Posts

This year’s World’s Best Awards survey was open for voting January 11 through May 10, 2021, as destinations around the world were lifting COVID-19 restrictions. Survey rules have always allowed readers to reflect on their travel experiences over a three year period. We hope that this year’s honorees will inspire your own travels as you get back out into the world. If you’re booking a resort getaway in Mexico, certain things are a given no matter where you check in....

While working remotely can really disturb a daily routine with a possible lack of structure, things like getting creative with living-room-happy-hour or more time to get crafty with home decor when it’s time to log off are the silver linings we need — and Bombay Sapphire is helping us get there. The gin company is launching a series of online classes, workshops and cocktail-making sessions in “a multi-platform learning experience” called Create-From-Home in partnership with several other online brands to inspire at-home learning as coronavirus-sparked quarantine rules across the U....

Wildfires sparked by lightning storms in California last week have forced the closure of Sequoia National Park, home to some of the world’s oldest and largest trees. The Paradise and Colony fires, both triggered by the storms, have yet to be contained, already burning through nearly 6,000 acres, according to Cal Fire, the state’s firefighting agency. And it’s not just visitors that are being asked to stay away; employee housing in the park is also under a mandatory evacuation order....

According to a recent report by the US Travel Association, some 90% of Americans are planning to travel in the next six months. And Capital One wants to make sure those who choose to fly are as comfortable as possible by expanding its lounge presence. In July, the credit card company announced a brand new Capital One lounge located in the Denver International Airport (DEN). The lounge, set to open in 2022, will become the latest addition, following its lounges at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) airport, which is set to open this fall, and its Dulles International Airport (IAD) location, also opening in mid-2022....

Chrissy Teigen’s mom, Pepper, has a perfect recipe for your Super Bowl feast. Teaming up with buzzy alcohol brand Babe Wines, the grandmother whose infectious energy regularly shines through her daughter’s Instagram stories is serving up her Thai Crispy Chicken Wings for the big game — and she wants you to try it for yourself. “I love introducing Thai flavors to everyone through my food — my recipes are so simple to make, delicious, and fun!...

The U.S. Department of Transportation has mandated airlines to refund passengers in the event flights are canceled, significant schedule changes or made, or government restrictions prevent flying due to the coronavirus outbreak. The directive, issued Friday, comes as many airlines have been offering future travel credits, rather than refunds, amid the coronavirus pandemic. The DOT said it received “an increasing number of complaints” about the lack of refunds. Anadolu Agency/Getty...

Are your vacations missing just a little something? Do you long to throw wine in somebody’s face? Are you constantly rehearsing your reality show catchphrase? This Labor Day Weekend, Hotels.com will send you and your friends on a free vacation — if you can prove how much you all love drama. Courtesy of Hotels.com The hotel booking site is hosting a “Destination Drama” vacation for the group of friends who can prove just how over-the-top they are....

The Palace at Versailles is well known for its gorgeous gardens. But there’s one special part of the grand palaces gardens that has been overlooked — until now. According to Lonely Planet, Marie Antoinette’s private garden, also known as the Queen’s Grove (Le Bosquet de la Reine), will be going under restoration to put it back to its former glory. Raphael GAILLARDE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images While the Palace itself, as well as much of its original gardens, were built during the reign of King Louis XIV (the Sun King), Marie Antoinette, wife of King Louis XVI, commissioned architect Michel-Barthélemy Hazon to redesign her own private refuge that is located close to the famous Orangerie while she still lived there, Lonely Planet reported....

When it comes to out-of-this-world places to stay, Airbnb has too many to count — but one new listing might be the most wild yet. Lucy the Elephant is a notable New Jersey attraction. Not a living, breathing creature like you’d find in Africa or Asia, Lucy is actually a six-story building that has called Margate, New Jersey home since the 19th century. Originally built in 1881, the massive elephant structure has served as a tavern, private residence, and is even on the National park Registry of Historical Landmarks....

The Smithsonian Museums and National Zoo will temporarily close due to the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning Monday, Nov. 23. The closure impacts eight institutions in D.C., including the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of American History, the national Museum of the American Indian, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Zoo, the Renwick Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum....

Cruising down the canals of Venice on a real gondola is quite possibly one of the most romantic ways to ring in Valentine’s Day. But if you can’t get to Italy by Feb. 14, there’s another Venetian-style way to celebrate your love – and it’s right here in the U.S. DoNapa.com is a one-stop spot for all the things you can do in Napa Valley, California. And one of the most popular and romantic activities currently available is a Venetian gondola ride....

Life in the suburbs has never seemed more appealing. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the popularity of remote work, more and more Americans are choosing to leave the big city and move to smaller communities with larger homes, better schools, and a laid-back lifestyle. This, coupled with lower mortgage rates, has led to unprecedented demand for single-family homes in specific neighborhoods across the country, which, in turn, has driven home values to record highs....

If you like cheese — and really, who doesn’t? — you’ve probably picked up a package of Emmi Le Gruyère before. But chances are you had no idea that before being packaged and transported across the Atlantic, the cheese was carefully ripened in a cave within a Swiss mountain. Kaltbach Cave, which was formed from a prehistoric seabed, is found within Santenberg mountain a few miles from Lucerne, Switzerland. And it just so happens the cave’s cool, subterranean conditions are just right for ripening cheese....

Taking a couple’s trip can certainly be expensive. But there’s one way to have a romantic vacation and get paid for it too. Silver Swan Recruitment is looking for an enthusiastic couple to work as a host/hostess and deckhand on a luxury barge in France over the summer of 2020. The couple will be in charge of events, parties, guest needs, and some navigation of the barge itself. The ideal candidates for these positions are a couple with hospitality experience and proven experience working together and communicating well....

Some airports are great, some are terrible, and most are in between. But some are trying their hardest, and in recognition of that, the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards this week named Cleveland Hopkins International the “Most Improved Airport” in North America. The ASQ Awards are given out annually by Airports Council International, recognizing the airports that achieve the highest rankings based on passenger surveys. Cleveland (CLE) sees about 9 million passengers each year....

When Hurricane Ida tore through Louisiana last August, it left a trail of destruction in its wake. The Category 4 storm caused record devastation to the state, particularly impacting areas along the coast. Now, six months later, one tiny island has re-emerged and is ready to welcome back visitors. Particularly if those visitors are professional ornithologists or, at the very least, extremely enthusiastic bird watchers. Jackson Hill/Courtesy of Visit Jefferson Parish...

If you are standing in a circle of people in Costa Rica, chances are that at least one of the people is a yoga instructor. It’s really that popular. Considering the pura vida lifestyle here in Costa Rica, it’s not a huge surprise that people are increasingly showing up to stretch, tone, and purify their bodies. Alongside regular tourism, the holistic tourism sector has developed rapidly in the last 10 years, and yoga retreats have sprung up along the coasts and in the mountains....

While your local beach may be just a bike ride, train ride, or car ride away, the idea of the sitting upon the Caribbean’s warm white-sand shores or swimming in Hawaii’s turquoise waters sounds a bit more than tempting. Where you should travel solo, based on your zodiac sign But with an endless list of photo-worthy coastlines, it’s not always easy to choose where in the world to lay down your beach towel....

As a travel writer, there are few things I take as seriously as packing. It’s become a soothing routine for me before trips to diligently roll each piece (yes, I am on #TeamRoll, not fold), pack up my tiny toiletries, and charge all my devices. But one thing I will never, ever do is check my luggage. No matter how long I’m planning to travel for. Never. Not going to happen....

Disney is all about the details. Sure, every Disney fan knows that the rides, snacks, and the parks themselves are meticulously designed and maintained so visitors can be delighted at every turn, but did you know that this very thoughtful mentality also extends to the park’s staff as well? Take, for example, the fact that Disney park employees are banned from ever pointing with just their index finger. Sure, it may seem like a minute detail, but as it turns out there are two distinct conspiracy theories on why park employees are mandated to do the “double Disney point,” including Walt Disney’s smoking habits and simply being polite....