Cycling through the Dutch Countryside on an Avalon Active Shore Excursion
One of the best things about river cruising in Europe is that it takes you into the heart of world-famous cities, charming smaller towns, and even through the countryside that you might not see any other way. One of the best things about Avalon Waterways' Active shore excursions is that they give you yet another way to explore Europe's best scenery up close – on a bicycle, on foot, by kayak and more.Active shore excursions are one of three styles of...
You Can Celebrate Richard Branson's Birthday With Him on his Adults-Only Cruise Line
With flamboyant Sir Richard Branson at the helm, the 2020 launch of Virgin Voyages is one of the most anticipated events in travel. The party-loving, trend-setting celebrity entrepreneur promised his latest travel venture would do to cruise what Virgin Air did to flying: rediscover a whole new level of tongue-in-cheek, escape-with-your-friends-to-a-private-party fun. Only this time, at sea. Bookings are now open for the inaugural season of the Scarlet Lady, the first Virgin Voyage ship, in April 2020. The ship's homeport is a splashy...
New Wellness Cultural Journeys from Abercrombie & Kent Enrich Mind, Body, Spirit
Run and train like a warrior with the Maasai or hike to a vantage point high above Machu Picchu. Feed your spirit with inspiration at a home for underprivileged girls in India, or a silent alms ceremony in Luang Prabang, and feed your body with healing, Ayurvedic herbs in India, or fresh local produce at a cooking demonstration on Krabey Island. Re-orient your mind through guided meditation with a local teacher at Kuang Si Falls, or learn about the meaning of...
Channel Your Inner Van Gogh on this Avalon Discovery Shore Excursion in Amsterdam
What happens when you put three non-painters in a painting workshop? Can you really learn to paint like Van Gogh in an afternoon? Those were the questions on all our minds as we walked to an art atelier near where our river cruise ship, the Avalon Vista, was docked in the heart of Amsterdam.By: Lynn Elmhirst, BestTripTVI'm creative but I have zero artistic skill. Even my handwriting is famously illegible. My friends, travel expert Ryan McElroy and travel and gardening journalist Tara Nolan,...
7 Tips for Touring Tuscany
If you close your eyes and picture 'Italy', chances are, it's the rows of vineyards and cypress trees, villas and farmhouses, fabled towns and household-name works of art of Tuscany that come to mind.There are a million reasons why Tuscany is the setting of so many escapist novels, movies and life-changing travels. Here are our favorites:FLORENCEThe red rooftops of Florence are the symbol of Tuscany's capital and epic Italian Renaissance magic. Wandering the alleys and cobblestoned streets, the Boboli Gardens and the...
Discover Amsterdam's Local Food Scene on this Avalon Waterways Shore Excursion
Everyone wants to try 'real' local food when they travel. But we don't always have a real local to point us in the right direction. That's why we loved our Avalon Waterways' culinary tour of the Jordaan, a walking-sipping-snacking tour of the revitalized neighborhood in Amsterdam. It gets you out of the tourist core and into the heart of the Dutch lifestyle the way the locals in the Netherlands really live. Want to taste the local beer? And the snack the locals order...
Have You Heard About OceaniaNEXT?
Oceania Cruises is making a triple-play of transformations, breathtaking in scope, that have already begun. When complete over the next few years these three tremendous changes will elevate all of the things you love about Oceania, and give you even more to experience.A $100-million re-imagination of its four, 684-guest Regatta-class ships to make them 'better than new'A thousand artisans have been deployed in the process to up-convert the Regatta, Insignia, Sirena, and Nautica. Inspired by their newer big sisters in the...
6 Reasons We Love Seabourn Cruises to Alaska
America's Last Frontier is a destination everyone should visit at least once in a lifetime of travel. Alaska's vast, untouched waters and shores are rich in breathtaking scenery and abundant land and marine wildlife in an unparalleled spectacle of Nature.Cruising along the pristine, emerald coast between British Columbia and Alaska is one of the very best perspectives and ways to experience Alaska's riches.Not just any cruise; here's what makes an Alaska cruise on ultra-luxury Seabourn so special.By: Lynn Elmhirst, Producer/ Host,...
The Chinese New Year Dish You Need To Try This Year
Kung Hey Fat Choi! Chinese New Year celebrations brighten up the winter months throughout Asia and Asian communities around the world. It's the most important date on the Lunar calendar and includes weeks of festivities with family and friends from late January through March. Many activities give everyone a chance to get into the spirit of a fresh, healthy, happy and prosperous upcoming year.Among the many outstanding traditions like lion dances, flower markets, decorations of lanterns, red and gold banners, and orange...
8 Facts About the Panama Canal
Panama is one of the fastest-growing destinations in Central America, and the Panama Canal is the country's star attraction. Although it's on everyone's list of things to experience, the canal is more important as a global shipping transit than tourist experience. Whether you sail the canal on your next cruise or watch in action from land, here are 8 things you need to know about this wonder of the modern world.1. It's a short cut between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.The...