Georgia, which separates Russia from Turkey (1 of 2)

It’s hard to believe that another year has rolled around. It’s time for a roll of the drums and a blare of the trumpets to announce this year’s “Where Were You?” game. With prizes.

First, you speed-readers, Slow Down! To be eligible, you must include your ZIP code. That’s so we can find you when it’s time to mail out the prizes.

We also check to see that each entrant is a subscriber, because we don’t want (for example) the...

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Dear Globetrotter:

Welcome to the 430th issue of your monthly foreign travel magazine, for well over 35 years providing a forum in which people can share discoveries of exciting destinations; give their candid opinions on airlines, cruise lines and travel companies; offer packing tips and, through it all, express their thoughts about travel.

The bulk of what you read in this magazine is written by ITN subscribers, travelers like you. Some are among the most traveled people on...

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Travel is best with a few rough edges. I once suffered through an all-night stint on the blistered, black vinyl floor of a Yugoslavian train in order to wake up in Sofia, Bulgaria. When I stumbled out of that station into a blue, new Bulgarian day, just being off the train made Sofia a thrilling destination.

There are still plenty of people traveling in Europe on the cheap. The one thing they have in common (apart from B.O.) is frugality. If even low-budget pensions and hostels are...

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Even though Hong Kong is one of the world’s most modern and expensive cities, there are ways to learn about the traditional Chinese culture for free or nearly free. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) offers a variety of free or nearly free programs for visitors.

When my husband, John, and I deplane in Hong Kong, we stop at one of the HKTB Visitor Centres to sign up for their programs. The visitor centers are located in Buffer Halls A and B, Arrivals Level, Terminal 1. Visitors...

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Children, too, serve as costumed docents at Kings Landing.

KINGS LANDING, New Brunswick — For over 200 years, the buildings that make up Kings Landing Historical Settlement served well those living in Canada’s St. John River Valley. There, in an area so fertile that it was quickly dubbed “little Egypt,” thousands of refugees from colonial America found a new home in the aftermath of the American Revolution.

The refugees were Loyalists, American colonists who had chosen to side with the British and King George III. At...

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Bay of Bones archaeological site on Lake Ohrid, Macedonia

by Julie Skurdenis (part 3 of 3 on Balkans)

My husband, Paul, and I had visited Lake Ohrid on a trip to Albania in 2008. We loved what we saw then. Since Lake Ohrid is shared by both Albania and Macedonia, we decided we wanted to see the Macedonian side of the lake as well on our tour of Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro arranged by Bestway Tours & Safaris.

Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest lakes on Earth, together with Baikal in Russia and Titicaca in Bolivia and Peru...

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