Brazil: The State of Bahia

Published on September 29, 2015

by Colin Roohan, AFAR Ambassador When I learned I would be going to Brazil with EMBRATUR and LATAM as part of AFAR’s partnership with USTOA, I was extremely excited yet a little concerned as my knowledge of the country was limited. Almost everything I knew came from a high school friend who had emigrated from […]

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Discover Papua New Guinea

Published on September 15, 2015

Papua New Guinea is one of the last frontiers of adventure travel, providing an unparalleled array of natural beauty, exotic wildlife and cultural tradition. Join Kelley Ferro, travel expert and video journalist, as she journey’s through Papua New Guinea with USTOA tour operator Swain Destinations to discover the vibrant collection of cultural possibilities found within […]

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At the River’s Edge in Papua New Guinea

Published on September 9, 2015

by Flash Parker, AFAR Ambassador Everything changes for the traveler when he’s afforded an opportunity to become an active participant in his own getaway. Walking through museums, touring (but not touching – never touching!) sites of historic importance, or zipping around on a bus, boat, or car while the landscape whizzes past at 65mph: each […]

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TRAVEL TOGETHER MONTH…Extraordinary Deals to Extraordinary Places

Published on August 31, 2015

by Terry Dale, President and CEO, USTOA September is Travel Together Month! To celebrate the breadth of experiences offered by our tour operator members, USTOA has curated a collection of value-packed savings for travelers and special travel agent offers available throughout the month of September.  Featured on https://www.ustoa.com/travel-together-month are special prices, premium offers, bonus commissions and […]

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Papua New Guinea: Where Smiles Loom Large

Published on August 25, 2015

by Flash Parker, AFAR Ambassador A question weighed heavy on my mind as my plane circled the landing strip at Mount Hagen, somewhere over the rugged heart of Papua New Guinea, a spellbinding place where the verdant Wahgi Valley is buttressed by the towering spires of the imposing Central Cordillera. How do I live like […]

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Papua New Guinea: Exploring The Most Remote Place on Earth

Published on August 18, 2015

by Kelley Ferro Things I learned when traveling to Papua New Guinea Leave your watch at home Downtime is necessary People who travel to Papua New Guinea are just plain cool Laughter is the universal language Go with an experienced tour operator  “Wiggle, Wiggle, Wiggle, Wiggle!” shouted Lisa Greene, an attorney from Colorado. In the middle […]

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Live Like a Local in Peru

Published on August 6, 2015

From mountains to deserts, from city to sea, Peru’s diverse landscape is as rich as its culture and has had many stories to share since ancient times. Join Kelley Ferro, travel expert and video journalist as she journey’s through Peru with USTOA tour operator Travcoa. Known as a culinary capital of South America, Peru is […]

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Saxony Reborn From the Ashes of War

Published on July 17, 2015

by Adriana Yampey, AFAR Ambassador On Valentines Day 1945 British and American heavy bombers were dropping thousands of tons of high explosive bombs over Dresden, destroying 6.5 kilometers of the city center and killing an estimated 25,000 people.  It’s almost impossible to believe that such devastation took place. You would not know this when visiting […]

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Leipzig’s Art of the Future

Published on June 29, 2015

by Kelley Ferro Porsche? Nutcrackers? Harmonicas? Bach? I had no idea that Saxony, a free state in Germany, had so much going on! It wasn’t until my chat with Shireesh Sharma at the USTOA conference this past December that I realized the variety of types of art flourishing in a relatively small part of the […]

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Eating My Way Through Saxony

Published on June 23, 2015

by Adriana Yampey, AFAR Ambassador On my recent trip to Saxony, with Saxony Tourism and Avanti Destinations I was able to taste carefully prepared traditional German dishes with a Saxon twist. But beyond the great food, I loved the way many of the restaurants depict the region’s past and hold interesting stories, if you are […]

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