Travel Blog

There’s a constellation of Michelin stars and celebrity chefs bringing their award-winning dishes, TV show hits and cookbook favorites to guests on cruise ships in all the seven seas. Dare we say it? Sometimes, the culinary experience afloat is even better than on land, where you may line up around the block or try to book a table in a decorated chef’s restaurant months in advance. And you might need those extra months to save up for the gastronomic indulgence. Cruise guests don’t just...

Even in a state overflowing with breathtaking scenery, Maui’s Road to Hana is legendary. It’s been called the best thing to do in Maui, and even the top scenic drive in the US, and we can’t disagree.If you’re on Hawaii’s second-largest island, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to rent a car to explore this epic trail that starts at Kahului (the town with Maui’s main airport) and winds its way to the eastern town of Hana and beyond. You can...

It’s the fantastical backdrop of the opening sequence of a James Bond movie. And one of the items on the list of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.Mexico’s Day of the Dead is often mistaken as the country’s equivalent of Hallowe’en, but Día de Muertos has its own history, traditions and practice in modern Mexico that make it the celebration worth planning a trip at the end of October.Aztec + Christian Mash-upHallowe’en’s roots lie in ancient Celtic culture. But Day of...

One of the biggest trends in recent years has been ‘Multi-Gen’ travel, where 3 or more generations of the family come together on vacation.‘Skip Gen’ travel leaves Mum and Dad at home for some much-needed downtime (or house reno’s or a getaway of their own!) while Grandma and Grandpa go on holiday with the grandkids for some fun times and bonding.As with any trip, everyone involved deserves to have a good time. When grandparents think about taking their grandkids on...

It was a fabled event in military history and has become etched into popular culture, the subject of movies, documentaries, novels and real stories shared by veterans returning to their homes.2019 marked the 75th anniversary of D-Day. With every passing year, there are fewer and fewer veterans alive who landed on Canada's Juno Beach, Britain's Sword and Gold Beaches, and America's Omaha and Utah Beaches in the desperate effort to gain a foothold and begin liberating Occupied Europe. Their sacrifices and...

Just as water is served automatically at a restaurant table in the West, green tea appears magically on every restaurant table in Japan. But what about a more… spirited beverage? Japan’s consumption of alcohol is legendary, and involves its own beverages and etiquette.Here’s what you need to know before you order.By: Lynn Elmhirst, Sipper-in-Chief, BestTrip TVJapan has embraced both beer and whisky from the West, and proceeded to develop excellent and well-know brands of both.But for more local flavor, the two main...

The ‘firsts’ just keep piling up for this pioneer in expedition cruising that has over 125 years of experience sailing in the world’s magnificent polar regions.Norwegian expedition cruise line Hurtigruten has launched the world’s first hybrid electric-powered expedition cruise ship. The MS Roald Amundsen has been aptly named after the polar explorer from Norway who led the first expedition to cross the Northwest Passage, the first expedition proven to have reached the North Pole, and at the opposite end of the...

Some hotels help define their destinations.   Not only with an historic pedigree, but with a location that makes them central to the local lifestyle.The Belmond Copacabana Palace helped create the mystique of Rio de Janeiro that thrives even today.Imagine a time when Rio’s now-epic beaches were unused and unfashionable. In the 20’s, Brazil’s upper classes lived in the cooler elevations of the hills.So when the country’s president asked a local wealthy businessman to build a landmark hotel on Copacabana beach to...

Experienced travelers know there’s a code when it comes to travel seasons. High season, low season, shoulder season and off season – your choice of travel season can make a big difference to your travel experience. Is there a perfect time to travel? Well, there are at least 3 good reasons to take ‘off’ season trips. Here’s why.By: Lynn Elmhirst, Producer / Host, BestTrip TVDo you find yourself always heading out of town during ‘high’ season?‘High’ season is when everyone is traveling.  High seasons...

There are more ways to explore the earth than overseas and overland. And the new Scenic Eclipse takes you there. With 2 helicopters for ‘flight-seeing’ and a submarine to reveal vast beauty of underwater realms, this luxury expedition ship covers all the bases – and with its top Polar Class-rated hull, it can sail in any of the world’s seven seas.What’s more, Scenic’s sleek, sophisticated style makes the Eclipse feel like a billionaire’s yacht… with fewer than 200 fortunate guests at...

Oh, and there’s a caviar bar, too.Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Voyages says it’s committed to ‘disrupting’ cruise travel, and that means a twist on one of the luxury cruise standards: champagne and caviar.The cruise line has already shared its ‘ship tease’, with the slogan ‘Save Water, Drink Champagne’ proudly displayed on an outdoor lounge.Now, it’s revealed what that slogan really means to guests, or ‘sailors’ on the Scarlet Lady when she sets sail in Spring 2020. In the rebellious luxe/ music festival...

You probably already know that Jamaica is famous for its beaches.  And you may even have already come back relaxed from a beach holiday in the island country that has been voted top Caribbean destination, and one of the top 20 in the world.But the unique terrain of Jamaica has also yielded natural healing waters inland from the beach.  Here are some of the places and ways you can make wellness a part of your next getaway to Jamaican waters. On...

Cowboys. Wild white horses. Wild black bulls. And pink flamingos.Hard to imagine any place on earth where you'll find all of them together, but the vast Camargue delta in the South of France is home to all of these colorful creatures. You can't miss BestTrip.TV's introduction to French cowboys and the beautiful wilderness of the Camargue.Start your Trip! Copyright BestTrip.TV/Influence Entertainment Group Inc or Rights Holder. All rights reserved. You are welcome to share this material from this page, but it may not...

The world’s largest primates have their own day, September 24th. Gorillas are larger on average than humans and maybe that’s one of the reasons they’re larger than life in our imaginations and on screen in movies like Tarzan and King Kong and Gorillas in the Mist. Gorillas are both imposing and inspiring. Did you know…Gorillas live in tropical and sub-tropical middle Africa. Two species, Western and Eastern, are separated by the Congo River, with habitats ranging in elevation from mountain-top cloud...

If the Downton Abbey movie and TV series has you fantasizing about life in the elegant and storied surroundings of England’s stately homes, you are not alone. The stories and history made in these estates are legendary.At one time, there were tens of thousands of country houses owned by Britain’s noble families. The English countryside is still dotted with breathtaking architectural marvels punctuating sweeping landscapes, as well as smaller, more humble versions. Some are still homes to lords and ladies of the...

Recent, extreme hurricanes have devastated favorite Caribbean island communities.For travel, the impact of more extreme hurricanes is double. It can take years for tourism infrastructure in island destinations to rebuild and welcome visitors again, so your favorite destinations and resorts may be unavailable. Plus some travelers avoid Caribbean island vacations (and cruises) during the Atlantic summer and fall hurricane season, especially during the peak two months of risk mid-August until mid-October, for fear of being stranded or worse if a hurricane hits...

245 days. 6 continents. 51 countries. 111 ports. Imagine spending August 2019 until May 2020 on a cruise circumnavigating the world. This phenomenal cruise sailing around the world, beginning and ending in London, England, is setting a Guinness World Record for 'longest continuous passenger cruise'.Viking Cruise's 'Ultimate World Cruise' takes over 900 guests on a journey of a lifetime, and one that is attempting to set a world record. Already underway, when the Viking Sun makes a triumphant return to London next spring...

If you haven't been to Montreal recently, the Golden Square Cocktail at Montreal's new Four Seasons Hotel (VIDEO ABOVE) is just one reason to book a trip or a pre or post cruise stay in the second-largest French-speaking city in the world.Montreal still has its European lifestyle, credentials as the fashion capital of Canada, and a UNESCO City of Design.It's still the birthplace of Cirque du Soleil, and a global city of festivals ranging from the Canadian Grand Prix race...

It's hard to imagine what luxury could possibly improve on a Seabourn cruise, where they've perfected ultra-luxury service that anticipates your needs and surprises you with delights every day… but now the cruise line has discovered something more to offer.Guests can now reserve Seabourn Private Air – a private chartered jet service to transport you to and from ports of embarkation or debarkation, ports of call, and mid-voyage overland optional journeys – for Seabourn cruises all over the world.The service...

In 14 hundred and 92, Columbus sailed the ocean blue (as the rhyme we learned in school goes), and unwittingly unleashed a tsunami of Europeans heading west to explore the Americas.That was half a millennium ago, and now, some of the earliest European settlements in the Caribbean and Latin America are marking 500 years of European settlement.In the years since the 500th anniversary of Columbus' first sailing, the world has gained greater awareness. This new round of anniversaries do more...