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Known for its large baroque church and fine restored Franciscan missionary carvings, this town, whose name means "big dog" in Guarani, is generally visited in combination with a trip to scenic Lake Ypacarai or the Cordillera (hills) region—one of the most beautiful areas in Paraguay. The 12 Stations...
Located in south-central Washington, Yakima lies near the fertile wine country of the Yakima Valley. The town's Yakima Valley Museum has a nice collection of Native American artifacts (beadwork and horse regalia) and 19th-century horse-drawn vehicles (such as a Conestoga wagon). You can also see the...
Overview Introduction The small spa resort of Yalova, on the southern shore of the Sea of Marmara, is a long but enjoyable day trip of about 40 mi/65 km from Istanbul (take the high-speed ferry from Yenikapi and then a dolmus —shared taxi—on to the resort). What could be more enjoyable than taki...
Steep mountain peaks serve as a lovely backdrop for Yalta, the jewel of the Crimean peninsula and our favorite Ukrainian city. We're not surprised that the writer Anton Chekhov would choose to live in this seaside resort—it seems to be a combination of Carmel, California, the French Riviera and Gre...
Overview Introduction Cote d'Ivoire's administrative and political capital would probably be of no interest to tourists had it not been the birthplace of longtime president Felix Houphouet-Boigny. He had a number of remarkable buildings and attractions built there, among them the now-famous basil...
Although the capital city has moved north to Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon, Myanmar—the city formerly known as Rangoon, located 350 mi/565 km south of Mandalay—remains Myanmar's cultural and commercial hub. The city's foremost attraction is the Shwedagon Pagoda, set in a 14-acre/6-hectare plaza of shrines a...
Yangshuo has become a mecca for travelers in recent years. Ironically, amid magnificent natural beauty, Yangshuo's main pedestrian street, West Street, has the feel of the Las Vegas Strip, with hawkers trying to coax tipsy travelers into noisy clubs. Unless they have state-of-the-art earplugs, gue...
China has built the world's largest dam on the Yangtze River, the world's third-longest river, a project that caused rising of the its waters along the scenic Three Gorges area. Most of the marvelous old temples, landmarks and towns along the river are now underwater. Major cruise companies offer c...
The wildlife in Nigeria's Yankari National Park is less impressive than that of countries in East Africa, but the park, located on a savanna, does have a few lions, crocodiles, elephants, baboons, hippos and several species of antelope. Yankari has been upgraded, and there's now a fleet of vehicles ...
Plan at least two nights in Yaounde. Built on seven hills, this lovely capital city (pop. 800,000) lies in the midst of a tropical rain forest. It has tree-lined avenues, fairly modern buildings and a progressive atmosphere. Visit the small (but outstanding) museum of African art. The museum, which ...
Overview Introduction The main settlement is relatively small and has few tourist attractions. From there, it's possible to walk around the island in less than a day. However, we suggest you take a taxi to the Topside to see the phosphate fields—it is too hot and dusty to walk up there. The haunt...
Once the near-exclusive playground of the rich and famous, the hilly, rugged and remote Yasawa Islands are quickly becoming one of the most popular parts of Fiji. In fact, backpackers and other budget travelers now choose excursions to the Yasawas rather than Ovalau and Levuka. The three- to seven-d...
Overview Introduction Yazd lies in an oasis on the edge of the Kavir Desert at the foot of tall mountains. Allow two days to see the Friday Mosque (and its turquoise blue mosaic dome), roam the covered bazaars, observe the historical remains of the Zoroastrian way of life (the Zoroastrians used t...
Situated on the banks of the Arpa River and lush with fruit trees, Yeghegnadzor is famous for ruins of ancient settlements and historical monuments that date from the first millennium BC to the 17th century. While there, visit the Yeghegnadzor Art Gallery, the Yeghegnadzor Local Tradition Museum and...
The capital of the Northwest Territories and the largest town, Yellowknife sits on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake. For an informative overview of the area, stop at the Northern Frontier Regional Visitors Centre, where you can take a simulated bush plane ride. Plan to see the Prince of Wales...
Yellowstone is the oldest national park in the world—and still the most famous. It has gorgeous mountains, abundant wildlife and placid lakes set within a multicolored land of steam and waterfalls. The unique qualities of the area were recognized when Yellowstone National Park was established in 187...
Yemen has never been among the most peaceable of places. Yemeni men have long believed in being well armed, and in modern times their traditional curved daggers, called djambias , have been supplemented by AK-47s and Kalashnikovs. These days the guns seem to be fashion accessories as much as well-u...
Little of the capital city's 3,000-year history has survived: Central Yerevan is dominated by huge Soviet-style buildings. However, the natural stone used for the buildings has a pale-rose tint, and the columns and balconies soften the stark architecture. For a view of what the city looked like cent...
Overview Introduction This inland village (pop. 19,474) has a peace memorial marking the end of the Japanese occupation. The memorial is in the caves that served as a command center during the war. A celebration occurs there on 21 July to commemorate the liberation. A monument of praying hands in...
Usually called Yogya, Yogyakarta (pronounced Jog-ja-KAR-ta ) is the country's center for higher education: The population swells by a few hundred thousand during the school year. It is the country's second major center for foreign tourism after Bali, and a major site for Indonesian tourists as well...
Overview Introduction The smallest park of the Canadian Rockies' four national parks, Yoho National Park in British Columbia is located about 300 mi/483 km northeast of Vancouver and surrounds the quaint, tiny town of Field. It's well worth a visit for the postcard views and mouthwatering cuisine...
Yoho National Park borders Banff National Park (to the east) and Kootenay National Park (to the south) and is the smallest of four contiguous mountain parks (the fourth being Jasper National Park, north of Banff). Established in 1886, Yoho became a protected natural area just a few years after Banff...
Located 20 mi/32 km southwest of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay, the important port city of Yokohama, Japan, was one of the first places where European and U.S. traders were allowed to settle in Japan. The country's largest Chinatown is there too, creating an international character subtly different from Tokyo...
York, England, is a walled medieval city 55 mi/90 km northeast of Manchester. It is a great place to explore, with narrow streets, lovely shops and timbered homes with gabled roofs. A short drive west of York, Knaresborough is a historic riverside market town with quaint shops, castle ruins and an...
Once the nation's capital courtesy of the British occupation of Philadelphia, York, Pennsylvania, is a blend of colonial, Revolutionary and Victorian heritage. More than half of its downtown buildings appear on the National Register of Historic Preservation. York is located 102 mi/164 km west of Phi...
One of Maine's oldest settlements, York, which is about 45 mi/75 km southwest of Portland, was called Agamenticus when it was established in 1624. Visitors can learn about the town's past at the Old Gaol Museum and at many historic buildings: the Elizabeth Perkins House, the Emerson-Wilcox House, Je...
Overview Introduction Yorkeys Knob is a beach suburb of Cairns, located only 15-minutes from the city. The area maintains wonderful shops and world-class golfing that, coupled with its proximity to the rainforest and Great Barrier Reef, makes it a destination that is enticing for visitors with a ...
Extending northward from Leeds, the Yorkshire Dales are a world apart and arguably one of the most beautiful parts of England. Miles/kilometers of unspoiled countryside, country lanes and stone walls surround lively market towns, isolated farmhouses, ancient lead mines and great limestone caverns. T...
Visitors to Yorkton, Saskatchewan, located 185 mi/300 km southeast of Saskatoon, may wish to stop and relax at the Butterfly Garden, where medicinal plants attract butterflies. Visit this city's branch of the Western Development Museum, which showcases the history of Saskatchewan's various cultures....
Along with Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown, Yorktown, Virginia, is the third part of the historic triangle. Surrounded by wetlands, forests and protected nature areas, Yorktown is historically significant for being the site of the final battle in the Revolutionary War. In 1781, Washington's f...
Yosemite National Park, 180 mi/290 km east of San Francisco, is one of the most sublime and beautiful places in the U.S. Those who have seen the park's natural wonders captured in the photographs of Ansel Adams—the soaring heights of Half Dome, the rugged outcroppings of El Capitan—will find that th...
The scenic mountain area of Yoshino, Japan, is famous for its abundance of cherry blossoms, which bloom in a slow-moving wave up the mountain, usually providing visitors a three-week window to see them, unlike the usual weeklong period. It also has several stunning ancient wooden temples and shrines...
Ypres, 76 mi/122 km west of Brussels, became known throughout the world as a result of horrific World War I battles. Every night at 8 pm, buglers sound the Last Post at the Menin Gate to commemorate the soldiers who died there. The gate itself is inscribed with the names of 54,896 (mostly British) s...
Overview Introduction Located on the Yangtze River in the northeast area of the Hunan Province, Yueyang has long been a major center for transportation in China. Yueyang Tower, one of the Three Great Towers of China, overlooks the intersection of the Yangtze River with Lake Dongting. Climbing to ...
Poet Robert Service once referred to Canada's Yukon Territory as "that raw-ribbed wild that abhors all life." The Yukon is a tamer place than it was in Service's lifetime—the lawlessness of the gold-rush days has faded, and a few refined towns now dot the map. But no one would dispute that this Cana...
It is claimed that the sun shines 95% of the year in Yuma, Arizona. As a result, the town, located 185 mi/295 km southwest of Phoenix, attracts a lot of northern snow birds—visitors who head south in the winter months to escape the cold and gray of northern climes. Real birds seem partial to Yuma ...
If you want to see the white-water-rafting stronghold of Yusufeli in the far northeastern corner of Turkey, do so soon, because it is constantly threatened with demolition to make way for a dam on the Coruh River. After years of back and forth, the foundation stone was laid in February 2013, though ...