How These Hotels in Japan are Celebrating Cherry Blossom Season
Early spring in Japan spells ‘sakura,’ or cherry blossom season, when the entire country is awash in the lacy, pale pink blooms on millions of cherry trees lining rivers, avenues, mountainsides and park walks. A culture obsessed with seasonality values perhaps cherry blossom season the most, and this may be the best time to immerse yourself in Japanese traditions. Sakura season has been celebrated for centuries in Japan, and the ancient ritual of 'hanami,' (literally meaning flower-viewing) parties and picnics still...
Be a Part of Royal Coronation History with a Visit to Great Britain
The British know how to put on a show for their monarchy’s milestones, and the Coronation of King Charles III is a once-in-a-generation chance to be personally steeped in pageantry, traditions dating back a millennium and quintessentially English experiences you may never see again.Travelers to Britain during the Coronation will create a lifetime of memories and an endless collection of stories that begin: “I was there when…”Tap into the romance of British period dramatic films and TV series and the...
Hong Kong Wants to Buy You a Drink - and Toast its East-Meets-West Culture
Hong Kong’s doors are open to visitors again, and to celebrate, it’s offering travelers who come to the city in 2023 some ‘welcome back’ perks – plus, it’s unveiling a host of new and resuming cultural events and attractions. “Hello Hong Kong” is inviting new and returning friends of one of the most vibrant, eclectic, and unforgettable cities in Asia to rediscover – or learn for the first time – what puts Hong Kong on the map for savvy travelers. Hong...
Why You Should Book a Trip to Egypt During the Centenary of the Discovery of King Tut's Tomb
A hundred years after the discovery of the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, “King Tut” remains the most famous of all of ancient Egypt’s rulers – and one of the biggest attractions on a trip to Egypt. Tutankhamun only ruled for 10 short years until dying at the age of 19 in 1325 BC. But he became a celebrity again, thousands of years after his passing, in November, 2022. That's when British Egyptologist Howard Carter and his team discovered...
Become a Certified "RumMaster" on the Caribbean Island with the Oldest Surviving Distillery
There’s enjoying tropical rum cocktails when you’re in the Caribbean on vacation… then there’s becoming an actual “RumMaster.” Now you can spend a day with kindred ‘spirits’ immersing yourself in the history and the practice of rum on an island with a rich rum history and a growing unconventional rum scene. St. Kitts Tourism has launched its “Kittitian RumMaster” program a pair of courses led by two of the island’s prestigious rum experts. Travellers to the island who complete both courses...
Mexico's Top 5 Archaeological Sites
Break away from the beach and inject the wonder of history into your next vacation! Mexico’s ancient past comes alive at archaeological sites around the country that allow you to walk in the footsteps of the inhabitants of highly evolved societies who built pyramids, elaborate cities, and culture rivalling any ancient civilization in the world. Pre-Columbian (the era prior to Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the New World) archaeological sites are true wonders of the world. It’s not everywhere you can enjoy...
'Fungi Fest' in the British Virgin Islands: It's Not About Mushrooms!
If you've never been to the British Virgin Islands, you might think their 'Fungi Fest' is a culinary event featuring mushrooms. Fungi (foon-gee) is actually the traditional folk music of the BVI’s. And it’s a lot more lively than edible fungus! Also called 'scratch' music, according to BVI Tourism, fungi music is deeply rooted in African heritage, but also with Euroepan influences. It’s described as “a combination of string and percussion instruments complemented by woodwind and storytelling vocals.” Fungi is also...
Trick or... Travel: Top Hallowe'en-Inspired Trips
Supernatural and macabre films, TV series, and novels feed our gathered-round-the-fire love of a scary story. But there’s nothing like the real-life thrill of visiting in person places around the world whose histories of hauntings, bone-chilling tales and ghostly sightings get our primal senses tingling while we’re standing right there!We’ve rounded up some of our favorite spook-tacular trips:London, EnglandLondon’s long history of royal intrigues and political skulduggery – as well as its wealth of ancient towers, dungeons, prisons and places...
25th Anniversary of the 'Star-chitecture' that Put this Spanish Port on the Map
Coinciding with news that Spain has joined the rest of the EU in removing all pandemic entry restrictions for overseas travelers – is the 25th anniversary of a Spanish landmark that transformed modern travel. Before celebrity architect Frank Gehry, not many travelers could put their finger on Bilbao, Spain on a map. Despite being the largest city in northern Spain and its Basque country, and on the estuary into the Atlantic Ocean’s Bay of Biscay with a coastal beach culture all its...
There's More to Peru than Machu Picchu
Peru's overwhelming claim to fame is the mystique and majesty of the ancient remains at Machu Picchu - deservedly named recently the 'South America's Leading Tourist Attraction.” But there's more to Peru than its fabled history, leading it to also earn the designation as 'South America's Leading Culinary Destination 2022' and 'Leading Cultural Destination 2022' in the region. Here are some of the reasons why:Annual Día de la Canción Criolla Celebrates Music and Dance on October 31Move over, Hallowe'en. There's...