Stories

‘Ditch’ the Boots: Switzerland’s Barefoot Hiking Revival

about

Switzerland’s famous for its snowy peaks and picturesque slopes. It’s home to some of the world’s chicest ski resorts and 40,000 miles of summer hiking trails.  The Swiss have elevated outdoor Alpine lifestyles to a national art form… and the...

Read more

Italian Wine Beyond Tuscany: 3 Other Regions Worth Drinking In

about

We love Tuscany, too. But Italy has 20 wine-producing regions. Why should Chianti have all the fun? Head north, east, and very south from Tuscany for three deliciously different wine adventures. Tuscany has become almost shorthand for Italian wine travel: cypress-lined...

Read more

The Only Country Celebrating the Autumn Equinox as a National Holiday

about

Many cultures have fall festivals, but only one makes the arrival of astronomical autumn a national holiday: Shubun no Hi. What’s more, Japan does it twice a year, also making March’s Vernal Equinox Day the holiday Shunbun no Hi. Shubun no...

Read more

Royal Caribbean Group Buys 50% of Sandals Resorts- A Game Changer for the Caribbean and Global Cruising?

about

Caribbean cruising - and beyond! - may have changed forever. Royal Caribbean Group -which also owns Celebrity Cruises and Silversea - and Sandals Resorts International announced that the cruise company has purchased 50% of the Caribbean all-inclusive resort chain. It's a...

Read more

Four Seasons Opens 2nd Resort in Greece; 3rd on the Way

about

Greece’s ancient coastlines, history and modern lifestyle retain evergreen travel charm; no wonder Four Seasons has opened its second Greek resort - and its first on a Greek island. Four Seasons Hotel Mykonos is a tranquil beachfront retreat just 20 minutes...

Read more

From Epic to Film to Real Life: How to Take your Own Greek Odyssey

about

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey put one of the world’s oldest travel stories back on the big screen in 2026—and launched Greek voyages back into our travel imaginations. It might be the year’s biggest inspiration for ‘set-jetting': planning your own dramatic...

Read more

Baroque to Biohacking: the New Wellness Scene in Vienna's Luxury Hotels

about

Vienna has spent centuries perfecting the art of living well. Coffee and cake in chandeliered cafés. Music, art and architecture on an imperial scale. And, increasingly, some serious pampering behind the doors of the Austrian capital’s luxury hotels. But these days,...

Read more

2 New Openings Continue to Redefine All-Inclusive Resort Vacations

about

Two new Caribbean resort openings show travelers just how far the concept of the all-inclusive holiday is stretching, with lifestyle hotels translating their unique identities into all-inclusives and focusing less on buffets and the beach and more on wellness retreats,...

Read more

Lights Out on One of the Hottest New Travel Trends

about

For generations, travelers have organized their days around daylight. Get up. See the sights. Take the photos. Then, as the sun sets, the day starts wrapping up. One of travel’s fastest-growing trends turns that itinerary upside down. And the lights off. Noctourism...

Read more

New Zealand Attracts a New Generation of Lord of the Rings Fans on 25th Anniversary of Film

about

Twenty-five years ago, moviegoers got their first glimpse of Middle-earth — and savvy travelers discovered that it looked remarkably like New Zealand. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring premiered in 2001, the first chapter of Peter Jackson’s...

Read more

European Cruising After the Christmas Markets: River and Ocean

about

What cruises give you the warmest welcome in Europe’s coolest months? River and coastal ocean cruising doesn’t completely stop when the Christmas holidays start. In fact, Europe’s “quiet season” is becoming a season of its own for cruisers. It’s true that...

Read more

VIDEO From the Bridge: Meet the Captain of the Paul Gauguin in Tahiti

about

What’s it like to captain a ship that sails year-round in exotic French Polynesia? I got to ask the captain of the Paul Gauguin during a visit to the bridge on a week-long voyage around the Islands of Tahiti. It’s a...

Read more