Embrace the ‘Quiet Travel’ Trend in Laid-Back Costa Rica
If the world seems noisier and more chaotic than ever to you – you’re not alone. As life gets more stressful, online searches for ‘quiet travel’ have shot up like your blood pressure. One of the first places savvy travelers look to disconnect and rediscover tranquillity in nature is Costa Rica. The Central American country’s famous way of living, called ‘Pura Vida,’ has more appeal than ever, embodying a simple, joyful life connected to nature and loved ones. ‘Pura Vida’ translates...
New Digital Border Forms and Airport Hall Transform Travel to St. Maarten
New digital border processing and hall at SXM airport mean arriving for your next trip to the Caribbean’s famous twin-nation island will be faster, easier, and better than ever before. But you do have to get online and fill out the new forms before you check in to your flight to St. Maarten.Mandatory Digital Forms for Travel to St. MaartenSt. Maarten has implemented a new Digital Embarkation/ Disembarkation (ED) Form. As of October 8, 2024, all visitors arriving at Princess Juliana...
This Overwater Pickleball Court is Causing a ‘Racket’
The pickleball craze continues! Not content to dominate community parks around North America, the sociable, ‘tennis light’ paddle sport is taking root in holiday destinations – not just on land resorts and hotels, but also at sea, and, in the latest twist, overwater! Pickleball on the Rivers of EuropeAmaWaterways made waves when it became the first river cruise line to introduce a full-sized pickleball court (pictured, below). That’s courtesy of the extraordinary (for river cruise ships) size of the AmaMagna, the...
New Experiences in Australia that Connect You to Indigenous Culture
A new selection of activities for visitors to Australia allows you to experience the country’s history and nature, with the added richness of Aboriginal culture. Australia’s Aboriginal people are the island continent's original inhabitants, with a history that dates back over 65,000 years. That makes them one of the world’s oldest continuous cultures. A revival of Australian indigenous cultural practices, oral traditions, spiritual beliefs and recognition of their deep and historic connection to the land means visitors to Australia can enrich...
Panda-monium! New Pandas Debut This Year in Two American Cities
There will soon be two new places in the U.S. to visit China’s iconic and endearing national animal. The giant panda, with its unmistakeable black and white markings and adorable fuzzy features, is a keystone species and symbol of global conservations efforts – and it’s one of the ‘bucket list’ animals many people want to experience in person. A pair of pandas from China make their eagerly awaited public debut at the San Diego Zoo on August 8, 2024. Xin Bao...
3 Idyllic Places to Practice Japanese 'Forest Bathing'
Your next vacation may be the perfect time to take up shinrin-yoku, or ‘forest bathing.’ Wellness fans around the world are embracing the Japanese practice of immersing yourself deeply into the atmosphere of the woods, and the broader concept of spending more time in nature to improve your health and well-being. Renowned for their centuries-old practices of ritualized baths in outdoor or indoor thermal hot springs that dot Japan, the newer term of ‘forest bathing’ perhaps attempts to reflect how...
First LEGO Parade at Sea, Only Over-Water Swing and More on MSC World America
Building family fun on a cruise vacation couldn’t be easier. When the new MSC World America launches in April, 2025, it will have an over 10,0000 square foot kids’ area, complete with an enhanced partnership with LEGO that will offer first-at-sea experiences. Plus the only over-water swing ride – the ‘Cliffhanger’ - towering over 160 feet above the ocean - and other ‘can’t miss’ experiences for families. One of seven districts on the upcoming ship, Family Aventura is the destination for...
This Scandinavian Capital is Paying Visitors to Travel Green
Copenhagen is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to sustainable travel. The tourism board of the capital of Denmark is rewarding you to make green choices when you visit this summer as part of a pilot program that could lead the world in helping both locations and visitors to benefit more from travel. More popular destinations are struggling with growing numbers of visitors and their impact on the environment and local lifestyle. Instead of restricting visitors or...
Top Travel Destinations Inspired by the World’s Wellness “Blue Zones”
Interest in global "Blue Zones" is stronger than ever. The regions in the world where people live much longer and healthier lives compared to the global average are not just inspiring people to take a hard look at the overall wellness of their lifestyle – they are even inspiring people’s travel plans! “Blue Zones” is a term first coined by researchers who identified mysterious pockets of populations around the globe that were outliers in health and longevity, with a well-above ‘normal’...
Barbie Beach Vacation: 1st of its Kind Themed Collab in the Caribbean
Thinking pink for your next tropical vacation? Barbie has landed in the Bahamas! Fans of the world’s most famous doll with her own entertainment franchise can immerse themselves in her vivid universe in one of the most famous resorts in the islands. Through a new, exclusive partnership, Barbie Bahamas Beach Vacation has become a technicolor reality in Atlantis. It’s the first collaboration of its kind in the Caribbean. Friends of Barbie will discover Barbie-themed guest rooms, pool cabanas, activities, and café; a...