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The coronavirus pandemic has stolen plenty of small joys this year, including the postponement or total cancellation of countless weddings. While some people are OK pushing back their nuptials, others are seeking out more intimate ways to say “I do.” And now Air Charter Service is hoping to help those looking to have small ceremonies in the most unique way possible: At 30,000 feet. “Sadly, many couples have had to abandon their original wedding plans due to COVID-19....

As vaccines roll out — not just across the U.S. but around the world — and news of countries reopening follows, our travel excitement grows. And who among us hasn’t fantasized, at some point in the last year, about Europe travel in summer 2021? As members of the EU begin welcoming vaccinated travelers, the fantasy of traveling to Europe has officially become reality. Europe travel to Iceland, Greece, Italy, and Croatia, among other countries, began in May....

The U.S. ski industry lost an estimated $2 billion last winter, according to the National Ski Areas Association. Visits to the mountains dropped some 14 percent, and the average open days on the mountains dropped from 121 to just 99. That means this season is mission-critical for many ski resorts. The only problem? It looks like there may not be as many people to staff the mountains as we need....

For the first time ever, Viking will operate two world cruises within one year, due to increased demand for longer-term travel. The 2023-2024 Viking World Cruise will sail aboard two different ships, both setting sail on identical itineraries from Fort Lauderdale and leaving within days of each other. The announcement comes after both Viking’s 2021 and 2022 world cruises sold out in record time. Courtesy of Viking Cruises Guests may choose to sail the Viking Sky from Dec....

As a parent, it’s important to tell your kids “no” sometimes, but it’s also easy to get caught up in the negativity if you have to use that word more often than you’d like. That’s why Netflix and Vrbo have teamed up to offer several epic, kid-approved vacation rentals that everyone can say “yes” to, especially with the heavily discounted nightly rate that’s probably about the same as a kid’s allowance....

With warm scones, beautiful pastries, and a glass or two of Champagne, afternoon tea is certainly a luxury. Thankfully for New York City residents and tourists, there are plenty of restaurants serving afternoon tea — ranging from ultra-luxurious high tea with caviar and pastries in some of the city’s best hotels to simple (but still very delicious) cream teas with tea and scones served alongside clotted cream and jam. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, looking for unique things to do in New York City, or just crave dainty finger sandwiches and a great cuppa, we’ve got you covered....

Yoga is one of the most peaceful and rejuvenating things you can do. And like with most things, when you incorporate animals, it only improves the experience. There’s already goat yoga, alpaca yoga, and lemur yoga, but the marrying of animals and exercise has taken a leap with the addition of flamingo yoga. At the Baha Mar resort in the Bahamas, guests can channel their inner Zen while surrounded by four, 1-year-old pink flamingo ambassadors named Baha, Lynden, Indy, and Luca....

When I enter a hotel, I usually don’t feel nervous. But this time, as I walked into The James Hotel – Nomad, a little shiver crept up my spine. Unlike my usual jaunts to hotels around New York City to check out the bar or people watch in the lobby, this time I was heading straight to the penthouse to meet with a witch. Yes, a witch. This year, The James decided to truly embrace the spirit of the Halloween season by hosting a “Witch-in-Residence” at the hotel....

When we inevitably all uproot from Earth and move to space, we are going to need doctors. And even though we’re years away from needing to leave the planet, there are already training programs preparing people to practice medicine in space. Deep in the Utah desert, the Martian Medical Analogue and Research Simulation is teaching medical professionals and aerospace engineers how to be doctors in space. The course takes place at the Mars Desert Research Station, located about seven miles outside of the town of Hanksville, Utah....

Not long ago, I counted myself as one of the nearly 400,000 collegiates who call Greater Boston their campus. With more than 50 universities and colleges in the metropolitan area, the schools’ facilities, events, and ample grounds are as crucial to city life as they are to campus culture. From professors’ public lectures and readings to the sweeping libraries and stadiums, the institutions of higher learning invite locals and visitors alike to experience college life....

There’s nothing better than a nice candle — except for a candle that gives back to a community and makes sure you’re having fun while doing it. Boy Smells, the L.A.-based candle company whose core purpose “is to revolutionize binary ideas and imagine a genderful universe,” is doing just that by launching a series of Pride-themed candles and a digital experience that celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community. Better yet, a portion of the proceeds goes to The Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to helping save the lives of young members of the LGBTQIA+ community....

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised more than 20 destinations around the world to its highest travel advisory level in one of the widest-reaching COVID-19-related travel warnings yet. The agency warned Americans this week to “avoid” traveling to 22 new countries and territories from Caribbean islands like the Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, and Turks and Caicos, to Australia and Israel, designating them as “Level 4” destinations. Tourists visit the Old City of Jerusalem, as the city reopens to foreign tourists vaccinated against COVID-19, on Nov....

2019 is going to be a massive year for Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts, reshaping both parks as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens in California this summer and Florida in late fall. The 14-acre experience will bring lightsabers, rebel spies, cantina sips and two immersive “Star Wars” attractions to the parks, not to mention every bit of merchandise you’ve been dreaming of scooping up since first seeing Luke Skywalker and Han Solo on film....

When Lauren Bates got laid off, she decided to turn a bad situation into an opportunity to follow her dream. “There are so many women who lost jobs and they feel like it is this rare thing that has happened to them,” Bates, the founder and CEO of the all-women travel company Wild Terrains, told Travel + Leisure. “It doesn’t have to be this traumatic [thing].” So when Bates took the leap to start her own travel company in 2018, she decided to focus on what she saw as something missing from the market....

When you tell people you’re going on the world’s longest flight, you’re met with mixed reactions. A trip to the cosmopolitan island of Singapore promises some of the best Southeast Asian comfort food, a vibrant fusion of cultures, and unforgettable scenery, from modern cityscapes to traditional shophouses to busy waterfront promenades. An almost 19-hour flight, however, threatens jet lag, leg cramps, dehydration, and pull-your-hair-out levels of boredom. As I prepared to join the new world’s longest flight on its maiden voyage from Newark Liberty International Airport to Singapore’s award-winning Changi Airport, however, my excitement only grew....

A town in Japan spent a reported $274,000 of its COVID relief funds on a gigantic statue of a squid in hopes to attract tourists. The coastal town of Noto in Japan’s Ishikawa prefecture was awarded $7.31 million (800 million yen) by the central government, in funds for local economies due to the pandemic, according to local media via Reuters. Although the money was intended for COVID-19 relief, it did not have to be used on combating the virus directly....

I first met Kellee Edwards three years ago at an event in New York City, where we were able to have frank conversations about gender, race, and navigating our planet. I listened to her, learned from her, and we stayed in touch, as both our careers took us to new and exciting places. As Travel + Leisure prepared to launch Let’s Go Together, a podcast celebrating diversity in travel, I immediately thought of Kellee....

Miami may be known as a melting pot of cultures, welcoming visitors and residents from all backgrounds, but it wasn’t always that way. Like its neighboring Southern states, Florida also went through a period of segregation that excluded Black Americans from certain spaces. It wasn’t until 1945 — nearly 50 years after the city’s founding — that a protest by the local Black community led to the creation of “Virginia Key Beach, a Dade County Park for the exclusive use of Negroes....

New York City’s famous Grand Central Oyster Bar is poised for a grand reopening. The Grand Central Oyster Bar has been serving seafood to commuters, locals and tourists for over 100 years and was forced to close its doors for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, the Oyster Bar announced that it will make its re-debut on Tuesday, Sept. 7. “As we re-open on September 7th we relish the opportunity to be of service again and fill your hearts, and ours, with joy and do what we do best; offer an amazing experience to our beloved New Yorkers and to our friends from all over the world,” the restaurant’s website now reads....

One of the world’s most active volcanoes is living up to its reputation. Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, which last erupted in May 2018 when it destroyed about 700 homes, started to erupt on Sunday night around 9:30 p.m. local time, according to a tweet from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Volcanoes account. A steam cloud shot about 30,000 feet into the atmosphere, lasting for about an hour, a National Weather Service official told the Associated Press early Monday....