Travel that's out of this world

Sunday Star Times

Top ten places to steal a kiss
IT'S ALL in the lips - pucker up for everything from passion to chocolate.

Paris, France

Our "pecking order" would be incomplete without the City of Lights and Love. Heck, we could come up with a completely separate list just featuring places to pucker up in Paris. Without besmirching the other classic places to be smooching, our favourite spot is Pere Lachaise Cemetery, the final resting place of some of the most passionate people that ever lived. Steal a kiss at the apocryphal tombs of lovelorn Abelard and Heloise, and don't forget to visit Oscar Wilde's burial place to add your mark to the mosaic of fading lipstick ovals left by other admirers.

Blarney, Ireland

All those who seek the gift of the gab flock to Blarney Castle, near Cork, to get intimate with a celebrated chunk of bluestone. No one is quite certain how the tradition began but, according to legend, those who give the rock some lovin' will be rewarded with uncanny eloquence and the ability to flatter even the surliest characters. It's not that simple. To kiss the stone, visitors must lie on their back, arch their head back into a deep crevice, and kiss the stone upside-down while gripping two iron railings.

Kissimmee, Florida, USA

The home of Walt Disney World announces its smoochability via its name. Kissimmee attracts millions of tourists looking to re-enact an assortment of magical fables involving valiant princes waking their sleeping beauties with a delicate embrace, or would-be princesses planting kisses on a warty toad hoping he'll transform into their lover. Cinderella's castle, the hallmark of the Disney brand, sits at the centre of the park this rambling fortress of twisting turrets is the perfect place for a fairytale kiss.

Kissing, Germany

Kissing is a quaint Bavarian hamlet decked with steeples and spires. The origin of this delightful moniker remains a mystery, although history first mentions the village in 1050, when it was a minor capital of the region called Chissingin.

New York City, USA

From 1892 to 1954 Ellis Island was the US's main entry point for immigrants. During its prime, the checkpoint employees dubbed a baluster "the kissing post", as it was here that freshly minted Americans would reunite with their estranged families.

Kiribati

Kiribati's 33 isles are in the cerulean waters of the South Pacific, just west of the international dateline, making it the first place in the world to welcome the new day.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Antonio Carlos Jobim, a native of Rio, wrote the sultry "The Girl from Ipanema", which perfectly captures the longing for a beachside romance under the tropical sun.

Venice, Italy

The charming canals of Venice have been synonymous with romance since long before Shakespeare's plays and the Renaissance.

Hershey, USA

This quiet township is home to the Hershey's factory, which produces the infamous Hershey's Kisses.

Casablanca, Morocco

"Kiss me, kiss me as if it were the last time," was just one of Ingrid Bergman's indelible phrases that catapulted the movie Casablanca to cult status, and forever gave the Moroccan metropolis a certain je ne sais quoi.

 

Best places to have a mid-life crisis
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Shaken, not stirred - Monte Carlo

Dust off your tuxedo and brush up on the slick one-liners as you join the jetset, Bond-style, in Monte Carlo. The beautiful people out-glamour each other from their million euro yachts moored along the harbour, as international businessmen monitor their investments from this secure tax haven. Visitors to the casino glint with gold, like the sun on the Med. The Monte Carlo Rally in January and Monaco Grand Prix in May offer adrenalin-fuelled breaks from spending cash.

Gamble away your kids' inheritance - Macau

Cashing in the pension fund and remortgaging the house might just be enough to get you in the door of Crown Casino, Taipa Island, Macau. Boasting six stars and more than 200 gaming tables, the casino's not shy about the number of noughts involved. For those with pockets smaller than China, there are another 27 casinos to choose from. These include the grandly decked-out Emperor Palace Casino on the peninsula featuring stacks of marble and as much gold on the brick floor as on the punters or the famous, lively Casino Lisboa.

Adventure, beating baddies and getting the girl - Petra

Petra, setting for much of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, looks like it should only exist in films. A narrow canyon winds to its iconic entrance, carved from deep rose-coloured sandstone. As you enter, you're greeted by the intricate facade of the famous Khazneh ("treasury"), fictional home of the Holy Grail. The site contains plenty more to explore, including the Temple of the Winged Lions, still in the process of being excavated.

Today the only hazards are bumping shoulders with the other 3000 visitors; poisoned arrows, rolling balls of rock and snake pits are usually avoidable.

A blingtastic new look - Dubai

Fashion is serious business in this shopping-mall heaven, and flashy togs can be bought in designer-handbags' full.

Say "Om" - Rishikesh

The Beatles' favourite centre of Hindu philosophy and learning, and nicknamed yoga capital of the world.

Say "I do", not "Who are you?" - Las Vegas

The Little White Wedding Chapel is open 24 hours, so when your eyes meet over a crowded poker table, there's no need to bother waiting before tying the knot.

Time for a nip and tuck

The attraction of cheap prices coupled with recuperating in the sun is making surgery in Phuket, Kuala Lumpur or Manila increasingly popular.

Round the bend - Silverstone

Crowds have watched heroes such as Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Jackie Stewart hurtle around the legendary Silverstone track, home of the British FormulaOne Grand Prix, since the 1950s, and you can recreate it with a power test drive.

Jaws indoors - Sydney and Melbourne

Diving with sharks. For those with no diving experience, tank dives in Melbourne's aquarium and Sydney's oceanarium give the opportunity to watch these predators glide past soundlessly, eyeing you up as a potential meal.

Get your kicks - Route 66

Search for freedom on the open road with a road trip across one of America's most famous highways.

 

Best big trips
CITY SLICKER? Rugged mountain trekker? Train traveller? There's no limit - not even the sky - when it comes to making that journey of a lifetime.

The Silk Road

Some explorers earned celebrity far beyond the journeys they made. Step forward Marco Polo, whose record of the Silk Road propelled him to adventuring superstardom. His father and brother travelled the overland route from Europe to Asia before him, but it was Marco's 17 years' service to Kublai Khan that gilded his inspiring tales. Modern-day pilgrims still follow the ancient trade roads from Turkey to China. If you've a few spare months, take the train from Istanbul to Tehran and then on to Ashgabat, Tashkent and Almaty before arriving at ancient Xi'an.

London to Cape Town

Take a Land Rover, six months' supplies and a passport. Mix with the spirit of adventure for a classic overland journey. Heading south from London, take the western route to hit as many countries as possible. Political sensitivities allowing, this will lead you through Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Congo, Angola, Namibia and, finally, South Africa. As the crow flies it's 9681km; by road it's as long as you want.

Vancouver to Halifax

The world's finest single-country journey takes in more than 6000km of Canada's natural splendour. Plan your route in Vancouver's hip cafes before taking the train to Jasper, in the Rockies. Pick up a car and drive the stunning Icefields Parkway to Banff, then south to Dinosaur Provincial Park the scorched badlands hide the bones of prehistoric monsters. Arrive in Edmonton by Greyhound, then back on the train to travel east. Montreal's vibrant nightlife awaits, with gentle Nova Scotia beyond. Drive the coastal Cabot Trail before winding down in the pubs of Halifax.

Follow the Andes

Looking for an epic mountain journey? Then how about the 7000km range that comprises the Andes?

Moscow to the Kamchatka Peninsula

The volcanoes and geysers of the Kamchatka Peninsula are an awesome attraction of Russia's far east.

Singapore to Beijing

Singapore's shiny, westernised skyscrapers might not seem like the obvious place to begin an adventure, but the overland route to Beijing takes in some of South-East Asia's top attractions.

Explore Central America

Few places in the world offer the diverse culture, nature and wildlife of Central America.

Interrail Europe

With a bit of planning it's possible to travel from northern Scotland to southern Turkey, covering all the points between.

Norwegian coastal voyage

The fabulous slow boat from Bergen to Kirkenes wows travellers with the most stunning vistas of Norway's majestic coast.

Outer space

For the tourist who's been everywhere and got all the T-shirts, a $12.5 million space flight could be the final frontier.

* Edited extracts from Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2009. Lonely Planet Publications, 2008. $49.99.

We have 10 copies of Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2009 to give away. Email escape@star-times.co.nz with Lonely Planet in the subject line by Friday, November 7.