Outdoor Active Travel in Downtown Vancouver
Vancouver may be Canada's most famously 'outdoorsy' major city. Even in a city that drives Canada's vast Asia-Pacific business, athletic wear is more common than pinstripes! Nature thrives right on the city's doorstep: a gorgeous, picturesque harbor and bay, snow-capped mountains surrounding the city, and breathtaking Stanley Park, one of the world's top urban green spaces. For vacationers and cruise travelers in Vancouver, outdoor activities top the list of things to do. Even if you're traveling to Vancouver on business,...
The Bicycle's Big Birthday
This month marks a big milestone for the bicycle. We've had two hundred years of two-wheeled travel. On June 12, 1817, German inventor Karl von Drais took a little ride on his new invention, the 'Laufsmaschine'. His first reported trip, from a castle courtyard in Mannheim to a coaching inn 5 miles away on Baden's best road, took a little over an hour – and changed travel forever.Reproducing Karl von Drais' First Ride. Image courtesy of City of MannheimVon Drais'...
MSC's 'Wonder' at Sea
There's a new Wonder at Sea. The MSC Meraviglia. If your language skills are rusty, that's Italian for 'wonder', and this European cruise line's new flagship is a wondrous destination at sea for five thousand guests. The MSC Meraviglia is the biggest ship to be built by a European ship owner, and also the biggest cruise ship to come into service in 2017.The 13th addition to the MSC Cruises fleet brought wonder to the northern French port of Le Havre...
Video: Cycling Tour of 'One of the Best Cycling Destinations in the World'
Sometimes we think that the best travel experiences can only be found in distant, exotic destinations. And they're waiting for you right in your back yard. Kieran Andrews of Wild Rock Outfitters leads cycling tours in some of the most famous and storied locations in the world. But when BestTrip.TV's Ryan McElroy asked him about one of his favorite places to cycle, it was at home in Canada in Peterborough & the Kawarthas. In this BestTrip.TV video, Kieran takes Ryan...
Grocery Delivery Program makes Hotels more like Home... or an Apartment Rental
Imagine a knock on your hotel door. Instead of a voice saying 'Room Service', you hear: 'Grocery Delivery'. Long stays at hotels just got better for families, business road warriors, and anyone who wants the health, comfort, choice, and even cost benefits of cooking in your hotel rather than relying entirely on restaurants or wasting time trying to find a grocery store in an unfamiliar city.According to research done by Hawthorn Suites, Wyndham Hotels' extended stay hotels, 2/3rds of us...
Face to Face with the World's Largest Solid Gold Buddha
Most of the time, breaking an historic religious icon does not turn out well. But when workers moving a large and very old but otherwise unremarkable plaster statue of Buddha in Bangkok in 1955 dropped their load, they got lucky. The accident revealed an amazing secret: the plaster with modest inlaid glass decoration was a decoy shell concealing the world's largest solid gold Buddha.By Lynn Elmhirst, Producer/ Host, BestTrip.TVHidden in Plain SightThe design of the Buddha suggests it dates to...
Paul Gauguin Cruises Named Top for Honeymooners
Small ship, South Pacific luxury cruise line specializes in romance.Brides magazine has named Paul Gauguin Cruises '#1 for Honeymooners'. The cruise line operates the longest continually sailing luxury cruise ship in the South Pacific. The 'Paul Gauguin' is a 5+ star, 332-guest idyllic ship that sails to some of the most exotically romantic locations on any honeymoon couples' list: Tahiti, Fiji, French Polynesia, and other once-in-a-lifetime destinations in the South Pacific.Honeymooners receive a complimentary honeymoon package when sailing with Paul...
Carnival Vista 'Taps' into Home Port Flavors for American Craft Beer Week
The first brewery on board a North American-based ship introduces Miami Guava Wheat Beer.Carnival Vista's RedFrog Pub & Brewery gets into the spirit of American Craft Beer Week with a limited edition brew inspired by its home port.Miami Guava Wheat Beer is a uniquely local flavor inspired by tropical South Florida. The beer's light body and palate-pleasing notes of tangy pink guava are not only tropical and refreshing, but include the primary ingredient in Miami’s ever-popular guava pastries.Carnival Vista's brewmaster...
The Ship that's Changing River Cruising
How do you revolutionize river cruise ships?River cruise ships are limited in length by the navigational requirements of rivers... like the sizes of locks. While ships bear their company livery colors and a few unique design features, many river cruise ships appear much the same - at least on the outside.The design for the AmaMagna, launching in 2019, is game changing. It maintains navigational/ length limitations - but it's twice the width of traditional European river cruise ships.What makes a...
MSC Cruises, UNICEF Partnership Feeds 67,000 Needy Children and Their Families
We're already pretty passionate about travel. Then when the company we trust with our valuable vacation time and budget makes the effort to do good in our shared world, well, that makes us love travel even more. European cruise line MSC Cruises has recently reached an incredible milestone for its partnership with UNICEF, raising €6.5 million (that's about $6.9 million USD) through guest donations onboard to support UNICEF. Those funds have been put to good use. More than 2 million sachets of...