We’ve all heard—over and over again—how snobby French restaurants can be. So what’s a traveler to do?Know the rules. It’s against French law to refuse a table to a solo diner or a family with young children. Minimums are also illegal. If all you want is an appetizer, the restaurant has to serve it. A restaurant can charge for carafes of tap water only if there is a notice to this effect on the menu (the same goes for glasses of water in cafés)....
Whether it’s binge-watching episodes of The Crown or eagerly awaiting the new Princess Diana biopic, there’s something tantalizing about getting an inside look at British royal life. But if the screen just isn’t cutting it, one British royal is opening up her home to a few lucky visitors. Jane Percy, the Duchess of Northumberland, has partnered with luxury travel provider Luxury Gold to bring people behind the scenes of Alnwick Castle, her home in northern England....
Police in Bali are punishing people who refuse to properly wear face masks in public with push-ups. People caught maskless and unable to pay the associated fines face 50 push-ups, Euronews reports. Those wearing masks incorrectly face 15 push-ups. Bali began enforcing fines for mask violations back in August. Locals tend to comply with requirements for wearing face coverings in public, but foreigners can be a different story. Euronews reports that 90% of COVID-19 violations in Bali stem from tourists, whose entry has officially been banned since April, with the exception of local residents and those coming from another part of Indonesia....
At Travel + Leisure, we aim to make flying as comfortable as possible. Whether it’s finding the best travel pillows, dishing on must-have carry-on items for a smooth ride, or picking out the plushest travel shoes to wear to the airport, comfort is the name of our game. But some people just take it way too far. Exhibit A: The “nightmare” that traveler Jessie Char, 30, encountered on a JetBlue flight from Long Beach, California, to San Francisco this week....
There have been Mile High Club stories for as long as there have been airplanes — or at least, it feels that way. With so much information circulating the internet on “how to” join, it’s obvious people are intrigued by the Mile High Club, even if they have yet to join. But what are the rules on airlines? How much trouble could you get in? While it might sound fun and exciting, no one wants to get arrested for getting busy on a plane....
“Every August, I go to Ladakh in the north of India,” Prateek Sadhu told me, his voice swelling with excitement. “I go there to pick sea buckthorn. It is one of the most beautiful places, there is so much biodiversity. It is really the hidden gem of India.” I was speaking by phone with Sadhu, the chef of Masque, in Mumbai — one of our 2019 World’s Best Restaurants — from the dull twilight of my home office in Melbourne....
Over the last year, frequent flyers were forced to put away their wings and explore their backyards instead. Luckily, destinations around the world got hip to the internet game pretty quickly by offering virtual tours and experiences that people could do right from their couch. But now, a full year into the pandemic, the Singapore Tourism Board is proving that it just may indeed be the king of the virtual tours....
Editor’s Note: Those who choose to travel are strongly encouraged to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before departure. If you’re planning to replace your usual big-city trip to San Francisco with a visit to Sausalito, you’re not alone. Small town America has seen a resurgence in recent months, as travelers are looking to live and vacation in places with fewer people and easier access to outdoor space....
On most nature walks, the best one can hope for is an epic view at the end. However, one new trail in Russia is delivering not only an excellent vista but a little mystery and intrigue too. Over the last view months, volunteers have been hard at work in the remote Perm region of Russia, where they’ve been creating a short nature walk in the wilderness to the famed crash landing site of the Voskhod-2 spacecraft....
You never have to worry again about leaving something at home when you go to Disney World. Packing for yourself and your family members can be a chaotic experience, so it’s natural that some things get left behind — like hair brushes, toiletries, or other essential items that you totally thought you packed. While the resort hotels at Disney World also sell sundries, such as deodorant, Band-Aids, or sunscreen, they may not always have exactly what you’re looking for in stock....
If being in an outdoor recreation store makes you feel like a kid in a candy store, chances are you go in for one thing and leave with a cart full of things you didn’t even know you needed. For that reason — and the sake of your wallet — sometimes the safest way to keep your wallet from taking a hit while shopping for outdoor essentials is by doing so online....
Originally published on March 22th, 2018. Consider this a public service announcement, as well as a lesson in cooking 101: to cook pasta, boil water first. Three American students living abroad in Florence, Italy, learned this the hard way this week when they started a fire in their apartment by cooking pasta without the most basic of ingredients. According to Italian newspaper La Nazione, the 20-year-old students brought home pasta from the supermarket, put the dry noodles straight into a pot without any water, and lit the stove....
One of the world’s greatest natural wonders is also one of the most endangered. The Great Barrier Reef, off the northeast coast of Australia, has lost half of its coral since the 1990s — and the cause is climate change, researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at Queensland’s James Cook University found in a study released today. The number of all coral sizes on the planet’s largest reef has declined by more than 50% since the 1990s, one of the report’s co-authors Terry Hughes told CNN in a statement....
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has once again lowered its warning against cruise ship travel, recommending Americans be vaccinated before boarding a ship. The agency classified cruise ship travel as a “Level 2” out of four this week, a significant downgrade from last year when the CDC told Americans to avoid embarking on a cruise ship altogether, regardless of their vaccination status. The CDC had previously lowered its warning to a “Level 3” in February....
Lotteries are usually reserved for giving away large amounts of cash or once-in-a-lifetime experiences (like a space flight with Virgin Galactic), but Hawaii is taking a different approach with its latest drawing. The Aloha State is hosting a lottery to offer up hundreds of goats that are threatening to destroy a historic national park. The animals are actually considered to be an invasive species, despite being quite adorable, and have completely taken over the Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park....
You can find all kinds of things to do at an airport besides waiting at your gate. Most airports are equipped with restaurants, amazing retail options, and some even have museums and gigantic slides. But one thing that only a few airports have in the U.S. are chapels. These overlooked spaces are often set up today as places for meditation, rather than worship for a single faith, and they’ve played an interesting role in the history of airports....
Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin tied the knot (again) this week at one very special hotel in South Carolina. The couple hosted their family and famous friends — including Kendall and Kylie Jenner — on Monday for a lavish ceremony at the Montage Palmetto Bluff, located in Bluffton, South Carolina. Courtesy of Montage Palmetto Bluff Courtesy of Montage Palmetto Bluff “They are both beyond excited to celebrate with friends this weekend,” a source told People prior to the event....
Have you ever been an impossible passenger or had a meltdown at the airport? Now, Los Angeles International Airport is asking you to do just that — on purpose this time. The airport is looking for 500 people to pretend to need extra assistance, be sick, or just act difficult to test out its new Midfield Satellite Concourse, which is set to open this summer, the Los Angeles Times reported. This test will be the first time the airport has conducted a full Operation Readiness and Transition drill....
It doesn’t take much to feel down these days. COVID-19 updates are constant, and while staying up on the news has never felt more important, the stream of heavy, sometimes terrifying information can be anxiety inducing. It’s a reality that’s only exacerbated by social distancing and travel bans — necessary regulations that result in fewer hugs and canceled beach vacations. If the state of the world has been getting you down, take a moment to look at the bright side....
News broke early Thursday morning that Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth’s husband, plans to retire from public life this fall. “Prince Philip will attend previously scheduled engagements between now and August, both individually and accompanying The Queen. Thereafter, The Duke will not be accepting new invitations for visits and engagements, although he may still choose to attend certain public events from time to time,” read a statement from Buckingham Palace. Some might assume Prince Philip is taking a step back because he’s 95 years old, or because he’s been performing royal duties for 70 years....
