Gnome Tours World, Returns

Oslo tops the list while crisis-proof Switzerland lands spots #2 and #3

(NEWSER) - If you happen to be flush with cash, then this list of the 15 most expensive places to visit on the globe should not limit your vacation plans. Otherwise, steer clear or prepare to splurge. The list, courtesy of US News' Travel site , is compiled from UBS' Prices and Earnings report . More»

Panama, Finland, and Myanmar top the list

(NEWSER) - If you like cool design, upscale safaris, or a forbidden communist island, the New York Times can recommend 45 locales to visit in 2012. Among them:

• Panama. See the world-famous canal before its expansion, then stay for Panama City's economic boom and Frank Gehry's first design in Latin America—a natural history museum called BioMuseo.

Anyone up for a trip to Uzbekistan?

(NEWSER) - 2012 is fewer than 45 days away and the traveling aficionados at Cox & Kings—who have been planning luxury vacations since 1758—see trends emerging for the coming year. BlackBook rounds up some highlights:

• New spots: Adventurous travelers are looking to places not typically seen as vacation destinations, including Albania, Serbia, Uzbekistan, the Russian Far East, and Papua New Guinea.

List includes Ghana, the Yucatan, even Kansas City

(NEWSER) - What part of the globe should you trek to next year? The writers and editors at Frommer's have released their top 10 destinations for 2012 with selections among unconventional getaways, hot spots hosting high-profile events, and regions that have been re-energized, notes USA Today . Some of the choices: More»

In the mood for an adventure? Here are a dozen places to begin your search

(NEWSER) - There are still some places in the world where X marks the spot. The Huffington Post lists a dozen locations ripe for real-life treasure hunting:

1. Superstition Mountains, Ariz.: The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine is supposedly hidden somewhere in these mountains ... and full of ancient Apache treasure.
2. Kaliningrad, Russia: The Amber Room was a chamber decorated completely in amber panels, gold leaf, and mirrors contained within a palace near St. Petersburg—but it was looted by the Nazis and last seen in Kaliningrad in 1943.
3. Cocos Island, Costa Rica: An estimated $60 million worth of church treasure from Lima, Peru, is supposedly buried here—and is rumored to be the inspiration for Treasure Island.