Travel Blog

Word this summer of the introduction of the world’s first phone-free tourist resort island in Finland highlighted a growing holiday trend: digital fasting.  You read that right. Wellness travel has offered vacationers opportunities to undertake juice and other fasts on retreat trips to benefit their physical health. Now, with growing awareness of the benefits of unplugging from our devices, we could be seeing more opportunities for digital fasting on our vacations. “We encourage visitors to put their phones away voluntarily and to focus...

It is extraordinarily charming to cruise any of the rivers of Europe, but they call it “The Romantic Rhine” for a reason – at least three reasons! And on my most recent sailing on the Rhine on a Viking river cruise, I was reminded of why the Rhine is one of my – and many seasoned river cruisers’ – favorites.  On 'The Romantic Rhine,' you can see, taste, and listen to a perfect tapestry of Northern European culture. And a river...

Every year, beer lovers look forward to the month that celebrates friendship over a stein of brew. The original Oktoberfest has returned full strength and has also inspired a world of imitators that look nothing like the beer tents and wooded hills of Germany’s Bavaria.  Wherever you celebrate, it’s all about the “Gemutlichkeit.” Some call it fellowship, friendliness, or even good times. It’s the atmosphere surrounding you at Oktoberfest as you clink beer mugs with new and old friends. Munich – The...

30 times in 30 years. That’s an incredible vote of confidence in the resort chain named “The Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand” for the 30th time at the 30th annual World Travel Awards. It wasn’t the only win for Sandals Resorts International, either. It scored 13 more prestigious awards.  Sandals Resorts International is the parent company of two luxury, all-inclusive resort chains: couples-only Sandals resorts, and family all-inclusive Beaches resorts. In addition to the company as a whole winning top honors, individual resorts also brought...

Ever since it was inaugurated in October, 1933, Air France has been flying high as an international beacon of the uniquely French art of travel and art of life. 90 years later, flying to France on the airline remains the best way to become immersed in French “savoir vivre” and elegance before you even touch French soil.  Since its creation, the company has been celebrating excellence, French-style, a “je-ne-sais-quoi” recognized around the world. So, to mark its 90th anniversary, the airline asked...

Scotland’s most famous legend… may not remain a mystery for much longer. A new Loch Ness Centre at the famous lake in the Scottish Highlands is promising to unleash the biggest search for “Nessie” in over half a century. And visitors can join in the quest!  Nessie may be the biggest attraction in the Scottish Highlands that no one can prove they’ve ever seen. Reports of a monster in the dark, murky depths of Loch Ness – the largest lake in volume in...

New Zealand consists of two main islands, the North Island and the South Island, and whether you call yourself a nature lover, adrenaline junkie, foodie, wine or culture aficionado, you’ll find reasons to visit both.  North IslandWhile New Zealand’s North Island is the smaller of the two islands, it has more people and the country’s major cosmopolitan cities, including the capital, Wellington, as well as Auckland. New Zealand’s famous wine scene is ripe on the North Island, and you don’t even have...

August, 2023 may go down in the cruise travel history books, with the launch of an exceptional number of new, ground-breaking ships that inspire us to take to the seas – and give us a glimpse into the direction cruise travel, design, and experiences are heading.  Five new ships sailed to sea in the first couple of weeks of the month, ranging in size from 100 guests to 4000! And here’s how they rolled out: EXPLORA INot just a new ship, but...

More and more travelers are tuning in to the charms of river cruising through the hearts of some of the world’s most fabulous destinations. Two new ships have just debuted that will make exploring France’s fabled Rhone River and Egypt’s legendary Nile even more appealing.  VIKING ATON With the August, 2023 launch of the Viking Aton, the ocean, expedition and river cruise line now has 4 ships plying the historic waters of Egypt’s legendary Nile River.  The new, 82-guest ship is identical to...

Why choose between a dip in the sea and basking in a resort pool? The Caribbean now has its first resort ocean pool that lets you do both at once.  Tapping into saltwater sources for swimming pools is not exactly new. Over a hundred years ago, seaside communities, especially in Australia and also Europe, started tapping into the ocean to provide residents a way to cool off.  Even on rocky shores, an ocean pool could provide a secure space and constantly refreshed...

Japan is famous for its volcanic peaks, which also hint at a national treasure underground: geothermally-heated mineral spring waters. For longer than records have been kept, Japanese have been bathing in natural, hot spring-fed ‘onsen’ to benefit from their restorative and healing powers.  For travelers to Japan, a visit to an onsen is an essential cultural and wellness experience, but, like many other Japanese traditions, there are rituals and etiquette to participating.  Here’s what you need to know about onsen:                                                       There are thousands...

The Mediterranean is full of ancient maritime cultures, but some seaside countries are just recently becoming popular cruise destinations. One up-and-coming cruise hub in the eastern end of this historic sea offers the best of Mediterranean, modern European, and Middle Eastern cultures and lifestyles. Not to mention the spiritual attractions of the home of Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths.  And the best news is that more and more cruises are calling in Israel’s ports and also embarking and disembarking from Israel,...

What’s the fastest-disappearing natural phenomenon? Dark skies. As cities expand, the night skies are flooded with light, dimming our views of the complex, mystical wonders of the heavens that inspired our ancestors.  We are still fascinated by the night skies, and many of us take time on vacation to spend our evenings outdoors gazing up into the darkness and its mysteries.  Luckily, there are places around the world preserving the darkness and celestial visions. Dark sky preserves are found in some of...

Those who love – or would like to try – river cruising close to home can rejoice: there’s a new river to sail on.  In the summer of 2023, American Cruise Lines launched a new river route that explores the charming towns of America’s Tennessee Valley.  The cruise line, which operates a 17-vessel fleet of river and small ships, has dedicated three of its river ships to its new, 8-day, Tennessee River Cruise itinerary. That includes the newly-christened American Serenade (pictured.)  The river cruise...

Many people have heard about luxury expedition cruises to the Antarctic. But there’s a whole world of expedition cruising out there you may never have heard of.  Cruise/ travel journalist and expert Lynn Elmhirst sat down with ultra-luxury cruise line Seabourn’s director of expedition development Jen Martin to dispel the myth that expedition cruises only go to Antarctica.  WATCH VIDEO ABOVE  Jen is the person to ask. She leads the team creating ultra-luxury cruise line Seabourn’s expedition cruise experiences. They are tasked with finding...

The latest craze at tropical resorts will really ‘float your boat.’ Swim up bars have become standard at many of your favorite resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico, and floating trays are the newest way to serve guests who love to hang out in the pool.  Maybe one of the best things about floating trays is that, while swim-up bars are usually just for drinks, floating trays are only limited by the resort food and beverage teams’ imaginations. Plus, individually-crafted trays of...

History, culture, the romance of travel and 21st century diversity all await you in the ancient destination of Egypt – home to the only remaining entry on the list of the original Seven Wonders of the World, not to mention other archaeological and architectural marvels, markets and local cuisine and lifestyle.  And you can explore Egypt’s antique wonders and modern life in style at three Four Seasons hotels in key Egyptian destinations; including exclusive signature Four Seasons experiences that elevate your...

Let's hope every airline gets on board with a new piece of technology that could make life better for thousands of air passengers. Everyone knows that sometimes, things go wrong when you travel. Flights can get delayed or cancelled, then passengers are left scrambling to figure it all out: new flights, food, even an unanticipated hotel stay until you can get on your way to your destination. It can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate – especially when other affected passengers are...

While travel was closed, Hong Kong’s hoteliers kept building. When you travel to the dynamic city today, you’ll discover a whole slate of new hotels that have added to its reputation for having one of the most glamorous and diverse hospitality scenes in the world. Ask us about a stay at one of the new hotels in skyscrapers with harbor views – or properties that bring other facets of Hong Kong to life for guests.   A beach resort? A green oasis?...

All of the former Crystal Cruises’ ships have now found new homes. The original cruise line is no more, but those who love the ships can still sail aboard favorite river, ocean, expedition and yacht vessels with their new lines. In some cases, their new owners even managed to bring back their original crew so your next cruise… will feel like coming home. Ocean Ships – Re-launching Summer, 2023The original and legendary former Crystal ocean ships sail again beginning in the summer...