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Earlier this month, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Mindy Kaling arrived in New Zealand to film a reboot of “A Wrinkle in Time.” The country makes perfect sense for the new Disney film. New Zealand is famous for its incredible, out-of-this world landscapes (as made famous in “Lord of the Rings”). To recreate the story’s fantasy world, filmmakers decided to shoot near Lake Hawea in Wanaka. How to Visit New Zealand’s Favorite National Park...

At its core, travel has always been an escape from everyday life, whether you’re getting lost in a book on a tropical beach or roaming the streets of a foreign city. For people who have been working from home for well over a year now, as well as others who have been isolated from friends and family due to COVID-19, travel has likely felt inaccessible throughout the majority of the pandemic....

Restaurant wine lists seem to freak people out—you’re captive there, and someone else has arranged the selection. And oy, the markup! Travelers need help deciphering wine lists, so today I enlist Liz Martinez, the sommelier and manager of the Purple Pig in Chicago, where the motto is “Cheese, Swine and Wine.” These are her tips: Look for Countries With Deep Benches. Some countries make wine in pretty much every region. “You can almost always find a good value in the Italian or Spanish section of a wine list,” she says....

I’ve always been a go-big-or-go-home type of person, so taking the maiden voyage on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, in April was an absolute must. Funny thing is, I’d never been a cruise person, despite having never been on one — that is, until this Caribbean sailing. The trip was scheduled for late March 2020, so needless to say, it was put on ice as the COVID-19 pandemic halted the industry....

If you’ve been thinking about traveling by air again, now may be a perfect time to book future flights. Both Southwest and JetBlue are hosting mega-sales this week to help people get to their dream destinations for less. JetBlue is currently hosting a two-day “Sale into Fall” event that has deals from coast-to-coast. For example, flyers can get from Burbank, Los Angeles, or Long Beach, CA to Boston for as low as $99 one-way....

Travelers dreaming of a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Antarctica can now cash in on a discount as one tour operator is putting trips to the seventh continent at reduced prices just in time for the start of the travel season there. Adventurous travelers can now head to Antarctica on a luxury cruise for 40 percent off the cost of a cabin with Scott Dunn, the company shared with Travel + Leisure. The sale, which lasts through Oct....

Traveling during colder months may bring to mind images of cozy log cabins, powdery ski slopes, and roaring fireplaces. But if you’re staying close to home these days, you might be yearning for the familiar comforts you would normally only find on vacation. Thankfully, there are a few easy home decor changes you can make so that your staycation feels more like a five-star ski resort. These $90 Cashmere Sweatpants Will Keep You Warm All Winter Long...

Spirit Airlines is jump-starting travel in 2022 by offering 50% off a flight. To take advantage of the half-off sale, which is valid through 11:59 p.m. EST on Jan. 25, travelers can use the promo code “50PCT.” The deal is valid on flights from Jan. 29 through April 13 and only available for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday travel. The sale is not valid on Feb. 22 or Feb. 23. “Ready to relax?...

Long-distance thru-hikes will not be recognized by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy — the group that manages the more than 2,000-mile, multi-state trail — until the COVID-19 pandemic is ‘declared under control.’ “Due to the pandemic… (including the emerging variants that could be even more contagious), the ATC has been advising hikers to postpone their hikes until the CDC has deemed the pandemic “under control” or a COVID-19 vaccine or effective treatment is widely available and distributed,” the ATC wrote in a post last week, adding, “Although we don’t know when the pandemic will be declared ‘under control’ and we can resume distribution of A....

London is the best city for study abroad programs in the world, according to a new ranking of university towns around the globe. The QS Best Student Cities 2022 study, which looked at more than 100 cities for study abroad, found programs in Europe and Asia ranked higher than any other. But it’s no surprise London topped the list: from its museum culture (all British museums are free), to extensive pub life and close proximity to other major European destinations, the city has everything a young student could possibly want....

The country of Georgia, which sits at the border between Asia and Europe, is joining the growing list of countries reopening to vaccinated travelers. This month, Georgia — renowned for its medieval monasteries, breathtaking mountains, and rich wine culture — started welcoming visitors from any nation as long as they could prove they had received a full course (or two doses) of any COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia....

The Philippines has reopened to foreign tourists, becoming the latest Southeast Asian country to ease restrictions on travel. International visitors, including travelers from the United States, will be welcome to enter on Feb. 10, ending the border closure for the first time in nearly two years, according to the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines. The country has instituted visa-free travel and no longer requires vaccinated tourists to quarantine in government facilities upon arrival....

When you’ve been cooped up for months, you start to miss aspects of life you used to dread. Remember airport security lines? Remember 3.4-fluid-ounce bottles? Remember taking off your shoes and then scrambling to put them back on at the end of a conveyor belt? What we wouldn’t give for those experiences now. For travelers longing for the days of yore, Taipei’s Songshan Airport is offering 90 people the chance to pretend they’re going on vacation....

Post-college, I’d never thought I’d willingly walk around with a backpack again. But when my family had gathered for a birthday party, I noticed this sleek black backpack draped over my aunt’s shoulders. She’d just come from work, but it didn’t look like a work bag; the bag was doing work, though, alongside her chic silk midi skirt and oversized sweater. “What is that and where did you get it?” I blurted out before even saying hello....

If there’s one thing we want you to take away from this incredible story it’s that nurses are absolute heroes. Especially in the midst of mid-air chaos. On June 20, two Carnival Breeze nurses, Christine Anne and John, were finally making their way home to be repatriated after spending weeks at sea. The two were on an Emirates flight from London to Manila, likely believing their medical work was done for the time being....

As spring breakers have started to flock to beach destinations in Florida and Texas — largely not wearing masks or adhering to physical distancing — health experts are, once again, urging all Americans to stay home. “[The] CDC recommends that people not travel at this time, and delay spring break travel until 2022,” a CDC spokesperson told The Washington Post. “Even for those who are vaccinated, it is important to avoid travel to decrease the chance of spreading COVID-19 to others....

United passengers can now check travel restrictions and schedule any required COVID-19 tests right through the carrier’s app. The new feature marks an expansion of United’s Travel-Ready Center, which the airline first launched in January and allows passengers to upload test or vaccination records into their booking. Passengers who schedule a test directly through the platform will see their results automatically uploaded to their flight booking. Tests are available at more than 200 sites, including in major cities Chicago, Houston, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco....

A couple of tourists were forced to hit the ground running in Yellowstone National Park after a galloping herd of wild bison started coming toward them — and the whole thing was caught on video. The tourists were walking across a bridge when suddenly a large plume of dust started rising and the large animals appeared in the road, USA Today reported. That’s when they started running before finally seeking cover on the side of the bridge....

Premium whiskey brand Uncle Nearest reopened its 270-acre distillery in June, spotlighting African American, Tennessee, and women’s history in a new space designed to engage visitors of all ages. Following the completion of a $50 million project, Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, Tennessee, is now inviting guests to a new welcome center, speakeasy, barbecue restaurant, tasting room, and more. It’s the first distillery in the world to commemorate an African American, honoring its namesake, Nearest Green, a formerly enslaved man who is now known as the first African American master distiller on record — he even taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey....

When it comes to safety during air travel, your first concern might be bumpy turbulence. While pilots must work to insure that their flights are as smooth as possible, there are other, less obvious ways they know to stay safe on a plane — even when they’re not flying the aircrafts themselves. John Chesire, a retired airline captain, wrote on a Quora thread reported by Business Insider that he pays special attention to each airplane’s aisles to be prepared for emergencies....