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5. What's your Florida Keys I.Q.? What famed Hollywood boat can be found in Key Largo? What was the Theater of the Sea used as before it became a marine mammal facility in 1946? Islamorada is known as the world capital of what? Find out the answers to these questions by taking our Florida Keys Quiz here, and check out a driving tour of the Keys here.
1. Start with Family and Friends
2. Photographing Kids
3. Shooting Strangers on the Sly
4. Capturing People on the Job
5. Make the Most of Festivals
6. Approaching Strangers
7. Couples Add Warmth
For a limited time, get $5 off when you buy National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Travel Photography by Scott Stuckey.
"In the summer of 1958 the young King Feisal of Iraq was assassinated, leaving his contemporary and close relative King Hussein of Jordan isolated upon his own threatened throne. I was in Jordan when, a few days later, Hussein made a public declaration about the tragedy. His face was lined and tired, and moisture glistened in the corners of his eyes. Ministers, officials, officers and security guards were grouped behind his chair. Clearing his throat huskily, the King said slowly: 'I have now had confirmation of the murder of my cousin, brother and childhood playmate, King Feisal of Iraq, and all his royal family.' …And raising his head from his notes, Hussein added in his strange formal English: 'They are only the last in a caravan of martyrs.'"—Jan Morris, from the book Contact! A Book of Encounters, highlighted in the latest Trip Lit column.
Read Don George's complete book review of Contact! A Book of Encounters here.

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Enjoy Authentic and Enriching Experiences Around the GlobeInterContinental Hotels & Resorts are located in more than 60 countries with local insight that comes from over 60 years' experience. Discover cultural highlights with the help of insider tips from our expert concierge team, or explore what makes each location unique through our exclusive Insider Experiences. Discover Switzerland by TrainSwitzerland is home to one of the most comprehensive public transportation networks in the world—affordable, easy to use, and spectacularly scenic. Discover it for yourself with this 8- or 15-day itinerary. Missouri. Close to home. Far from ordinary. Camping or biking? Museums or nightlife? Winery tour or river float? No matter what you're into, you'll find it inside the new 2010 Missouri Travel Guide. And it's absolutely free.Hawaii - Private Bungalow only $245 Kona Village listed as one of the top ten places to stay by National Geographic. Experience authentic Hawaii on the Big Island!
Christoph Waltz was born in Vienna, Austria, to set designers Johannes Waltz and Elisabeth Urbancic. His grandparents were also actors, and his great-grandparents worked in the theatre. He studied acting at the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York. He started as a stage actor, playing at venues like Zurich's Schauspielhaus Zürich, Vienna's Burgtheater, or the Salzburg Festival. He became a prolific actor on television. In 2000 he directed his first film, the TV production Wenn man sich traut. In Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, Waltz portrayed Standartenführer Hans Landa aka "The Jew Hunter". For this role, he received the Best Actor Award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and has received acclaim for the performance from critics and the public. Tarantino acknowledged the importance of Waltz to his film by stating: "I think that Landa is one of the best characters I've ever written and ever will write, and Christoph played it to a tee… It's true that if I couldn't have found someone as good as Christoph I might not have made Inglourious Basterds.Waltz is fluent in German, French and English and speaks all three languages in Inglourious Basterds. Though he also spoke Italian in "Inglourious Basterds" he stated on the Adam Carolla Podcast that he does not actually speak Italian. He is divorced and has four children. He currently lives in London.

LUMBANI TEMPLE






Budget accommodation in Nepal ranges from around 250 NPR to around 750 NPR for a double. Cheaper rooms usually do not have sheets, blankets, towels, or anything else besides a bed and a door.
BARDIYA: A pressure cooker bomb was found on the premises of District Land Reforms Office on Saturday morning. Locals coming out for a morning walk had spotted the bomb at the office gate. According to police, they had cordoned off the area after information. Inspector Prakash Sapkota said a bomb disposal team of the Armed Police Force reached the spot four hours later.

AFP

Police in central China have encircled a remote hilltop where a gunman suspected of killing 12 people, including his father, was believed to be hiding, state media said.

AFP

BEIJING: Police in central China encircled Sunday a remote hilltop where a gunman suspected of killing 12 people, including his father, was believed to be hiding, state media said.

Special police and paramilitary troops have cornered suspect Liu Aibing, 34, on the hilltop in Hunan province and are closing in on him, the Hunan government news website Hongwang reported.

Liu is suspected of shooting 12 people dead with a hunting rifle and seriously wounding two others on Saturday in Yinshanpai village, the report said.

Six wooden homes were also torched in the rampage, it said.

Earlier, Xinhua news agency said 11 people were killed and five homes were destroyed by fire.

The killings occurred early Saturday evening, Xinhua said.

Liu, a migrant worker, had recently returned from southern China's Guangdong province where he had sought employment, the Hongwang report said. He has a history of mental illness, it added.

Among the dead were Liu's father and several close relatives, it said.

The Hunan killings are the latest family-related murders in China in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, police in southwest China captured a man suspected of murdering his parents and four other relatives after he escaped from a mental hospital in Yunnan province.

In late November, police in the southern Hainan province captured a man suspected of hacking to death his parents, wife, sons and sister in Beijing.

THT

Tika Bista

Himalayan News Service

RUKUM: Police arrested 11 cadres of the UCPN-Maoist on Saturday for their suspected hand in the assault on journalist Tika Bista. Udayaraj Upreti, officiating head of DPO, said those arrested were the members of YCL and ANNISU-R. They include YCL district member Suresh KC and ANNISU-R district member Keshav Rawal. The police have not disclosed the names of other suspects. Bista has been undergoing treatment in Kathmandu Model Hospital. According to the doctors, she is recovering gradually. A team of the Federation of Nepali Journalists is in Rukum to probe into the incident.

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The members of third gender participate in a rally organised by Student Awareness Front Parsa to mark the International AIDS Day in Birgunj on Tuesday, December 01, 2009.Ram Sarraf/THT
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The exhibit "Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China's First Emperor" just opened at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., and Traveler staffer Meg Weaver got a sneak peak at the legendary warriors. The exhibit includes over a dozen of the warriors, as well as 100 other objects like decorative jade pieces, bronze weapons, coins, and much more. To read Meg's full review of the exhibit.


PHOTO GALLERY

2. See Historic Shanghai

Offering old culture in the midst of shimmering modernity, the Buddhist Jing'an Temple has stood on West Nanjing Road since the 13th century. Still relevant to locals and fascinating to visitors, the temple draws a lively mix of devotees and tourists to its expansive courtyard. For more Shanghai photos from Justin Guariglia.


INSIDERS MAPS

3. Explore the Forbidden City

In Beijing's historic city center, it is against the law to erect anything higher than three stories. The rule harks back to imperial times, when no structure was permitted to be taller than the Drum Tower, whose drums marked the hours of the emperor's day. Check out our interactive Insiders Map of the Forbidden City.


SHOPPING GUIDE

4. The Art of Chinese Silk

Silk-making traces its roots to prehistoric China. For many centuries the Chinese closely guarded the secrets of their laborious craft. As China's main currency, silk was used to pay taxes, fines, and wages, and even to buy public office. Silk ceremonies played an important role in imperial culture. A host of Buddhist deities associated with silk and silk-making received offerings at special altars reserved for them. The Silk Road—a well-trodden system of ancient trade routes, many over treacherous terrain—brought silk to Westerners hungry for these exotic luxuries. Many observers consider silk to be one of China's greatest contributions to world civilization. To learn more, check out Laura Morelli's Genuine Article on the Ancient Art of Chinese Silk.


PLACES OF A LIFETIME

5. Visit Modern Hong Kong

"A frantic, hurly-burly mixture of capitalism and exoticism, Hong Kong has been called the 'most thrilling city on the planet,'" writes Jan Morris in our Places of a Lifetime guide to this Chinese metropolis. Traveler's online guide is filled with information on the best places to stay, eat, and see, and includes recipes, music, and more. For the complete guide,

Day 1
Place & Transport
Arrive in Beijing
Today’s Activities
CTO guide will meet you at Beijing airport and transfer you to the 5 star hotel we booked for you. The rest of today is free for you.
Meals
None
Accommodation
Prime Hotel, Beijing
Day 2
Place & Transport
Beijing
Today’s Activities
Pick you up at the hotel. Start to explore the capital city by visiting Tiananmen Square. Getting through the Tiananmen Gate Tower to see the splendid Forbidden City which presents more than 500 years history. After lunch, drive to Temple of Heaven, a site for ancient emperors worshipped and prayed for good harvest. Enjoy Beijing Roast Duck as dinner before appreciating the fascinating Peking Opera in the VIP zone at Liyuan Theatre.
Attractions
Forbidden City Temple of Heaven Tiananmen Square
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner(Peking Duck Banquet)
Accommodation
Prime Hotel, Beijing
Day 3
Place & Transport
Beijing
Today’s Activities
Discover the magnificent sights and stunning views of Great Wall by strolling along the well-preserved Badaling Great Wall. Enjoy CTO special lunch arrangement in a featured local style restaurant. Head towards the imperial Ming Tombs through Sacred Way in the afternoon.
Attractions
Badaling Great Wall Ming Tombs Sacred Way
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Prime Hotel, Beijing
Day 4
Place & Transport
Beijing-Xian
Today’s Activities
Visit Summer Palace, the imperial garden of Qing Dynasty. Then experience the authentic local life style of Hutong culture by rickshaw. Transfer to the airport and take the flight to Xian. CTO local guide will meet you at the airport. A sumptuous western buffet dinner will be served in the hotel tonight.
Attractions
Summer Palace
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Grand New World Hotel, Xian
Day 5
Place & Transport
Xian
Today’s Activities
Drive to the world miracle Terra-Cotta Army to witness the fantastic project. Then back to downtown to have lunch. See Xian City Wall and the well-preserved Great Mosque, then enjoy some free time in the nearby Muslim Food Street. You will be kindly regaled with both the dinner of Dumpling Banquet and the splendid Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show at a well-decorated local restaurant.
Attractions
Great Mosque Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show Terracotta Army Xian City Wall (Xian Chengqiang)
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Dumpling Banquet)
Accommodation
Grand New World Hotel, Xian
Day 6
Place & Transport
Xian-Shanghai
Today’s Activities
Head towards Shaanxi History Museum and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the land mark of Xian. After lunch, transfer to airport and take the flight to Shanghai. CTO local guide will meet you at Shanghai airport. Today’s dinner will be served at an elegant and exquisite restaurant to try the authentic Shanghai cuisine.
Attractions
Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Dayan Ta) Shaanxi History Museum
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Lexington Plaza Mingde Shanghai
Day 7
Place & Transport
Shanghai
Today’s Activities
Visit Shanghai Museum in the morning. Head towards the classic Yuyuan Garden, and the featured Xintiandi, where you will experience the fashionable atmosphere of the metropolis but also get more idea of the unique construction in 1930s. Pay a visit to the Site of First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. Today’s dinner will be followed by the exciting Acrobatic Show.
Attractions
Shanghai Museum Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China Xintiandi Yuyuan Garden Chinese Acrobatic Show
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Lexington Plaza Mingde Shanghai
Day 8
Place & Transport
Departure from Shanghai
Today’s Activities
After breakfast, your wonderful China tour ends. Please arrange your transportation to the airport to exit China. We CTO suggest you book a taxi or airport shuttle bus service at the hotel receptionist by yourself the day before your departure since your tour service excludes the transfer from the hotel to the airport. Please note that there are two airports in Shanghai. One is Pudong International Airport (PVG) and the other is Hongqiao International Airport (SHA). Kindly pay much attention to the airport of the international ticket you reserved and make sure you get to the right one. You are welcomed to look through our China City Tours to develop your next memorable China tour.