A Twist on 'April Showers' at This Country's New Year Celebrations
Many modern holiday celebrations put an irreverent twist on their historic – and often more solemn -traditions.Thailand’s Songkran may be one of the most extreme examples of that phenomenon.Ancient Thai culture marked the New Year in what we now call April. The word is Sanskrit, meaning ‘astrological passage’, and it coincides with the rising of Aries and the New Year of the Hindu and Buddhist calendars. Songkran is a three-day ritual, from the 13th to the 15th of April. The final...
Get Into the Spirit of the 'Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports'
Spring brings longer days, warmer weather… and the thunder of hooves as horse racing begins in North America and Europe. On this side of the pond, there’s no better way to get your heart racing than to be in the stands for the legendary Kentucky Derby. Held on the first Saturday of May, the epic race gets the serious horse racing season going as the first leg of the American Triple Crown.The Kentucky Derby was founded nearly 150 years ago by...
Spring Gardens, Tropical-Style in Costa Rica
'Spring flowers’ takes on new meaning in the tropics.With Costa Rica’s epic biodiversity and commitment to conservation, lush, green landscapes are a given any time you visit. But some of the Central American country’s botanical gems are best discovered not in the wilderness, but in gardens crafted by human hands.Here are five gardens to add ‘color’ to your trip to Costa Rica. Botanical Orchid GardenNorth America has 200 varieties of orchids. Luscious Costa Rica? 1300.The “Guaria Morada” orchid is even the...
'Astro' Travel Will Have You 'Seeing Stars'
International Dark Sky Week, held during the week of the new moon each April, calls for people worldwide to turn out their lights and take in the beauty of the night sky without light pollution dimming its brilliance. It’s also an annual reminder that some of the very best travel experiences aren’t under the bright lights of a city. Some of the most awe-inspiring and life-changing travel moments involve absorbing Mother Nature’s greatest spectacles above us.Astrotourism is a growing trend that...
Cruise Ships: New, Improved, and Coming Soon
The latest designs, innovations, and features, in a sparkling white cruise ship gliding over the waves. If that’s not enough to get you excited about taking a cruise on a new ship, there’s always ‘new ship smell’. A new cruise ship may not have a distinctive scent like a new car, but knowing you’re among the first to experience a new entry to the world’s fleet of cruise ships is a not-to-miss sensation. Not every new ship comes ‘hot off the press’....
Meet the Stingray Whisperer of the Bahamas
They are the laid back cousin of sharks, majestically pre-historic looking, and spellbinding in footage ‘flying’ through the ocean on ‘wings’.Stingrays are not as dangerous as their name implies, and for one eco-tour operator on Grand Bahama Island, they live up to their nickname: ‘angels of the seas’.Keith Cooper is known throughout the island as the ‘Stingray Whisperer.’ Keith has been working with stingrays for over a dozen years and has actually developed a personal bond with a number of...
First, Fully Digital Hotel to Open in Northern Europe
It’s in the heart of one of the most historic neighborhoods in London. But this hotel has become a symbol of the future of travel.ibis Styles London Gloucester Road is in Kensington, within easy strolling distance of some of the English capital’s favorite landmarks, like the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum, shopping at Harrod’s and of course, its highest-profile residence, Kensington Palace, where Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge and their three children live, alongside other...
Yes, You Can Cruise Again - This Summer! Here's How.
No sailing in American or Canadian waters yet? No problem! That’s what at least three cruise lines – so far - are saying.Plus, some other lines confirming they’re able to start cruising despite restrictions.Especially if you’re one of the millions of people in the US and Canada who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 – or will be soon – you could be on the deck of a ship as early as June, enjoying the feel of sea breezes wafting over you. Lynn...
4 Top Reasons to Make a Vacation Rental Your Next Holiday - Plus Booking Tips
Vacation rentals were the fastest growing type of holiday accommodation even before the pandemic. With types of rental homes ranging from urban apartments to beach villas, farmhouses to ski chalets or even castles, the trend towards non-hotel stays is likely to keep growing as travel picks up again. Here are the top reasons why you might be thinking about a vacation rental soon. And we share a couple of tips to help you get the best rental experience in a travel...
One Trail Walk Takes You Across the 2 Highest New Suspension Bridges
The Golden Skybridge features not one, but two expansive suspension bridges connected by forested trails – right at the edge of two legendary mountain ranges.Visitors embark on a 3k (nearly 2 mile) nature walk weaving throughout parkland and across two new, spectacular suspension bridges – the two highest pedestrian suspension bridges in Canada, and believed to be in all of North America.You might call this new experience ‘Golden’. The mountain town of Golden in southeast British Columbia sits amidst six Canadian...