Delhi

With one foot deeply grounded in time-revered traditions and the other dipping more than just a few toes in the dotcom domain, Delhi embraces diversity with verve and gritty gumption. Modern Delhi has only been India’s capital since 1931, but thanks to its location—a strategic gateway city—it has long played a critical role in shaping the subcontinent’s history. Today, Delhi is one of India’s most multifaceted cities, with the downtown swish restaurants and chichi boutiques serving as a stark contrast to the old city’s medieval-flavored bazaars and historic masterpieces like the Red Fort and Jama Masjid.

Dallas

Big D, as Dallas has been called for half a century, was built in the 19th century on the fruits of oil and cattle businesses, making it a comparatively young city. Dallas owes its boom in recent decades to the banking, electronics, fashion, and motion picture industries, and it’s not shy about strutting its glitzy stuff, either. You’ll readily find this giant on the plains of North Texas a place that loves to have fun, what with serving as birthplace to the frozen margarita machine and boasting more shopping centers than any other urban American center. Now the ninth-largest city in the nation, it flings its arms north toward Oklahoma, east to Louisiana, south toward the fabled Texas Hill Country, and westward toward Fort Worth, the other half of the metropolis called the Metroplex. Although there is a burgeoning light rail system called DART and the city’s center offers a few places to get around on foot, you’ll need wheels to fully explore this Texas sprawl.

Mexico City

The famed “many Mexicos” of this rich and diverse country are reflected in this teeming, chaotic, noisy, and colorful capital. The historic region, studded by lakes, is now a city of superlatives, rippling with many millions of lights by night, peppered with neighborhoods steeped in tradition such as Xochimilco and gleaming financial districts like Santa Fe, as well as the inevitable shanty towns that fringe its ever-expanding outskirts. Trendy art deco zones with cafés and boutiques compete with leafy bohemian neighborhoods such as Frida Kahlo’s Coyoacán and Polanco, a diverse area of the city that is now the magnet for upscale shopping and dining. Amid food stalls and street vendors vociferously hawking their wares, the heart of the Great Tenochtitlan resonates still with the violent and magnificent history of the conquest of the Americas, with the exposed ruins of the Aztec Templo Mayor elbow to elbow with the great Metropolitan Cathedral, the first on the continent, sun bleached and tilted picturesquely by quakes.

Safe and Healthy Travel

There's nothing better than travelling abroad and sampling the delights of other cultures. However, if you are one of the millions of Americans considering an international vacation, there are a few things you need to be aware of to ensure a safe holiday and a happy return.


First, check whether your destination carries any health risks. The World Health Organization (WHO) website is a great place to search for such information.


The U.S Department of State has country-specific information pages that will alert you to any threat of natural disaster, crime, disease, and etc. in the area which you will be visiting. It's a great resource if you plan to travel off the beaten path.


You should also learn to pack certain emergency items in case they are required. The Centers for Disease control has a great list of what to take for emergency medical care.


Always make at least two copies of your passport and travel documents. Carry a spare copy with you in separate luggage than your original, and leave another set with a trusted relative at home.


Find out what items (if any) are restricted in your destination. Again, the U.S Department of State has pertinent information regarding what you can and cannot bring to a particular country. This can be found in their Customs and Import Restrictions section.


Pay careful attention to your health during your trip as well. When possible, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants in areas with malaria. Avoid drinking water from taps or fountains, and always wash your hands before and after dealing with food. Finally, pay attention to and respect the local customs and cultures.


Traveling abroad should be an exciting and memorable experience, and it will be as long as you take the necessary precautions.