In Central America
Romancing the Rainforest , Costa Rica
Heavenly hotels are opening in Costa Rica with the honeymooner in mind. Tucked up in the northwest corridor of Costa Rica and not far from next door Nicaragua lies perhaps what one might agree is Costa Rica's most virgin and beautiful beach , Playa Jobo. Honeymoons will love the swim out suites at the brand new deluxe Dreams Las Mareas Resort. This all inclusive resort is one of the hottest new hotels to open in this ecological paradise.
Archipelago De Bocas Del Toro, Panama
You don’t have to travel all the way to Bora Bora to experience staying at a hotel on top of the water. Just travel south to Panama and visit Bocas Del Toro and stay at Punta Caracol Hotel, which offers water standing cabins with beautiful views of the ocean.
In South America
Cuzco/Machu Picchu, Peru
If you are a couple that loves to explore the world, then the Inca Imperial City is calling your name. In one visit you will get to try Peru’s finest cuisine, be in the middle of mountains, check out the “City of the Incas” which is just a train away from Cusco and get reenergized by its beauty and history.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
This metropolitan city is the second largest in South America and has everything that encompasses love: sexy tango music, delicious food, and most importantly some of the best wines in the world. If you visit Buenos Aires also known as the South American Paris, stay at the poshAlvear Palace that is heavily influenced by the French style and décor and all the rooms have Jacuzzis where you can snuggle up with your honey!
Extracetd From Latina.com Serafin A. (2009) "Top 10 Honeymoon Destinations in Latin America & Caribbean"
If you love the Mediterranean but are tired of the crowds, it’s time to visit Croatia. While it’s gaining in popularity, peak vacation periods are not nearly as frenetic as their neighbors across the Adriatic. One of the best ways to explore the Dalmatian Coast is via cruise ship. You’ll call upon places like the city of Dubrovnik, which has been a bustling seaport since the 7th century; the island of Korcula, where you can bike, snorkel, or kayak; Split with the breathtaking Diocletian’s Palace—now a UNESCO World Heritage site—that was built in 305 AD; the fishing port of Rovinj; and the quaint island of Hvar with its beaches, lavender fields, groves of olive trees, pine forests, fruit orchards, and vineyards.
Source Fodors Travel 2018
Truths behind some of the world's great wonders
by JHENI OSMAN· 20 February 2018 lonelyplanet.com
Ever visit an incredible site in some exotic land and wonder how it was built? ... Here we reveal the ingenious engineering behind some of the world's most epic structures – and the little-known facts that lie hidden in their depths.
Taj Mahal, Agra, India
The Taj Mahal is widely considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
Legend has it that Mughal ruler Shah Jahan ordered the hands of the Taj Mahal builders to be chopped off after it was completed, to prevent them from ever building anything so beautiful again - although no written evidence supports this story. The elegance of the mausoleum can be attributed to clever engineering. To make the Taj Mahal appear perfectly straight from ground level, the architect designed the minarets to slant slightly outward, which also ensured that in the event of an earthquake they would fall away from the mausoleum's precious dome.
Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE
The Burj Khalifa is a ground-breaking feat of architecture and engineering.
This ethereal tower in the Arabian Desert cost US$1.5 billion to construct. At 828m, 2.5 times higher than the Eiffel Tower, the Burj Khalifa is the world's tallest building. To withstand high winds and earthquakes, this superscraper is designed with a 'buttressed core' – three wings set at 120 degrees to each other, anchored around a central hub. Each wing supports the others, so when the wind blows on two of the wings, the third resists the force.
Moai, Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Polynesia
The moai are one of Rapa Nui's most enduring images.
These ancient statues (among other theories) have been blamed for the demise of the Easter islanders. Transporting them on logs would have devastated forests, and without trees the soil would have washed away, causing failed harvests, famine, war and cannibalism. But satellite images of Easter Island, taken in 2005, show dirt tracks radiating from the quarry where these mysterious 10m-tall statues were carved. After attaching ropes to the head of the moai, small teams could have moved the statues by 'walking' them along.
Machu Picchu, Peru
In a spectacular location, Machu Picchu is the best-known archaeological site on the continent of South America.
Clinging to a remote ridge high in the Andes, the ancient city of Machu Picchu was built, lived in and deserted in fewer than 100 years – then lost to civilization for centuries. During construction, the Inca didn't use wheels to transport the blocks. Instead it's thought they hauled them up the slopes by hand, as protrusions have been found on a few stones (suggesting grips for workers' hands). Ingenious engineering solutions were used to counteract earthquakes: L-shaped blocks anchored corners together, doors and windows tilted inward, and no mortar was used between stones so that, if shaken, they could move and resettle without collapsing.
Khazneh, Petra, Jordan
The treasury (Khazneh) is one of Petra's most impressive sights.
Immortalized in films like Indiana Jones, the 2000-year-old Khazneh was the jewel of the ancient city of Petra. A nearby unfinished tomb suggests the Khazneh was probably carved from top down. So the holes running up either side of the façade are misleading – they were probably created later by vandals to use as footholes to deface sculptures.
Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt
The Great Pyramid of Giza remained the world's tallest building for 4000 years.
The goliath Great Pyramid of Giza, the sole survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was the tallest construction in the world until the Eiffel Tower was built in 1889. It was built to hold just three burial chambers, but required a workforce of around 30,000. Intriguingly, analyses of the living arrangements, bread-making technology, animal remains and ancient graffiti suggest the workers were not slaves as previously thought, but skilled laborers.