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First step—don’t panic. Here’s everything you need to know about replacing a bum passport.

The Buddhist temple complex of Dambulla consists of five cave temples carved under a very large overhanging rock. The temples were carved out over several centuries, but the oldest dates back to the 1st century B.C.E. The temples include numerous carved statues of Buddha, and his faithful disciple Ananda, as well as Hindu deities.


The largest of the caves is known as the Maharaja Vihara Lena, or Cave of the Great Kings, so named because the cave contains the statues of two ancient, great Sri Lankan kings—Valagambahu and Nissankamalla. Fifty or so Buddha statues, including a life-sized granite one, are all contained inside the temple as is small stupa surrounded by eleven seated Buddhas.


The cave walls and ceiling are entirely painted with paintings depicting early Buddhist historical events and murals with traditional Buddhist designs. Like all the other cave temples, this one is dimly lit, preserving the vibrant colors of the paintings and murals.


Another unusual feature of this particular cave temple is the large metal bowl that was placed inside the cave centuries ago, presumably to catch rain dripping from the cave roof. It’s said that even in a severe drought, the water in the bowl does not dry up.

Dambulla is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites located in the region known as Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle. If you ever go to Sri Lanka, you must go to Dambulla. It is a very unique and spectacular site!

The central hub of downtown Amsterdam is Dam Square, and it’s been at the heart of the city’s history since the 13th century. Today, the open-air public space is ringed by shops and restaurants and packed with people, including street performers and tourists en route to nearby attractions like the Royal Palace, the National Monument, and the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), where you can catch a horse-drawn-carriage tour of the city.

The main royal residence for emperors during the Tang Dynasty (from the 600s to the 900s), Daming Palace was discovered in 1957. After excavations and restoration work, the palace, also known as the Palace of Great Brilliance, opened to the public. Visitors learn about the Tang Dynasty and can admire the palace’s cultural relics and elegant architecture.

Some Americans may think of Montréal’s anglophone, francophone, and Indigenous communities when they think about the city’s diversity, but it is also remarkably international. Case in point, almost 20,000 Syrians live in Québec, and more than 90 percent of them are in Montréal—a number that will likely increase in coming years given the province’s commitment to resettling refugees from the country. Fuad Alnirabie, the chef and owner of Damas in Outremont, is a Syrian-Canadian who is introducing Montréal to his native country’s cuisine. The best strategy is to order an abundance of hot and cold mezes—hummus, baba ghanoush, octopus salad, fried dumplings—or leave the work of choosing to the kitchen and opt for the five- or six-course tasting menu.

After being closed since 2016, the Salerno Costa d’Amalfi Airport is being reborn as a commercial hub for the Amalfi Coast.

Danish artist Thomas Dambo reworked a Scandinavian tradition and created a global treasure hunt to celebrate the creation of 100 scrap-wood trolls.

After a devastating fire in 2019, the Paris landmark began welcoming visitors once again on December 7.

Another new exhibit at the Trocadéro gives visitors an up close view of the 19th-century statues that were removed from the cathedral’s spire for restoration work four days prior to the fire.

Disney recently revealed plans to develop its seventh global theme park and its first in the Middle East. Here’s why the company has its sights set on the Persian Gulf’s United Arab Emirates.

After a fire destroyed much of it in April 2019, the famed cathedral has set its reopening date. Here’s how to visit and what you need to know.

The full extent of the damage is slowly emerging. These are the areas that were hit hardest, how travel has been affected, and aid groups you can support as recovery efforts get underway.

In March 2023, Albania slated 32,000 acres of the Vjosa river basin as a protected national park, prohibiting mining and dams. Will it lead the way for more tourism?

One of the country’s greatest natural treasures is being threatened by fast-moving fires. Here’s the latest.

A first look at the inaugural voyage of the “Seabourn Pursuit,” which set out to redress some of the historical neglect of Indigenous voices in the Kimberley.