10 places of myth and legend

Even though we can get to the other side of the world in less than a day, there are still places that resist becoming everyday. Over the centuries they have accumulated tall stories like Manhattan accumulates tall buildings. So pack your compass, reading glasses and imagination for a journey to sites of myth and legend. Here are ten places that are caught in the imagination more tightly than on any map.

Zanzibar, Tanzania

40 free things to do in New York City Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/new-york-city/travel-tips-and-articles/76493#ixzz2OezaQJzJ

Seeing the bulk of New York City’s biggest attractions can mean spending a hefty chunk of a trip’s budget on tickets. Empire State Building? $23. The Met? $25. The Guggenheim and the Whitney go for $18 and $12, respectively. Even the Frick is $18. But there’s a lifetime of fun to be had without ever handing over a cent, and not just by taking on park trails, bike paths or window browsing. (Plus some ticket-admission spots have free times too – see the end of the post.)

The best travel apps

 

Smartphones have been to the Noughties what the internet was to the Nineties – nothing short of revolutionary. If you don't already have one, you soon will. And with a smartphone comes its innovative add-ons – apps, or applications.

Ten billion apps have been downloaded in the past three years. There are 17,000 travel apps on the market, and 160 million app-compatible devices are owned worldwide – iPhones, Androids, BlackBerrys and tablet devices such as the iPad.

Best in Travel 2013 - Top 10 countries

1. Sri Lanka

Cut-price paradise back on the map
Best for: Culture, off the beaten track, value for money

Battered tragically by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and wracked by civil war from 1983 to 2009, many areas of the country have remained off limits to even the most intrepid traveller. Now the bitter conflict is over, investment is fuelling the tourism industry, and visitor numbers are steadily increasing. Prices are affordable, and with low-cost flights from the convenient travel hub of Bangkok, Sri Lanka is emerging as one of the planet’s best-value destinations.

The world’s best aphrodisiacs and where to try them

What better way to start married life than a trip to tantalise the tastebuds and, perhaps, stir a few other parts of your anatomy? From creamy avocados in California to bitter chocolate in Belize and nutty ants in Colombia, here’s our rundown of where and when to try the world’s best aphrodisiacs.

Oysters

• Best place to try them: Prince Edward Island, Canada
• Best time of year to eat them: Prince Edward Island oysters taste strongest during the summer months of July and August