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Travel & Experiences

5 travel ideas for 2010

Total eclipse of the sun In 2010, see something rare. Machu Picchu? Alaska's glaciers? They'll be around in 2011 (at least, we think they will). How about something more fleeting like, say, a total solar eclipse? It will occur July 12 and be visible from a narrow band of the Southern Hemisphere -- Mangaia in the Cook Islands and Easter Island. A partial eclipse can be seen in parts of the South Pacific and southern South America. Shipboard viewing is another option. It's a perfect excuse to take a cruise to French Polynesia. Tours are filling up quickly, so make your travel plans soon. Ring of Fire Expeditions ( www.eclipsetours.com) and Flo USA Inc. ( www.eclipsetraveler.com) offer tour packages. The eclipse lasts from two to five minutes depending on your viewing location. If you miss this one, the next total solar eclipse is Nov. 13, 2012. More info: eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEpubs/2010/TP214171a.pdf.

Total eclipse of the sun

In 2010, see something rare. Machu Picchu? Alaska‘s glaciers? They’ll be around in 2011 (at least, we think they will). How about something more fleeting like, say, a total solar eclipse? It will occur July 12 and be visible from a narrow band of the Southern Hemisphere -- Mangaia in the Cook Islands and Easter Island.

A partial eclipse can be seen in parts of the South Pacific and southern South America.

Shipboard viewing is another option. It’s a perfect excuse to take a cruise to French Polynesia. Tours are filling up quickly, so make your travel plans soon. Ring of Fire Expeditions ( www.eclipsetours.com) and Flo USA Inc. ( www.eclipsetraveler.com) offer tour packages. The eclipse lasts from two to five minutes depending on your viewing location. If you miss this one, the next total solar eclipse is Nov. 13, 2012.

More info: eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEpubs/2010/TP214171a.pdf.  (Piyal Adhikary / EPA)

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A CHINESE HOWDY: Haibao is the 2010 World Expo’s mascot.

Shanghai world’s fair

Think of a world’s fair as a cultural Olympics that lasts six months. Prices are better, the airport less jammed. As such, the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai is shaping up as one of the year’s best travel events.

The coastal city has always considered itself more cosmopolitan than Beijing. It’s upping the ante with $45 billion in upgrades that include better roads and expanded mass transit. New hotels include two InterContinental locations -- the Peninsula and the stylish Hotel Indigo, a boutique property.

So where’s the “wow” factor? As with any world’s fair, it’s all about the pavilions.

Visitors are sure to be drawn to the Saudi Arabia pavilion, which looks like a big gleaming wedding gift. The “moon boat” shape will be surrounded by deserts and seas. Across its roof: 150 date palms. Besides such stunning design feats, more than 100 daily events and performances will take place across several dozen sites. One-day admission is about $24. More info: en.expo2010.cn/.

-- Chris Erskine   (Qilai Shen / EPA)

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