Romania

Kutrubes Travel planned an exquisitely complicated tour for me through “eastern” Europe, and I started out in Romania.

The capital of Romania is Bucharest and the country has about 20 million citizens. The official language is Romanian. Christian denominations are the primary religions, with the dominant religion being Eastern Orthodox.  

A wonderful place to visit in Romania is Libearty Bear Sanctuary Zarnesti in Brasov. This is not a zoo; it is a bear rehabilitation center to help declining bear populations, especially brown bears which are virtually extinct in many parts of Europe. Travelers who love outdoor challenges will also enjoy Parc Aventura Brasov, an adventure park filled with fun challenges for navigating the forest area.

Also worth a visit is Peles Castle in Sinaia, a magnificent castle where the rooms are styled differently with architecture and furnishings influenced by other countries in Europe and the Middle East. On busy days there can be a long wait, but once inside the views are gorgeous.

This is a country that I definitely want to return to visit the fantastic castles!

Austria

Have been to Austria and Vienna several times, once with my father while on a GATE 1 tour of Poland, Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary in 1997, and with my MBA classmates. We visited the Hofburg Palace, Schonbrunn Palace, and St. Stephens Cathedral. Also, went to...

Marshall Islands

The world travelers ahead of me said that the Marshall Islands were a dump, however, I loved my time here in 2016. I arrived and took a $5 taxi ride from the airport to the center of downtown Majuro. From end-to-end Majuro is 35 miles long and on average is about 100...

Vanuatu

Not my favorite destination in the Pacific, although I likely might’ve felt otherwise had the weather cooperated and I had been able to get to the rim of the famed Tanna Volcano, on which you can feel it rumbling with molten lava spitting from its cone. While it...