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Chase announced Monday a new credit card built for our pandemic lifestyles, helping travelers earn a bunch of cash back now to put toward vacations one day. The Chase Freedom Flex is a new card that will earn 5 percent cash back on a rotating series of spending categories (think grocery stores, streaming services, and other domestic needs) as well as 5 percent on all travel purchases booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards....

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. As Costa Rica prepares to welcome all American travelers on Nov. 1, the country announced it will no longer require a COVID-19 test for those who visit. In the announcement, obtained by Travel + Leisure, Tourism Minister Gustavo J....

Missing the Disney parks while they’re closed? You’re not the only one. Earlier this month, Disney made the decision to close Disneyland and Walt Disney World amid growing concerns around the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak. Since then, fans across the globe have come up with creative ways to bring the parks home — and for some, that means recreating some of the most iconic rides. More Disney news While you can still virtually experience the rides through Youtube videos featuring nearly every Disney attraction, some fans are going a step further to create an immersive theme park experience at home — and the results range from adorable and hilarious to downright impressive....

Dubai has no shortage of mind-blowing attractions that are unique to the ever-luxe destination. From its human-made islands and lavish theme parks to its famous skyscrapers and five-star hotels, the city has plenty of over-the-top sights and activities to keep visitors entertained. But the latest addition to its long list of must-visit sights is impressive even by Dubai standards. Enter: Aura Skypool, the world’s highest 360-degree infinity pool and lounge....

Every guy needs a timeless statement piece in their closet, and if you’re smart, it’s the same bomber that James Dean, Elvis Presley, Nick Jonas, and Bradley Cooper — among others — have been spotted in. The G9 Baracuta Harrington Jacket is more than just a simple jacket, it’s a lifestyle. It’s the sort of jacket that you can dress up or dress down and still feel like a badass either way....

Black History Month is here, and it’s time to step out to support your local Black-owned businesses and learn more about Black history in your community. For Los Angeles, that means digging into delicious food, seeing stunning artwork, and sending a few virtual oms around the city. To help you on your way, here’s a weekend’s worth of activities — whether you’re in town or an internet connection away — for you to try....

Legend has it that while traveling through a November rainstorm from one ancient Gaulish town to the next, a Roman soldier came upon a beggar. The solider was Martin, later to be St. Martin of Tours. Though he faced a long journey in horrible weather, to help the wet, shivering man, St. Martin cut his own cloak in two so that they could share the cloth. In response to such benevolence, so the story goes, the rain stopped, the sky cleared, and the sun dried the charitable soldier....

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. Paradise is so close to our borders you can almost taste it. Sitting just 575 miles off the coast of Miami sits Turks and Caicos, a British overseas archipelago made up of some 40 islands. It’s a puddle-jumper flight that transports you an entire world away....

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered life as we know it. Through spring and summer, we’ve endured, making the best of lockdowns, quarantines, and stay-at-home restrictions. But now that autumn is on the horizon, should we expect to miss out on our favorite fall traditions? We turned to medical experts for advice on which fall activities are safe and which are probably best to skip this year while the pandemic lingers on....

Last year’s World’s Best Awards survey closed on March 2, 2020, 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 the honorees will inspire your trips to come — whenever they may be. Palm-fringed islands scalloped with ivory sand are the stuff of dreams, and this year’s list of the best islands in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas offers plenty of inspiration....

In Japan, spring is an occasion for social outings, serene walks in nature, and plenty of selfies taken next to cherry trees coated in candy-pink blossoms. Sakura matsuri, or cherry blossom festival, is recognized all over Japan in April — but with such a short bloom period, locals must make the most of the splendid show for as long as they can. 6 Places to See the Cherry Blossoms in Japan This Spring Minus the Crowds...

More than 10 years after it dried up, a lake famous from its cameo in “Dirty Dancing” mysteriously refilled with water this summer. Although the movie is set in the Catskills, it was filmed much further south, primarily at Mountain Lake Lodge in Southwest Virginia. And the famous scene where Baby (Jennifer Grey) practices a “lift” for her epic dance number with Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) in its waters, The New York Times confirmed....

Some trips are, shall we say, more eventful than others. And one man’s account of what was meant to be a short, 24-hour trip will certainly make you grateful for your last forgettable travel experience. Andrew Kimmel, a TV and digital video producer, tweeted to American Airlines on Dec. 31 about a recent mileage run that had gone terribly wrong. Nicolas Economou/Getty Images First, if you don’t know was a mileage run is, it’s a typical practice among elite frequent fliers in which they take short trips in order to keep their loyalty status with a particular airline....

As more hotels adopt virtual concierge apps to meet guest needs, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas has taken it a step further by creating a uniquely designed robot concierge with a distinct personality. In early January, the hotel unveiled Rose, a flirty chatbot with a sense of humor. When guests check in to the hotel, a front desk representative gives them a card that reads: “Know my secrets. Text me,” and “I am the answer to the question that you never asked....

For some people, it’s the dive bar experience they miss most about pre-pandemic life, walking fearlessly down a few stairs into a dimly lit space to sip on a beer against the backdrop of so many scents. In an effort to recreate that environment, Miller Lite — the first successful mainstream light beer in the U.S. — released a limited-edition line of candles, called Bar Smells. And the company must have been onto something because the candles sold out in less than 24 hours....

The Navajo Nation is reopening parks and businesses on a phased basis, welcoming visitors back to the community’s monuments, casinos, and unique attractions. On Monday, the Navajo Nation entered the “orange” phase of its reopening plan, allowing 50% capacity in most businesses, including in restaurants, casinos, hotels and campgrounds, museums, and parks, according to the community. Mask wearing in public continues to be mandatory. As part of the plan, several important parks and monuments reopened to tourists, including the Four Corners Monument, Monument Valley Park, and Canyon de Chelly, according to the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation....

For some travelers, an actual vacation may not be far off. Though travel restrictions are still in place for many countries due to coronavirus, there are at least two nations who may be able to open up their borders in the near future: Australia and New Zealand. According to CNN, politicians from both countries are considering opening up certain parts of their countries to each other to create what’s known as a “travel bubble....

When COVID-19 left us with few options for indoor recreation, binge-watching TV series and baking sourdough only entertained us for so long. Eventually, people took to the great outdoors for some fresh air and adventure. With the threat of COVID still lingering, it seems like Mother Nature is still the perfect spot for some socially distanced fun. That’s where Hipcamp comes in. As the largest online resource for public and private outdoor experiences, Hipcamp offers a long list of places to go camping or glamping, as well as park an RV....

Traveling brings us many joys, from trying new foods to seeing new sites, meeting new people, and discovering hidden gems. But perhaps the most important thing travel can do for us is teach us important new lessons about where we’ve been and where we’re going, together. Be it big bucket list journeys or trips around the corner, we’re here to celebrate travels big and small and everything in between. We’re honoring this return to great things with new episodes of our podcast, Let’s Go Together, which highlights how travel changes the way we see ourselves and the world....

On an industrial block in Newark, New Jersey, behind the cement and brick Ironbound Recreation Center, there’s some magic happening. Inside a nondescript warehouse, sprouts are thriving under banks of LED lamps: kale, bok choy, arugula, tiny little plants only a horticulturalist could identify. Rows and rows and towers and towers of plants — like a scene from a super-sanitized version of “The Matrix” — are quickly becoming salad greens at AeroFarms....