Posts

This was supposed to be a story about a place. About Guanajuato, a region that encompasses Guanajuato City and San Miguel de Allende, two UNESCO World Heritage sites in Mexico’s central highlands region. I envisioned myself meandering around the colonial-era cities, weaving in and out of its kaleidoscopic streets, exploring its many historic monuments, and of course, eating my weight in tacos, chilaquiles, enchiladas slathered in salsa roja and verde, and sugar-dusted churros, dunking, then twirling each one into chocolate sauce....

If you describe yourself as “an individual with a sense of adventure and a genuine love of Antarctica” and you are free next winter, then we have the perfect job for you. A British charity, the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, just launched a search for a team to help run the continent’s most remote post office on Goudier Island in Port Lockroy. The organization accepts applications for three positions: base leader, shop manager, and general assistant, whose main tasks will be to take care of the gift shop and post office, carry out general maintenance, look after a museum, and count penguins as part of efforts to monitor and protect the island’s Gentoo colony....

It goes without saying that this summer looks completely different from last summer, and we could not be more excited, or more grateful. While summer 2020 was filled with Zoom calls, canceled vacation plans, and a frantic search for virtual activities to keep us occupied, summer 2021 is all about getting back out there. That means reclaiming a life of travel, restaurants, in-person sporting events, and even — dare we say it — concerts....

There are numerous mountain chains in Mexico, from north to south and east to west. Some represent year-long snowy landscapes, while others are inhabited by rattlesnakes and tall cacti. There are those that have daring cliffs and unique copper-colored rocks, and those that have been home to indigenous communities for centuries. Some are just isolated mountains, mostly dormant volcanoes, that welcome hikers, who want to explore both their beauty and their legends....

As some parts of the world begin to reopen, many of us are starting to think about the first place we’ll travel when it’s safe to do so. Maybe it’s somewhere domestic for an easy-to-reach, much-deserved vacation, or maybe it’s a bucket-list trip you’ve been planning for years. For some of T+L’s travel advisors, however, it’s not a new destination they’ve been dreaming of—it’s a beloved city they’ve been to many times before....

The animals that live at North Carolina’s Cape Hatteras National Seashore “adapt continually,” the National Park Service’s site says. But a discovery last week marked an unusual find for the area: a two-headed loggerhead sea turtle. In a video shared on its Facebook page on Aug. 17, the park showed the turtle with one shell and one body, but two functioning heads. “Are two heads really better than one?! It’s not every day that park biologists find a two-headed sea turtle,” the caption read....

Alaska Airlines is eliminating all plastic water bottles on board its aircraft and replacing them with boxed water, the carrier shared with Travel + Leisure on Wednesday. The airline said water service is one of the biggest contributors to plastic waste and the swap will eliminate about 32 million plastic bottles each year. The effort is an expansion of the airline’s earlier introduction in May of boxed water in first class and on select aircraft....

For more than two decades, Birthright Israel has brought young Jewish adults for an in-depth educational tour into their ancestors’ homeland. But, like the rest of the world, the program had to shutter its doors in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. But, on Monday, the organization announced its return, with birthright trips resuming in just a few weeks. According to the organization, trips will resume in May, allowing eligible adults between the ages of 18 and 32 from the United States to apply....

With the holidays around the corner, now is the perfect time to make vacation plans. And when it comes to dreamy destinations full of holiday cheer, few places can compete with the pastoral landscapes of Umbria, Italy. Enter Castello di Reschio, a fairy-tale thousand-year-old castle perched in the Umbrian Hills. Philip Vile/Courtesy of Hotel Castello di Reschio The family-owned property that opened its doors earlier this year after a painstaking 30-year remodel (that’s right, 30 years) spans 3,700 acres of jaw-dropping vistas, olive groves, and vineyards....

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its face mask guidelines in mid-January, recommending more protective disposable options, like KN95 and N95 masks. That means the trusty cloth face mask you’ve been wearing for the majority of the pandemic isn’t cutting it anymore. If you’re in the market for a KN95, check out Evolvetogether’s collection that’s just been restocked today. The brand has long been a favorite among celebrities like Katie Holmes, Jennifer Garner, and Gabrielle Union, and it’s no surprise why....

Will you stick to your New Year’s resolution this year? What if there was a free cruise in it for you if you did? Holland America Line and fitness company Daily Burn are here to help. The two companies have teamed up to give people the chance to win a free seven-day trip to Alaska if they commit to a healthy start to the year. “Holland America Line is the leader in Alaska cruising, and there are few things more inspiring than its jaw-dropping scenery, majestic glaciers and outstanding wildlife,” said Orlando Ashford, Holland America Line’s president....

Design fans are in for a treat thanks to Airbnb. This fall, the owners of Casa Vicens, the first home designed by the famed Catalonian architect Antoni Gaudí, will open the doors for a one-night stay in Barcelona via Airbnb. David Vilanova/Courtesy of Airbnb “We are excited to give guests the opportunity to experience this house as Gaudí designed it — as a nature oasis. We are deeply committed to the preservation of Gaudí’s cultural heritage and it will be a great pleasure to share the building’s secrets and rich history with whoever books,” Emili, Casa Vicens Gaudí host, shared in a statement....

The Travel + Leisure Global Vision Awards aim to identify and honor companies, individuals, destinations, and organizations taking strides to develop more sustainable and responsible travel products, practices, and experiences. Not only are they demonstrating thought leadership and creative problem-solving, they are taking actionable, quantifiable steps to protect communities and environments around the world. What’s more, they are inspiring their industry colleagues and travelers to do their part. Travel destinations around the world — especially those at risk for overtourism and those whose economies are largely tied to tourist dollars — must straddle a difficult line....

When I found myself between jobs, I decided to fulfill my longtime desire to travel in my twenties. I planned a four-month trip across three different continents — and before I left, I was asked an obvious question. “Backpacking?” My friends and family, excited about my big adventure, were curious. “Not really,” I replied sheepishly. “I’m carry-on-ing.” I didn’t arrive at this luggage choice after some long, grueling brainstorm session, nor did I make a Venn diagram weighing pros and cons....

This year’s World’s Best Awards survey closed on March 2, just before widespread stay-at-home orders were implemented as a result of COVID-19. The results reflect our readers’ experiences before the pandemic, but we hope that this year’s honorees will inspire your trips to come — whenever they may be. There’s no shortage of culture and natural beauty in this part of the world, where historic sites, diverse culture, and wandering wildlife draw curious travelers....

Christmas is set to look different in Italy this year. Italians won’t be able to attend traditional midnight mass services on Christmas Eve or travel freely across regions to celebrate, according to the latest government regulations aimed at stemming a sharp resurgence in coronavirus cases around the country. Italy has led Europe in COVID-19 fatalities in recent weeks, reporting a record high of 993 deaths in a single day on Thursday, Reuters reports....

Jan Brett creates worlds where magic happens — where honey badgers talk, hedgehogs explore space, and trolls steal your Christmas decorations. The author, who has sold more than 40 million books, has been a family favorite for decades. What fans might not know is that the Berkshires-based Brett takes extensive research trips to build her elaborate, enchanting realms, from Norway, Botswana, and Japan to Arctic Alaska (for an upcoming book about a musk ox)....

It’s a new year at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and the casino isn’t gambling with its future, introducing a whole new slate of food and entertainment experiences as well as welcoming guests to luxuriously renovated new suites, the hotel shared exclusively with Travel + Leisure. Barbara Kraft/Courtesy of Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace This year, visitors to Caesars Palace will be able to eat their weight in steak at the brand-new Peter Luger Steak House, the first Las Vegas location for the iconic restaurant....

New York City may still be in the throes of battling COVID-19, but the Big Apple is looking ahead, ensuring it is ready to welcome tourists with open arms when the time comes — and partnering with some big names to do it. This week, the city’s destination marketing organization, NYC & Company, formed The Coalition for NYC Hospitality & Tourism Recovery, which will create public information campaigns and re-inspire a love for the bustling culture the city is known for — with the help of some big New York City names like Broadway star Lin-Manuel Miranda and restaurateur Danny Meyer....

A new innovation in airport security just came to Nashville last week, and it may be part of the future of post-pandemic travel. According to USA Today, Nashville International Airport is now home to several Clear kiosks, biometric identity scanners that use either eye or finger scans in order to pull up a passenger’s information instead of waiting in a security line. The new scanners have been popping up in airports for the last few years, but the advent of the coronavirus pandemic makes their implementation seem all the more necessary....