Destinations

At Connect First Travel & Tours, a World of Destination

We offer our clients a palette of colorful destinations that will also be palatable to you—guaranteed. Contact us today to learn more about our selection, so you can properly plan your next getaway.

Here is a sample of destinations we have recommended to clients lately…

Destinations in Africa

A rich tradition blended in modernity Ghana represents a formidable ‘melting pot’ of tradition and modernity, a culturally rich country with a stable political system, a growing economy and a vibrant youth, all of which make the country a top destination nowadays.	A new life for an abandoned skyscraper After decades of abandonment, the Ponte City skyscraper in Johannesburg, South Africa, is experiencing a renaissance.	An inhospitable lake posing as paradise From a distance, Lac Assal (in central-western Djibouti) may look like tropical waters fringed with powdery white sand. Up close, it’s an inhospitable alien landscape.
The temples that had to be moved If Egypt-located Abu Simbel had not been saved, places like Vienna’s Historic Centre, Cambodia’s Angkor Wat and other UNESCO World Heritage sites might only live on in history books.	The African queen erased from history This Benin-native fierce all-female army was so ruthless that European colonists called them the Amazons after the merciless warriors of Greek mythology.	The origin of life on Earth? Long before the formation of the African continent, the South Africa-located Makhonjwa Mountains pierced the surface of the ocean and witnessed the evolution of life.

Destinations in Asia

India’s ingenious approach to life ‘Jugaad’ is an inventive hack that sees Indians crafting TV aerials from coat-hangers and sending spacecraft towards Mars.	The other Great Wall no-one knows Constructed 600 years ago from 350 million bricks, Nanjing’s wall has protected the city for centuries. Now, residents are returning the favour.	Japan’s ultimate travel food Ekiben is a prized, and some would say essential, element of long-distance train travel in Japan.
The Indian tribe that deals in venom Known for their ancient and intimate knowledge of snakes, the Irula tribe’s skills form an important but nearly invisible part of the healthcare system in India.	Where people eat 80,000 ducks a day After Ming Dynasty Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang killed all the chickens, duck became the star ingredient in Nanjing, China’s cuisine.	Japan’s unusual way to view the world Wabi-sabi offers a refuge from the modern world’s obsession with perfection, and accepts imperfections as all the more meaningful – and, in their own way, beautiful.

Destinations in Europe

The ingenious story of Michelin stars From humble beginnings in 1889, the Michelin brothers built an empire that revolutionised travel and transformed Clermont-Ferrand into an engine of French productivity.	Italy’s secret ‘ghost town’ hotels Italy’s ‘alberghi diffusi’, or scattered hotels, are breathing new life into the country’s abandoned historical villages.	The Bosnians who speak medieval Spanish When Jews fled Spain during the Inquisition, they carried their language with them. Today, Ladino reflects the trajectories of the Sephardic Jewish diaspora, but can it survive?
Why Finnish people don’t like to chat Their desire for avoidance is a predisposition so common that it’s become hard-baked into Finnish culture.	The tiny ‘nation’ you’ve never heard of What began as a tongue-in-cheek April Fools’ Day joke has evolved into one of the smallest republics in the world, with its own government, constitution and currency.	The end of London’s red phone boxes? First introduced in the 1920s, the red telephone boxes have become synonymous with London. But how much longer will they survive?

Destinations in North America

Mexico’s eerie culinary tradition Every year for Day of the Dead, David Roque Reyes Martínez stays up late into the night baking loaves of sweet bread in preparation for his father’s return from the afterlife.	Why this US city is so absurd In the 1950s, many believed children’s books were boring. Then along came Dr Seuss – and his stories changed everything.	America’s nearly forgotten language Chinook Wawa was once spoken by more than 100,000 people, from Alaska to the California border, for more than 100 years.
The trendy word that’s misunderstood Practiced since as long as Hawaiians can remember, hoʻoponopono is necessary on an island where space and resources are limited and the community is key to survival.	The US islands of slave descendants The rich traditions of the Gullah Geechee are at risk of being lost, threatened by what is arguably one of the most harrowing issues the world faces today.	The remote road that led to riches After his grandfather amassed a small fortune (and then lost it all) panning for gold, a young prospector heads to Canada’s Yukon Territory in hopes of striking it rich.

Destinations in South America

Where it’s rude to be on time Thanks to an unhurried ‘life’s a beach’ attitude, Brazilians – especially those from Rio de Janeiro – have learned neither to expect nor appreciate punctuality.	An ancient word no-one can translate With only one remaining fluent speaker, the Yaghan language is on the verge of dying out. Will this obscure word be its sole survivor?	The world’s most densely populated isle Santa Cruz del Islote is a tiny island on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Five hundred people live in 115 houses on an area the size of a soccer field.
The curious customs of Copacabana On Lake Titicaca’s southern edge, Copacabana, Bolivia, is famed for an ancient relic, miracles and a religious rite that includes showering new cars in cold beer.	The country obsessed with accordions The driving force behind Colombia’s vallenato music is not Colombian at all – it’s German.	The swing people trek hours to find Deep in the Ecuadorian Andes, Carlos Sánchez monitors one of the world’s most active volcanoes from a tiny treehouse, while thrill-seekers soar over the abyss below.

Destinations in Australia and Pacific

The island fruit that caused a mutiny In French Polynesia, breadfruit is an essential part of both the islanders’ diet and their culture – so much so, that its story is cemented in history.	A language only three women can speak It’s especially unusual because men and women speak different dialects; while women have a passive understanding of men’s language they do not speak it, and vice versa for the men.	The strange animal roaming Australia There are hundreds of thousands of camels roaming the outback. But how did an animal synonymous with the Middle East end up here in such numbers?
A village that needs approval to enter In Fiji’s isolated villages, custom holds that a visitor needs to ask permission to enter by offering a tangled bundle of kava roots as sevusevu, a gesture of respect.	The pidgin language uniting 83 islands With more than 100 different languages spoken across Vanuatu’s 83 islands, speaking Bislama is the best way to be understood – but learning it isn’t easy.	Why are Australians so laid back? Australians have long been known for their relaxed attitude – but it’s not just due to the favorable climate.